.XVIII. Oasis.
Almost, there, near the beginning of the trees...
Almost, out of the endless sea of sand.
Almost, able to taste the fresh water.
Almost, closer with each breath,
To The Oasis.
With the mercenary Galodo Frock once again in shackles, the small Zerrikanian caravan traveled on through the night, as they needed the reach the lands of Gawa and the oasis there, before daylight. As the water supplies were very low, they had to use it smartly, and effectively, therefore, not making camp and advancing during the night to avoid the scorching temperatures during the day and any sunlight, seemed the best way to do it.
At the head of the group led by Biua, was Gerd, riding along side the Zerrikanian woman. Slurping the remaining drops of water from his flask. He could've been as tired as the other men and women in the zerrikanian group that transported Galodo, but he didn't feel like it. His eyes watched with an irritating grin the sun which began to ascend from the east. Cracking the darkness of the night with a red line across the horizon, and the slight semi-circle rising from beyond the dunes of sand that began to disappear, leaving place to the roasted grass and dirt so far.
'Don't like the sun, do you ?', asked Biua, slowing down a bit, so Gerd could catch up.
'Not one bit.', he replied, without taking his eyes off the less than half arising ball of fire.
'Ha ! After all those days in the desert, I thought you got used to it...'.
'I did. But, that doesn't mean I got to like it...'.
'Good enough.', she responded, with a smile. Than turned her head and shoulders and looked at the back of the caravan.
'How far are we from the oasis ?'
'Not far. Look ahead. The grass, is getting livelier, greener and left of the path, ahead, a few trees.', she said, pointing ahead. 'That means we are close. We should be there before sunrise.'.
From behind, a woman warrior quickened her horse's steps and slowed when she reached Biua's right side.
'Should we sent scouts ?', the woman asked.
'Yes. Tell them to prepare and await further instructions.'.
The woman nodded and pulled the reins of the horse, and stopped on the side of the road.
'Witcher.'.
'Hmm ?'.
'What do you plan to do once we reach the village ?', asked Biua, with a serious tone, not taking her eyes from the path.
'I'm not sure...'.
'You had your chance to have him dead in that cave. Why didn't you ? You would've been on your way back to the Blue Mountains now. Don't get me wrong, I appreciated the help.', answered Biua, now looking at him, through the corners of her eyes. 'I don't know what Veya told you, hence my previous questions. I think you understand...'.
'She told me why you want him. And she made clear what would happen if I were to kill him before he payed his debt.'.
'Honor then. I didn't think your kind still had it, you know...'.
'Mhm.'.
'You'll probably enjoy your stay in our lands as most foreigners do. I don't know how you'll apply your trade here, though. We do solve most of the vermin problems ourselves, leaving a very few things a witcher could take care of...', she said, turning her head left and right, scanning the path ahead. as they entered the Qahgon Savanna, lion territory.
'Two fresh kills south-east !', yelled a man, behind Gerd and Biua, looking through a spyglass.
Biua extended her left arm towards the man, who handed her the spyglass. 'Lion kills most likely...', she said before looking. 'A lion and a man.'.
'One of ours ?', asked the man.
'No. Foreigner.'.
As they came closer to the place the corpses were spotted Gerd added a few more details to the case as they past by.
'A hunter. Redanian from the color of his tunic, 25-30 years of age. He must've come here looking for lion pelts.', added Gerd.
'He had no quick death, nor painless...', continued Biua. 'That's what happens when you hunt alone, especially lions.'.
'It requires at least four to five people. One or two with a bow and the rest with poison tipped spears.', said the man behind Biua and Gerd. 'We don't hunt them like we used to do a few decades ago, when they used to get close to the villages north of here. Their numbers increased in the last decade, but they haven't extended their territory yet.'.
'So you don't hunt them ?'
'There is no need to.', answered Biua. 'We have plenty of leather left from the time we did. Also, we mustn't hunt them to extinction. Our land is a gift and we are here to tend to it. Keep it in balance.'.
The few hours left of the night quickly evaporated under the immense heat that began to rise with each moment the sun travelled west upon this part of the Blue Mountains. Approximately an hour after sunrise, the scouts sent ahead by Biua, had visual confirmation of their destination, the Oasis of Gawa, where the rest of the Zerrikanian caravan waited for them to reach this green piece of paradise, since their arrival eight days ago.
Now, the fate of The Mouse, Galodo Frock, had been sealed. From the oasis were just a few more hours to travel to the closest town, and city, Yolwelkairr.
