Of Blood and Steel by Seymour Zeynalli

Author:Seymour Zeynalli [Zeynalli, Seymour]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781692135294
Published: 2020-03-27T22:00:00+00:00

— CHAPTER ELEVEN —

Nightmares and Daydreams

Arda and Balak headed north of Kalak towards a lush, dark-green forest that bordered Elania. This would lead them on to Amida. They travelled over the grasslands for several miles. The yellow and greens sparkled in the sunlight. Their crisp, woody freshness was complimented by the fragrance from red and purple wildflowers, picked up by a wisp of wind. Arda picked some of the wildflowers and put them in her satchel.

They spent the first hour of their journey soaking up the views. It was a nice day, not too hot, nor too cold.

“Do you have a family, Balak?” Arda broke the silence.

“I am afraid not.”

“No kids?”

“None.”

“But . . . you must have been in love at some point.”

Balak paused.

“Once. When I was a young man, I did love a girl. She had hair blacker than darkness and a heart full of passion. I met her when I was injured in battle. When I was on the mend, I helped her family by fixing things and doing chores. It didn’t work out for us.”

“What happened?” Arda asked, curiously.

“I had some unfinished business to tend to. By the time I returned, years later, she was carrying someone else’s child.”

“Oh . . . I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I would have been a lousy father.”

“You don’t actually mean that, do you?” Arda laughed.

Balak said nothing.

Arda noticed some nettles on the ground, so she picked some and stored them in her bag. After a quick stop to feed and change the child, they continued on walking for kilometers. There was a sting in the breeze as it got later into the afternoon, so Arda was relieved as they headed into the shelter of the forest, although, it didn’t stop her from shivering.

Balak noticed her reaction. “It’s going to be a freezing night. Maybe we should set up camp,” he said.

“Is it too early?”

“I suggest we rest here. We’ve made good progress today. By the end of tomorrow, we will be halfway to the Iron Gates.”

Arda nodded in agreement.

They set down between two golden-leaf oak trees and Balak built a fire. Arda rolled the ground lamb she had bought from the market into medium-sized balls and threw them into the cooking pot with some of the herbs she got from the market, which included parsley, fenugreek, and mint. She added a cup of water and brought the mixture to a boil, simmering on a low heat. She stirred her mixture with a large stick.

Balak sat around the fire, while Arda fed and changed the child.

Once the food was ready, Arda shared. She took some flatbreads from her satchel and passed one to Balak. The bread still smelled fresh and the centre had stayed warm while wrapped in fabric.

“Get some rest. We’ll set off early,” Balak told Arda as he settled against one of the oaks. He lay in front of the stump, in between its entwined branches that hung low.

Arda fell asleep in an instant, and Balak soon followed. All three were fast asleep when Balak woke abruptly to the sound of rustling leaves on the ground.

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