Chapter 2

Since it had no door, Rose gripped the frame of the roofless reconnaissance vehicle as its driver bounced it along the desert road. A pleasant and engaging young man, Atash was pretty much the way she pictured him, with a bright, eager smile against his tawny features and a head of tousled white hair. The other passengers on the train, soldiers returning to the fort, had given him some good-natured ribbing. They seemed somewhat amused by the fact that Rose was actually staying at the hotel, and she wasn't sure whether to be concerned about that.

But Atash seemed to radiate an infectious confidence and optimism, and Rose decided to put aside any concerns and simply admire the view around her. They sped past vegetation that she had never seen before. There were strange, spiky cactuses that looked vaguely lethal, but their harshness was tempered by feathery limbs of trees that spread like soft umbrellas over their shorter neighbors. While she was taking in the surroundings, the car slowed a little and she turned to look ahead. A creature that looked like a skinny, gold-and-sand-colored wolf with big ears trotted across the road some distance away, giving them a single cautious glance before reaching the other side of the road.

"What was that?" Rose asked in a hushed voice.

"A jackal," Atash replied. He sped up a little and reached the point where the jackal had disappeared into the brush barely a moment before, and he slowed to a stop. "Look. Can you see it?"

Rose peered through the tangle of cactus, dried tufts of grass, and stumpy bushes. She shook her head. "No, I can't see it at all."

Atash grinned. "It's like they vanish!" he said. "There's an old, old story where the jackal was once a clever sorcerer who thought the world of himself. But Ishvala punished him for his pride and made him humble by turning him into an animal. But he's no less clever. He and the cactus wren, the other clever one, are always fighting in stories, trying to one up each other." Atash accelerated again rather suddenly and Rose was nearly flung back against her seat. "They're both noisy. You'll be hearing them a lot."

Rose sat upright again. "Are there a lot of wild animals here?" she asked, remembering Wilfred's warning. At the time she hadn't thought much about it.

"Oh, about as much as anywhere, I guess," Atash replied. "Rabbits and ground squirrels and quail and lizards and such. Oh, and the silver hawk!" he added proudly. "They only live here!"

"What about dangerous animals?"

"Well, there are pit vipers," Atash said, "but not so much in town."

"How much is 'not so much'?"

Atash grinned assuringly. "Oh, it's nothing to worry about! We keep a good eye out for them! But they're all part of the wide world. The vipers keep down the rats and the scorpions keep down the crickets."

Rose swallowed a little nervously. "Scorpions?"

Atash laughed. "Not to worry, Zhaarana!" he declared. "Just make sure you shake out your shoes before you put them on!"

Soon they could see the off-white and pale dusty rose walls of Ishval. Just as they neared the edge of the city, a mounted soldier came trotting up the road toward them. Atash slowed down and waved, calling out a greeting in Ishvalan.

The rider stopped alongside the car and Rose recognized him immediately. He seemed to find her familiar as well.

"Are you from Resembool, Miss?" he asked.

Rose shook her head. "No, I'm from Liore, but you probably saw me at Ed and Winry's wedding."

"Of course!" the officer said with a smile. "Colonel Miles, at your service, Miss…"

"Rose Thomas."

Miles gave an inclination of his head. "Doishteve na Ishval!"

"That means welcome to Ishval," Atash added in an undertone.

"Will there be a test?" Rose whispered back.

Atash looked shocked. "I wouldn't do that to you, Zhaarana! Not to our first customer!"

"Well, I hope you enjoy your stay, Miss Thomas," Miles said with a polite nod. Then to Atash he added, "No joy riding, kid! I want that recon car back without a scratch."

"Colonel!" Atash pressed his hand over his heart. "I swear I'll treat it like it's mine!"

"No, you won't," Miles countered as he tapped his horse's sides with his heels. "You'll treat it like it's mine."

"No worries!" Atash called after him. He pressed on the accelerator and they continued on. They reached the outer verge of the buildings and Atash pointed the car to the left to follow a road that was designated by a sign for motor vehicle traffic only. This road was an alley wide enough for two lanes of traffic and was lined on both sides by a low wall interspersed with steps.

Having to go down a back alley would not be considered much of a scenic route, but at many points along the way, the same feathery-leafed trees Rose saw earlier hung their limbs over the wall from the yards on the other side. Mounds of vines with a few remaining flowers cascaded over the tops of the walls as well, dropping leaves and flowers onto the street below. A few people were sweeping up the dried leaves at the base of the walls, and they waved as the car drove by.

Atash pointed to his right. "That's Daliha," he said. Indicating the buildings on the left, he said, "And that's Wahir on that side. We're heading to Kanda."

He didn't indicate how long that would take, but at the speed at which he was driving, it might not take long. At one point, however, they approached an intersection, out of which emerged a couple of men on horseback. They were Ishvalan, not soldiers, although they appeared to have some sort of uniform coat, long and khaki-colored. On the upper-left arm of their sleeves was a grey band with a simple representation of an eye. It seemed fairly obvious that they carried some sort of authority.

