Guardian of Heaven and Earth
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New Yogo
Part 1 - War
Chapter 5 - Reunion with Asra
The birds cheeped and twittered as they awoke. Chikisa was sweeping out the back courtyard in the gray light of dawn. He started his cleaning and chores at the Samada Store early. He always did a good job out of gratitude to Martha, who had taken him in along with his little sister and given them a home and a trade.
The work was hard sometimes, but Martha was always kind. He was afraid of angering Toun, whose standards were very strict. Chikisa knew that Toun was a good man; he was just very tall and very direct, which bewildered Chikisa sometimes.
The other people that Chikisa worked with in the store were wonderful. When Asra and Chikisa had first arrived at the store, the store’s workers had treated them just like family. Chikisa was grateful to all of them. Taking care of Asra hadn’t been easy at first, but everyone had pitched in to help, and now Asra was well enough to help out at the store. She had sealed away the terrifying god by ripping the ring of sacred mistletoe from her own neck. Chikisa prayed fervently that the god would never return.
To Chikisa, Asra’s recovery was a miracle. The terrifying god had killed so many people. Asra had paid a heavy cost to get free of the god; her soul had wandered in darkness for long months before it had finally returned to her body. Chikisa had been prepared to say goodbye to her forever.
But Balsa and Tanda hadn’t given up on Asra, and Asra hadn’t given up on herself. She had passed a long winter in the darkness, but when spring came, she regained consciousness. She began to eat. Eventually, she was able to walk again.
Asra was Martha’s apprentice now. She was a weaver and could make clothes. She had recovered so much of herself, but she was still unable to speak. She had nightmares most nights and awoke drenched in sweat. Chikisa hoped that she would regain her voice someday, and that she’d be able to live free of fear from Talhamaya, the terrifying god.
The bell signaling breakfast time started to ring. Chikisa gathered with the other apprentices near the well to wash his hands and face. Asra’s morning work was to clean up the weaving workshop, so she would also come to the well after her chores were done.
Chikisa saw a group of girls emerge from the weaving workshop, talking and laughing. Asra followed them silently with her eyes cast down. Chikisa came forward and held her hand, leading her to the well. He helped her wash her face, teasing her about missing a spot.
Asra didn’t smile. There was no trace of joy on any of the workers’ faces. The war had begun, and they were all in terrible danger now. Everyone did chores and work like always, but no one ever came to buy any clothes. The people of Shirogai saved their money or spent it on necessities, like non-perishable food.
Shirogai was a bustling trade town. When Chikisa and Asra had first arrived, it was a prosperous place full of people and bright colors, but many people had fled because of the war. Shirogai seemed empty and lonely now. Everyone Chikisa passed in the street eyed him with apprehension and kept walking. There were lots and lots of clothes hanging in the store, but they’d been hanging there for months, not bought and not worn. No one knew how long the Samada Store would stay open.
But there was still breakfast every morning; rice and soup and stewed vegetables. Chikisa always liked eating with everyone; it made him feel safe and like he and Asra belonged.
Suddenly, Asra started shaking. Chikisa looked at her in alarm, then noticed that she was staring at a corner of the kitchen. When he looked, he saw a very familiar woman standing there. “Balsa?”
Balsa faced Chikisa and smiled. She waved at him and Asra.
Chikisa and Asra dashed over to Balsa at top speed. Asra gripped Balsa in a tight hug, hiding her face in Balsa’s chest. Chikisa was a bit surprised at that; Asra wasn’t usually so emotional.
Balsa also seemed surprised at the force of Asra’s hug. She frowned a little, then wrapped her arms around the little girl and returned her clasp firmly. “I know I haven’t visited for a while,” Balsa said. “Forgive me.”
Asra made a muffled sound like a groan.
“When did you get here, Balsa?” Chikisa asked.
“Late last night,” Balsa said. She was still hugging Asra. “You were both asleep. I didn’t want to wake you.”
“Will you stay for a while?”
Balsa patted his head as if he were a child. “Don’t make that face at me,” she said.
Martha’s laughter echoed from behind Asra and Chikisa. “Now, now. If you keep crowding Balsa like that, she’ll never get to eat!”
Both Asra and Chikisa dropped politely into seiza, giving Balsa plenty of room. Asra blushed red with shame at her rudeness.
