The sun had set. Alam sat on the end of the pallet bed inside their dilapidated tent which was unable to stop wisps of cold wind from sneaking in. He gazed at the serpentine engravings on his axe in silence. On the other side of the tent Gretch was starting his nightly weapon maintenance routine by running a sharpening stone along the knife he used to kill deer he hunted. Tajar was making a pot of milk tea on the small stove and was soaking up as much warmth as he could by huddling over the pot. Clarisai sat down next to Alam.
"I am sorry Alam," she said.
"About what?"
"I did not know that you are in love with Shaleh."
"Who told you that?"
"Tajar did, but it was easy to tell from your reaction."
Alam looked at Tajar who looked firmly into the pot on the stove.
Clarisai continued. "Where I come from pregnancy is rare and celebrated. I had never considered that it could be something to hide, or something that would make you sad. I am sorry that my ignorance has hurt you."
"It's not you," Alam slumped. "It's me. Tajar has been telling me for at least three moons to put her out of my mind, and I thought I had, but clearly I was lying to myself. You didn't do anything wrong."
She rested her hand on his forearm. Instantly some of his misery drained away as if it were being sucked out of him.
No.
He willed it to stop and the misery returned.
"You don't have to try to make me feel better, Clarisai. My mother used to say 'sometimes we need a little pain to stop us doing stupid things.' I'll be fine." He patted her hand and gently removed it from his forearm.
"A broken heart is the worst kind of pain," Gretch said.
"Gretch!" Clarisai smiled. "I had no idea you are a philosopher."
"That is why forcing someone to watch you torture their loved one is a better way to get information than torturing the person directly," Gretch said.
Tajar shook his head and looked at Gretch. "You disgust me."
Tapping sounded on the fresh felt of the repaired door flap. Tajar opened it and Taisha stepped in.
"Good evening," she bowed her head in greeting.
"Good evening," Alam, Tajar and Clarisai bowed in reply.
"My father-in-law, Chief Erasyl, invites you all to eat with him tonight."
"Why?" Gretch's eyes narrowed.
"He would like you to have time with your friends from the Empa clan, and he is so impressed with your hunting that he has had one of the deer you caught prepared. It will be a feast."
"A feast sounds good to me!" said Tajar as he took the pot off the stove. "As long as I don't have to sit next to him," Tajar pointed at Gretch.
Taisha led the way to Chief Erasyl's tent. Outside it an entire deer was cooking on a spit. Taisha politely knocked two times on the door flap and indicated for Alam, Tajar, Clarisai and Gretch to enter.
Set in a square around the tents' centre pole were low tables. Sitting at them were Chief Erasyl, his wife, Rustam, Shaleh and Nurlan, as well as a handful of Chief Erasyl's highest ranking warriors.. They stood up politely when the others entered. Taisha moved to an empty space next to her husband, Rustam. The chief extended his arm to indicated for all to be seated.
Alam's eyes met Shaleh's momentarily before she dropped her gaze.
"Welcome, guests," Chief Erasyl said. He had a serious expression on his brow. "Help yourself to the milk tea and curds. Venison will be brought in shortly. There is a lot for me to think about tonight. Shaleh and Nurlan have brought an offer of alliance that is interesting and attractive. I also ponder the arrival, only a few days earlier, of our other guests," with a wave of his hand he gestured to Alam, Tajar, Clarisai and Gretch.
"The combination of hearing that Shaleh is pregnant, and having an Evara in my tent reminds me of a story I heard many years ago," Chief Erasyl continued as he glanced at Clarisai. "As your host, would you allow me to entertain you with it while we wait for the meat?"
"Of course, Chief," said Nurlan as he bowed his head slightly.
Chief Erasyl bowed in return. He glanced up, as if seeking inspiration, or some distant memory before beginning his tale.
"When I was a much younger man - in fact many of you would not have been born - I heard a story about the King and Queen of the Evaran realm, and the birth of a wondrous child."
Alam noticed that Clarisai stiffened next to him.
"Perhaps you know the story?" Chief Erasyl asked Clarisai with piercing eyes from under his frowning brow.
"If it is about my people I probably do," Clarisai replied. "If you wish, I can tell you a story that I am certain none of you will have heard before."
Chief Erasyl waved her offer away. "No, I want to tell this one. Perhaps you can tell me if it is true."
Clarisai did not respond.
"Far away, in their forest land over the mountains, the King and Queen of Evara had a baby girl. She was the sweetest, most beautiful child anyone had ever seen."
"I do not believe that detail is true," Clarisai interrupted.
"Please," Chief Erasyl held up his hand. "Allow me to finish. Once I am done you can correct me to your heart's content."
