I awoke early next morning. Grimshaw led me through my morning exercises. We ran through the Gar’shan Quarter for a few kilometers to finish off the exercise and to see the city. My first impression of it remained true, it was crowded and dirty. But I started to notice some things that made it beautiful in its own way. Many apartment buildings had murals that depicted heroes of the scriptures. I saw one of Treena fighting a horrifying green creature that I assumed was a goblin. I smiled at it and noticed that were in the southeast section of the Quarter. Between apartment buildings were little parks where I saw meditations going on, or sparring, or craftwork. It was cold and early in the morning, but the parks were still full.

As I ran, I noticed that the braids were different here. Of course, they all got to wear a small front braid that curved around the right ear denoting they were free. Hector had changed his hair to signify that on the first night.in Yeshua. But they had other braids as well. The tribal braid was the main one, of course, and it wrapped around the back, but usually was worn over the shoulder. There were other braids within the tribal braid, wrapped around and sometimes through, that meant nothing to me. I saw no braids to state if the man was single or claimed. I asked Grimshaw about this and he explained that the braid for marriage was different here and was usually a long strand on top of the head. He told me to speak with an Elaynian if I wanted to know more.

I grew to love this little city within a city. It was a city of my people, and it was beautiful. I wanted to hug all the people I passed. Word must have spread around that I was a new teacher, and not faithless. People stayed out of our way as we ran, and many acknowledged us as teachers when we passed them. The courtesy offered me was a little terrifying, as if they expected something from me that I didn’t have to give. I started to realize I was a symbol of hope to them, of faith and knowledge. I didn’t feel very faithful or knowledgeable.

I asked Grimshaw if any Gar’shan lived in other parts of the city. He laughed and said simply that the answer was ‘no’. Gar’shan worked there, but never lived there. It wasn’t a law or anything, it just wasn’t done. I noticed that very few Yeshuan came over to the Quarter. I asked about this, and he confirmed that while it was not dangerous to Yeshuans to be here, they felt uncomfortable and unsafe here.

When we got back to the temple, the teacher’s house, I had a surprise waiting there for me. Loh was standing there. He was freshly washed, and his hair was clean. He was dressed in fine clothes and holding flowers. He looked years younger than he had in all the armor and grime of the road. I mentally corrected his age down to him being in his middle 20s. I must say, he looked rather handsome. And the clothes, they were Gar’shan! Before I could speak, Teacher Grimshaw left and told me that I was safe here.

“Loh, what are you doing here?” I asked, embarrassed. People were eyeing him and his short brown hair and his brown eyes and his wearing our people’s clothes.

“I came to see you, Vin.” He said nervously, but in perfect Gar’shan. It was then that I noticed he and the leader had been the only ones who could speak my language, I knew Tauron and Gar’shan, but not Yeshuan.

“I am sorry, did I give you the impression that I wanted to see you again?” I asked, not feeling very polite. I had to live with his advances on the road, but not here where I was free and surrounded by people who would protect me.

Loh seemed to wilt at my response. But his hope didn’t die on his face.

“Did I tell you that I am a quarter Gar’shan? My mother’s mother was Gar’shan, though she became faithless and married a wealthy Yeshuan. I know my tribe, though, I am Alexian by right of birth through direct lineage from my mother. I do not tell many people that, but I am. I learned the language from my mother, who learned it from her mother. If you want, I will convert to your faith.”

I was stunned. Then I wondered just how many were like him in the city. It must be many. “Why, Loh. You hardly know me? I am not some passive boy for you to claim. I am a teacher, Loh. Do you know what that means?”

“It means that you will need help and protection. I can offer that.”

“I do not want that, not from you.”

“Do you not find me attractive? I will grow my hair out for you. Just teach me how to braid it.”

“its not that, Loh.”

“Do you not like men at all?”

“No, Loh. Of course I like both men and women. I just do not like you.”

“But you see that I have worth!” He cried out, pained. “You let me live, and you said that I was born with worth!”

“All people are born with worth, Loh. You have a soul.” I said, finally with some kindness. I felt pity for him, a deep sadness. Even when I was enslaved, I believed I had worth. To imagine that you did not… well, that’s what Unther’s slaves must have felt like. And they grew listless and dead inside.

“Listen, you do not need to want to have sex with me. I understand that you might never want that. But I want to be among people who see my worth, who feel that I deserve that worth. And when I met you… I fell for you pretty hard, and then when you proved to me that you wouldn’t kill me even when you could. Well, I am ready to swear loyalty to you and to become Gar’shan. Its something I have not been aware I wanted until I met you. Please, Vin!”

