“What was wrong with my mother that she needed to leave?” Rejji persisted. “Was she hurt? Why didn’t they take me with them?”
“You were just learning to walk at the time,” the merchant explained. “They did not plan to be gone long and your grandfather was willing to look after you while they were gone. Your mother was pregnant, lad, and it wasn’t going well for her at all. You father tried all sorts of concoctions to ease her pain, but none of them worked. Finally, he decided to take her to his own people, who had more experience with the problems she was facing. I’m afraid I don’t know much about these things, but your father was adamant that his people could help. Nobody knows why they didn’t return. It would not have been for lack of will though. They both loved you dearly and your grandfather too. Some ill must have befallen them.”
Tears started to form in Rejji’s eyes and Mistake rose and began packing the spices into the tin. There was an awkward silence broken only by the sound of Mistake’s packing and Rejji got up and walked down to the water’s edge.
“It might have been better for him not to know,” Mistake stated coolly.
“Perhaps that is why his grandfather said nothing,” agreed Brontos. “Still, I am the only person left alive that can tell him. A man should know who and what he is, and if that means he experiences some hurt along the way, then that will only make him stronger. I know you make light of the time you have spent on your own, lass, but I am not a fool. This is a dangerous world and deceiving oneself is not the way to survive in it. He will need your help as much as you need his. Be true to each other, for you are all each other has now.”
The merchant expected some bravado out of the young thief, but she merely nodded and gazed down towards the water’s edge. After a while she came over and sat next to Brontos.
“Who were his father’s people?” she asked.
“I have no idea,” admitted the merchant. “He was unlike any other villager I have ever met, but where he went I know little of. I know he was heading east and talked about crossing the mountains, so that must mean he was from the other side of the Giaming Mountains. I have only taken a trip or two that far into Fakara.”
“Perhaps the Giaming Mountains is where I should look for the Sage of the Mountain then,” smiled Mistake.
“There is life left in you after all,” grinned Brontos. “It has been many years though and you will not find a trace of his parents. Be cautious of raising false hopes within him. If they were alive today I am sure they would have come back.”
“Understood,” agreed the girl, “but we really have nowhere to go anyway. At least it is a goal we can achieve and it will keep his thoughts off of the Jiadin.”
“Make him understand that to seek revenge is to join his ancestors,” warned Brontos. “The Jiadin have long been a ruthless tribe, but the last few years have been worse. The other tribes that used to vie with them for power now run from the Jiadin. There is much talk of evil spirits and death magic. It is not healthy to get close to such forces.”
“We will be fine, old man,” Mistake stated. “There is something about Rejji that tempers my hurt. Perhaps it is his innocence.”
“Perhaps it is your longing to shed your lifestyle for one of honor,” smiled the merchant. “I have watched you move and have no doubt that you are good at thieving, but I find it hard to believe that you wish to do so all your life. With the gold I am giving Rejji you will have a chance at a new life. Try it before you decide to discard it.”
Mistake stared at her feet for a long while, mulling the words of the merchant. He had recognized her for what she was as soon as he laid eyes on her. If he could do so, then others could too.
“I will try it,” she declared. “I will hang up my ways and deal with my past honestly now. When the sun shows itself in the morning, a new Mistake will dawn.”
“Good,” smiled Brontos. “You will want to head north from here. The land between here and the Meliban River is parched and desolate, so I will give you what food and water I can spare before you leave. Ration it. You will see the trees along the Meliban long before you reach it. Once you are into the trees, be wary. Everything in this part of the country needs water, so everyone visits the river, including bandit tribes. Follow the river upstream and it will bring you to the Giaming Mountains. It will be a long and arduous journey, but there should be enough villages along the way for you to buy food. Do not cheat the villagers, but pay them a fair price for the food. You may pass that way again and need their help.”
Mistake nodded and looked up to see Rejji returning to the campsite. Brontos followed her gaze and stood up. He walked over to the wagon and grabbed an empty pouch and proceeded to fill it with gold coins from his own pouch. He walked over to Rejji and handed it to him.
“This squares us for the fossils,” the merchant stated. “In the morning we part company and both of us have a long journey ahead of us. I would suggest that we turn in now.”
Rejji nodded as he tied the pouch to his belt. Brontos crawled up into his wagon and Rejji and Mistake crawled under it. Rejji curled up into a ball to ward off the chill and let his mind wander to images of what his father must have been like. His thoughts soon took a turn to the events of the day and his eyes dampened when he pictured the remains of the villagers that he had known all of his life. He had trouble imagining people so cruel as to destroy a village for no reason and a rage started to build inside him. Just as his mind turned to ways to seek revenge upon the Jiadin, Mistake gently touched him on the shoulder.
“Don’t dwell upon it,” she whispered. “The past is behind us now. Let us focus on the future. Our journey tomorrow will be hard and you will need your strength. Go to sleep.”
“Where are we going?” Rejji asked, but the only reply was the sound of Brontos snoring loudly. Rejji concentrated on the snoring and was soon asleep.
