Volant, ever the more canny of us, grasped the energetically pumping arm of the man in a two-handed grip, locking him in place. “Please sir, but I believe my formalities have failed me.”
Somewhat confused, the man merely cocked his head, inviting Volant to continue.
“Umm, we don’t know your name, that is,” Volant finished.
“But of course!” the man exclaimed, seemingly thrilled that we didn’t know him. “My friends call me Slandash!” He bowed deeply. “You are welcome to as well, by the by.” Slandash’s enthusiasm seemed to border on mentally unhinged. Before either of us had a chance to respond, he spoke again, albeit in a low whisper while hugging us. “I know who you are or sort of, and I also understand the danger you are in much more than you do.”
Our hug ended, and I was even more confused. “What do you know?” I asked.
Volant rolled his eyes and locked a friendly, in the loosest sense of the word, arm around me and squeezed tightly.
“Please! Food first, then we shall speak at length about important things after.” Slandash gestured towards the long table behind us.
I shrugged. No reason to ever turn down free food. The escorts, plus a few loiterers who’d been in the tent all sat at the table. We were herded to a spot next to Slandash’s. As soon as we were sat, he bounded across the room to a large square with cloth draped over it. Much like a child would, he whipped away the cloth and revealed a gong as tall as he was. Looking back, he shot his happy grin from across the room at us. As he picked up the mallet, he looked our way. “I almost never get to use this thing!”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the man Qaewin pointed out with the piercings roll his eyes. Whatever was going on with this guy, I now personally disliked him. No one right in the head would be unexcited about a gong. That’s like not liking puppies.
Slandash brought the mallet behind him, spinning it about like an entertainer. With what seemed to be the entire force of his body, he whipped around and struck the gong. The cacophony was everything I had secretly hoped for. I looked at Volant and saw his smile, and knew he felt the same.
Vibrations paired with the gongs music and dug deep into my body. Volant and I bumped knuckles as subtly as possible underneath the table. Slandash was definitely a fun host at the least.
As rolling waves of sound faded away, Slandash danced back to the table with a dazed look of euphoria on his face. Dropping into his chair with contentment, I decided anyone who could find such honest joy from such a simple thing strikes me as trustworthy. Behind him followed a pile of people laden with food, apparently waiting for the gong to summon them.
Plates covered with loaves of bread were dropped on the table. Bowls of steaming soup were placed next to these. The third group dropped great stone troughs down that sloshed with some light gold liquid. Everyone clapped and loudly complimented the cooks.
Strangely enough, the people who brought the food then joined us at the table. One of them even sat right next to Volant and joined straight into an argument about Kingdoms strategy with him. The hall became even more lively, but no one actually began eating.
As the last person took a seat, another smaller group of people came out. An enormous roasted boar was carried on a spit by the first four people. Placing it dead center of the occupied table, somehow not hitting anyone in the process. Following that, platters laden with small roasted birds came forth, filling the gaps between the rest of the food.
It smelled amazing. Wonderful aromas, full of roasted meat, spice, and honey wafted through the tent. Still, no one was eating. Despite the glorious invitation my nose was receiving, my hands stayed firmly in my lap. The last of the food carriers also sat down, filling out the table but for a few seats.
Just as it seemed we’d get to it, the front flap-door was opened to reveal a final group. At the head was Qaewin, pounding away at a small drum. Dressed the same as before, though she’d apparently fixed up her hair which was now braided in a circlet around her head and studded with flowers.
My jaw must have been hanging open, because Volant playfully punched me in the shoulder. Albeit, after he’d closed his own mouth. We both had a thing for braids. A weakness one might say. Everyone cheered as the rag tag group of musicians played their way in and joined us.
Bells and drums and stringed instruments gently settled as everyone greeted each other and those around them. Qaewin smiled her warmly small smile, so different from the energetic host we had just met. To my left, a seat was empty. She took it without preamble. Once everyone had finally down, Slandash stood up.
