Demon Child Ch. 14

Aylanna listened closely, repeating his words, "The heart?"

"Our capital city, the place of the temple of our mother and the palace of the Aga Khan, it is our destination."

Nodding her understanding, Aylanna looked to the horizon wondering what fate lay there for her. Remembering Jhardron's apprehension each time he spoke of the court of the Aga Khan, she swallowed. "How far is it?"

"At least a month's travel, we will arrive late. The Ramaldi bandits delayed us. At least the last regiment to arrive will arrive in a grand triumph. The Khan will be very pleased to learn of the recovery of the gold. Hopefully it will appease his rage to learn the king is dead."

"If this ha'akh may ask about the business of the Khan, why was he so angry? Why did he have to kill so many?"

Kwal'kek frowned and cleared his throat, spitting in the Bak way to indicate a wish to be rid of a negative feeling or foreboding. "The Ramaldi king was a corrupt and evil man. The gold made him greedy. It was part of the treaty that an annual tribute is paid in gold. In exchange, the Ramaldi kingdom could remain independent and all trade with the northern grasslands would be their sole domain. The king betrayed that treaty in the most devious of ways. He paid the tribute, but then the regiment charged with the transport of the gold, disappeared. Fifty warriors, gone, vanished along with a year's tribute in gold. He swore he had no knowledge of their fate, and had the temerity to suggest perhaps the warriors themselves had stolen it. A special investigator accompanied by another regiment could find no trace of either the gold or the missing warriors."

"Then the following year it happened a second time. Again the Ramaldi king swore he had no knowledge, protesting that no one could defeat a Bak regiment in battle. Again the investigator was dispatched, but this time the atrocity was discovered. All the warriors dead, their bodies heaped in a hidden canyon along with the corpses of their horses, rotting in the sun, food for the vultures." Again Kwal'kek cleared his throat and spat, "All dead by poison. Not one had the chance to defend himself in honorable battle. Poison is a coward's weapon, most dishonorable."

Aylanna shuddered at the distaste and horror in the old man's voice, remembering how her own mother had resorted to such means to vanquish the demon that had defiled her and murdered her husband. "Is that why the Khan ordered all the people killed?"

Kwal'kek shook his head, "The Aga Khan was angry yes, but not yet ready to declare the entire Ramaldi people forfeit for their king's deeds. It was the murder of his son. Just as the news of the discovery of the poisoned regiment was brought to light; the news came that his son, his last surviving son, a child of only seven years had been poisoned as well."

Aylanna was completely absorbed by this tale of treachery, "By the Ramaldi king?"

"There is no other explanation. And our Khan declared it so. His word is law. It was his judgment that 7 of 10 Ramaldi would be put to the knife, that the entire Ramaldi kingdom is forfeit, a province of the Bak Empire, and that all surviving Ramaldi citizens are now 'lann'akh'."

"Lann'akh?"

"Servants bound to the land. Only a Bak citizen can own land in the land of Bak. Those who work upon the land are bound there. They may not leave without the permission of the owners of that land. At this time the entire Ramaldi kingdom has been claimed forfeit by the Aga Khan, so all Ramaldi citizens are technically lann'akh subservient to the Aga Khan. There has been a general decree that all surviving Ramaldi are to return to their home village for a census. The new Ramaldi province will be divided up among the houses of the Bak ruling class, the Bak Lann'amattah."

All this was a lot to think about and Aylanna nodded absently her mind whirling with new words, annex, forfeit, lann'akh, lann'amattah. At the camp that night she asked the old warrior that seemed ready to teach her all he knew, "Am I a Ramaldi citizen?"

Kwal'kek shook his head, "No, once you were branded ha'akh Bak Tai Twisted Dagger you were no longer a citizen of any land. You are bonded to the Twisted Dagger, which is Tai, regiment, for the house Twisted Dagger. But even before, you yourself said you had no status in the Ramaldi lands. In order to claim citizenship you must be able to claim lineage, or be adopted by someone who is a citizen in order to claim citizenship."

Aylanna shook her head in confusion, "This is all too complicated. You say that once I am branded ha'akh to the Twisted Dagger, I am that forever?"

Kwal'kek laughed, "Nothing is forever, little one. But it is not easy to change. It takes bribing the right officials or the decree of a high official. But you will always be Twisted Dagger." He pointed to the scar on her arm, "You cannot change that."

