A Twist of the Sands

by P R Glazier

  Chapter 21. The Mountains of Mornost

  Nar’Allia was awoken by a general noise of activity. She stretched her arms and propping herself up on her elbows wondered what all the noises was going on all around her, the tent walls didn’t seem to be very soundproof for the sounds of much activity could be heard all around her. But it still looked like the dead of night outside the tent, for no sunlight crept in through any of the cracks in the flaps or shone through the canvas material from which the tent was made. She noticed that Alicshea’s bed was already vacant. Then she heard a noise behind her and turned to see what it was. It was the young girl, she was packing things away into several holdalls.

  “Ah, good morning Nar’Allia, I’m sorry, I did not wish to awake you just yet.”

  “That’s alright Alicshea, but what is happening? It’s still night time?”

  “We are packing. This is the best time to undertake such labour for the sun is yet to show her face and the temperature outside is yet to rise.”

  “Nar’Allia rose and pulling on her own now cleaned leather breeches and shirt strode over to where Alicshea was working. “Here let me help.”

  Alicshea nodded towards the far side of the tent, “perhaps if you could drag those bags outside the tent, the sooner we clear everything out, the sooner the men can take the tent down and pack it away.” She indicated a number of round bags by the tent door that looked full and were fastened tightly closed with tie cords. Nar’Allia took hold of the one nearest the door and lifting the flap dragged the bag outside the tent.

  There was hustle and bustle going on everywhere, Duagnuats clicked away as loads were hauled up onto their backs. Some carried saddle bags alongside saddles, others had no saddle but some kind of frame that heavy loads such as tent poles and big bags could be placed. Men shouted to one another, tents were coming down and being packed away in what looked like a well-practiced an efficient way. She waved to Jonas; he was helping the men with the large central tent where they had met Vaughnal the previous day. Amndo sat with his staff across his lap watching the proceedings. JDC she noticed, had all of the Duagnuats hitched up and saddled already and was giving each of the beasts a large piece of the Duager cake that they loved to eat.

  An elderly looking woman was passing around the encampment carrying a large pale of something steaming, all those in need stopped her and taking a mug or a bowl from each, she filled this vessel with whatever she had in the pale. Nar’Allia decided she was hungry so she smiled at the woman who came across to her. Nar’Allia found two cups, when they were filled she gave one to Alicshea when she came out of her tent and both women stood there for a moment sipping the hot broth. Nar’Allia pointed to a group of women and men that seemed to be holding the corners of a large shiny sheet, “what is it they do?”

  Alicshea smiled and replied, “they gather water. In the daily dark as the temperature cools the little water that is in the air likes to lay on the sheet. In the morning it can be collected by carefully pouring it into the container in the centre of the sheet. There will be several groups doing the same. Most of the time we can collect enough water to last the day, but not always. But the daily dark always returns and the air will give up as much water as it can spare. But we were taught these things by the teachers? The special sheet they use that was given to us by the teacher. You are a teacher, you should know this?”

  Nar’Allia wondered at the possibility that her people the T’Iea had made contact with these nomads before, possibly in ancient times at that. “I am sorry Alicshea, my people have no record of ever being in the Rust Desert before, let alone ever having made contact with your people. I do not understand your references to the teachers. If they were members of my people, I do not know who they were, or why they may have been here. I am sorry.”

  Alicshea just smiled and said it was of no matter; they were just stories now anyway. But she thanked Nar’Allia as a teacher for what they taught, for they enabled the human nomads to survive in the desert.

  The whole proceedings of packing away took a remarkably short time. Before long Nar’Allia along with her friends were sitting atop their Duagnuats once again. They watched as beast after beast passed them by forming a long snaking line through the sands and around the dunes. They set off and before long, Nar’Allia was unfortunately feeling the muscles in her thighs ache once again. She was towards the rear of a long column of the beasts, some carried people some carried luggage, some both, especially the Duagnuats that carried children for they had room for both. All the nomads were dressed in their travelling garb, the clothes that covered them from head to foot. Nar’Allia now had on the same garb over her chain mail coat and weapons, for Alicshea had found a set of robes and given them to her, likewise JDC, Jonas and Amndo also had on the desert garb. They were told that this was mainly to ensure that they appeared as the rest of the nomads and therefore did not appear ‘different’ to any prying eyes. Nar’Allia was glad of the robes for she found out from Alicshea that if she pushed a small button hidden within the cloth at a certain place, coolness would rise within the robe and cool her body to a comfortable level even though the sun outside remained hot. At first when she tried this nothing happened, Alicshea reached into a fold in the robe and withdrew a small cylinder, she also reached about until she found a piece of silver string, she nodded knowingly and attached the end of the string to the cylinder, she said, “the power source had become disconnected, it should work fine now.”

  Before Nar’Allia could ask, Alicshea said, “these suits and the power sources, they are also from the teacher.”