Beaming at everyone he raised a small wooden cup in the air. “To Locklentalis! May he watch over those who chase the wind!” A flurry of movement, and everyone else had found something that might be construed as a cup and scooped their share of drink out of the stone basin with the gold liquid. A moment passed as everyone lifted cups up as well.
“To those who chase the wind!” roared the crowd of energetic Soft Steppers in reply.
“We have two special guests who chose to arrive on this momentous holiday!” Slandash continued after everyone had taken a drink. “I have here some guests.” He gestured to us in an offhand matter. “Let us thank the Gods for continued fortune, and celebrate this day!”
Everyone laughed and a few even applauded. We all toasted and drank. This apparently meant it was time to eat. Barely controlled chaos exploded at the table. Food was passed around and snatched up indiscriminately.
I felt momentarily silly for having thought this amount of food had been because of our arrival. I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten today was Locklentalis’ holiday. He was the only god actually thought of fondly, and specifically by the nomad types. Fitting, considering Volant and I’s wandering trek.
Qaewin lightly touched my arm, sending a thrill up it. “I think I once saw Locklentalis,” she began, almost embarrassed. When I didn’t laugh, a grateful smile rewarded me before she continued. “My father,” she pointed a finger at Slandash, “said it was probably just a lone wanderer. ‘Locklentalis wanders the world, rewarding those who have a spirit of adventure,’ he told me. And, since I was only a child, he was probably right. Still, I remember it so vividly.”
He was probably right, the only people that saw the gods had really bad stories related to them. But the only thing better than the food and drink was listening to Qaewin’s soft voice. “It sounds like you still think you saw him though?”
She shrugged. “He was sitting at a fire, watching our caravan go by. But, no one else saw him. Then the next day, we find out that a freak tornado had touched down at our original destination, but our normally flawless navigators had all been stopped for the night by unseasonably strong cloud cover. If we’d have been on time, many would have died.”
“Huh, that does sound rather like what one would expect from his reputation…” I chewed on some of the skewered pig, almost forgetting to breathe.
“Exactly!” She clapped her hands together in a brief burst of excitement. “No one else ever agreed, but I still think about it every time this day comes around.”
I raised my cup slightly towards her. “To good ol’ Locklentalis.”
She raised hers too, and we silently drank. Soft Stepper cooking is excellent, we found out. The honey and cinnamon flavored nectar was potentially the best liquid to ever touch my lips. Slandash called it swok. It was something the Steppers didn’t share often outside of their tribe. In addition to the drink, every bit of food was amazing. Even the boar, normally a tough bit of meat, had been turned into something delightfully rich.
“I could die happy now,” Volant said with a sigh.
Not able to disagree, I gave him a thumbs up while draining another cup of the swok. Every so often, someone would raise a glass and thank Locklentalis for some deed or another attributed to him. With each word of thanks, everyone at the table raised a cup in reply.
There was nothing even close to worship with these people. It felt like a celebr
ation of a friend who wasn’t actually there, while they bragged about the good things they’d experienced themselves this year. The day turned to night and continued on in a blur of food and laughter. Volant and I joined in, and attempted to out eat every person there. We may have even succeeded.
Qaewin was a soft presence next to me the whole time. She didn’t say much, but her company was the best part of the festivity by far. Soon after the stolen moon had come out, only crumbs were left. People began to make their way out in pairs or groups.
We continued to sit and nurse our overfull bellies with Slandash and Qaewin. The thought came to me that I should be worried about trusting what had been a complete stranger this morning, but I dismissed it. No one who ever gave me this much food could be anything but my friend. I mentally added that to a rules to live by list I’d been building in my head. Walls rippled softly from the breeze coming through the entrance and held my attention with hypnotically dancing cloth.
“Let us move to somewhere more secluded,” Slandash said gently. “We have much to talk about.” His voice lacked the explosive energy he’d exhibited since we met him, and that alone made me snap to attention.
