July – 3,390 BC
Earth: Village of Assur
Ninsianna
Ninsianna awoke to the sensation of something warm and firm pressed along the length of her back. Listening to the throb of blood whirring in tune with his heartbeat through the firm bicep she'd been using as a pillow, she relished the feather ‘blanket’ he'd used to cover them. Suppressing a yawn, she stretched and turned towards him. He was awake. Probably had been for some time. Watching. Always watching. Adding up every move in that brilliant mind of his as though she were an equation he needed to solve.
“Hey,” she smiled and wiggled closer to his warmth.
“Hey,” he said, his blue eyes serious.
The mask was back. That serious mask he used to hide his feelings. Ninsianna knew to ignore his carefully schooled expression and listen to what his body said was really on his mind. Reaching up to touch his cheek, she stretched forward for a kiss. She decided not to tease him this morning. Right now, self-control was the only thing holding him together. Instead, she put her hand over the scarred tissue covering his heart, feeling the reassuring beat beneath her fingertips. His expression grew less troubled. They basked in their mutual embrace until the sound of voices and pottery clinking downstairs intruded into the silence.
“Breakfast will be ready soon,” Ninsianna said. “Would you like to eat downstairs? Or would you rather I bring something up?”
“You're my family. We shall eat together.”
“I'll go downstairs and see who Mama has in so early?” she said. “You're all covered in blood. It will give me a chance to bring water and some clean clothes so Mama doesn't scold me for leaving you in such a sorry state.”
“You were wonderful....”
Ninsianna silenced him with a kiss. “Let me do my job and you do yours. Okay? I'll be back in a moment.”
Ninsianna knew Mama wouldn't scold her. Her real reason for keeping him there was to warn the others not to question him until he was in a mood to be questioned. Pareesa was downstairs along with the three unknown women who had a strange, exotic appearance, as though they had traveled from far away. Ninsianna marveled at their jet-black hair and almond-shaped eyes, even darker than the Ubaid.
“Ninsianna,” Pareesa said, “perhaps you could help. We are trying to figure out where these women are from so we can help them get home. Nobody speaks their language.”
“They need to speak to me first," Ninsianna said. “Once they do, I'll be able to pick up the thread of their native tongue.”
The three women huddled together.
“Ninsianna,” Ninsianna pointed to her own chest. She pointed to her mother and fellow archer. “Needa … Pareesa." Ninsianna then pointed to the first girl and asked, “Who?”
The girl looked at her puzzled for a moment, then said, “Seyahat.”
“Good … Ninsianna … Seyahat … ” Ninsianna pointed first to herself, and then the girl.
Turning to the second girl, she did it again. “Ninsianna … who?”
“Fatma,” the second girl giggled as she realized what Ninsianna was doing. Fatma turned to Sehayat and said something in whatever language it was they spoke. By the time the third girl chipped in her thoughts, the language had come to her. Ninsianna didn't even know its name, but she could speak it fluently.”
“I'm Ninsianna,” she said in their language. “This is my Mama, Needa, and my friend, Pareesa. You are safe here.”
The girls burst into an explosion of questions.
“How did you learn our language?” Seyahat asked.
“She-who-is has given me the gift to understand languages after hearing only a few sentences,” Ninsianna said. “We're trying to figure out where you live so we can get you home.”
“We are Magian,” the third girl said. “I'm called Norhan. We were captured from a caravan crossing the mountains. Three mountain ranges from here, I think. We’re from Margiana … on the other side of the landlocked sea.”
“Pleased to meet you, Norhan,” Ninsianna said. “I have never heard of this place, but someone in the village must know of it. Once we figure that out, we shall help you get home.”
“Ninsianna,” Pareesa asked, “where is Mikhail?”
“Upstairs … in my room...”
Pareesa lifted one eyebrow.
“It's not like that!” Ninsianna protested. “He is wounded. I sent him upstairs to rest so annoying early morning guests tromping through the kitchen wouldn't disturb him!”
“Sorry,” Pareesa said. “It was just … unbelievable! I've never seen someone take out that many men!”
