She tried the bread first, hoping that a city like Bundlin would produce something better than what she had eaten along her journey... but no, the bread still tasted like paste. Tani chewed her mouthful morosely. The meal overall was not exactly healthy and Corans seemed to have something against vegetables, but it would serve to feed her body. Besides, she had two new dishes to try.

  The "noodles" turned out to be delicious, lighter and more flavorful than the bread, so Tani saved them for later. She tried the fish and found them to be crunchy and heavily salted. It was a taste that grew on her over time, and she experimented with mixing them together with the bread. Not bad.

  Though she enjoyed the meal as best she could, Tani was still disappointed by it. There should have been conversation and a sense of balance, even with strangers, but instead the wagon shop felt cold. The mix of languages around her was still charmingly novel, but it wasn't familiar and no one so much as smiled at her. By the time she finished her food, Tani was more than ready to go.

  "Excuse me..." She stood up and got the server's attention. "I need to find a Nelee man named Dhunor. I'm told he's lived here since before the Deathspawn came and owns a house, but I don't know where it is. Can you help me get closer?"

  Though the woman working the wagon cast her a surly glance, having paid for a meal seemed to be worth a little even here. After considering for a while, she stabbed three fingers to the east. "Don't know him, but he's probably that way. This part of town is too new. Might be north, too, but they used to keep tent-dwellers in the eastern part. Check for the blue walls."

  Tani swallowed the "tent-dwellers" without comment and smiled. That direction was a lot better than she'd had before, and even if it was entirely wrong, it taught her more about the shape of the city. It had been too much to hope that this woman would have known Dhunor, especially in a city of this size.

  As she walked to her new destination, Tani checked her pack again, feeling the dense package within it. Though the Farwalk was critical for any Nelee warrior, they weren't so spiritual as to just send people away purely for an experience. Since she had chosen this direction and this focus, she'd been given a package to deliver to one of their kin. Tani thought that was a reasonable custom, though she suspected it was also designed to prevent anyone from cheating through the Farwalk.

  The fact that the area she was looking for had blue walls puzzled her, so she tried to look past the amazing crowds and pay more attention to the construction of the buildings around her. None were blue, most either the brown or red of mud bricks, with crude thatch equally drab. She had seen a few beautifully constructed homes on her journey so far, but Bundlin was mostly squat and ugly buildings that she doubted had either form or function.

  Still, they weren't all the same. There were a few buildings made of solid stone and some even of good wood, though they didn't remind her of home. In the older and more established parts of the city, she knew they had buildings that rose two or more stories. That was something she wanted to see for herself, but there was no time for exploration now.

  Just as she was starting to think she'd been given false instructions, Tani spotted it: a wall that was undeniably blue. The mud bricks here were larger and better formed... and they were as dark as deep water. Curious, Tani approached and scratched at one brick with a knife, finding that it wasn't merely paint. Had they mixed something into the bricks to change their color?

  The wall was the beginning of a part of the city that seemed more established than she'd walked through, though all the houses sat low to the ground. While the streets were equally filthy, she enjoyed the decreasing crowds and the overall stable feeling. As the walls and buildings around her all became blue she felt a sense of peace, though Tani kept herself alert.

  When she asked for directions, she was surprised how quickly everyone directed her to a specific house. Perhaps she wasn't the first young warrior to travel here on a Farwalk, though most Nelee didn't cross the entire Expanse. Soon she found herself standing before a large house with a wooden door - though it was not done in the Rhen style, they'd painted the door a deep green that she found calming.

  Tani shifted her weight between her feet, not sure quite what to do. Just as she was considering shouting, she heard movement from inside and then the door opened, revealing a middle-aged Nelee man. He wore a Coran tunic, but looking at the pleased light in his eyes when he saw her, she felt reasonably certain that it was him.

  "Dhunor of the Nelee." He extended a hand, palm up.

  "Tani of the Nelee." She slid her hand over his and they bowed, not quite close enough for their foreheads to touch. That was closer than she would have normally bowed, but given how long it had been since she'd seen someone from her tribe, she doubted it mattered.

