Daughter of Nomads (9 page)

Zarah drew them to a grassy area. ‘When you were four, Azhar used to bring you here to play.'

Jahani glanced at him. How annoying that he knew things about her that she couldn't recall.

Just then she heard a forlorn cry. She knew that sound and swung around. A peacock strutted before them, fanning its tail to warn them not to come closer. Jahani laughed. ‘How beautiful he is.' And suddenly she felt as if she were in one of her dreams.

Then she gasped, for padding toward her was a huge snow leopard. This truly was her dream – the peacock and now the leopard.

Zarah was smiling. ‘Ao, Zadi,' she called.

Shehzadi.

A knot unravelled in Jahani's chest. In her mind she could hear a little girl who couldn't pronounce her sheems.

Zadi, Zadi, let me ride you.

Jahani sank to her knees on the grass and couldn't stop her tears. It felt as if the summers were rolling backward. The darkness was finally gone from her mind; she could see the missing pieces at last!

Voices around her chimed, but she couldn't hear the words. All she could feel was the leopard's furry cheek tickling hers and its wet tongue roughly licking her face. Without thinking, she put her arms around the leopard's huge smoky grey neck.

‘Jahani—' Azhar warned.

Zarah interrupted him. ‘It is all right, Azhar. Zadi is still tame.'

The leopard lay at Jahani's feet, purring as Jahani stroked her back. ‘I remember her. I couldn't say Shehzadi.'

Zarah crouched beside Jahani, her eyes bright with hope. ‘When you were little, Zadi was young and had just lost her first litter. She treated you like a cub. She followed you everywhere and expected you to reciprocate. She even let you ride her.'

Hafeezah broke in, ‘And when I took you and Azhar to Shogrun to see the wildflowers, Zadi came too. We rode horses and sometimes you rode Zadi.'

So my dream was a memory, after all. Azhar truly was the boy on the horse, Zadi was the leopard.

‘You loved Zadi so much,' Zarah went on, ‘we were worr­ied you'd miss her. And us,' she added.

But she hadn't. Instead she had blocked it all out so she'd feel no pain.

Zadi rose and padded away. After a few steps she stopped and looked back at Jahani.

‘She wants me to follow her,' Jahani said.

Zarah smiled. ‘She has a surprise.'

They all followed Zadi to an enclosure. She jumped over a wall, but Zarah directed them through a gate. Inside were two fully grown snow leopards, one bigger one, whiter than Zadi, and another with a yellow tinge to its fur. This one was as playful as a kitten, but so big that she knocked Jahani over when she jumped up in greeting. The other leopard growled and Azhar was beside Jahani in an instant. She laughed and pushed him aside.

‘They mean well,' Zarah said, ‘but they can be dangerous because of their size.' She indicated the male. ‘This one is Yazan – he is most like Zadi in intelligence and personality. The one who jumped is Bili. I am training them to follow instructions and to guard. Yazan,' she called, ‘battho!'

Immediately, Yazan sat in front of Jahani, his legs planted firmly on the ground like the pillars of a fort. His ice blue eyes stared at Jahani and then he blinked once. A warmth rose through her body and she felt at peace.

You are the one.

Where had the thought come from?

She regarded Yazan's face and he blinked again. She blinked back and he opened his mouth as if smiling.

‘When the young ones are old enough to jump the wall I let them roam free,' Zarah was saying. ‘But they often return.'

‘They are adorable.' Jahani kept looking back at Yazan as they left the enclosure. He raced up to the corner to keep her in his sight for as long as possible, and then she heard him wail.

‘He doesn't want you to leave,' Zarah said.

‘How come Zadi remembers me from so long ago?' Jahani asked.

Zarah glanced at Azhar and seemed to weigh her words before she spoke. ‘You were very close. Some days you even slept together.' Then she said, ‘Zadi and Azhar saved your life. It was just before we sent you away.'

Jahani glanced at Azhar. ‘How?'

‘There was a dagger …' Zarah paused.

Jahani stiffened as she thought of Sameela.

‘Hafeezah and I were watching you play when we saw Azhar and Zadi running toward you. Zadi reached you first and knocked you to the ground. We hurried out to scold her and found Azhar shielding you with his body. We found a knife embedded in a tree above you. We believed it was meant for you.'

