Garsiv yelled. "Stop!"
Everyone took their eyes off Dastan and looked to see Garsiv running towards them from the palace stairs. Suddenly a streak of gold silk ran for the gates that were still open. One guard recovered from his daze just as Dastan passed him and raised his sword to stop the boy still believing he'd done something wrong and was under arrest. He only meant to use the sword to stop the escaping thief but he stumbled. The blade came down hard into Dastan's shoulder causing the boy scream in agony and grab his arm.
Tus and Sharaman had finally reached the bottom of the outside stairs as well and watched in horror as Dastan grabbed his wounded arm. His hand quickly was covered in blood and he looked so scared and hurt as he stared back at them. But the injury only slowed him down slightly and he was running down the slope leading to the town and away from them all. Tus and Garsiv fell to their knees as their father digested everything he'd just seen and glared at his sons.
Part 7
Explanations and Fears
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Sharaman stared at his sons for a few moments then waved over a trusted royal guard.
"Quickly send some men out to find Dastan and bring him back here to treated." He said loudly enough for all to hear. "I will remind everyone, he is a Prince, he has done nothing wrong, this was a mistake."
The man bowed and started to leave but the king put his hand on his shoulder. "Bahadur, please, bring my son back safely."
"I will do my best, my King." He looked at Garsiv in the dirt and was surprised. He was pleased to see the boy showing emotion, which he hadn't done that in years. He just wished it were under better circumstances.
Tus just sat there shaking his head. He couldn't believe how quickly things had gone wrong. He knew Garsiv was angry for not warning him what Dastan might think of his questions. He'd been trained to think of every benefit angle but he should have put family before that urge. He looked at Garsiv and was actually shocked by the deep sadness and self recrimination he saw in his brothers eyes. He knew it was partly his fault but he didn't know how to fix it. Tus looked to their father for help.
Sharaman could see both his sons were shaken by what had just happened. He was worried and angry that Dastan had been hurt and driven from the palace by, he hoped, a misunderstanding. But he knew he needed to help his sons before scolding them.
Sharaman signaled for some guards to help the two stunned princes inside. They stopped at the first meeting room they came to and sat at the large table. The King dismissed the men and looked at the royal guards inside. "Leave us, please."
The men bowed and closed the doors behind them. Sharaman sat and looked between the two boys. Tus looked confused and shocked but was at least coherent. Garsiv was completely unresponsive and it reminded him of the boys actions when he lost his mother.
...
Garsiv was aware of movement but didn't care. His first thought was a simple question. How could something as simple as finding a friend turn into this? Dastan's scream as the black and white steel of the sword embedded itself in his shoulder made him shudder. Garsiv had been hurt by mistake by instructors in sparring sessions and knew what it felt like. He also knew how quickly infection could set in which could turn deadly.
His mind then flashed back to the only other time in his life he had felt so angry with himself. He was supposed to be with his mother that afternoon she went to the desert temple to pray. But he'd been playing and got distracted so she let him stay. When the warning bells started to sound he just knew she was dead and it was his fault. Of course, everyone told him he was just a child and they would have killed him too. But he didn't care, she was his mother and he let her down. At least he could have been sure she didn't die alone.
Now his temper had gotten in the way where his childish play had before. Again it was his fault a member of the royal house was gone. A part of his mind smiled that Garsiv thought of Dastan as a part of their home but was quickly silence by a wave of fiery anger. He let himself scare Dastan away and worse to think they had betrayed him. Why did he keep doing such foolish things that hurt people?
Like the night father and Tus has arrived in Avrat. Tus had screamed at his door for an hour begging to be let in until he fell asleep on the floor. Garsiv just burrowed deeper into his sheets and cried rather than seeking comfort in his brothers arms. But he did relax at the sound of Tus's voice. Then his brothers words from this morning came to him. "It's the first time in my life I truly felt like I wanted to be swallowed up by the desert." If anything happened to Dastan because of him, that's how he would feel.
