The Endless Golden Dunes

Chapter 19: Announcements

HAMZA

It was the start of the new year, and Hamza liked to think that that meant he could improve his situation. More and more bad thoughts were forming in his mind. The more he dwelled on Madinah, the worse his imagination was.
  
As far as he knew, Zaid and Zainab might either be there waiting for him, or dead. There was no between. It was all a flip of a coin.
  
With the intention of distracting himself from the bad thoughts, he exited his tent and went towards a group of his fellows.

*** 

‘Assalamualaikum.’ He said.
  
‘Walaikumsalam, Hamza.’ Replied Abbas.
  
Hamza took a moment to look at the rest. There was only Umar and Salman. Umar looked to be collected while Salman was fidgeting and constantly scratching the back of his neck. Hamza raised an eyebrow.
  
‘Are you all right?’ he asked him.
  
Salman whipped his head forward to him as if he didn’t know that Hamza was present.
  
‘What?’ he asked, a bit confused.
  
‘You are nervous.’ Haza replied.
  
‘How can you tell that?’
  
‘Body language.’
  
‘Er – it’s really nothing.’
  
‘Don’t bother trying to get the truth out of him,’ Umar said to Hamza. ‘I also asked him that question, and I got an indifferent answer.’
  
‘Why do you not tell the truth?’ Abbas asked. ‘Lying is haram after all.’
  
‘It is not really something that should be worrying, yet I am acting like it is the end of the world.’ Salman laughed.
  
Hamza looked at him curiously, and before he could say something else, a voice came.
  
‘Assalamualaikum.’ Someone said.
  
Before he turned to the source, Hamza caught a sigh of relief from Salman.
  
‘Walaikumsalam.’ Umar greeted back.
  
‘What are you four talking about, may I ask?’ Adam smiled.
  
‘Nothing much. Just the regular things.’ Salman replied.
  
Salman was being too strange. His entire character seemed to have changed as soon as he looked at Adam. Perhaps the problem was related to him? Some sort of fight? No. That couldn’t be the case. Surely not. It was a bit irritating that Hamza wasn't able to find out what Salman was hiding.
  
He was snatched out of his thoughts.
  
‘Daydreaming, Hamza?’ Umar laughed.
  
Hamza plastered a smile.
  
‘It would seem so.’ He replied.
  
‘Just let the matter go,’ Abbas whispered, almost like an irritated stall keeper. ‘It might not be as important as you think.’
  
Hamza wanted to agree, but he couldn’t find a reason to do such.
  
Then, as soon as Adam started another conversation, there was a flurry of movement and murmuring. They looked towards the soldiers and they were heading in a common direction.
  
‘What do you make of this?’ Abbas asked.
  
‘On that, we must not ponder. Walid might be calling us.’
  
Salman quickly nodded.
  
‘I agree. No more talk then. Come!’ He said.
  
More sentences that raised Hamza’s suspicion. If Salman was this desperate, then there must be some kind of story behind this. One that was supposedly best unrevealed.
  
They left with the rest of the soldiers.

***

‘Men!’ Walid yelled over all the murmurings. His loud voice silenced them. ‘In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. I have pondered on many things, and one of those was how I should be dealing with you. For some time, I have witnessed how most of you have been rather slothy when it comes to being a warrior. I have noticed that there is a need for a different kind of training if our mission to stop Mongolian expansion must be successful. I have decided that a selected group must come with me to the mountains in the north, and there, we shall train.’
  
Hamza raised an eyebrow as loud murmurs entered his ears.
  
‘The mountains in the north?’ puzzled Abbas. ‘Why in the world there of all places?’
  
‘He might explain soon. Our best option is to remain silent as of now.’ Hamza whispered.
  
‘Next week, the chosen ones will come with me,’ Walid continued. ‘On the mountains, there will be specialized training for many who have struggled here. I know that most of you might know the desert well by now. In fact, legend has it, some get so attached to the desert that they start conversing with it.’
  
Hamza caught Umar smiling when Walid said such. The same with Abbas.
  
‘The rest that I will leave behind will do their best to protect the camp as if it is the source of your life. Of course, I shall be leaving commanders here to discipline and train you in my absence. I want an oath from you. Four months I have been with you, and know the name of every individual soldier. Therefore, may I be able to trust you when I leave?’
  
‘Aye!’ a chorus of noises came which took Hamza a bit back.
  
‘Do you swear upon Allah, the Master of Oaths, that there will be no betrayals here?’
  
‘Aye!’
  
‘And is that the just truth?’
  
‘It is!’
  
Walid gave a satisfied nod, and he sighed. The outtake of his breath resulted in a smile, though he quickly brushed it away.
  
‘Next week. Understood?’
  
One more series of shouts of agreement and Walid left. The crowd dispersed right after.

