This piece, “Mercy Unlooked For”, takes place after the piece written for Day 5 of NaShoStoMo – “A Drink of Water”.
Mercy Unlooked For
Aran pressed his hands to the wound on the man’s chest. He cried and begged for the man to live. As the life in front of him ebbed away, he started apologising. He was only vaguely aware of the two men running towards him. He felt the blood seeping through his fingers. Felt the muddy water seeping through his pants where he knelt next to the man. Felt tears burning his eyes. Felt the blood churning in his ears and blocking out every other sound.
“Leshem! Leshem!” Gabriel shouted as he ran to where his friend had fallen. The dark clad man bending over him was crying and pressing his hands to the death-wound. The knife was lying next to the man. All the water of the water skin had emptied onto the ground to form a scar of deeper red in the dust. As if the very earth where Leshem lay dying was also weeping for his loss.
Gabriel pushed the dark clad Wíkla away so that he fell and took his friend’s head in his hands. But the eyes were dead and the body empty. He had died to give a stranger a drink of water. A Wíkla water. Giving the enemy water without thinking about his own life. He kissed Leshem’s brow and felt the streaks of tears over his cheeks. Migael was next to him in a moment. He laid Leshem’s head down again and looked at the Wíkla.
But the boy – for he must have been about sixteen years old – only knelt next to them. He held his bloodied hands in front of him and stared with large eyes at the dead man. A deep frown rent his sunburned forehead and his cracked lips were bloodied.
“I am so sorry,” the Wíkla said. “I didn’t think – I thought – I...”
“Do you carry any other weapons?” Migael asked and pulled the Wíkla to his feet.
He shook his head. “Messengers carry only a knife.” Still he couldn’t take his eyes from the dead man in front of him. Then his eyes rolled back in his head and the heat overcame him at last.
“He could have been my son,” Gabriel said. “He’s so young.”
“Maybe he’s still young enough to change.” Migael took his water skin from his belt and held it to the boy’s lips. He revived somewhat at the cool touch of the water. “Here, drink some of this.”
The frown on his brow deepened, but he took a few gulps before his eyes strayed to the corpse. “But I just killed him? How can you give me water? You should kill me as well. You have the right.”
“The right to kill a boy delirious with heat and exhaustion? Drink some of the water,” Gabriel urged.
“Where is the rest of the S’wikla?” Migael asked.
Aran took the skin and let some of the water flow into his mouth. He stopped drinking only to answer the man. “I don’t know. I was sent with a message back to Cragorhein, but I got lost. I’ve been travelling for three days and haven’t laid eyes on anyone.”
“We can give you shelter,” Gabriel said. “Perhaps you were sent this way for a reason.”
“No, Gabriel,” Migael said. “We cannot take a Wíkla back to the Ealda.”
“We can,” Gabriel said, helping the boy up again. “If he gives his word that he will never leave the Ealda’s home. Maybe he was sent to us for a reason. If we leave him here, we condemn him to death. And we will be nothing but murderers.”
“Then he must make his own choice. Come with us and leave the Wíkla behind or take your chances in the desert. What is your choice?”
A prisoner, Aran realised. Would he rather die at the hands of these people in their home or would he rather wander this desert land until he dies alone with only vultures knowing where he lies buried by the winds? Even if he did reach Cragorhein, his message would be late and they would have his head. It all depended on the death he preferred. At least if he went with the Ealda he wouldn’t have to face his family for execution. He would not have that shame befall him. He’d rather have strangers taking his life.
“I will go with you.”
Gabriel placed Aran’s knife in his belt and they wrapped Leshem’s body in his light cloak as well as they could after taking a carved stone token from around his neck. They carried him, with Aran following, a little way away to a rock where they laid him down in a shallow grave they dug in the sand. “We cannot carry him all the way back,” Migael explained. “If one of the Aíhla falls, we bury them outside the Ealda lands.” Both men spoke a few words and then sang a song for Leshem’s soul.
They each took another few gulps of water and then started walking towards an old stone arch. “This was once a grand palace,” Migael said. “Before the Sundering of the Lands,” he added. “This was once part of the lands where the Ealda lived.”
“You don’t have to give the boy a whole history lesson,” Gabriel grumbled. “Everyone knows of the Sundering and the marauding that came thereafter.”
“But where did the Ealda go after the Sundering?” Aran asked.
“We were given a safe land to live in,” Gabriel smiled at him. “Come, we are almost there.”
They walked to a rock face of a myriad of different reds and yellows. Migael touched his hand to the rock and part of it moved away like a door. The doorway revealed a part of a narrow staircase and Migael ushered Gabriel and Aran inside. The door slid closed behind them and left them in the dark. From his robe Migael took an orange-red stone and spoke a word alien to Aran. The stone began to glow from inside and spread light enough for the travellers to see where they were going.
They followed the twisting staircase as it wound downwards. Soon they came to a larger chamber lit with lanterns made of green glass. Migael put the orange-red stone away and showed Aran to the side of the chamber. There was a bowl cut into the rock and clear water bubbled to the surface. Migael picked up a beaker, filled it with water and gave it first to Aran to drink. Then he showed him to another bowl where he could wash his hands and face.
Aran felt took the water and washed the grime from his hands and face and wondered whether he would be killed somewhere in these dark chambers or whether they would show him to the Ealda and then have an executioner kill him. He realised that he hadn’t thought coming to the Ealda through very well. But the cool water slaked his thirst and he could feel the pain in his head and body lessen.
They led him down another flight of stairs, this one also lighted with the green lanterns. They came to a door fashioned from the rock and this one also opened at a touch from Migael. It opened into another corridor, broad enough for only one person to walk through. They were outside once more, with sun shining from above and lighting the stone. Friezes were carved into the stone telling of the Sundering of the Lands many centuries ago. But the tales the friezes told of thereafter Aran knew nothing about. He dared not to stretch out his hand to touch it, but looked back at Gabriel’s face. The man seemed to have lost much of his worry and the frown that was etched into his face had lifted. With another few steps they reached the end of the corridor and the land of the Ealda opened splendidly before them.
It was situated in a green valley, an oasis like Aran had never seen. Great houses were carved into all the rock faces and small villages could be seen between the lush grass and trees. He could see two great lakes and many streams flowing from fountains in the stone. A few people turned to look at them, but Aran was too busy taking everything in to notice that he, too, pulled stares of wonder.
“Welcome to the Valley of the Ealda,” Migael smiled. “Come, let us take you to the Elders.”
“Migael,” Aran said, stopping the man. “I do not know how to thank you, Sir.” He looked out over the valley once more. “This is the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. Thank you for showing it to me. I-” his voice faltered, “I can die now, having seen the beauty of Airthai.”
Gabriel frowned and looked at Migael. “We are only taking you to the Elders to tell your story. We are not taking you there to be executed.” He walked ahead along the pathway to one of the large stone houses, for the moment unable to face the boy.
“Why would you spare my life?” Aran asked Migael. “I killed one of your people when he was trying to help me.”
“You did not know at the time that Leshem was attempting to help you. You were delirious with heat and fatigue and thirst.” A sadness came into his eyes. “Gabriel also lost his son about a season ago. He was about your age. He was training to be one of the Aíhla.” Migael walked further. “Just because you have been shown mercy doesn’t mean a wrong wasn’t committed or that we won’t mourn Leshem. But we will look past that in the hope that you can live a better life and give meaning to his death.”
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