Testimony

(a Domas and Eliaron story)

2011 Kevin Marston

Wa ku mu? the Duyna boy asked, beckoning with his hand. Nila lu ka bas-s. Domas stared at Eliaron. It sounded like he was being asked to go to the Duyna and tell what had happened! Ye? Beh... Auk, ta. Embotan. Beh, Kan tam? U nolme? Domas really didnt want to make the Crades worry, and their house was where his father would expect him to stay the night. Not with the Duyna! But would not staying there for the night mean a walk through the forest in the dark? But Eliaron shrugged. Na sab kan tam. Nolme ku nu. And then he smiled. Dele qumud. Comfortable, Eliaron had said, but that hardly seemed important. But maybe Eliaron knew what he was thinking he looked serious again, and waved his hand as before. Embotan. So Domas nodded, and took a step in Eliarons direction. Eliaron turned, a few steps ahead of Domas, and walked the same way without a word. The silence was almost oppressive, but Domas couldnt think of anything to say, not in his limited Galian. And what he could say seemed trite and stupid and bothersome, and then it seemed like it would be odd to break the silence. And all the while, Domas heart was in his throat. He didnt know of any Arimanis who had ever been to visit the Duyna, even though their meeting hall was somewhere in the area. And suddenly, there was... something in the forest, something large, resembling an enormous, rough-hewn box, except that the wood making the sides of the box had never been cut out of the tree. Domas was sure hed been looking in its direction before, but he had had no idea he was approaching it. He stopped to look at it more closely; the trees that made up its walls were rooted to the ground like any other tree. There were some wider gaps between the trees in places, but he could only see darkness in the gaps. Above, the trees spread their leafless canopies wide, so in summer there was probably some shelter from rain outside as well as in. Eliaron led Domas around to the left side, where the wall of trees parted around a curtain of large, pale leaves, and went right through. Domas paused a second, and then plunged after him. And stopped. The bright, warm light made him squint, and the wood making up the walls was very pale, like that of a newly-built house. This room was as big as the log cabin he and his father shared, and another leaf curtain hid the next room. The walls boasted many, many small branchlets; the narrow ends of the room seemed to have a shimmering effect hanging in the air. It was also quite warm Eliaron was removing his cloak and hanging it on the branchlet closest to the second curtain. Domas took off his coat, and followed Eliaron through the curtain. A Duy stood beside an odd dark blue reclined chair, talking to Eliaron in a language full of odd sounds, and then broke off as he saw Domas. Eliaron talked fast, maybe a little pleadingly; the elder Duy nodded slowly. Domas wanted to look around, but had the feeling he was the subject of the conversation. Then, the elder Duy spoke. Rare, Arimanis come. You are first child. We call... council. You must wait. Be good. Yes, sir, I will be good. Domas didnt think he could be otherwise at that moment.