“That would be good.” Volant stood, nodding to Slandash.
We followed him through a series of passages curtained with tapestries. Beyond the main hall, it seemed most of the rooms were created and separated by lighter cloths than the leather we’d seen. I lost any sense of direction in the maze of fabrics after a couple turns. We were led about for what seemed an impossibly long time considering the size I had judged the interior to be until we found another hall-like room with a series of ladders leading into the ceiling.
Finally, we slipped behind one of these ladders and came to what amounted to a large, unlit closet made entirely of thick leather. It wasn’t until seeing the darkened interior that I realized everywhere else in the tent had been lit. With no candles, torches, or obvious source of light, my mind stuttered trying to figure the riddle out. Volant seemed either unaware, or uncaring, both of which were unlike him. Maybe he’d not slept enough. Qaewin walked forward to a dark corner and pulled the flap to the side, revealing an even darker interior, the leather stiff it was so thick. Slandash stood by watching the way we came.
I stopped a few paces in, not being able to see anything. Directly following me, Slandash dropped the flap. I felt the stale air as he paced by. A snap of his fingers and sparks flew from them as if he struck a piece of flint. Three more snaps, and the air was dancing with small sparks of light, creating soft illumination in what seemed to be a squat cave of heavy leather.
Volant and Qaewin were already sitting on the thick rug stretching across the entire floor. So far, everything had been packed dirt on the inside of the tent. I flopped down gracelessly in the small space and left a gap between Volant and I for Slandash to complete the circle.
It must have been well past midnight by now, and morning would be upon us far too soon. I hoped we got on with the conversation quickly; the day’s excitement had exhausted me. But my curiosity won out before I could let them start. “Slandash, how did you create the light? It seemed like a Natural’s Talent, but I’ve never heard of any who could create from nothing.”
He laughed, quiet yet happy, and I saw a hint of that energy from earlier. “Nil. My dear fellow. Don’t be too disappointed in me.” He raised his right hand, pointing at a pair of rings with a band of flint that could be scraped together. “I’m but a lowly fire Natural, though ‘burner’ has such a nice ring to it. Never really understood the disdain for it.” His eyes unfocused, and he seemed to be staring through the leather walls
Qaewin cleared her throat pointedly.
“Oh, sorry, words are a favorite puzzle of mine.” Slandash nodded in thanks to Qaewin. “So, it’s not something easily produced, but this ring has a bit of flint embedded in it. Then, this ring,” he said gesturing to the one on his thumb, “has a similar build. Snap my fingers, and poof. Sparks! Enough to hold as light, or create a small fire with a bit of effort.” He grinned broadly, quite pleased.
“That is amazing,” Volant said, eyes wide.
“I simply use my very slight Talent to suspend the sparks in a static state.” Slandash shrugged, as if it were the easiest thing in the world.
I paused, looking between the joyful man and the soft-spoken girl. “And you two are related?”
Slandash laughed again, a deep and slow laugh this time. One that bordered on a chuckle and somehow was one of the most genuine and funny laughs I’d ever heard. “We are indeed. Though I’m still holding out on some bit of proof.”
As Qaewin punched her father in a friendly manner, Volant and I barely contained laughter. Slandash’s was just too charismatic and contagious. Something they had said about putting the spark in a state of suspension nagged at the back of my head while the others teased each other. It reminded me of terminology used at the school in some of the classes. It did not seem like a term some free-spirited nomads would pick up. I moved the thought to a mental note for later introspection.
“All right,” I said, interrupting. “How do you explain the lighting in the rest of the tent though?” My mouth seemed to be functioning separately from my brain now, I realized. Half of me was shutting down into a state of involuntary sleep.
This time, Slandash only smiled slightly at my question, and seemed to take it more seriously than the first. “Really, it is nothing too impressive. We have found a way to weave certain cloths with luminescent strands that can put off a small amount of light. Most of the inside of the tent are separated with this. Only the sleeping quarters, and the odd hidden alcove such as this are made of leather or none light-woven materials.” Slandash seemed almost excited at having such an interested audience, but was interrupted by Qaewin before the two of us digressed too far.
