Chapter Twenty One
The following morning Raliena dressed quickly in the clothes that had been left in her tent for her and washed herself in the warm water basin on the floor.
She had decided to return to the camp with Lozni after their talk. She needed to know about her powers and if anything, the Lagania were providing a way to stop a man she knew little about.
“I will help you stop Dergen.” She had announced when she stepped back into the tent. They were all still there, hunched over the table discussing something. “I will learn what Armon Lozni has to teach me, then I will decide if it is necessary for me to pledge myself.”
There had been mixed feelings to this in their expressions. Yaline looked pleased. Jaya looked nervous and kept glancing at Zinib, who still had his arms crossed in front of him.
“It should not be your decision.” He had said finally, clearly unhappy with the announcement.
“But it is.” Raliena snapped back.
“She must go willingly.” Lozni added, trying to relieve the situation. “You know this Zinib.”
“Very well,” Zinib said, and had strolled out of the tent. He was beginning to sound like Dergen.
After Zinib left, Jaya embraced Raliena warmly and Yaline shook her hand in friendship.
“We are pleased to hear it.” Jaya said grinning. “And we will celebrate the way of Lagania. It will be expected when we announce you will help us.”
Raliena tried to protest, she had had enough of celebrations and could find nothing joyous in everything she had learnt recently, but Jaya was very insistent and Lozni explained that the Lagania had been travelling a very long time to get here and needed some cheer.
She was glad that they did not expect her to wear anything too formal. The only adornment on the clothes they left for her to wear was a black belt with smooth clear crystals in the leather to hang the sword they had given her. The sword was just as beautiful as the belt, the grip was bound with white leather and the strong cross-guard looked like crystal that refracted the light around it.
It felt good to be able to have a sword on her at all times. Raliena was no permitted to wear one around the castle in Verxia. The King did not see it necessary or fitting for an Araman to have one, let alone a woman.
She stepped out into the early morning and tugged the white furry collar of her brown half jacket closer to her. The thick white shirt kept most of the chill out and she felt comfortable in the white breaches bound together at her sides. Her fur lined boots made it easy to walk between the tents to reach the clearing where she had first found herself surrounded by these unfamiliar people.
They bowed to her as she passed and she smiled and nodded back politely. Everyone was up and cooking or setting up for the celebration that was due to start imminently.
When Raliena reached the clearing she saw two men struggling to lift a wooden structure vertical into the air so she quickly ran to lend a hand. None of them looked up to protest as they wrestled with the heavy wood, then Raliena joined to give it one final push and it found its feet. The men looked up then and saw who had jumped in to help and each face turned to expressions of shock. Even Raliena had been surprised at the ease of which she had lifted it. She was strong but had never before surpassed the strength of a well built man, only matched it.
“Thank you, Lady Armon.” One of the men murmured and bowed, still in confusion at how such a small figure had managed it.
“My pleasure.” Raliena replied smiling. She glanced up and saw Zinib watching her from across the clearing, his arms across his chest and a thoughtful expression on his face.
Raliena turned her attention back to the structure, irritated at being studied, her thoughts of how her strength had grown were soon forgotten.
The wooden platform that had been lifted into place was a simple smoothed out tree trunk with a wooden arm strapped to it in an upside-down ‘L’.
“It is used to play a game with the Unisayan.” Raliena turned to see Lozni stood next to her, also looking at the structure. “It is very simple really, hoops of various length are hung from it and a Unisayan and rider must work together to reach them, the pair who reach the highest one is the winner.”
Raliena mentally visualized it being done as a man with a ladder propped it against the structure and shimmied along the wooden arm to begin placing the hoops attached to strings along it.
“Both the Unisayan and the Lagania get very competitive with it as you can imagine. Males are very proud creatures.”
Raliena smiled when she realised she was not just referring to male Unisayan.
“Come sit with me? The celebrations are almost ready to begin.” Lozni said cheerfully.
Raliena followed Lozni towards some logs that had been put in place around a large unlit bonfire. The arrangement of logs and branches had a large clearing in the centre and a gap to walk through which created a horseshoe shape.
Lozni sat gracefully down on one of the logs in front of the gap. Raliena wondered, as she sat beside her, if it was because Lozni was an Armon that she was in such great health at her age. Raliena tried to phrase the words to ask her about it but could come up with nothing that did not sound rude.
A snout appeared next to Raliena making her jump. She had been thinking so much she had not heard the Unisayan sneak up on her.
“I believe you and Eni have met?” Lozni said reaching her hand up to the Unisayan who allowed her to stroke his muzzle.
