Masichieri

Her path took her along the foothills of the Blue Mountains. Here were bred the best zorcas in all Vallia. Nonetheless only a few herds were to be seen along the way, the war having shrunken the zorca herds. The whole country had suffered under invaders. Everywhere was destruction to be seen, but everywhere also were Vallians occupied with reconstruction. The ride south to the sea was not without danger. There were still wandering, plundering soldiers, refugees from the fleeing armies of Vallia’s enemies. These masichieri sought to take whatever they could of value from the local people before setting out for their home countries. Often they even took captives along, to be sold into slavery. A woman riding alone was tempting prey for these marauders, so Jilian held as much as possible to the busiest roads, even though this slowed her journey.

She knew from personal experience what it meant to fall into the hands of robbers and slavehandlers. Not at all long before, the Emperor himself had freed her from the hands of Kov Colun Mogper, to whom she had been sold as a slave, after being taken captive by flutsmen in the war. However, at that time she had not yet known that under the name of Jak the Drang, Dray Prescot was on his way to becoming the Emperor of Vallia. After being freed, she had been forced to flee without taking revenge on Mogper. A wound sustained on the way to the capital Vondium had held her up until Kov Colun had vanished without trace.

Sunk in thought, she hummed a little tune to herself. It concerned the little Fristle fifi Nurlaili, who must give up her tail to save her beloved. But the obstinate Nurlaili wanted to keep both her tail and her beloved, so she prayed to Numin-Hyrjiv to lend her a tail, until her beloved could be saved. Now in gratitude all Fristles celebrated the great Tail Fete before their weddings. Whoever succeeded in knotting his tail with that of the bride, was feted as a great hero.

"So, make a knot in your tail and take the bride to dance..."

Here the road made a curve around a stand of trees. Jilian hummed the refrain of the song until she could see around the curve. She pulled sharply on the reins and fell silent. In the distance smoke could be seen. However, it was impossible to tell whether the smoke was from a cook- or camp-fire. Thick black smoke clouds rose into the sky. Jilian approached the scene of the fire under cover of the forest. As she approached she could see a house burning there. In front stood several shabby figures. They held fast a violently struggling girl, while in front of the house three lifeless apims and a Rapa lay. Everything indicated that a band of masichieri had fallen upon a farming family. Since all were staring at the house, Jilian was able to advance unnoticed within bow range, the groan of collapsing beams and the screams of the girl masking the hoofbeats of Greywind. The Lohvian longbow, a gift from her friend Seg Segutorio, the most famous Bowman of Loh, leapt as if of its own will into her hand. In quick succession she loosed several rose-fletched arrows. Before they could react, three of the marauders were met by the arrows with deadly effect. The remaining five turned around in surprise and rage, released the girl, and attacked with drawn swords. One more arrow found its target before Jilian's adversaries approached too near to shoot. Jilian threw the bow over her shoulder, reared Greywind up on her hindquarters, and wheeled in a circle. A hoof found the first of her opponents, a Rapa with mangy feathers, directly on the head and left a large hole. The remaining three sprang back out of range of the whirling hooves. Greywind came down again on all fours. The spiral horn moved wildly back and forth. Jilian gripped the whip in her right hand, while the left grabbed at the rapier. A lightning-fast blow of the whip found a Chulik with broken tusks in the middle of the face. With a scream he dropped his sword and threw his hands over his eyes. He stumbled blindly into Greywind's horn, which skewered him like a butterfly. With a vigorous toss of her head, Greywind threw him aside like a broken doll. The last two approached now from opposite sides. While the first, another Rapa, warded off the whip with his sword, the other, a Fristle with one ear, pulled Jilian from the zorca.

"Just wait, Shishi, you're going to pay for this!"