“Excuse me,” she said in a voice that conveyed her tiredness as well. “Let’s save the more menial discussions for the daylight. For now, why was I sent to find these two, and why are they here should be enough.”
Volant nodded in agreement, but remained quiet.
“Very well,” A stoic calmness settled over Slandash as he focused. “I received word from a friend back in Kalaran at the school. A colleague had a theory about the assassination of Learners around Balteris in an effort to collect toron stones. His evidence was circumspect, and really, it just seemed like age was catching up with him and my old theory would make it easy to convince me. But a few days ago, I received a letter from him again.” He paused, wrestling with some emotion.
“Wait,” I interrupted. “Did you work at the school?”
He nodded in agreement almost absentmindedly, but otherwise ignored the interruption. “My friend found a mutual acquaintance of ours late the other night. The acquaintance informed him that two young men had narrowly missed becoming victims, and that a number of students had been killed. He’d suggested they get away, and figured they would have to go through Tryst. I was asked to look out for them, the two of you that is, and attempt to provide a safe harbor.” Slandash finished and looked at the two of us pointedly.
“We’re them,” I acknowledged. “But there was no way that Learner would have known we’d run into you guys. But, if your friend knows so much, do you know why our friends were killed?”
Slandash looked at me, a bit of sadness in his eyes. “A final note came yesterday. It was my friend, letting me know that the acquaintance who saw you was now dead. I’m not sure why, but we will find out.” He took a deep breath as Qaewin reached out and took his hand. “Now that we’ve found you, I’ve a mind to keep you both safe just to spite these scum. Oh, and I’d very much like for us to all share our knowledge.”
Volant leaned forward, bringing his eyes to the same level as Slandash’s. “You said ‘our’ knowledge. Have you encountered these people before?” he asked.
“This is not a discussion I would like to have before sleep. So, the short of it is yes, though I thought it an isolated inc
ident. They killed my family.” He matched Volant’s gaze, unwavering. “We can discuss this more when we are better rested. I needed to have this conversation with you before you decided to try and run off in the night and most likely be killed by that slimy disgrace to our tribe who slipped into Qaewin’s hunting party. We’ll also deal with him tomorrow.”
Sensing the dismissal, Qaewin rose. I realized she’d not said a word since we’d begun.
“Please see that they find comfortable places to rest, my dear. And, that they are guarded without anyone seeing said protection.” Then he too stood, and walked out of the tent.
Without another word, the glowing, dancing sparks winked out of existence and the room went back to its original lack of light. Qaewin moved the flap back and we went out the opposite way that Slandash did.
My legs were stiff and and it took a good long stretch outside the darkened room before I could move on. Volant and I were led through a much less confusing route of flaps and out the back of what must be the world’s largest and most intricate tent. A few people were already moving around the Soft Steppers campgrounds, the earliest of risers, I assumed.
A few greeted Qaewin, but for the most part we were unmolested. A hazy light was showing itself on the horizon, and I realized how tired I should be. But my curiosity burned too brightly for me to truly want sleep. I had too many questions that needed answering. I idly wondered if curiosity had ever killed someone through a lack of sleep. The rest of my body disagreed on finding out, and was already malfunctioning.
Thoughts of blankets had replaced any desire for answers once we stopped in front of a squat, dome-like tent with triangular spokes coming out at various intervals. It reminded me of a small sun that had been wrapped in cloth.
Qaewin ushered us inside with a tired look, and showed us to a visitor’s room. “Welcome to my tent,” she said through a yawn. I thought briefly how nice it would be to fall asleep while cuddling such an exceptionally pretty girl. But, the thought barely lasted long enough for a smile to cross my face before I’d involuntarily laid down and passed out.
A Leaf and Pebble Page 5