RTYY 127 – An Unrequested Offer of Help
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“I see …” MenTar1Literally men (lake) + tar (wind) breathed, studying the boy’s depressed expression. “Although I wish I could tell you that I understand what you went through, I’m afraid I can’t. Probably no one can. Because even though it’s very easy to forget that you’re not like us, the truth is that you’re actually very different. You can see and sense things that normal people can’t. And so, even though I too, went through many experiences similar to what you’ve described, I can’t really say I understand what you feel. I know that lives are supposed to be very precious for Tien'Elhar2Literally tien (Heaven) + el (supreme) + har (girl child). The Heavenly Beings also known as Celestials in the common language.. And so I imagine that … you must have been in a lot of pain, even though, at the time, there was nothing you could have done differently.”

Snow lowered his head, the bow forgotten in his hands. He knew MenTar was trying to comfort him, but he just couldn’t feel any better, even after hearing that.

After MenTar had easily guessed he wasn’t doing so well, Snow had told him part of his memory. How he had killed that dangerous dog. How it had hurt, and it still hurt, even after so many years had passed.

So that was what it was. Lives were supposed to be very important to Tien'Elhar, he thought, unable to ignore the irony of his own existence and of the deadly daitai3Literally dai (light) + tai (mark), or Holy Markings, considered Heavenly Blessings. They’re the source of power. inscribed on his back.

“And so you got into a fight with the Calzai4Literally cal (bright) + zai (blade), or Blade of Light. It can be translated in common language as General, one of the military leaders of the Empire. Each Province has it’s own Calzai.?”

“He wanted me to tell him about it. I refused,” he simply declared and, for a moment, MenTar looked at him as if he were staring at a madman.

“You refused?”

“They are my memories. They’re none of his business. And I will share them with whomever I want.”

“Well, I guess you’re right about that, but … maybe he was just worried?” MenTar carefully suggested and Snow frowned.

“I have no doubt that he worries about a lot of things. I’m just not one of them,” he declared and quickly looked up at the older man, hurrying to explain himself, not wanting to sound like a disgruntled child. “And it’s fine! I never really expected him to worry about me. If there’s something I’ve learned a long time ago, is that you can worry about only so many things, hope to protect even less than that. You must choose very carefully which things in both cases. He and I, we had never even met before. He doesn’t know me and I don’t know him. We just suddenly, randomly, got tied up together. There’s no reason to add some stranger that just appeared out of nowhere in his life, to the long list of things a man like him surely has to worry about.”

MenTar’s usual smile disappeared and he took a deep breath.

“It’s true he doesn’t know you. That I don’t know you. That you don’t know us. But aren’t we getting to know each other a little bit better everyday? I, for once, thought for a long time that you were just a poor, unfortunate kid. A victim of your circumstances and surroundings, unable to fend for yourself. Just wondering around, lost and confused, and easily led by other people’s will. But now, even though I know for a fact that you’ve been through a lot, I don’t see you like that at all. You may be quiet and mostly keep to yourself, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t have an opinion or a mind of your own. You’re not some helpless kid. You just never had the chance to learn many of the things other people are taught from a young age. And, when granted that chance, you don’t shy away from a challenge. You are actually very strong, not weak at all, and I don’t mean only the power you hold inside you. And you have the courage to look your enemies in the eye, no matter if they come from the outside or from within you. All these are things that I too, have learned over time. Obviously, the more I learn about you, the less a stranger you become. And so yes, in the beginning I might have been keeping an eye on you because I was order to do so. But now, if you ever need anything, I really feel that I want to be able to help you. And I’m sure that, even though everyone shows these things in different ways, the others feel just the same.”

Snow averted his gaze, trying his best not to blush from the awkwardness of being a target of so many open compliments, and took a deep breath, feeling a little bit better.

“I honestly never wanted for any of this …” he confessed in a small voice. “All I ever wanted was to be able to live a quiet life, in a small house, with a roof over my head that wouldn’t leak. Maybe work the fields, like those people from the village. Honestly earning my daily plate of food. Being able to freely walk around, under the sun. I wish with all my heart that he hadn’t been there that day! That I could just have been saved like everyone else, just some nameless kid rescued from being sold as a slave. I wish I could just thank you all for saving my life and simply go my own way.”