‘Was that when Hafeezah took me away and became my mother?'

Zarah was silent a moment, and Jahani realised what she'd said. ‘I'm sorry, but there is so little I remember.'

‘It will return in time. Let us have chai in the garden pavilion before dinner. There is much to discuss. Bring the chai,' she called to a servant who Jahani smiled at gratefully.

As they sat down, Jahani took in the beauty of Naran. In the distance she could see the snow-capped mountains. Below them, the river rushed through the valley of green fields toward forests and orchards.

‘The tall ranges in the north are the Qurraqorams.' Hafeezah sounded wistful. ‘You should see the mountain trees blossom in spring and their orange and red leaves in the autumn.'

Hafeezah spoke so longingly that Jahani wished she could see them, too. She caught Azhar regarding her, but he looked away without speaking.

The servant brought ginger chai with nuts and sweet rice balls on a silver tray. Jahani felt strange to have someone wait on her; unlike Sameela, she wasn't used to it.

Azhar tipped his head to the east. ‘Across these Hemalleh Mountains is the Kingdom of Qashmir. And there you'll find a valley, just like this, with a blue lake similar to Saiful Maluk.'

‘Have you been there?' Jahani asked.

Azhar inclined his head. ‘I have seen many places.'

‘How do you have the time? It took us over a moon to travel here.'

‘I travelled more when I was younger,' Azhar said with a mysterious smile.

Jahani frowned.

‘About today—' he started.

But Jahani cut him off. ‘Too much happened to discuss it here,' she whispered. ‘Please, can we talk tomorrow? I have to ask you about a matter and I don't want anyone else to hear.'

Azhar picked up his chai and addressed Zarah. ‘Aunty ji, what say I take Jahani and Anjuli to the flower fields tomorrow,' he paused, then added, ‘to see if her memory can be jogged further. We can take the snow cats for a run and it is close enough to be safe.'

‘A good idea, Azhar, if you think your wounded leg will cope with a ride.' Zarah smiled but she seemed nervous. ‘Hafeezah and I have much to discuss. I will alert Commander Saman in the morning to ready your mounts. You will need an armed escort.'

Hafeezah watched Jahani with concern in her eyes.

14

Flower Fields near Naran Kingdom of Kaghan

I
n the morning Jahani, Azhar and Anjuli set off on Chandi and Rakhsh with the snow leopards Zadi, Yazan and Bili running beside them. The air was much cooler than at Sherwan in late summer, and Jahani pulled her shawl tightly around her as Anjuli held the reins. Jahani tried not to notice the three guards following at a distance, so she turned her attention to the cats instead. Though Yazan was fully grown and bigger than his mother, he followed her obediently. Zadi growled if the young leopards strayed too far, but most of the time Yazan kept close to Jahani. It was as if he adored her and it made her heart fill.

They galloped across the valley until they reached a field of yellow, pink and white wildflowers. At the outer edge of the field, the mountains sheered to the ground, covered with green forests, and snow sparkled on the higher mountains behind. Jahani steered Chandi around in wonder, silenced by the beauty.

Anjuli squealed with delight. ‘The flowers are still blooming just like they were at Shogrun.'

‘The seasons come later this high,' Azhar said.

‘It truly is a pari field,' Anjuli said, ‘and much better to see the colours in the daylight.' She jumped down and raced off to pick flowers with Bili cavorting around her. Zadi watched them with her ears pricked.

Jahani sat amongst the flowers and Yazan padded over to nuzzle his cheek against hers. Then he curled up beside her, his long tail resting under his chin. Azhar watched them with an enigmatic smile.

‘What is it?' Jahani asked. ‘Why do you always seem to have a private jest?'

‘Do I?' He raised his eyebrows in mock surprise and sat opposite her with his injured leg stretched straight. ‘Actually, I think it is happening again. Yazan likes you, just as Zadi did.'

Jahani ruffled the fur around the leopard's neck. ‘He is gorgeous. I wish he were mine.'

‘Animals are never ours, but they can choose to be with us.'

She glanced at him. ‘Then I hope he stays with me.' Their banter should have helped her talk about the day before, but all she managed after a pause was, ‘Yesterday, I was confused …' She couldn't go on. How could she say what she thought had occurred in the forest? He'd think she had taken leave of her senses.

