13th day of the 3rd month 650th year of the 8th era

Araki was woken up by Nanberry shaking him.

“Sorry to wake you,” Nanberry apologised. The sleeping section was still dark. Nanberry handed Araki his tunic. “There is a messenger from our sentries,” Nanberry continued.

Araki stood and stepped into his tunic then followed Nanberry to the dividing wall. He tossed back the dividing curtain, stepped into his boots, and pushed the outer flap back. A man wearing a black tunic and black boots, with a composite short bow in hand and a sheaf of arrows at his hilt stood waiting,

“Sorry to wake you, but I was instructed to wake all the men available for war,” the sentry said.

“What seems to be the problem?” Araki asked.

“Do you have your weapon?” he asked.

“Let me get it.” Araki stepped back into the tent. Aquillia stood just behind the tent flap dressed in her tunic and boots, her sword on her back and Araki’s belt in hand. She handed his belt to him and he buckled it to his waist. Stella threw back the inner divider and stepped into the outer room.

“I want to join you in combat,” Stella insisted.

“You can barely fight,” Aquillia said.

“Not to mention you have no weapon,” Nanberry said as she stepped out of the sleeping section behind Stella.

“How am I to learn my trade if I am apart from my master?” Stella insisted.

“You could watch,” placated Araki, “but you can’t until you are dressed.”

“I will dress also and keep her out of the way,” Nanberry said.

Araki nodded and waved Aquillia to follow. He pushed back the tent flap and Aquillia followed him out of the tent. The man’s eyes widened, as the tent flap dropped back into place.

“She is my bodyguard,” Araki stated. “She comes with me.”

The man looked at Aquillia, nodded, and then turned away. He led them to the edge of the camp where three other men also dressed the same as him waited.

“Why did you come to me?” Araki asked.

“Until a new chief is selected you are the head of our last chief’s family, so you are the chief in his stead until a rightful chief is selected.”

Araki nodded and Aquillia frowned.

“We called for you because of that.” He pointed out over the grasslands. The sun was behind them and a gloom hung in the air in front of them.

Araki squinted and peered into the distance. A fluttering green pennant could be seen on the horizon.

“Another clan is following us?” Araki asked.

“Yes.”

Stella and Nanberry arrived at the edge of camp next to them.

“Is someone following us?” Nanberry asked.

The three men didn’t flinch as they turned to face Nanberry and Stella. The first man looked at Stella blushed and looked at the ground.

“I can only see a green pennant,” Araki offered.

“Are you sure it is green?” Nanberry asked.

“It’s green,” confirmed one of the men.

“Last time I saw a green pennant was back in Ashford,” Aquillia offered.

“A green pennant is flown by Clan Linjah,” Nanberry stated.

“Why would they follow us?”

“They are our rivals; we defeated their chief in his attempt to become our king.”

“Were they there last night?” Araki asked.

“They weren’t,” replied a man in black.

“Then they travelled at night.” Araki turned and looked back at camp. “Move everyone out but leave our pennant until everything else is packed.”

The four men in black all saluted then moved back into the camp.

“What are you planning?” Nanberry asked.

“I think they moved until they could see our pennant.”

Nanberry nodded.

“By leaving it in position until last they will waste time before packing,” Stella completed.

“It is the first thing to be dismantled,” agreed Nanberry. “It should be interesting to see what happens if we leave it up till last.”

The camp was dismantled quickly, and the pennant pulled down last. The whole clan was out and, on their horses, to watch as the pennant was lowered and the pole supporting it dismantled. It was broken into several segments and packed onto the back of a horse, the banner folded carefully and packed into a saddle bag. The last of the men mounted their horses and the clan began to move.

A man in black rode up beside Araki and saluted.

“The green pennant was just lowered. They are following us,” he said.

“Can we march through the night and through the next day?” Araki asked.

“We can do that a few times,” the man in black said.

“They marched through last night,” Araki commented.

“We believe so,” the man said.

“Let’s march for two nights and a day to evade them,” Araki said.

“Very good.” He nudged his horse and galloped away.

