Below the Peak (Sola)(35)

The military headquarters came in her sight as she neared. The headquarters were secluded far from other housings, from a top view its walls formed a smaller ring inside the high wall of Vessener. The hem of her skirts had turned brown from collecting dust as she trekked, it fell into place to her ankles when she stopped inside the arena. Her back felt sore. Sweat from the training women and men mingled in the hot air. The undertone of the air inside the small wall was also charged entirely different from outside-it was strained and gloom. She searched for the General among the warriors first, in case he was in the crowd. All she saw were men and women perfecting their skills and others who stood talking intently.

If the General was not among the warriors, chances where he might be in his small work room. She turned to the direction where his room was and found the door open. Just before she could walk towards the chamber, Barra emerged out from the disclosed room with a little young boy behind him. The poor boy appeared to be about a year or two older than Ingrid. The short boy’s mouth moved quickly as he talked to Barra who had turned to him, his back towards her. Nara could not read lip his words, but she was sure the young man was angry because he bared his teeth a few times at Barra.

Barra placed his arm on the young man’s shoulder and patted him, calming the young man. As if sensing her, Barra looked over his shoulder, his eyes meeting hers briefly then turning his attention back to the young man. The young man grinned at Barra and hurriedly left. Maybe Barra had heard a word from the General, after all, he had the General’s favors as his subordinate. Not wanting another person to snatch his attention she hurried toward him and at the same time he too forward at her, meeting halfway.

“Who’s the boy? She started first.

“Just a street boy I know. I gave him his final warning told him if I caught him stealing again I’d find another use for his detached hands,” he said nonchalantly yet an emotion in his eyes betrayed his tone. According to the short story he had un-enthusiastically told her, he was abandoned by his parents. When he was a young boy, he and his parents came to Vessener on a trading day, and they decided to leave him. In Barra’s own words, his parents never loved him. They found him to be a burden, just another mouth to feed. He never felt a sense of belongness with them. Just a lad, he didn’t know his way back home hence he grew in the blighted area of Vessener, dogfighting to find food and shelter until General Tatu had taken him under his wing. She couldn’t picture the constant struggle of such life. Knowing it was a sensitive subject to him, Nara didn’t press any further. Bara folded his hands across his chest, his muscle flexed against the short sleeve white shirt he wore. “What is it you want to tell me?”

“Any word from the king?” she asked.

“No kali man, woman or child is to leave these lands,” Barra replied.

“What’s he planning to do?”

“He hasn’t said his purpose for them yet, but I won’t pass it by him not to keep them captive later” Barra suggested.

Nara nodded. “Anything else he ordered?”

“He commanded a word to be sent to Elp, Ble and Il that they should be extremely vigilant.” Elp, Ble and Ile were the major routes that led to the copper and gold mines and roads which traders and officials used when they travelled along Fisher Port to Vessener or Rive. They crossed from the west, north and the center of Murisa.

“When, was the word sent out?”

“Last night after I told the General the full report on Latrell, the General delivered the news to the king and the king immediately requested the General to send his men out to give the order.” It was a good decision. She understood the importance of guarding all the key routes that lead to the major provinces and cities, but she was anxious and curious to know what other measures they would take on Kalil.

“That’s it. Nothing else?” Nara asked. Barra’s lips thinned and shook his head regretfully. The uncertainty ate at her calmness, the waiting and not knowing what to do was making her ill at ease. She wasn’t enjoying the suspense. King Lorenz needed to come with a better plan sooner than later, guarding the main routes won’t be enough to counter Abasi’s army once they arrive. Just thinking of his army had her stomach flipping. Perhaps a negotiation between the two kings would not be rebuffed. She frowned at the incredulous notion. She hated herself just thinking of this but despite the terrible ambush, she would be willing to cast her anger toward them aside and the need to avenge and tolerate a new reconciliation if it meant the safety of her family and the rest of Murisa people. Heading to war would cause a lot of consequences and not just for the loser but for the winner too. She snorted inwardly. She had a feeling King Lorenz would not favor her thoughts.

The elf! Where does the elf fit in all this? Nara mulled, strange things were happening. It’s far more than a coincidence for the elf to show up right now.

“What is it?” her eyebrows lowered and scrunched together when Barra stared at her too intently.

“What?” he asked blankly.

“You’re looking at me.” she told him.

“Is it wrong to look at you?” Telling him, she didn’t like to be stared at was useless when he already knows how she felt about it but never cared to stop.

Nara shook her head. “No. It’s just the way you’re looking at me, like…” she licked her lips. It was like how he looked at her the last evening in Latrell, his stare was too long than usual and held something she did not want to discern. Barra drew closer, his boots almost touching her clad feet and murmured lowly. “like how?”