  Vaughnal often passed along the column stopping here and there to chat to someone, he was yet to fasten his face mask and don the eye covering goggles that all the nomads wore. He got to Nar’Allia and her companions and said, “good morning to you, I hope you slept well. If you need anything as we journey please do not hesitate to make your request, I have asked all to accommodate your every needs.”

  “Thank you Vaughnal, you are most kind.” Said JDC.

  Vaughnal smiled and fastened the goggles around his eyes and then fastened the full face mask that covered every part of his face. He held up his arm and waved, then rode back up towards the front of the column.

  They did indeed travel for several days, but this time Nar’Allia found she did not get despondent at drudgery of travel across the desert. She was able to speak with other women; the men would not talk to her unless she asked permission of either JDC, Jonas or Amndo first. But the women were a jolly lot and would talk and gossip away the whole day quite happily. Nar’Allia found out much about the life of the nomads, well at least from a woman’s point of view. She was surprised for the men seemed dominant in this society, talking to the women it quickly became apparent that they played a larger part in the management of just about everything that the nomads needed and did to survive. One women, an elderly lady they called the Sage, happily spoke about the history of the nomad tribes. She didn’t know a lot of detail but she acknowledged that once they lived in houses beneath the sands and would not come to the surface for anything, for the dangers that lay there. She said the air was poisoned and great battle machines hunted for them day and night. To take their souls. Nar’Allia’s ears pricked thought when the Sage told how a teacher had come out of the desert and found a way into the silo, which was what they called their home. The teacher was distrusted at first and some of their people attacked him, but he could not be killed. Thus they started to revered him and he soon became their leader when the old regime’s lies became apparent. For the teacher showed them how the air above was not poisoned and the great battle machines could be fooled by the use of camouflage and a stealthy approach to moving around. The teacher then led most of the people from the Silo above ground to live in the desert, some remained however, but have not been seen from that day to this.

  Nar’Allia asked how long ago this happened. The Sage said that the word told of many generations passing, the word being told to the next
female generation. She thought for a moment and said that she believed the number of generations passing with the knowledge must be at least one hundred times one hundred years. Nar’Allia assumed this to be a reference to ten thousand, ten thousand years approximately since the teacher led these people to the surface. What if they were here so long ago? What were they doing?

  Each early evening saw the whole encampment unpacked for the night and each early morning repacked once more ready for the days travelling. Nar’Allia slept in Alicshea’s tent and the two women had a great deal of time to chat and compare their very different lifestyles. Nar’Allia found out that Alicshea’s mother was away visiting relatives in another clan, she was due to meet up with them when they reached the Jethrent. Nar’Allia found herself asking many questions about the Jethrent. Alicshea explained as best she could. The Jethrent, as her father Vaughnal had said on that first evening was not a place as such, for it was held in one of several locations depending upon the count of years. But the Jethrent was in fact a reference to the event itself, a name given to the annual gathering tribal gathering of all the clans. Apparently this was the only time the clans could mix, unless of course they happened upon one another in the desert, but this was rare as most clans stuck to a particular region of the Rust Desert, and didn’t cross over into another clans territory unless invited, or for some other acceptable reason, normally to settle a difference. The Jethrent then was a call to all, it meant that the clans could get together to share things, clan merchants were able to do business, marriages were arranged and eventually weddings were performed. Other great celebrations were undertaken, games were played. Alicshea smiled as she sort to list all of the things that went on at the Jethrent. But most of all she seemed to light on the fact that all ‘differences’ were laid aside for this period of friendship. It was obviously a highly anticipated event, one that everyone looked forward to, perhaps even the highlight of the annual calendar of these people.

  Nar’Allia made some guesses and had a sly smile on her lips as she asked Alicshea if she had someone special, a betrothed perhaps?

  Alicshea blushed slightly and said, “yes there is such a one. he is a scholar, a lore maker of his clan, he writes many books and much poetry. I have some here somewhere, wait.” She drew her robe about her and pushing her hand inside the folds drew out a folded piece of parchment, she unfolded it and started to read.

  The sun must shine, the wind must blow

  The desert, immortal lies below

  These things are set to prevail forever

  As is my true love, fading never.

  My eyes behold the shining sands

  Though the grains may slip past my hands

  But you to hold in the everlasting

  Stay closest to me here never passing

  Then I’ll not want for any more

  Though life’s trials and many a chore

  Thus my ever-love remains true lasting

  Nothing more do I need in any life’s passing.

  Alicshea had a wistful look in her eye as she asked, “what about you Nar’Allia, do you have someone who loves you above all others?”

  Nar’Allia pursed her lips and thought for a while. “There is someone. At least I think he loves me. But he has been a friend, almost a brother. I don’t know if he would place me above all others.”

  Alicshea nodded as if in agreement with something. “And you love him in return?”