...
Sharaman nudged Garsiv but could see he would be no help so he nodded to Tus to explain. "Alright, tell me what happened. Why did Dastan run?"
Tus swallowed hard and went over the last few minutes in his mind before answering. He wouldn't speak of the balcony accident but he could get around that. "Garsiv came to me this morning with a dilemma. He knew he hadn't been very welcoming to Dastan since his arrival so he asked for my help. He had overheard Dastan has a very close friend in lower town. They've known each other for a long time and he helped Dastan through losing his parents. Garsiv hoped if he could go into the town and find this boy it would make Dastan feel better."
Sharaman nodded and looked at Garsiv who was still unsponsive. "That was very considerate of him. Do you know what caused the change of heart?"
Tus knew Garsiv felt bad about telling Dastan's personal story and agreed it was wrong. He didn't want to violate the boys privacy himself so he tried to curb. "I believe he mentioned hearing something about his past that Garsiv connected with personally."
Sharaman could see his son was trying to be diplomatic and would let it slip for now. "Alright, continue with your story."
"I agreed with his idea, but then he told me this boy was part of a group of street children known as Adil, a group that protects their kind. Dastan was their leader before you found him and now his friend, Bis, is. I didn't tell Garsiv about what I really thought, as I wanted to learn more about this group to decide if they were a threat. He asked Dastan a few questions but things got quickly out of hand. Dastan came to believe you had only brought him here to make him turn on his friends. I realized my mistake and quickly tried to explain Garsiv's original plan. But he was scared and thought we weren't trying to corner him."
The King shook his head sadly but then smiled sadly. "I see, and let me guess, he did something unexpected and very acrobatic?"
Tus straightened up and nodded vehemently. "Yes! He went out the window and climbed down to the courtyard faster than we could run through the palace and down ourselves. We yelled ahead to have the guards stop him. Somehow our orders were misinterpreted as they were passed down the levels to the main doors. The guards thought Dastan had done something wrong and drew their weapons to stop him with force. The rest you know."
Sharaman sighed at how something so simple as a kind thought had turned so quickly into a threat. "I understand." Their father then looked at Garsiv and tried to get the boys attention.
"Garsiv, you were being very kind in your plan to try to raise Dastan's spirits. I'm proud of you for thinking of it. I know you feel like this is all your fault but it is not."
Garsiv could hear everything going on around him but none of it seemed to break through the feeling of disgust with himself. He knew he had a temper and should have contained it rather yelling.
"I made him run, because I couldn't control my anger. I made him afraid of me again in less than a week."
Tus looked distressed and the King knew something else had happened that first started this. From the reaction in Tus it was serious and had been the tipping point to making Garsiv show care.
"Should I even ask what he means by that?"
Tus looked like he wanted to slither under the table and hide rather answer that question. Sharaman decided to let that slip as well, but was making of list for later.
Just as he was about to ask another question the doors flew open and Cora ran in. He mother was just behind trying to stop her daughter to no avail. "Mother, let me go, please!"
Sharaman raised a hand to his servant and waved this distraught girl over. Cora came to stand before him and quickly bowed. "I apologize for disturbing you, your majesty."
"I understand, Cora, you are concerned for Dastan."
Cora's eyes immediately filled with tears as she looked only at him. "Is it true? Did they stab him? Is he going to die?"
Hearing the words stab and die managed to get through Garsiv's clouded mind but not in a good way. He put his arms on the table and dropped his head onto his hands and shook it as he felt even worse. His father saw this and waved for Tus to try to comfort his brother but Garsiv just pushed his hands away. Tus's heart went out to the pain Garsiv was feeling. He sat down next to him hoping his closeness would help somehow.
"My dear, it is true that Dastan was injured by one of the guards. It was an accident and no, he will not die. My men are searching the town for him now. They will bring him back and out healers will help him."
Cora got even more distressed at hearing this. She sank down to her knees and began crying as she whispered. "No, they won't find him."
