(-a/n- Sorry! Again, a much later update than I anticipated…I'll admit that recently my ability to maintain focused on a single task has decreased somewhat, so thanks for all of your nagging :P
Oh, a thing that I've been meaning to ask for ages…is that has anyone else noticed that Squire skips a year?...It's been confusing me as I try to work out events that should be occurring soon…:S
Citrusfruit being the wonderfully kind and talented friend that she is has made me a new fallen cover! :D –beams- It features Kel, Alex, Rhonda and Tor (Hopefully you can guess which is which!) -There should be a link on my profile page...
As always thanks for your lovely comments and messages of encouragement. This chapter, and every other that follows it, is for you! )
Confusedknight xxx
Kel's breath hitched in her throat at the sight before her. There it was, sunlight glinting off it's many windows, Corus, the capital of Tortall. The city was nestled in a valley that was cut in half by a shimmering river. Roads snaked into the city from all angles and in the west the ground rose upwards, temples and estates scattered too numerous to count. At the very top of the hill, towering over everything else stood a magnificent castle. This was the royal palace, its towers mighty, flags dancing in the wind.
The view was one that bards had sung about for centuries, that the finest artists had depicted in astounding detail. To Kel, Corus represented all that she had been running from for the last three years.
Prince whickered and tossed his head impatiently. Kel wondered briefly if he'd ever been to Corus before. Alex had never mentioned visiting the city, so Kel guessed not. Despite her urgency over the last couple of weeks, now that she was here Kel was at a loss as what to do. She had been so focused on reaching the capital that she hadn't really considered what she would do when she arrived there.
Would her parents still be in the city? Or would they have returned to Mindelan or the Yamani islands? Kel felt like she couldn't simply announce her presence. It would have to be under the right circumstances.
Prince sidestepped agitatedly and Kel leant forward to pat him soothingly. Her necklace that had remained with her through everything fell out of her loosely-laced shirt. She glanced down at the delicate chain on which hung a collection of charms; her lucky Yamani cat, the charm against pregnancy and a small wooden hawk, the small wooden hawk that Fassin had given her, Fassin who could be in Tortall.
Hope suddenly flared within Kel; to be able to talk to someone who knew what was happening in Scanra would be a big comfort. He might have some ideas about how she should go about gathering Tortallan fighters, and as Kel preferred the idea of seeking out the Bloody Hawk tribe to sneaking back into the city she rode on along the great south road. Every now and again she felt twinges of guilt that she was letting herself postpone the moment when she would return to Corus.
The desert was hot, dry and dusty but Kel had coped with more severe temperatures in Scanra. She was also used to the blank landscape that stretched ever onwards, unchanged by human hands.
As Kel had journeyed southwards, the leafy green trees had shrunk into gnarled, prickly bushes. The once lush grass had become ever sparser until it disappeared altogether leaving brown cracked earth and then sand.
Currently a healthy breeze was whipping sand up into her face and Kel had wrapped her headscarf protectively around her head to prevent small particles from entering her eyes, nose and mouth. She found the scarf suffocating and removed it whenever possible, preferring to feel fresh air on her damp skin.
The ride from Corus to Persopolis took a week, but eventually the huge granite city loomed before Kel, it's streets bustling with life. All around Kel men and women bartered in their muffled Bazhir accents.
Although the women were hidden behind veils, the dark Bazhir men with matching coal-black eyes and hair contrasted greatly with the fair, blonde-haired and blue-eyed Scanrans that Kel had been living around.
After refusing the offer of a pair of shoes for just two copper nobles, Kel headed up a slightly quieter street. She was wondering where the best place to enquire after the Bloody Hawk tribe would be, when she heard raucous cries of laughter bouncing of the brick walls.
Turning her head to peer down a side alley Kel saw four boys chasing a small brown bundle towards her. She hopped down from Prince and as the small, lolloping creature came closer she realised that it was a puppy.
A stone thudded to the ground and skidded along until it came to rest at Kel's feet. The puppy yelped as a second stone struck its back. Anger flared within Kel and she started forward. This would not be a fight with the sword, but with her fists.
The boys halted, the laughter dying in their throats at the sight of the woman standing before them, her fists raised.
'Go away girl,' called the smallest boy boldly, trying to impress his elder companions.
