The Chosen of Res

The Bahakane moved a lot, theyve had to adapt to the ways of the wanderers. The Bahakane lived in tents that were easy to put up and take down. The dogs pulled the biggest supplies on stretchers and leather harnesses, while all the able-bodied were equipped with wicker baskets attached to their backs.

The whole tribe walked in one group with the warrior women leading their tribe. Sameen led the way with Krasivata and a few others, while the rest of the warriors walked beside or behind the tribe, guarding the rear in case of attack from other clans or beasts.

Aequor walked with Sabaku, Elere and Arev and his little daughter. Aequor thought she saw Arevs spouse, Ayinafari somewhere behind the tribe with a spear.

The bright and scorching sun cast its rays on the dry and silent land, along which the mixed crowd trotted. The hawks shrill cry echoed through the sky, Aequor looked up, squinting her eyes, admiring the hawks circling in the great blue expanse.

Aequor had spent one night in Sameen and Sabakus tent, and the next morning they had gotten up early to make preparations to continue their journey. Aequor wasn sure if the bahakane were just walking in circles across Yurd or some specific route, or if they were looking for something.

A noisy flock of children running by made Aequor flinch. Sireliin jerked Arevs arm, whispering something in the Bahakane tribes own language. Aequor guessed that the girl wanted to go with the other children.

”Stay with the others! ” Arev called after the girl after she left.

”Are you sure you don want to go play with the other kids? ” Elere teased Aequor.

Annoyed, Aequor turned and headed for the other edge, leaving the men with their charges. Aequor had every intention of trying to escape again, but as she tried to break away from the procession, Ayinafari stepped in front of her, nodding towards the advancing tribe; ”We
e going that way, Aequor. If you stray too far from the crowd, you can get lost, or hurt yourself… You
e safe here. ”

Reluctantly, Aequor slowly returned to Sabaku and the others after first giving Ayinafari a sweet fake smile. After reaching Sabaku, Arev and the annoying Elere, Aequor remained silent despite Sabakus concerned questioning look.

”You tried to run, didn you? ” Sabaku whispered as Arev and Elere talked to each other.

Aequor flinched. How did Sabaku know? What would he do, what would ana-Sameen do if she found out?

”You can keep trying, or you can stay here, with us. You might even come to love this tribe, its ways and people, ” Sabaku continued, making Aequors horrified face relax a little.

Cautiously, Aequor glanced at Sabaku from the corner of her eye. The mans gaze was directed straight ahead.

”Trust me, as someone who got here against his will in the first place… its good to be here if you just want to, ” Sabaku added, continuing the journey in complete silence.

”Ata, did you say something? ” Arev turned to Sabaku, who shook his head with a tired smile; ”I didn . ”

”I heard that Krasivata is expecting a child? ” Arev asked Elere.

Elere didn answer, just smirked suggestively in his weird annoying way. Over the course of the day, Aequor had gained some insight into the personalities of all of Sameens family members. Elere was playful, like a child, and Krasivata was proud and cheerful. Sameen was caring and calm while Sabaku seemed wise. Ayinafari was quiet, but on the rare occasions when she spoke, she sounded sensible. Arev and Sireliin were both loud and curious.

How do I fit in, Aequor thought, but shook her head. She wasn going to stay, even though Sabakus words had made sense. She needed to find Estrella and finally return to her parents. It had been too long, she no longer remembered her father.

As Arev and Elere continued their mutual conversation about Arevs sister, Eleres spouse, on the spur of the moment, Aequor wondered: ”What did you mean by saying that you came here against your will? After all, you have a spouse and two children, a granddaughter and, according to what I heard, also an unborn grandchild… ”

”Five children, ” Sabaku corrected, amused, but still looking tired; ”Elere and Ayinafari are like my own. And now you. Thats how it works in this tribe. ”

”I already have parents, ” Aequor stated quietly, turning her gaze.

”If you already have parents, where were they when Sameen decided to adopt you? ”

Aequor stood dumbfounded. Sabaku continued his journey among the others, Aequor hurried after the man.

”I have! My mother is Hillgarria from the hex tribe, and my father is Qaranliq from the sea tribe! And they
e definitely looking for me already, surely you don want to start a war with the hex tribe? ” Aequor exclaimed, not realizing until too late that the entire tribe had stopped to stare at her. Sameen darted past the others to Sabaku and Aequor with a frown.

