Chapter 16 The Ionian Village
The Ionian Village
Namir ambled a few feet behind Zahra, his hood on his head, and sighed. “Why could we not take the horses all the way?”
“Trust me. We will be better received if we approach on foot.” Zahra was thankful the two were already dressed in more common clothing, though she had asked them both to leave their weapons behind. Ramses had insisted on keeping a dagger, which he kept hidden under his clothes.
She glanced at Namir. Much of the day had passed by without them saying much to the other. Though Namir had not acted rudely toward her, he was obviously distracted by his thoughts, and she worried what he might be thinking.
She pushed her worries aside and announced, “We are here.”
The beautiful colors of the setting sun shone through the settlement, which was alive with excited chatter and beautiful singing.
Namir’s stance straightened once he saw the humble mud-brick homes. “This is it?”
Zahra winced at his disappointed remark. “What were you expecting?”
“It is so…compact.” He glanced at her. “It looks lovely, of course. I am sure they are great.”
Zahra nodded. The Pharaohs had provided pieces of land for her people to build their homes on in exchange for agricultural goods.
However, the need for housing was greater than what was given, and many Ionians turned to indentured servitude when the settlement ran out of space on these lands.
Eventually, the villages were able to expand a little and house more, but by then many had already grown used to their lives as workers on farms or servants to the wealthy of Aur.
Namir lowered his hood as they entered the center of the village.
The smell of delicious food wafted toward them from a long table, which contained a variety of foods and treats.
A line had formed by it, and many Ionians were happily munching away as they spoke with family and friends around a bonfire.
Mostly women served the food, with the men bringing more from the houses.
Zahra spotted a familiar face and grinned. “Heba!”
An older woman’s head shot up from the serving line. She smiled and handed her task of serving bread over to another before making her way to Zahra. Her green eyes crinkled as she ran toward Zahra with open arms. “O chara, you made it!”
Zahra hugged Heba’s slender frame, and Heba’s curly white hair tickled her arm.
“I thought you would be at the pr-aa,” Heba said in Ionic.
Zahra pulled away, replying in her native tongue. “I would rather be with all of you.” She turned to Namir and Ramses. Namir stood awkwardly, while Ramses took the scene in with an intrigued smile. “This is Namir and Ramses. They are friends of mine.”
Namir inclined his head toward Heba. “It is good to meet you, Heba.”
Heba grinned, her accent thick as she spoke in Auran. “Oh, welcome!” She moved forward and grabbed Namir’s face. His eyes went wide as she pulled him down and kissed both of his cheeks. He stood there, stunned and confused, as she repeated the process with Ramses.
Zahra patted Namir’s arm, lowering her voice. “You are doing great.”
Heba clapped her hands and turned to the crowd, speaking in Ionic. “Everyone, Zahra is here!”
Voices in Ionic called out all at once. Zahra grinned at the familiar faces, greeting them with kisses and speaking excitedly in Ionic.
A child of about six years of age stumbled in front of Zahra, waving her arms and jumping up and down.
Her small dress was simple and brown, and her bare feet were covered in dirt.
Her curly hair bounced as she spoke. “Zahra! Zahra! Zahra! Do you remember me?”
Zahra grinned, leaned down, and scooped the child up. She made a show of grunting as she stood up. “Why, Eboni, you have grown so tall!”
“I have.” Eboni beamed. “I came of age a few days ago, and I learned my true name.”
Namir’s brow raised, and Eboni’s mother, Amina, looked up from her place serving bread.
Eboni cupped her hands around Zahra’s ear, whispering loudly, “My true name is Agnes.”
“Eboni.” Amina joined them from the crowd, smiling at Zahra and taking Eboni from her arms. She turned to Eboni with a stern look. “You know you are only supposed to share that with your family.”
“Zahra is family,” Eboni argued.
Amina smiled at Zahra. “It is good to see you, Zahra. Come. You and your friends should eat.”
She left with Eboni, and Zahra turned to Heba. “Is Ahmose here? I have a question for him.”
Heba frowned. “He said he would be here later. His workload has increased with the changes the Vizier has made.” She glanced between the three. “Will you all be joining us?”
Zahra glanced hesitantly at Namir, who was focused on their exchange. “I think we may return another time.”
Namir stepped forward. “Nonsense. We would love to join you while we wait for him. The food smells delicious.”
