Book of One 04: A Child of Fire (18 page)

It appeared that Cerric had left Duke Mirdel in charge of the city, along with several thousand of his dead soldiers. Margo checked several of the homes in the city of those who kept ties to the Rangers and found most of them empty, their inhabitants apparently dragged away and assigned to work in either the minds, the fields or in the city, serving the new master of Kandara. At one of the homes, a young girl with a lame leg, who walked with a crutch had answered, and only after Margo had knocked several times and scratched the wood on the door with her fingernails, which was a signal that it was a Ranger at the door. The girl was fearful at first but she let them in and told them what she knew about what had happened in the city. She explained how the people had been assigned to work crews and that the only reason she had not been dragged away like her parents was due to her being crippled and thus considered useless.

The three women were appalled to hear of the way the Kandaran people were being treated. Mirdel had even ordered his dead soldiers, men and women both, to take their pleasure with the Kandarans as they saw fit, and there was already talk of disease spreading throughout the land, which was likely caused by the rotting flesh of their walking corpses. Margo appeared to take the news in stride though Ariana noticed the woman's knuckles turn white with her hand gripping the hilt of her sword as she listened to the things the girl told them. Keira seemed to almost turn an unhealthy shade of green when she heard about what it meant to be assigned as a servant and Ariana fought to keep her temper from getting the better of her, which she found was becoming more and more difficult with every passing day.

Though the girl had been allowed to stay in her family's home in the city, or more precisely ignored by those in charge of Kandara, she had not eaten in many days, so the three women each gave her a portion of their travel rations and encouraged her to leave the city and make her way out to the countryside, where she might at least be able to forage for food. The girl thanked them for their generosity and told them that she wished to wait for the return of the lords of Kandara, whom she truly believed would save her people, but she said that she would consider their advice if it took longer than she hoped.

In relative silence, Ariana and her two companions reached the mountain trail, mounted their horses and continued on along the thin, tree lined path that ran north along the western range above the city of Kandara. High in the mountains, the air was thankfully cleaner but the view of the vast valley, which was dark and choked with soot and smoke in the dim morning light was an ominous sight to behold. They rode briskly along the trail as the sky grew lighter and the sun began to peek over the mountains to the east, flooding beams of yellow light through dark clouds that hung from the sky. After a while the trail grew thin and uneven so they slowed their pace, glad at least to no longer have to look upon what had befallen the once proud and peaceful kingdom.

"It is villanous what Mirdel is doing to Kandara," Margo said, finally unable to hold back her anger. "It would please me to see that fat pig roasting on a spit."

"From the sound of things, Mirdel is little more than a puppet to Cerric," Ariana said. "I wonder how much he even thinks for himself."

"It is a dark magic that this god-king has wrought," Keira commented. "There are old stories of this from the days of the Great War that tell how the Council of Mages was formed to prevent the rise of death magic and other dark arts. It is telling that with the disbanding of the Council and the rise of this priesthood, that these things appear to have returned."

"It is the work of my uncle and that snake Dakar," Ariana said angrily. "They will suffer for what they have done."

Keira heard the hard edge in Ariana's voice, an aggression she had been noticing more and more and she worried that the constant strain of the war and travel might be taking its toll on the girl. When they had both taken off their masks to make themselves less obvious sneaking in and out of the Kandaran city, she saw that Ariana appeared very tired, with dark circles under her eyes where none had been before.

"Justice will find them in time," Keira said. "Perhaps we should stop to rest. It will serve no purpose to exhaust ourselves."

"I would rather we pressed onward," Ariana replied, unable to escape the overwhelming feeling of urgency deep within her that she must find Borrican but, after giving it some thought, she realized that Keira was right. "We will water the horses at the next stream, but I would like to gain as much ground as we can."

"Understood," Margo said, nudging her horse a little faster. "Let's pick up the pace."

The sun was almost at its zenith when Zachary sighted the gathering of tents clustered around the oasis in the seemingly endless sea of sand. He pointed it out to Stavros and Ehlena and the three of them hurried their steps toward the camp, glad to have found shelter from the blazing sun overhead. As they neared the oasis, a large group of warriors, both men and women, rudely dressed in little more than loincloths but bearing weapons and looking as though they knew hot to use them, emerged to greet them. At the fore of the group, which numbered at least twenty, was a large dark skinned man, who eyed the three robed travelers with suspicion.

"I am Kazar," he said, his deep, dry voice cutting through the desert heat. "Why have you come here?"

"We are searching for someone," Stavros said, stepping forward but Ehlena held out her hand in front of him, stopping him.

"By the light of the fire, I would share the waters of life and breathe the words of truth with Ansari," she said, knowing it was an old Ansari greeting from the memories of hte goddess. The man looked at her skeptically.

"Interesting that you would know our ways though you do not know Ansari," he said.

"You will find that I know more than most," she said, gesturing to Stavros and Zachary. "These two are of my domain."

"And what domain is that?" Kazar asked. "You are not Ansari, thus your domain means little."