***

‘Well, I do not know if I am to be one of the folks to go to the mountains,’ Abbas said. ‘As long as one of you is going, then I am too.’
  
‘But you will not be able to talk with the desert, then, will you not?’ Umar smiled.
  
‘Ah, then that would mean I would have a conversation with the mountains, then?’
  
They laughed.
  
‘What are you talking about?’ Hamza asked, a bit perplexed.
  
‘Ah, do not worry about it. Just a little jest.’
  
‘Might not be little. Talking with desserts might be a sign of a man turning mad.’
  
‘Who knows? Perhaps we are mad?’
  
Umar chuckled. Hamza helped himself to a smile as well. At least the two were getting along now.
  
‘Hamza!’
  
His spine turned cold when he recognized the voice. For some reason, it always had that air of fear in it.
  
Hamza dared himself to turn to face the person. Walid was walking towards him. As soon as the commander stood in front of him, both Umar and Abbas saluted. That was when Hamza realized that Salman wasn’t present anymore.
 
‘Assalamualaikum.’ He greeted.
  
‘Peace be upon you as well.’ Hamza cautiously replied.
  
‘How do you do?’
  
‘Er – quite fine.’
  
Walid looked at the others and gave an uninterpretable look.
  
‘I would be quite appreciative if you two were to disperse,’ he said. ‘I apologize, but I need to talk to Hamza alone.’
  
Obediently, the two nodded and left. Walid turned back to Hamza.
  
‘There shouldn’t be too many prying ears here,’ he said. ‘Can’t risk them hearing this.’
  
‘What did you need to talk about?’
  
‘It’s just simply that I have an important decision to make, and it concerns you.’
  
‘Me? What is the matter?’
  
‘It simply concerns your abilities in … swordplay.’
  
‘Is there something wrong with it?’
  
‘Quite the opposite, actually. You are … hauntingly good at it.’
  
‘What?’
  
‘I should not be bouncing around what I want to say. In short, I wish to make you a captain.’
  
Hamza might have recoiled.
  
‘W-what? Where did that come from?’
  
‘I know, it sounds sudden, but I have a good reason for it. We are running short of leaders.’
  
‘And what, with all due respect, did you see in me that might have suggested I would be a good leader?’
  
His voice was shaking. The responsibility was like a mountain descending on him. Eventually, he would be experiencing a heavy weight on his shoulder.
 
‘See those six?’ Walid pointed.
  
Hamza turned around and saw Umar, Abbas, Salman, Adam, Ismael, and Ali all talking to one another.
  
‘I have no idea how hard it would have been to control them,’ Walid continued. ‘They were as if one were to cage a lion and a wolf together. They were always at one another’s throats. Especially Abbas and Umar.’
  
Hamza looked at them laughing at some sort of jest.
  
‘And now look at them, so civilized and human suddenly. You did that.’
  
‘I beg your pardon?’
  
‘Do you think I do not know of their little fight? I know most of them and where they have come from. I know that the relationship between them is as bad as us to the Byzantines. In any way, you were the one who motivated them to settle their differences.’
  
‘I believe you are mistaken. I did nearly nothing of that sort.’
  
‘Ah, so who was the one who convinced Umar to apologize to Abbas for punching him?’
  
‘How do you know of that?’
  
‘I had many soldiers report it to me, one of them was a guard who just so happened to be passing through.’
  
‘But–’
  
‘You would be surprised how many roam those halls.’
  
An embarrassed silence followed. Nearly, for no apparent reason, Hamza’s cheeks flushed.
  
‘Ah, you’re blushing,’ Walid noted. ‘No need to be embarrassed. They don’t invade privacy, unless there’s loud noises.
  
He gave a queer look as if there was something only he knew, but immediately removed it.
  
‘Anyway, you do not need to control many men, just the rest of your closest comrades. Which reminds me, I do not think Adam will be going.’
  
‘This is all too quick. Too much information, too many decisions decided too quickly.’
  
‘Well, really, I have thought about it for quite some time. But of course, I can still give you time to think about the decision. I can tell that it is a responsibility you do not like, but it is necessary.’
  
He was given an open choice. Either he should be accepting the honor, or not risk his life with a sensitive position. indecisively, he replied.
  
‘I think I simply do need a bit of time.’
  
‘No shame, Hamza. Take all the time till the day I take my soldiers to the mountains.’
  
‘Thank you, Walid; I’ll make sure not to disappoint you with an answer.’
  
Walid nodded and patted Hamza on the shoulder.
  
‘I simply wish that you live till the end.’
  
‘Sorry?’
  
A bit embarrassed, Walid looked elsewhere.
  
‘I’m just … nevermind, nevermind.’
  
Walid walked away, not looking back while Hamza still pondered on what the commander had to say.