From the instant their horses' noses appeared from the intersecting street, Atash lifted his foot from the accelerator and the car rolled along at a very moderate speed. He gave the two men a friendly wave and a smile as they approached.

"Good morning to you, Zhaaradii!" he called cheerfully.

The two men nodded back and one of them raised his hand, but not in greeting. Atash's smile faded a little and he slowed to a stop.

The one who raised his hand gave a slight smirk. "I could hear your engine rev down, Atash," he said. "You wouldn't have been exceeding the speed limit now, would you?"

"Uh…" Atash seemed to be thinking quickly and then he brightened. "Not for prevailing conditions!"

The other horseman shook his head and clicked his tongue. "You don't want to get your shiny new license pulled, do you, lahaat?"

"No, of course not!" Atash replied, seemingly surprised that they should be suggesting such a thing in the first place. He tapped the side of his head. "The driver's manual is still fresh in my noggin!"

"Well, that's a mercy!" the first horseman remarked with a laugh. "It would be a shame to make your very first guest walk the rest of the way to her hotel."

Their tone was friendly, but Rose figured she ought to come to Atash's aid. "I thought he was driving quite carefully," she said. "I feel very safe."

The first horseman smiled at her. "You're very kind, Zhaarana," he replied. "But don't coddle our Atash too much. It'll go straight to his head." He looked back at the young man with a warning but indulgent look and silently tapped the eye emblem on his arm. The two men then continued on their way and Atash pressed the accelerator lightly to ease the car forward at a speed that he obviously didn't care much for.

Rose glanced behind them. "Are they policemen?"

Atash gave a nod. "Our khorovar wanted to start up a force of our own instead of having military police. They're the tagma." He gave a little scowl of concentration. "It's supposed to be Old Ishvalan for 'order' or 'set in order', or something like that."

"Is there much crime here?" Rose asked.

"Oh, no!" Atash replied readily. "Folks here are still so glad to have their homeland back that they don't want to court trouble from anybody, be it the tagma, the colonel, the khorovar, or Ishvala." He gave a bit of a shrug. "Sometimes a fellow might get a little unruly after having a little too much at the tavern, or there might be a squabble in the marketplace over the price of melons, or maybe some kid decides he feels like skipping school one day—like I used to do," he added with an unapologetic grin. He chuckled. "They never would've caught me, though."

Atash threw a glance behind him to see if the tagma were still in view. He turned around with a smile and pressed just a little on the gas, speeding up a bit. They came upon the outskirts of the central district of Gunja which, as Atash explained, was the home of the administrative offices of the Ishvalan government, the school that served the entire province, and, most importantly, the Great Temple. They could see it from the access road, its red dome rising above all the surrounding buildings.

Rose contemplated the wine-red tiles as they glowed warmly in the sun. Back in Liore, the so-called Church of Leto had been torn down, replaced by a very fine new town hall, and it was a memory that she was glad to put behind her. She was aware that the faith practiced by the Ishvalans was an ancient one, an integral thread in the weave of their lives. Atash did not seem like the reverent type. He seemed like a bit of a rascal, but a good-hearted one. For him to speak of the temple of Ishvala with such fond pride wasn't a bad endorsement.

After about another twenty minutes or so, Atash drew alongside a portion of the wall near a set of steps and stopped the car. "Here we are, Zhaarana!" he announced.

He hopped out of the car and gathered up Rose's bags, heading up the steps with them. "Right this way," he called over his shoulder.

Rose followed him up the stairs and along an alleyway between two walls. Set in the wall on their left was an iron gate. Atash set down one of the bags and pushed a latch at the top of the gate and nudged it open. Rose followed him through the gate and gave a quiet little gasp. They had just stepped into a walled garden with a couple of spreading trees, young plants along the base of the inside of the wall, and pots filled with flowers. There were three round tables in the center of this area, each with four chairs around them, and in a couple of places along the wall, there were rattan benches covered with brightly woven cushions. Low round tables were set in front of these.

Rose gazed around her. "This is lovely!" she breathed.

"Is it?" Atash asked her eagerly. "Ah, I'm glad you think so! Me and Pashmina worked hard on this all weekend!"

"Just two of you?" Rose said in amazement.

"Well, Zhaarad Dejan came and helped out, since his dad owns the place. He brought some of his folk with him, too, thank Ishvala!"

The scurrying of feet heralded the appearance of a pretty young Ishvalan girl who came out from inside the building. This was probably Pashmina.

"Welcome to the Desert Dove Hotel!" she exclaimed in a voice that could only be described as sincerely perky. "Your room is all ready, Zhaarana! Right this way!"

Rose followed the two young Ishvalans into the lobby of the hotel. It was not very big and very simply furnished. On either side of the lobby was a doorway opening onto a hallway and a flight of stairs. Beyond these, on the left, was a counter set in an arched window. Behind the counter was a small, tidy alcove. Atash rushed around Rose and entered the alcove from a side doorway. He very proudly planted a large book on the counter and opened it, handing Rose a fountain pen.