”Whats wrong, qizim? ” Sameen extended her hand towards Aequor, but the girl dodged with a defiant look on her face.

”Im not your daughter, Im Aequor Hillgarria Kralicas daughter from the hex tribe! You have to let me go back home! ”

”Aequor, darling… ” Sameen sighed; ”If your mother is really Hillgarria Kralica from the hex tribe, why on earth were you alone in the middle of the abandoned lands? And you know for sure that your father cannot be of the sea tribe, otherwise he would be a tsovahen… ”

Aequor stared at Sameen with furrowed brows and glanced at the serious faces around them.

”Whats a tsovahen? ” Aequor wondered.

”Zenigi, ” Sameen replied, surprised that Aequor didn know, and when the girl shook her head in confusion, still not knowing, Sameen cast a worried look at her spouse, who said, ”A siren, or at worst, a man-eater… ”

Shocked, Aequor opened her mouth, but made no sound. Sameen stepped towards the girl, whispering her name, but Aequor waved the womans outstretched hand away from her, screaming: ”No! You don know what you
e talking about! You know nothing! ”

”Lets camp here ”, Sameen whispered to Krasivata pushing through the crowd, who nodded in confusion and announced her mothers words to the others as Sameen tried to calm the frightened Aequor.

”Aequor, qizim, calm down, you
e safe here… ” Sameen tried to tame the screaming hysterical girl.

”Hillgarria and Qaranliq are coming for me! They are coming, just wait! Estrella must have already picked them up! Yeah, you wouldn have guessed that I wasn alone, Estrella just freaked out and ran away before me, ” Aequor argued, causing Sameen and Sabaku to exchange worried glances again.

”Estrella is a mermaid, and shes my aunt, you know! ” Aequor threatened.

Most of the tribesmen no longer paid attention to Aequors noise, and instead unpacked their packs to assemble their tents. Sameen led the tumbling girl towards the place where Krasivata, Elere, Ayinafari and Arev were setting up tents. Sabaku walked behind Sameen, looking at Aequor somehow sympathetically, but silently.

Krasivata had already set up one tent with her family members, and Sameen dragged Aequor there to hide from the judgmental eyes of the other tribesmen.

Aequor had felt those angry furrows on her skin, the Bahakane were not on good terms with the Hex, but all the tribes of Yurd stayed away from the sea people, and claiming a siren to be her father did not help Aequors position.

Sameen pushed Aequor to the ground and watched in shock for a moment at the girls twitching and continuous but indistinct screams, before growling: ”Aequor, now you stop! Take it easy! ”

Hurt, with lips pursed, Aequor ogled the angry Sameen.

”Well, now you listen to me, qiz… ” Sameen took a deep breath, her arms crossed; ”Im your mother now, and I only want whats best for you. You are safe here with us. I understand that you are not used to our ways, but I am sure you will still learn to love me and my family as I love them… and you. ”

Aequor stared at Sameen out of the corners of her eyes, mouth still agape, but didn say anything, or even try to escape.

”Until you realize that Im just trying to protect you, you won leave the tent without Sabaku or me, is that clear? ” without waiting for an answer, Sameen spun around and left the tent.

All day Aequor sat in the corner of the tent, huddled, not speaking to anyone. Krasivata went to greet Aequor a few times, but Aequor ignored the young woman. Sabaku brought the food on the other side, sitting across from Aequor, who didn even touch her food.

”They don always realize that the outsider won love them right away, no matter how much they love the outsider, ” Sabaku sighed as he mended the torn fabric with a bone needle.

”Especially if the outsider already has a family elsewhere… ” Sabaku cast a meaningful look at Aequor, who was avoiding the mans gaze.

When Aequor didn utter a word, Sabaku continued: ”Arev, my son… Sameen is not his real mother… ”

Aequor glanced at Sabaku, but turned her face back towards the tent cloth when she noticed Sabaku smirking, as if getting Aequors attention was his purpose all along. There was loud laughter outside, but it was quiet inside the tent. The piece of meat placed on the wooden slab was steaming and a delicious aroma wafted into Aequors nostrils, but the girl did not allow herself to crave food.