Unfortunately, he'd just said the one thing that would anger Kel even further. The leader of the group barged forward, trying to pass Kel in the narrow space. Kel shoved him back roughly, not moving from her position.
'That's my mutt,' said the boy.
'Not anymore it isn't,' said Kel firmly, her eyes daring the boy to argue.
'You can't take him, that's stealing,' protested the boy, almost smugly. Kel shrugged, waiting for the boys to back off.
'The nameless ones will curse your family,' threatened a boy with a slightly lop-sided face.
'The nameless ones are dead,' Kel dismissed. 'The Goddess will curse your families for hurting this innocent animal.'
'He's only a runt,' said the boy carelessly, 'He'll probably die anyway.'
'Then leave him,' Kel replied simply.
One of the other boys barrelled straight at Kel, almost comical in his intentions and she threw a solid punch that connected with the boy's cheekbone. He reeled away, clutching at his face. Before Kel knew it the other three boys were piling in on her.
Soon she was throwing punches with her good left hand, ducking, weaving and kicking at speed. None of the boys had any particular skill, but they outnumbered Kel four to one and Kel didn't escape without any injuries; a cut on her lip bled slowly and the next day she was going to have a wonderful black eye.
However when the boys finally scampered back up the alley they were clearly worse off, clutching broken noses, sprained wrists and assorted bruised ribs. Unclenching her fist from its fighting position and wincing slightly at her tender knuckles Kel turned around.
It took her several minutes to locate the quivering ball of puppy that had been the cause of all the fuss. Its ears were too big for its head and as Kel picked it up it yapped frenziedly. The fur that covered its quivering form was black with speckles as though a painter had flicked grey paint across a dark canvas. The coat was smooth and sleek apart from a couple of odd-looking tufts and a bloody gash on its rump.
Kel soothed the animal and its yapping quieted to a low grumbling.
'What am I going to do with you then?' asked Kel as the pup tried to nip her finger.
Prince wandered over to inspect the new arrival, inhaling the dog's scent through a velvety muzzle. He snorted, evidently unimpressed.
Kel used her sleeve to wipe away the slow dribble of blood that was oozing from her lip, wincing as the fabric connected with the bruised and damaged skin.
'Come on Prince,' she said, tucking the puppy under her arm, 'it looks like he's staying with us.'
The ever-shifting sand obscured Kel's vision but she was pretty sure that she could make out a cluster of tents on the horizon. She rubbed her forehead feeling the beginnings of a headache. Kel had finished her last gourd of water an hour previously and the puppy which now sat huddled in a carrier on her saddle whined continually.
'I know you're hungry,' she pleaded with it for the umpteenth time, 'but I have nothing to feed you.' The puppy that had now been named Ash didn't take any notice. Prince whickered, also fed up with the noisy youngster.
As Kel continued to make her way over the sand dunes, the group of tents grew more defined. She could start to make out horses picketed in the shade of the tents and people dressed in burnooses milling around.
Kel had received her directions from a tavern landlord and at the time Kel hadn't been to sure how trustworthy his word would be, but it seemed that after three days of travelling from Persepolis she had finally reached the Bloody Hawk tribe.
Three men stepped out to meet her armed with swords and a recurve bow.
'Who rides there?' asked the leading man.
'Elinah Strongarm,' Kel called back, using the name that Fassin would know her by. 'I am a friend of Fassin of the Bloody Hawk tribe.'
The men lowered their weapons and Kel dismounted, her worn boots sinking into the hot sand.
'Shar's boy? One man asked the others.
'We will fetch Fassin, Northerner,' they addressed Kel.
Kel nodded, relieved that Fassin was staying with his tribe and not travelling somewhere. She unwound her headscarf, much to the men's disgust, allowing her damp, sweaty hair to fall down her back.
After a few minutes a man in a plain burnoose came sprinting across the campsite. Kel smiled recognising her old friend even at a distance. Fassin skidded to a halt only steps from Kel and pulled her into a massive hug.
As she clung to the Bazhir man for dear life, Kel fought back tears of relief. When they broke apart, his beetle black eyes examined her from head to foot.
'I almost didn't recognise you,' Fassin said honestly. 'You've grown a lot.'
Kel smiled weakly, 'It's been a long time.'
'Too long,' agreed Fassin. 'Come let us talk. The men will take care of your animals.' He tucked Kel carefully under one arm, guiding her into the tribe.
