Her plan seemed to be working, because the large body of riders was converging on the oasis and not on the fast disappearing line of camels. The men who remained abandoned by their mistress were running about in evident panic as it became clear to them what was about to take place. The enemy riders were closing in.
I rode into the midst of a panicked bunch of men and called out authoritatively, “Get into the water! Get into it now!”
I got blank stares in return, but my audience was then brutally shoved along by Jarken and Thanuel, who seemed to know what I was about to do.
I spurred the horse I rode onward and, leaning out of the saddle, I snatched up a burning torch from near the caravan mistress’s tent and wasted no time firing it and all the cargo I could find. Arrows zipped about me, but none landed.
The cargo ablaze, as well as many of the tents, I dropped the torch and wheeled the horse toward the central waterhole. The horse gave out from beneath me as a javelin plunged deeply into its side, but a few inches from my leg.
I kicked my legs free of the stirrups and bolted from the saddle in a head first tumble. I somersaulted up to my feet and just kept running. Flames had already spread from the tents to the overhead canopy that was as dry as tinder.
I heard the sound of a horse’s neigh of terror from behind me as burning embers from the overhead canopy fell to the ground. A lance thrust past me by the barest of margins and I reacted aggressively. I dodged to the left and slammed into the horse’s shoulder, whose rider had just about gored me through.
The unexpected shove sent the horse into a tumble of horse and man. I launched into the shallow water and sloshed my way to the tight formed group of men near the pool’s center. None of the marauding raiders were as interested in attacking the men in the pool as they were with escaping the blazing inferno that was erupting all around us.
The cargo was beyond salvaging and with angered shouts the raiders fought free of the blazing oasis, leaving us alone. Through the smoke we watched as they regrouped and threw their mounts into hot pursuit after the departed caravan.
My plan had worked. Now all we had to do was survive the fire.
Coughing on smoke, I kept low in the water and watched for opportunities to escape, but the entire oasis was well ablaze. We were alive, but still, this smoke wasn’t good for anyone.
I gestured to the others when I saw a route open up and reluctantly they left the shelter of the water to follow after me. Being completely soaked helped combat against the heat of the flames, but it was still hot!
Finally a way opened up to where we were breathing fresher air and then suddenly we were free of the oasis. Gasping in relief, we pressed on until we were entirely free of the smoke and breathing the cleaner air of the desert.
Beating at the burning embers in my hair I watched the almost comical antics of the others, still fully clothed, beating at themselves and rolling around in the sand. I’d used my shirt to filter out smoke in order to breathe while still in the water, but I’d lost it at some point in the escape through the flames. I hugged my arms to my bare chest. The burning oasis was warm at my back, but the desert night air was cold.
A cloak fell about my shoulders and I glanced to the side to see that it was Thanuel who had done it. He was laughing as if it was all a big joke instead of being the dire circumstance it had been. We had just nearly all been burned alive.
Thanuel’s arm came around my shoulder and he shook me good-naturedly, “Ahhh what a good head you have on your shoulders Benaiah! If it wasn’t for that stunt, even now we would all be dead or being roasted alive over a bandit’s fire. Well done!”
“I just about got you killed and yet you’re thanking me for saving you?”
“I was but singed. It’s nothing! Now what are your orders?”
“Orders?” I responded back blankly.
“Yes! Orders! We are yours to lead. You saved our lives and we are now indebted to you. Aren’t we boys?” Thanuel called out. Roars of approval echoed out from the men gathered, the loudest of which being Jarken.
I separated away from Thanuel and turned to face the group, “I’m not your leader! I’m the youngest of you all to be sure!”
Thanuel pointed a big finger at me, “Ahhh but you are the smartest!”
Giving him a direct look I said, “I very much doubt that Thanuel.”
Thanuel shrugged his shoulders and smiled ruefully before then kneeling down on one knee and saying authoritatively, “It does not matter! You are a man. A good man. A man worth helping and I for one want to be a part of what you get yourself into. Here is my sword and my hand is ready to wield it, but it lacks direction as does the course of my life. Now, what are your orders?”
The others echoed much the same and I found myself staring down into the expectant faces of 14 battle hardened men who stared at me as if I was the source of their purpose for being. How had this come about?
Feeling unsure of what was expected of me as a leader I said by way of an order, “I’m headed north.”
Thanuel clapped his hands and rose to his feet, “North it is then!”
I shook my head as a sudden thought came to me, “We should see if anything remains of the cargo and catch up those camels grazing over there. I have no money. I can’t pay you anything, but if we complete the journey then maybe we’ll have something.”
Jarken nodded and walked toward the grazing camels slapping me on the back as he passed by. Half of the group followed, while the other half headed toward several piles of cargo that had gone untouched by the flames.
I stood there with Thanuel as I watched the others move off to accomplish the orders that I had just given.
“Why?” I asked aloud.
“Why not?” Thanuel responded.
I shook my head, at a loss for the way things were changing. I felt overwhelmed and excited all at the same time. Panic seized me all of a sudden. What if I messed up and got these men killed?
