Yara had left the main hall truly crestfallen. She loved her sons dearly and the thought of Truzari leaving her before she was ready to let him go was an air that was palpable. Enol didn't follow her to bed. In fact he stayed up all night writing letters. Not before firstly calling Behitha into the hall. Though it was late she came quickly. After hearing his plan, she belligerently disagreed. It was reckless at best. No matter how many times and ways she argued he refused to change his mind. It was scary. In response to seeing what Truzari was capable of, he was filled with a mischievous energy. He wanted to get on with the plan as quickly as possible. It was something that needed to come to pass if Truzari was to be the son he needed. The son that would finally do what no Siwa has been able to do since the rift. The Great divide, divided more than just the land. It was the People of Croqowei that had never reconnected their former unshakeable bond as a people . Feared as the most violent and blood thirsty people. Relishing in battle, always at war with someone. But resolutely united by one fierce Chief.
"Hialeah." Enol approached the Cooper, Hialeah, the next morning. "When will they be ready to depart?" He reached out a hand and caressed the nape of a large rooster like creature that had looked his way.
The Cooper slammed his fist to his chest and knelt. "Chief Enol, I am honored that you would entrust my flock to this task. I have picked out the fastest and most powerful Roosies for this task and as you've requested, I did it on my own. None of my apprentices are aware of the purpose."
"That is good, Hialeah." Hialeah stood and walked over to the other Roosies, avoiding Enol's glance, and they clawed at the ground and cawed in excitement.
"They should be ready to depart any minute now I am just whispering prayers over them."
"Which prayers does a journey like this require?" Enol was curious about the prayers used by the Coopers. They were coveted as a trade secret, only shared with apprentices. There were many battles he returned from and the Coopers always seemed to carry an air as if a promise had been fulfilled.
"It is a powerful prayer for luck." Hialeah said looking intense as he continued to whisper near the head of the Roosy in front of him. He stroked the feathers and Enol thought he saw a glimpse of Glow under Hialeah's hands.
"We are ready to leave now." Yara's voice surprised Enol. He had been focusing closely on Hialeah as he prayed.
"We?" Yara's attendants came out in a procession of bags. "What is going on?"
"I am going with him. Carausi will stay with you." She crossed over to the Cooper. "Hialeah can you help my attendants attach the bags to the side of the Roosies."
"As you wish, Ghigau." The attendants stood around the Roosies afraid to get near them. Hialeah smiled. "They won't hurt you. Please come forth."
He waved them forward and they slowly approached the Roosies and they cawed in a sputtered manner. It wasn't in the way they cawed when Enol approached, it was merely a hello. They presented their sides disciplined and grace like. The girls patted and caressed them. For some it was obvious that it was the first time they had ever seen one up close and alive. They had defeathered and carved up Hanners more times than they could count, but they were already dead. They're long necks stood so high and tall, live and in person. The Roosies allowed them to attach the bags inside of the loops on their sides intentionally placed so they wouldn't trap their wings.
Enol grabbed Yara's hand gently. "What are you doing?"
"I am not going to send my son on this journey alone." What else could she be doing. She would rush into the inextinguishable Flames of Kashmir to shield her children. Enol knew this but he was still off kilter. He didn't expect this but kicked himself that he didn't predict it. If he were her and she was him she would have predicted it.
"He must do this alone." He said recklessly out of frustration.
This was a mistake. She pulled her hand out of his. "Why?"
"I just don't want to draw too much attention. Truzari's absence can be covered up, but the two of you leaving at the same time will be impossible to explain." It would be impossible to dissuade her he knew but he needed to try. If she were to go with them it could become dangerous and he would have to do things he wished he wouldn't have to.
"There is no way for whoever attacked Truzari to gain that information. Do you not trust the Siwa Tribe to covet this information, if you the Chief forbade speaking of it, even with each other?" It was the one thing he couldn't concede. His faith in his people. Their reverence was real and he had seen it. His life had been saved countless times by their loyalty to him.
"I Trust the Siwa Tribe with my life!" The words raced from his lips. It was obvious and he would die before allowing anyone to question it.
"Then we shall be as safe as we could ever be, in this place that houses the feathers of Ehecatl. They will not sit still learning of an attack on their young chief in the Iowa. In my time here I've learned at least that much." The places that held the feathers of Ehecatl were well known as sacred places. Places that could be counted on to halt fighting. They offered safe haven to the chased and damned.