  “I see him every day when I am at home, I suppose I’m used to him, he has always been there.” She thought for a while, she didn’t really know how she felt about Lo’Rosse. He was annoying sometimes, he seemed to challenge her in some way. Yet he was also kind and attentive to her needs. Sometimes even overly protective, which was one of the things she found annoying about him. Yet now he was not close by she found that she did miss him, she was shocked that she remembered aspects of him that she missed more than others, his face and smile, his devotion, even his joking and teasing. Yet when he was around her she remembered a little guiltily that she took him for granted. She then said, “I guess I don’t feel it necessary to change that friendship. Whereas for you, well it must be difficult for you only see your love but once a year, so every meeting seems fresh and new I guess?”

  “Perhaps, but yes I find I do look forward to our meeting. But I have responsibility. My father depends on me, he only has me as child, he needs a man to take on his responsibilities, I will do this, perhaps give him more than one grandson, even a couple of granddaughters as well eh?”

  Nar’Allia smiled. Alicshea sounded like she was being a dutiful daughter. Yet for anyone to marry, that should be for love, not an act of duty? Marriage was an act of mutual agreement between two people who felt deeply for each other. It must be a commitment made by each other for each other. It was not an act of duty, something that was expected by others. A marriage made in this way would not last surely.

  On the morning of the sixth days travelling a few of the nomads they rode with became excited and started pointing towards the far desert. When Nar’Allia looked it became quite clear that a dark band appeared on the horizon. This band got thicker as the day progressed and eventually Nar’Allia could make out through the heat haze above the sands a range of hills, or even mountains. She discovered that without the glass goggles over her eyes, the hills seemed distorted, almost unreal. JDC told her that one of the purposes of the goggles was to alleviate the optical tricks that the desert played on the eyes. But even with the goggles on, it was difficult to judge their size for there was nothing around in the desert to reference distance or height against. But as they got closer they could see that these mountains were made of rock similar to the sand that surrounded them on all sides.

  Alicshea rode by Nar’Allia’s side she pointed at the mountain range and said, “behold the Mountains of Mornost.”

  They rode on into the afternoon and by the time they made camp they were almost up to the lower reaches of the mountains. The Mountains of Mornost were not high, perhaps just several hundred metres at their tallest, but they dominated the area none the less, for nothing else like them appeared anywhere else in this region so Nar’Allia was told. She was also told that other similar ranges of mountains could be found throughout the desert region, but these particular mountains were very special, for they held a secret only the nomads knew of. Alicshea would not say any more on the subject though, only promising Nar’Allia an unexpected surprise awaited them. Alicshea also said that this would be the last camp before they arrived at the Jethrent. Nar’Allia wondered then where the Jethrent might be held.

  As darkness fell the strange clicks of the Duagnuats continued into the night, it sounded like the beasts were talking to each other excitedly.

  Nar’Allia asked Alicshea about these strange beasts that she had grown to admire after traveling with them through the desert. She was told that they were hardy, but in contrast to JDC’s explanation, they did not come from the desert originally, but from across the ocean, not the Trad ocean but the Sea of Beadreas off the western coast. Apparently there was a large island kingdom off the coast to the north, the Duagnuats originated there and the nomads travelled to the island from time to time to where the merchants dealt in the beasts. She added that there were normally a few Duagnuats merchants here in the Jethrent. Duagnuats were of a hardy breed, and very intelligent to. Nar’Allia commented that she thought they communicated with each other, and Alicshea confirmed this saying that the clicks you could hear them making were how they communicated, they also seemed to have some kind of telepathic, unspoken skill in communication, for often once you had a certain level of affinity with your beast, they seemed to know what you wanted them to do before you made any physical indication. The clicking noises apparently were what the ear could hear, but the thinking was that actually the clicking was only part of the range of noises they produced, the larger part being beyond the range of human or T’Iea ears. For Alicshea said that the beasts could communicate in this way
over great distances in the open desert, calling to others of their kind.

  Nar’Allia was curious about the island of which Alicshea spoke, what it was called and how the nomads managed to get there, for she was told that Port Town was the only place in the desert continent where the land reached down to sea level and thus allow the easy docking of ships. Alicshea replied that this was true on the eastern coast of the Rust Desert, but apparently the geography was different on the western coast. Here the land did slope gently down to the sea, it was just as inhospitable and no permanent towns or villages where there but there were many beaches onto which large flat bottomed barges could be hauled up to unload cargoes. So the nomads could easily access the island via the sea and Duagnuats could be easily landed on the continent. The island itself was called Duagnu. Alicshea told how it to was also desert, but the sands there were golden in colour, not the red that they were used to. When Nar’Allia asked about the people that lived there she was told that although Alicshea had not been there, the people she heard were humans but of a different cast to the nomads of the desert. They were lighter skinned and had eyes that were almond shaped, and they generally were of smaller stature than the nomad tribes of the rust desert. She said that they were thought to have originated from the eastern side of a great continent that lay around the other side of the world. Nar’Allia was interested for the great continent of which Alicshea spoke must be that of her home land, the continent that the T’Iea and others knew as Dahl’Ambronis. She said this to Alicshea who just shrugged, saying that she did not know the name.