Clarisai crossed her arms and frowned.
"But there was far more to the child than sweetness and beauty. One day her mother had a dream, a vision of the future. You see, the Evaran Queen, like all of her people, possessed powerful magic. We on The Endless Plains, have never seen magic as powerful as the Evara control."
Alam heard Clarisai quietly click her tongue in annoyance.
"In this vision the Queen saw that her baby girl would grow up to be an unstoppable, powerful sorceress that would destroy their eternal enemy: the Empire of Morcham.
"The Evaran people celebrated with the news, but only for one day, because the next night their king also had a vision. Unfortunately, it foretold something completely different. In his vision his sweet, beautiful child would have all of her power sucked out of her by the wizards of Morcham, and then, when she was nothing more than an empty husk, she would be thrown into a pit of hungry dogs. Morcham would then utterly destroy the Evaran realm, and burn every tree to the ground."
"If you insist on telling this story," Clarisai spoke up, "at least allow me to tell you the true account."
"Shh," Chief Erasyl held up his hand again to silence her. "This is my tent and my story."
Behind Alam the tent flap opened. Astaevka clan members entered carrying platters of steaming slices of venison, placed them on the tables, and then departed. Chief Erasyl continued.
"While you eat I will finish the story, which takes a couple unexpected turns. The first of these is that the King and Queen decided to strip the girl's power themselves so that Morcham could not gain the power. They then sought out a young chief from the most powerful clan on The Endless Plains and convinced him to care for the girl for an entire decade. The curious parallel is that your father, Nurlan, was once chief of Khashbal Clan, which is the largest clan on the Plains, and if I remember rightly, he disappeared for a decade."
"Chief Erasyl, we can all see you are trying to make a point. Feel free to speak plainly," Nurlan said.
"This is my tent, and I will make my points however I wish," Chief Erasyl replied. His teeth ripped off a large piece of venison. While chewing he continued.
"The second curious event happened when the girl was a woman. A young sorcerer from Morcham, probably the one in the King's vision, magically appeared in the girl's room, overpowered the clan chief that protected her, and vanished, taking the girl with him. She was never heard of again. Thrown to the hungry dogs, no doubt. At least that is what everyone assumed."
To Alam's left Gretch suddenly jerked his head up as if listening. He then leaned past Tajar, grabbed the shoulder of Alam's tunic, and pulled Alam urgently towards him.
"Brother, this is a trap," Gretch whispered intensely, clearly not caring that he was seen doing so.
"What do you mean?" Alam asked.
"I can hear a flier landing nearby." Gretch stood up.
Alam looked up, listening. He could not hear anything.
Next to him Tajar whispered. "I also hear faint beating of wings." He moved to stand up.
"Sit down!" Chief Erasyl bellowed. "I am not finished!"
"I am," said Gretch. He stepped to the tent flap and threw it open. Beyond him, through the door, Alam could see a line of Astaevka warriors. Firelight glinted on drawn weapons. Bow strings were pulled, aiming at Gretch. He moved his head from side to side as if counting the number of opponents.
"Gretch, I concede there are no warriors in my clan as skilled as you, but not even you can survive a dozen arrows. Sit down while I finish my story, for we are getting to the part that many of you might not know."
Next to Chief Erasyl, Rustam rose from the table, drew his sword, and moved protectively next to his father. Gretch allowed the tent flap to close and moved back to the low table.
"Now as I was saying, everyone assumed that the Evara girl had been killed and thrown to the dogs," Chief Erasyl continued. "But then a curious thing happened only a few moons ago. A messenger from Morcham came to me and offered me great riches if I allow my clan to operate within his Liege's army. I, of course, instantly refused the offer. I am no Morcham slave. He then said that if an Evara girl came through my lands that his Liege would reward me handsomely to hand her over to him. Who else, I thought to myself, could this Evara girl be than the princess from the story? Perhaps she isn't dead after all. And now behold!" He pointed to Clarisai. "We have the girl herself sitting in my tent!"
Alam scowled and put his arm protectively in front of Clarisai. "Have you no honour?" Alam spat. "You would give a guest under your care to Morcham for money? What kind of chief are you?"
Around the tent others were frowning in disapproval as well.
"Hush!" Erasyl commanded. "Another guest is soon to join us."
Suddenly Rustam's sword flashed out. He plunged the blade into his father's back. The blade went all the way through his torso. Surprise burst from Chief Erasyl's lips.
Cries of shock erupted. People scurried to their feet. Weapons whipped out of their scabbards.
"What are you doing?!" shouted Taisha at her husband.
"Claiming my inheritance," Rustam replied.
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Thank you for your votes and comments.
-Y. V. Qualls