  "You have no idea how long I have been waiting! Come in, come in!" He moved aside to welcome her, speaking rapidly in Nelhae. "I try to buy ashweed from other sources, but the quality is so disappointing. It is not often that a warrior wants to travel this far, so I have to make do."

  "I am glad I could bring it to you without any harm." Tani removed the package and extended it politely with both hands. She was a little surprised when Dhunor used only one hand to take it from her, but perhaps he was just eager. He tore open part of the end and took a long sniff of the pungent herb.

  "Yes, that's it..." He immediately moved deeper into his house, searching for something.

  Though he was still talking, extolling his love for authentic ashweed, Tani let his voice fall to a buzz as she examined his home. Unlike the cramped Coran buildings, his was a large open space with only a few partitions, like a traditional Nelee home. He had even placed wood panels on the walls, though he also displayed a few paintings, which would never have been seen at home.

  "-better than you can get at the inns, which reminds me, do you have a place to stay? Do you need something to eat?"

  Pulling her focus back to Dhunor, Tani gave a noncommittal shake of her head. "I have already eaten, but I do not have a place to sleep."

  "Perfect! You really must stay, at least for a time. Perhaps my partner will attempt a grander meal if she is cooking for more than two, eh? Besides, there is no point rushing through a Farwalk. Far too many are eager to get back home, frightened by the strange world outside. But I suppose I do not need to tell you that, hmm?"

  Though his conversation was light and didn't require much input from her, Tani didn't mind. The sound of a voice speaking the familiar tones of Nelhae was soothing, even though it hadn't been so long since she'd left the tribe. Besides, after so long on her feet, she didn't mind taking some time to rest.

  They soon retired to a low table, of Coran make but against the floor like a Nelee table. While Tani relaxed into a seated position, Dhunor quickly retrieved a pipe and flint. He kept up his chatter until he had the flame lit, then he stopped to take a long breath from the pipe. That finally slowed his rapid speech and he gave a deep, satisfied sigh.

  "Yes, that is perfect. Thank you, child."

  "You are most welcome, elder."

  He chuckled at that, took another long pull, then extended the pipe toward her. "Well? You deserve a reward for bringing this package so far without sneaking even a little."

  "Thank you, but I must decline."

  Dhunor blinked at her, arm still stuck out as if he hadn't expected that response. Eventually he drew it back and puffed on the pipe for a time, watching her shrewdly. "Why is that, child? An old man like me may enjoy ashweed, but you are a young sein warrior. Surely you have not finished purifying your body?"

  Tani shook her head. "I am forbidden from partaking in ashweed. My master is unorthodox when it comes to matters of training."

  "Well! I have never heard of such a thing." Dhunor puffed again, then gave her a sly smile. "But your master is not here. Discipline is one thing, but what is the point of a Farwalk if you do not break the rules sometimes, hmm?"

  Tani raised a hand and shook her head. "I truly must decline. I do not wish to disobey her."

  "Such a dutiful child. I am impressed." He sounded more incredulous than anything, but Dhunor smiled as he shook his head. Truthfully, Tani was glad for the excuse, because she had always found ashweed to be foul-smelling and unpleasant to breathe. And she had awakened the sein within her just as easily as those who underwent the ashweed ritual, so she believed her master to be correct.

  "My refusal was true, but I must ask: was this a test from my master?"

  "Hah!" Dhunor laughed for some time before regaining control of himself. "I do not even know who she is, child. Even just the Nelee tribes are much larger than you know. We may be kin, but we are not as kin living in one house."

  She lowered her gaze in acknowledgment of his point. "So I am learning. Bundlin is... quite something."

  "Is it not? It has truly become home to me." Dhunor took the pipe out of his mouth and used it to gesture outside, frowning for the first time since he had begun smoking. "But it was better before the Deathspawn came. Some of them mean well, but they have still taken half the city. And when you consider the water, more than half. I do not think this can last."

