A Warrior's Legacy (18 page)

I rode for days only seeing the occasional
scattered wildlife and the annoying presence of my constant
companion, the buzzard, who lazily coasted along above marking my
progress.

I had thought about putting an arrow through
him, but I figured he had as much right to share the space as I
did. I just wished he would share someone else’s space and avoid
mine.

I could do without the ominous cloud of my
own doom flying overhead. I had just come up out of a dip, when I
saw the dust cloud of a party of horsemen up ahead. I headed
straight for them silently praying that it wasn’t a returning
raiding party of Western warriors.

From the raggedy attire of their outfits I
figured they had to be Northern. The horsemen fanned out around,
encircling me and I stopped Relentless waiting to see what would
happen next.

They gave me a thorough looking over and I
them. I didn’t like what I saw, but I kept that to myself. It
wasn’t their lack of armor or their somewhat gaunt bodies that I
didn’t like. It was instead the hard look in their eyes and the
bitterness that was etched into their faces like a permanent
scowl.

I had been around hard eyed warriors for all
of my life, but these warriors looked a little too hardened. I got
the distinct impression that they just as a matter of course did
not like me.

The feeling was mutual, which was very bad.
I needed these warriors to fight with me against the Western
kingdom at Kartasa. Without them I didn’t see how we could win
without a miracle of the Creator on behalf of our part.

I had to convince them to join in on our
side! I just had to!

The ranks of the surrounding warriors parted
and made room for another horse. It was Ziya and she looked happy
to see me. I felt a rush of relief at the sight of her.

“You have come! It is good to see you! You
must come and see my father the king!”

She barked out something to the surrounding
warriors in her native tongue and they reluctantly parted giving
her spiteful, perhaps even vengeful looks, as they did so.

It was then that I fully realized that the
surrounding warriors had intended to kill me, a perfect stranger.
Probably for my horse and gear, if Ziya hadn’t been there it would
have been a fight to the death for sure. This did not bode well for
favorable relations between the two kingdoms.

It was a good thing I hadn’t been expecting
much because there wasn’t much to see. Just rows and rows of ratty
looking tents.

The Northern Kingdom was now primarily a
nomadic culture. The children looked up at us imploringly as we
rode by, as if begging for a handout, but I doubted they’d get
anything from these warriors other than a swift kick.

Then I saw something that sickened and
disgusted me. A half naked woman ran out from a tent screaming even
as a naked man chased after her. Catching her he smashed a fist to
her face knocking her to the ground and then proceeded to rape her
in plain view of everyone, while the woman pleaded and cried out
into the dust of the ground.

Feeling bile rise in my throat at what I was
witnessing I looked around. Was no one going to stop what was
taking place?

Except for a few disinterested looks by some
of the warriors, as to what was taking place no one seemed to care
about the despicable act of brutality taking place before them. I
looked at Ziya and she at least had the grace to look ashamed for
what was taking place.

She met my hard stare and lamely said, “She
is his wife.”

“So!”

Weakly she responded, “The men are always
angry and hungry. They……”

Cutting her off I said, “Stop making excuses
for them Ziya!”

Softly she responded while looking down and
away from me, “Times are hard.”

No kidding, but that didn’t justify what I
was seeing! I had counted on these people to help turn the tide of
the war, without their help I saw little chance for victory. But if
they wouldn’t come to the aid of one of their own lying in the dust
what could inspire them to fight and potentially die in the fight
for freedom.

I marveled at the mystery that Assoria’s
three kingdoms represented. How could a kingdom such as the Eastern
one loose so much and suffer so much physically and emotionally and
yet hold on to their basic human decency? While their neighbors to
the west had fallen to pieces morally and culturally speaking and
the Northern Kingdom after having suffered a similar fate as the
East had only become little better than the savage mindless brutes
that roamed the Dark Forest.

The Eastern people were the exceptions to
the general downturn of the people of this land. In all fairness I
had to admit the same problem existed in my homeland with the
disparaging differences between the Valley Landers and the
Zoarinians.

People just weren’t perfect on their own and
could never hope to attain perfection on their own either. That
much was clear.

We reached the center of the tent village
and I noticed that both the tents and the people were in better
condition physically.

There must be a social hierarchy in place
among these people. Those that got more food and those that
didn’t.

We got down and headed for the open doorway
of a tent larger than the rest. We made our way inside and of all
the unexpected things to find in a tent sitting on a dusty plain
was a gilded and bejeweled thrown complete with elevated dais.

The manpower and horsepower needed to haul
the thing around would have had to be extensive. On top of the
thrown sat what must be Ziya’s father. He was an unbelievably fat
man and it wasn’t hard to see why. The tent was literally full of
food, all kinds of it.

Children were begging for crumbs and he was
busy in here stuffing himself to excess! I wanted to just turn
around and leave so bitter was the disappointment I had for these
people.

“Welcome!” Boomed the voice from on top the
throne and reluctantly I moved on into the room trying to not step
on the food lying around my feet.

“Zevin Ta’lont your fame precedes you. Come!
Can I get you something to eat and drink?”

“No thank you your highness I’m quite
full.”

I didn’t bother to mention of what I was
full of.

The king started laughing uproariously his
corpulent form jiggling with the force of his mirth. Out of the
corner of my eye I caught sight of Ziya taking advantage of the
king’s momentary self distraction by slipping handfuls of food into
her baggy pants pockets.

The king’s own daughter had to steal for
food!

My dislike for the king intensified even
more.

Finally he regained control of himself and
sputtered out, “You wouldn’t say that if you spent much time around
here! Just looking at the people can make you hungry.”

