~The usual gratitude to my reviewers. You keep me going on. And marcher I know they are short but I don't feel like cutting them in another way.~
If there hasn't been the prophecy, Zainde's death would only cause grief. But now, with this new fact involved it arise many different reactions. Most pessimistic people just despaired. The very hot-tempered ones even blamed the old woman for her death. However reactions like these could save nothing, and soon people started arriving at the camp seeking for protection and asking for help. There was no harsher duty than telling to a young woman carrying a little girl, an infant and another one not brought in the world yet that there is nothing you can do to protect her and her children from death. It was inevitable. Ardeth thought of it many times. Many possible solutions passed through his mind but they were rejected the one after the other. It was the first time everyone was ready to acknowledge absolute defeat.
It was an evening when the air was particularly heavy. Big clouds of golden dust hovered just about the ground making the breathing almost impossible and preventing people from seeing far. This made the condition even more ominous. Nobody was outside- it was no good in that weather. Ardeth still tried to find a solution or at least not to despair. But he couldn't get the image of the dead man out of his mind. Was that what would happen to every single person? Then he thought he heard a voice calling him from outside. He lifted the tent's flap. There stood Zainde's great-grandson apparently very nervous but determined. "Forgive me if I disturb you Ardeth. I just wanted to give this to you. I found it among Zainde's things." His hand lifted a bit of paper of his pocket and gave it to Ardeth. Ardeth frowned and bent to read it. It was in Arabic and on the top of the paper he could read: "Prophecy for the greatest of all dangers". His eyes widened and he continued reading. Then he put it carefully in his pocket with a frown on his brow. He turned to the boy. "Thank you Kasim. You may have offered a great help to us". Kasim bowed and left quite satisfied he could offer even a little bit.
Ardeth raised his voice so that every man in the council could listen to him. "In this paper found in Zainde's things, the text we are looking for appears to be written". "Then what are we waiting for?" Abdul interrupted him. Ardeth cast him a disapproving glance and continued. "There is just one problem. Zainde can't write. I asked all of her friends and relatives who can and nobody had written it for her." "Maybe the paper already existed, maybe this is were Zainde intended to find the prophecy from." Rafic suggested. Ardeth sighed. "No Rafic. Think about it. Only she knew of it's existence, and she can nether write nor read." "Then were did this thing came from?" Faris asked. Faris was the only of Ardeth's age in the council and also his best friend. Ardeth raised his shoulders in a gesture of ignorance. "We may not know but it appears to be the only way out." He admitted. "And we are going to trust something we don't know where it came from?" Abdul said angrily. "Well Abdul, if you have a better idea then I am sure we will all be very glad to hear it." Faris replied with a sarcastic tone in his voice. "Alright then, I read it." Ardeth said and immediately deep silence fell.
"In the darkest hour of night, in the greatest danger of time, seek help from the inside who is outside, from the med-jai who has not the signs, from the leader who is very high. Chase the lion with the lion." Faris leaned back in despair. "the is not a prophecy." He whispered. "It's a riddle."