Armaran chapter 5

In the next morning her cousins helped pack onto the carriage all the things Amina wanted to take with her straight away. The odd cousin drove her to the village where her cousins had come to pick her up a few days earlier. He arranged a rental carriage and a driver for her and they moved all her things to the other carriage. Then the cousin took Amina a little further away from the carriages. ”I hope you make it back safely. The Gahim in this area can be unpredictable at times, but they don't usually harm anyone who is not a threat to them. Just remember to be polite.”

Amina nodded. ”I always try to be.”

The cousin smiled and nodded. ”The driver will take you eastwards from here. It'll be a shorter way to the great roundabout from there. I'm sure you can find another carriage and a driver over there.”

Amina hesitated. She had never bargained with anyone about anything. What if someone tried to cheat her? Would she be safe?

The cousin gave her a clumsy pat on the shoulder. It was probably meant as encouragement.

Amina sighed and returned to the carriage. The driver was ready to go.

”I'm sure you'll make it at least past two villages from here before nightfall. You'll find new opportunities there,” the cousin whispered after the carriage as it jerked and moved forward.

The weather was cloudy and Amina glanced often at the sky, waiting for rain. The driver didn't speak much because he obviously didn't know what to talk about with a little girl. Amina hummed some old songs or merely watched the scenery. The encounter with the spirit seemed almost like ancient past now, but shivers went down her spine every time she thought about it.

As the sun was setting, they arrived at the third village after their departure. The driver asked the stable boy to help him unload Amina's things off the carriage as he wanted to be able to return home first thing in the morning. Amina was worried about the safety of her belongings, and the stable boy assured her that everything in the inn's stable was safe.

A man approached the stable and greeted the driver and the stable boy. The driver explained the situation as far as he was concerned, and the man turned to Amina. ”I'm one of the town's guardsmen. Are you traveling alone?”

Amina nodded. ”I'm traveling from cousins to cousins.”

The guard seemed suspicious. ”Why with no people but so many things?”

”Because my cousins want to sell the old house and the other cousins are looking after me. My parents died last autumn-” the tears welled up so fast that Amina couldn't stop an audible sob. ”... when... when...when... b-b-bandits-” another sob cut her speech again.

The guard placed a soothing hand on her shoulder. ”We'll double the guards for the night just to make sure no one tries to take your things,” he promised and guided her to the inn. He did all the talking on Amina's behalf and escorted her to her room. ”We'll see in the morning how you can get going from here. Now I bid you good night,” he said and returned to his duty.

***

Amina felt surprisingly lively after she awoke from a disturbing dream. She forced some breakfast down her throat even though she had no appetite. Two men were waiting for her outside the stable. They were dressed like the guard on the previous night. They wished her good morning and told her about different options to continue her journey. Amina was happy and thankful for all the help and advice and in less than an hour they had found her a suitable carriage. The guards were packing her things on it as a woman approached them. ”I hear you're going north,” she addressed Amina.

Amina nodded. ”My destination is further in the north but I was thinking of going along the great roundabout.”

The woman sneered. ”You'll get there faster if you just travel straight north or maybe north-east.”

”I have to switch to a new carriage every few villages. It's easier to do that along the roundabout,” Amina said with some confusion.

”Perhaps. But I'm familiar with this region and I'm sure I can get you a better offer.”

”Madam Fanatina is a trusted and respected woman in these parts,” other one of the guards retorted. ”She knows the roads well and is unlikely to charge you the same as any driver would.”

Amina hesitated. She didn't find the woman as trustworthy as the guards made her seem. However, she was determined to get back home as soon as possible. ”I will also need help to pack and unpack everything.”

The woman shrugged. ”Every village I've been to has some upstanding youths,” she said and smiled at the guards.

Something in the way the woman was behaving didn't envoke trust in Amina and she decided not to like her. She was also doubtful if it would be safe to travel with only one woman. However, no other driver was available for possibly several hours and the woman didn't have too many things to bring with her so they would be able to leave immediately.