Kel shifted uncomfortably in Fassin's hold, aware that people were staring at her from under the shade of awnings and tents.
'You must ignore them,' said Fassin in an undertone, 'we do not have many northern visitors, especially not women.'
He led her to a large tent, constructed from sheets of heavy beige material spread across a sturdy wooden framework, and pushing the tent flap aside they entered. Woven mats covered the floor and in the corner was a raised pallet for Fassin to sleep on.
Kel seated herself on the floor and Fassin disappeared outside, only to return minutes later with two pitchers of lightly spiced juice. Kel sipped in silence, wondering where she could begin her tale.
'So when I last saw you, you were heading off to Gentlund,' stated Fassin matter-of-factly.
Kel nodded, and then cast her eyes around. 'I don't want to be overheard.'
'Speak in Scanran,' he advised, 'You will be heard but not understood.'
Kel nodded and began to summarise all the events of the past year and a half. It was not a happy story. She gave Fassin only the relevant details; missing out the more personal extracts such as Idan and the close relationships she had built with Jacqui's children. When it came to the battle of Somalkt, Kel found that she scarcely had words to describe the things that she had witnessed. At the news of Rhonda's death Fassin had bowed his head.
'She was good woman,' he said in his stunted Scanran.
Kel nodded, pausing before she continued to explain that Alex had sent her home.
'And now I am here, I have no clue how to gather the support that Alex needs.' Kel finished, slightly hopelessly.
'It difficult in Tortall. The power is if you have noble, if you are noble' he corrected himself. 'And of course knights are having much power.'
Kel swallowed, thinking that she could satisfy one of the criteria.
'But you are woman, forgive me, but men they think not well of woman fight.'
'If I could just show them,' said Kel, frustrated. 'If I could beat some of the knights, with important people to witness…then they might take me seriously.'
'There is the King's Tournament,' said Fassin reverting to Common in his excitement. 'Anyone can enter that; you'd get the opportunity to fight against the knights then.'
'When is this tournament?'
'Next June.'
Kel's initial excitement dropped, next June was ten months away. Surely that was too long for her to sit around doing nothing? But then again, the war was still years away, Maggur had to conquer the other clans and then build up and train his army. The next ten months wouldn't be wasted; Kel could restart her serious training now that she wasn't travelling…
Fassin could see the thought turning over in Kel's mind and decided to leave her to decide what to do.
'Come, let us find something for you to eat.'
Over a meal of bread stuffed with goat's cheese and sticky sweet dates, Fassin introduced Kel to his Mother Laila and his father Shar. His two sisters, Laila told Kel, had married into other tribes.
'And now our son is the Shang Jackal,' Shar said proudly.
'You passed your ordeal?' Kel asked, pleased that her friend had been able to join the elite band of warriors despite losing his mentor in Scanra.
'When I arrived in the Yamani Isles and explained what had happened they allowed me to take my Ordeal and I was given the rank of a Jackal.'
'A fine desert animal,' said Shar heartily.
'Unfortunately,' continued Fassin, 'it means that I cannot stay here for very long; I am needed elsewhere.'
'But you are more than welcome to stay with us,' invited Laila. 'Fassin told us how you rescued him from slavery and we are indebted to you. What we have is yours also. We will speak to the headman. You may live here as long as you like.'
'Thank you,' said Kel, slightly astounded by their generosity. 'But Fassin also saved my life. You needn't owe me anything.'
'But it is our way of thanking you,' replied Shar. 'We would be honoured to share our home with such a fine warrior.'
Kel bowed her head, unable to refuse such a compliment.
After they had eaten, Fassin challenged Kel to a friendly duel.
'Let's go where everyone can see us,' he muttered in an undertone, 'I think that it will help you to be accepted by the tribe.'
Kel began to stretch out, teasing the weariness from her muscles and feeling them warm as more blood entered her capillaries. She unsheathed Courage, revealing its gleaming blade.
Fassin raised his eyebrows at her new weapon. Wordlessly Kel handed it to him and he attempted a couple of swings and passes. Fassin whistled, 'This is a fine blade.'
Kel nodded, accepting it back from the Shang and letting the hilt fit snugly into her palm. Although it was probably worth more gold than Kel had ever held in her life, its real value lay in the fact that it was one of two things that Alex had given her; the other being Prince whom Kel viewed as a loan rather than a gift.
