4: Witches' Blood (19 page)

“Maybe after the Harvest Fair. I think that would be the best,” Laurie said.

“Before would be nice.” Ohbi closed her eyes for a moment. “I would be so happy not to see another of those fires ever again in my life.”
 

“This year it isn’t a witch,” Lady Bousim said. “They’re going to burn one of the Fai’daum, the man that killed a garrison commander at Gisa.”

“I still don’t want to see it,” Ohbi whispered.

“I don’t think any of us do,” John agreed. Ravishan would be the one forced to light the fire. John closed his eyes as if it could shut out his memory of the last fire.

“You should try one of these pears,” Laurie told him.

John opened his eyes to see that Laurie was already spooning several slices of poached pear onto his plate.

“Thank you,” John said.

“Don’t look so glum,” Laurie told him. “It’ll all work out. We’ll make it work out.”

John could have told her that he very much doubted that they had the power to do that; instead he took a bite of the sweet apples. They tasted like wine and honey.

“Any suggestions for names?” Laurie asked.

“It’s hard to think of good names for girls,” John said. It struck him as the least of their problems.

“Don’t name her Ohbi,” said Ohbi. “It’s such a desolate name for a little girl to have to live with.”

Lady Bousim nodded. “Wounin’an is sweet. It was my mother’s name.”

“I like Billy-Joe,” Bill remarked dryly.

Laurie laughed. Both Lady Bousim and Ohbi frowned in confusion.

“Bayal’go?” Ohbi worked hard to pronounce the foreign name.

“No, Behr is joking.” Laurie quickly explained. “It’s a man’s name in Nayeshi.”

“What does it mean?” Ohbi asked.

“I don’t really know,” Laurie said but her tone was pondering. “Billy is a type of goat…”

“A male goat,” John supplied automatically.

“Joe’s another word for coffee.” Bill gave John an impish grin as he spoke. “That’s a drink like daru’sira.”

Ohbi nodded seriously, as if committing this all to memory. Lady Bousim picked up one of the soft rolls and nibbled on it thoughtfully.

“It’s a strange name,” Lady Bousim pronounced at last, “a name suitable for a wily young man, but not a pretty girl.”

John tried not to picture the absolute disaster of the two of them attempting to integrate with people back home. That was assuming that any of them even made it home. His head was beginning to throb. He poured himself a cup of the pale green tea.

While Laurie, Ohbi, Bill and Lady Bousim discussed possible names for the baby, John drank his tea. At last he heard bells beginning to ring in the new hour. It would be getting dark soon.

John stood. “I should go.”

“But you just got here,” Laurie protested.

“I have to be back at the hostel before dark or the other ushvun’im will miss me.”

“I wish you could stay here with us,” Laurie said.

“Sorry.” John turned to Lady Bousim. “Thank you for everything.”

Lady Bousim inclined her head graciously. “It is always a pleasure to see you, Jahn. Thank you for looking after my son.”

John simply nodded. He doubted that Fikiri would have shared her sentiment.

“Stay out of trouble,” Bill told him.

Ohbi simply held her hand up in a sign of peace. John returned her gesture and departed.

When he reached the hostel, he stored away Hann’yu’s supplies and then went to the room he was to share with the other ushvun’im. None of them had returned yet. Most would stay out as late as they could, drinking hard taye liquor and gambling on goat races. John sat down on a bed. The fires hadn’t been stoked for the evening and the sheets felt cold. He stared at the plain wall and tried to think.

How would seven people slip unnoticed through the Great Gate? One of them heavily pregnant, or worse yet, carrying a newborn baby. It would never happen. The issusha’im were watching everything now. The full force and attention of the Payshmura church would be focused on the Great Gate and the Kahlil.

John fell back against the bed and stared up at the ceiling as if it would offer him some new insight. For an instant he thought he glimpsed white skulls staring back at him. And for the first time they didn’t seem like a dream, but a premonition.

People were going to have to be left behind or they would all be killed.

To Be Continued…

Usho—Leader of the Pashmura Church.

Kahlil—Holy Traveler and Companion to Parfir.

Ushman—High Ranking Clergy; often in a position of great responsibility.