"My domain is the sky, he air, the wind, the whisper, the word," Ehlena told him and the desert around them suddenly became deathly quiet, without any sound whatsoever. "That is my domain."

Kazar sensed the power that had surrounded him and realized that his first impression was mistaken. Even though the two mages had made efforts to obscure their power, the Ansari of the camp had sensed their approach. At this close distance, though it was difficult to measure, it was obvious to Kazar and the others who had accompanied him that the mages were exceptionally powerful, but the young girl who traveled with them, who seemed at first to be the least threatening was of much greater concern. Not only did she know far more about the ways of Ansari than she should, but her power was almost undetectable up until the moment when she had taken complete control of the air itself. Kazar knew he was facing someone or something that his people had not encountered for a very long time and decided it would be best to tread carefully.

"I cannot give you welcome," he said then he bowed his head. "That is for Ansari to decide, but I can extend my respect and pledge my honor in exchange for your own."

"I am thankful," Ehlena told him. "You have my respect and pledge."

"Good," Kazar said. "Come with me. It would be best if you were greeted while the sun still rises in the sky."

As Ehlena, Zachary and Stavros followed the man into the camp, they were flanked on both sides by the rest of the warriors.

"Ehlena, should we be concerned about these people?" Zachary asked.

"Yes," Ehlena said. "Ansari are very powerful."

"They are very adept at hiding it," Stavros commented. He had used his power to see what threat the Ansari might represent, and it had taken most of his concentration to discern anything at all. It appeared that the Ansari were not just skilled warriors, but they seemed to possess power that rivaled that of a mage, but they were different somehow, in ways that Stavros could not tell. "I think we would be wise to step carefully and guard our words, Zachary."

"Yes, of course, Stavros," the other mage said, catching the warning.

*****

Aaron had awakened late to find Kasha already up and gone from the tent where they had spent a restful night after enjoying one another several times. Her scent still lingered on the sheets and Aaron wished he could simply stay in the bed and wait for her return but he knew that it was unlikely. He had come to learn that Kasha was not one to stay at rest for long. After refreshing himself and dressing, he found her on the far side of the camp, at the edge of the clear waters of the oasis, with Lexi and Tash, both of whom were seated on the ground in front of a very old man, who sat on a rock, his skin sagging over the bones and sinew of his ancient body

"See the water," he said. "How is it different from the sand that surrounds us?"

Aaron walked up next to Kasha and stood silently, watching the exchange.

"It is wet?" Tash tried. The old man smiled.

"Yes," he said. "Now how are they the same?"

"The same?" Tash looked confused. "Sand is dry and water is wet. They are opposite."

"Simply because one is wet and the other is dry does not make them opposite. They are merely different. Describe them. Perhaps I should have asked how they are similar." The man tilted his head thoughtfully.

"They are different," Lexi said.

"You are different, are you not?" he replied. "Both of you, seated here before me are different in many ways, and yet you are also similar."

"That's true," Tash said. "We both like spiced meat and we both think the Ansari leader is scary."

"You do?"

"I do not fear him," Lexi said. "But he is powerful and fearsome."

"You think him fearsome and yet you do not fear," said the man. "Why is that?"

"What is the point of fear?" Lexi asked.

"And yet you are a prisoner of fear."

"I was a prisoner before, but I was not afraid," Lexi said. "I fear nothing."

"Oh, but you do," the man said. "You fear yourself. You are afraid of who you are. Is that not the truth?"

"No," Lexi told him. "I do not fear who I am. I do not like what I am. It is different."

"Perhaps, but its effect is the same." The man sighed. "Let us return to the question of the sand and the water. One is wet, the other is dry, but how are they the same? What do they share?"

Aaron leaned in close to Kasha's ear.

"Can I do this instead of fighting the Ansari leader?"

Kasha smiled.

"No," she said.

"That's it?"

"Yes."

"I see," Aaron said and shook his head. He was not particularly eager to fight the man, but it did not seem like he was to be given much of a choice in the matter. He supposed he could simply leave the camp but, from what Kasha had told him before they left Ba'shan, the Ansari would track him down anyway. Aaron sighed quietly, glad at least that Lexi and Tash were not being forced to fight anyone. The sun was rising higher into the sky and he supposed he should make his way to the center of the camp.

"You do not see," the man said, turning to look at Aaron. "You are the same as these two in that respect, but you are also different and thus a different way is required if you are to know Ansari."

Aaron was surprised that the man had heard him.

"How am I different?" Aaron asked and the old man chuckled.

"You ask questions," he replied. "That is one way you are different."

"I ask questions," Tash insisted.

"But do you question yourself?" the man replied then he looked at Lexi. "This one has already decided who and what she is, while it has not yet occurred to you who or what you might be. In this you are very different, yet the solution is the same."

"And Aaron questions himself?" Tash asked, looking over at Aaron.

