Audiobook Version

https://youtu.be/q7yMO4to8fU

Urlock's raiding party was somber as it led the four captured carts south towards home. Alam silently drove one of the carts with Tajar at his side. The blow to Tajar's head was still affecting his balance and thus he was unable to ride.

Thunk. In his mind's eye he saw his axe hit the sorcerer's chest. Blood covered it as it came out. There was fear on the man's face. Thunk. The axe fell again, and with it the sorcerer collapsed. More blood was on his axe. He died with eyes and mouth open.

He was a bad man. He deserved to die.

What made him bad?

He killed others and used foul magic.

But I killed him. Does that make me a bad man now?

Maybe.

But I was protecting the holy man.

Does that make me good and the sorcerer bad?

I think so.

Thunk. The axe hit the sorcerer's chest. Blood was on his axe as he pulled it out.

He was a bad man. I did the right thing.

What if he had a wife? Or children?

"Hello, Alam! Are you awake?" Tajar nudged Alam's shoulder. "Did you hear me?"

"Sorry, My mind was wandering."

"Did it go anywhere interesting?"

"No. What were you saying?" asked Alam.

"I was saying we should stay away from Urlock. He seems to be in a foul mood." Ahead of them, the clan chief was scolding one of the cart drivers.

"He certainly does," said Alam.

"It's to be expected," replied Tajar. "Too many died in a raid that none should have. We had them outnumbered two to one and had better field position. They should have just given in to our demands."

"Do you think the box is the reason they refused us?"

"It has to be doesn't it?" agreed Tajar.

"Well at least we will come home richer." Alam felt a pang of guilt for trying to justify that the raid was worthwhile because of the treasures they claimed.

"Yes," conceded Tajar, "but of the eighteen warriors we left with, only ten of us are returning. There will be some in the clan that will accuse Urlock of recklessness."

"But he wasn't," said Alam.

"No. You were."

"I really wish I hadn't been reckless."

"You weren't reckless, you were crazy! You attacked a sorcerer! And somehow you actually killed him."

Thunk. The axe embedded yet again in the sorcerer's chest. Alam felt the need to change subjects.

"Do you think Urlock will give you one of those chain shirts?" he asked.

"I would actually prefer the sword that the old soldier had. It looks far better than anything else that we took."

Alam listened to Tajar's stream of conversation and prodded him with mundane questions to keep him going. Better that than his own thoughts. The last thing he wanted was to return to reliving the axe and the blood.

The day's travel was slow. They headed south, following the meandering Brightflow River. When light faded the raiding party set up camp. Even though they were in the northern part of their own lands there were still dangers that could beset them. Guards were chosen after a quick meal with no fire. Alam went to sleep early knowing that he would be woken at midnight to join the watch. He fell asleep instantly.

***

Alam was walking alone in a valley familiar, yet unfamiliar. No he wasn't alone. Bakar was with him, talking of fishing. There was no time for fishing for they must hide before the bald man saw them. But there were no places to hide. Too late. The bald man with maroon robes was in front of him and next to him was Shaleh. He spoke to Alam and told him that Shaleh was his wife. The bald man put his arm around Shaleh's shoulder and pulled her towards him. A patch of blood from the man's side touched Shaleh's wedding dress and stained it red. Bakar pushed him for no reason. Bakar pushed him again. And again.

"Wake up Alam," whispered Urlock, rocking his shoulder.

He sat up quickly. "Is it my watch?"

"No, but you have been dreaming loudly. Come join me and bring your blanket. There is still a touch of winter in the air tonight."

Alam rose, covered himself with his woolen blanket, and hurried to catch up to his chief who was pacing around the sleeping camp.

"Today you took a life for the first time. Are you alright?" Urlock asked with care in his voice.

"Why do you ask?" said Alam, wondering if the chief could read his thoughts.

"I heard you talking in your dream. It sounded like a nightmare."

"It was just a dream," Alam said. "Dreams fade with the sun."

Urlock stopped pacing and looked directly at Alam. "Speak plainly to me."

Alam bowed his head in shame. "I have killed fish and many animals for meat, but they haven't preyed on my mind like killing that sorcerer. All day, over and over, I have seen in my mind his blood on my axe or poor Bakar falling from the cliff. In my heart I have started to see that I am not made to be a warrior. I am not tough enough. You, Serik, even Tajar, are less affected than me. This was my fifth raid and I still trembled like a leaf. You have taught me to fight, and for my body to be strong, but my heart is weak. I'm not brave like you and I am ashamed to admit it."

Urlock put a hand on Alam's shoulder and gripped him hard. Although Alam was taller than the chief, indeed taller than anyone in the clan, there was no doubt of the chief's strength.

"Alam," he said, "throw away your shame. Every man or woman, at least those with a soul, are repulsed by taking the life of another human being. That is the natural order of things. If you were not affected I would worry about you. Everyone here," he swept his hand around the camp, "that has taken a life has felt the same as you. Some vomit, some weep in private, some try to make light of it, but all of us have nightmares."