MenTar released a deep sigh and placed a comforting hand over Snow's much colder hand.

“Though I would feel sorry to simply see you go like that, it’s not like you won’t be able to do all those things anymore. You said it yourself, you were just randomly tied up together. And aren’t we traveling right now to find a way to … untie you? Besides, you are clearly different from all the Tien'Elhar we know. Who’s to say that you are bound to him the same way others are? Want to test it out and try running away?” MenTar added with a mischievous smile, squeezing his hand a bit harder, and Snow sighed.

“It’s true that apparently I have more freedom than other Tien'Elhar, but that’s probably thanks to VinWei5Literally vin (hard) + wei (crystal)’s bracelet,” he replied, looking down at his wrist, where the small crystals flickered under the sunlight. “And I did try to run away a few times, but never managed to get very far. No matter what I do, he always knows where I am. He even said so to my face, saying he’d break my legs if I ever made him chase me again.”

“I see …” MenTar breathed thoughtfully. “So he can track your energy force.”

Snow looked up at him with a surprised expression.

“It’s not that unusual, between close family members, sometimes between a mother and a small child, or between lovers. When we were little, for example, ZenTar6Literally zen (silent) + tar (wind). would always know where we were too. It was really annoying! He’d always catch LaoTar7Literally lao (strong) + tar (wind) and I red-handed, stealing fruits from our neighbor’s courtyard, or hiding our elders’ shoes in the stables. Worst of all, he would always find us when we tried to skip practice. And being the self-righteous pain in the ass that he is, he would always report us to our father! Back then LaoTar and I really hated his guts!”

Snow couldn’t help chuckle at his indignant expression. It was kind of funny, imagining the three brothers as young kids, doing mischievous things, arguing with each other, getting scolded by a loving father. Knowing MenTar’s usually carefree attitude, and taking into account how serious and intimidating ZenTar normally was, he could easily guess that they must have disagreed a lot.

“Okay, then,” MenTar suddenly declared, raising to his feet and stretching his arms above his head. “If that’s the problem, I can probably solve it for you.”

Snow stared up at him and blinked, unable to understand. What was he talking about?

“The tracking thing,” he clarified. “I can probably solve that for you. After all, I did solve it back then, where ZenTar was concerned.”

Jumping to his feet, Snow couldn’t help stare at him in complete disbelief.

“You can??”

“Probably. Though, like I said before, you are a Tien'Elhar, and that may change the rules a bit. But you never know until you try, right?”

Snow nodded vehemently. Yes, he would try it! Whatever it was! There was no other way for him to survive in the long run!

“But … I thought you were under his command,” Snow careful added with a second thought, forcing himself to dilute his own initial enthusiasm, and MenTar gave him another of his mischievous smiles.

“You’re right. For the time being, and as long as my father doesn’t tell me differently, I do have to obey him. But I never heard him say that I couldn’t help you. The only thing I was ordered to do was to keep you safe at all costs. So, please, even if you do manage to escape, just make sure you don’t get hurt. If you do then yes, I’ll be failing my mission and will probably be punished for it,” he added, but the way he kept smiling told Snow he didn’t care about that at all.

“Why …? Why help me?”

“Why?” MenTar replied, turning to face him. “Did you need a why when you exhausted yourself helping that village? Or when you raised that golden dome trying to keep me safe?”

Snow lowered his head, embarrassed again, and a gentle hand landed on his head. It was also warm, but, compared with ZaiWin’s hand, it was slightly smaller and much lighter. Above all, it didn’t feel like it could imperiously pin him down at any moment.

“But I guess you’re right. I do have a why. I care about you, Snow. I don’t want to see you sad like you were before. I really want you to be able to fulfill your dream. After all, it’s such a simple, honest dream. Everyone should have at least that for granted. You’ll be fine, you’ll see!” he declared in a more cheerful tone, softly ruffling his hair, and Snow couldn’t help smile, feeling the ice in his heart melt away a bit.

“And now lets practice. We don’t have much time left. Just practice shooting, we’ll leave the physical training for tomorrow.”

And that sounded even better!, Snow thought, raising his head and nodding, quickly accepting the arrows that MenTar handed him.

It's so easy to make innocent children happy ...! ?

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