'Swords only,' Fassin instructed, loud enough that their audience could hear.
Kel nodded confidently and allowed her mind to focus solely upon Fassin and his long sword.
They stepped together and the dance began. Their live blades clashed together but neither fighter noticed the noise as they attacked and blocked in perfect synchrony. Wherever Fassin's attacks landed, Kel's sword was already there, blocking and twisting away.
Fassin had the advantage in that he was physically stronger than Kel and possibly slightly faster. But Kel had been trained almost exclusively with the sword whereas Fassin's time had been split between a multitude of weapons. Courage was part of Kel's body, snaking and jabbing at a blinding speed. Her attacks were efficient, consistent and at speed. Fassin would launch a big attack on her defences and then but he would pause for micro seconds between attacks. Kel on the other hand, slid smoothly between the moves, her sword never faltering in it's path.
It was during one of these minute pauses that Kel's attack abruptly changed direction and, taking a risk Kel twisted her sword up and over Fassin's blade, wrenching it from his hand. She leapt forward to press the blade to his neck.
'I yield,' he smiled, wiping sweat from his forehead.
They bowed to each other and Kel sheathed her sword. It was only then that Fassin noticed that she had fought the fight with her left hand.
'I'm sure you were right-handed before,' he said, accepting water from Shar.
'I am,' replied Kel sipping at her own water. 'But I've injured...' She lifted her splinted wrist.
'Kourrem should be able to fix that in no time.' The big man smacked his lips as he finished the water. 'Let's go see her now, and then you will be able to train with both hands.'
The Shaman's tent where Kourrem lived was large and airy, decorated with intricate weavings of many different colours. Although she wore a headscarf like all the other Bazhir women, Kel would've estimated her age to have been in her thirties.
'Let's have a look at this wrist then,' Kourrem said kindly when Fassin explained the problem to her.
Kel unbuckled the worn wrist guard and winced at the familiar ache. The woman laid a long-fingered hand on her wrist and cool fire tingled from the point of contact all the way from Kel's elbow to the tips of her fingers.
'Well this certainly was a nasty break, you're lucky that it hasn't healed crookedly.'
Kel thanked Rhonda silently for sparing a little of her precious gift to set the bone healing straight.
'I can finish the process and strengthen the bone, although you may find that it will still ache from time to time.'
'Thank you,' said Kel, settling back in her chair to let the healer work.
Five minutes later her wrist felt considerably better, although weariness had settled in her bones. 'I always feel sleepy after healings,' she yawned as a way of explanation.
Supporting his friend across the campsite, Fassin led Kel into the cool of a tent. 'You can stay here for the time being,' he told her, fetching rugs and pillows for Kel to sleep on. 'We'll talk more once you've rested.'
Kel thanked him shyly and waited until Fassin had left the tent before settling down into the comforting embrace of the many cushions and blankets piled on the floor. It took barely more than a few seconds after shutting her eyes for Kel to fall into a restful sleep, untroubled for once by nightmares and memories.
Even after five weeks Kel was still getting used to the Bazhir way of life. It was strange but nice to have a steady routine to settle into.
She rose at dawn every morning and hunted with the men of the tribe, Prince easily keeping up with the flighty horses of the desert men's. Kel would then eat some breakfast with the other unmarried women, before embarking upon hours of training with Fassin. They fought with swords, they fought without swords. They used daggers, bows and even staffs for hours at a time, Fassin besting Kel easily in everything but swordplay.
During the hottest hours of the day Kel retreated into her tent where she began to perform press ups and other strengthening and flexing exercises.
The afternoon would then be devoted to more training and it was only in the evening did Kel lay down her sword to help Laila and the other women to cook the meals. Fala, a heavily pregnant lady, had been teaching Kel how to weave. Her first attempt hadn't been going too badly until the ever-growing Ash decided that Kel's half-finished hand towel would make a perfect play toy. Kel had scolded the little puppy at the time, but she hadn't got it in herself to remain angry at him for very long.
Now, on the day before Fassin was due to leave, Ash lounged on her stomach, three times the size that he had been on the day when Kel had rescued him in the alleyway. Kel grunted and tried to shove the young dog off of her. Ash wasn't budging, a dopey grin settled firmly on his sweet face.