"What will happen to me once we are at Bak Pan Amara?" Aylanna carefully enunciated the name of the city that she had only heard once.

Kwal'kek looked past her shoulder and spoke more circumspectly, "That is for our Khan to decide."

Standing very still Aylanna could sense him behind her. His feelings swirled with the same confusion and ambivalence that she had sensed many times before. Jhardron's voice was dry and controlled. "All ha'akh taken in battle are presented to the Aga Khan along with his portion of the treasure. Most often a ha'akh remains bound to her regiment and the regimental Khan will find a place for her during the winter season. As to your fate, that will be up to the gods and our Khan." Aylanna was struck by the sudden surge of emotion in Jhardron, a jumble of fear and anger that was instantly extinguished under a veil of rigid control. She could tell he did not believe she would be returned to him. She did not question him or Kwal'kek further. The answers were too disturbing.

Jhardron called the warriors to attend his words, speaking to the whole camp. "Tomorrow we will camp at the North Gate. Our mission was to make contact with the grasslands tribes, spreading news of the treaty, and to explore as far north as the northern sea. No one knows of our recovery of the Ramaldi gold. Do not tell the warriors there of our battle with the bandits or the recovery of the gold. I do not want the news of our triumph to spread across the lands. Gold attracts the attention of vultures. I want our travel across what was once the Ramaldi kingdom to be quick and uneventful. Once we are safely back in our homelands, then we may speak of our victory and bask in our triumph."

As they rose in the morning Kwal'kek mentioned that if they made good time, they would arrive at the North Gate that evening, urging the boys to keep the draught horses moving at a steady pace. They did not stop at the usual time, pushing on into the growing dusk, with the setting sun at their back. Aylanna peered forward curious to see this place, eager to see something new after the weeks of grass and sky. It was almost dark when the shadows of the buildings of the small outpost rose up against the purple sky. Kwal'kek called the regiment to a halt, telling the boys to set up the tents, saying they would be staying here a day to restock supplies. Jhardron and Jhu'kresh rode ahead, and she could hear the recognition calls from sentries greeting them. She peered toward the moving shadows, sitting distracted on Xin'sha's back until Kwal'kek's impatient call reminded her of her duties.

Camp that night started out much the same as many others, but soon strangers began to filter through the camp, greeting old acquaintances, asking of news of the northern lands. Aylanna could feel the weight of curious eyes on her, and overheard more than a few discreet questions about who and what she was. She was careful to keep the long sleeve of her overdress rolled up, exposing the scar of her brand. She kept her hair covered, meticulously tucking in all the stray strands of her strange demon hair under her old blue headscarf. She tried to keep her eyes lowered, suddenly very aware of how different she looked, how truly strange she must seem in the eyes of these strangers. A sudden awareness that she was going to face many more times like this, facing the curious stares of unfamiliar eyes, made her heart ache.

That night, again as she served her warriors she was assailed with the foreboding that her time with them was soon to come to an end, that destiny was going to pull her away. Again she pressed herself against them in almost a frenzy to imprint their faces, their voices, and their touch indelibly into her memory.

)===(>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<)===(

The morning sun revealed the first square buildings that Aylanna had seen in her life. Two single story timber frame buildings with square corners stood on either side of the dusty road. All the huts of the Ramaldi village had been round mud thatch, only slightly more permanent than the round tents of the grasslands tribes. Aylanna stared at the structures, a strange memory of a dream stirring; the rooms of the stone demon city had these unfamiliar corners.

There was little movement, the air was chill, her breath hung like smoke in the air. As she went to the small stream to wash and refill the camp's water buckets, she saw the shape of another person, a woman of small stature and traditional Ramaldi skirts staggering under the weight of two large water buckets making her way back toward the buildings. Aylanna stood and watched her until she disappeared around behind one of the structures, wondering if she was a ha'akh too. Briefly she felt a pang of loneliness wondering how her friend Tollarra was faring in her new home.

The warriors took advantage of the day of rest to clean themselves and their gear; washing their clothing and airing out their bedding, washing and oiling their skin, even shaving the stubble from the sides of their scalps. Aylanna was kept busy helping them. When Kwal'kek had the first year warriors take the supply wagon to the town, he did not tell her to come along and she chose to stay back, suddenly shy of stranger's eyes. She stayed in camp as small groups of warriors would walk into the town and disappear into one of the buildings, coming out with objects. Finally she cautiously whispered to Tim'kah, "What is it they are doing?"