The wind swept a lock of Amina's hair off her face as she hadn't tied her hair in the morning. The wind felt funny and it was practically caressing her face. Amina turned to look at the road from where the wind was blowing. A Gahim was standing in the road. ”Do you see that Panga often around here?” she asked.

The guards turned to look at the road. Madam didn't bother to turn her head. ”Don't waste your time on things like that. The Gahim come and go as they please. It's better to leave them be so they have no reason to attack.”

Amina lifted her hand on her cheek where the Panga had touched it. ”It means no harm,” she said and started walking towards the spirit. The guards murmured something behind her but she wasn't listening. Amina bowed deep at the spirit.

Panga bowed even deeper. Its shape was the closest to human form she had ever seen before. It had a distinct face. It was smiling at her.

”I'm traveling through many villages. Would you like to travel with me?” she asked.

Panga was confused. ”I don't know. I have no home.”

”All the roads are not safe. I'd rather travel safer with you.”

Panga made a strange, twisted smile that no real human face could make.

”I don't really have anything to offer. I don't even have much money to hire a driver. And of course you can't come close to the carriage because the horses might get scared... but I think it would be nicer to travel with you around... You can always come back here later.”

Panga moved as though it was breathing. The air around Amina pulsed in unison with it. ”Yes.” That was all the spirit said and stood still.

Amina bowed again and returned to the carriage.

Madam Fanatina had lifted her small trunk under the driver's bench and was waiting for her to get back in order to help her up onto the bench. She climbed up after Amina and gave her lips an experienced smack to get the horses moving. The carriage nudged into motion.

The first hour passed in silence. Amina didn't know what she could or wanted to talk about with the stranger woman.

Eventually Madam asked her: ”Why did you bow to the spirit?”

Amina shrugged. ”It's polite. My cousin said I should always be polite. The Gahim seldom attack those who are polite to them.”

The woman laughed. ”I'd rather avoid them entirely! They're better off out of sight. Why should anyone try to bring them back when there's no one tending to them?”

Amina thought for a while. ”Originally they came to people to hear the stories. Maybe they are bored. Or maybe they miss us.”

The woman snorted. ”They could still keep somewhere further away and not come in plain sight when they're watching. They always creep me out. Besides, most of the stories don't make any sense. Exaggerated or fully fabricated makebelief history so people could be happy about where they come from. I mean, what has Armaran ever had that anyone could be proud of and not just those who have made a profit out of it?”
Amina was silent. It was true, that Armaran was now and had always been a sparse area and rather uncivilised in comparison to many other countries. However, it was also true, that many Armaranians had been involved in events that had changed the world. The stories had far more truth than tale or exaggeration. The true power of the Kahtal could not be estimated as they were no more. Save Amina. Shivers went down her spine as she thought what the woman would do to her if she found out. She was somewhat disappointed as the listened to Madam's view of the world – how at the very least every man was born a defector but were easily steered one way or the other as the situation called for it; how you should never trust a family whether it was your own or not, because in the end you are always the one responsible for yourself, and anyone telling you otherwise are just fooling themselves and would be taken advantage of; how it would be profitable to rob a rich family if you were not going to get caught as aspiring for a better life was everyone's right. Amina commented very little as she didn't know much about men – to her, Kros, Jared and her cousins all seemed reliable even though the cousins were rather original. He trusted Kros and Emma and told Madam that she was lucky to be learning to read under their instruction. Madam answered with a bitter smile and agreed how lucky she was.

They stopped in a village to let the horses rest a little. Madam Fanatina spoke with a few villagers, as Amina walked around the marketplace. She bought a bottle of berry juice and a bread.

Their journey proceeded in silence. Amina would hum from time to time. They passed another village and a couple of men nodded a greeting.

Amina held her curiosity at bay until they were well past the village. ”Did you know those men?”

Madam shrugged. ”I've met them a couple times before. I travel a lot in these parts and I'm acquainted with many people in each village.”

Amina didn't dare to intrude any further. Her head was already full of all kinds of thoughts about the Madam and what she might be doing to make a living. Her attitude towards men didn't increase the options for sure. ”My parents knew a lot of people all around Armaran. Well, at least people always recognised them when we traveled.”