"Oh yes," the man said. He turned and staring at him again, his eyes glinting in the bright light of the desert sun and Aaron felt as though he were looking right through him into the very core of his being. "He questions everything. That is why he has not yet been punished."

"Punished?" Aaron was surprised. "Is that why I am here, to be punished?"

"Perhaps," the man said. "Though it would be better that you learn instead."

"And what must I learn?"

"Who and what you are, of course." The old man smiled, then he turned his head in the direction of the camp as though distracted by something. He rose from his seat upon the rock and Aaron saw the man's eyes turn a dark, golden color as he stared intently through the camp. "It is rare that I am taken by surprise, though this is not unexpected."

"What is it?" Kasha asked.

"A rare power," he said then he glanced over at Aaron. "Perhaps it is good that she has come. There will be many questions."

"Who has come?" Aaron asked then he noticed the faint scent of flowers on a light gust of wind and he felt a kind of vibration in the air around him.

"That you are not aware is part of why you are here," the old man said then he walked away in the direction he had been staring.

"What a strange old man," Aaron said.

"You find him strange?" Kasha asked.

"A little," Aaron said. "Does he always speak like that? Maybe he is just more Ansari than the other Ansari. Who is he, anyway?"

"He is my teacher," Kasha said as Lexi and Tash got up from where they were sitting and came over to stand next to her and Aaron.

"That old man was your teacher?" Aaron was surprised, for the man did not look as though he had the strength to lift a sword, let alone weild one in battle.

"He is a very old man, one of the oldest of our people, so you are correct that he may be more Ansari than most, but do not mistake his age for his strength," she told him. "He is more powerful than most."

"What is his name?" Aaron asked.

"As I told you when we were at Forsina, he does not have a name," Kasha reminded him.

"The Ansari have some strange ideas," Aaron said. "On one hand your teacher talks about knowing who and what you are as being very important, yet he does not have a name."

"Does having a name mean you know who you are?" Kasha asked.

Aaron thought about it for a moment.

"I guess it does," he said. "Doesn't it?"

"See," she said. "You don't know. In the ring at Forsina, you were Antal, then later in my tent, you were Aaron. Were you a different person though you had a different name?"

"No," Aaron admitted. "I was always who I was."

"And that is what matters most," Kasha told him. "Knowing who and what you are is the first step to knowing Ansari."

But when I met Aaron, he said his name was Antal," Tash said. "I was sort of angry that he tricked me."

"Did he trick you, Tash?" Kasha asked. "Did he lead you astray or do anything that was untrue?"

"No," Tash admitted.

"Your name is Tasha, but you tell people it is Tash and pretend to be a boy," Kasha added. "Is that any different? Are you trying to trick anyone?"

"No," she said. "Things are just easier because some people aren't very nice or think girls should be a certain way."

"But your purpose was not to do any harm, merely to avoid difficulty," Kasha said.

"Yes," Tash replied with a nod.

"Then what does it matter if an old man decides he no longer needs a name. You would not mistake him for anyone else, would you?"

"I don't think I have ever seen anyone as old as him," Aaron commented.

"He is who he is," Kasha said. "And, as you said to Ansari last night, you are who you are. Seeing the truth of yourself and the truth of others is part of knowing Ansari, but it is both a rare gift and a skill that most are unwilling to learn." She turned in the direction that her teacher had gone. "I am curious about this power that has appeared among us, for her scent is not unfamiliar to me."

"You know who it is?" Aaron asked.

"No, I do not, but you should," Kasha told him. "Her scent is already part of yours, so much so I would think you were mated."

"Mated?" Aaron was surprised and now curious, though he was starting to get an idea who it might be that had arrived at the Ansari camp.

"Come," Kasha said. "It is almost time for you to meet Ansari."

She walked away, leaving him standing with Tash and Lexi, who looked at him as though he had done something wrong. Frustrated, Aaron turned and followed Kasha, and Lexi and Tash trailed along behind him.

"Do you think Kasha is jealous?" Tash whispered to Lexi.

"I do not know," she replied. "I do not understand such things, but she is right. It is the same scent that is part of him. There are two others who have come, who are also very similar to him."

"How can you tell?" Tash asked.

"I do not know," Lexi said, wondering about it herself, and why she felt the same way about the people that had arrived at the camp as she did about Kasha when she had awakened to her scent in Ba'shan. "The mages who taught me when I was young said I could sense things that others could not. Perhaps it is something like what the Ansari are trying to teach us."

Aaron caught up to Kasha and followed her through the camp toward the open area where the fires had burned the night before. The place where the largest fire had burned was now clear except for the black and grey remains of ashes and, by the light of day, Aaron now saw that it was ringed by a stone circle much like the ones at Forsina and Ba'shan. The large Ansari leader was seated upon his great wooden chair and a large group of Ansari warriors was making their way toward him, surrounding three people that Aaron immediately recognized. The old man, Kasha's teacher now stood to the right of the wooden throne and Aaron was surprised to see him smiling in a way that reminded him of the man, Lento, did at the Warrior's Palace.