The Duy sat down in his funny chair, and pulled up one end of a small tube from the left arm rest, Then, he put it in his mouth, and blew through it, making a deep, warbling sound that Domas could feel in his feet. Yl yiiga Duyny. Wohn iis, nilohn, explained Eliaron. It was for sending messages, apparently the sitting Duy was calling other Duyna from afar for them to come hear his story. But how long would it take them to arrive?! He couldnt stay away from home for days! What if they had to wait weeks for And then he heard footsteps in the entry, and voices, more of those odd sounds like clicks and grunts and trills and talking through rounded lips and more varieties of sh than hed ever imagined possible. There were also two voices speaking Galian, one soft, the other gruff. The speakers came through the leaf curtain; the Duy wearing bold-red pants and an undersized bold-purple shirt, and a heavily-bearded Gali trapper in the typical loose brown trousers and loose undyed tunic. The two of them noticed Domas. You be a brave lad, come to a Duyna meeting lodge. What be your name? growled the trader. Domas. Ah. I be Arann. Wiyome telled me about you. And your hunt. I sayed he be a fool, but maybe he be right in the end. This be Premesarun, Chief Trader. Bundur, Domas told the Duy. The Duy smiled. Ah, ta balez Gal? Auk, bi. Well, want ye me to translate to Galian or Arimani? The tone was still gruff, but Arann wore a lopsided smile. Arimani, please, sir. I really dont know that much Galian. All right. But if the Duyna talk to you, they talk Galian. Komblonez? I understand. All the while, Duyna flowed in through the curtain, and stood around chatting in groups and pairs. Domas noticed that Eliaron didnt get much attention from the adults, less even than Domas himself. Then, conversation stopped when one Duy walked in. His face was quite wrinkled, and his hair was as white as snow, but he stood as tall as any Duy there. Eliaron exclaimed something then, and walked right over to the Very Important Duy. Ye be a lucky boy, rumbled Arann. That be Denieren himself. Domas felt his eyes pop out. De he started, then decided to whisper. Daneeren?! The elder Duy this area is named for? That be him. And ya young friend be his great-grandson. But close ya mouf, flies fly in. Domas consciously did so, but his thoughts were still whirling. He wasnt entirely convinced the trader was telling the truth. Duyna lived a long time, but Daneeren Denieren to the Gali had given his name to the area... what did his father say? Two hundred years ago? More? Or maybe only 150, but still, the Duy was old... As he watched, Denieren patted Eliaron on the shoulder, and the two parted. Eliaron came over to Domas, and Denieren went to the center of the room. The very moment he stopped, near as Domas could tell to the exact center point, all conversation stopped and everyone turned toward him. He drew a circle in the air in front of his mouth; then, he put all of his fingers together at the imaginary circle and suddenly splayed them. And then he began to speak, and it sounded to Domas as if Denieren were speaking gently right in front of him; it was followed by the crowds answer. Arann crouched down to put his ear close to Domas. The Hall calls. -- We have answered. -- The Hall is graced. We are graced by testimony.

A pause, then Denieren spoke again; Arann translated, Eliaron, son of my daughter, testifies of experience at the round-ears hall. Eliaron dutifully went out to the center, neither shyly nor proudly, but Domas felt both like wanting to hide and wanting to hold his head up high. Then, standing in front of his grandfather, Eliaron tried to do the motion in front of his mouth; Domas thought it looked precisely the same as Denierens had, but the elder smiled softly and did it again. An accident, in the forest. Gali Wiyome in front of my bow; Shame. The crowd hummed as Eliaron paused; Domas wondered at the strange cadence of the translation, but Eliarons cadence was odd, too, so he supposed the translation was literal. Arann softly explained, They hum in recognition and sympathy for his shame. Then, Eliaron went on. I lift Gali Wiyome, uh, hold him Domas was pretty sure the pause was Aranns , we go to fort. Nearest. Eliarons face seemed apologetic. Round-ears call doctor, call commander. Commander orders me into fort. In fort, warriors take me; Small room, locked. Then commander and second round-ears enter. Commander: Arimani. Second man: Gali. But no asking, no: Demanding! Face in my face. Loud. No time for response. And strange questions, not a blobosa Domas had heard some women and the commander use the term, but didnt know it if something else done. Then, end. Round-ears leave, then comes warrior. Grabs arm, hard! Pulling me, out, of room, of fort, of village. Domas was almost certain he had heard Eliaron say biyyash, the Gali word for town. Domas follows, yells to warrior, but warrior does no listen. Then warrior throws me away, and off. Domas stays. So I call him, to our great hall, he has answered. Thus ends my testimony. Domas could feel the weight of many eyes on him, but he just kept looking at Eliaron. Testimony has been given. Our story is enriched by it. Let us remember, and consider. With that, Eliaron looked at his grandfather, who gave the youngster a softly approving smile as he left the center. Then the elder appeared to think of something; he touched Eliaron on the shoulder to stop him, and waved a hand quickly in front of his mouth. Then, he stepped back into the center. A Duyn has, uh, done wrong. Domas gasped. Surely...? He entered the round-ear place. Another voice, in the crowd somewhere to Domas left, replied. He testified about himself, was the translation. Shall judgment be passed? asked another voice, this one somewhere ahead. It must be. So says the Code, said the voice to the left. Then he is guilty. But he did no wrong. Indeed, he did right, said Denieren. The voice ahead of Domas said, Then let the consequences be, uh, null. The crowd responded in unison. Agreed. A pause, before Denieren started again. A round-ears has been called. He has answered. The Hall is graced. Arimani Domas, friend to Gali Wiyome, testifies. Domas supposed that was probably his cue, but only stepped out when Arann put a hand on his shoulder and took a step. They came to the place Eliaron had stood, and Arann put him on the exact spot. The Elder made the finger sign in front of Domas lips, and said with a kind smile, Not rush. We be patient. So Domas began, haltingly at first, and then paused to organize all the details. It helped he was more fluent. And then, all of a sudden, he ran out of details. Arann put his hand on Domas shoulder, and nodded curtly. Denieren made an announcement then, which Arann translated: A round-ears has testified. We are blessed by testimony, Arann translated for the crowd. We are twice blessed because he who testifies is not of us.