Madam had obviously been waiting for her to open the conversation about her family and the tragedy that they had faced. In the village where they left in the morning she had only received the little information Amina and the driver had given the guards on the preivous night. ”Why were you traveling? Were you always with them?”

Amina sighed. ”Both my parents were Fatil. We went around fairs all year. I don't remember ever being home alone.”

The woman nodded as to encourage her to tell more. ”Well, their kind is pretty uncommon as is and that's a dying tradition, if you ask me. What happened? When did they die, and how?”

Amina felt very uncomfortable. All of the sudden, the woman was very talkative and nosy. ”They... we... we were on the great roundabout going north. Some bandits attacked us. I don't remember much about what happened but they all died.”

”What? What happened to the crooks? Did your father kill them?”

Amina shook her head. Even though she couldn't remember much, her father was no fighter. ”I don't really remember what happened. I found my way back to the road that leads to the roundabout and waited until someone came.”

Madam sighed. Perhaps it was compassion. Perhaps she was just disappointed that she wouldn't get to hear all the gruesome details. ”At least your parents don't have to worry about you in the afterlife as you have some family to look after you.”

Amina nodded. She didn't want to talk about it any longer, especially not about her brothers. The journey continued in silence.

As the sun was starting to set behind the tallest trees, Madam was looking around thoughtfully. ”If we go on further, we can get to a village a little after the dark. There's also a widening in the road soon and we can make camp there. What do you think?”

Amina was a little surprised that the woman asked her opinion. ”Maybe... maybe we could go to the village. I have a lantern and a tinderbox,” she suggested.

The woman puckered her lips thougthfully. ”Just one lantern? It's a bit tedious to travel with just one but I understand if you don't want to stay under the stars,” she shrugged.

Amina didn't want to sleep in the open, but not in the fear of the bandits, but the Gahim. Fiery eyes were still burning in her mind.

Madam lit the lantern and secured it in front of the carriage, not too high to blind her but high enough to light the road ahead.

As the dusk fell over the woods, Amina was getting restless and hummed to calm her nerves. The forest got dark and Amina could here hissing and sighs and she began to shiver. The wind touched her cheek gently and she calmed down. Panga had followed them and was watching over them.

They soon arrived at the village as Madam had promised and she arranged rooms for them at the inn. Amina climbed the stairs to go straight to bed but the woman was caught up in a conversation wiht the locals.

***

Amina woke up early. It was barely the break of dawn and the village was all quiet. She looked out from the window for a while and then she went out. There was smoke coming from the bakery's chimney and she heard humming through the open window, but other than that it was silent. Amina walked calmly up and down the road. The village was much smaller than Groshna. They had no marketplace and there were only so many houses on both sides of the road, but no further streets or alleys. The last few kilometres before the village had been cultivated fields so there were more inhabitants in the area but they didn't live in the village. There was no smithery. Amina would have said hello to the blacksmith or the apprentice just to get the familiar smell of smoke and metal that always reminded her of Jared. The wind was caressing her face again. ”Don't scare the people, please. They are a little shy with Gahim,” she whispered. The wind touched her cheek one last time and the air went still. Amina looked around her just to be sure, but she couldn't see Panga anywhere.

The baker opened the door to the bakery and a wonderful smell of fresh bread spread across the road.

Amina's stomach let out a growl and she headed to the bakery. Breakfast would be served at the inn, but she wanted some bread to take on the road. She spoke with the baker and his assistant girl. They knew Madam Fanatina and they had nothing bad to say about her, though they weren't too fond of her either. Amina's fate would have been of great interest to them, but Amina avoided the most painful questions with simple answers. She was getting good at it.

As Amina returned to the inn, the waitress was putting the breakfast out and was surprised that Amina had bought the bread. Amina explained that it was for later that day and took it quickly up to her room. Madam Fanatina showed up for breakfast about half an hour later. She was astonished but pleased to see Amina on her feet, because in her experience children were troublesome in the mornings and would only get up with sufficient amount of threats.