“You seem to be adjusting to leadership very quickly,” Nanberry said, placing a hand on his shoulder, as they kept moving with the people.

“Apparently they believe I am the chieftain until a new one is elected.”

“That’s good. If you do a good job, you might gain the support of some of the voters.”

“I am not a contender?”

Nanberry nodded. “You will need to be confirmed as head of the house before you can officially cast your vote for the chieftain.”

“I guess I need supporters for that?”

Nanberry smiled. “It certainly helps … though a pregnancy would be better.”

Araki blushed. “I am doing the best I can.”

“Can you do more?”

“I slept with Aquillia last night and Stella the night before. How much more could I do?”

“Tonight, I will come to you.”

“We are not married.”

“I know … you are not married to Aquillia or Stella either, but you have slept with both since your arrival.”

Araki blushed.

“Don’t worry about the formalities. If I fall pregnant from you, all will consider us automatically married. You can adopt a son in this case.”

Araki nodded. ‘Which clan claims to be the oldest?”

“I am not certain, but I believe that each of the clans used to be one clan and broke apart as their herds and infighting grew too much.”

Nanberry shrugged. “The histories get very confusing and I doubt even the records in the capital don’t have the answer to that question. Apart from being the leader of the clan, the chief is responsible for making life and death decisions. A chief is also meant to know where the water is, though this is not always a required trait.”

“Do the clan chiefs ever come together?”

“The moot,” nodded Nanberry. “Every few years they come together to discuss and solve any issues amongst the clans.”

“When is the next one?”

“In a few years.”

***

At dusk, four horses pulled up beside Araki’s. The four horsemen, dressed in loose robes, nodded to each other. Araki noted that they seemed sure of themselves, carrying themselves with an air of authority and an expectation that other people would explain themselves to them.

The first man had shoulder-length, thinning blonde hair He spoke first. “Why have you prevented us from camping tonight?”

Nanberry, riding next to him, coughed. “Araki Rosethorn, please let me introduce the clan elders. This man is Drice, the one to his left is Yalla.” Araki noticed he was the only bald one and had striking blue eyes set into his dark brown skin. “The next is Jungurrur,” Nanberry continued. Jungurrur’s face was deeply lined and weather-beaten, his dark black hair fell in curls around his ears from his receding hairline. “Lastly Bunyan,” Nanberry finished. Bunyan was the obviously youngest man with long golden hair that fell to his shoulders.

“Thank you, Nanberry,” Araki said. “It is nice to meet you all gentlemen.”

The elders shifted in their saddles, and Araki smirked at them a moment before responding to their demand. “I gave instructions to keep moving through the night so that we can avoid those following us,” Araki said.

“There is no one following us,” Drice insisted.

“At first light, I was woken by the night sentries who showed me a green pennant flying on the horizon.”

“Green. That means Linjah,” one of the others commented.

“I assumed that we didn’t want to be followed.”

“I agreed with his decision to move at first light,” another man chimed in.

“That doesn’t mean we keep moving through the night,” Drice defended.

“If there is someone following us then we need to ensure that there is plenty of distance between us and them,” asserted another man.

“Let’s call a vote of the family heads,” Araki suggested.

“We represent the majority of the voters,” Drice supplied.

“Then we all need to be in agreement,” Araki concluded. “Yalla what do you say?”

“I agree with you,” Yalla consented.

“Bunyan?”

“I concur,” Bunyan said.

“Jungurrur?”

“I abstain.”

“Drice?”

“I disagree. I think we should establish camp and see if they are there tomorrow.”

“That is two to one. We continue through the night,” Araki finalised.

“That is not agreement,” Drice protested.

“I vote for continuing, which incidentally makes it three on one with one abstention.”

“That does make a majority,” Yalla said.

“We will travel through the night. I will have the vote double-checked when we stop.” Drice rode off.

“I think you are filling your uncle’s shoes quite nicely,” Bunyan said as he rode off.

The others peeled off and returned to their families.

“You did well,” Nanberry said, riding up beside him.

“Thanks. I think I pushed Drice too far though.”

“Drice was always like that. The others know what he is like, that is why they oppose him.”

Araki nodded.