”The Bahakane have a peculiar way of acquiring a spouse, ” Sabaku said; ”Fifteen summers old Bahakane women rob a husband of their choice… from any tribe, regardless of the mans own will, or the fact that some already have their own family… ”

Frowning, Aequor turned to face Sabaku. Sabaku still continued meding the fabric, the Bahakane really had a lot of strange habits.

”I come from the Asále tribe, we wandered in the desert, a bit like the Bahakane, but we always stayed in the desert, ” Sabaku explained, still concentrating on mending the orange-patterned clothing on the other side of the tent.

”Paann was my spouse, she was Arevs mother, ” Sabaku said, looking into the distance with a smile.

”Did the bahakane kill your spouse? ” Aequor was shocked, but shut up immediately as Sabaku looked at the girl in surprise.

”No, ” Sabaku chuckled; ”Sameen had just turned fifteen, and when our tribes met quickly, she decided she liked me, and took me with her. I tried to explain to her that I already have a spouse and a son. I asked her to let me go back to them, but instead they brought Paann and Arev here. ”

”How can you have two spouses? ” Aequor was surprised.

”I don , at least according to the beliefs of the Bahakane tribe… Arev was three when Paann died, he doesn remember his mother, and he doesn know about it, ” Sabaku replied, cutting the thread.

”Did you know that the Bahakane only get married once in their life, and they only have one to three children? If someone has more, most are likely adopted. They have other strange ways… I wanted to take Paanns body back to the Asále cemetery, but the Bahakane burn the bodies, ” Sabaku said calmly, as if he had forgiven the Bahakane and Sameen years ago.

”And now you love them? –the Bahakane who brought you and your family here against your will and did not respect your religion even after your spouse died? ” Aequor asked out of breath.

Without answering, Sabaku put the bone needle, the ball of thread and the garment next to him. He calmly raised his face towards Aequor and simply said, ”You should eat. ”

Aequor resented being ignored. But it angered her even more to think that she would become like Sabaku, that she would give in and stay with the bahakane tribe, thinking they were her family, even though Aequor already had a tribe and a family.

Angrily, Aequor jumped up before Sabaku could leave the tent and snapped: ”You gave in, and now you can change your mind, you have a daughter together! ”

With a serious expression on his face, Sabaku spun around to face Aequor, who flinched as the man said quietly but firmly, ”I tried, for many years I tried to hate Sameen, and her tribe, but Arev loved her, and Sameen Arev. And then Krasivata was born, I couldn hate her anymore. I love Sameen, and my children. This tribe is my family because they are not bad people, they are just raised that way. ”

Aequor stared dumbfounded as Sabaku left the tent, adding, ”I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive them, even if you don decide to stay. Sameen loves you like her own daughter. She really loves. ”

Aequor slumped over the pulley with a blank expression on her face. Why had she cried out her frustrations to the kind Sabaku, Sabaku might be the only one Aequor could talk sense into. A reddish light was coming from the crack in the doorway, the sun was setting. There was happy singing and chatter outside, Aequor was saddened that she couldn let herself like the bahakane even enough to join the others at the bonfires. Frustrated, Aequor threw the hunk of meat in front of her out of the doorway, grunting angrily at the same time.

”Aequor? ” came a frightened voice and Sameen tore off the cloth entering the tent looking worried.

”Didn you eat? ”

Aequor turned her face away, snorting, as Sameen stood in front of the doorway, looking expectant.

”Aequor, ” Sameen began seriously, sounding a little worried; ”Why were you alone when I found you? Where were your parents? ”

Aequor glanced angrily at the woman crouching in front of her, but answered with a straight nose: ”At home, with the hex tribe. ”

”Yes, but why were you alone in the middle of the desert? ”

”I was waiting for my mother, ” Aequor claimed, her arms crossed, glaring Sameen murderously.

”Do not lie to me! ” Sameen raised her voice causing Aequor to flinch.

”Im sorry for yelling at you, but Im just trying to understand how you ended up in the desert all alone… ” Sameen sighed, regaining her patient and gentle nature.

”I didn lie… ” Aequor spluttered with watery eyes, waiting for Sameen to explode again.