  "What cannot last? The truce?"

  "Coexistence. Some of the Deathspawn may be little different from us, but their kind is not meant for this world. You know the words as well as I do. They must be stopped, and a hero must rise to stop them." Though somber for a moment, Dhunor broke off with a chuckle and pointed his pipe at her. "Maybe it will be you, eh?"

  Tani didn't answer immediately, considering his words. The elders had always claimed that the Legend was known across the entire world, but her master had doubted that. When she had mentioned it to Slaten, he had not responded, which made her wonder. Surely such an unclear idea could not be known to all.

  But it was clear that Dhunor believed it, and most of the Corans she had spoken to on her journey believed in the Legend as well. They did not know the whole story, yet they believed. That was part of what troubled her, part of what had driven her to cross the Expanse.

  "Are we... certain that they are truly Deathspawn?" Normally she would have held her tongue, but the environment relaxed her so much that she spoke unintentionally. Dhunor raised his eyebrows sharply.

  "What else could they be?"

  "I know that they call themselves mansthein. What if the Legend speaks of something else?" Because as many different versions of the Legend as she had heard, none of them had talked about Deathspawn women and children. They were supposed to be the spawn of pure evil, not people. If the mansthein were just people from far away, if they were met by such a violent story...

  But she saw that it was useless to say such things here. Dhunor spent a while with his pipe before he shook his head seriously. "No, I cannot believe that. They embraced the name when they came here, and I am told they do the same in Estronn, even across the sea in Eltar Trathe! No, they seem keen to play their role." He sighed as he stared out the window, letting smoke flow out of his mouth. "Now, all we are missing is a hero..."

  The conversation faded after that. Dhunor insisted that she stay with them for at least one night and told her much of the city. He advised her about how to hide her knives, where the mansthein and Corans patrolled, which markets to visit. She considered asking him about her plans to cross the river and investigate the other side of Bundlin, but decided that it could only bring her trouble.

  She caught glimpses of Dhunor's partner, but the other woman never emerged to greet her. Eventually the ashweed made Dhunor sleepy and it was obvious that they were ready to turn in for the night. Tani was surprised how low the sun had dropped during their conversation and the day was starting to catch up to her. She was grateful for the cot she was given in one corner.

  As she settled down by the walls, she realized that the wood panels smelled a little of home. Unlike the past nights on her journey, she was able to relax. She could hear Nelhae spoken from the bedchamber nearby, the scents were somewhat familiar, and she was safe with her tribe, even if far from home.

  But as she fell asleep, Tani found herself thinking instead of the fight, of the Deathspawn children, and of the city split into two sides. She slept with her knives close at hand.

  Chapter 3

  -

  "Beyond such obvious factors as their aggression and military force, the most critical thing to fear about the Deathspawn is that they cannot be trusted. It is, of course, untrue that Deathspawn can only speak lies. Indeed, this would make them honest in their own way. Instead, they are capable of mixing truth and lies to accomplish intricate deceptions. Make no mistake, any glimmer of humanity seen within them is only a pretense."

  - excerpt from On the Deathspawn, written by Haneval, First Scholar to the King of South Corah

  -

  When Tani woke, she found that Dhunor was gone. She finally met Dhunor's partner, a small woman named Yomeri who provided her with some food. Though Tani would dearly have loved to speak to the other woman, Yomeri seemed withdrawn, possibly even upset with her beneath the polite mask. Tani didn't know what she could have done to offend the woman, and rejecting a fellow Nelee was hardly customary, but she let it go.

  Because there was no way she could be angry with the woman who provided her with some proper food.

  It wasn't much, but the bowl of mixed herbs tasted fully of home. And though the cut piece of deep purple fruit was unknown to her, it tasted sweet and it was a welcome reprieve from the heavy Coran food she had been eating throughout her trip. Since the other woman wasn't inclined to talk, Tani thanked Yomeri and prepared herself for a dangerous day.