Heba grinned and gestured to the table. “Then please, eat!”
Namir and Ramses followed Zahra to the line. She handed them both a plate. Ramses grinned, thanked her, and began to fill his plate. Namir surveyed the selection—a multitude of fish, pig, honey, and cheese—with interest. He eyed the cheese with longing but did not take it.
Zahra took some food on her plate. She placed a piece of cheese on his, and he looked at her in surprise. “Eat up,” she encouraged. “Many of these dishes were made especially for the blood moon celebration.”
Once they were satisfied with their food, they sat on a stone wall by a tree. Ramses remained by the table, signing with a girl who was helping serve the food. The girl laughed, and Zahra smiled.
As they ate, they watched the little children play. Namir spoke as he chewed. “That little girl’s mother did not teach her the importance of her name.”
“She did,” Zahra defended. “My people do things differently from yours, but that does not mean we value our names any less.”
“Then how do your people do things?” He focused his attention on a small loaf of bread. He sniffed it, his eyes curious.
Zahra poked at her food as she spoke. “My people don’t have secret names as your people do.
When we came to your kingdom, we were all given Auran names.
Those that were born in Aur—like Eboni—don’t learn their Ionian names until a certain age.
Unlike Aurans, we can use our given names around family.
Eboni and I are family, in a way, so she felt safe sharing her name. ”
“Do your people not fear greedy netjeru?” Namir asked, taking a bite of the bread with some jam.
Zahra shook her head. “My people make promises with our netjeru that protect us. Many of those here made a promise with Nebthet that if we did as she asked, she would protect us from evil.”
Namir considered this as the children played in front of them. “Is it similar to how Re protects the Pharaohs?”
“I believe so.” She nudged him. “See? We are not so different.”
Namir smiled. “So it seems.”
There had been a time when Selene did not protect her people.
When Zahra’s village was destroyed and they were forced onto the sea, many had wondered—Zahra’s father included—if Selene had abandoned them.
But Zahra had not lost hope. Even as she suffered as a servant under Bahiti’s roof, she believed there was something more in store for her, though she had not anticipated she would be asked to aid the King of Aur.
Namir’s voice surprised her. “You have another name then.”
Zahra glanced at him. “I do.”
“May I know it?”
Zahra raised her eyebrows at him with a teasing smile and popped a piece of cheese in her mouth.
Namir smiled in response and turned away from her. “Is Heba your grandmother?”
Zahra swallowed before she spoke. “No. My mother and her were friends. She cared for me when my father went to work in the temple.”
Namir tilted his head toward her as he lifted a piece of meat. “Was your mother not there to raise you?”
“She died in the war with Parsa,” Zahra answered with little life in her voice.
Namir lowered the meat to his plate. “I am sorry for your loss.”
Zahra poked at her food. “It was a long time ago.”
Zahra thought of her vision from earlier, reminded again of how eerily similar the sibyl had looked to her mother.
Shame toiled in her heart. She was grateful for Selene’s guidance, but despite what Katerina and Namir believed, she was not a sibyl.
She couldn’t deliver warnings of great danger.
How was she meant to be a prophetess when she couldn’t even save herself from her curse?
Namir shifted on the seat and set his plate aside. “It is incredible.”
Zahra looked at him in confusion. “What is?”
“All of this.” He gestured around them. “All of your people have lost something—perhaps even someone—but you can hardly see it on their faces.” He paused, contemplating the joyous laughter and giggling children. “I am…impressed to see such joy in the face of past tragedies.”
Zahra was stunned. While she was worried about herself, he was thinking about her people.
This is why you are here. The thought came to her suddenly but quietly.
She had an opportunity to show the leader of Aur a glimpse of her people that few saw.
No matter what her fate, this moment was important, and she had nearly missed it.
Eboni chased the older kids around, trying to participate in their game. Zahra smiled, and tears lined her eyes. “We were not always this way. But time certainly helps ease the grief.”
Namir appeared in her peripheral vision. She turned to him. His star-filled eyes shimmered as he studied her face, his gaze lingering on her eyes.
Heat flooded her cheeks as she turned away, forcing her hair to cover her face as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “I should check to see if Ahmose has arrived.”
Namir grabbed his plate. “I will come with you. Are you finished with your food?”
Zahra snatched the plate from his grasp, placing it on the bottom of hers. “You should wait here.”
Namir looked up in surprise. “But what if—”