Sameen leaned forward, pulling Aequor into her embrace. Aequor blinked startled as Sameen joggled her back and forth, whispering, ”Im so sorry for scaring you, qizim, Im just so worried about you… ”

”What… ” Aequor hesitated; ”…does qizim mean? ”

Sameen pulled away and with a smile touched Aequors chin; ”My daughter. ”

”Couldn you just… ” Aequor let out a heavy sigh; ”take me to my mothers tribe, Ive been gone for too long… Im afraid shell forget what I look like and smell and sound like… ”

Sameen looked at Aequor confused, there was also something else in the womans expression, but Aequor couldn interpret it. Swallowing back tears, Aequor whispered, ”I don remember them anymore… ”

Seeming to understand, Sameen quietly stroked Aequors head. It wasn until the tent was quiet that Aequor realized that she no longer heard singing and cheerful conversation outside. Most of the people had gone to sleep. At the same moment Sabaku entered the tent, Sameen glanced at her spouse, who was looking at Aequor in worry.

After Sabaku sat down, Sameen asked Aequor to explain, ”How long has it been since you last saw them? ”

Startled, Aequor hesitated for a moment before she said, ”Im not sure. ”

”Days, weeks, months? ” Sameen inquired.

Avoiding, Aequor mumbled something vague, but seeing Sameens sharp and demanding expression, revealed: ”I think its more like a whole summer, and autumn… and winter… and spring… ”

Sameen gasped looking shocked.

”How did you survive alone in the desert for a whole year?! ”

”I said I was with Estrella, she brought me food, mostly sea plants and fish, sometimes shellfish or something similar. And I never left the water bodies to stay near Estrella. ”

”So you
e really friends with a tsovahen? ” Sameen furrowed her brows, looking disgusted.

”Estrella is my aunt, she wouldn hurt me! ”

Sabaku and Sameen didn look convinced, but didn argue.

”Then how come you ended up in the desert alone, shouldn your aunt have led you back to your parents? ” Sabaku questioned.

”I… ” Aequor realized that she didn know the answer to that, she only knew that her mother had taken her to the river to play with Estrella, and suddenly Aequor had noticed that she couldn see her mother anymore.

Seeing the shock and understanding on Aequors face, Sameen sighed with a desperate tone in her voice, ”Did they abandon you? ”

”No… ” Aequor absently reassured herself.

Sameen pulled Aequor into a tight and warm hug and just held her in silence until Aequor relaxed a bit and started crying, tearing Sameens gray dress.

”Everything is fine now, you are with us, ” Sameen whispered.

Aequor fell asleep in Sameens warm and safe-feeling arms. In her sleep, she heard Sameens soft voice singing strange but comforting words. Waking up early to the birdsong, Aequor realized she was lying on the harness between Sameen and Sabaku, Sameens arms still around her protectively.

Aequor was about to get up, but her head ached. That had happened almost every day for a couple of weeks. Aequor raised her hand above her head, touching one of the two places where it hurt. In that part of the head, it was like a corner, because it was a sharp. On both sides of the head, right where the Hex should have horns, maybe it was phantom pain, as Aequor was missing horns. They are supposed to grow up at the age of twelve, but Aequor was already thirteen. And still no horns. Maybe thats why Hillgarria abandoned her?

”Ana, ata? ” Krasivatas voice was heard before the woman pushed into the tent.

Light flooded in, dazzling Aequor. Krasivata lifted her face, staring at the disgusted Aequor in bewilderment.

”What? ” Aequor snorted at Krasivatas mischievous, but at the same time friendly smile.

Sameen jolted awake and instinctively hugged Aequor tighter against her chest, Aequor grunted.

”Oh, qizim, sorry ”, Sameen laughed, trying to sit up, at the same time softening her grip on Aequor until she completely let go.

”Krasivata? ” Sameen turned to her daughter with an expectant look on her face.

”Shall we take down the tents and prepare to continue the journey, or shall we stay here? ” Krasivata was curious.

”We will continue our journey ”, Sameen decided.

Krasivata nodded respectfully and turned to leave the tent with a bow. Sabaku started to wake up, Aequor was amused how deeply someone can sleep while others are talking next to them. When Sameen left the tent to do her morning chores, the barking of dogs and the cheerful murmur of conversation and the squeals of playing children could already be heard outside. As Aequor rose, Sabaku sat up, staring into nothingness for a moment before standing up fully and starting to roll the pulleys. Aequor watched, sitting on the other side of the small campfire that had already gone out during the night, as Sabaku packed the supplies inside the tent. So he must have overheard Sameen and Krasivatas conversation, Aequor thought, glancing at the mans work.

