“Everything all right, Yoven?” the other man asked.
“Just fine!” said Yoven and signaled to Tanti with his finger to remain silent.
“What are you doing?”
“Just taking the prisoner out to… You know… Relieve himself.”
“Are you crazy? He’ll run away.”
“He won’t. And he won’t stink either. Go to sleep and don’t worry.”
“You’re crazy.”
The youth called Yoven smiled and waved at his friend. He pulled Tanti toward the bushes, grasping him tightly.
“Listen to me, whoever you are,” he whispered angrily. “Why did you think of running away? You don’t have a chance.”
“I’m not a spy, and you have no right to hold me here,” Tanti said.
“We have the right, because we have the power,” Yoven said. “Our people are scattered all over the area. They’re as quick and as cruel as panthers. They’ll track you, and if they catch you again, they won’t hesitate to kill you. Return to the cave immediately and don’t be foolish. If you try to run away again, I won’t be able to save you.”
“At least let me do what you told your friend,” Tanti said.
“Told my friend?”
“You said you were taking me out so I could relieve myself. Won’t you let me do that?”
Yoven smiled, revealing two rows of huge teeth.
Once again, he was in the little cave, the board closing on him. This time, he wasn’t tied up, and he could lie more comfortably. A waterskin and several pieces of bread eased the distress of his captivity. Faint beams of light shone through the partition. He heard sounds of the camp waking up. His eyes closed, and he wished he could sleep for an hour and regain some strength.
Shouts and exclamations woke him up. He didn’t know how long he had slept.
“The Tongue, he’s coming,” he heard his guards saying on the other side of the partition.
“He’s bringing weapons with him. Hurray!”
“Look how many horses. And a wagon filled to the brim!”
The arrival of their commander aroused much excitement in the camp. Tanti crawled toward the partition and slid it aside a bit.
“Don’t you even dare think about it.” He heard Yoven’s voice. “I’m here, guarding you, mainly so you won’t do anything foolish.”
“We caught a prisoner.” Tanti heard enthusiastic voices. “A Yellow spy or something like that.”
“Yellow?! He had a white rucksack.”
“Judging by his clothes, he looked Red. But who knows? Anyone can wear what he wants.”
“And where is he now?” asked the Tongue.
“There, in the cave, tied up. Here’s his horse and supplies. I mean, what’s left of them.”
“What are you wearing? Where’s that coat from?”
“It was his.”
“And you? And you? And what’s that on your head?” By now, their commander was shouting.
“His hat.”
“You miserable thieves! You caught a prisoner and stole his equipment and property. And you call yourselves soldiers?”
“Maybe he’s a spy?”
“And maybe you’re just a greedy little thief, a shameless oaf who lost his brains eons ago! Did you interrogate him? Did you find out whether or not he’s a spy?”
“No…”
“Where is he?”
“In the cave.”
“You idiots. Worthless mortals. You sick swamp cats. I know those clothes. Who do you think you caught, you snotty toads? Bring him to me at once.”
Tanti didn’t wait. Despite the shouting, he recognized the voice immediately. He opened the partition and came out of the cave.
“He’s not tied up. Catch him!” someone shouted.
“In just one second, you’re going to find yourself tied by your ear to the top of the tree,” said Dionun, the commander of the Lizards, called the Tongue, who couldn’t contain his rage. “Tanti, my dear friend, I’m so sorry.” He rushed to hug him.
The young Lizards surrounded them, mortified and disgraced. “I told you he wasn’t Yellow.”
“Shut up. You said he was Red.”
“Are you all right? They didn’t hurt you?” Dionun asked.
“No, no, I’m fine. Just, you know…”
“I know, of course.” He examined Tanti’s wrists, which were bruised and bloody. “Zeek,” he said. “Get the castor oil ointment and dress his wounds. And you.” Dionun addressed the rest of his men. “Why are you standing there staring? Return everything you took.”
To Tanti’s astonishment, all the things that had been tied to his saddle piled up before him. There wasn’t one man who hadn’t taken something for himself.
Dionun ordered them to tie all the bundles back on, but Tanti preferred to do it himself.
“Organize your stuff after you’ve eaten something and regained your strength,” Dionun said. “Leave your stuff, and you can be sure no one will touch it.” He glared at his men terrifyingly.
“Dionun,” Tanti said. “You’re the Tongue? I mean, what’s going on here? What are you?”
“I’m him, yes. Supposedly, life and death are in the power of my tongue. Have you ever seen a lizard’s tongue? It’s long, vigilant, and flexible. And it hits hard. But now I’m feeling like a chopped tail.”
“No, Commander. Don’t say that,” said one of the young Lizards standing next to them. “You’re the commander. You’re our leader. Without you, who are we? We’re the chopped tails. We made a mistake. Forgive us.”
Dionun continued pacing.
“Here, now you know, Tanti, where I’ve been. From the slums, I collected and trained this bunch of lunatics, according to Lizard tradition. I believed I was building an elite unit of daring and highly skilled warriors. Now, I’m starting to doubt their ability to exercise judgment and self-control, to conduct themselves during battle. Perhaps I should disband them and send them home, those who have homes.”