“You got another supporter in Bunyan. He was the chief supporter for your uncle.”

“I think you want me to run for chieftain.”

“I think you will do well.” Nanberry smirked.

***

14th day of the 3rd month 650th year of the 8th era

As dusk set in at the end of the long trip, Araki nearly fell out of his saddle and slumped to the ground. He helped assemble the tent and set up the children’s enclosure, with the help of Jubeck.

The girls started a fire to cook a stew. Nanberry, Aquillia and Stella rolled out the carpets inside the tents. Once the basic tents were done, they all began to set up the internal walls.

They all happily settled into the cushions when they were done, and the girls passed around bowls with dinner. They ate in silence and then undressed and collapsed onto the cushions and blankets.

Araki closed his eyes and he dreamed.

He stood in his stirrups and looked around the battlefield. His men had ambushed a small camp of orcs and had descended upon them. He had emerged victorious, killing twenty orcs, but the encounter had diminished his force by another three.

Darkness enveloped him again.

He stood in a large tent with forty men, in the centre of the tent sat a large bronze rod that glowed faintly. A man reached out and picked up the rod and the glow dimmed. When he returned it to the cushion on the floor, the glow returned.

A second man took the rod and it darkened again.

Everything went black and Araki stood naked around a campfire with eight other people, all naked. Normally the voices just chanted into his mind. Now he had a full vision. The burning campfire swelled and sending off sparks.

A man directly to his right opened his mouth and he spoke.

A man’s heart is fickle,

true must a man’s heart be

to wield the spirit.

Honour and glory,

reveal the soul.

Remain true to your word

and see glory.

The others all chanted. Araki tried to stop it but he couldn’t move. He couldn’t open his eyes or wake up; he was stuck.

A king stays with a lie.

Then a woman opened her mouth and spoke. He knew the words and continued to struggle. The speakers had changed but he had heard the words enough to know what was coming.

Lies destroy the heart and mind,

Truth frees the soul,

Honesty shall humble you.

Gains shall follow.

Return to truth,

Separate truth from lie.

The sword divides,

Truth sets the captives free.

Together the whole group chanted. These were new words. He stopped struggling and let the words wash over him.

Corruption eats at society.

A second man opened his mouth and spoke.

Warriors march and peace leaves,

Peace returns, and warriors depart.

The tempest spent

Hearts soar.

Girded with belt and sword,

Peace is sought.

None can make,

Rest is given.

The whole group chanted.

Justification for sin imperils all.

Then a second woman spoke.

A beacon on a hill

Can be seen by all.

Heart and spirit unite,

Washed white as snow.

Steadfast in truth and loyalty,

People from light and dark.

Blood spent,

Gathered in the storm.

Together they all chanted.

Fallen, fallen all is lost.

A third man spoke.

Courage rises,

Screaming into the face of danger.

Hope returned,

A battle saved.

Valiant leadership went forth,

Driving fear away,

Leaping into the fray,

Tearing it away.

They all chanted.

Swept aside nothing stands.

Then a third woman spoke.

Glowing bright,

Dawn breaks.

One life saved,

Night is broken.

Covered in darkness,

A quick step,

Lost forever,

Never to return.

They all chanted.

Set apart a remnant shall rise.

A fourth man spoke.

Grip, twist, grasp,

Strength run through.

Only the strong

And steadfast.

A beacon in light

Waxes cold.

Only together can they stand

Against the coming doom.

They all chanted.

Swirling around the last few, hate closes in.

Then the fourth woman spoke.

Arrows fly,

Metal rings,

A god attacks,

Men are doomed.

Restrained no more,

Corruption, hate and strife,

Death, lust, and greed,

Fight we must or to doom to go.

They all chanted.

Sword on sword we stand the last battle will find us.

They stopped, and silence descended. They turned and faced him.

Araki awoke with a gasp, sitting up, his skin sticky with sweat. The room dark. A woman stirred near him.

“What happened?” a sleepy Stella asked.

“Bad dream,” he replied.

She shifted and wrapped her arms around him. “Lie down. I am here with you.”

Araki lay back into the cushions, and he closed his eyes.