Val left Saakhi and Minar outside, letting them handle the horses as he entered the home he shared with Oorja. It was closer to the workshop and had a clear view of the training field, a compromise of both their interests. It wasn’t that he was worried about Oorja refusing the presence of the Por siblings, but Val had heard enough times from Minar that his tendency to drag in people he thought needed help could always do with a little warning.
It was ironic, coming from her considering her history with the same habit, but he knew well what she meant. It was also a little exciting, to finally call her Minar again.
“You look happy,” a voice broke him out of his thoughts and Val saw Oorja roll in, his beard having grown out a little more from the last time they’d seen each other. The parchment shade of his vest was strikingly contrast to his skin and made him more defined than he already was. Some people considered that he drew eyeballs due to how he moved but Val knew that most of it was because of how he looked.
In control. Commanding.
“I had a good trip,” he replied, waiting until Oorja had come closer before leaning down to press his forehead against his, grinning at the raised brow, “You’ve been working harder than usual, I see. The new ramps look nice.”
“They’re just extensions,” Oorja brushed it off and leaned back to look at him scrutinisingly, “Ezhil was right, wasn’t he? You’ve brought guests.”
“You’ll like them,” Val declared as he moved around the other man to go hang up his satchel, “The older one even helped us against an elephant at Jevadhi. Minar had it under control for a while but then things went out of hand and Saakhi had her back. She’s a pretty good shot.”
He didn’t hear a reply and turned around to see Oorja frowning at him.
“She isn’t objecting to Saakhi calling her that, so I figure that we can get back to Minar too,” he explained with a shrug as he walked back to the centre of the room, “Besides, you’ve heard about Paher Mahir.”
“They’re really from Agapura?” Oorja cut to the heart of the matter and Val knew what he was asking. It always came down to this for him, this unnamed fear that was only superimposed by a quiet fury that had changed forms over the years but still burned low.
“They’re nomads,” he answered and met Oorja’s gaze without judgement, “Mahir died before Saakhi could join her job and they weren’t sent to get anyone.”
A tumble of noise from outside alerted them and Val moved to the window, hearing Oorja come up beside him to check.
“Ohhh, that’s disgusting,” Saakhi ducked behind Minar, one hand clutching a shoulder as she hid her face behind the woman holding a wide basin, “Drop it, just drop it.”
“If I drop it, they’ll come out,” Minar tried to move forward and ended up dragging Saakhi with her, looking over her shoulder, “It’s just snakes, don’t tell me you’ve never seen them before.”
“They’re peeling off!” Saakhi moved forward and caught sight of the contents of the basin before hiding her face behind Minar’s shoulder again, making a gagging sound, “Why would anyone think this is normal?”
“They’re shedding ,” Minar corrected as she balanced the basin when she was being pulled at, “It’s natural for them to do this and we’re just helping them with the water. I told you to stay with the horses, you’re going to make me drop this and then it’s going to be a mess you really can’t handle.”
“I can handle anything,” Saakhi replied even if her voice clearly said otherwise as she didn’t let go of her death-grip on Minar’s shoulder but allowed her to put the basin down by the corner, scrunching up her face as they finally moved away. Once they had walked a few feet back, Saakhi pretended like she hadn’t been on the verge of pulling Minar’s arm out of the socket a few minutes ago, rubbing her palms together as she looked around.
“So,” Saakhi clapped her hands lightly as she faced an unimpressed Minar again, “What’s Leader Oorja like? Think I’ll be able to impress him?”
Minar didn’t say anything but Saakhi held her hands behind her back, facing the pathway to the house, parallel to her companion.
“I’m sure I will,” she continued talking, either to herself or an unresponsive Minar, “I mean, Gunshi was the one who invited us and I managed to impress you already.”
Minar turned her face just enough to deliver a mildly incredulous look and Saakhi patted her shoulder.
“I saw you eye my bow on our way over, you don’t have to be embarrassed,” she assured, shifting a step closer to bump her shoulder but Minar shifted one farther smoothly, “Don’t tell me you’re still mad about the hair-stick. You are, aren’t you?”
When Minar simply shook her head and began tightening her waist-cloth, Saakhi sighed theatrically.
“And here I thought Paher Minar would be fair,” she tutted and pointed to Minar’s hair when she looked over, “You already took compensation for it with my arrow, didn’t you?”
“I’m not mad,” Minar said clearly but Saakhi raised a palm, nodding with an acquiescing expression.
“Fine, fine, I’ve got just the thing to cheer you up,” she declared and reached into her waist-coat’s pocket, frowning as she looked down at it, “Wait, where did it go?”
Minar raised her brows as she looked at Saakhi patting herself down.
“No, I’m serious,” Saakhi assured when she looked up, “I had it with me two days ago. Where’s the damn thing -”
“Was it valuable?” Minar asked but Saakhi shook her head before nodding.
“I’m not sure, it didn’t work for me,” she said absently as she peered into her pocket once again, “But it was fascinating and cool.”
Oorja blinked when Val held out a circular object in front of him and looked at it closer to notice what it was.
“Is this -”
“The same thing she dropped at Agapura all those years ago? Yes,” Val nodded as he glanced at it in his palm, “I took it off Imay when I noticed that he picked it up from Saakhi. They thought it was a broken compass.”
Oorja stared at it before glancing out the window again, observing Saakhi engaging Minar in another thread of conversation now, noting Minar not giving much fodder but not moving away either.
He knew that Mahir might not have sent anyone to get her, or anyone from Swatan. The man had died of a ‘heart failure’ according to what Val had learned. Piba had related how they had found conflicting rumours at Ujwi, talks about the missing son and the lack of clarity from the family spinning tales everywhere. Nobody knew what the truth was anymore but nobody was willing to ask the hard questions. Nobody was willing to know truths that displeased them, no matter what the cost it would incur.
Some things never changed, Oorja thought to himself as he watched Minar’s face through the window.
It’s not longer than he can remember because his memory is the only thing solid enough to rival his resolve. He can recall the darkness closing in on them, the handful put off on execution and left to wait in the room fit for half their number. It had been the sweat trickling down his shoulders and down his bleeding back that stood out, annoying him more than the fate he was to meet. The clouds hadn’t burst open and the heat hadn’t dissipated, both mixing into the worst weather for the imprisoned.
The lights had been snuffed out when they had dragged Val in the last batch and his teeth still tasted of blood he had drawn in a last-ditch attempt. He was a bored wolf in the dark.
The young princess had reminded him of a drowned lamb when she had stepped in. But she had brought light, and her cheeks were already wet before she had seen them completely. She had looked one step from cracking to him.
She had carried him out with nothing but strength. And then continued to carry them till the room was empty.
He was still somewhere a tamed wolf and she was still sometimes that wild lamb, an unchanged softness that shook the fiercest halls of stone. That hadn’t died, even when she had killed every other part of her life for them. He wouldn’t forget that and wouldn’t forgive on her behalf either, making her right beside Val on his pedestals.
Oorja knew that Agapura was not to be trusted but he would stand beside Minar if she went back, not because he was loyal but because he was selfish. He couldn’t lose any more family.
“Are you going to come in anytime soon?” he called out and saw both the women pause their conversation to turn around. Minar offered a fond smile and Oorja swallowed his fears as he waved them in, hoping that this wasn’t fate waiting to throw history back at them.