Truzari was finally brought out to the front of the Iowa. Yara gasped. "What are you doing? We are not ready what if someone see's him."
"Its fine. Behitha is patrolling the area. The person who attacked Truzari being in the forest and her not finding them is near impossible." It would be impossible because she carried them with her wherever she went.
"Is it just her?"
"It will be fine. I'm telling you." She relaxed slightly at hearing this. Whatever she thought he was up to she didn't believe he would put his son in anymore danger.
"Over here, Dyani." She floated across the grounds to the stairs leading up to the Iowa. She took Truzari's hand. "Come with me, I want to show you something."
Truzari reluctantly followed his mother down the stairs. Tracing each step with trepidatious uncertainty. "What is it?" He didn't have an ounce of excitement for new things and preferred things to be explained to him with tremendous detail. He enjoyed his history lessons with Behitha. It was the responsibility of the Lesser Siwa Tribe to scribe the histories and be well versed in it. There was always something interesting about each Chief and the Great Divide of course. More than anything he really liked hearing about Ehacatl. Behitha wasn't very interested in most of the history but she obviously had great reverence for the Sacred Beast. It was the same way that she spoke about his father.
"Just wait a second. That's the last one" Enol watched as they cleared the steps. Could it all be a front or did Truzari not know that this was child's play to what he was capable of. What he could truly sense was immense, Enol thought.
Truzari reeled backwards slightly. He pleaded sternly. "Can you please tell me what it is."
"It's a Roosie. Come on. You'll be riding this one with me."
"The big loud bird?" It cawed sharply as if hearing his insult.
She smiled softly. "Yes, that one. Since you don't know how to ride one, you will ride with me. You're going to be riding with me, so you should get used to it."
Truzari pulled his hand out of his mothers and backed away from her tripping on one of the stairs. All but Enol inhaled a breath of shock as he fell onto the steps. "Why! Why do I have to go? Can't I stay here with you and Caru?"
"I told you this morning that it's not safe for you here and you'll be meeting your new teacher."
"What's wrong with Behitha. I can try harder to use Glow but I can't read. You know I can't read. Tell father that I want to stay."
"You have to go." When Enol spoke, Truzari jumped and turned his head to his father and stifled his crying. Did he really not know Enol was there. He had known Enol was there in the forest. Why could he not sense him now. Was it a fluke? Was he about to make a grave mistake and sentence his son to death?
"Chief, I can learn from Behitha, I promise." Truzari hadn't called Enol father for a long time outside of yesterday when he begged for his help. It was Chief. He revered his father and feared him greatly. He would call him father when he wasn't around but this was one of the rare times Truzari didn't know he was present.
"Truzari, it is not safe for you to stay in the Iowa. There are people who want to harm you here."
"But they shouldn't be able to. Ehacatl's feathers hang in the Hall. Behitha said that it's a sacred place and none of the other tribes would harm me here." It was the one flaw in his plan. How could his plan be blessed if he had done such a thing and demanded Behitha to do such a thing. How had he damned his fate as well as hers.
"They were foolish. They don't know what they've done. Their families will be cursed, I'm sure Ehacatl will see to it." It was done now. He would have to go and pray at the top of Huacachina for forgiveness. "Go with you're mother, let her show you what she wants to show you."
Truzari got up and reached his hand out and his mother took it again. "Which one was it again. Right, it's the one with the indigo feathers."
She lead Truzari to a Roosy with indigo feather tips and pearl white feathers running from it's cape to its saddle. It's main tail feathers were violet, and the sickle feather on its crown was eggplant. She guided his hands to the flurry of indigo feathers that made up its soft saddle.
Truzari looked up at his mother in astonishment. He didn't know exactly when his hand met the saddle but it felt like how his mother described the clouds in the garden. "Roosy saddle feathers are incredibly soft and sought after by many. Imagine sleeping on a bed made of these feathers."
Truzari thought about it and came to an amazing conclusion. "It would be like flying. But we eat the Hanners. Aren't their feathers this soft."
"I don't know. You tell me?" He looked at his mother quizzically. "You sleep on a bed made of Hanner feathers. I had never slept on a bed as soft before, but it is all you know. You'l find out soon enough."