"Even you?"

"Pim wakes me at night before I start screaming so I do not wake the whole clan. I have killed five people in my life. One was to protect Pim and Shaleh when the Khashbal Clan raided us - Shaleh was but an infant at the time; one was punishment for someone who committed a crime in our own clan; two were this morning; and one was an old man from the east who refused to yield his cart to me. It was one of my first raids and I was full of aggression. His is the death I regret most bitterly. I should have let him pass and waited for the next caravan."

"Why is it different from taking the life of a goat or a fish?" Alam asked.

"I do not know. But it is."

After a moment's silence Urlock changed subject. "What do you think we should do about this box?"

"Why do you ask me?" asked Alam.

"Well, first of all I trust your instincts on what is the right thing to do. You seem to be drawn to doing the honorable thing. Even when it gets you in trouble. And since I am not sure what to do, I ask your advice."

Alam was stunned. Never had Urlock asked his opinion about anything.

"Secondly," continued the clan chief, "you say that the holy man gave it to you and told you to take it to..."

"Clarisai. Where is that?"

"I don't know. The world is a large place and I have traveled little of it. Of course Clarisai could be a name of a person rather than a place."

"Really? I have never heard that name before," said Alam.

"The world is full of strange names. Some might think that your name is strange."

"But mine is so common," said Alam.

"Yes, but we have strayed from my point, which was that the holy man gave the box to you. After a lot of thought I have decided that you should look after it."

Urlock extended the box towards Alam. Due to the darkness Alam had not even been aware that the chief was carrying it. He hesitated to take it.

"But surely what belongs to me belongs to the clan," replied Alam as a way of stalling. He did not want to touch it again in case the blurry vision returned.

"Are you arguing with me?" chuckled Urlock.

"No. It's just that it could be very valuable."

"Or it could be a curse."

Alam hadn't thought of that.

"Either way," continued the chief, "I think you should look after it. Keep it on you always until we get home. Then we will gather the clan and discuss what to do with it."

Alam took the box. Suddenly he was in a different place. Colour vanished leaving only black, white, and grey fuzziness. For a few seconds the shock of the transformation bewildered him. Gradually he became aware that he felt warm and happy. He relaxed. His stomach was very full and he was tightly bound in a way that was reassuring. The same woman's face came closer. As she leaned over him and kissed his forehead and nose her features became clearer. She was the most wonderful person he had ever seen. It had nothing to do with physical beauty. She was, quite simply, everything.

As suddenly as it started, the vision ended. Alam staggered with the abruptness of the change.

"Alam! Are you ill?" Urlock grabbed Alam's forearm to steady him.

"The box gave me a strange vision."

"What was it?"

"A mother and babe."

"Did you recognise them?"

"No, And the strangest thing is that I was seeing through the baby's eyes. Chief Urlock, do you really think it might be cursed?" asked Alam.

"Who can tell? I do not know anything about magic other than it is best avoided."

"Is magic bad?"

"I don't know."

"What about in the valley? The bald man and the holy man?" asked Alam.

"I had never seen anything like that before, and I hope I never will again. How the sorcerer snapped the limbs of that warrior without touching him is the stuff of nightmares."

"Yes," agreed Alam.

"Alam, there is one other subject I need to mention to you," said Urlock his voice suddenly grave. He stopped walking and turned directly towards Alam.

"Yes?"

"I know you are young so I will be lenient. You disobeyed me today in the valley. I told you clearly that we would retreat, but you disobeyed and ran headlong into a fight outside of your ability. Don't do it again."

"Yes my chief." Alam lowered his head in shame.

From the camp someone rose and walked towards them. It was Shaleh.

"Daughter, what are you doing awake?" asked Urlock.

"You two woke me up," she replied.

"Go back to sleep," commanded her father. "Your watch is the early morning one."

"I am awake now so I might as well stay up." she said as if her father was merely suggesting instead of giving an order. "You go to bed father. I will keep watch with Alam."

"You and Alam watch the camp alone? In the dark? That will never happen," he said.

"Don't you trust us?"

"Him, I trust," Urlock replied. "Because he knows that I own a big sword and am happy to use it for castrations. You, I don't trust at all."

"Father!" Shaleh tried to sound shocked.

"I will happily go back to bed," offered Alam with a smile.

"Good idea. Wake up Arj. He can keep watch with Shaleh since she is awake."

"But he smells like he hasn't bathed for a month," she complained.

"I think it was two months ago," said Urlock. "But remember these words daughter - a man does not have to smell good to be a good man."

"It certainly helps though," muttered Shaleh as Alam wandered back to the patch of ground that served as his bed. He fell asleep imagining keeping watch with Shaleh. It was a very nice thought.

--------------------

Thank you for reading Engraved. I love getting your comments. Please consider voting!

- Y. V. Qualls