As she hit the ground Jilian's sword was knocked from her hand. The Fristle set his sword directly to Jilian's throat as his eyes suddenly became fixed and glassy. A terchik stuck in his breast as if magically conjured forth. He slowly toppled backwards. The girl, who at first had stood by as if frozen, had taken a throwing dagger from one of the arrows' victims, saving Jilian by a last-moment throw. Jilian quickly rolled on her side, thus evading the deadly blow of the last maschieri. Her whip coiled like a snake around his throat---one jerk, and the last of her opponents had fallen.

Jilian stood up and knocked the dust from her clothes. She took Greywind's reins and spoke a few calming words into her ear. The zorca immediately became as quiet as if nothing had happened. Then she turned to the girl, who was kneeling and weeping on the ground before the bodies of her family.

"Thank you for throwing the dagger at the right moment. That was close."

"Ah Kotera, if you had only come a few moments earlier. The masichieri killed my father and my betrothed, plundered and fired the house, and meant to keep me as a slave." Tears veiled her eyes. Her red Vallian gown was torn in several places, her face dirty.

"Now I have no one left." She sobbed heavily. Her body trembled. Jilian took her gently in her arms.

"Do you have then no relatives or friends nearby?"

"No, everyone nearby was killed or driven away by the war. We were the last. Ah, if only I too were dead."

"You mustn't speak so, girl. What is your real name? I am Jilian Sweettooth."

"My name was Variana, the Happy, but now will I be the Unhappy. The masichieri took us by surprise. They fell upon us. My father and betrothed were killed as they tried to defend my mother and me. My mother was too old and not pretty enough for them, so they soon killed her also." Again Variana was shaken by sobs.

"Variana, it was awful, what took place here, but you must not give up. Your family would surely not want that."

Variana distinctly drew herself up. "Yes, you are right. They wouldn't."

The heat from the flaming house was almost unendurable.

"Will you help me bury them?"

"Yes, Variana, I will. And then you will come with me to Delphond. There I seek a ship for Pandahem, but first I will deliver you to the Little Sisters of Opaz. They will look after you."

She pulled the bodies of Variana's parents and her betrothed from the vicinity of the fire. Jilian repossessed her arrows from the dead masichieri. She also extracted Variana's terchik. After cleaning it, she returned it to Variana.

"Here, you will need this still."

In a barn not yet reached by the flames they found shovels and began to bury the dead at a certain distance from the burning house. When they finished, Variana was again overcome by despair and threw herself to the ground.

"Variana, you must take compose yourself. Before night falls, we must reach the next town. I don't want to spend the night here outdoors. Who knows what kind of trash is still prowling around this area. When you reach safety you will have time for mourning. That may seem harsh to you now, but you must first get away from here."

Jilian mounted Greywind and helped Variana to take a place behind her. A zorca is very close-coupled and not well suited for two riders, but the two women pressed close together. They rode at a trot directly south towards the sea. As they left the farm, the great red sun of Kregen already stood deep on the horizon, while the small green sun would shine for another one or two burs.

They rode through a landscape that was now thinly settled. Here and there a farm, otherwise nothing. After a few burs the green sun also disappeared and it became clear that they would not reach another village today. As She of the Veils rose and cast her rosy moonlight, Jilian sighed and pulled on the reins.

"Well, it appears we must spend the night in the open, Variana. Look, there's a protected spot there in the rocks."

Jilian leapt from the zorca and helped Variana dismount.

"See there, whether you can find some wood for a fire. I'm going to take a look around this area."

With these words she took the saddle from Greywind and gave her a slap.

"Rest, girl."

Greywind trotted a few paces away and began to graze.

Jilian threw the bow over her shoulder and left. For Variana's benefit she had acted as if she meant to hunt something for dinner, but secretly she went to look for possible threats which might arise in the night from wandering beasts---or people. She felt responsible for the girl, although she had known her for only a few burs. As a Sister of the Rose, she had been taught always to protect the weak. She paced in ever-widening circles around the camp, but could not discover anything to fear. The most dangerous creature in this area appeared to be she herself, who on her rounds managed to take two birds, to provide a tasty roasted joint or two. When she was finally satisfied that there was no great danger to be found in the area this night, she returned to the camp. Variana had in the meantime built a fire, which burned quietly and peacefully in a niche in the rocks. Jilian did not spot it until almost back at the camp.

