Doazda's Men

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 48324

There was a gap of time that was a blur to Astra. She sang, staggered, and kept walking forward, drenched with rain and bespattered with mud. She was absolutely passive now, letting Hesht lead the way. At least he knew these lands. After the gap of time, Hesht suddenly stopped, and raised his right foot up, and balanced it across his left knee. There was a thin strip of mud that had been removed from the cake on his foot, and a tell-tale thorny outline on one side of the strip. Hesht smiled weakly. "This is a good sign. We are nearing Doazda's, and the comforts of an established house. We should try to make shoes again."

Astra was glad to have the rest, although she was beginning to chill. Hesht took her makeshift sandals from the pack, and worked some leaves and fresh resin into them. He then covered them with mud. "This is to protect you from puddles of water," he said. "Although the mud is rough on them, it is nothing compared to the water. The land should dry a little from here."

Hesht did not have any bark to line a pair of sandals for his feet, so he made do with a rag and the leaves. Astra and he then continued on, ignoring the blistering and bruising of their feet. They were close! Fire, food, hospitality ... they proceeded with the last reserves of their strength, eager for shelter in the wilds of Tange.

Another stretch of time passed. "Just a little bit more, Astra," Hesht said. Astra wanted to believe him, but he had said the same thing some time ago. This "little bit more" could last a while. Hesht was her best - her only real - hope, but she was starting to wonder if Hesht had lost his way. The light was dimming, and if they had to spend the night in the cold, they might not arrive at Doazda's whole.

"Halt!" boomed a voice from a tree. Hesht and Astra stopped where they stood.

"Who goes there?" the voice demanded.

"It is I, Hesht, coming in from an errand for Doazda. I am at your mercy."

The voice boomed again, "Nevad, Sog - shoot them if they move."

Astra felt a pair of large hands frisking her from behind. They found the knife, encased in the hardened purple clay, and removed it. She tensed nervously, ready to turn and fight using the arts of hand-to-hand combat that she learned in Aqualaria. Not that she stood much of a chance of surviving long if this turned out to be an ambush.

She was much relieved when she heard a different voice, of the man who was frisking Hesht calling out, "Hesht, what brings you out in this weather? Surely the errand could have waited until the weather cleared?"

Hesht replied, "Doazda was in town two days ago, and charged me with ensuring that this lady made it here safely, and was to be sheltered here until he got back. He was very strict about the deadline. I have some other business that takes me here, that I shall reveal only if Doazda bids."

This worried Astra. Doazda knew that she was coming. Hesht had not told her that. And Hesht said nothing about transporting her to Petrona. She was concerned that she had, at great peril, walked into a trap.

The man with the booming voice, quieter now, said, "Hesht, if I do not need to know your business, I do not wish to know your business. The timing is odd, though. We are busier than usual, as you shall see. We heard your bell, and tracked you to here. I will ask that you agree to be blindfolded. We will then take you to a safe and comfortable place."

Astra gasped. She thought that she would be separated from Hesht, and defenseless. The man behind her saw her fear, and said, "Pray introduce us to your companion, Hesht. I envy you your mission."

Hesht stammered, "S- S- Sog. It -t is n- not l- like it l- l- looks."

Sog replied, with a hint of sarcasm, implying that Hesht had, and should have, an ulterior motive in escorting the young lady to Doazda's. "Of course not. You had nothing but your duty in mind all this time."

Astra was surprised by Hesht's response, or at least the way he delivered it. "S- sog," he said, betraying anger. "As, as a matter of fact, yes, I was thinking of my d- duty. And I am not asha- ashamed to say that. I had to blaze, blaze a canyon, that is, blaze a trail across a roaring river of the Big Canyon, and not one out of a hundred could have d- done it. Astra has sh- shown me more pluck than m- most gentlemen of Hespan. I ask that you, you, treat her with respect."