Truzari's face grew sallow. The thought of sleeping in a bed that wasn't his and no one to help him with his lessons. He was reminded that this soft saddle was going to take him away from his home and when he got off, all that lay ahead of him was unfamiliarity. New things are exciting, his mom would say. They were simple words that wouldn't have made him feel better if it wasn't her saying them. Without her and his brother he would have to weather so many new things alone. He shivered uncontrollably.
"Roosy feathers are banned. Wild Roosy feathers are banned from being sold or used. A dead Roosy found in the wild is to be burned and not eaten. I'm sure Behitha has told you."
"Yes she did. It is one of the items protected by the Peace Corps at your request to deter poachers." Truzari said.
Yara looked up at Enol and smiled. He didn't know but Truzari had stopped shivering. He had steeled himself to speak confidently to his father. She could console him but Enol could strengthen him, she knew that, and mentioned him when she wanted to spur him with courage.
"Truzari." Yara caught his attention again. She reached behind her back. "I got you something to help." She pulled his hands up and placed a white beanie in his hands with a indigo brim and button on the top. "It's made from the feathers of the Rossy we'll be riding's sister because we can't use Roosy feathers."
The body of the beanie was made of cloth but the rim and button on the crown were a collection of fluffy deep purple feathers. "I've been practicing weaving feathered clothes. It's not the prettiest thing but it will keep your ears warm where you're going."
Truzari rustled it between his hands remarking on how soft it really was. He could feel the uneven seams and strayed stitching. But he could feel how thick it was and durable, stretchy even.
Truzari and his mother set off surrounded by guards. His father had decided to stay behind since his mother would be going. It made Truzari uncomfortable thinking of the person who attacked him at the temple.
"Truzari?" Yara's hands clutched him tight.
They went through the Forrest quietly until the guard brought them to a stop and looked around. There were sounds of rustling in the trees around. In the mix of tree's they saw a series of bodies hopping around. They alerted Yara and she took off with two guards and the rest fanned out to surround the trees around them.
Truzari's eyes darted around the trees. "What's happening mom?"
"We've been found?" She asked one of the guards.
"I don't know. Duck your head. I'm going to get you out of here." The guard assured her.
She put her heels to the Roosy and it spurned on faster. There was a grunt behind her and she turned around to find the other guards had been plucked from their mounts and the Roosies were still running along side her.
When she turned back ahead of her there was a face flying past her face. The person was wearing a painted mask, bright red and carved from wood with a strange etching in it. There was something familiar about the mask but when she tried to remember it, she got dizzy. Before she could realize, the masked person had lifted Truzari from her saddle.
"Mom!" Truzari reached out his hand for his mother but before they could clasp hands, Truzari's hand was pulled back.
"Truzari!" The masked person jumped through low hanging branches and Yara wheeled her Roosy through the bushes below. The height of The Roosy pushed her face high into the branches. Every so often a branch slapped her face. Even though the branches were sharp she received no scratches or marks on her face. In fact she was starting to glow white. She turned and wheeled the purple Roosy through the trees and found the person with the burning red mask.
"Stop." She started to remember something but it was immediately cast out of her mind as the mask turned on her. She shifted her gaze. The mask was doing something to her so instead she looked down to Truzari under their arms. He was trying to push himself away. She pushed on ahead. She was gaining on them. In an instant the person loosened his grip and Truzari slipped out, but when he dropped down the person swung the back of their fist at the back of Truzari's head. The move was so swift that Truzari still hadn't hit the ground before the person with the blazing red mask had already glowed two daggers and threw them at the Roosies chest and it fumbled and tripped smacking its face into the dirt.
Yara fumbled with the Roosy looking up to see the person grab Truzari before he hit the ground and turn back to continue running through the trees. Yara tumbled off of the Roosy and pressed her foot into the dirt and in a flash she slipped, the dirt flew up in a cloud behind her and she was off. The light around her was vibrating. She couldn't see the person with the mask anymore. She looked around the trees and saw a trail of white light on the grind. She dashed towards the light path and the dirt was sent flying. She cleared the trees to the sight of a vast sea of sand. The light faded into the desert.
"Truzari!" She clutched her stomach. She jumped up and out into the vast desert.