The sun hadn't yet gotten very high when they had the horses in full harness and ready to go with some help from the stable master. Madam Fanatina went to bid farewell to some of the villagers and their journey continued in sunny weather. The next village wasn't far and it was as small as the previous one and much shabbier. It had a smithy but no inn. In the middle of the village was somekind of old and decrepit church. The road went through the village and made a large circle around the church. Houses lined the road but there were no further alleys or streets. Amina wasn't interested in paying a visit to the smithy anymore, but she was facinated by the decrepit building. Madam Fanatina didn't know its past as it had been unused for decades and even most villagers didn't remember what it had been in the old days.

They stopped a little after noon next to a brook to eat. Water in the brook was shallow but there was no bridge so they would have to walk the horses across it. Madam had decided it would be better to let the horses rest first for a while.

Amina felt the hair on her back rise and she glanced around. Panga was almost out of her sight, but something felt much closer. There was the scent of wet soil in the air. ”Gahim arimma hajahka,” she whispered so low that the woman wouldn't notice.

Something squirted in the brook.

Amina started, and Madam frowned. ”There's usually no fish around here,” she muttered as she took a few steps towards the water.

A muddy lump rose from the bottom of the brook. Wet sludge oozed downwards as the Gahim straightened itself.

Madam was shocked and picked up a hefty branch.

Amina rushed between her and the spirit. ”Hello to you, Mehga. We are about to cross the brook. What were you doing underwater?”

Mehga stared at Amina. ”You... speakhhh... it speak... to meeee?”

Amina nodded. ”Yes, I'm talking to you, Mehga. Why are you underwater and not in the ground with the tree roots?”

Mud was still running down the head of Mehga. It was drying fast in the mild breeze. The wind was natural and not caused by the Panga. ”You... ss-s-ss-speak... kh-kh... the treessss... in earth.... I'm earth.”

Amina sighed. ”You are earth. Of course, there's some earth under the water but why did you stay there?”

Mehga winced and looked at the water as though it only just realized where it had been. ”My earth... you want?”

Amina shook her head. ”No. I only want to cross the brook with the carriage. I don't want the earth under or around the water. You can have it all.”

Mehga cheered up and shook off the partly dried mud. Its eyes were flaming in a beautiful rusty brown shade but it lacked any other resemblence to people. ”I make earth. Stop water,” it said in a proud voice and gaining more control over its voice.

”No, thank you. Let the water flow. We can cross at the ford. We are sorry to bother you.”

”But... alone... I stay?”

Amina looked over her shoulder at the woman. She was pale and was still staring at the Mehga in mild horror. Amina turned back to the spirit. ”I am Amina. I am Fatil. I'd like to travel in peace. I can tell you stories it you like, but please don't bother the horses.”

Mehga's eyes were flaming and it twisted and turned. Before it could answer, Amina added: ”There's Panga over there, who can also hear my stories.”

Mehga looked upstream. Panga had come closer. They bowed at one another.

”Yesss... ssstories... I love tallllllk,” it chuckled and stepped out of the water.

The nervous horsies whinnied.

”If you keep a few metres to the side of the carriage, it should be okay with the horses,” Amina suggested.

Panga flowed forward but stopped and waited behind a tree.

Mehga jumped to the other side of the brook and waited close to the ford.

Amina nudged the woman's hand to wake her from her shock. ”Let's go. They're waiting. I'll tell them a couple of stories and then they'll go away.”

Madam was still pale but she nodded and coaxed the horses across the water. She didn't say anything even though her hem got soaked. She didn't say anything even though Amina persuaded her to pour the water out of her shoes. She got the horses moving again and listened to Amina's stories in a trance.

Amina chose two short stories on purpose and hummed one old song and then bid Mehga good day. The spirit was disappointed and wanted to hear more but Amina refused. Mehga returned to the woods and Panga increased its distance to them.