‘It's only understandable.' He moved his injured leg and winced.

‘It is?'

‘You haven't seen Zarah in nine summers.'

She paused. She hadn't even been thinking about her birth mother. This bothered her too. Was it obvious that she didn't have memories or filial feeling for Zarah? Different words wanted to jump out of her mouth, but she carefully said, ‘That is true, but something happened in the forest that changed everything. It even affected my reunion with my birth mother.'

A line creased his cheek as he smiled slightly. ‘Is this about how you escaped an armed warrior?'

‘Awa.'

‘What happened?'

‘You won't laugh?'

He didn't smile, but his eyes sparkled. ‘I'll try not to.'

After taking a deep breath her words tumbled out. ‘Was it Chandi, or my own mind giving me directions? And the sword – it was as if it jumped into my hand of its own accord and embedded itself in his leg. I wouldn't have had the strength. And when a rider tried to overtake me, Chandi bit his leg as if she were a tiger. It was as if I was living in one of Ammi's pari tales from the mountains.' Finally Jahani dared to look at Azhar.

He regarded her with a curious expression. Then he sighed. ‘Let me tell you a story. The first mir of the kingdoms of Hahayul and Nagir – for they were one kingdom at that time – was born of the union of the great Sekandar and a pari. It is said that the pari's powers appear sometimes in descendants – they are given gifts.'

She held her breath a moment. ‘What sort of gifts?'

‘They are able to understand certain animals, have unusual strength, or can wield weapons with minds of their own. Usually descendants only have one gift, but in rare instances more than one is inherited.'

Jahani stroked Yazan's fur and glanced at Chandi quietly munching on wildflowers. The horse looked so normal. ‘But that's just a myth, surely. I've never taken Ammi's stories seriously. Not before …' she faltered. ‘But then again, in the forest I was sure Chandi put thoughts in my mind. Maybe some of the mir's blood mixed with common people's, too.'

Azhar gave her a perplexed look.

‘When we arrived at Naran, I thanked Chandi for saving me, but she didn't answer. I thought I must have imagined the thoughts in my mind.' Jahani looked at Azhar, her eyebrows raised in question.

‘Perhaps only when you truly need help the gift arises?'

She inclined her head; that sounded feasible. She was glad he had at least taken her seriously.

‘I am sorry,' he said then.

‘About what?'

‘Leading you into an attack. I thought I was sending you to safety.'

‘You couldn't have known.'

‘I should have … Jahani?'

‘Awa?'

He glanced over at Anjuli picking flowers. ‘Let us have our lunch on the carpet.' With difficulty he rose and limped to Rakhsh. He untied his carpet and rolled it out beside Jahani.

It saddened her to see his discomfort. ‘I hope your leg is better soon.' She remembered the easy way he used to move, his grace like flowing water.

‘Sit with me?' He indicated the space beside him on the carpet.

She hesitated. It was big enough for four people, but she wondered if she would feel strange sitting on it like she had at the lake that day. As she sat, the carpet rippled and a corner curled toward her hand. She looked up expecting to feel a strong wind, but the flowers swayed gently in the cool breeze. She frowned as the corner curled closer, touching her fingers as though it were caressing her. She drew her hand away and looked up to find Azhar regarding her curiously, his head tilted to the side.

‘Do you feel anything?' He glanced at their guards.

She gave a shaky laugh. ‘It's like a pet.'

‘It is more than that,' he said softly, leaning toward her. He looked so earnest as if searching for the right words to say. ‘There is something I should tell you—'

Just then Anjuli raced up with flowers for Jahani and said it was time to eat. During lunch, Anjuli said, ‘It is wonderful here. Can we come again?'

Jahani glanced at Azhar as he grinned at Anjuli. ‘I'm sure we could,' he said.

Even on the way back to Naran there was no opportune time for Azhar to talk further. What had he been about to tell her?

When they returned, Anjuli followed the leopards as they padded to the compound of their own accord, while Azhar and Jahani brushed down the horses in the stables. They were nearly finished when Commander Saman found them and said he had boys to do such jobs.

Jahani gave Chandi a kiss on her nose, then headed toward the house with Azhar. They found Zarah in the garden pavilion seated by Hafeezah and a bearded man. Jahani stopped short.