"If I could just have you sign here, Zhaarana! We start serving breakfast at seven, but you just let us know when you're ready."

Rose signed her name in the registration book, the very first name on the very first line. "What do you usually serve for breakfast?"

Atash glanced at Pashmina, who replied readily, "Fresh flatbread and sesame rolls, honey and prickly pear jam, and fruit. Oh! And real Xingese tea! Or coffee, if you prefer," she added proudly. "I just learned how to make coffee yesterday, and Colonel Miles and Zhaarad Jean both said it was really good."

"Right!" Atash announced. He took a key from a row of pegs along the back wall of the alcove and handed it to Pashmina, then picked up Rose's suitcases. "This way!"

Both the young Ishvalans led the way down the hall on the right. They passed by a number of open doorways, revealing rooms in various stages of completion. The door that they stopped at was the only one that was closed, and Pashmina unlocked it and pushed it open.

Unlike the other rooms, this one was fully furnished. It was painted a light, warm sandy shade, and the floor, like the rest of the hotel, was made up of dark red clay tiles. Against one wall was a bed with a lightly quilted bedspread with a delicate embroidered design around its edges. Next to the bed was a nightstand with a small ceramic lamp. Across the room from the door was a window, and below this were a small table and a chair. The window had no glass, but it had wooden shutters that opened inward.

Rose stood on the brightly woven rug in the middle of the floor and turned in a slow circle, admiring the room. Everything smelled new and fresh, and a pleasant breeze wafted in through the open window. There was a chest of drawers against the wall near the door and a tall wardrobe across from the bed. They were both made of a pale wood, probably pine, and she noticed that they and the door had simple, delicate lines carved into them. The dark reddish wood of the shutters, however, was covered with intricate carvings of flowers and geometric designs, interspersed with small openings to let in light when the shutters were closed. Somebody, somewhere, had put a lot of work into those.

The young Ishvalans watched her expectantly. "Well?" Atash asked finally. "What do you think?"

"It's lovely!" Rose pronounced as a smile grew on her face. She turned to the young couple, who seemed very pleased and relieved. "I'm so glad I came here!"

The two looked very gratified. "The bathroom is just at the end of the hall there," Pashmina told her, pointing out the door. "And you've got it all to yourself! And if there's anything you need, just ask!"

"Thank you!" Rose contemplated them for a moment, then said, "You two are doing a really marvelous job for being so young. I think Mr. Shua's going to be very proud of you, running this place all by yourselves!"

The young Ishvalans looked at each other with little grins that were partly pleased and partly embarrassed. "That's awfully kind of you, Zhaarana," Atash replied. "But we're not really running it by ourselves."

Pashmina gave a little snort of contempt, which sounded a little surprising, coming from her. "We might as well be," she muttered, "for all the help we got from Zhaarad Stanno!"

Atash gave a little rueful shrug and a nod. To Rose's questioning look, he replied, "He's Zhaarad Shua's partner."

"That means he owns this place, too, but do you think he'd show up to welcome our first guest?" Pashmina said indignantly. "Not likely!" She folded her arms. "His shop isn't even open yet. I checked."

Atash gave her a nudge. "We should wake him up."

Pashmina broke into a mischievous grin. "Oh, we should!" She grasped Rose's hand and pulled her toward the door. "Come and meet your host!"

"Uh…are you sure about this?" Rose asked as they went back down the hall.

"When Zhaarad Shua's not here, Zhaarad Stanno is responsible for this place," Atash said, "for all he claims not to be. He should at least say hello."

They went out through the front door and onto the street. Up and down this road were mostly two-story buildings that had workshops occupying the ground floor and living quarters on the top. There were people in open doorways busy at their various crafts. Atash went up to one of the buildings across the street and stood before a set of three wooden panels that appeared to serve as doors across the ground floor. The carvings on them looked rather a lot like the workmanship inside the hotel. The young man pounded on one of the panels with his fist. He stepped back and waited for a few moments. Then he sighed and shook his head.

He stepped out into the middle of the street and looked down around his feet for a moment. He stooped down and picked up a small rock. Straightening up, he tossed the rock up and down in his hand for a moment while he contemplated the building. Then he pulled his arm back and pitched the rock in a well-aimed arc, bouncing it sharply against a closed wooden shutter on the second floor. The crack echoed through the street and turned a few heads.

While Rose stared at this feat of presumptuousness, she heard a muffled but clearly outraged growling. The growl was made up of intelligible words, but they were in Ishvalan, and judging by the way Pashmina gave a small gasp and covered her mouth with a shocked giggle, the words used were not meant for polite company.

The shutters were flung open, revealing not only the glorious spectacle of Ishvalan obscenities at full volume, but the shirtless torso of the man from whose lungs and throat the roaring emerged. Neither Atash nor Pashmina seemed in the least intimidated by this display and were more amused than anything else, but Rose couldn't help but think that none of this would end well.

I introduced the local law force, the tagma, sort of spur of the moment. It seemed sensible, but now I have to figure out what else I may have to do with them.