It didn't take long until they arrived at the next town and Madam wanted to take a break. Colour had returned to her face but she was still very serious. When she returned to the carriage, there was a man with her whom Amina had never met before. ”This is Jaak. The girl is Amina. Jaak is on his way to north-west and he is a reliable companion on travels. You don't have to pay him anything. We'll get your things into his carriage and move on. Someone will take this carriage back, don't you worry,” Madam introduced the man.

Amina was aghast. She hadn't said she'd take anyone with them. It was kind of Madam to arrange the next carriage but she could've at least ask Amina first.

”We'll be spending the night on the road at least for the next two nights so make sure you've got a warm blanket,” the man said to Amina and winked.

Amina was unhappy. She couldn't change to another driver but she was reluctant to travel with yet another stranger.

Madam Fanatina and Jaak talked a lo,t but Amina didn't want to take part in the conversations. She was sitting on her things in the carriage, as the man took up most of the driver's bench and even the woman had some difficulties to fit on it with him. Amina looked often into the woods but couldn't see Panga. She hoped it hadn't turned back yet.

As the twilight was setting in, they stopped next to the road in a spot where there was no undergrowth. Jaak made a small fire and Madam cooked some stew. Amina sat under a tree and stared into the fire. She didn't want any Keok near her. On the other hand, she would have wanted to see a grown man scared for his life. After eating some stew, Amina curled up wrapped tightly in her blanket wishing she wouldn't sleep too soundly.

***

Amina woke up groggy. The air was humid and cool. She turned her head and saw the woman bustling at a small fire. The man was sitting under a tree fast asleep. Amina got to her feet still wrapped in her blanket.

”Good morning, love. I hope you got some sleep even though this is hardly as good as a shabby inn,” Madam Fanatina said with a big smile. She was much calmer and in a far better mood than on the previous day.

”I wonder if it's going to rain today,” Amina mused out loud. The sky was full of clouds.

”Probably not much. Be a doll and kick Jaak awake. We don't want to waste all day.”

Amina wondered if the woman meant literally kicking the man or if she just wanted him awoken. She approached the man who was woken up by her approaching footsteps. ”You sleep light,” Amina rertorted.

The man yawned and stretched. ”You have to when you're on the road.”

They had a quick breakfast and carried on their journey. Jaak attempted to have a conversation with Amina now and then, but she wasn't in a chatty mood. She didn't want to tell much about her family's legacy as Fatil even though the man was genuinely interested in it, unlike Madam. They saw hardly any signs of human civilisation during the day and Amina was a little bit worried but also curious about how far from everything they were. In the evening Madam made some stew again and they went to sleep under some tall pines.

Amina had a night of restless sleep. In the morning she couldn't remember was it because she had had a bad dream or what, but she knew something had bothered her while she was asleep.

Madam was again in a foul mood but only at Jaak and Amina couldn't hear what they were whispering to each other. She could only see how angry the woman was. As they got on the move again, the man said nothing. Madam spoke only a few times and appointed her words only to Amina. In the afternoon they arrived at ta village that was to Amina's relief bigger than the previous they had visited a couple of days earlier. It also had a smithy where Amina went to while the horses were resting, even though she was supposed to go to the market to get some food.

The smithy was smaller than the one in Groshna, but it seemed older and Amina sniffed at the metallic smell.

”Can I help you?”

Amina turned and smiled at the man who was maybe about Jared's age. ”I'm just looking. I haven't seen a smithy in some of the smaller villages and I thought I'd check this one out. It smells as bad as the rest.”

The man flashed a big grin. ”I'm an apprentice here but I'm leaving some of the younger ones in charge for a while. The masters have summoned some of us to an examination to the East.”

Amina's eyes lit up. ”Will Jared be there, too?”

The man was surprised. ”You know Jared? He does move around a lot, but not around here.”

Amina calmed herself. ”I'm just passing through here. I traveled most of the way to my old home with him.”

The man thought for a moment. ”Are you the orphan girl from Groshna?”

Amina nodded, perplexed. She had never thought herself to be an orphan as she had Kros and Emma, but in fact she was.

