Of Winds And Quakes

57. The Arrow

Year of the Roses
Floral Season
Road to Kintil
Road to Kintil

Mavli

THE SUN HAS RISEN.

We are almost there.

Almost.

We have been riding all night and day. The sun rays are peering through the clouds and threatening to end the cover of night, we dismount the horses and trot side by side with them. The smell of livestock and vegetables is over powering as we enter the Altsas market. Even if it is so early in the morning, the market is already as bustling as a bee hive. We have to elbow, duck and push our way through. My stomach churns loudly when my eyes dart to a stall of a fruit seller; the pyramid of apples are very tempting and even Hijar thinks so too as she twitches her ears when she sees the apples. Alysia grinned when I told her the name I picked for the mare, she said that the name is befitting.

"How I wish I had even a copper coin." Alysia sighs wistfully as she passes a stall which sells cakes and biscuits. "I'm so hungry."

"Me too," Radhat chimes. I can even eat a whole horse. Jokingly, she looks at Lady Gin-Gin and likes her lips. I think Lady Gin-Gin is a rather silly name for a horse.

"Hey,"Alysia laughs, "don't get silly ideas."

And I laugh with her. It feels like I've been relieved of a great weight to be able to laugh again. We manage to sail through the market, though some traders give us puzzled or curious looks. I'm pretty sure they are wondering what three dirty looking girls, one dressed in an expensive dress and the other two dressed in drab clothing are doing roaming the market.

"Nadhat," Alysia says raising her voice a little so she can be heard above the market commotion; the calls of traders and the sounds of livestock," which part of Kintil are you from?"

"The east," Rahdat replies. There is a slight limp in her gait as she ambles in-between my sister and I.

My sister.

Just thinking those words and knowing that she is safe and travelling back with me home is a relief. I don't know what I would have done if... I halt my thoughts there. There is no point talking about what didn't happen. As we approach the gates, a sudden wave of fear rolls through my body. We edge forward, getting further and further away from the noise of the market and the eerie silence of the gates.

"We are from the South," Alysia tells Nadhat cheerily. She seems to glow with joy. We are finally going home, three of us friends and sisters who have survived through thick and thin.

The gates are now mere feet in front of us. A jolt of anticipation shoots through me, if we just cross these gates we will be truly free.

"Halt!" It's a brisk command. We lift our eyes to the pinnacle of the twin towers that serves as frames for the sky high gates. Using my hand as a shield for my eyes, I try to make out the figure that stands guard. "Who are you?"

The voice is female, it's gruff and loud. Her eyes dart from my face to Nadhat then to Alysia.

"I'm Mavli," I muster out all the courage inside of me, "we are on an errand for our father." The lie comes out easily and confidently. I suppress all the fear I'm feeling and flash her a smile.

She grunts, "I'm sorry but I won't be letting you pass." She stands erect and stares ahead in an attempt to ignore us. A happy family push past us coming in from the gates, they ride on two donkeys and give us no more than a glance.

A small droplet of water splash upon my cheek and rolls down my chin. I raise my eyes up and see the dark clouds gathering. It's going to rain soon.

Nadhat shifts her weight from one leg to the other impatiently. Alysia looks at the gate thoughtfully, something crosses her features.

"Mavli..." Alysia whispers my name, it is further drowned by Hijar's snicker. She nods towards the gate. She wants us to sneak out.

It's starts to drizzle, fat droplets of rain landing on my cheek and arms. I give the soldier a quick glance to make sure she isn't watching us before nudging Nadhat. I mount Hijar and Nadhat follows suit.

"Hey! Don't you dare leave the gates!" The soldier bellows but it's too late. It's way too late. We are already gone galloping down the sandy road with our hair billowing behind us.

Altsas will only be a memory now.

Alysia starts whooping triumphantly, the rain falls heavier now. It grumbles in the distance and falls in sheets.But we are happy.I can feel the thunderous pounding of the mares hooves on the ground.

Alysia turns to us, her wet hair whips across her face and sticks. "Mavli! Rahdat!" She is grinning, beaming at us but all of a sudden, her face falls.

Alysia halts her powerful mare and dismounts with a single leap. All the colour is drained out of her face, she stares with her mouth in a gape. "Mavli..." My name scrapes in her throat, a raspy whisper. She shakes her head, and though it is raining so heavily I can make out the lone tear that falls down her cheeks

"Alysia?" She stares at me, no past me. Her gaze shoots right at... Nadhat. I twist my neck to see what she sees.

A shrill scream emanates from the pit of my stomach. Nadhat's empty eyes stares back, her mouth is open in a frozen slient scream. A scream she will never get to scream, a ribbon of blood runs down from the side of her mouth and travels down to the hollow of her throat. And then I see it, the cause of her death, the shiny arrow head marred with thick red blood impales her back right through the heart.

"Nadhat!" I scream. I grab her, clutch her in my hands with all my might, she has to wake up. Nadhat can't just go... I can't lose two people in such a short time. The tears I shed are not sufficient enough to show the grief I feel, the emptiness inside.

"Mavli." Alysia comes to my side, she touches my arm, the rain drowns her voice, "listen to me..." Tears pool at her eyes.

"No!" I hug Nadhat's lifeless body to me, "no, Alysia, no."

The rain is subsiding. Only the chilly ghost of a breeze is left rolling in the air

The ground sinks under our weight as we walk through the tall green grasses. Alysia hasn't said a word, hasn't even looked directly at me. I'm grateful for that; I will not be able to take it. I can't stand her sympathetic eyes, her comforting words. I'm better off without it.

Gently, we ease Nadhat's body to the ground. Alysia stands staring at her, not saying a word.

"Nadhat," I say with a heavy sigh addressing the real Nadhat and not the empty cocoon that served as a body for Nadhat, "I am so happy that I found a friend in you. It is so much better that I met you than for me to have never met you. I'm so sorry that our friendship was so short lived, and I'm so sorry that I can't give you a befitting burial," my voice quavers and my body shakes, "please forgive me Nadhat!" I fall to my feet shedding tears that I don't even have.

Alysia starts pulling out grasses which seems to be effortless. She pulls a few and dump them on Nadhat's body. I push my shaking body to my feet and grab a handful of reeds. I feel the sharp grasses tearing and cutting into my hands and fingers but I don't mind. The pain is nothing compared to the pain I feel inside.

Shaking, I cover Nadhat's body.

 

I battled with which POV to use, Mavli's or Alysia's. And Mavli's won.