Ushiri—Talented Priest studying to become Kahlil’im.

Ushvun—Priest.

Ushvran—Nun.

Kahlirash- Military sect devoted to Parfir’s destroyer incarnation.

Gaunsho—Lord of one of the seven noble houses.

Gaunan—Nobleman.

Gauniri—Noblechild.

Gaunvur—Noblewoman.

Gaun’im—Nobles (as a group).

Laman—Scholar, Doctor or anyone learned.

Lamiri—Student.

Rasho—Military leader, particularly calvary.

Rashan—Soldier.

Vunan—Common man.

Vuran—Common woman.

Shir—Animal; derogatory when used to address a human being.

Alidas –Captain for the Bousim in Nurjima; partly crippled.

Desh’oun–The house steward in the Lisam Palace.

Saimura–Jath’ibaye’s house steward in Nurjima.

Esh’illan Anyyd–A young gaunan alied with Ourath.

Fensal–A Lisam runner.

Fikiri Bousim–An ushiri
 
from the fallen Payshmura Faith.

Ji Shir’korud–Dog demon; called Jath’ibaye’s bitch by some gaun’im.

Jath’ibaye–Leader of the new Fai’daum kingdom.

Joulen Bousim–Bousim heir after Nanvess. Currently serving military
   
duty in the northmost Bousim holdings.

Kahlil–Kyle’insira also called Kyle.

Mosh’sira’in’Bousim–Gaunsho Bousim; aged and weak ruler.

Nanvess Bousim–A gaunan; named the Bousim heir for political reasons.

Nivoun Bousim–Nanvess’ father; highly ambitious for his son.

Ourath Lisam–Gaunsho Lisam.

Parfir–God of the banned Payshmura Church, his worship is now forbidden.

Yu’mir–A servant woman in Lisam Palace.

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.

Bati’kohl–A servant of Lady Bousim; brother of Ohbi.

Bill–Called Behr in Basawar.

Dayyid–Second ushman at Rathal’pesha.

Fikiri Bousim–An ushiri candidate: son of Lady Bousim.

Hann’yu–An ushman exiled to the north: specializes in healing

Inholima–A spy in Lady Bousim’s household.

Issusha’im–The Payshmura oracles.

Ji Shir’korud–Dog demon; one of the Fai’daum.

John–Jahn

Laurie–Called Loshai in Basawar.

Mosh’sira’in’Bousim– Gaunsho Bousim.

Mou’pin–A rider under Pivan.

Nuritam–The ushman at Rathal’pesha.

Ohbi–A loyal servant to Lady Bousim.

Parfir–The earth god.

Pivan–The second in command of the Bousim rashan’im.

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.

Samsango–An elderly priest at Rathal’pesha.

Serahn–Powerful Ushman in the Black Tower of Nurjima.

Tashtu–Pivan’s commander.

Wah’roa–Leader of the kahlirash’im at Vundomu.

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

noble
 
---------------gaun

none
 
----------------illin

orchard
 
-------------umbhra

peace
 
---------------tumah

place
 
----------------amura

quiet
 
----------------itam

rain
 
-----------------parh

red
 
------------------daum

river
 
----------------fai

road
 
----------------nur

run
 
-----------------sango

sacred books ------- ushmana’lam

sacred drink
 
--------fathi

same
 
----------------kin

shit
 
-----------------jid

similar
 
--------------ro

sky
 
------------------loshai

snow ----------------pelima

solitary
 
-------------jath

speak
 
---------------vass

spill
 
-----------------ra

spoil
 
----------------lafi

still
 
----------------- tash

stop
 
-----------------nahara

strike
 
---------------bish

terrible
 
-------------tehji

time / year-----------ayal

to be lost
 
--------- --gasmya

to drink
 
------------siraya

to eat
 
----------------nabiya

to harm
 
-------------ratimya

to kill
 
---------------rashiya

tree (fruit) ----------isma

tree bark ------------istana

ugly/ bad
 
----------mulhi

unholy /unclean
 
--korud

water/drink --------sira

weasel
 
-------------ganal

what
 
---------------bati

when
 
--------------bayal

where
 
-------------bamura

white
 
--------------pesha