While Sabaku tied the hides with leather thongs, Aequor drew circles on the ground lost in thought. She heard Sabaku sigh.

”Aequor, ” Sabakus powerful voice made the girl flinch.

Aequor looked up at the kneeling Sabaku who looked at her gravely.

”Aequor, why aren you out with the other kids? ”

Children, Aequor was amazed. Hurt, Aequor snarled, ”I am no child! ”

Sabakus expression didn waver either, he didn seem surprised at all. With a tired smile on his face, Sabaku stated: ”You are still a child. And you should be allowed to play as long as you are a child. ”

Snarling angrily at the man, Aequor turned her face away with her arms crossed. Sabaku was about to say something when Elere entered the tent.

”Krasivata asked to ask if you have everything packed… the tents have to be taken down. ”

Sabaku nodded with a smile at Elere, who was already leaving, when seeing Aequor squatting on the other side of the tent, a surprised look stopped on his face.

”With such a scary expression, you will never catch a single man, no matter how fast you run, ” Elere said with a mischievous smile on his face.

Of course, Elere hadn meant any harm, just joking, but Aequor got so fired up that she jumped up, and before Elere or Sabaku had time to realize it, Aequor had lunged at Elere, knocking him over from the mouth of the tent. Aequor let out a furious shriek as she was about to strike Elere with her raised sharp clawed fists, Sabaku and Krasivata grabbed Aequor at the same time tearing the wild and writhing girl back to the tent to calm down.

In broad daylight, in full view of the entire tribe, Aequor had nearly struck Krasivatas spouse. As Krasivata and Sabaku pulled Aequor off of Elere, who was lying on his back on the ground, Aequor glared menacingly at Elere, who looked back without blinking, as if he had been so startled that he had forgotten how to breathe. As the tent cloth closed between Aequor and Elere, Elere stood up, still breathless, looking after the hex girl.

”What the hell happened? ” Krasivata asked her father, who first looked at Aequor a little shocked, and after his pulse leveled off, relaxed a bit before turning to his daughter and answering, ”Eleres joking hurt Aequor. ”

Krasivata spun around towards Aequor, who was crouching on the ground, and angrily raised her voice: ”You hurt my spouse because of that? How dare you?! ”

Aequors mottled brown eyes turned sharply towards Krasivata. Aequors dangerously calm, yet furious look made Krasivata flinch.

”If you don want me to curse you and your family to a very slow and painful death, I suggest you keep your mouth shut and let me go back home, ” Aequor stated threateningly calmly, yet with a murderous look in her eyes.

Krasivata and Sabaku seemed shocked even at the point when Sameen entered the tent looking serious. Although Aequor looked like a calm and dangerous hex witch on the outside, in reality she had no idea what she was doing. Aequor had always known that she had less magical gifts than any other hex child, as her father was not of the hex tribe. But she wasn about to let her fear show.

Sameen looked angry, Aequor tried to maintain a calm face, but as Sameen stepped in front of her with heavy steps and cold eyes, her facade almost cracked.

”Aequor, you can do that, especially not to Elere. He is the spouse of Krasivata, he is your brother. ”

Aequor snorted in disbelief. Sameen tried to meet the girls gaze, but Aequor avoided Sameen. Distraught, Sameen grabbed Aequors chin, turning the girls head towards her.

”What Elere said doesn matter. You can let something so small anger you like that. Its dangerous, ” Sameen snapped seriously.

Aequor yanked her face out of Sameens grip, staring defiantly at her.

”What if you had hit Krasivata? She is carrying a child, you could have hurt her, or even someone elses child. This is not only related to Elere. Many of the tribe have begun to question whether you should be abandoned to the desert, ” Sameen stated with a wistful look in her bright turquoise eyes.

Aequors face trembled. For a brief moment, Sameen separated the confusion, fear, and glimmer of hope from the girls eyes, until Aequors face hardened into a grimace again. Sighing heavily, Sameen said, ”I don want to give you up, Aequor, I love you. But you have to learn to control yourself if you want to stay with us. ”

”I don want to, ” Aequor insisted immediately.