He looked at her, initially confused by her question. "Who?"

"The warriors, they go into the box building, they come out. What is it they are doing in there?"

Tim'kah laughed and shook his head. "It is a trading post. They are buying things like oil and sweets. It has been a long time since we have had an opportunity to buy the things we need."

"With money?"

Tim'kah laughed and grabbed her hand. "Come see for yourself."

Aylanna nervously allowed him to drag her along, her eyes wide, looking about the outpost. On the far side of the buildings were some more familiar round Ramaldi style huts and for a second Aylanna saw some movement of people around them, but Tim'kah's grip on her hand was insistent and he did not pause as he moved rapidly toward a dark rectangular opening in the side of the building. Aylanna hesitated in that opening, fighting his grasp for an instant, her eyes adjusting to the dim light. Several Bak warriors moved about the room, talking to one another and a man standing behind a table. No one seemed to notice her and she shyly entered, hiding behind Tim'kah.

The room was rich with the smells of smoke, leather, spices, and many other things she could not identify. A bewildering variety of objects were piled on tables, shelves along the walls, and barrels lined the walls; tools, weapons, clothing, saddles and other tack, blankets, rope, food, medicines and dozens of other things she had no idea what they could be. Aylanna gazed about her in wonder. The man behind the table called in a jovial voice, "Greetings, young warrior."

Tim'kah let go of her hand and moved away, toward the man. "Greetings, Kandor, how is business?" Aylanna almost squeaked at suddenly being abandoned and scurried to follow him closely.

"Bah, do not speak to me of business. I am the proud proprietor of a rat's nest. The fool of a Ramaldi that ran this store had no sense of order and did not know the difference between a treasure and a turd. And now I am assigned here, with nothing but a long dull winter, and poor grasslands tribesmen with nothing to trade." He cleared his throat and spat, "Do not speak to me of business. Is there something you have need of? Please do this old warrior the favor of relieving him of some of his treasure."

Tim'kah shrugged, "I guess I could use some oil, and perhaps something sweet."

Aylanna peeked at the man who had spoken from behind Tim'kah, seeing the old Bak man, wearing a strange mix of a Bak tunic and grasslands leggings. He had a scar across his forehead and cheek, and a patch over his right eye. She flinched back, hiding her face when his one good eye met hers appraisingly.

"Ahhh... this is the demon that the others spoke of. She does not seem a monster, more like a child, and she seems easily frightened." He laughed and spoke gently, "Little girl, there is no reason to fear this old warrior." He reached into a pocket and held out a small object to her. Aylanna shrank back, unsure what his intention was, but she could sense there was no animosity in this old man, just curiosity.

Tim'kah nudged her, "Ha'akh, take Kandor's gift. It is candy."

Shyly she held out a hand, and when he dropped the small black object in her hand, she stared at it, unsure what it was or what she should do with it. Her voice was barely a whisper, "This ha'akh thanks you for your gift."

The man looked at her expectantly, and then reached into his pocket and took out another black object and popped it into his mouth, "Eat it, it's good." He opened his mouth and showed her the black lozenge on his tongue, smiling around the few stained and rotted teeth he had left in his mouth.

Aylanna stared at candy in her hand. It was small, not much bigger than a small bead, black and shiny. Cautiously she sniffed it and then slipped it into her mouth. Her eyes widened as the strong spicy sweetness exploded in her mouth. The man laughed and commented to Tim'kah, "She is like a wild thing. The oil is over that way," pointing toward the back. Aylanna followed Tim'kah closely, sucking on the candy, still blinking in surprise at the unfamiliar flavors.

The air in back of the store was strong with the scents of body oils. Several large objects shining like large glimmering jewels stood on a table. They seemed to be clear like water but stood upright and she could see that they were half filled with some liquid. Aylanna watched fascinated as Tim'kah took out an empty carved stone vial from a pocket and refilled it, carefully pouring out the scented oil from the strange translucent container. Very carefully she reached out a curious finger to touch the surface of one of the containers, wondering what it was. Just as her fingertip touched the cool, smooth and surprisingly hard surface, Kandor called to Tim'kah in a cautioning voice, "You keep a close eye on that girl. If she breaks anything, you will pay for it."

