The Mud Song

Sabok let it be known at the city gate that they were visiting Jegar. The offical smiled appreciatively at Astra, and waved them through. Sabok led them to a large, newly-built wooden house with a garden and chickens before it. It was true the Jegar was a customs official, but he also had a small farm, and a large family. Besides two young children of his own, a couple of his sisters, a brother-in-law, and four nephews lived there. There was plenty of work to go around, and with the money Jegar's earned as a customs offical, they lived a more interesting and prosperous life than the average farmer in Darvazde Yepenhan.

Sabok knocked on the door, and a pockmarked, slender woman answered the door. "Sabok! What brings you here?"

"I met this man and woman on the road, and decided to escort them along the dangerous roads to Darvazde Yepenhan."

The woman replied, "Oh, you? Don't make me laugh. The lady should probably be defending you." The woman took a closer look at Astra, and noticed her height and muscular tone. "No offense, khanomam."

"Absolutely none taken, khanoman," replied Astra.

"Well, come in. Take a seat by the hearth, and sit down."

By this time Jegar had walked into the room. "Sabok! I haven't seen you in ages. Where have you been?" He walked up to Sabok and heartily shook his hand.

Sabok replied, "All over! I did the circuit between Sardargomi, Shomal, and the Royal Court this last year. And spent some time in Gilder's Palace of Corona in the year before that."

Astra rolled her eyes a little when Sabok mentioned Gilder, but then caught herself and then smiled and nodded.

As introductions were made, Astra noticed that the thin lady, Yawkut, had slipped out to marshall the children to work. There were two large pots. In one was a sort of fondue, with large, coarse-grained loaves of bread toasting beside it. In another kettle there was a warm brown liquid that was an herb tea. There was no table as such - everyone sat cross-legged on rushes, and dipped chunks of bread into the sauce. The children also brought out some little bottles of Penhanese wine for the adults, and Yawkut set a big brown lump of sugar out by the pot that the children eyed eagarly.

Astra noted that the children ate ravenously. They stirred bits of sugar into the tea, and sipped it with much pleasure. Sabok told everyone the latest court gossip, and sang something he called the "Frog Song." This involved puffing his cheeks out to an incredible extent, and making strange froggy noises. The children laughed and enthusiastically mimicked him. Sabok hopped from the table, like a frog, and the children followed him around the room. After he had played with them in this way for a time, he announced, "It is time to go to sleep."

One of the children said, "Can you sing us another song?"

"Only if you go to bed. And it has to be a secret." Sabok gave a surreptitious nod to Jegar.

The children agreed. Sabok sang something he called the Mud Song.

When I was running to Shomal Gate
Hoping to get there, not too late
It started raining. It didn't flood.
But I had get by the stinking mud.

So if you go to Shomal town
It is fun, but look around
And take care of where you choose to trud
And steer clear of any sign of mud.

1. With the children tucked away, Sakok comes back into the main room and the conversation turns to other matters.

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