"Saimura – " John began.
"You should rest, if you can," Saimura cut him off immediately.
John nodded. He wasn’t about to force Saimura to talk to him – certainly not in front of Lafi’shir. And he wasn’t sure he truly wanted to hear what Saimura would say. Not tonight at least.
John knelt down on the bedding and then lowered himself onto his right side. His neck ached and little, biting pains flared up his back, but it all seemed inconsequential. The slight softness of the blankets came as a vast relief.
"We’ll need to get those clothes cleaned and patched." Lafi’shir spoke for the first time in nearly a half hour. He frowned at the blood-soaked heap of John’s discarded clothes.
"I’ll give them to Tai’yu. He has a sister here." Saimura gathered up the clothes but held them away from his body. He walked to the stable doors, then glanced back to Lafi’shir.
"Go on," Lafi’shir said. "I won’t be much longer."
Saimura took his leave.
Lafi’shir remained on the tack bench, studying John. The silence between them stretched on. John thought suddenly of his father. There had been several nights, just before his father had been sent on active duty, when he would stand in the doorway of John’s bedroom studying him in silence. Then, at last, he would wish John goodnight.
Now Lafi’shir watched him with that same uncertain expression.
"What are you really called?" Lafi’shir asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Jahn is an animal’s name." Lafi’shir’s tone conveyed the disapproving expression that his beard and thick brows hid. "You’re no animal. What is your real name?"
"It really is just Jahn," John replied. "I don’t have another."
"A man who takes six bullets and keeps his feet shouldn’t be addressed like an animal. You’re a man. You need a man’s name," Lafi’shir stated.
"I’m used to Jahn," John replied. He had even grown used to the animal hand sign that indicated his name, though he hated the sneer that often accompanied it.
"Tell me how you occupied the rashan’im," Lafi’shir asked suddenly.
"I…" John paused at the change of subject but then answered, "I led them west to Mirror Lake. The ice broke under them when they tried to follow me across and I lost them there. Then I backtracked."
"That was clever," Lafi’shir said.
"Thanks." John rested his head against his arm.
Lafi’shir didn’t say anything. He didn’t even seem to be paying much attention to John now. Instead he gazed at the tahldi in their stalls. John closed his eyes. The soft warmth of sleep spread slowly through his muscles.
"Jath’ibaye," Lafi’shir said quietly.
"What?" John cracked his eyes open.
"It was my uncle’s name," Lafi’shir said. "I think it might suit you. What do you think?"
"Jath’ibaye," John said. He closed his eyes against the harsh lamplight. The name evoked a solitary green refuge. It conjured the image of a calm moment in a deep forest, when the sun filtered through leaves and cast warm emerald shadows. The sweet perfume of bramble flowers mixed with the salty scent of his own sweat. He thought of Ravishan’s lips on his skin and suddenly realized that he was drifting into a dream.
John pulled his eyes open. Lafi’shir still sat looking at him.
"Jath’ibaye sounds good," John said. He felt oddly touched that Lafi’shir would take the trouble to name him. They’d only known each other for a few days.
"Then it’s yours." Lafi’shir stood and walked to the stable doors. "I’ll have Pirr’tu make sure no one bothers you. Get some sleep."
John nodded. Only moments after Lafi’shir closed the stable door, John drifted back to his dream of that warm green sanctum that his new appellation seemed to promise.
To be continued…
Characters appearing in Arc Six
Arren ---------------------- Head of fighter’s district in the Warren.
Ashan’ahma ------------- An ushiri studying at Rathal’pesha.
Alidas --------------------- A rider for the Bousim family; partly crippled.
Amha’in’Bousim -------- Lady Bousim, 3rd wife, exiled to the north.
Bill -------------------------- Called Behr in Basawar.
Daru ------------------------ Fai’daum priest
Eriki’yu -------------------- Boy in the Fai’daum Warren
Fenn ------------------------ Fai’daum fighter recently drafted from the stables
Fikiri Bousim ------------- An ushiri: son of Lady Bousim.
Gin’yu --------------------- Fai’daum Scout Captain
Giryyn --------------------- Fai’daum priest
Hann’yu ------------------- An ushman exiled to the north: specializes in healing.
Issusha’im ---------------- The Payshmura oracles.
Ji Shir’korud -------------- Dog demon; one of the Fai’daum.
John ------------------------ Called Jahn
Kansa ---------------------- Faidaum witch in training
Lam ------------------------- Fai’daum priest
Lafi’shir -------------------- Fai’daum Ground Commander
Laurie ----------------------- Called Loshai in Basawar.
Lyyn ------------------------ Craftsman in the Fai’daum Warren
Nivoun Bousim ---------- Governor of the Bousim’s northern holdings
Parfir ------------------------ The earth god.
Rifter ----------------------- The destroyer incarnation of Parfir.
Parfir ----------------------- The earth god.
Rifter ----------------------- The destroyer incarnation of Parfir.
Ravishan ------------------ The most promising of the ushiri at Rathal’pesha.
Rousma -------------------- Ravishan’s sister.
Sabir ------------------------ The leader of Fai’daum.
Saimura -------------------- Ji’s son.
Serahn ---------------------- Powerful Ushman in the Black Tower of Nurjima.
Sheb’yu -------------------- Fai’daum fighter and spy
Tai’yu ---------------------- Fai’daum fighter.
Tanash --------------------- Fai’daum witch in training
Wah’roa ------------------- Leader of the kahlirash’im at Vundomu.
Common Terms and Words
and ---------- iff
animal / it ---------- shir
asshole ---------- wahbai
bark (tree) ---------- istana
bee (honey) ---------- behr
best ---------- sho
black ---------- yasi
blonde hide ---------- jahn
blood ---------- usha
blue ---------- holima
bone ---------- sumah
bones (holy) ---------- issusha
book ---------- lam
brothers ---------- ashan
but / however ---------- hel
chasm ---------- kubo
city ---------- tamur
cold ---------- polima
dead ---------- maht
deer (mount) ---------- tahldi
delicious ---------- mosh
dog (tame) ---------- kohl
dog (wild)/wolf ---------- sabir
exhausted ---------- renma
fast (speed) ---------- sam
fire ---------- daru
food ---------- nabi (grain)
friend ---------- pashim
from / of ---------- in
fuck ---------- faud
goat ---------- fik
good / pretty ---------- domu
grain plant ---------- taye
green ---------- ibaye
harm ---------- ratim
hawk ---------- alidas
hill ---------- rousma
holy ---------- ushmana
hot ---------- niru
how / because ---------- ahab
idiot ---------- bai
joy ---------- amha
key ---------- hala
key, death ---------- lock ---------- maht’tu hala
knife ---------- halaun
lazy ---------- pom
little / diminutive ---------- iri
lock ---------- tu
lost ---------- gasm’ah
love ---------- mohim
man/ male ---------- vun
meadow ---------- pivan
meat ---------- nabi’usha
medicinal tree ---------- yasistana
monastery ---------- ushmura
money ---------- jiusha
mountain ---------- rathal
no ---------- iss