Sameen seemed desperately sad. It was quiet for a while, Aequor could hear the breathing of those in the tent, and outside the other bahakane arguing about what was going to happen.

”Why not? ” Krasivata suddenly wondered.

Aequor turned towards the woman, her eyes furrowed, looking at her for a moment with her mouth open.

Are you serious?

”Why would I want to stay with jerks like you? I already have a family, I have a mother, a father, and an aunt. I don need siblings, and I certainly don need you! Especially not you and your stupid mother or burdensome spouse! ”

Krasivata and Sameen looked at Aequor with watery eyes, as if Aequor had just slapped them both in the face. Sabaku looked down in thought, but didn seem surprised or hurt at all. Krasivata pursed her lips and, pointing to Aequor, turned towards her mother; ”Ana, Ive been trying to be patient with her, but you have to realize theres something wrong with her! Why else would Hillgarria have abandoned her in the desert, why else would she not respect you? She must go! ”

”Krasivata! ” Sameen gasped in disappointment.

Aequors world had stopped when Krasivata said that Hillgarria had abandoned her because there was something wrong with her. Could it be true? Aequor tried not to think that, but it was impossible not to hear Krasivatas words in her head. As Sameen and Krasivata whispered further about Aequors fate, Aequor felt her throat tighten and her eyes sting. The tears just came to the surface, even though Aequor tried hard not to cry. Not again…

”Aequor? ” Sabaku landed next to the girl, concerned when he noticed the girl sobbing.

Krasivata and Sameen turned back to Aequor, both confused. Sameen rushed to the girl, spreading her arms. At first Aequor fought back, but stubbornly Sameen forced her arms around Aequor, promising, ”Theres nothing wrong with you! ”

Aequor burst into a desperate cry. Behind her own howling, she heard Sameen asking Sabaku and Krasivata to leave the two of them. Aequor didn see the others leave the tent, but she sensed light flooding into the tent momentarily as the tent fabric rose.

Sameen started joggling Aequor again and humming some bahakane lullaby. When Sameen finally stopped humming, Aequors crying had turned into intermittent sobs. Sameen stroked the girls back and quietly said, ”Please, let me take care of you, qizim. You are safe and loved with me. ”

Aequor was terribly ashamed of what she had said to Krasivata earlier. She didn want to offend Sameen and Krasivata, or Sabaku. They had been kind to her, and taken care of her. But she wasn going to apologize to Elere, it had been the boys own fault. Aequor wondered if Elere was a boy, or a young man. Externally and internally, Elere still seemed like a child. How could a child have a child, Aequor wondered. And why on earth did Krasivata choose someone so annoying as her spouse?

”Ana-Sameen, we are ready to go ”, Ayinafaris quiet voice was heard from the other side of the tent fabric.

Sameen pulled back a few centimeters from Aequor and stroking her face asked: ”Do you think we can continue the journey? Together? ”

Reluctantly, Aequor nodded. For some reason, it made Aequor feel good to see Sameens happy, downright relieved smile.

”Good, ” Sameen said; ”Lets take down the tent and continue our journey! ”

The trip went quietly, at least for Aequor. She marched after Sameen ahead of the crowd. Sameen had sent Krasivata somewhere further back to avoid quarrels between Aequor and her daughter.

Every now and then, when Aequor glanced behind her, she got a nasty snort from one of the bahakane, but no one complained aloud. Aequor turned her face back to the flickering sky before her, disappointed. How could she stay with the Bahakane if they didn want her there.

”Don worry, they will settle down. They just need a little time, ” Sameen turned to Aequor with a comforting smile.

”Not me… ” Aequor insisted.

Sameen continued regardless; ”The Bahakane are not used to the Hex. We have our own customs, we respect each other, and our spouses. Attacking Elere like that… It was disrespectful to Krasivata and Elere, as well as me and Sabaku. Elere is Krasivatas spouse, Krasivata is our daughter, and you are their sister. ”

Aequor nodded in understanding, although Sameen didn notice. Aequor had decided to stay with the Bahakane, for now. For it to work, she would have to learn the ways of the Bahakane tribe. It meant that here she was still a child until she turned fifteen summers. Aequor found it hard to admit to herself that what Krasivata and Sameen had both said about Hillgarria could be true. Why else would Hillgarria have left her alone for a whole year?