Chapter 3 : The easterners are coming.
-"Kyle Ghnos has fallen!"
The speaker spoke in a very low voice, but could not hide the joy he felt. His listener, however, was an older man; and very much distrustful.
-Brother, how do you know its true?
-It is! Everybody in the village is saying so. It seems a messenger came today and informed the Daskan Tei that they need to send all their men to Ghiber mountains to defend the remaining towns.
-So our tormentors are packing?
-Well, they seem to be very quiet for now. No lashing, no harassing our women. I don't know what is brewing.
-Than I think the rumour is still unverified. Is today's work complete?
At this, the younger man seemed miffed. "Don't talk to me of that. Why should we go on working for these damned Daskans when they took our lands, molest our women and keep us like chattel? Their empire is failing! We are about to be free."
- These are troubled times. So keep your head low. And don't go about with that big grin on your face. Such hopeful predictions have often led to further injustice to our people. Do you want them to commit further massacres because of you? I got my wife and daughter back from them after much hardship. We, Tamos can't be hopeful.
- "Can't be hopeful. Aye, brother, that's true. How can we forget what happened to our dad? But again, these are troubled times. I am not hopeful. But I cannot sit idle. Haven't you heard what dad used to say? "In troubled times, heroes emerge." I am going to the hills now. We don't know what the Daskans will be upto now that Kyle Ghnos has fallen. They are packing, but will they leave us alone? And who knows, when the Eastern Tamos soldiers arrive, maybe we will be able to lend them a hand?"
The older man smiled. "You are being hopeful again little brother. The easterners are not our brethren. If they were, hundreds of years ago, they would not have abandoned us. We were whipped, caned, branded with red-hot iron, electrocuted. Where were our eastern brothers during all these centuries? I don't blame them though. Maybe after the war, they had too many sorrows to think about us. We don't know much about them either. You even call them by the name given to us by our oppressors."
-What do they call themselves?
-Their land is known as Samalk, and they are known to the world as Samalkans.
-"Samalk….bright as the Sun! Why, this is such a pleasing name!" The young man's eyes were teary.
-Don't talk so loud. We are not supposed to know it. We are supposed to call each other by the name our masters gave us.
-So, I was here to say goodbye. I am going to the hills, to find our brothers who are hiding there.
-I…I don't think that's a good idea.
-Do you have a better idea? Someone as to do something…Isn't that what-
-What dad said. Before he left to take on the brown capped rascals. You are reminding me of that fateful day. My mind is uneasy, keld.
-Look, we cannot sit idle. I am not going to endanger my life either. I will leave for the hills tonight, and after a few nights, if everything remains the same, I will come back. Meanwhile, I want you to keep an eye on the Daskan. If anything wrong, send one of our brothers to the hills. To the redwoods, beside the great tree. I will keep a note there, telling where I went. I will talk to our free brothers, and reflect upon our future course of action.
The older man was a little amused as his brother ended speaking. "Future course of action"-his little brother was growing up, at least he was pretending to be all serious. "How do you intend to find the fugitive Tamos"-he asked.
-I don't know. I know they are somewhere on the other side, in the dense forest. I will have to take the risk. Listen, I am going! I just need some food.
-"I never said you can't. But you should have a plan. I can't help you with that. I never went there. But I can help you by giving this." The older man went to his bed, and from a secret compartment, brought out a sword. It was a not bigger than a man's hand from fingers to elbow.