I didn’t say anything for fear of what might
slip out.

“So what pressing matter of business has
brought you so far to the north? Have you come to preach to us of
your Creator, if so don’t bother! We forsook any belief we had in
god’s years ago. Now we only live for ourselves striving to eke out
whatever pleasure we can from life before it’s done with us.”

I could see that principle in general
display all around me.

“Your highness it’s true that hard times
have come upon your people and the Eastern people as well, but now
there is an opportunity for freedom for both your peoples.”

“How so?”

“Your highness may have not heard of the
East’s great victory over the West and the destruction of an entire
Western city?”

“I have and it was with great joy that I
relished the hearing of the news, but I fear the East has undone
themselves. The West will not rest now until they push the last
Easterner into the sea!” The king said with indignation.

I feared that I was embarked on a hopeless
cause, but I tried anyway, “Therein lays the opportunity your
highness. The might of the Western Kingdom will be gathered
together all in one place. If we destroy their army in the battle
for Kartasa we destroy their strength and the rest of their cities
will fall easily to the combined forces of the East and the
North.”

The king looked speculative, “What is it you
want of me?”

My mouth dry I responded, “Your highness I
ask that you send your entire fighting force in three weeks time
down through the mountains and strike the enemy from the rear, even
as those in the city will rally and come out to fight the enemy
from the front. Together we will crush them!”

He gazed at me for a while before saying, “I
need some time to think this over. Come back in two hours.”

I bowed slightly, every groveling inch of it
wounding my pride at having to do so before such a pompous
individual.

I left the tent then with Ziya.

Pausing outside I glanced at her and saw her
expression was troubled.

“What troubles you Ziya?” I asked softly so
that no one else would hear.

She looked up at me, “I’m surprised that he
didn’t just out rightly tell you no. It is not like my father to
even consider such a proposal that would risk our people to an open
attack by the enemy. It bothers me greatly. My father is very
crafty, you can be sure that anything he agrees to will benefit him
greatly.”

I nodded appreciating her advice.

We turned around the corner of a tent to
find at least twenty children standing there expectantly. Ziya
started digging into her pockets and handing the food out to the
grateful children, who devoured it as soon as they got a piece.

My heart bled at the scene before me. When
all the food was gone the children one by one touched some part of
Ziya with the reverence that a child would show a loving mother or
father and then they were all gone.

Ziya looked up at me with uncertainty on her
pretty face, “You won’t tell on me will you?”

“Never!” I said emphatically.

Ziya showed me what little of the encampment
there was left to be seen. We walked by a group of working women
and I smelled something sweetly arresting in aroma.

“What are they doing?” I asked Ziya.

She stopped and smiled, “They are making
perfume. We may not have pretty close or jewels to wear, but at
least we can smell pretty.”

The perfume had the sweet sensual smell of
spring flowers with a stronger undercurrent smell that gave it a
hint of spicy muskiness. It smelled really good.

I wasn’t interested in it of course, but on
a woman it would smell really good. One of the women must’ve
noticed my interest in the perfume, because she quickly stood up
holding a little stone jar with a wooden stopper out to me saying
something quickly in her native tongue.

I looked at Ziya uncertainly, “How do I pay
her? I don’t have any food with me?”

Ziya had blushed slightly, “No need to she
is giving it to you freely for saving me and returning me to my
people unharmed.”

I took the little bottle thanking the woman
graciously even though she couldn’t understand me. She seemed to
understand though and smiled before sitting back down to her
work.

Two hours later saw us both before the king
again, who with a jiggle of his fat rolls began to speak, “I’ve
decided that it would not be in our best interest to send our army
to aid the East at Kartasa. It would leave our people open to
attack and possible annihilation. It’s simply too risky. I know a
great victory has been achieved by the East over the West, but it
does no one good to get carried away with one victory.”

“Father what do you think will happen to us
should the last Eastern city fall without our help? They will come
looking for us father like never before!” Burst out Ziya hot
temperedly.

“Silence your tongue worthless daughter
before I have it cut out for speaking to me so insolently!” The
king roared back in reply.

I was going to say something I shouldn’t,
but I changed what it was when I felt Ziya tugging on my hand
imploring me not to.

“So the message I am to give the East is
that they stand alone in their greatest hour of need?” I asked with
my tone tinged with bitterness.

“Not at all! I never said that we would not
give aid to them in our joint struggle to survive!” Blustered the
king.

“What aid other than military might can the
king give that would aid the East’s fight for victory at
Kartasa?”

The king looked smugly at Ziya and then back
to me, “Here in the north we are cursed with an abundance of female
offspring that are a heavy yoke upon our people as all they do is
give birth to yet more mouths to feed. I am prepared to offer the
fighting services of three thousand of our nation’s young women to
serve in the defense of Kartasa. They may not be hardened warriors
but they are well able to pull back a bowstring or fight limitedly
in close combat. What say you to this? Will you take my offer of
aid or not?” The king asked slyly.

Hot anger seethed up and down my body and a
desire to sink my fist repeatedly into the king’s fat belly was an
almost overpowering urge. He was using the East’s struggle for
life, as a population control measure for his own people!

A voice of reason echoed in my head relaying
through a message that some help was better than no help.

“I accept your offer of support. Can you
have them on their way in three weeks time to Kartasa?”

“Certainly, and make sure you take my
daughter! I only hope that she will be of more value to you than
she has been to me.”He finished with as he gave Ziya a disdainful
sneer.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I nodded my head
curtly and quickly left the tent needing the freshness of the
outside air after the closed in verbal filth of the tent’s
atmosphere.

Ziya soon appeared beside me looking out
over the tents of her people.