”How are you traveling? Are you alone?” the apprentice asked a bit worried.

Amina shook her head. ”I rented a carriage and I have a driver. But if you're leaving today and headed North, I could go with you,” she said smiling.

”It's a shame, really. I'm going North-East. I'm meeting a few other apprentices on the Southern Middleway.”

Amina's smile died away and she opened her mouth to say that it didn't bother her if it took a few days longer, as Jaak stepped in. ”Good day to one and all. Could you have a look at one of the shoes on my horse? I think the other on the back is a bit loose.”

The apprentice greeted Jaak and picked up his toolbox. Amina followed them. She listened to Jaak and the apprentice's conversation as he was working and she was starting to get the idea why Madam had been mad since morning. Jaak was telling the apprentice how – according to him – during the night he was just going to check the tarpaulin covering the carriage when something had moved in the woods. There had been no animals or people but it wasn't just the wind in the trees for sure. He had also been worried about Amina who had been writhing in her sleep a lot.

Amina sniffed. She'd had enough of Jaak and Madam Fanatina. She decided to continue her way back with the apprentice even if she had to go around the whole Great Roundabout the opposite way. She hummed for a moment and called for Panga.

Panga walked into sight from behind the houses at the edge of the village. Villagers stopped and stared. Amina curtseyed at it and Panga gave her a short bow. Many villagers murmured ”Gahim arimma hajahka” or bowed uncertainly. Jaak and the apprentice stared at Panga in awe.

”Thank you for traveling with me. It felt safe to move around when I knew you were nearby,” she thanked audibly.

Panga bowed deep. ”It was all my pleasure, young Fatil.” It looked at the villagers and gave a wide smile. ”They will remember us.”

Amina nodded. ”You have been gone for a long time but we have not forgotten how much you have helped us.” She smiled and courtseyd again because she could see from the corner of her eye that Madam was approaching carefully.

”Good day, Panga,” she sputtered and put her basket down next to the carriage.

”Are you going to play a game of chasing away Gahim with a stick again?” Panga asked mischievously.

Madam shook her head.

Panga turned to Jaak and its eyes flamed for a second. ”You did the right thing,” it said and Amina was sure it meant what happened during the night when Jaak left the carriage alone as he heard the noises from the woods.

Jaak was serious and pale and didn't know how to reply. The apprentice took his chance to greet the spirit briskly and thanked it for keeping company with Amina.

Panga bowed and walked out of the village.

The apprentice started to laugh. ”What a splendid day! The Gahim speak to us so rarely anymore,” he said with a wide grin.

Amina tried to match his happy face.

”So you're headed towards Groshna? I don't go straight that way, but I can take you as far as some bigger roads go. I'm taking my own carriage with me anyway, so we can put your things in it,” he stated.

Amina nodded and thanked Madam and Jaak for the help and company on the way. Madam was disappointed, but didn't try to persuade Amina otherwise. Jaak went his own way, and Amina didn't see him after that.

Finally Amina had a pleasent traveling companion as she could talk to the apprentice about Jared and a little about the work of a blacksmith, and the apprentice was willing to hear her stories. A few days later they arrived at a village along the Southern Middleway where two apprentices were waiting for their friend. They were pleased to have Amina's company because traveling didn't seem to take so long while listening to the stories. They were only disappointed that they had to take another carriage with them as they couldn't all fit on one bench. On the next day they arrived at a village where another half a dozen apprentices were on their way East. Among them was Jared, and Amina was overjoyed. Jared immidiately promised to arrange their journey so that Amina and her belongings would get back to Groshna safely.

It took almost two weeks for them to get to Groshna and Jared had to hurry onwards to get the carriage back to the other apprentice and make it in time for his eaxmination.

Amina was satisfied. It had been safe and cosy to travel with the apprentices and she had made it back home safely. Kros and Emma were surprised to see all the things Amina had brought back with her but didn't reject them. Some of the furniture had to be placed in the main room as they couldn't be fitted in the bedroom, but it didn't bother the Cacco family. Amina decided that she had time to show the story leathers to Kros later.