I sighed. I had no idea how the others would take this. He was the grandchild of a faithless Gar’shan. Faithless Gar’shan usually left their community behind. But the scriptures were clear that anyone born to a woman with a tribe to her name was Gar’shan. If it had been his grandfather who was Gar’shan, for instance, and his wife was Yeshuan, Loh would not be a Gar’shan. He had some right to declare it. I knew that was a technicality, but I wondered how the local Gar’shan would take it. This never happened in Taurus, of course. Who would want to declare themselves a slave?

Teacher Hawthorne had come out after hearing Loh cry out.

“What is this noise about. You. Why are you here?” he said, directly to Loh.

“I have come to reclaim my heritage. I am Alexian by birth through my grandmother, my mother’s mother. I wish to become Gar’shan. And I wish to protect this teacher, Teacher Palion.” He pointed at me. I was surprised he knew my last name… but perhaps Shalin had called me it when he was around.

“Who is your mother’s mother?”

“Tilda Wright. She is Alexian.”

“Do you know her birthdate?”

“I do not, but I can guess the year… 734.”

Teacher Hawthorne sighed and spoke to one of his helpers. “Get the records from around then. We shall see if there is a Tilda Wright. Also, get Maya Wright here, she might remember if she is related to a Tilda.”

“And what is your name?”

“Loh”

“A Yeshuan name, of course. And why would you deign to become Gar’shan?”

“You believe I have worth. My family does not. I want to believe that I have worth, that everyone had worth. I want to believe I have a soul.”

“I suspect that is not all of your reasons. Tell me the other reasons.”

Loh shifted uncomfortably. “I find Teacher Palion to be inspiring. I would like to court him if he would let me. But even if he does not, I want to be his protector.”

“So, young love is it? Teacher Palion, do you feel the same?”

I examined myself. I did find him kind of attractive, but there was no way I would date anyone now. I had school to go to, then I had my pastoral duties afterwards, and I had to find the young immortal to work with, if he was alive.

“No, I do not. I cannot. I have school to attend to and duties after that, surely I do not have time to have a romance… who knows where I will be sent to.” I responded.

If I had to go to Taurus to be a teacher there, a Yeshuan would never be able to follow me. Either he would be viewed as Yeshuan and therefore an enemy of the state or Gar’shan and a slave.

“I see you have a sword on you, do you know how to use it, Yeshuan?” Hawthorne asked.

‘I do, I know very well how to use it, in the Yeshuan style. I am part of a war party. I have seen a much combat and know how to conduct myself on the battlefield.”

“If you are a part of a war party, then you are not free to become Gar’shan.”

“I was part of a war party. They all let me leave the party, though now I have no worth to them.” He looked troubled when he said this. I realized, then, just how much Loh had given up just for the chance to be with me. He had given up the only family he had.

“Well, come inside. We will wait for confirmation that you are who you are. I am not saying that you can travel with Teacher Palion and his group. That is up to Teachers Grimshaw and Palion. But if your story checks out, and if you are sincere in wanting to be Gar’shan, then we will accept you. It won’t be easy, people around here aren’t that receptive to Yeshuans, and despite being Gar’shan by our scriptures, it doesn’t mean the people will accept you.”

“I know. That does not matter. I have a soul, I know it. Teacher Palion saw it in me.”

We walked into the temple into the community room, and people got us breakfast. It was leftovers from yesterday’s feast. It still tasted wonderful. I ate quickly, as I was hungry from the run. Someone had gotten a vase out and put the flowers into it. I could tell the flowers were expensive, as they looked like Tauron blooms, and it was too cold for flowers still.

After about 10 minutes of Loh looking at me like a puppy dog, Shalin came bounding downstairs, dressed and ready for the day. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Loh. Instantly, I saw her defenses come up. He happy expression left, and her whole demeanor changed. And when she looked at the flowers, she became pale.

“Where did you get those,” she asked, pointing at the flowers.

“I brought them for Vin.” Loh said proudly, not realizing that something was horribly wrong with Shalin.

She went running back upstairs. I wondered what was wrong and started to get up. “I will get Hector, he will help her,” Grimshaw said, telling me to sit down.

It was then that an older woman came in. She had tanned skin and a weathered face, like she knew hard work and was used to it day in and day out. She had a bald head, and no jewelry on. “Teacher Hawthorne, it is a pleasure to speak with you,” she said politely. “Teacher Palion, welcome. And Teacher Grimshaw, welcome as well. How can I help, Teacher?”

“Thank you for coming on such a short notice, Maya. Were you at work?” Hawthorne offered her a seat. She took it with a sigh.

“No. Sen and Sra Zarun asked me to come in late, as they wanted to spend some alone time with the children. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been available when your runner came looking for me.”

“Would you like some breakfast?” Hawthorne asked politely. She shook her head.

“No thanks, Teacher, but you feel free to eat.”

“I was just finishing. Maya, the reason we asked you to come is that we wanted to see if you remember a cousin, or perhaps and aunt names Tilda?”