The change of scenery became breathtaking. Green shrubbery dominated the area, filled with large trees full of colorful singing birds, that shaded the ponds of water of a small delta. On one of it's banks, filled by a large number of blue and pink birds and wild animals similar to the western deer and a few white striped horses were quenching their thirst. In the middle, massive hunks of fat and greyish skin, floating around opening their large mouths. The grand lake was formed in this region by the great river Naa'l, that from here flows south-east, and drains into a sea, east of here. A river that brings life to all the places it flows through, managing to survive the great heat of the deserts, the sharp edges of the canyon rocks among which it drills it's path, for centuries.
No wonder all who visited those places remained speechless at the view of such grandiose splendors.
A land like no other, that's what Zerrikania is.
The group of almost thirty zerrikanians that captured the fleeing mercenary finally had reached the camp, set along the western shore of the Naa'l, being greeted by their brethren, who eagerly awaited their return.
When seeing that Gerd was among those who returned, the camp began to chant something in zerrikanian, over and over again.
'Witcher !', said Veya, approaching. 'You're a sight for sore eyes. I heard you were vital during the capture of The Mouse. Anyway, I bet you're tired ? Get some rest, we'll talk after about your journey here and further.'.
'Fine.', Gerd replied, as he jumped from the saddle.
'Witcher !', said Maa approaching from behind, slapping Gerd on the back. 'I couldn't believe it when they told me you were riding at the head of the group. You did well, there will surely be a reward for you when we reach Yolwelkairr. But for now, rest, drink, eat, enjoy yourself with whatever you please. We'll leave at nightfall.'.
'Thank you, Maa. I will try to.'.
'By the way, Tara wants to talk with you.', said Veya. 'She's at the main tent, to your left, near that tree.', she continued, indicating a tall tree with a large and tall trunk and long branches.
Gerd took his belongings from the saddle of his new horse, a zerrikanian stallion, called by the locals, Ku'n'Kyra. which means thunder in the old language.
He walked towards the tall tree.
He saw Tara. She was holding a rugged journal in her left hand, glancing over it as she stood near an old table next to a few silver chains hanging by a rusty nail struck in one of the tent's pillars.
'Tara...', said Gerd, causing Tara to slip out of her day dream. 'Veya said you wanted to talk ?'.
'Not really.', she answered. 'I need you to tell me something...'.
'What ?'
'Come here. Take a look at this...', replied the zerrikanian woman, handing the journal she was previously perusing upon, to the witcher.
'What about it ?', asked Gerd uncertain of what he was supposed to add to the conversation.
'The language, is it...'.
'It's Elder Speech.'.
'Can you read it ?'
'I could try to make sense of what it contains, but, it will translate a bit rough...', he answered, scratching the bridge of his nose. 'I'm not fluent in elder speech...'.
'Don't you want to know who's the owner ?', she asked, getting closer to Gerd, touching shoulders.
'I'd guess an elf ?'
'No. I found it in The Mouse's satchel...'.
'I doubt it's his...', said the witcher turning a few pages and stopped on one that had a drawing. 'That's Dol Blathanna...'.
'What is that ?', asked Tara.
'A piece of land, a kingdom. The Valley of Flowers. It was the territory of Elves a few decades ago. Now, it belongs to the humans. Living in the high mountains, the elves are a war with the humans. Many die shot by elven arrows, when venturing in their territory...'.
'The Valley of Flowers...', murmured the woman. 'Have you been there ?'
'A few times. Beautiful lands. Wait...'.
'What ?, she answered smiling.
'You know all this. You can read it...'.
'I do. I wanted to see your reaction.'.
'Are you showing off ?', asked Gerd, turning towards the woman.
She smiled.
'A bit. Come with me. I found some other interesting things.'.
The witcher did follow the zerrikanian woman inside the tent, where she presented him a few more of the things she had found in Galodo's satchel. A few letters regarding bussiness, debtors, targets, money flow, accounts, hidden stashes and routes. A few drawings of a building, with scribbled notes near the edges, surely plans for a future heist, including a list of nicknames of the team he planned to rob the house of a man named Almred Von Yenth, in Vengerberg.
The Mouse, had many schemes thought ahead, following the massacre of Spalla.
Shame he won't get to enjoy the spoils from any of them...
As the time past quickly, midday approached.
Gerd, left the tent of the zerrikanian woman, in search for a place to rest his tired flesh and bones.
He found a shaded place, both in the morning and during the day. Under a big tree, very similar to an oak. Where he tied and hanged from two lower branches a piece of cloth, making a hammock. He then, sat in the bed he'd made, watching the sky through the branches of the tree. The sun hadn't reach the middle of the sky yet, as it casted it's light through the branches. creating an orange haze.
He then slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath and fell instantly asleep.
Gerd, slept until the sky completely darkened, and when he woke up, a large number of bioluminescent bugs started to fly around the large tree.
He was awake and so was the rest of the camp. So, he dismantled his hammock, and walked towards Tara's tent. Where Biua, Maa and Veya were standing around the outside table.