Day 28: Gondor

Challenge: There was no avoiding it; the letter had to be composed...

Who will receive this letter? An uncle? A lover? The High-King? Why is there "no avoiding it"? Circumstances? Or is Mother watching with arms crossed? Will the letter be written in haste? Or will each phrase be meticulously crafted?

Write a story or poem inspired by this line (you do not need to use the exact quote), or create a piece of art that reflects this situation.

The Letter

Most honoured Mother and Elders

May the spirits of the desert ever watch over your steps.

He bit his lip. How should he write that Rasha was dead? No, he will write that later... 

I write you this letter because the money I had to bring...

Kadar shook his head, and put down the quill. He took another piece of paper.

Most honoured Mother and Elders

May the spirits of the desert ever watch over your steps. I must inform you that I will return later than expected. I didn’t manage to get the money needed to spare the children of our tribe service in the Khan’s army. I could not accept them, because…

Kadar stopped writing for a moment, the events of the day replaying in his mind’s sight.

They were just about to return to the tavern after an unsuccessful search. Not that they’ve tried very hard – it seemed Nazim’s master lived in this city, and his men were looking for the stranger too. Kadar was just glad Nazim left…  And then young Sahir approached them. It was a surprise to Kadar – he thought Sahir stayed with his father Nadhir. But even a bigger surprise was the story Sahir told them. Even now Kadar’s fists clenched when he thought about it.

Nazim, that cowardly dog! It was him who killed Rasha! Sahir said he had her earring that Nazim had lost, but the robbers in the tower have taken it from him. Even without it, Kadar didn’t doubt his word for a moment. Sahir would never lie. None of his men would. The robbers knocked him out, and he awoke in a cell. He said he understood from their talk that they wanted to sell him into slavery. Kadar was glad he managed to escape – that was after they put the stranger into the same cell, and forgot to lock the door after they led him away in the morning. And Nazim was the one who led them…

Kadar did not hesitate. The murder of Rasha called for vengeance, and that the murderer rode with them and shared their food was the greatest offence. He had only four men with Sahir, but anger drove them forwards. It almost led them to their fate…

Kadar watched the blank page before him, thinking. He has lost another man in the battle. Why was it always so hard to put such things on paper?  

The Corsairs have indeed captured the stranger. They prepared a slow, torturous death for him. So intent they were on watching it, that the attack surprised them. But they were too many. Soon Kadar and his men were forced to defend themselves instead of attacking. That’s when Maimun has been killed. His name meant ‘Lucky’, but it didn’t bring him luck today…  All of them would be killed – or even worse, sold into slavery – if help wouldn’t arrive in that moment.

They came in the highest time – Nadhir with the rest of his men! Old Nadhir proved he has recovered quickly. He killed three Corsairs in the fight.

At the end, there was only one of them left. Nazim. Purposefully Kadar’s men were leaving him alive, knowing that Kadar wants to kill him himself. When they circled him, he looked like a dog driven into a corner.

"The blood of my sister calls for the blood of her murderer," Kadar said, and the circle echoed darkly: “Blood for blood.”

"Only one of us will leave the circle alive."

"Death for death."

“No! It was not me! I didn’t kill her, I swear!”

“Liar!”

It was clear in his eyes. Even before the spirits he dared to lie… Kadar closed his eyes, reliving the moment when his blade pierced the heart of the liar. He felt more disgust than satisfaction. Everything was quiet for a moment. Then, like waking from a dream, Kadar turned away from the corpse of the murderer, to the sad picture of the man who proved his innocence in the circle of blades. His blows were strong and his movements quick that night. His eyes shone with inner fire. Now he looked so frail and broken… Without more fuel, the fires around him were already dying, but it was too late for him, it seemed.

“Bury him,” Kadar said quietly. “He has done the same for my sister.”

It was Nadhir who cut the bonds, and gently lowered the man to the ground. “Sidi!” his voice sounded after a few moments. “He is still alive!”

Kadar looked up with surprise, and hurried to Nadhir. Indeed, there was a weak pulse… “Does he have a chance?” he asked.

Nadhir shook his head. “Only the spirits can tell…”

Kadar closed his eyes, like praying to the spirits. His fingers clenched around the hilt of his dagger.

“Do you want to end his suffering?” Nadhir asked quietly.

Kadar stood up abruptly, and drew the dagger. Then he cut the purse from his belt, and threw it at the ground near Nazim’s corpse. “Take your money back,” he said. “I will not do what you paid me for!”

Then he knelt at Thorongil’s side again. “Bring water! Quickly!”

-o-

Now they were back in the tavern. The tavern keeper’s wife was very helpful, and even paid a healer. He did what he could, but still he could not tell if the man will live. It will be a long night, Kadar thought when watching him from a chair near the bed. The only thing he could do was waiting, and so he decided to write the letter. But the words did not come. He sighed and put the quill down. Maybe later…