“You can eat with Balsa,” Martha said kindly. “Just make sure she gets a plate first, you two.”
Asra’s face lit up like a sunrise.
Balsa didn’t have much time to spend with Asra and Chikisa. The war was approaching fast. Balsa had heard from Toun that three riders had passed through Shirogai’s gate the previous night, coming from the direction of the capital. They’d been riding hard, so Toun guessed that they had news of the battle on the Tarano Plains. They were headed to the nearby fortress. Toun feared that they would tell the soldiers there to burn Shirogai and the surrounding towns and villages to prevent their resources from being used by the advancing Talsh army.
Balsa suddenly understood why the fortress she’d seen outside the city was so roughshod and sloppy. It wasn’t a fortress meant to block the Talsh’s way: it was an information center, passing messages from east to west about the enemy’s movements. The Talsh likely knew that country was largely undefended on this side. If she were them, she would choose to come up the Imperial Highway toward Shirogai, attacking soft targets along the way.
After breakfast, Balsa accompanied Toun to the city square. The atmosphere in Shirogai was as tense and taut as a bowstring about to snap. Many men were already gathered in the city square when Balsa and Toun arrived. These were the leaders of each city section and other administrative officials. The square was packed with guards as well as personal bodyguards hired by the officials.
The leader of the city was named Aoun Tando. He looked around at the gathered people and said, “Thank you for gathering here. You’ve probably all heard about the riders that passed through here on the way to the fortress last night. If anyone has ideas on how best to protect the city, please share them now.”
The assembled men and officials talked amongst themselves, sharing ideas. Balsa stood a little removed from them and listened. Everyone agreed that the gate in front of the city wouldn’t be strong enough to keep the Talsh out. There was a stone wall to the west of the city to help keep out bandits, but no wall protected the farmers’ fields or homes. Even hiding behind the wall wouldn’t help much, since the city could be easily surrounded by such a vast force.
The more the men talked, the more worried they all appeared. After listening for almost an hour, Balsa understood that there was no good way to protect the city in the event of an attack. All she foresaw in the future was casualties--a lot of them.
If Balsa were the Talsh, she would occupy Shirogai and use it as a base to attack the surrounding fortresses and control the main road leading from New Yogo to Rota. Balsa understood why Yogoese soldiers had been ordered to burn it before that could happen, but that seemed like an unusually cruel fate for a merchant town.
As Balsa saw it, there were only two ways to make sure everyone in Shirogai lived through the Talsh attack. She was only a wanderer, so it was possible that the people wouldn’t listen to her, but she felt like she had to try; lives were at stake.
When the city leaders grew hoarse from speaking, Balsa stood up and said, “I realize that I’m not from this city, but I’ve passed through it many times and have some ideas about the current situation. Will you hear me?”
The city leader, Aoun, nodded his head. “Please speak. I’m open to every idea that might save our city.”
“I’ve defended caravans from Shirogai for years,” Balsa said. “The city itself is very difficult to defend, and the Talsh know it, too. I think the only way for all the people here to survive is to run. Abandon the city and flee to someplace safer.”
“You’re kidding, right?” one of the officials said. “We’re a merchant town. If invaders come, they’ll make use of our shops just like everyone else. That’s the life of a merchant.”
“Hear me to the end,” Balsa said, standing up straighter. “If people don’t want to flee--if they want to cooperate with the Talsh--then they might stay, though I suspect the Talsh will strip the city of anything of value without paying. And if people want to stay and fight the Talsh, I understand that, too. I’m talking about people who want to survive. People are going to lose their homes and stores in the coming attack regardless of what happens, but they don’t have to lose their lives, or their families’. If I lived here, I would pack up everything I could carry and leave before the Yogoese soldiers or the Talsh invaders come and take it all.”
An old bodyguard leaning against a wall across from Balsa stepped forward. His name was Gashu. “That same thought is on everyone’s mind, young woman. But where can we run? We cannot flee south; the lands to the south face the same danger we do. If we flee to the mountains, we abandon our city to the Talsh, which no one truly wants."
“That is indeed one way to flee,” Balsa said, “but I was thinking of another as well.”
“Another?” Gashu asked.
“Yes.” Balsa nodded. “Flee to Rota.”
