Labels: 2008

Labels: A/N Notes

Black night. It was what people called where the night was moonless and starless. It was the night when evil was lurking in every corner. A chill wind filling up the air made the night much more creepy than normal. Nobody wanted to venture the land in this kind of night.

Deep in the untamed forest, there was a caravan gathered. By the look of them, none wanted to be there. They rather hiding in a cave or continuing their journey, but one of their members, a young mother-to-be was about to give birth and there was no time to wait at all. They had to halt their journey.

A big tent was — big enough to hold eight people comfortably inside, and the only tent — set for the young mother to give birth while others waiting outside, impatiently. A fire was set not far from the tent, but it was not big enough to warm everyone who encircling it. They tried to be discreet as much as possible.

They had been up all night with mix feeling between afraid and anxious. They were afraid if their enemy would take this opportunity to ambush them. They were anxious if this was the one that would stop the long battle to rest. None of them felt glad because the midwife just told them, the young mother might not make it at all. Once in awhile, they heard an eerie sound of kwang-kwit bird creeping in the background (people said its sound was the sign of death).

Kwang kwang! Kwit kwit!

They tried to ignore the feeling and praying the best for the mother.

After hours of waiting, they heard a cry from the camp. They felt relief. The long wait was gone at last. Then the midwife came out, ushered the eldest member, a man to go into the camp.

The man had a look that might suggest him he was from a noble family; a fair-skin, tall, broad-shoulder and proud — although age had finally trying to claim him — with some winkle forming under his eyelids and forehead, and two-pointed scar on his wrist. Few hours ago, he was anxious. A new heir is needed to lead us.

"She lost a lot of blood. She might not make it," whispered the midwife as the man approached her. They walked in quietly, trying not to disturbed anyone else in the came.

The man walked wearily towards the center of the camp where two lanterns were shinning bright to make him able to see clearly what was inside it. There was another woman inside, helping a young mother who was lying on a makeshift bed made from few piles of blanket, to be more comfortable. She gave a nod of respect as she saw the man and quietly walked out of the camp together with the midwife.

The man walked quietly toward the mother.

The young mother looked up at the man as she heard their footstep approaching her — years in battle made her ears sensitive with any kind of sound. She smiled at him. "It's a girl, uncle. I've named her, Seri Kencana, after my grandmother and you're now a grand uncle," she said teasingly at him with a faint smile on her lips.

"Your father and husband would be proud of her." He smiled, while he tried to hide his worried. He looked at his niece carefully; her was very pale and weak but she was happy. He looked at her lovingly, she was like a daughter to him. Truly, he knew his brother and nephew would be proud with this new addition — whatever left — in their family.

The young mother smiled disappeared. "Although she isn't a boy?" She knew their community valued a male heir more to lead them rather than female. She closed her eyes for a moment. Flashes of her father and husband's images came into her mind. They had left her because of this war. She knew even without knowing, she won't survive too.

"Boy or not she still can lead us, if you let her. Just think about your great grandmother, she was a great ruler and warrior," said her uncle, breaking her moment of silence.

"I'll let her alright but I can't watch her when the time comes," she said as she kissed the baby's forehead and both cheeks.

"Don't speak too much, you need your strength now more than ever for her," advised her uncle.

"I know my time is near uncle but I'm worried for her safety. As long she with us, she's not safe," said the young mother as she held tightly to her baby.

He tried to form a strategy in his mind; he was not a Grand Vizier for nothing. He knew the baby wouldn't be safe with any of them right now even if his niece would survive this ordeal because the war still upon them. The only thing he could think of….

"She need to be sent far away from here, not a minute to late," he explained to his most trusted people just after his niece's burial. There were the midwife, two women, and three men, while the other members of the caravan were already asleep after a long night. As for the baby, she was in deep sleep in the basket in the middle of the camp.

"I'll need you and you," said the old man pointing at the couple standing next to his right. "I need you to be a decoy pretending to bring this baby to the village nearest on the south. If I not mistaken it's two-days travel on foot." The couples that just being pointed, nodded.

"As for you and you," said the old man pointing at the young man and woman sat in front of him, "I need you to bring this baby far away from here, if anything happen just give this baby to the first house you see there. I'll give you further instruction on that." The couples nodded. They knew the risk at stake.

"As for you and you," he pointing to the midwife and a man stood next to her, "I need you here. If people asked, just said the baby died soon after the mother. I think there is enemy inside, all six of you the only people I can really trust in the time of war."

"Sire, what will the others says if they find out four of us missing?" asked the young man on his right. There was a large scar crossing his left cheek, a souvenir he earned in the war two moons ago.

Labels: story, update

Labels: prologue, story

Labels: A/N Notes