"Look, Variana---our dinner."

She swung the birds in the air by their legs. Together they plucked the birds and broiled them over the fire. Soon a tempting scent wafted into their nostrils. They washed themselves in a nearby stream while waiting for the birds to become ready. Afterwards Jilian began to carefully polish her sword.

"Jilian?" began Variana.

"Yes, Variana, what is it?"

"I don't want to go to the Little Sisters of Opaz. I would rather ride with you. And I want to become a warrior like you. The way you handled those fellows today was great."

Jilian smiled at Variana's romantic ideas.

"Do you think it is so simple to become a Jikai-Vuvushi? You must learn and practice for many years. You must demand much of yourself. It is not so romantic as you imagine. More often than you might think, you end up suddenly dead. If you hadn't thrown that terchik today, I might not be alive at this moment. What about that do you find so appealing?"

Almost every Vallian girl learned as a small child how to handle a Vallian dagger or even a throwing knife like the terchik. Use of a sword or other weapons was quite a different matter. That was only for warrior-maidens, the Jikai-Vuvushis.

"Oh, Jilian, I have nothing at home anymore. Where should I go? With the Little Sisters I will probably spend the whole day sewing and washing. At home I was always with my father, outside with the zorcas. And after we sold almost everything because of the war, I helped him to tend the farm. I don't want to turn stale in some house or convent. There is nothing there for me." Variana's voice became passionate.

"Please let me ride with you!"

"No, Variana, I ride to a place most unhealthy if one is not extremely careful. But if you plead with me so, I will write you a recommendation for the Sisters of the Rose, that they admit you and train you."

"The Sisters of the Rose?" Variana interrupted. "To gather flowers and embroider roses?" Variana jumped up. "No, I will not. But if you will not have me along, I will make my way alone."

Jilian laughed.

"No, matters are not quite as you imagine. The Sisters of the Rose are a charitable Order, but they also instruct many Jikai-Vuvushis. Naturally you must undergo a period of probation. You will be introduced to all fields. And only when you have passed the period of probation to the satisfaction of your instructress will you be trained according to your capabilities and desires. But this training is very hard. Be warned! You will be most thoroughly taken in hand before you are permitted even to begin training as a Jikai-Vuvushi. Not everything one wishes comes to pass. You must summon up all your energy and your will. And the training is not free of cost. Once fully trained you must serve the Sisters of the Rose for ten years. After this period of time then are you free, to stay or to go. Whichever you like."

Variana had sat once more and listened to Jilian with shining eyes.

"Oh, Jilian, that sounds splendid! Please send me to the Sisters of the Rose, if you really won't take me with you." Eagerness suffused her voice.

"By Dee-Sheon, Variana, you will come to curse me for doing this. But you cannot come with me. I must go to Menaham on an extremely personal affair."

"Bloody Menaham?" Variana asked, amazed. "No ships go there, and if you do somehow reach there, you will never return."

"Let that be my worry, Variana. I will soon manage it, Dee-Sheon willing. So then, let us have at these delicious birds. I am hungry and tired."

Soon the birds had been eaten. A bit of bread from Jilian's saddlebag and some juicy, yellow palines from a nearby bush rounded out the meal.

Jilian sighed, full and satisfied.

"Let us sleep now. Tomorrow we will press on early. In one or two days we reach Delphond. There we part ways."

She lay down on the earth and wrapped herself in her blanket.

"Mellow Moonlights, Variana."

"Mellow Moonlights, Jilian."

She of the Veils with her gentle light had already set when the two women lay down to sleep. Instead there shone the Maiden of the Many Smiles, the largest moon of Kregen.