“Commander, we practiced like you told us to. Don’t send us home. While you were absent, we kept the camp clean, we stood guard, and we were alert.”
“Pfft! So alert that you captured the Blue king’s commander of the cavalry regiment, who is my friend.”
“We?”
“Him?”
The boys milling around took a deferential step back.
“It’s him, the trainer.”
“Honorable sir, please forgive us. We didn’t know. We thought you were Red.”
“White.”
“We just followed orders.”
“What goddamn orders?” Dionun bellowed.
“To locate anyone walking on two legs in the area and bring him, tied up, to the cave, quickly and covertly.”
“Who is the medusa-headed idiot who gave you that order?”
“You, sir!” they all answered together.
Dionun looked at his soldiers and then at Tanti, who barely managed to hide his smile. He himself could hardly contain his laughter.
The soldiers, who saw that their commander’s bad mood had dissipated, starting chattering excitedly, laughing, and cheering.
“Platoon commanders, come to me at once,” Dionun said.
Ten people gathered around him.
“Listen carefully,” Dionun said. “We have to learn from what happened here today. I’ll discuss it with you later. In the meantime, the platoon on duty will procure a decent meal for me and my honorable guest. The others, go unload the wagon down the wadi. Besides food, I also brought swords and daggers, like I promised.”
“Hurray, hurray!”
“You and you, distribute the weapons according to people’s skills. The others will organize all the other supplies. This time, we received clothes and soft, flexible climbing shoes. Start immediately. You ha
ve a lot of work.”
“Yes, sir!”
“One moment. I’m not done with you. After you finish, perform disappearance maneuvers.”
“But we already did disappearance maneuvers this morning.”
“Today, you’ll do them twice—as punishment for unnecessary cruelty toward a bound, helpless man and for catching my good friend, the commander of the cavaliers—and once again tonight. I’ll let you know at what time. Close to midnight, there will be an inspection.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And as a gesture of my appreciation for following my orders to capture any stranger arriving in the territory, we’ll have a festive dinner tonight. One glass of wine for each warrior. And now, leave us alone.”
To the sounds of cheers and complaints, Dionun led Tanti—after cleaning and dressing his wounds—to sit beneath a tree. They sat there and were served a light meal.
Tanti was starving and wolfed down his food. Dionun ate sparsely. He looked thoughtful. For the first time, Tanti saw weariness come over his friend.
Tanti told him what had happened since the young Lizards had caught him.
“These boys are daring, and they’re skilled warriors,” Dionun said. “And I thought that was enough. They obey me unquestionably. Now, I see that apart from Yoven, none of them know how to employ common sense. And when tested, what’s more important, obedience or independent thought?”
“Perhaps both?”
“Perhaps both.”
“Had I been your Yellow spy,” Tanti said. “I would’ve said your men did a good job, although they were a bit overenthusiastic.”
“They are indeed excellent boys,” Dionun said and burst into laughter. “Yellow spy. Oh, my poor Tanti, you change colors like a chameleon.”
After a brief pause, he asked, “What, in fact, are you doing here, in the mountains?”
Tanti shifted uncomfortably, not knowing how to respond.
“I have to cross the border and reach the entrance of the limestone caves,” he finally said. Dionun’s jaw dropped open in amazement. Tanti continued immediately. “Don’t ask me why or who sent me there. Please, Dionun, in the name of our friendship, believe me that I have no part of this war between the Blues and Whites. Let me cross the border and make my way in peace.”
“Are you crazy? The Whites will catch you the minute you cross the border.”
“I must take that risk,” Tanti said.
“Who sent you?”
Tanti remained silent.
“I can imagine what you’re searching for. But I can’t guess why and what for. If I didn’t know you, I would try to do anything I could to dissuade you from going there.”
“Why?” Tanti asked.
“The place you’re going to, the Mountain of Tears, is a cursed place. For Whites, Blues, or Yellows like you. No one goes near that place.”
Tanti didn’t answer. He didn’t want the words to be said. Dionun and his wonder boys wouldn’t stop him.
The two of them sat and stared at the fading light. Around them, there was much commotion. The young Lizards organized the supplies, examined the daggers they’d been given, and practiced their acrobatics, flexibility exercises, and fighting skills. It seemed as though Dionun’s return relieved their tension.
Dionun ate a little from the plate he had been served, without noticing its contents.
“Why is the place called the Mountain of Tears?” Tanti asked.
“The name originates from a legend that’s been circling our country for hundreds of years, about the Blue Princess Masharin and a White nobleman who met by the river. They fell in love and found a hideaway where they’d meet once a week. One day, the Blue princess arrived and didn’t find her beloved. She waited there for many days, tearful, refusing to return to her home. The boy didn’t come. His parents, who had discovered his love, forbid him to see her and even locked him in his room. This was because, even then, there was hostility between Whites and Blues. A whole year passed until the imprisoned White youth caved in and agreed to marry the White girl his parents had chosen for him.
“The legend tells that the tears of the miserable Blue princess opened an entrance in the mountains and created a tunnel. The tears mixed with the underground water and created many tunnels and entrances.
