The Song and the Serpent

“Would you like to share our afternoon meal?” Layla asked as Kian left.

“I wouldn't want to take any of your share of food,” Adan replied. “But I would be happy to join you and Matilda for your meal.”

”We have plenty and to spare,” Layla said, walking out of the gatehouse and turning right, toward the south side of the city. “We are well taken care of and I’m sure we can manage to give you something. I won’t have you leave our new home hungry.”

Layla led the way southward, toward the hill that rose up within the walls of the fortress. They reached the stream that flowed through the city and followed its flowing water along the bank. Adan soon understood that Layla was leading him to the small lake or pond that lay at the base of the steep side of the hill.

When they arrived on the bank of the reservoir they found themselves standing in a collection of huts and shelters, recently and hastily built. Adan saw a handful of small boats on the bank of the large pond, and a group of youths fishing on the far bank, where the hillside became a rocky cliff that led down to the water.

“We all miss the ocean,” Layla said, “but at least we have some water, and the pond is surprisingly well stocked. The fish certainly taste different this far inland, but we’ve made do.”

Layla meandered through the hovels with Adan right behind her until they came to a three walled shelter made of freshly cut saplings. Four elderly women sat on a log under the shelter, three of them working with busy fingers; two of them creating reed baskets and one knitting a large garment.

The fourth woman was Layla’s Aunt Matilda. She sat with her head down, fiddling with dry reeds as if trying to make a basket herself, but all she had managed to create was a jumble of strands with no discernable pattern.

“Good day, Layla,” one of the ladies said as they approached.

“Good day, Haline,” Layla replied, as they came to stand before the group.

The knitting woman looked at Adan. “And who is your handsome friend?”

”You know perfectly well who he is,” Layla said, kneeling down beside Matilda. “Come, Auntie, time for our midday meal.”

Matilda set the mess of reeds she had been forming on the log next to her and slowly rose to her feet.

The three older ladies smiled, giving each other knowing looks and winks and Adan could feel himself beginning to blush. Layla seemed uninterested in properly introducing him and Adan gave them a small bow.

“Good day,” he said.

“Such a gentleman,” Haline replied.

The other two women chuckled and nodded to Adan.

“Oh hush, you three,” Layla said, taking Matilda by the arm and leading her away. “Come on, Adan.”

Adan turned and followed Layla away, ignoring the giggles and whispers behind him.

Once the two of them had passed out of earshot Laya sighed.

“Sorry about them. They’re my aunt's oldest friends and they take good care of her while I’m busy, but sometimes I swear they act younger than myself.”

“Don’t apologize,” Adan said. ”I suppose when I get to be their age I won’t particularly care what others think about me either. It sounds rather freeing not to bother with the formalities we usually observe.”

Layla gave a small nod. “I suppose so.”

She led them to a three walled hut on the south-western side of the settlement. Small logs and saplings stacked on top of each other and packed with mud in the cracks formed the walls, and more saplings piled with brush and dirt on top served as the roof. A smoking pile of ash sat outside the door, indicating the remains of a small fire. Adan also saw a wash basin, clothing hanging on a makeshift dry rack, and a collection of cooking tools. Adan had to duck very low in order to follow Layla and enter the dim interior.

Inside, a pile of hay with a woolen blanket covering it sat in the right corner of the triangular room. Opposite the bed, a wooden board sat atop two large logs, forming a short table. A bucket of water and a silver goblet sat on the board.

Layla set the bag she had carried from Corfield on the table and guided Matilda to sit on the ground beside it. Then Layla emptied the bag onto the table, revealing carrots, bread, half a wheel of cheese and tomatoes.

Layla sat down next to her aunt and gestured for Adan to do the same. Once Adan was as comfortable as he could be in the cool, dry dirt, Layla dipped the silver cup into the bucket of water and held it out to Adan.

“The welcome cup,” she said with a small smile.

Adan took the cup and drank from it, satiating his thirst from the morning walk. He handed the goblet back to Layla, their fingers touching as they exchanged the formality.