Her face went stiff and though she remained polite, she responded curtly. “I have no Tilda in my family.”

“This is important, we need to check the veracity of this young man’s claims. He claims he had a grandmother, his mother’s mother, named Tilda Wright. She was faithless, but this man is requesting to join the Gar’shan again. You are Alexian and your last name is Wright, so I wondered if you had heard of her. Have you heard of her, Maya?”

She looked at Loh, then. She sighed. I could tell from a mile away that she knew who Tilda was and, because she was faithless, didn’t want to claim her as family. But she couldn’t lie, not to a Teacher.

“I had a Tilda once in my family, but she became faithless and left the family for a rich Yeshuan. She was my aunt.” She said this as if she were saying a dirty secret, one she was embarrassed about.

“If this boy is correct, then he is your cousin, once removed. He wants to practice the faith. The boy needs family, he lost his own. They said he has no worth.” Maya looked at Loh, then. Really looked at Loh.

“I suppose I see the family nose and chin on him.” She said this reluctantly, but with a little warmth. “Why would you give up being a Yeshuan and come down here to the Quarter to live with us? That makes no sense.”

“Do you believe I have worth,” Loh asked.

“I suppose you do, young man.” Maya said this with a little sadness. It was the sadness we all felt towards the Yeshuan.

Loh smiled a huge grin. “See,” he said to me. Just then, the runner came with the leader of the Alexians, who had a book with him.

After telling Judge Proctor, the leader of the Alexians, the situation he looked at the book and located Tilda’s birth in the records. She was born in 744, just as Loh had said.

Teacher Hawthorne stood and pronounced warmly “it seems the Gar’shan increased its number today. I welcome you into the community.”

“And I guess I welcome you into the tribe. I will show you to where we stay.” Judge Proctor said.

“And, since you are a Wright, I welcome you into the family. As crazy as all this is.” Loh smiled, lighting up his whole face. In 24 hours, he had lost a family and gained a new family.

“As for whether you travel with us into Solom,” Teacher Grimshaw said, “that is up to Teacher Palion.”

Everyone looked at me. I started to blush.

“I can fight, and I will protect you from the monsters and from any Yeshuans and Taurons we may encounter from here on out.” Loh said this hopefully.

I couldn’t think of a reason not to take him, though I was a little leery of it. It would be good to have such a trained fighter with us, and he might smooth over any issues with any Yeshuans we might cross paths with. But I was concerned about Shalin, she had a strong reaction to seeing Loh here. I would have to speak with her and get her permission. I told everyone that, and Maya and Judge Proctor left with Loh to show him around his new family, tribe, and people.

I went up to the bedrooms and looked for Shalin. I found her sobbing into the chest of Hector. I knocked lightly on the door.

Hector glared at me, but Shalin sat up a little. “Its alright, Hector. I owe an explanation for my behavior.”

“No, you do not,” I replied. “I am just worried about you, is everything ok?”

“Yes, yes, it is.” She wiped away at her tears. “Its just, seeing those flowers, it reminded me of… of…”

“Unther” Hector finished for her.

“The flowers did, why?”

“One of my main duties was to go to buy flowers to bring into the lab, to cover up the smell of death and decay. I would get dozens every day and replace them when needed. Seeing them, smelling them. made me… remember.” She dissolved into tears again and I say down next to her.

“I can’t imagine the pain that seeing those flowers put you through. I am sorry that happened.”

“Its alright. I suppose I shall have to learn to see flowers and not cry like that, like a little Tauron maiden.” She wiped the tears away, smiling. She had gone through so much for someone her age. Too much. She was 16 at best, No one should live through that in a lifetime, let alone in 16 years. It made me hate the Taurons even more.

I then told her about Loh.

“He is a Gar’shan?” She asked, confused.

“By birth, yes.”

“But he doesn’t look Gar’shan.”

“He is only a quarter Gar’shan, by matrilineal lineage. He is Alexian.”

“But, I mean, can we trust him? He is Yeshuan too. They kill and hurt and maim and grope.” She shuddered, remembering how Loh’s war party treated me and her.

“But he didn’t. He was always polite to us.”

“Do you like him.”

“I suppose I like him.”

“No, I mean do you like him?” She asked, blushing a little.

“Oh. I don’t know. I suppose it doesn’t matter. I am a teacher, and I will be too busy for romance.”

“You don’t have to have a relationship to, like him.”

“Stop, Shalin,” I said, embarrassed a little. “Do you mind if he comes with us… I mean… if you come with us do you mind if he comes too?”

She thought about it. “Its OK. I haven’t decided if I am going to stay here or go. I suppose I should decide it.”

“Hector, do you mind if Loh comes?” Hector just shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t care.

“I guess he comes with us, then.”