Hafeezah approached Jahani with her arms outstretched. ‘Jahani, this is Baqir Abbaas, your father.'

The man rose to his feet. He wore an embroidered vest over his cream shalwar qameez and a rolled mountain hat. The kamarband around his waist was embroidered as richly as Sameela's father's. And Azhar's.

Jahani felt shyness well up in her chest; what should she say? Hafeezah brought her forward and Jahani slipped down to touch his feet. He rested his hand on her head in blessing and she felt an incredible sense of peace and safety.

When she stood, her eyes were at the same level as his, and the feeling vanished. His gaze was not like a father's.

His eyes raked over her as if she were for sale. ‘You are a beauty, and so tall. I hardly recognise you.'

‘Nor I you,' Jahani said, instantly offended.

Hafeezah glanced at her with concern. ‘We had a difficult trip,' she said quickly as Baqir frowned.

Then he chuckled. ‘You are feisty. I wonder which ancestor this came from.' He glanced at Zarah who turned pale. There was an undercurrent between them that Jahani couldn't place. She had been mistaken about her sense of safety.

Hafeezah was making faces at Jahani, and so she apologised. ‘I haven't known what to think since I have arrived. I am sorry, but I remember little of you or Zarah jan.'

‘You were young, I am not surprised,' Baqir said dismissively. ‘And I advised your ayah not to speak of us in case your childish chatter to others endangered you.' He took off his hat and Jahani noticed his hair was grey at the temples. ‘Come and sit, I have good news.'

He waited until Jahani and Azhar had settled beside Zarah and Hafeezah.

Their servant poured chai. ‘Thank you,' Zarah murmured and glanced worriedly at Jahani.

Baqir grinned at them. ‘This will be a surprise.' He paused for effect. ‘I have a wedding proposal for you.'

Jahani stared at Baqir wondering if she had heard correctly. His eyebrows were arched obviously anticipating her excitement. But her mouth was dry.

Hafeezah put a protective arm around Jahani and they both looked at Zarah. She was almost in tears and kept biting her lip. Had Zarah already heard this news?

It was Azhar who spoke first. ‘How did this happen? Who knows she has returned?'

‘Do not worry, Azhar. It is a man living in the town of Kaghan in our kingdom – a war lord and a wealthy man. His name is Muzahid Baig.'

‘This is highly irregular. What do you know of this man?' Azhar's voice was tight and Jahani wondered how he could speak to Baqir in such an impolite manner. She had never seen his face so dark. He caught her looking at him and his mouth tightened. Jahani ignored Azhar's stormy features and tried not to concern herself about what he thought. A man had asked for her. Wasn't that a good thing?

‘Azhar, there is no need for concern,' Baqir said. ‘Do you not want to get on with your life? Have another occupation? You can't play nursemaid to Jahani all your days.' He smiled at her. ‘This way, Jahani will have protection day and night. None of us need worry about her safety ever again.'

Jahani bowed her head. So she was a burden to her father. Did Azhar feel the same way?

After the tea-time ritual, Jahani retreated to the leopard enclosure to see Yazan. He always knew when she was approaching and was standing by the gate. She let herself in and hugged him.

‘Oh, Yazan, when I'm with you I feel better.' She stroked the fur on his neck and head. ‘You are a magnificent chita.'

He purred and lifted his chin. Bili bounced up wanting attention, too, so Jahani sat cross-legged on a grassy patch with both leopards lolling on either side of her, Yazan resting his head in her lap.

Despite the peacefulness in the enclosure, she could think of little else other than Baqir's words. Her hand flew to her taveez as she murmured, ‘What is the war lord like?' Sameela's father and Azhar – if you could call him a man – were the only men she knew well.

She thought of Sameela's wedding preparations. Sameela had known a lot more about her bridegroom than Jahani knew about hers. It was considered unseemly to ask so, unless Baqir or Zarah offered information, she would know nothing about him until the wedding.

She kissed Yazan's ears. ‘Muzahid Baig must be powerful if Baqir believes he can protect me from Dagar Khan.' But the truth was she wished she could protect herself. A rumble rose in Yazan's throat; it sounded like a growl. ‘Don't worry, Yazan, it looks like now I'll be safe when I am married, whether I like Muzahid Baig or not.'