Layla took a deep drink as Kian had before handing the cup to her Aunt.

Matilda held the vessel with a confused expression on her face. Then she took a small sip and placed the goblet back on the table. Her hand shook as she placed the goblet down. Layla quickly grabbed the cup and helped Matilda replace it.

“Very good,” Layla said to her Aunt. “Now have some food.”

Layla spent the next half hour helping her aunt with the food, cutting the cheese and veggies into small pieces and convincing Matilda to take small, reluctant bites.

“That’s right,” she cooed after Matilda would follow her instructions. “Well done. You need to keep your strength up.”

Adan waited patiently while Layla fed her aunt, the guardian who had taken her in and cared for her after Adan’s father had passed away. Now Layla was returning the favor by caring for her aunt. Adan felt his heart burn with admiration as he watched her care so tenderly for the poor woman.

When Layla was satisfied, she stood and guided Matilda to sit on the bed at the far end of the hut. The old woman followed her instruction without looking up or saying a word.

When Layla returned to the table, she divided the rest of the food between the two of them. They took their first bites in grateful silence.

Layla swallowed her food and sighed before looking straight at Adan.

“I saw Corthenu kneeling before Kian earlier,” she said.

Adan returned her gaze. He had heard the gravity in her voice and saw the same heaviness in her eyes.

“I saw Kian accepting his pledge of faith,” Layla added.

Adan nodded and swallowed the cheese and bread he was chewing. “Yes. Corthenu made his pledge to Kian this morning.”

“So Kian plans to take command of the city?” she asked.

“It seems so.”

Layla looked down and nodded thoughtfully. “I suspected this would happen.”

Her response surprised Adan. She seemed almost disappointed at the news.

“You don’t approve?” He asked.

She looked up at him. “I think he has the right to claim the title, and I can’t think of anyone more qualified. Goodness knows we need leadership here.”

“But…?”

“But…” Layla took a deep breath before continuing. “He’s going to lead the men to war against Hugo, isn’t he?”

Adan hesitated. Kian hadn’t told Adan what his exact plans would be, but he had made his desire very clear, a desire which Adan shared. The thought of remaining hidden in the forest repulsed Adan and made him feel like a coward.

“I believe so,” Adan finally replied.

“And you would go with him?” she asked.

“Of course. I’m his bodyguard.”

“But you agree that Kian should lead the men to war against Hugo?”

Adan ran a hand through his hair. “I think if we don’t take the fight to Hugo, then he will eventually find us and destroy us regardless.”

“But do you know that?”

“No, of course I don’t know. Not for certain.”

“But you’re willing to leave the rest of us here, unprotected, to go fight a battle you cannot win.” Layla had spoken quietly and gently, but the accusation in her words stung.

Adan let out a deep sigh, folding his hands and resting them on the table. “Do you really believe we can protect you by staying here? This place can hardly be called a fortress. If Hugo can sweep Farel away in less than a day with no trace of the city left behind, then this place is as defenseless as a picket fence.”

Layla opened her mouth to speak but Adan cut her off. “You don’t know if we can turn the tide of battle, not for certain. I don’t know if Hugo will find and destroy this place if we give him enough time, but I believe he will. There are risks and uncertainties either way.

“It’s easy for the village leaders to sit around talking about living in peace here and hiding from Hugo and repelling attacks against the enemy. They haven’t been where I’ve been or seen what I’ve seen. They don’t seem to understand just how far the Undelmans are willing to go to eradicate us.”

Adan’s voice had risen as he spoke and he checked himself, not wanting to give Layla the impression that he was angry with her.

She listened silently as he took another deep breath and continued.

“We may very well be destined for death, Layla. I do not believe we will outlive the year. I may not know that for certain, but I cannot see any other way. And if I’m going to die, it’s going to be with my sword in my hand, fighting back against Hugo, and taking as many Undelman’s with me as I can.”

Layla looked down, unable to hold his gaze. “So you truly have lost all hope?”