“I have had the pleasure.” Raliena stroked his neck gently and remembered the clearing had appeared empty when she first arrived. “Why was I not able to see the Lagania when I first came into camp?”
“Eni alerted the Unisayan that travel with us about your arrival. They protect the camp by hiding it and revealed it once you were safely inside. We could not see you till Eni allowed us to. We are not sure how it is possible, but some of our people think they bend the light enough to change what people see. It is how we have been travelling undetected.”
“There are more of them with you?”
“A few,” Lozni replied. “They can travel at a much greater speed than horses and are very loyal.”
“I think Eni spoke to me when I touched his horn.” Raliena mentioned.
“It is possible for them to communicate with Armon, your power comes from the same nature they do. I have not had the privilege myself, even when I was pledged.”
Eni left them as he spotted the food being laid out to one side of the bonfire pile. One of the women setting it up tried to stand in his way when she saw him coming, trying to protect the food from the hungry Unisayan.
“How is the pledge done?” Raliena asked curiously, wanting to know what pledging herself to a Sinner would entail.
“You must be on your knees and cross your palms before you; then say ‘I devote myself to you.’”
“That is all?”
Lozni nodded. “Then to bind you to him the Sinner must place a chain of gold and silver around your wrists and order you to stand. It is really a very simple but a very old ritual.”
“Zinib has one of these chains?”
“I believe he has your mother’s chain.”
“He took it from her?”
“She broke the chain before she died and Senette sent it to him, which is how he knew she was really dead and why we suspect he was the one to kill her.”
“She broke the bond?”
“There are few things a Master Sinner cannot ask of you.” Lozni said turning to face Raliena, serious suddenly. “As I said before, they cannot ask you to harm someone you love, they cannot ask you to harm yourself and they cannot stop you if you wish to do so. The only way to break the bond without the Sinner dying, whom you cannot harm, is to kill yourself or for death to release you.”
“We all thought she killed herself.” Raliena said quietly, thinking of
her mother.
“A Master Sinner can always find his Armon eventually. Senette no doubt knew Zinib would have come to find Chasra and would reveal him to the Lagania. He had been meticulous in hiding himself from us but your mother must have found out and being already pledged to another, she was of no use to Senette. We were fortunate that Dergen is not so careful.”
It surprised Raliena to think of Dergen as not being careful with avoiding detection; but then she had seen recently that his temper could cloud his judgement.
Raliena looked up from her musings and saw that everyone was now gathered in the clearing. Jaya come over to Raliena and Lozni and held his hand out for Raliena to join him by the bonfire. Everyone quieted and waited for Jaya to speak which he did in a loud but soft voice.
“I am thrilled to welcome a new Armon to the Lagania. The Lady Raliena has agreed to help us in our cause!” Cheers followed this and the people by the food banged pots and pans together. “Let us celebrate our impending victory over the evil that plagues our people! Together we will bring an end to the Sinners and restore peace to our once great land!”
This brought the loudest cheer as Jaya held Raliena’s arm in the air. She grinned at their obvious joy and couldn’t help wondering if Zinib resented how the Lagania saw people like him.
Jaya kissed her hand lightly and seated her back beside Lozni while people brought her food from the table. She accepted it gratefully, though it was far more than she could eat and she tried not to protest about being waited on.
After everyone had eaten their fill, the dancing began to the sound of a modest band that beat a rhythm on an overturned bucket. There was only one real instrument being used which Raliena was fascinated by. It looked like a flute with strings and appeared to be made from a material similar to a Unisayan horn. The sound it made was enchanting as the air blown through it both vibrated the strings and made the high sweet notes of a flute.
The dancing was just as thrilling, there were no set dance moves and everyone was free to move their arms and legs however they felt would give them the most happiness.
Raliena enjoyed every moment of it and crowded to the front of the people gathered a safe distance from the structure with the hoops on it, to watch the opponents try to best each other with amazing acrobatics on the backs of the Unisayan, who flick their manes in triumph at a win and stamped their hooves in frustration when their competitor bested them.
One man was so far undefeated and his Unisayan was the most proud, nudging each loosing opponent mockingly with his large body. He stood slightly taller than the rest, as did the man riding him, which gave them an advantage, even if their balance was not as good.
Raliena watched Eni cross the gap towards her. Around so many other Unisayan, she could see that he was small in comparison, though still larger than any horse. His height was most likely the reason no one had chosen him as a mount.
When he reached her he nudged her shoulder and she patted his neck. She remembered what Lozni said about being able to talk to him through his horn and couldn’t help putting her hand out to touch it gently.