We thank Arimani Domas. We thank him for his service. With that, Arann led him back to the crowd. As he walked, Domas noted someone coming through the leaf curtain. And then, recognized the man: the fort commander! And then Arann bumped into Domas, earning him a scowl. But the Gali said nothing, and Domas took his former spot. Denieren stepped over to Arann, and asked something in Gali. Arann nodded, and Denieren began speaking to the group. Arann translated: Another round-ears has been called. He has answered. The Hall is graced. Arimani Domas, Elder to the Arimanis, defends. Domas felt his eyes strain to pop out. The commanders first name was the same as his own! He felt as if he had some top secret information. It made him giddy, at least until the commander, now in the center with Arann at his side, began to speak. What occurred today pains me. Shame is upon the Arimani. We would hear the why, answered the crowd. Arann had considerably more work this time, and Domas wondered if the Duyna would pay him for it, and how. It is not necessary to tell again about the learning the soldiers have. It is not necessary to tell again about the philosophy of the Arimani government. It is necessary to tell of the balance I try to keep. No response, this time; Maybe there was no formula for this point. Denieren asked, We would hear of this balance. Arimanis expect fill the land. They expect the Duyna to move elsewhere. They expect me to be he who pushes. He who pushes is hard. Angry. Like a commander; As I command soldiers, I must command everyone. So I must be hard with questions. There must be one who translates and writes. This person will wonder, if I should be soft. And I was soft. A soldier who does wrong expects more than what a young boy gets. Denieren broke in. And what Eliaron got, did it satisfy? Satisfy is not the word. He proved himself. Very well. And the written record shows that, and the fort commander does not need to deal with the matter further. But you seem satisfied. Yet you spoke of shame. Yes, I am satisfied that I need not press the matter further. It is a shame that the questioning was necessary, even if for the greater good. Denieren smiled. It is not necessary to tell again about the greater good. He paused. A round-ears has defended. We are blessed by the defenders response. We are blessed although he who defends is not of us. We thank Arimani Domas. We thank him for his service. The commander nodded curtly, and once Denieren had made the gesture at the commanders mouth, he walked away from the center. And he came right toward Domas, such that the boy stepped aside to let him pass. Denieren spoke some more, but Arann was heading to a different part of the room. The commander put a friendly hand on Domas shoulder, and they walked to the leaf curtain. We have to talk seriously, Domas, the man said in a surprisingly friendly voice as they passed through to the entry. Domas suddenly didnt know what to say. I hate to put you in this position, but as I just told these people, Im in a tough spot. If anyone in the military, or even in town, found out that Im here, they would report. And I could be hanged.

So why are you here? Because if I didnt engage with these people from time to time, there would be no fort at all. Look at this place, son. Think what kind of magic they must have. Think what they could do to us, if they only wished to. But they dont wish to. Not yet, they dont, and I hope we can keep it that way. Did you always think so? No. I was as full of humanity as those boys in the fort are. Then I got out here. And even before coming to this meeting hall I knew we humans are in over our heads. But thats enough haychewin, we best be getting home. Youll need to go separately from me. You got a place to stay tonight? Yes. Dad said to stay with the Crades. Good man, your dad. He may have the wrong idea about the Duyna, too, but I sure wish we had a fort full of men like him. Good night, son. And remember, not a word. Not a word, sir. The commander clapped Domas on the shoulder, and nodded at the Duy standing by. With a small gesture, the Duy opened a hole in the wall, out into the dark forest, and the commander confidently walked through.