by Brian Thomas
The pressure of the headband across his brow numbed his brain while his muscles were aflame from the sustained strain of bearing the heavy awkward load. Nevertheless, it forged his determination and tempered his resolve. He would fulfil this and all future promises, not because he had to but because he wanted to, for his own pride, his own self esteem. He would prove to himself at least, that he was the person he wished to be. Li Chin forced one foot in front of the other, no longer aware of the mumblings from the old woman. The pressure of the head strap was making the hammering in his head even worse, stifling coherent thought. Utterly exhausted and almost blacking out from his exertion, Li Chin had gone past the point of being able to think rationally. His entire being focussed on reaching the old woman’s home so he could keep his word, be free to release his burden and recover his pride. His body and strength were totally spent, the muscles in his back and legs quivering with exhaustion, only an inner obstinacy he was unaware of kept him moving, well beyond what his intelligence nagged was reasonable or necessary. Li Chin had no idea how long he had been walking under the load, only that he must go on, could not stop. His teeth clamped against any comment that might escape unbidden and be interpreted as whining by the old woman, Mother.
Li Chin had been unaware he could no longer see. His body was awash in a sea of fiery pain and he no longer had thoughts that were able to rise above that sensation. But he had been stopped. He had felt a new pressure upon his arm, while it strained to hold the burden in place upon his back and prevent it slipping. After a moment he felt a blow to his head that tipped him backwards to the ground, the load breaking open behind him.
The sudden relief from the strain of carrying the burden left him disorientated, the buzzing in his head becoming even louder once the pressure from the strap had gone, the deep blackness which had descended over him disappearing in a thousand bright flashes leaving him as blind as the darkness had before. He bit back on any sound that might be interpreted as “whining”, the need important but he could no longer remember why.
Through the blindness and pain he thought he heard something, a voice. It was the old woman, Mother, her dry screech sharp enough to penetrate the fog that filled his mind and the pain ripping through his muscles now freed from their burden. She was reminding him of the second part to his bargain and he could feel himself being pulled to his feet with his hands being placed upon a saw.
Li Chin had to bite back on a groan as the screeching voice reminded him the wood needed to become kindling. He forced his body through the motions of sawing at the log placed in the trestle, his body continuing mindlessly, too exhausted to resist or conjure up an alternative. Only his inner will prevented him from giving up, his mind no longer even aware of what his body was doing. Just that it must not stop, must keep sawing, start the next log as the current one fell away in pieces.
Resistance against the saw disappeared and he almost fell against the trestle. After a moment his hands were forced into motion again, the screech penetrating through everything, reminding him the bargain would not be complete until he finished. He continued to saw, oblivious to all but the burning pain in his spent muscles and the imperative to reach for another log, to continue sawing. Eventually, there was a gentle hand on his shoulder he knew to be a bidding to stop. A voice, the old woman’s, not screeching this time, telling him he had finished and his side of the bargain was complete; he could rest.
At the words, the darkness and flashing lights receded and his vision slowly returned. As it did so his exhaustion took hold and he collapsed to the ground, leaning against a huge stack of fire wood. Moisture leaked from his eyes in relief that he could at last stop, knowing he had continued to the end, had not given up and had somehow found the strength to finish the task. He slowly collapsed to the ground slipping into an exhausted sleep, while in the background he thought he could hear the rhythmic drum of marching feet and the jangle of armour as he drifted into unconsciousness.
Seeing the well, General Aidi signalled his men to leave the road and had them halt in front of the ramshackle farmstead. The soldiers stamped to a stop. The sudden quiet was a welcome relief after the constant rhythmic thud of boots on the road and the jangle of soldiers’ kit, which drowned out all other sounds while on the march. Signalling to his lieutenant to have the men stand down, he looked to the truthsayer and local official assigned to him. Both of them were being transported in separate litters and their porters were showing the effects of the march, which General Aidi had deliberately kept at a slow pace with regular stops to accommodate them. He needed both officials and had to suppress his frustration at the slow pace he had to adopt because of them.
From his analysis of the reports being brought in from the scouts the priest and the villagers must have headed in this direction and he had a good chance of finding them. He had divided his forces to surround the province and ordered his men to approach the now abandoned village from all available routes. Eventually, his own incoming patrol would meet up with the advance force he had despatched to the village working its way outwards. The priest and the villagers would be trapped in an ever decreasing gap between the two contingents.
Still, time was of the essence and any delay in closing the cordon increased the chances of them slipping away undetected. Looking away from the two men who were the source of his irritation, General Aidi watched as an old woman with a bent back led a young man to the side of the ramshackle buildings. The young man was doubled over, under an implausible looking load of logs and branches strapped precariously to his back. The unlikely pair had caught the attention of his men, who were pointing and nudging each other at the sight of the young man and his impressive burden. The pair stopped and the woman gave a baleful glare at the men resting around her well. The young man stood docile, his face blank and devoid of interest in anything about him.