Aylanna snatched her hand back and whispered to Tim'kah, "What is it?" A game they had played endlessly as she had learned the Bak language.

"It is a bottle, a glass bottle. Do not be alarmed, it will not break if you touch it. Only if you drop it or strike it, it will break like crockery."

Aylanna did not reach to touch it again but repeated the words under her breath, 'bottle, glass bottle'.

Tim'kah picked out a small cloth bag of green mint scented candies and brought them and the vial to the shopkeeper. Sniffing and weighing the vial in his hand Kandor frowned seriously, "This is very fine oil, squeezed from the seeds of the Banban Trees far to the south of Pan Amara. It is very costly to transport it so far to the northern frontier." He gestured at the bag of candy, "And I am running low on candy. I will not see another delivery until after the end of the rainy season. But for such a fine young warrior such as you, I will give you a special price, only ten mando."

Tim'kah laughed and shook his head, "Ten mando?" He moved to put back the candy, "It was a poor campaign. I am sorry to have wasted your time. I cannot spend more than five."

Aylanna listened, initially confused. Neither man was speaking the truth. Just as clearly, they both were aware of that fact. Then she smiled as she realized that they were negotiating the price. She watched amused as the shop keeper protested, calling Tim'kah back, "No, no, my friend, perhaps I was too hasty. But five is giving away my goods. Let an old man make a small profit. I could not go lower than eight." Back and forth the two men argued until they agreed on six mando and Tim'kah counted out the coins.

Kandor turned his one eye on Aylanna, "And you, little wild girl, has anything here caught your eye?" He reached up and pulled down a shimmering length of midnight blue fabric with gold threads running through it. Perhaps a new scarf to replace your old faded one?" Deliberately he trailed the cloth across her arm, "Feel how soft it is, silk from the southern provinces, and nearly new."

Aylanna's eyes grew large but she shook her head, "I have no money."

The store owner laughed and pointed at the necklace of gold and carved stone beads around her neck, "You could trade. I could let you have this scarf for only five of the gold beads."

Thoughtfully she fingered the scarf, spreading it out and looking at it closely. It was not new. In several places the gold threads were snagged and frayed. There was a dark stain on one end that Aylanna suspected was blood. Pursing her lips in dissatisfaction she pushed the scarf away and abruptly changed the subject. "My old scarf will do for now, but do you have a comb?" She had not owned a comb and Tollarra had taken hers away with her. Her hair was growing long enough to tangle easily in the incessant wind.

"A comb? I have a very fine comb, carved from a ram's horn." He began to rummage around in another box and pulled out a comb. "Very fine, from a Ramaldi noble house surely." He handed the comb to her.

Turning over the heavy comb, she realized that many of the things he was eager to trade were the loot from the plundered Ramaldi villages. "How much for this?" She lifted her necklace from her neck acting like she would pay whatever price he asked.

Kandor licked his lips greedily staring down at her necklace. "It is a very fine comb, the only one of its quality to be found in the entire northern plain, five gold beads."

Aylanna could tell he was lying, and she shook her head, "Five is too much, I will give you one gold and one of these rare beads taken from the depths of the demon city."

Realizing she was not going to be so easily taken advantage of, the old shop keeper grinned and raised his one unbroken brow, "Oh ho, the little girl wants to haggle prices with this old trader. But he scratched his chin, "From the demon city you say?"

Holding up the white translucent beads so they caught the light streaming in from the doorway and flashed with a rainbow of fire, Aylanna spoke confidently, "Yes, each one carved from rare stone brought clear across the Northern Sea from the demon lands. See how each one has the colors of the sunset trapped within. They must be rarer and more precious than gold."

Lifting up the necklace looking at the light refracting through them, the shopkeeper protested, "They are unique. But what could I do with just one? There is little market for a single bead, not matter how rare. I would need two beads."

Aylanna paused, putting on a show of thinking, slowly fingering the necklace, "True, a pair of beads would be easier to sell, and all the more valuable. I would trade another of the demon city beads for the torn and stained scarf you showed me earlier." The trader protested but Aylanna could tell he would eventually agree and stuck to her offer. As they left the store with both the scarf and the comb, Aylanna commented to Tim'kah, "So that is what a store is." Tim'kah laughed and handed her a piece of the green mint candy.