Despite all the best efforts of the children to win Ash over, he remained utterly devoted to Kel and followed her everywhere. She had given up trying to leave him in her tent or in the care of the children because he inevitably found his way back to her. Even Prince seemed to have accepted that Ash was here to stay.
'I thought I'd find you out here,' said Fassin, settling down next to Kel on the dune.
Together they looked out upon a world that continually moved, grain of sand at a time, so that it almost appeared that the night stole the landscape and replaced it with a new one every morning.
'Just enjoying the last bit of sunlight,' Kel smiled over at him.
It was a relaxed smile. For the first time in years Kel felt thoroughly safe and secure. It was unlikely that anyone she recognised would find her out in the desert, and she was a long way from slave plantations and Maggur's armies.
Fassin had noticed the calm that had descended over his smaller friend. He thought that the look suited her, that the desert suited her.
'I've been talking to the elders for a couple of weeks now,' started Fassin, 'and they agree with me. Elinah we'd like you to join our tribe.'
If Kel had been sitting on a chair she would've almost certainly fallen off of it. As it was she jerked upright, and Ash fell off, grumbling reproachfully.
'You've lived as part of the tribe for long enough. You hunt with us, you eat with us. This is just a formality.'
'Fassin it's a big honour,' Kel half whispered.
'I think you've earnt your place as a warrior of the tribe. You deserve to be able to sit at the Tribe's fire and commune with the Voice of the Tribes.'
'Who is this Voice that you all speak of?'
'He is the first among us, at sunset we gather and speak to him, join with him, every man and woman across the tribes of the southern desert. He will know our thoughts and wishes, judging with the knowledge of our hearts.' Fassin paused, 'He is also your Northern king.'
Kel's heart did a back flip; she certainly didn't want King Jonathan inside her head, knowing her every thought and memory.
'And do all tribe members speak to this Voice?'
Fassin inspected Kel's impassive face, 'It is a union that must be undertaken freely. It would be your choice.'
Kel relaxed slightly, 'How do I become a warrior of the Bloody Hawk tribe?'
The ceremony as it turned out was very simple, the headman asked for any objections to 'Elinah' joining the tribe and when none were given he ran a knife down Kel's forearm, leaving a bright trail behind it. Kel barely even flinched and stood steady as the headman did the same to his own arm. They pressed their wounds together.
'Become one with the tribe, and one with our people,' he instructed, his voice deep and resonating. Kel couldn't resist a shudder as a power so raw, so overwhelming flooded her. Despite being ungifted Kel knew that she was being filled with a magic as old as the Bazhir themselves.
Blood ran down their combined arms and peppered the sand below. When they broke apart, every single member of the Bloody hawk tribe cheered in celebration of a new warrior.
Slightly dazed from the Bazhir sorcery, Kel accepted a length of cloth and bandaged the cut tightly, pulling her sleeve down to hide her wound. She allowed herself to be ushered towards a place at the fire alongside the headman and his wife. Halef Seif was an old man now, grey hair nearly outcompeting the black, but his eyes twinkled with amusement and his manner was a calm authoritative one.
On this night of celebration the women of the tribe had outdone themselves, serving food on giant platters. Balls of spiced meat, flattened bread, dates and other sweets all were passed around and Kel, like everyone else, ate her fill.
Reclining backwards, only half listening to the stories and legends, Kel gazed up at the gleaming heavens and accepted the accompanying feeling of insignificancy. She sighed to herself, wondering as always about the difficulty of the task ahead of her.
'You know you are not this tribe's first northern warrior,' Halef Seif spoke quietly but Kel could hear every word. Shortly before King Jonathan took the throne, the Woman Who Rides like a Man, visited us. You are very different in your approach to life, yet there is something similar I think about the reasons you both came to this desert. She too was poised at the edge of an unknown path.'
Halef's comment incited a stab of longing in Kel; the wish to be able to discuss her future with Alex was so strong that it hurt. She opened her mouth to speak to the headman, but no words came out and she shut it again, feeling suddenly quite alone.
'Trust yourself,' the headman said, placing a gnarled hand on Kel's shoulder. 'I sense that you have already come a long way and you haven't fallen yet.'
Oh if only you knew, thought Kel tiredly, if only you knew.
(-a/n- Please, please leave a review! Not only do I love hearing your thoughts, but they provide much needed pokes whenever I'm feeling too lazy to write!)
Confusedknight xxx