***
Movement of the wagon wakened Mistake and she managed to crawl out just before Brontos exited the wagon.
“Should I make us a meal?” questioned Mistake.
“No,” replied the merchant. “Our journeys are long today and we should use the time to get started on them.”
Brontos slapped the side of the wagon with his large hand and Rejji jumped and hit his head on the floor of the wagon. Mistake stifled a laugh as Rejji’s eyes darted around seeking the source of the noise. Eventually it dawned on him where he was and he sheepishly crawled out from under the wagon. Brontos grabbed two small sacks from the rear of the wagon and handed one to each of the Fakarans.
“This is all I can spare,” frowned Brontos. “Ration it well. It will take me a few minutes to get the horses hitched, but that should not delay your departure. A little north of here is a ford where you can cross this stream. Do so. Try to keep your track due north or you will end up walking in circles.”
Rejji’s head was spinning as he tried to figure out what was happening when Brontos stepped closer and embraced him. The old merchant turned and embraced Mistake and whispered in her ear and she nodded. Brontos broke the embrace and turned around and marched off towards the horses.
“Let’s go,” prompted Mistake. “We have a long journey ahead of us.”
Rejji shook his head and stared at her. “Where are we going? What did he say to you?”
Mistake picked up the sack that Rejji had dropped and shoved it into his hands. “We are going to the Giaming Mountains to find the Sage,” she declared.
Without further word, she turned and strode northward out of the campsite. Rejji turned and looked at Brontos as the merchant was hitching his horses to the wagon and then he scampered after Mistake. As he caught up to Mistake he reached out to grab her to get her to stop and explain what was going on. His hand felt her muscular arm, but as it did, she leaped sideways so quickly that Rejji’s eyes could not follow her movements. She stood several paces away and faced him with her hands on her hips.
“Brontos is not good at farewells,” explained Mistake. “It is e
asier on him if we just go quickly. Besides, we have a long trek ahead of us.”
“What did he whisper to you?” questioned Rejji.
“He said to take care of you,” smiled the thief. “I believe he is quite fond of you. In fact, I would wager he loses a fair amount of gold on those teeth you sold him.”
Rejji shook his head and turned to look back towards the campsite. The merchant’s wagon was gone. Mistake turned and started northward again and Rejji put the merchant out of mind and caught up to her.
They crossed the ford as the first rays of sunshine sprayed over the land. As they continued north away from the stream, the short scraggly trees and small brush began to disappear. Within a few hours, the landscape was barren. There was not a plant or weed in sight. The soil was like baked clay occasionally broken by gullies caused by torrents of water that had existed at sometime in the past.
As the sun climbed higher in the sky, the temperature rose significantly and soon they both were drenched with perspiration. As the sun reached its zenith, Mistake halted. She raised a hand to her eyes and looked in each direction before sitting down on the baked soil.
“A little shade would have been nice,” she grumbled. “We should take a bite to eat though or our bodies will suffer for it.”
Rejji said nothing but pawed through his sack and grabbed the small flask with water in it. He raised it to his lips and started drinking.
“Stop,” ordered Mistake. “That is all the water we have. Save it for later.”
Rejji licked his lips and looked at her. “How long is this trip?” he asked.
“I am not really sure,” she admitted, “but Brontos stressed rationing our supplies several times. He knows Fakara fairly well although I doubt he has ever come this way. We have to act cautiously if we are to survive.”
Rejji nodded and placed the flask back into the sack. He nibbled on a loaf of stale bread and then tied the sack back up.
“Do you really expect to find this Sage?” he questioned.
“I don’t know,” admitted Mistake, “but I will not stop looking.”
Mistake rose and started walking. Rejji hurried after her and they walked in silence for the rest of the day. As the sun went down the heat abated and their bodies felt a tinge of regeneration as the surface of the desert cooled. They continued walking for several more hours until Mistake called a halt again.
“I thought it would be pleasant to walk in the cool of the night,” began Mistake, “but it is getting downright cold now. We should eat some more and maybe catch some sleep.”
Again they sat on the baked soil and nibbled on stale bread and drank sparingly from their flasks. They lay down on the ground and curled into balls in an attempt to stay warm, but the cold persisted and they ended up with their arms intertwined sharing what warmth they had with each other and drifted off to sleep.
Rejji woke first and rolled onto his back as the sun was showing its first threatening rays over the land. He sat up and gazed at the barren landscape. He turned to reach for his sack and couldn’t find it. Frantically, he leaped to his feet and looked all around for his sack.
“What is it?” murmured Mistake as she struggled into a sitting position.
“Our food sacks are gone,” sighed Rejji.
“What?” shouted Mistake as she leaped to her feet.
The two of them walked around in circles looking for the sacks, but the sacks were nowhere to be found. Rejji reached to his belt for the small pouch of gold and was happy to find it still there.
“Whoever robbed us last night missed the gold,” Rejji announced.
Mistake stooped to the ground and examined some tracks. “It wasn’t thieves,” Mistake concluded. “It was animals. They must have smelled the food. And we were doing so good at rationing that now our bodies will suffer for the lack of it.”
