The late afternoon sun hung the western sky, a glaring white disk burning the grassland gold and brown. Arul trudged over the ancient road, Keeran and Navira close behind. From time to time Arul would stop and turn, waiting to see if anyone was following. The teens hadn’t the energy to converse with each other, preferring to keep to their own thoughts.
The road reached a gentle crest as the light began to yellow in the late afternoon, and there in the distance was an end to the forest, the blue sky visible through the thinning trees.
The Ancient Forest dwindled to a few twisted and stunted specimens, unable to thrive in the harsh winds that scoured the region. From a distance, a small herd of spotted deer watched them with large dark eyes, twitching noses alert to danger. With relief, Arul saw that the road seemed to be in much better condition than back in the forest.
There was another fallen archway, similar to the one they had passed at the entrance to the Ancient Forest. The chirping of birds faded, only to be replaced by the whisper of rustling grass. It was a different world, and it's only song came from the endless wind.
Keeran stood on one of the crumbling stone blocks, his hands on his hips. ‘Why did they build these gateways if there’s no-one to use them?’
‘Doesn’t mean they were never people here,’ Arul said. ‘It means that these parts were quite busy once.’ His voice took on a wistful tone. ‘A very long time ago.’ He touched the strange writing on the ruined archway, then stepped into the new landscape.
Sunlight streamed from the brilliant sapphire sky, startlingly bright after so many days in the forest. It felt good. The grasslands spread out before them in a vast series of undulating hills, a golden-brown land without a single tree. A gusting wind carried with it the chill of the surrounding mountains, and it looked to be hostile to any form of life but grass.
‘I think Appa never came this far,’ Arul said. ‘At least not that he told me.’ As they talked, their voices were swept away by the wind, as though speech had no place up here. ‘His job as a forest warden stopped at that archway.’
‘So what’s up here? Any villages?’ Asked Navira.
‘Good question. Wish I knew.’ Arul said.
Navira narrowed her eyes. ‘What about your map, dummy?’
Arul pulled out his leather map with a sheepish expression. He unrolled it and studied it for a minute. ‘It shows a lake of some kind north of here. If we stick to the road, we’ll reach it in a few days.’
‘So let’s go!’ Navira said, her eyes looking forward. ‘Predators aside, I love seeing these new lands. I couldn’t stand the thought of living in Sailem my whole live.’
‘Really? I thought I was the only one who wanted to see the world,’ Arul said, nodding at Navira and fingering his spear, squinting at the road ahead. The stonework was impressive, considering its builders had constructed it many centuries ago. He felt Navira’s hand slide into his own. It felt even better that looking at the open blue sky.
Keeran leant on his spear, bowing it under his weight. ‘Do we have to walk so far? Can’t we just scare off those lions from here?’
Time seemed to slow amongst the hills, and to Arul he barely seemed to be moving although he had been walking for countless hours. Many miles to the west rose forbidding grey foothills, hazy and forlorn. Beyond them sat the imposing Meru Ranges topped by crowns of dazzling white ice, soaring into the azure sky like great jagged teeth.
Arul’s heart ached at the sheer beauty of the scene.
I hope I get to live my whole life in the mountains. When I’m old, I’d like to sit quietly and watch the seasons come and go. Nothing would make me happier.
Navira’s voice broke into his daydreaming rather unpleasantly. ‘Arul! Are we stopping for a rest or what? ARUL!’
‘We’re not resting yet. I’m just thinking, that’s all.’ Arul said, turning in a full circle. There was nothing except grass. No people. No animals. No trees.
No water.
‘What’s that thing over there?’ Asked Keeran. He squinted at something in the hills to the west, shielding his eyes with his hands.
“What are you talking about?’ Arul said in an irritated voice.
“THAT thing!’ Keeran shouted. Half buried in the hills over a mile away, a mammoth domed building crouched. Perhaps an ancient palace. ‘I don’t know, and I’m not going over there to find out,’ Arul said with a faint shiver. The structure looked ancient. Great holes yawned darkly where the roof had collapsed inward in places.
Abandoned cities in the mountains.
Arul had heard tales of ancient peoples who lived up here long ago. Tales that were retold over evening fires for countless generations. Beings with the power of flight. Weapons of terrible destructive power.
Perhaps they weren’t all fables.
With a growing feeling of doubt, Arul led them onwards. Their water began to run low, and the only animal they saw was a lone spotted deer on the crest of a hill. Arul hadn’t the strength to give chase, gaping at the half-starved creature until it bounded out of sight.
When night fell, they camped on the road, thirsty and hungry. Arul upended his water skin and tasted a leathery trickle of water. Without another word, he sank into an exhausted sleep.
‘I’m so tired Arul!’ Navira blurted out on the second day out of the forest. ‘My feet hurt.’
Arul glanced at her, then lifted his gaze into a clear blue sky. Overhead, a lone eagle wheeled in slow circles, rising on warm air currents. There was no other sound apart from the rustling grass, rising and falling with the wind like the breath of a sleeping giant. He gazed out towards the horizon, eyes anxious.
Where could Jaya be?
‘Navira’s right. I’ve had it! I want to lie down and die right here,’ said Keeran with a pitiful moan.
Arul checked the sun’s position. ‘Ten more minutes and then we make camp,’ he told them. They only groaned more.
They rounded yet another hill, no different from all the others. Arul abruptly came to a dead stop and Navira crashed into him. The ruins of a large stone building lay to one side of the road, clearly abandoned for long ages, its wooden roof rotted away. Grey tumble-down walls gave the place a sad feeling.
