Azaria (32 page)

Takur must have guessed what was on his mind, or anticipated his curiosity. "I’ve asked Dizon to join us. I thought he might have an advantageous impression on our guest when we ask our questions," he explained.

Azerban nodded with a smile. He could see his elder's point.

"Asek, given your skill with their words, I’ll let you ask our questions and interpret," Takur said.

"Of course, Ta'araki. What would you have me ask him?"

"Ask him his name, Asek."

Asek lowered himself in front of the Kebar and pulled out his flint knife. The terror in the young man's eye was obvious, but he quickly mastered it, holding his chin up defiantly. Asek cut the cord around the man's ankles, freeing his legs. He next lifted him up and slipped the knife back into his waist band. Thumping his chest, he stated his name and then spoke a few halting words mostly incomprehensible to the rest of the observers. The Kebar stared at him for a moment. Azerban guessed he was surprised to hear him using his words. The captive slowly turned his head away, refusing to answer. Asek repeated the exercise, asking the Kebar his name. When the man refused again, Asek grew angry. He repeated the question once again, raising his voice.

The Kebar spit in his face.

"This may be a long night," Takur laughed. "Asek, step away from him. Dizon, why don't you see if you can motivate him?"

Azerban sighed. It wasn't a good start.

Dizon stepped up to the man, displaying his full height. Azerban could see the Kebar cower. He doubted the boy had ever seen anyone so large. Dizon looked down at him and stuck his finger into his own muscled chest, "Dizon!" Then he poked the captive's chest with the same finger. The man looked away defiantly, although there was again terror in his eyes.
At least he has the good sense not to spit on Dizon,
Azerban thought.

Dizon raised his hand and slapped him. It wasn't a powerful slap for Dizon, but it nearly knocked the Kebar over. When he straightened, Dizon poked him in the chest again, somewhat harder. When he still refused to answer, Dizon raised his fist and brought it down into the boy's jaw. The young man crumpled to the floor as if he were a child, blood dripping down the side of his chin. Dizon picked him up with his left arm and by his neck, lifted him off his feet. He drew his fist back once more, now more animatedly, to let the young Kebar know what was coming. Still, the Kebar refused to give his name and Dizon again slammed his fist into his mouth. More blood splattered across his face and onto the mud-brick wall.

Dizon picked him up and brought his fist up yet again, but Azerban had seen enough. "Dizon, that's enough. Let him down," he said.

Dizon obeyed and stepped back. He seemed relieved. Apparently, beating a defenseless boy senseless wasn't the kind of fight he enjoyed, even if it was a Kebar.

"Asek, we don't need his name. Ask him why they attacked us,” Azerban said. “But first tell him there will be no more beatings if he answers our questions. Explain to him we don't understand why they attacked. We want to know what we did to anger them."

Asek sighed. "That's a lot to tell him, Ta'araki. It's been long since I last spoke their words."

"Do your best, my friend," Azerban encouraged.

Asek started slowly, struggling to draw the correct words from his memory. The Kebar had little interest in him, but his attention picked up as Asek continued slowly uttering individual words. Azerban guessed he sounded much like an infant to the young man. When he’d finished, the Kebar stared at him for a long moment, contemplating whether or not he wanted to answer. Finally, he spoke. It was a short string of words.

"What did he say, Asek?" Takur asked, leaning in closer.

"He said he wants us to leave..." Asek answered, "I think."

Sakon let out a cracking laugh, "Of course the boy wants us to leave. I'd want us to leave too, if my son had just beaten me bloody."

"Tell him we'll let him be when he answers our questions, Asek. Ask him again," Takur directed.

Asek addressed the young man a second time, the forgotten words coming a little easier now. The Kebar shook his head and answered, raising his voice. He waved his arm, indicating all the men in the room, and swatted them away, as one would a flock of tiny flying insects.

"He said we need to go... We need to leave..." Asek translated.