Thanuel stepped beside me to view the burning oasis. The mistress’s tent was gone and yet when he spoke I instantly knew what he was referring to, “That was special, what you did. I have seen few men, and none of your age, resist temptation such as that. You’ve already succeeded in one area where most have failed.”
“I’m nothing special, Thanuel, so don’t build me up as such.”
Thanuel smiled, “And yet, I believe that you are.”
He started to walk off to where they were loading cargo up and I said, “What if I get us all killed?”
Thanuel turned and shrugged, “Death comes to all of us at some point. The difference, though, is in how one faces it. You have a choice Benaiah, live in fear of death or live life fully and do what needs done. I think you’re the latter and that’s enough, as it’s better to go out like a lion then choked off like an old hound on a leash.”
He continued on and I shook my head at his twisted logic. He did have a point though. What good did worrying get me right now?
Now was the time for action, with the future being a new surprise around each corner of life’s path. I wanted to see what lay ahead and now I had a company of men to go along for the journey. I wasn’t alone anymore and I had the respect of others. That was a rather nice feeling.
I saw some more camels and I headed off to help Jarken round them up. My life had just jumped once again in a way I hadn’t expected. Would I ever be ready for what life threw at me next?
Reversely, what did it matter if I wasn’t ready? I had purpose in the belief in El Elyon and He directed my steps and provided the abilities that I lacked. Should death find me it would not be an end, but rather the start of another journey.
At peace, at the realization of the slack hold of the fear of dying, I headed back toward the oasis tugging on the lead strap of the string of wide-eyed camels. They didn’t like the flames, but oddly for me as I gazed at the fire consuming the oasis, I had a vision of seeing the sight again, only it would be houses on fire and not palm trees.
*****
A day into our journey we found what was left of the caravan. There wasn’t much.
The bandits had been thorough and merciless in their cleanup of the forward caravan. Buzzards lifted off the ground from the scattered corpses that littered the desert.
The caravan had been caught strung out and on the move, with no chance of mounting a defense. Strangely I felt no sympathy for the dead as they, by their own actions, had sold us down the river to die in their place. It hadn’t worked out that way though.
A pair of jackals broke away from the carcass of a camel and sped off a distance to wait for us to pass by. It was a large camel and instantly I knew it to be that of the caravan master.
The big man had impressed me and it didn’t surprise me that I didn’t see him lying on the ground. Bruton would have taken out a lot of the enemy and yet I saw no sign of a struggle. I did see spots of blood though, leading up a dune.
I paused and the caravan stopped. While the others waited behind me I debated about what to do.
I owed the man nothing. He’d had little to say to me and yet I had respected him. He’d run a tight ship when it came down to doing his job. Somehow, leaving him behind to bleed out or die of dehydration in the desert didn’t seem a fitting end for such a man.
I dropped the rope of my camel and headed toward the dune. Without saying anything, several of the others followed along.
I crested the dune and saw more blood. Following the trail, I came to the gully bottom between two dunes and the trail of blood abruptly ended. The hair on the back of my neck lifted. How did a blood trail just disappear like that?
The only possible solution was that he…..I jumped to the side as a blade thrust up out of the sand directly at me. I felt the breeze of it pass by and had instant reflection on just how short life could be. I seized hold of the black wrist that was easily twice the size of mine and held on for dear life.
The man was desperate to survive and sickeningly I saw him bringing up his other fist to smash into my head. Jarken seized hold of the incoming hand and together we immobilized the weakened man, who at full power would’ve smashed our heads together and pulped our brains.
“Bruton it’s us! Friends!” Thanuel yelled out, trying to reach into the caravan master’s panicked consciousness.
Some part of me couldn’t believe what the man had done. Wounded, he’d buried himself here in the sand and waited patiently for a chance to either kill one of his hunters or buy the time needed to survive. The broken off haft of a javelin still protruded from the man’s left side. He’d been smart not to remove it as he would have bled out by now, but it was doing him no favors to leave it in.
Sand clung to Bruton’s sweaty body as evidence of the fever that now gripped him. His eyes traced from one to the other of us in disbelief as he breathed hard.
“You should kill me, for that was what I did to you by leaving you at the oasis!”
“And yet we’re not. Jarken, go get some wood. That spear needs to come out and the wound's going to need to be cauterized or he’ll bleed out,” I said matter-of-factly.
We let Bruton settle back to the ground as the majority of those who had followed rushed off to get supplies and wood. Bruton’s bloodshot eyes had never left me and he continued to probe for an answer, “Why?”
I shrugged, “Why not.”
He snorted sharply and I could tell he wasn’t content with my answer so I gave him the truth, as much as I knew of it, “It wouldn’t have been right to just ride on and let you die out here in the sand.”
“I did just the same to you!” he barked out.
“But you see, I’m not you. I’m me.”
He was silent then and the others were back with the supplies and enough wood to make a fire. I watched as those more skilled in the art of caring for wounds took over.
The big man didn’t even so much as flinch as the spear shaft was removed. Not even when the hot knives were pressed against the wounds. I flinched.