Arul studied it for a long moment. The outlines of the ruins were of an unmistakable shape. A large hall surrounded by smaller rooms.
Humans lived up here and travelled this road in great numbers. Why else would they have built this inn?
‘I think it was a guest house for travellers,’ Arul said. ‘That pile of timbers must have been the stables. And look at the row of guest rooms.’
‘Travellers? Here? In the middle of…of…nothing!’ Keeran spluttered.
Arul pursed his lips. ‘Maybe people from that domed city we passed.
‘Whatever. I just want to rest!’ Said Navira. She would have sat down right there on the road if Arul had allowed her to.
‘This place looks like a good spot to camp. I’ll go scout in case some animal is using it for shelter.’ Arul walked ahead, his bow at the ready in case of any nasty surprises.
He had barely rounded the rear of the inn, when a full grown sabre-tooth lion walked out from the ruin and fixed him with blazing eyes. Arul’s heart skipped a beat. The same fear he had felt during the tiger attack now squeezed his chest. Without thinking he brought up his bow and pulled back on the arrow. Unmoving, the lion stared at him with eyes the colour of burnished gold. They froze for what seemed like an eternity.
Until Keeran blundered between them.
Typically impatient, he had decided to follow Arul. Keeran looked at Arul, completely missed the lion behind him. ‘Arul, what’s taking you so long?’
The lion stared at the new intruder for a moment, then swung its head back to Arul, uncertain as to who was the greatest threat. It tensed its hunched shoulders, muscles rippling under its tawny hide.
‘Lion!’ Arul whispered.
‘What?’
‘LION! Behind you!’ Arul nodded to the spot behind Keeran.
Keeran’s eyes widened, his gaze creeping over his shoulder.
He screamed.
The sudden yell startled the lion. It stepped backwards with a snarl. Arul followed a hunch and screamed as well. The lion flinched, turning tail and sprinting into the hills.
Keeran collapsed onto the grass, shaking. ‘You okay?’ Asked Arul.
‘The lion was…was…so close!’
‘Very. Thank Vishnu your screams are so loud,’ said Arul with a shaky smile.
‘We could have screamed at that tiger, you know. It might have run off too,’ Keeran said.
Arul’s face darkened. ‘No Keeran. It wouldn’t have. This sabre-tooth was surprised by us. That tiger was stalking us for a day at least. Nothing would have stopped it from attacking.’
Navira sauntered around the ruin. ‘What are you two up to?’ She casually inquired. Arul and Keeran burst out laughing, even though their hands were still shaking.
Navira frowned. ‘Have you both gone mad?’
Arul left Keeran to relate the lion encounter to Navira, making a complete circuit of the ruin before entering, his aruval at the ready. ‘No lions!’ He yelled out. ‘It’s safe!’
That one must have been a scout. But where’s the rest of the pride?
He warily scanned the empty hills before waving Keeran and Navira over. The ruins made a cosy campsite. Most importantly, it protected them from the cold wind. They found a spot amidst the broken walls and settled in for the night, collecting bits of ancient wood that lay scattered about the ruin, using it to start a much needed fire.
The teens huddled around the flames as the night became colder. Keeran nervously watched the firelight dance off the old walls in eerie patterns. There wasn’t much to eat except for a handful of Keeran’s guavas. Arul would have really liked another meal of wild hare, but out here there wasn’t much to hunt.
Arul looked at his friends. ‘If we don’t find water within a day, our water skins will be empty and we’ll…’ He didn’t finish the sentence.
‘This road must lead to water at some point,’ said Navira. ‘How else could the ancients have travelled through here?’
Arul shrugged.
‘Ah! Sitting is much better than walking!’ Said Keeran, rubbing his sore feet. ‘Do you think these hills will ever end, or do they just go on forever?’ He yawned. ‘Where’s a tub of hot water for my poor feet when you need one?’
They fell silent when a gust of wind whistled into the campsite. The campfire hissed and wavered, a cloud of orange embers rising in a furious burst, swirling in a luminous cloud, only to wink-out over the darkening grassland.
Navira stared at the distant western mountains, glowing under the purple haze of the late afternoon sun like immense giants squatting between heaven and earth. ‘I wonder what the world would look like from on top those mountains?’
‘Very beautiful I think,’ Arul replied, looking at Navira. Their eyes locked for an instant before they hurriedly lowered their faces.
Keeran shrugged. ‘You would need to be an eagle to get up there.’
Navira thought for a long moment. ‘Being out here in this endless grassland makes me feel so small.’ She sighed. ‘After the tiger and those bandits, I began to think that life is so uncertain. I’ve been so sure of myself. Sure of my opinions. But here I’m like a speck of dust.’
Arul and Keeran stared at her with some confusion. ‘I’ve been a bully to you Keeran. I’m sorry,’ Navira whispered. Keeran nodded and stared at his toes.
Navira leaned towards Arul. ‘You know, I never really thought about the pain you’ve had to live through, not knowing your Amma.’ She was on the verge of tears. ‘I’m such an idiot.’
Arul crawled over and hugged her. ‘No, not an idiot. Someone with a good heart.’
I hope the old feisty Navira doesn’t completely disappear.
Navira blushed and looked down, her hand refusing to let go of Arul. They watched the fire in silence until the dusk deepened to a velvet blue. They were too tired to take watch and one by one they curled up beside the fire and fell asleep.
As the light faded from that isolated place, the cloaked figure of a man stood and watched the inn from a nearby hill. Abruptly he turned and disappeared down the reverse side, leaving the landscape empty once more. Outside the ruins a night breeze picked up, the grass moving in great ripples, sighing like the whispering of lost souls.