Azerban was growing as impatient as the rest. He began to tell Asek to ask the question in a different way, using different words, but another idea came to him. "Asek, ask him if he means us... us in this shelter. Or all of us. All of the Natu."

"What do you mean, Ta'araki? I don't understand what you're asking," Asek replied.

Takur was quick to catch on though and added, "Very clever, Azerban. Perhaps you're not understanding his words, Asek. Perhaps he's not saying we should leave
him
alone. But that they want all of us, the Natu, to leave this place. To abandon this area and go somewhere else."

"But that would mean-"

"I know what it would mean, Asek. Just ask him," Takur commanded.

Asek sighed, thinking for a moment before beginning. When he was done, the Kebar was nodding his head vigorously, shouting two words over and over. Azerban knew one of the words and thought he understood the other. "Natu, leave! Natu, leave!"

Azerban straightened. "That's enough, Asek. Tell him we understand now." He looked to Takur with a grim expression and then the other men in the room. "This explains the attack. They mean to drive us from these lands."

Takur looked uncharacteristically bleak, but said nothing.

Sakon spoke, "Why? How can they expect us to leave? Why don't they leave if they don't like us? My grandfather's grandfathers hunted these hills, slept under these stars. My grandsons will too!" he ended defiantly.

"I agree," Dizon said. "There can be no appeasement, no discussions. What choice do we have, except to drive
them
away? Or exterminate them if they won't leave."

"How could we do that?" Hadir asked. "They are a numerous people. There are many Kebar camps spread over vast lands. They might even outnumber us."

"We are superior. We wouldn't need their numbers," Dizon argued. "The Ta'ar came to us, not them."

"And we would kill all of them? Not only their men, but their women? And their children too?" Hadir asked. His repulsion to Dizon's argument was evident. Azerban was impressed with his response, as he bravely stood his ground in the face of the intimidating warrior.

"And their dogs," Dizon spat back at him.

Takur interrupted Hadir before he had a chance to respond. "These are difficult questions. The Ta'araki will need to meditate on them. Clearly, there is nothing we can do now, with winter upon us. Even if we decided we must rid these lands of the Kebar, Boar Camp could not achieve this alone. All the Natu camps would have to join in. Go back to your hearths, but keep these discussions to yourselves. It will do Boar Camp no good to spend the winter worrying about the Kebar. Instead ready your hearths for our trek to Winter Camp. We leave in four suns."

"What are we to do with the Kebar then?" Dizon asked. "Surely, we won't drag him to Winter Camp? And feed him all winter?"

"What do you suggest, Dizon?" Hadir asked.

"Kill him. Leave his body to the vultures. I'll bring his head to the Kebar lands myself. It's a better death than he deserves."

"I agree," Sakon said, backing his son.

"I don't," Hadir objected. "We should take him back to the Kebar alive. Perhaps the gesture will appease them in some way."

"Appease them? Why should we?" Dizon spat at him again. A large vein in his head throbbed violently. "They will think us weak. And attack again."

"Perhaps we can change their minds," Hadir answered. "We don't even know why they want us to leave. Or if they all feel the same. Perhaps the boy's opinions are not shared so adamantly by his elders."

Azerban was looking at his acolyte with heightened respect, remarking not only at his courage, but at his ability to analyze the situation and argue so rationally.

Dizon however wasn't impressed. "Perhaps!? Perhaps!?" he roared. "Then why are they attacking us? We know what they want! The boy told us. There can be no peace, no changing minds!"

Takur stepped between the two men, laying his hand on Dizon's chest. "We will discuss this matter further before we make our decision," he said. "It can wait until later. For now, we’ll keep him alive. I grow weary. You're all dismissed. Secure him before you take him away."