  In her corner, Tani washed her face and checked her hair in the dimly reflecting copper mirror. Along her journey, she had been forced to use pools or streams. Even keeping her hair short, it could get messy and tangled on such a trip. Once she'd combed it out, she headed back out into Bundlin.

  She was surprised how high the sun burned in the sky, but it seemed her body had needed the rest. After adjusting to the light, Tani headed toward the river.

  Though she could have returned home at any time, now that her package had been delivered, Tani wouldn't have been satisfied with that. The purpose of the Farwalk was to gain insight from the outside world before returning to the tribe. A few petty insights wouldn't be enough: her tribe would be torn apart by war unless she could bring back something meaningful. There had to be something behind the apparently meaningless aggression.

  Tani heard the river before she saw it, a low rush beneath the other sounds of Bundlin. On her way there, she passed through a market filled with fish. Though there were plenty of the dags she'd tried earlier, stacked in large pungent bags, she also saw cuts of leviathan meat and larger fish she didn't recognize. Those might be more like the food she was familiar with, but she guessed they would be more expensive than she could afford, if she needed her money to stretch until she could return home.

  The Nellanni River itself made Tani pause. It was certainly wide and powerful, the half of Bundlin on the other side appearing surprisingly small. Now that she was next to one of the bridges, it seemed an impossible serpent of stone, arching so high that ships could pass beneath it. But the river wasn't larger than the Helhaeva and it was far more filthy. All of the water was an unpleasant brown color and she saw pieces of refuse bobbing everywhere. So much for her plan to swim across.

  At least the ships within the river impressed her. The Nelee used only canoes and ships they purchased from the Telnaa tribes. There were a few Telnaa ships, as well as low boats that struck her as ungainly canoes. But she had never seen some of the other ships, sails cut in more shapes than she had known possible, others with dozens of oars, many with fanciful carvings on the prow. And in the distance, toward the main harbor, she could see a truly massive ship with three great masts and many sails.

  She wanted to explore further, but resolved to stay focused. Her purpose was to learn the truth, and for that she needed to observe the mansthein directly. Though she intended to speak directly with them, she couldn't trust that they would speak the truth. After all, they had treated peacefully with her tribe before abruptly becoming more aggressive. She needed to watch them without any outside influences, either bias against them or their words in support of themselves.

  Unfortunately, a group of Deathspawn soldiers guarded the entrance to the bridge and prevented entry. Tani watched for some time and never saw anyone but patrols pass them. She considered slipping around them and trying to crawl alongside the bridge, but realized that she would be too exposed. Besides, she had never mastered the arts that would have made such a climb safe.

  Most likely the other two bridges would be the same, and based on information from Dhunor, she doubted there was any purpose in checking them. Perhaps there might be a way through, if she observed for long enough, but Tani had another solution.

  It was like one of the masters' proverbs: to enter Bundlin, she needed to leave it again.

  ~ ~ ~

  As the guards moved across the walls, Tani shifted her position on the boulders so that her cover would shield her from them. The tree that grew from some earth in the center of the mound of boulders was a scraggly thing, but it was sufficient to hide her. More importantly, it provided some shade while she observed the patrols atop the walls.

  Getting out of the city had been easy, with her official papers. It had taken her too much of the day to move upstream of Bundlin far enough that she wasn't afraid of being spotted, but eventually she found a fisherman who was willing to take her across the river. He seemed to assume she wanted to reach Estronn without passing through Bundlin and didn't ask too many questions.

  Now it was growing dark, but Tani still wanted to watch the patrols for longer. There were gaps in their movements, but not ones she was willing to risk. Better to wait until they changed guard again and the shadows grew longer. Though the longer she stayed, the more mosquitoes would come for her - they were much worse here than near her home.

  Watching the guards had been a little interesting before she grew as bored as they were. Though they looked the same as the Deathspawn that had attacked her home, it soon became obvious they were just normal guards. They spat over the walls, scratched themselves, occasionally pissed off the edge, and very clearly grew bored as their shifts went on.

 

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