4. The City of Baseema.
The man looked at the boy in Maria’s arms. He looked her in the eyes.
"Put... my... son... down." he said, emphasising each word.
"I would love to." Maria replied, "However, I don’t think out here would be a safe place to do it."
"Not a safe place for who?"
"For all of us."
He looked as if he was about to forcibly remove his son from Maria’s grip, when she felt a weight hit her hip and his eyes widened. She looked down to see what was there, and saw Theodore clinging to her side. His claws grabbing clawfulls of fabric to keep himself steady.
"Less talking, more walking" he thought agitatedly.
The boy’s father was still staring at him.
"What is that?!"
"It’s a ferret. Haven’t you ever seen one before?"
"Of course I’ve seen one before!" he kept himself from screaming it too loudly.
Maria reflected that sometimes her tongue was a little faster than her thoughts. Her mother said she got it from her aunt. She agreed. But right now she was a little tired from trying to keep the boy safe and was not in the mood to answer questions. Things were getting more and more complicated and talks could be put off to later.
"It’s just that" he continued, "I have never seen one that was all white."
"I think that we need to get your son to safety and then we can play 20 questions." she said.
"How do I know you aren’t working for the other side and using my son to get in and spy on us?"
"You don’t. You are just going to have to go with your instincts. But you have to decide now."
He looked her up and down.
The boy in her arms spoke up. "She saved me papa. I like her."
That seemed to do it. With a small sigh he said "Follow me."
Theodore ran up her, and settled into the hood of her travelling cloak. The man watched this and then turned and walked up the incline to the city gates.
They could scarcely be called gates. At least not the type of gates you think of when people talk of city gates. These gates and the accompanying wall were really made to stop wild animals from entering and disturbing the populace. Not to stop an invading army.
"Can’t be a particularly rich place if that is all they have for protection." said Theodore.
There was a little purr to the sound of his voice. She looked over to see what was happening.
The boy was petting him.
Going from the tip of his nose, over his head, and all along his spine. Theodore's eyes were closed as he leaned into the boys hand. The boy was smiling from ear to ear.
Maria sighed. "Are you having a good time?"
"Hmmmm!" was the only reply.
"Perhaps," she continued the conversation, "it is just a warlord looking to expand his territory. It happens."
"It could be." he replied. "But, as I’ve said, there is a lot of magical residue happening and the troops look the worse for wear. These people have done well for a place that has practically no physical defences. If you were a warlord would you put that much effort into this place just to get land? They are not even trying to starve them out."
"I know. There is more here than just a squabble between two groups."
She heard a horn blast in the distance and then a second one closer to the city.
"The sun is setting." said the man walking in front of her. "They are calling an end to the day’s battle. Can’t really fight at night."
He sounded tired. Not just physically but his spirit was tiring as well. She could understand what he was feeling. Once she had accompanied her mother when she went collecting at a battle. The soldiers were weary and some were even glad to see her mother. Something Maria had not thought she would ever see. But She was preferable to what they were facing out in the fields. They understood that there was a reason for fighting, but sometimes they wondered if it was worth it.
They walked up and through the gates. The soldiers at the gate gave her a suspicious look but he waved them off and they passed through without incident. Others, probably healers by the looks of them, ran passed, out to the field.
"Mother will be showing up." Maria thought.
Maria was not sure she wanted to see her right now. She would probably be staying away from the aid areas for now.
People were coming down the street to the gates. Presumably the towns folk left behind to shelter in the city while the fighting was happening. They had come out to look for loved ones and family returning, or not, from the field. One woman broke into a run, heading straight for Maria and her group.
"Kamal?!" she exclaimed.
The boy turned from Theodore and held out his hands to her. "Mama!"
The woman grabbed the boy quickly from Maria’s arms.
"You had me worried young man!" she chided him. "I looked everywhere in the shelter for you. And then they wouldn’t let me out to search for you in the city. Where were you all this time?"
Her husband answered. "He was out in the forest."
The woman face blanched. She turned to her husband."What happened."
Her voice was low and calm but you could hear the fear, frustration and anger. Maria watched the man. It always amazed her that large, strong men who would face each other in a field of battle armed with large, destructive weapons, would sometimes be afraid of the women they bonded themselves too. She did not understood why this was.
"If you please, good wife." she began.
The woman turned to her as if really noticing her for the first time. She looked Maria up and down, trying to assess her.
Maria continued. "Your son became lost trying to get to his father. He was only trying to find a familiar face. There was nothing anyone could have done. I found him in the forest and brought him here."
She turned to her husband, who nodded his agreement.
"Then I owe you a great debt of thanks. He is my only child and very precious to me." She hugged him closer. "I would offer you what little I can at our home. What with the fighting and all, we are frugal with the supplies. My name is Ruwayda. You have met my husband, but you probably have not been given his name."
"I was in the middle of a fight." came the mumbled reply.
Ruwayda grinned at her. "His name is Taamir." They both bowed to her.
Together they said "Thank you for protecting our son. We owe you a life debt."
Maria bowed back. "No thanks are necessary. I could never leave a child in trouble. My name is Maria."
She felt a little push on the side of her head as a weight got on her shoulder.
She sighed. "And this is Theodore."
The woman’s eyes went wide. "He is beautiful."
Theodore almost puffed out his chest. He radiated smugness.
Taamir piped in. "I gather from your names you are not from around here?"
"No. I am from the north lands."
"How do you know where you are?" asked theodore.
"The names, and now that I have time to assess the area, I recognise some of the land. I would sometimes come here with aunty to practice fighting. The terrain was good to test in, and in the summer it can get very hot down here. She wanted to test my endurance."
"Let me guess. You’ve been to this city before?"
"No. But I know the name."
"How?!"
"There was a sign at the gate. You were to busy with the boy to notice. The city is named Baseema. Now quiet."
Ruwayda was talking. "You are far from home."
"Yes." she replied. "I am on a matter of business, and got caught in the middle of all this."
"Bad time for business." Said Taamir.
"True." answered Maria. She then caught a quick glimpse of familiar dark robes out of the corner of her eye. "But I am sure your son has been through a rough time and probably needs to rest. Perhaps it would be good for him to get home." she said quickly.
"You are right." said the boy’s mother. "Please follow us."
She turned down the street, mercifully away from the direction she saw the robes go. She did not want to let her mother know where she was just now. No need to worry her. For now she followed the family to their home.
"Perhaps" she said to Theodore, "They’ll have a nice stiff drink. I could use one right now."
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