Play... Raliena’s eyes widened. It was her voice she was hearing but she had not thought the word and a feeling of pleading flooded her mixed with pride and the need to compete.
It was clear he wanted her to win the game with him, especially when he knelt his body down to the floor to let her on.
Raliena could feel everyone watching her and had to admit to herself that she wanted to compete as much as Eni did. So, she removed her sword from her belt, handing it to a much grinning Yaline, and climbed onto Eni’s back.
The crowd roared in excitement as Eni turned to face the other Unisayan. The man on his back saluted Raliena in a friendly way and his Unisayan bucked his head and stamped his hooves impatiently, clearly thinking this new opponent was a waste of his time.
Raliena smiled back and, not sure on who would go first, waited for the man to start.
The hoops had been replaced in the meantime and the other Unisayan stepped forward confidently and stood below the hoops while his rider took the lowest three to start the game off. He threw them to a woman waiting at the bottom of the platform as he made his way back to his start position and gestured for Raliena to go next.
Raliena patted Eni gently on the neck and he began forwards slowly. Once below the wooden arm, Raliena saw how far away the lowest hoop was, even on Eni’s back. Without any stirrups to push herself up on, she would have to balance herself on the Unisayan’s back.
As she had seen a previous person do, Raliena steadied herself and knelt on Eni’s back. He stayed perfectly still as she reached up and just managed to grab the lowest hoop and pull it down before falling back onto Eni.
The crowd had been silent while she did this and cheered now as she threw her hoop down and Eni stood back again, tossing his head around with pride.
Their opponent was clapping cheerily and had to catch himself when his mount lurched forward, eager to get the next one.
With their combined height, he too was able to kneel and reach his with practiced ease.
The game continued like this till they were both standing tall to reach their hoops. Raliena felt more comfortable balancing on Eni’s back. Despite his size, he was an excellent partner as he stayed still as stone while Raliena reached up high.
But now it was even trickier. They watched as the other Unisayan reared up slightly for his rider to reach a difficult hoop. Raliena was not sure she could do that without a saddle but Eni was adamant and sure enough they did reach the next one but had to rear much higher than their opponent, with Raliena part way on her knees. She was lucky her legs were strong enough to hold her but she almost fell off.
The man clapped his hands and nodded, he seemed happy to end it with them winning but his Unisayan pulled forwards again and wouldn’t let him off till he tried to reach the hoop. It took several attempts and near falls before he got it.
Clearly his Unisayan was not going to give in and neither was Eni.
“I cannot best that Eni. Let it go.” Raliena whispered to her mount but he flicked his head backwards and snorted.
Raliena touched his horn again to listen.
Hold on... There was on image with these words of Raliena holding Eni’s horn as he reared higher than the other Unisayan.
She had little time to think as Eni pranced under the hoop and waited for her. Everyone muttered quietly to themselves, all knowing that if she attempted it, it could end in disaster.
But, she was stronger than ever before and could not let Eni down.
The Unisayan waited as she steadied herself into a standing position. The crowd was deathly silent. They did not want to see it end badly but also could not shame the two by stopping it.
Tightly, Raliena gripped Eni’s horn and secured her legs either side of his neck.
Up... Eni’s thoughts said and she was lifted into the air with slow, exact precision, so high that she was able to reach the hoop above the lowest one before being gently lowered to the floor again.
There was a pause before it sunk in what they had achieved and the crowd exploded.
Eni’s joy and pride fizzled through her before she let go of his horn and slid onto his back safely. She waved the hoop in the air triumphantly while Eni danced round in a circle to the applause and cheers.
Without warning the man on the other Unisayan yelled as his mount started running towards Eni who reared in response. Raliena gripped his neck in surprise, trying to stay on the Unisayan as they kicked and whinnied at each other. She heard a yell and gasps from the crowd and several people ran forwards to rein in the enraged Unisayan.
Eni backed off immediately, only trying to defend himself and his rider. Once the other was calmed and led away from the clearing, Eni let Raliena down. Raliena patted his neck and turned to see what had happened to the other rider.
A group of people were gathered around him.
"Give him some space." He heard Yaline say as she dispersed the close crowd.
Lozni was on her knees beside the man with Jaya and a woman who had the man’s head resting in her lap.
"Can you feel this?" Lozni said in a hushed voice.
Raliena watched the man shake his head when Lozni pinched the skin on his thigh. Lozni’s face was grave as she turned to Jaya and Yaline then shook her head sadly.
Jaya knelt down beside the man and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I am sorry my friend. There is nothing we can do to heal it; you have lost the use of your legs."