Adan remembered Rocco’s words in the temple, from what felt like ages ago: “We can’t give up hope. As soon as we do that, they’ve won.”

“Not all hope,” Adan said, remembering Kian’s reply. “But it feels pointless to hope now.”

“You don’t have to leave, though,” she said. “You can still fight back against the Undelmans and die a hero and not leave me again.”

She choked on the last words. The sound was like a dagger in Adan’s chest.

“I don’t want to leave you again,” he said, trying to put as much tenderness and affection in his voice as he could. “But I have a duty to Kian, and I must fulfill it.”

“But you’re not just his bodyguard,” Layla said, her pleading eyes meeting his again. “You’re his best friend. He listens to you. You can try to convince him not to leave. Try to show him that he is needed here. It seems hopeless, but the Creator is always good. He may yet see us through. Kian should not let despair dictate his decision.”

Now it was Adan’s turn to look down. Layla was asking a great deal, and Adan knew how much she wanted him to stay. Her desire to keep Adan from leaving clouded her judgment.

But what about Kian? Adan thought. He lost his parents, his home, and his bride-to-be. Is Kian’s desire to ride to war because of justice and vengeance, or because he knows that he will die? Does Kian simply want to join those who have already died?

Kian’s judgment could be as clouded as Layla’s. But what should Adan do?

“You’re both needed here,” Layla said. “Don’t be so eager to die in despair.”

Adan heard the echo of his father’s words: “You still have work to do. Don’t be so eager to join me.”

“I will think about it,” Adan said.

“Thank you,” she replied. “I know I ask much.”

Adan looked into her green eyes, rimmed with red, and felt a strong desire to show her how he felt about her, to convince her that he didn’t want to leave her again.

He took her hand in his, and squeezed it gently. She smiled back at him as tears dropped from the corners of her eyes. Adan knew he could have stared into those eyes all afternoon and into the evening.

Oh, to hell with it all, he thought, as he leaned slowly forward, his heart pounding, and gently kissed her soft lips. Their fingers entwined as they kissed, and all thoughts of Kian and Hugo and Undelma vanished from Adan’s mind.

After a long, passionate moment, he pulled away from her, still holding her hand.

“About time,” she said, chuckling as the tears flowed freely down her face.

Adan laughed and wiped her tears away with his hand.

“Mallan?”

Matilda had croaked from the bed nearby.

“Oh dear,” Layla said, standing up quickly.

“Mallan!” Layla’s aunt called out, as if looking for her dead husband.

Layla quickly sat beside her aunt and took her hand.

“Mallan’s not here, Auntie,” she said. “It’s me, Layla. Remember? Layla? Your niece?”

Matilda looked at Layla with confusion and grief in her face.

“Mallan,” she whispered.

“Uncle Mallan’s gone,” Layla said. “But you’ll see him soon.”

Matilda resumed her dull eyed stare, and Layla gave a sigh of relief.

“Sometimes she gets worked up when she remembers my uncle,” she explained.

Adan nodded as Layla remained by Matilda’s side for many moments until she was certain that her aunt had become calm again.

Adan spent the afternoon with Layla, helping her return her Aunt to the care of the three elderly women before returning to work in the fields. Adan helped Layla as he had the day before, planting and watering seed in the northern fields in the city.

Adan was silent for much of their time together, ruminating on Layla’s words and pondering what he would say to Kian.

As they worked, Adan saw hunters entering the fortress from a distance carrying deer they had managed to kill in preparation for the evening meal. Sometimes their entrance would be greeted by cheers and shouts of enthusiasm.

“I should find Kian,” Adan said when the sun had fallen low enough to cast eastward shadows on the tall grass.

Layla nodded.

“Will I see you at the feast?” Adan asked.

“Yes, I will be there.”

Adan nodded, glanced at Layla, and then stepped toward her and kissed her briefly again.

She smiled as he pulled away. ”See you tonight.”

“See you tonight,” he replied before turning and walking quickly toward the citadel.