The two Fakarans followed the tracks for a while until they found the sacks. The sacks were torn apart and the only thing useful that was left was one flask. The other flask had been punctured by tooth or claw. Rejji reached down and retrieved the good flask while Mistake gazed at the landscape in every direction.
“There is nothing in sight in any direction,” she announced. “I fear if we have more than one day of this blasted desert left, we will not make it.”
“I am sure the end of today will find us in good stead,” Rejji stated with more conviction than he truly felt.
“Perhaps,” murmured Mistake, “but Brontos said we would see the trees along the river well before we came to them. There is nothing in sight. Nothing.”
Chapter 3
Zaldoni
Mistake stumbled and landed hard on the ground. Rejji, following close behind in a fog of confusion, tripped over her and also fell. For several minutes they both remained motionless and in silence. Eventually, Rejji pushed himself into a sitting position.
“Are you all right?” he croaked.
“I think so,” moaned Mistake without moving. “I can’t go any further, Rejji. I am sorry. I just can’t.”
Rejji peered up at the inky black sky and sighed. “We have to keep going, Mistake. Once the sun rises again, our bodies will lose the precious few fluids we have left. I am surprised we survived yesterday and this night, but I don’t think we can stand another daytime.”
“Can we rest just a little?” she protested.
“We will fall asleep and never wake up,” admonished Rejji as he slowly rose.
Rejji reached down and grabbed Mistake’s hand, somewhat surprised that she did not leap several strides away from him as he did so. He gently, but firmly pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arm around her waist to support her.
Mistake sighed and pushed Rejji’s arm away. “It will only be harder on both of us to walk that way,” she stated. “I don’t want to hold you back Rejji. If I fall again, leave me. I will have a better chance of you getting to the river and returning with water than I will at getting up again.”
“I will not leave you,” declared Rejji. “Stop talking and conserve your energy. Whatever we do, we do together.”
They lapsed into silence as they stumbled across the barren wasteland. Rejji took the lead and strained his eyes to pick out the aberrations in the contour of the land. Surprisingly, the concentration made him feel slightly stronger and the fog in his mind lessened. The night air was still cold, but his body was beyond the sensations that would cause him to care. He felt very numb all over and his feet methodically planted themselves, one in front of the other, as if they had minds of their own.
After an hour, his eyes started losing focus. He knew it was from straining them, but he dared not stop to close them for fear that Mistake would sit down and not get up. He started walking with one eye open and one closed to let it rest. Periodically he would switch eyes and gradually he felt less strain on his eyes. The problem with this method is that he stumbled more, but he had so far avoided any more trips that would land him on the ground.
Another hour passed and Rejji noticed the eastern sky was beginning to lighten. Daylight would soon be upon them and with it the burning sun. When daylight came, he knew their hopes would fade and their journey would end. Their bodies would not take another day of the heat without water. He glanced back at Mistake and she was just plodding behind him in a stupor. He felt sorry that she had gotten mixed up in the attack on the village. If he had not discovered her hiding in the well, she would have gone on her merry way, probably in a different direction.
Looking back at the thief distracted him from his job of watching the terrain and Rejji stumbled and fell. Mistake tripped over him and sprawled on her back. Rejji heard her grunt and then sigh. He rolled to his knees and looked down at the girl and her eyes were closed. He sat next to her in defeat and closed his eyes to rest them before continuing.
He was not sure what woke him but he quickly gauged that he had slept for about an hour. The first rays of the sun were just creating shadows in the uneven areas of the desert floor. With effort
he rose to his feet and looked north. He blinked his eyes and rubbed them and looked again. Excitement rippled through his fatigued body as he saw the forest before him. He tried to shout in jubilation, but found he had no voice for it. His enthusiasm dampened when he looked down at Mistake. She had given all that she had to give, he realized. If he hadn’t stumbled in the darkness, they would already be in the shade of the trees.
He peered up at the rising sun and tried to estimate the amount of time he would have to get to the river and return with water before it got blistering hot again. He shook his head and stooped down next to Mistake. Gently and with great effort, he hoisted her body over his shoulder. Her slim body felt like the weight of the world on his shoulder, but he straightened his legs and put one foot forward. Slowly, he worked up a rhythm and started trudging towards the trees.
Before the heat of the full sun hit him, Rejji had made it into the shade of the forest. He knew he was running on reserve energies that could not be maintained, so he did not stop moving when he made the forest but kept heading north towards the river. His whole body ached as he moved deeper into the forest, but he ignored the pain and kept moving at a steady pace.
Eventually, he heard the sweet music of running water and he had to fight his desire to pick up speed. One more stumble, he thought, and it was all in vain. He kept his eyes on the forest floor directly in front of him and methodically plodded towards the noise. The noise grew louder with every step and soon it was so loud that he could not resist looking up. His parched lips cracked into a broad smile as he saw the river several hundred paces ahead. He spied a mossy spot under a great tree and gently lowered Mistake onto it. He ached as he straightened his body, but he headed for the river without the pain registering in his mind.
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