“I have seen,” Ninsianna said. “Please don't let him overhear you speak of it so gleefully.”
“But he did an incredible thing!” Pareesa wriggled with enthusiasm. “We all want to congratulate him!”
“Mikhail is a moral creature,” Ninsianna gestured for her young friend to lower her voice. “He takes no joy in his abilities. You must respect his silence until he is ready to rejoin us.”
“He helped the warriors take out over 45 Halifians,” Needa said. “And that was after the eight he killed rescuing Pareesa.”
“Seven,” Pareesa said. “I took out the eighth one with his own bow.”
“He was trained by the Cherubim, the guardians of the Eternal Emperor,” Ninsianna spoke low so her voice wouldn't carry upstairs. “That's the strange language he speaks when he goes into battle. But the Cherubim are not human, nor even Angelic. What Mikhail does weighs heavily upon him.”
“They deserved it!” Pareesa said. "They killed eleven of our people!"
“Yes, they did." Ninsianna looked at the three exotic women who were so far from home. “But he will still bury his enemies with respect. He will still pray to She-who-is to convey their spirits into the dreamtime, whether they deserve it or not. And he will still mourn the loss of their lives even though it was necessary. It's what makes him … Mikhail.”
Pareesa chewed her lip, deep in thought. She still had a bit of an eager, awestruck air about her, but Ninsianna could see she also understood she needed to be respectful of her mentor's moral code.
“I understand,” Pareesa said. “I will try not to annoy him.”
“Oh, little fairy!" Ninsianna hugged the woman-child. “That's what you do! Just try not to do it too much for a few days, okay?”
“Will we train today?” Pareesa asked.
“Alalah will teach today’s class, and perhaps tomorrow,” Ninsianna said. “I think from now on the entire village will be training. We must pass along what we already know."
She turned to address her mother. "Papa has gone to speak to the Chief. Hasn't he, Mama?”
Mama grunted and turned her attentions back to the porridge she stirred in the ceramic cook pot. It was best not to distract her mother while cooking or their breakfast would suffer.
“You'd better teach me to use that fancy weapon of yours, too, daughter,” Mama said, “in case some Halifian decides an old hag like me is nubile enough for the slavers.”
As if! Ninsianna may have inherited her father's eerie shaman's eyes, but her good looks had come from her mother. At 36 years old, her mother was still young … and beautiful … enough to be a target. Ninsianna gave her Mama a reassuring hug.
“Pareesa … could you please take your new friends elsewhere for breakfast?” Ninsianna asked. “If they witnessed Mikhail under the spell of the killing dance, I don't think they'll react well when he comes downstairs.”
“They were pretty upset when he flew out of there,” Pareesa frowned. “It took me hours to convince them he was not coming back to kill them.”
“We forget because he is our friend,” Ninsianna said. “But I don't think three women cringing in fear while he eats breakfast will sit well with him this morning.”
“Of course." Pareesa was young for one who had just taken her first kill, but she understood.
Ninsianna turned to the three exotic women.
“Pareesa will take you to get so
me breakfast,” Ninsianna explained. “I'll come visit later. It will take us a few days to clean up after last night's battle, but then we'll figure out how to get you home.”
The three foreign women thanked her and followed Pareesa on her way.
“Mama,” Ninsianna said. “After he has had to … well … you know … he is very silent for a few days. Just give him his space, okay?”
“I have seen this before,” Mama said. “With the other warriors. Even with your father. I know how to act.”
“I know you do,” Ninsianna hugged her Mama and gave her a peck on the cheek. “I learned from the best. Now, I need to bring up some water for washing and clean clothes. I made him strip off his bloody shirt last night, but he is still covered in blood.”
“If anybody comes to the door to pester him,” Mama said, “I shall chase them away with this." Mama shook her wooden spoon like it was a club. “Since Mikhail took so many of the raiders lives, your father will want to include him in the death rituals.”
“I think Mikhail will agree … so long as nobody pesters him,” Ninsianna said. “Just tell them that, okay?”
Chapter 82
Sword of the Gods: The Chosen One Page 88