The old woman’s glance settled on General Aidi and he felt a small shiver pass down his spine. He frowned back and straightened his shoulders. The local official seconded from Li Yeu’s household by Aidi to act as their guide rose to approach the old woman and Aidi could hear his assurance she would receive her tithe for the use of her well, at which her glare lost its malevolence and she even gave a gap toothed smile in his direction.
General Aidi had given orders that all men of the approximate age of the possessed priest be either vouched for by the local official or questioned by one of the truthsayers accompanying each inward marching section of his forces. One of his sergeants was already summoning the truthsayer as he approached the old woman and the young man. Curious at the local official’s assurance to the old woman, General Aidi also approached as his sergeant began the questioning.
“What is your name?” The young man seemed totally unaware of the sergeant and that he was being addressed, still bent over by his burden, which looked even more impressive as Aidi approached and was able to study it more closely. “What is your name!” the sergeant demanded again and more forcefully. Aware his general approached the sergeant grew angry his commander could see his questions being ignored and struck the vacant looking man in the face, causing him to topple back and spill his load of logs and branches behind him.
The old woman intervened, amusement evident in her tone. “He cannot hear you, he will respond only to my own voice.”
“Truth” called out the truthsayer in response.
The sergeant turned on the old woman instead, intensely aware he was under the scrutiny of his general. “Then you tell us; what is his name?”
The old woman raised her eyebrows, not in the least intimidated by the burly sergeant who towered over her, menace etched in his every fibre. “You want to know the name of a wood carrier?”
General Aidi was astonished at the old woman’s effrontery and lack of fear. The sergeant, feeling shamed in front of his general was about to strike the old woman when the local official intervened with a bow to General Aidi as he approached. “The old woman has the protection of our master, General
Aidi. He has decreed a tithe for use of her well and the respect of those who use it.”
His curiosity raised, General Aidi dismissed the red faced sergeant and looked at the old woman through narrowed eyes, wondering at the story behind the courtesy. She in turn looked back at him, her own scrutiny no less penetrating than his and still amused under his own examination. Aidi could see the official looking nervous at the prospect of either offending the general or breaking his master’s instructions with regard to the old woman.
Impressed with the old woman’s courage and refusal to be intimidated, Aidi gave a slight bow of his head. “We seek a dangerous man, a renegade Temple priest. Hi is likely masquerading in a disguise to avoid detection. I have ordered that all men of a similar age not known to the officials accompanying us be questioned to eliminate them from suspicion. It would be well to answer the question and save the young man from further harm.”
The old woman chuckled as she gave a small bow of her own head in return, the depth of the bow implying she considered herself an equal to the general, if not his superior. “Dangerous to whom I wonder. The Temple priests have ever been champions of the Hansee People, General.”
“Truth.” endorsed the truthsayer.
Aidi looked in amazement at the shabbily dressed old woman, who returned his bow and courtesy as an equal while staring boldly at him with such a disconcerting gaze. Always alert to threat, a small whisper at the back of his mind now warned that though he might not see how this woman nevertheless represented a real danger. Ignoring the incongruity of their stations he decided to follow his instinct and adhere to the official’s lead. “Nevertheless, it would be best for us all if you were to answer the question.”
The old woman regarded General Aidi shrewdly, before nodding. With a penetrating screech that set the teeth of all those nearby on edge, the old woman got the young man up and started him sawing the logs he had carried in at an old trestle. The young man set to the task with a slow and methodical action, still seemingly oblivious to those around him as he slowly drew his old saw backwards and forwards, replacing fallen logs as they fell. Muttering impatiently under her breath, the old woman faced General Aidi with a sigh. “He calls me Mother and I call him Son. He is strong but would lay there in the dirt all day if I had not led him to his next task.”
“Truth.” confirmed the truthsayer.
The old woman looked quizzically at the general. “He is dressed like a peasant, does a peasant’s work and,” Old Leckey sniffed appreciatively, “he smells like a peasant. He does not appear to have either the learning or intellect of any Temple priest I have ever seen in the past, General.”
“Truth.” confirmed the Truthsayer, whose own nose wrinkled against the strong odour wafting from the young man, who was sweating freely as he worked in the strong sun.
General Aidi looked at the blank faced man as he continued to saw at the logs, maintaining a steady pace and still seemingly unaware of the task he was completing or the events taking place around him. Unaccustomedly, he felt embarrassment for the old woman who was obviously not of peasant stock and had a sharp intelligence, yet had to care for this slack minded son. “There is honour in fulfilling any duty well, no matter the burden. Good day.”
With a brief nod he turned to leave but stopped as she replied. “It is only those with honour who recognises and accepts the burden of duty. Nevertheless, one should always question if the burden has become too great and if honour is best served by dropping the burden, rather than remaining a slave to duty that no longer serves the original purpose.” Old Leckey gestured speculatively to the youth.