“Princess Masharin waited for him for many days. When she saw the tunnel that her tears had created, she walked through it and arrived at the youth’s house. But upon her arrival, she witnessed his wedding taking place. When she saw him and his bride, the princess let out a terrible cry, breathed her last breath, and became a cloud.”
Dionun continued. “This legend captivated the hearts of both White and Blue youths. Many tried to find the entrance to that tunnel. Most of those who did never returned. The few who did return lost their minds and ended their lives agonized and restless. It is widely believed that the mountain is cursed, even if no one believes this story.”
“Perhaps there’s some truth in it.”
Dionun laughed. “You seem to be captivated by the legend too. Don’t go there.”
“I can’t listen to your advice this time,” Tanti said.
“I know that you’ve traveled a long way, my friend. I’m not going to stop you. Just know that from here onward, you’re walking toward danger.” His expression changed. His eyes gleamed and his brow furrowed. “And regarding the rest of the way,” he said. “I can’t let you kill yourself. I must think this matter over.” He left Tanti alone and went to check on his men.
The young Lizards were preparing dinner. Dionun returned after a while with a glass of wine in each hand.
“Let’s drink to our meeting,” he said and handed Tanti one of the glasses.
“The wine is wonderful,” Tanti said.
“Straight from Bird Village,” Dionun said. “Yes, I was there and visited my sister Dionnie. And sweet Milo, how that boy has grown. The village people organized food for us, and supplies, and clothes. I also met Martam Og. His people made these short daggers, and they’re adapted for Lizard fighting methods.”
“Is this war really inevitable?” Tanti asked.
“We failed in reaching the decision makers. Someone there desperately wants this war. The war will start very soon, Tanti.”
Dionun led Tanti to the circle of men eating.
One of the young men rose. “We apologize for what we did to you, Commander of the Cavalry.”
Tanti nodded. Dionun raised his hand. “Your apology is accepted. Maybe even I’ll forgive you. And now, listen. From tomorrow, increased hand-to-hand combat, disappearance, and surprise training. No one knows better than us how close the Whites have come to the border.”
“We’ll annihilate them.”
“They have a nice surprise waiting for them.”
“Victory is ours.”
“We’ll chop them like sausages.”
“Vic-to-ry!”
Dionun looked at Tanti piercingly and waited for the commotion to die down.
“Tomorrow, my friend Tanti is leaving on an important mission to the limestone mountains. Two of you will accompany him and show him the hidden passageway.”
“But sir, we can’t!” a slender, tiny-looking youngster said. “The war will soon break out, and the two chosen to accompany him will miss it.”
“We’re talking about a war, Zeek,” one of the commanders said. “Not the Harvest Ball.”
“We haven’t trained all these months to be someone’s nanny.”
“There’s no need,” Tanti said. “I can go alone.”
“I won’t agree to that,” Dionun said. “You’re not aware of the dangers, which are as serious as the war itself. The hidden passageway is known only to the locals and to us, the Lizards. I repeat, two of my men will accompany you. And I mean two of my best men.”
“You warned us t
hat in the last one hundred years, no one has returned alive from that place.”
“Are you afraid, Catfish?”
“I’m not afraid. I say we shouldn’t endanger warriors in times like this.”
“That’s right. We’re needed in battle,” Zeek said.
“Zeek’s afraid of the Whites. He prefers to burrow beneath the earth.”
“I’ll go with him.” Yoven suddenly emerged from the gloom. “And I’m not afraid of the Whites or of any tunnels.”
“Of course, Yoven. There’s no one better than you for this mission,” Dionun said. “Like I said, only my best men can do this. And you, Zeek? Will you join him?”
“I’m not one of your best men.”
“This is your chance to refute that,” Dionun said. “Isn’t it?”
Zeek smiled and, without a word, went to stand by Yoven, who slapped his shoulder.
“Dionun,” Tanti said. “It’s a shame to neutralize two warriors. If you tell me the way, I can go by myself.”
“Here, I decide what happens,” Dionun said. “Yoven and Zeek know the way. They’ll lead you and help you in places where a person can’t make progress alone. The main difficulty is getting out of there. What’s the point if you reach your destination but are stuck there forever?”
Tanti didn’t answer.
“Tomorrow, at dawn, you’ll leave. Prepare your equipment and the horses right now. I’m going to sleep. And you.” He turned to the rest of the people. “Don’t forget. Disappearance exercises in an hour, at midnight. Zeek and Yoven are exempt. Come, Tanti. I’ll show you where you’re sleeping tonight.”
Chapter 40
Fog
In the beginning, he was disgruntled that the two men’s company had been forced upon him. After several days, he started noticing the advantages of having people with him who were familiar with the paths and routes of the area. It seemed as though they were even familiar with the nests and burrows of the area. Come evening, when they set up camp, Yoven and Zeek would appear with what they’d hunted and with herbs that only Zeek knew how to recognize among the abundance of greenery surrounding them. They always found caves or hidden corners where they could spend the night. There, they’d roast their tasty, seasoned catch.
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