Sog appeared to have been as surprised as Astra. "I didn't mean anything by that, Hesht. I will treat your lady with respect. I don't want to get cross-wise with Doazda in any case."

Nevad pitched in, coming to the defence of Sog. "Hesht, we know you do your duty. Why you had to do it with all this rain is beyond me, but we all respect your stubborness. But the blindfold?"

Hesht said, "Sure, Nevad. I know Doazda's place well, and it s- seems to be a strange request, but these are strange times. Doazda might have something new going on that I should not see. We will wear blindfolds."

Astra spoke up, "Hesht, I want you to hold my hand. I don't know these people yet, and I need some time to get to know them."

The man with the booming voice laughed, as Nevad and Sog blindfolded Hesht and Astra. "Hesht, you mustn't turn down the request of such a charming lady. And Astra, I hope that we can make up in hospitality tonight for our chilly greeting here. We welcome travellers, most of them, at least. Provided that they are considerate enough to announce their arrival." He rang a bell like the one that Hesht had, to demonstrate how to "announce one's arrival" at Doazda's manor.


At this time, to the southeast, in a large cottage near a trail, a fire had just been started in a large room. A window was shuttered against the rain. Two benches faced each other. On one was Doazda, wet from the sudden rain. On the other was Bakhtar, the owner of the cottage. They had been speaking for some time.

Bakhtar said, "Yes, it is sad that she could not wait. Alone in these woods, and with this weather. Surely she is dead."

Doazda nodded slightly, with a grave expression. He thought, "That might simplify matters a great deal." It would save him tfrom having to make what was bound to be a difficult decision, at least. He had mixed feelings. He knew and liked Hesht, as a reliable and steady worker. From what Bakhtar had told him, Astra appeared to have merely been in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was still not sure whether he believed that or not. But unless Astra was found, dead or alive - no, her disappearance would not simplify matters at all.

For Doazda was a man with much influence, and many clients. The problem was that some of those many clients did not know the way that things were done in Hespan, and the unique code of Tange. To these outsiders, Tange appeared to be an anarchy, a land of outlaws where anything was permitted. It was too rapidly becoming that way. There were too many outsiders who had come for riches and power, without wishing to assume the responsibility that those riches and power brought, at least according to the traditions of Hespan. It was rapidly becoming a place where every man did what was right in his own eyes. Doazda sensed a disaster if things continued as they were. Doazda, and a few of the leading alchemists, had an idea. The idea of a cartel had been discussed, discreetly. There was to be a great gathering of alchemists at his manor - a sort of trade fair and social gathering. The gathering had been called on short notice, and care was taken so that word would not leak to the outside world.

If Astra had been a peasant from the trans-Hespanic states, or from some backwater Hespaniard town, it would have concerned few. She would be just one more servant girl catering to the needs of the alchemists, or one would-be alchemist. But someone from Aqualaria itself, a major foreign power, was another matter. If the King's agents, or even many of the other alchemists, got wind of this, then Astra would be getting even more unwanted attention than she got now.

But Doazda could not tell Bakhtar all of this. He did not want to tell him any of this, but felt that it might be time to drop a few hints. Nor was he going to tell him about Hesht. Doazda merely said, "I think that it is too early to say. Maybe she found refuge somewhere. Or she turned back into town, and we have just not heard about it."

Bakhtar nodded his head sadly, "I would like to think so. Such a lively young girl. And to think of her out there, alone, cold, and hungry, when many in Golabi would have been happy to give her shelter...."

Doazda said, "Don't be too hard on yourself. The town did the best it could. If someone does not want to be helped, then you cannot force them to be helped. But, although it looks bleak, strange things sometimes happen. I will have my servants look for her."

"That is all that we can do, besides pray. Why do you think she came here?"

"I would give a lot to know," said Doazda. "And I am not the only one."

  1. Back at Doazda's manor ...
  2. Continuing the conversation at Bakhtar's ...

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1/13/2005 8:45:46 PM

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