Garsiv answer his father's question before he could answer it. His head never moved from his hands on the table. His voice was muffled but clear. "He said if he ever had to run from here, we'd never see him again. He grew up down there so if he doesn't want to be found he won't be. And he has every street child and member of Adil to keep him hidden."
Sharaman looked concerned as he turned to Tus who nodded it was true. Cora put her head in hands and cried openly. He mother knelt beside her and tried to calm the girl with a hug. Cora just put her arms around her mother and cried on her shoulder.
Garsiv suddenly stood up and walked to the door. "They will keep him hidden, even though it will likely kill him. If the bleeding doesn't do it the inevitable infection will. He could be dead in two days." As Cora cried even harder, Garsiv turned and blasted through the doors. He didn't say that it was all his fault but everyone could hear it in his voice.
Tus nodded to his father and women but didn't say anything as he ran after his brother. Since losing his mother, Garsiv has not learned to deal well with strong emotions. Tus has always kept close by to curtail his anger and keep it from becoming destructive. He stayed with his brother but not to close. He realized they were going back to their rooms. He hoped Garsiv just planned to close himself away and disgust everything, but knowing his brother it was unlikely. Tus went to a wall and pushed a tapestry aside then twisted a blue marble panel to open a servant's passage leading to Garsiv's room. Tus quickened his pace when he heard his brother shouting.
"Ayman! Ayman, where are you?"
The servant came flying down the passage and stopped in shock to see the oldest prince. Tus put his finger to his mouth in a hushing manner and waved him forward into Garsiv's room. Ayman nodded and bowed as he passed.
"My Prince?"
Garsiv rounded quickly on the boy and pointed to the space in front of him. "You said you knew a little of the marketplace and the boys there. You also said you knew of Bis. Do you know what he looks like? Do you know how to find him? And you better answer yes to at least one of those questions."
The venom in the princes voice left no doubt of forthcoming violence if he didn't answer correctly. He swallowed hard enough that Tus could help from several feet away. "I do know what he looks like, but I don't know where their base is. I'm sorry, sire."
Tus saw Ayman dodge when Garsiv raised his hand and even flinched himself. The look on his brothers face was terrifying. Tus knew that if he had caused a problem, Garsiv would not stop until he had settled it. He refused to rest until his mistakes were fixed in some way.
Garsiv saw the fear in the boy and clenched his fist so tightly his nails dug into his palms nearly breaking the skin. He squeezed until he could control his anger and breathed to calm himself.
When the strike didn't come, Ayman opened and eye and looked at the prince not sure what to expected.
Garsiv looked at the boy and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry to frighten you. This is my fault, not yours. We are going ahead with my original plan. I'm going down there and find Dastan myself. Or find Bis who will lead me to Dastan. Now describe him to me with as much detail as you can. And I'm going to need that change of clothes from you."
Ayman listened as the plan was explained. When Garsiv turned to walk to his desk to write down Bis's description, he turned around. The servant looked back in Tus's direction with a look saying 'this is a bad idea'.
Tus had to agree. He did not like the idea of Garsiv going into town in his current state. They both knew how dangerous it was to be alone and be recognized. Most people would just be surprised and bow to see a Prince in public. But news would travel fast and unfriendly elements would quickly surface and trouble would ensue. His old fear for his brother resurfaced and Tus went over everything in his mind trying to find a way to keep Garsiv safely in the palace. Bahadur could keep him safe but he was searching for Dastan. He couldn't go himself as it would just make things more dangerous to have both princes exposed.
Just as he was about to step out and say something he staggered back into the wall. The memory came to him of Dastan backing up and the flash as the sword swinging down to slice into his arm... and his scream. He could see into Dastan's blue eyes clearly and saw only betrayal, pain and sadness but not resentment. Tus realized he was as much to blame as Garsiv for making Dastan run. If anyone could find someone who didn't want to be found it was Garsiv. The boy was more determined than anyone else he knew when he set his mind to it.