There was a long silence. Then, everyone started speaking all at once. Aoun took up his cane and slammed it into the ground, commanding silence.
“Rota?” Aoun asked. “Impossible. The border is sealed shut; no one is permitted to pass through.”
“I know a way,” Balsa said. “I’ve guided people to Rota before, even though the border’s closed.”
Obal was standing near Balsa; he nodded. “There are rumors that Balsa has been leading people over the mountains for the past few years to avoid the border checkpoints. Is that what you plan to do, Balsa?”
Balsa shook her head. “The aged and little children couldn’t make it through the mountains. But the Samal Pass is very close to Shirogai. In just a few days, everyone in Shirogai could make it to Rota.”
“The Samal Pass is guarded by over a hundred men,” Gashu said. “How do you intend to get past that? The women, children and the old can’t fight.”
“The Samal Pass might have been guarded that heavily in the recent past, but now, the war has started. I expect that the situation has changed. When I came to Shirogai last night, I saw that the fortress closest to here had only a skeleton guard--the bare minimum were left behind while everyone else marched off to join the main army. The men who are left there can’t possibly defend the entire city. The situation at the border is probably the same.
“There are guards and bodyguards that can travel with the rest of the people. We might not be able to take a hundred armed guards, but we’d easily be able to take ten, or twenty, or even thirty. Am I wrong?”
The other guards in the city square exchanged uncomfortable glances, then started whispering to one another. Those carrying swords and spears surveyed Balsa critically.
The atmosphere in the square suddenly changed. The people gathered here were still worried, but they had hope now. It was possible for everyone in Shirogai to escape with their lives.
“Merchants take the Samal Pass frequently to get into Rota, so they should know the way,” Balsa said. “I imagine some Rotans were trapped here when the borders closed as well. Everyone should be able to make it across the border and get settled somewhere without too much trouble.”
Aoun looked around the square, then nodded firmly. “Well, it does seem like most people want to try it.”
Some of the older merchants were concerned about traveling so far, but all of the younger men supported Balsa’s idea. Aoun took a brief show of hands, confirming that the idea was popular.
“You’re Balsa the spear-wielder, aren’t you?” Aoun asked. “I’ve heard of you from Tachiya. He has great confidence in you, and I can give you no better endorsement than that. Tachiya is not an easy man to impress.”
Aoun looked around at the assembled men once more. “What do you say?” he asked. “Shall we try it?”
The older merchants, and some of the older bodyguards, cast their eyes down, but everyone else nodded in assent. Gashu, one of Balsa’s old friends, stepped forward and said, “We knew from the start that we wouldn’t he able to defend this place from the Talsh army. There aren’t enough men here for that. All that waits for us if we stay here is a conflict with the Yogoese army. They’ve told us they will burn the city rather than let it fall into Talsh hands. Shirogai isn’t fortified; it can’t do anything against fire or arrows or catapults. We’re better off seeking shelter elsewhere.”
The reluctant merchants looked pale, but Balsa saw a few of them give cautious nods. Nearly everyone agreed that leaving Shirogai and going to Rota was the best possible option for survival.
“I’ll serve as a bodyguard for anyone who wants to travel through the Samal Pass,” Gashu said. “For a fee, of course, but I’m prepared to offer a very reasonable rate.”
“Aren’t we already paying you to protect the city?” one of the merchants asked. “Why should we pay you more?”
Some of the bodyguards and caravan guards grumbled. Aoun put up his hand. “This isn’t an ordinary caravan guard mission. These are extraordinary times, and what we propose to do is dangerous. Think of it as hazard pay. You’re free to try to get past the border without guards, if you wish.” He folded his arms, then faced Balsa and Gashu.
“Both of you have excellent reputations. I wouldn’t fear for the city’s safety if you escorted us to the border. Would you agree to that, Balsa? You and all the other guards who come would be paid, of course.”
“I would like to, but I can’t,” Balsa said. “I must remain in New Yogo right now. I can’t go anywhere for a while. But you’ll be in safe hands with Gashu and the other guards.”
Aoun frowned, but he nodded in understanding. “Well, you have your reasons, I’m sure. Here’s what we’ll do: we’ll pay up what we owe the guards for defending the city, then pay the escort fee once we make it safely across the border. Does that sound fair?”
Gashu seemed a bit surprised, but he nodded.
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