Grandmother took two steps forward. Everyone else was now starring at me in a mix of surprise and horror. When she reached me her walking staff fell to the ground as she crouched to touch my face.
"Neiman-- is it really you?-- ahh, what pain you must have borne, you innocent soul!" she cried, "rise, rise, my child!" and turning to a woman who had been grinding in a clay mortar, she shrieked, with her powerful voice, "Rosah-- prepare a feast! I've never been happier in my life! I thought you were dead, Nei-- I thought I would have to bear what was left of Hakorhi on my back till I found someone worthy to lead the clan. But you have returned, I can rest,"
Rosah and all the other ladies and girls all started running around, hooting and yelling. The men all came a second time, to welcome me formally, with a title that had been a long time since it had been used --
"Peace to you, and happiness, Neiman Saarhash, daughter of valor."
"Respect is given, Neiman Saarhash, daughter of Thzarmir, the bolt!"
I started to cry, and hugged them all back. Grandmother waved the young men away and stopped them from coming close.
"You forget this is the Matriarch's tent-- behave yourselves!"
And they scurried away to help the women with the hard tasks. Grandmother led me into her tent.
She kept running her hands over my face, taking my hands and pressing them to her chest.
Since Iria was not here, I could cry as much as I wanted. So I did.
While everyone else was busy throwing up a grand feast outside, Grandmother had me fill her in on our flight.
There wasn't much to tell. I had her promise to keep Rudolph's parentage a secret, because, she was the only one that knew mother was not delivered of our brother at the time of the slaughter.
"I will tell no one," she promised, "it's good of you to treat him as your brother. And I understand why you would rather bear the pain. Iria cannot manage it. With the one she is carrying, look what you said she is doing!"
"Sometimes I think it would do a lot of good to wipe her memory completely," with grandmother I could express my wildest thoughts, my frustrations, "she just gives me orders without telling me why I have to do them!"
"You know you can't help listening to her, Nei. She is, after all, our clan princess,"
"But grandmother, what about the rumors circulating about this place?"
"Those who say Hakorhi is haunted visit the old ruins. We left it as a tribute to our fallen." she said simply, "when do you want to go back to fetch your sister and brother?"
"I'm not going," I frowned, "let her guess where I am. Let her come for me. I need a break from her. I need to live normally, for once. Its been a turbulent ten years,"
***
The next day grandmother led me all through the camp, and I started making my own plans. If Iria was so intent on her revenge mission, she would need more numbers, and here the people were, also angry and ready to fight if given a chance. I only told grandmother that I had a way of restoring active powers to the weak links.
"How?" her eyes widened, "do you know that if it works, Hakorhi will regain its former status?"
"I know. Everyone will want to get the formula from us," I replied.
"The only person I remember who could make the tonic was your mother-- you don't mean to say she gave you the formula?"
"She didn't," I replied, "I invented this tonic myself,"
"What do you need then?" She rose from her stool by the front flap of her tent.
"I need a clay mould furnace. And a pot than can hold ten liters of water, also moulded from clay. I have the rest of the things needed here," and patted my medicine belt.
Five days later I had every clans folk bring every single cup or bucket in the camp to me. After letting the tonic sit for twelve hours under direct sunlight, it was finally ready for consumption.
Grandmother had everyone line up in order, and they all took large gulps of the tonic. I was somewhat surprised that besides me and grandmother, a girl called Puri was the only mage in Hakorhi. How and when did the powers dissipate? Its been ten years, though.
They all regarded me with even greater respect after this. Their names were now recorded in the Hakorhi clan lineage as magic users. All thanks to Neiman Saarhash, daughter of Thzarmir, the bolt! Well, maybe I didn't like that final part. Most of these people had never even seen my father, yet, mentioned his name whenever they could. It made me uncomfortable.
"Sister Nei-- choose me!"
"No, me!"
"I'll be good!"
"No, I'm the best!"
"Please take me!"
I groaned inwardly. Grandmother had put her foot down and said I was by all means having not just one handmaid, but several. It had somehow slipped out and now I could not even walk around the camp without almost getting mobbed by those annoying teenage girls. Hakorhi teenagers were not as badly behaved in my day.
.....
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