Tus then felt a sharp wave go through him. He hadn't felt it since that night they flew across the desert to Avrat. If anything happened to Dastan because of his mistake it would be hard to take since he really did like the kid. He knew that given time he truly could come to love the boy as a brother. But if this mess somehow took Garsiv he would never forgive himself. Tus didn't care if Garsiv would be angry or not, he came out of the passage and walked straight to his brother.
Garsiv heard a latch click and looked up to see Tus walked toward him. He realized his brother had been hiding and likely overheard everything. "You can't change my mind, Tus. I started this and I will find him and bring him back alive. I swear I will not sit by and let someone else I'm supposed to protect die."
Garsiv was ready for a fight but as Tus got closer he could see acceptance in his blue eyes. Tus came right up to him and held him by the shoulders. "Be careful, brother. You and Father are still my whole world. I can't be without you. No crazy stunts. Stay low. Don't draw attention to yourself. Find our brother and bring him home alive, for our's and Father's sake."
Garsiv just nodded at everyone instruction Tus gave and looked into his brothers eyes. He saw trust and compassion mixed with fear, dread and anxiety. He just smiled and nodded as he pulled Tus into a hug. "Thank you for understanding, my brother. I will be back, with Dastan, I promise."
Tus simply buried his face in his brother's shoulder and held him as long and as tightly as he could. They broke apart when Ayman came in with the change of clothes and bag of essentials Garsiv would need if was away a while.
"The bag contains, food, money, a blanket and a small dagger. You can't take your own weapons. Everyone will see the craftsman ship and no you don't belong. I have written some place to look for Bis and some hints to keep a low profile." He handed the bag to Garsiv, who grasped it. But when Ayman didn't release it, he looked at the boy who leveled a gaze on his master. "Please be careful. I would not wish to see you harmed."
Normally, Garsiv would be furious that a servant were so casual with their feelings. However after seeing Cora with Dastan he realized that their servants are close to them. In fact they know them better than anyone else and Ayman cared for him. Garsiv smiled and put his free hand on top of Ayman's. "I promise you both, I will be careful."
Tus and Ayman smiled as Garsiv went to change. He leaned closer to the prince and whispered. "I put the world out with some people I trust to keep an eye on him and pass word quickly to Bahadur to find him and keep him safe."
Tus breathed a sigh of relief and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Thank you, my friend."
Ayman smiled broadly to be called a friend of one of Persia's famous princes, especially their heir. "I'll tell Cora not to worry. Prince Dastan will be back here in no time."
Tus smiled. "I hope so." But he had a unnerving feeling that much was still to come before any possibility of a happy ending. He just hoped it would scare them all for life.
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OK, so I was nice and no cliffie this time. We not as much of one anyway. *evil smile*
So we have Tus, Cora, Sharaman, Ayman and pretty much the whole palace freaked out and scared for Dastan and soon will find out Garsiv is gone too. Daddy isn't going to be pleased and will be doing some grounding eventually.
The timeline I'm going with is Dastan is 10 going on 11, which makes Garsiv 13 going on 14 and Tus would be 17. There are 3 years between my sister and brother and I so I did it with them too.
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Great to see some new names on the review list and more alerts. I have my Shani8 back now but have lost kingelby.
Jtoasn: interesting is good LOL
TheSaga: it's good you like it there will be lots more
BellaCullen1789: *watched people crawling up walls* how's the view up there? Can you see the space station? The concert was great, I saw Celtic Woman. *thumbs up*
TOAS: hehe finding Dastan is going to very complicated, you'll see. YAY part 5 of Steps is up, bad Dastan going to sick again and freak out his brothers.
Lexer047: glad you like it
Talk-ape: I love my regulars, you guys rock. I like twisty, keeps it interesting
Pghj2005: I think you are correct *evil mischievous smile*
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Margirli13: is there any other way?
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Shani8: you're back! *hugs* oh yes, Sharmy is gonna have fun later.