I hoped I’d done the right thing by saving this man, but I wasn’t sure. For whatever reason, he seemed angry at me for saving him. I hoped he’d get over it because as an enemy I never wanted to face him.
*****
We passed through several Lancandian towns until we reached the mistress's home city of Fortoran, the capital of the Kingdomer Nation of Lancandia. It's appearance was even more garish and well-off than Thyana's had been.
That was kind of a surprise. Thyana was already showing the stress of the constant raids along her southern border and yet I saw none of that here and Lancandia actually bordered the Itarga Mountains from where the lion men came.
Lancandia was a much closer target to be raided than Thyana. Lancandia had always been known as the most peaceful of the seven kingdoms and as a result they fielded the smallest of the seven armies. What was protecting them from invasion?
Looking about at all the expensive wares and how well-off everyone seemed to be, I couldn’t quite get out of my head that perhaps the invasion had come from a different means. Had they sold their soul?
We soon found out, from asking some questions, that the mistress had surprisingly survived the attack on the caravan and had arrived within the city several days before. We headed with what remained of the caravan toward the mansion that we were told was hers.
With everything we’d been able to salvage we’d come up with about a third of the original value of the caravan. Even though there had been so much lost, the caravan was still going to pay for itself.
I just hoped that we were paid.
*****
I mentally reined myself in as I did not want to anger another of the seven kingdoms, but still it was with the expectation of being cheated that I traveled down the marble hallway in the wake of the finely dressed servant.
The journey through the mistress’s mansion brought me through numerous groups of jabbering people, whose conversations came to a halt as I passed by before starting back up again. Just who were all these people anyway?
They appeared, for lack of better words, to simply be the idle rich. I did not care for them, as they seemed blind to any familiar reality in the way they talked and dressed.
At last the servant brought me to a room that contained only one individual. She had played my temptress in the desert, but today the temptress side was gone, much to my relief. She was staring pensively out a large window at the streets of the city beyond. I stopped at a respectful distance from her desk and waited.
Finally she spoke, “How much did you manage to save?”
“You’re not asking the right question,” I responded evenly.
Her head swung to me sharply, “What?” she asked, surprised.
“I said you’re not asking the right question,” I repeated firmly.
Something about my tone seemed to shake her up and in a meek voice she asked, “What should I be asking?”
“How many of us that you left behind managed to survive. That’s what you’re not asking. Here you are, safely back in your rich surroundings and your only concern seems to be the wealth you lost. Over two thirds of your retainers are dead and yet the first thing you want to know is how much cargo there still is!”
She’d drawn back from me and for good reason. I was angry and spitting out my words through clenched teeth. I said, “To answer your first question, you have roughly one third of your cargo and before you ask me, I’ll tell you. I don’t want any of your money! I don’t speak for the other survivors though. They deserve to be paid richly and I expect to hear that they have been or I’ll be back here to pay you a visit personally!”
Satisfied, based on her shaken appearance, that she would pay the salaries of the others, I left the room, eager to be rid of the distasteful trappings of luxury with which she was surrounded.
*****
I was broke. Maybe I shouldn’t have let my pride do the talking back there for me, but a man had to do what he had to do and accepting money from her was the last thing
that I ever wanted to do. All that said, I was so going to look like an idiot to the men who had adopted me as their leader.
What kind of a leader walked while his men rode horses?
It looked like I was about to find that out. I felt my face flush as I drew closer to the men who for some odd reason looked to me as a leader.
My stomach grumbled hungrily. It had been a long night. I’d spent it curled up in a door stoop, because I’d had no money for a room much less food.
I should have taken my money. I’d earned it after all, but it had been a matter of principle not to be beholden to that woman to whom I had almost lost far more than just my wages.
Jarken was walking toward me with a bag. He thrust it into my arms, “Missed you last night. Here’s some food.”
My hands closed over the bag reflexively and Jarken moved on after imparting his trademark shoulder slap.
Sar’ran approached leading a big mottled gelding that impressed instantly in terms of size and composition. Blankly, I stared for a moment at the reins that he pressed into my hand. Smiling he said, “For you boss. I picked him out myself. This one will go far and has real stamina to him.”
Numbly I nodded and turned under the premise of studying the horse further. Sar’ran headed back towards a hitched horse that must have been his. Of all those in the group, I perhaps had the most in common with him as by blood he was Rollanic.
A shadow fell across me and looking up I saw that it was Thanuel. He slid a pair of saddlebags that looked stuffed with contents on behind the saddle and cinched them down tightly.
I continued to stand there numbly as one by one members of the group added to the growing collection of an outfit that a Kingdomer Knight would’ve been proud to have had. There were only eight of us now. Jarken, Thanuel, Sar’ran, Philuke, Tarn, Cruso, Seluke, and myself.
The other survivors had thought better of staying with me and had taken off with their money to have a good time in the city before hiring on with another caravan. These men, instead of having a good time on the town, had pledged their lives, most likely to a short, pain ridden future, and had spent most, if not all, of their money on outfitting themselves and me for an unpaid venture northward.