Though the old woman gestured to her slack witted son, Aidi wondered whether she inferred some deeper meaning, a veiled message directed at him. A comparison of him to her vacant son, even made so obliquely made him shiver. The prospect of having as little control over events and his own life were unsettling and mirrored concerns he had mentioned to no one. Aidi wore the emperor’s livery and he was certain the old woman would recognise it. His duty was to the emperor and could never be cast off like an old cloak. Her familiarity was highly impertinent and if any other had suggested such a thing directly, honour would demand he take their life for the insult. Now, he merely paused shaking off any doubts, before calling for his lieutenant to muster the men and get them back on to the road, the old woman’s words ignored. He had sworn his allegiance and his duty was clear. Still, he could not prevent the thought seeded by the old woman’s words burying deep into his mind, until angrily he focused on what was required to catch the priest and the villagers.
Old Leckey watched the soldiers march along the road, drumming up a small dust cloud to mark their passage as they went. Reaching into a pocket, she pulled clear the doll made of twigs and strands of her own hair as she watched them go. Rubbing out the charcoal markings on its head and breaking her hairs which bound the little figure together, she shook apart the twigs until they lay scattered upon the ground. Reaching out a hand to place on the young man’s arm as he sawed away at the last of the logs, she said gently. “Enough, you have completed your side of the bargain, rest now and I will prepare your food later.”
The young man collapsed on the ground and fell instantly into an exhausted sleep against a pile of the fresh cut logs. Looking down at him Old Leckey sighed, shaking her head slightly as she bent to gather vegetables from her nearby plot, ready to make the promised meal. But she was soon chuckling at the sight of all the firewood gathered in and sawn against the winter so early in the season. A good bargain and fair, she decided, as she passed the lifeless form of Li Chin who had not moved since collapsing against the logs.
Still, she would throw in a little extra, she mused, as he had taken to his side of the bargain willingly and not complained once. She chuckled to herself again, knowing it wouldn’t have done him any good even if he had.
Zanwen looked dubiously at the man, half slumped across the pile of logs and still asleep even though it was mid-afternoon. The man hadn’t moved in the hour or so Zanwen and his caravan had arrived to water at Old Leckey’s. They had hardly been quiet as they set up camp but still he slept on undisturbed. Zanwen looked at the man’s shaven head curiously and wrinkled his nose at the smell of stale sweat, which clung like a miasma around the slumped figure. “Is he drunk?”
Old Leckey smiled. “No, he merely walked a long way with a heavy load, while his mind was elsewhere.” She chuckled, amused at some private joke. “The load was heavier and the way further than he had expected; but I have all my firewood for the winter collected, sawn and stacked. I will feed him when he wakes. A good bargain.” She chuckled again and Zanwen made a mental note to pay careful attention in his conversation with the old woman, lest he make a careless “good bargain” he lived to regret.
Zanwen had been with his men for a long time and had no enthusiasm for what the old woman had proposed. Each could be trusted to do his job well, stay out of trouble and, more importantly, they kept Zanwen out of trouble. “I don’t take passengers. Strictly trade goods. Silks, tea and jade outward bound. Spices, specie, precious stones and horses back. Passengers are just trouble, complaining about the conditions, the food, anything they can think of and they are usually running from something. That means someone is usually chasing.” Zanwen frowned down at the man wondering what he was running from. It must be that, or why would Old Leckey be so keen for him to join with Zanwen when he knew she suspected his trade was outside palace warrants.
Old Leckey stirred a pot over the open fire and called back through her open doorway. “No passenger this one, he will work his way across for food. He has herb and other healing knowledge that will make his company welcome during your journey.”
Zanwen gave the old woman a shrewd look. Was that a warning he would need medical help during this trip. Spirits! On the other hand, Zanwen wondered if it was the man’s healing treatments which had got him into the trouble he was now running from. If so was Zanwen meant to be comforted at placing hi
s trust in someone who had to run from his last patient. “I don’t know Old Leckey. We were stopped on the way here by a royal guard, headed by a general and an official from the Sun Palace, searching for someone. They had me confirm all of my men had been with me for at least the past year. They had a truthsayer with them. It set my palms sweating to have him shout “truth” after each thing I said. A different question and my head could have been stuck on a soldier’s lance beside the road. It must be someone important they seek to have so many men out and I have heard of many other patrols asking similar questions. Maybe I’ll sit tight until things have calmed down a bit before I set off again.”
Old Leckey glanced across at Zanwen. She had dealt with him a long time and knew him well enough to realise that in no time he would be fretting at the cost of feeding his men without trade to cover the expense, wondering if someone else were talking to his customers while he sat idle. “The emperor’s soldiers have passed and the danger with it, for the time being at least. But they will return and when they do this area will be far more dangerous than where you travel next. You cannot fool me even if you can convince yourself, you will be on your way by morning and you will take this man with you.”