---

Azaria sat next to her mother, grinding wheat grains inside a mortar. It had always been tedious, laborious work, but she was having more trouble than usual concentrating and the work was progressing far too slowly for her liking. The object of her distraction was obvious. She'd been quietly watching her father while she ground the wheat into a powdery form, wondering if his apprehension was due only to the recent Kebar attack. Ever since he'd returned from his meeting the previous evening he'd been preoccupied, even more than normal. He'd not been able to sit still, was constantly getting up to walk outside before returning a few moments later. Although she'd prepared a midsun snack for him quite a while ago, he'd barely touched it.

“Father, would you like some tea?” she offered, thinking he could use something to calm his nerves.

"Huh? Tea... No, Azaria," he replied.

Just then a man burst through the entrance flaps without bothering to announce himself, an act widely considered offensive. Azaria recognized him as the young hunter who'd watched over her during the attack. "Azerban! Azerban!"

"What is it, Seto?" Azerban asked, his annoyance evident in his harsh tone.

"The Kebar!" Seto answered. He must have then realized how disrespectful he'd just been. "Forgive me, Ta'araki. I didn't mean to-"

"Forget it, boy! What about the Kebar? Another attack?"

"No, Ta'araki! They say they come in peace. There are only three of them. They're being escorted to Ta'araki's shelter now."

Azerban raised himself and quickly changed into his formal Ta'araki wear. "Your trespass is forgiven, Seto," he said as he tore his tunic off, "considering the circumstances. Have Asek and Sakon been called?"

"Yes, Ta'araki."

"Good. Then go inform Hadir. Tell him to make himself appropriate and to meet me at Ta'araki's shelter. And be sure to announce your presence before you barge into his hearth."

"Of course, Ta'araki. Right away."

Azerban kissed his mate and daughter. "Forgive me if I miss the evening meal. Azaria, will you find Quzo and bring him here? I’d feel better knowing his whereabouts with the Kebar here."

"Of course, father."

Moments later Azerban found himself making his way to an important meeting for the second sun in a row. Unlike the previous evening however, he had no idea how this one would proceed. Passing several hunters acting as guards on his way in, he arrived to find three foreign, albeit familiar enough men standing proudly, yet respectfully in front of Takur. Asek and Sakon had already arrived and were standing on either side of him. Azerban nodded to the Kebar men, and then stood off to the side. Hadir, came rushing over a moment later, breathing hard and looking somewhat disheveled.

"Good, everyone is arrived," Takur said. "It seems we have quite an evening in front of us." Azerban wasn't the only one to find his flippancy offputting.

"Our visit can be brief, if you choose."

Azerban looked over to the three Kebar, astounded one of them spoke his words so well. The voice had a raspy quality to it and he guessed it belonged to the older man standing in the middle. He was somewhat frail, but looked as though there was still some vigor in him. His dark hair was cropped very close to the scalp. The large, bushy-haired man next to him smiled at the reaction of the Natu. Clearly he had enjoyed their startled reaction. The younger man standing on the other side kept his face expressionless. His facial qualities and stature resembled the second man’s. Azerban decided he must be his son. He carried a large, bulging bag with him.

"You speak our words well," Takur said, the first to regain his composure. "Your civility honors us."

The Kebar nodded. Azerban couldn't tell if he recognized Takur meant it as a slight.

When it became clear the man would not take his bait, Takur continued, "I must admit however, to being astonished you dare come here in false peace after attacking us?"

Again, the Kebar remained unperturbed. He answered in a quiet, but confident voice. "None of your people were killed. We have come to gather what is ours."

"Did you? And what would we possibly want with something of yours?" Takur replied. Azerban thought it was a poor attempt at a lie. Fahim was so much better at this. He laughed to himself, having seen the irony in only now realizing this fact. But would the other man detect the falsehood? Whether he did or not, it was obvious the Kebar, with his lingual talent and calm resolve, had set Ta'araki off-balance. It should’ve been the other way around.

"We know you have our hunter. We would like him back," the Kebar leader said.

Takur continued with his deceit. "I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about."