Ninety-Seven Provinces: Book I: Ari Anaustasha and the Band of Thieves

Chapter Two

Chapter Two:  Remember the Words

“Damn it Ari:  get your butt over here and pick up your sword!” Mum shouted at me.  Her eyebrows were probably scrunched together as they always do when she’s mad.

I sighed, the butterfly with the thin, patterned wings (Now I remember!  Its wings reminded me of the stained glass windows of the Courier’s Outpost.  It makes me wonder as to why our people waste such beautiful craftsmanship on buildings like THAT) flying off my fingers and into the sky.

“What?” I asked her, seeing her angry face.

“You pin-headed oaf!” Mum spat.  “It’s people like you that I have to protect.”

“Protect.” I echoed.  “What do you mean by “protect?”’

“You know that it’s my job to ensure the safety of the civilians from the invading Province.” She said.

“You don’t heroically save them.” I chuckled.  “You go to the head of their army, stomp your feet, shout at them, and then they go away.”

“Ari…” Mum began.  “That…that’s just something that we tell the young ones, to make them feel safe.  Every time a Province tries to invade, it’s our job to push them back:  no matter what the cost.  Whenever there’s conflict, Ari, people die.”

“War,” I spat.  “I hate war.  That’s why I refused to pick up a sword.  I don’t…I don’t want to be involved.”

“No matter where you go, war will always be.  There are ninety-six other provinces out there, all wanting to take each other down.  Like I said before, war is not avoidable.” She sighed.  Reaching around her neck, she pulled a pendant from the front of her shirt.  Unclasping it, she handed it to me.  “Make sure to wear it.”

The pendant was crafted of basalt from the Orange Mountain.  It was decorated by the simple white star upon it.

“It looks like a compass rose,” I said; running my thumb over the bumps.  “Why give this to me now?”

She gave me a hug.  “Even though war is unavoidable, I have to send you away from here.  The invading force is so great that we are ordering an evacuation.  The last time that we had to do that…”

“You had to send Da away.” I finished for her.  “It’s alright.  I…I understand.”  I couldn’t believe that Mum was crying.  She was so strong-headed that she would usually refuse to send me anywhere.   The force must be huge.

She broke the embrace, wiping her tears with the sleeve of her tunic.  “Go.  Follow the others away.  Don’t worry,” she said, patting me on the head.  “I’ll send word when you can return home.”

“Ok,” I whispered, putting the necklace around my neck.  For what I feared would be the last time, I turned my back on Mum and ran from the empty training courtyard as she pulled her chain helmet over her head and rushed to join the defending forces.

It wasn’t that difficult to catch up with the refugees.  Seeing one of my friends, I rushed into the mob.

“Idris!” I greeted, catching his attention by pulling his sleeve.

“Oi!  It’s Ari!  Nice of you ‘ta join us,” he smiled.  “We hafta stick close together, ‘cause these people know nothing about peaceful evacuation.”

“Sure thing, Idris.”

We stayed with the mob for quite some time.  How long had it been since I said goodbye to Mum?  Hours, at the very least, as I saw the two suns descend in the east and west.  I rubbed a finger over my pendent again.  Why did she insist on me wearing it?

“Ari,” Idris interrupted my train of thought.  “Get on the ship.”  Grabbing the splintering wood on the starboard side, I hoisted myself over the rail.  Turning, I also helped boost Idris up and over.

The booming sound of drums caught my attention as we weighed anchor.  Leaning over the rail, I could see Mum on her sleek horse, Lainny, leading the charge.