Sabbanath - Book 1 of The Elements of Destiny

Chapter 9

The sun was hot those three days. It rose in a clear sky in the morning and except for a few blessed times when a lost cloud shielded them briefly from its rays, it set in a clear sky. Sure, temperatures in Brehin, the capital city of Kiryn where he had been living prior to this expedition, got as high but Thomas didn't usually spend so much time outside in the sun. The introspective mood that had settled on the camp when they had left the temple stayed with them for the duration of the journey. The landscape of open grassland was singular and repetitive and it gave you a sense of waiting, of waiting to pass through it until you got to where you were going. In such an atmosphere, no one was in the mood to start a conversation. Talking was reserved for situations that necessitated it. Everyone rode with their eyes fixed on the horizon. The one thing of note was that Dawson was back in his saddle. He refused to stay in the stretcher beyond the first day and said that any discomfort in the saddle would be nothing compared to being bounced along behind a flatulating horse. That had brought a smile to even the captain.

While Thomas felt the force of the silence around everyone he didn't feel threatened by it, in fact he welcomed it. There was a great sense of peace and communion with nature that he felt was almost prayerful. He deliberately observed his breathing, allowed himself to feel the heat of the sun, of the sweat trickling down his body and that sweet smell permeating the air. He enjoyed the landscape, forcing himself to see that it was not empty but full of interesting things. The grasses this time of year were a little more coarser than usual and growing amongst them there were a variety of colourful plants that attracted many an eager insect. Unfortunately, it seemed these insects didn't mind if you were a colourful flower or a sweaty human. The terrain they were passing through was quite rocky in places but there was beauty in its formation. The land was not devoid of animal life either. At night he saw the glowing eyes of what he had been told were bobcats watching them from outside the campfire and heard the howls of roaming packs of wild dogs. During the day, things were quieter with only the odd rabbit scattering before them and disappearing down its burrow. Looking at those made him think of what might be travelling under their feet and he tried not to dwell too much on the stories that Sankerson had told them about disappearing cattle.

Every now and then Thomas noticed the skeleton or bones of a large animal showing through the long grass as they passed. He had asked the Captain about this and the smile that had been on his face slowly disappeared. He didn't say anything for a while. It seemed that he was remembering something.

"You know as a species, us humans can do some pretty terrible things. Especially if it seems convenient and can be said to be for the Greater Good. This whole grassland was the home of the Noids before we drove them into the forests. They had their own cattle that were more like buffaloes and they were plentiful in this area. I still remember the first time I saw a herd of them. What a sight that was." The faraway look in the Captain's eyes told Thomas that he was seeing them now again. Once again, however, that expression changed quickly: "We were at war and in war, like I said, anything can be justified against the enemy. Sure, they...." The Captain stopped and looked at Thomas as if seeing him for the first time. He seemed to check himself and deliberately sat himself up straight in his saddle. "The orders came through that the animals were to be shot. The idea being to deprive the Noids of a food source. I was stationed mainly in Noda around that time but often was sent down to Sabannath. I saw the faces on the men that came back. They were all bravado and joked about it but you could see behind their eyes that they didn't like what they had done." The Captain forcibly pulled himself from his reverie and looked at Thomas "So, that's what those bones are. The remains of the Noid's herd." Thomas didn't seem to have another question so the Captain nodded to him and rode forward alongside the Sergeant. In fact, Thomas had wanted to ask if there were any of the herd still alive but he guessed it was a question he would have to keep for another day.