The Fire Seer (34 page)

“But the maze broke down. Our ambition exceeded our ability, and we couldn’t control the fire. Mother Isatis was on the rampage, and we realized you could die in there. Cole, Talin, and Lilit were terrified they’d be caught and executed for causing your death. So they ran away.” Mandir’s hand tightened into a fist around hers.

“And what did you do?” asked Taya.

“I went down there,” said Mandir. “I went into the fire maze and got you out.”

Taya turned in his grip. “
You’re
the one who got me out of the fire maze?”

“There was no one else to do it.”

“I always thought it was one of the
ilittu
. That someone had seen the flames and come to help.”

“They came later,” said Mandir. “You were unconscious, and I was badly burned. I tried to control the flames, but Isatis mocked me.”

“You walked into fire to rescue me.”

“I had to,” said Mandir. “I was the one who put you in there.”

“You and three other boys, and the other three ran away. So
that’s
why you got a Year of Penance and they got expelled,” said Taya. “I always thought it was favoritism because you were Prince Tufan’s son.”

“Everyone assumed that,” said Mandir. “Nobody knew how you’d been rescued except a handful of
ilittu
and the Elders. They forbade me to speak of it. They thought it would be wrong for me to act like a hero for rescuing you, considering I’d built the trap for you myself.”

“That makes sense,” said Taya. “Still, I wish I’d known the truth. I might not have hated you quite so much.”

Mandir ran a hand down the contour of her waist and hip, exploring her body in a way that was more curious than sexual. “Back then, you were right to hate me. The important thing was that I knew what I’d done. I knew I’d run into the fire to save you. And that was a turning point in my life. I’d say it was
the
turning point in my life.”

“I thought the turning point was Neshi.”

“I wouldn’t have learned a thing from Neshi if I hadn’t been ready to change. When the other boys ran away and I was left alone on that ledge, I knew that if I ran too, you would die. I realized I would rather die in that fire myself than live in a world that didn’t have you in it.”

“I never imagined that was how you felt back then.”

“After Neshi, I’m better about not being a zebu’s ass all the time,” said Mandir. “It helps that you chasten me when I slip back into my old ways. Do you think we’ll be together again after this mission?”

“I’d like us to be,” said Taya.

∞

Taya squeezed herself into the tiny space on the saddle between the blood bay’s withers and Mandir’s legs. The horse grunted with displeasure at the extra weight. Mandir wrapped his arms around her to take up the reins. It wasn’t the most comfortable position, but it had an upside. She’d be snuggled against Mandir’s chest for the entire trip.

Mandir nudged the blood bay into a walk. “I can’t believe you gave Pepper away to that jackal.”

“She’s no jackal, remember? Just a banana farmer.”

“Not a jackal. Right.”

Taya didn’t care if he disapproved. It was a delicious memory, one she would relish all her life. When she’d handed Amalia the black mare’s reins, the girl had fallen on her knees and sobbed, she was so grateful. “I’ll buy another horse when we get back to the temple. I have plenty of money these days.”

“That black mare was special. You had a great bond with her. Didn’t you say she was the finest possession you’d ever owned?”

“She was. But I can afford another Coalition horse, and Amalia can’t, no matter how well those banana plants produce. This was a way of giving back a little of what Zash took from her.”

“I think you’re crazy,” said Mandir with a shrug. “But you’ve got the biggest heart in the river valley. That’s lucky for Amalia—and for me.”

He nudged the blood bay into a jog and they headed through the streets of Hrappa, followed by the dwarf elephant that carried the city’s tax payment. Townsfolk came out of their homes and shops to watch them pass. Some of them smiled and waved. Others frowned. It was impossible to be Coalition and be liked by everybody. But that didn’t mean it was impossible to do the right thing, or at least to try one’s very best. Not everyone would approve of what she and Mandir had done, but she believed they were leaving Hrappa a better place than they’d found it.

Outside the city gates, Mandir slowed the blood bay to a walk, and they rested, basking in the morning sunshine.

Taya nestled her head in the crook of Mandir’s chin. “I think I’ve found a possession I like better than the black mare.”

“I’m a possession now, am I?” He tickled her, causing her to squirm away. He glanced back to make sure the elephant was still following them. “Where are we headed? Mohenjo or Rakigari?”

She hadn’t thought about it. They were going to stay together rather than split up, so it wasn’t clear which temple they should report back to. “How about Rakigari? I’ve never seen it, and I’m not ready to go back to Mohenjo with you right now.”

Mandir nodded grimly. “I don’t blame you. I’ve ghosts there too.”

“Rakigari, then,” said Taya. “And let’s think of happier things. The sun on our faces. The wind at our backs...”

“You in my arms,” said Mandir.

Taya reached up and kissed him. It was going to be a lovely trip home.

Author’s Note

In the 1920s, archaeologists unearthed the city of Harappa along the Indus River in modern-day Pakistan. This city was part of a relatively advanced Bronze Age civilization circa 2600 BCE that was contemporary to ancient Egypt and Sumer, but different from those civilizations in some interesting ways. Egypt was a highly stratified society, with its Pharaohs who regarded themselves as gods and spent tremendous amounts of resources and slave labor to build monuments like the pyramids. The Harappans, however, appear to have spent their resources on projects that benefited the society as a whole, not just a few privileged members at the top.

Their city was laid out in a perfect grid, and while some houses were larger than others, the differences were small. There was a sewage system, which every house in the entire city was connected to. Many houses had private drinking wells and private bathrooms. The Harappans had the world’s first flush toilets! Evidence exists of other facilities with probable public benefits: city walls to protect against flooding, a centrally located citadel, public baths, and reservoirs.

They had a written language, but so far we have been unable to translate it, thus much about their civilization is unknown. There is no archeological evidence of kings, soldiers, or priests in Harappa, but much evidence that these people were traders and artisans. Were these people in the ancient Indus Valley a relatively egalitarian civilization living alongside the not-at-all egalitarian ancient Egypt?

I was so fascinated by the ancient Harappans that I decided to take what details we had, fill in the gaps, and construct a fantasy world around this lost civilization. I used the historical information, sketchy as it was, only as a jumping-off point for world creation. In no way should this novel be considered historically accurate, even leaving out the obvious fantasy elements. For example, I wanted my novel to include horses, but while horses had probably been domesticated by this time in the Eurasian Steppes, they had not yet arrived in the Indus Valley. The ancient Harappans would never have laid eyes upon a true horse, though they may have known onagers or wild asses.

Adding the horse to my world required a host of changes. For example, ancient Harappan women often wore a garment resembling a miniskirt. Can you imagine riding a horse in a miniskirt? I had to make changes to clothing and some other things to fit in Pepper and Mandir’s blood bay.

Some of the other animals are fantastical as well, including the dwarf elephant (miniaturized elephants, now extinct, have been found on islands, but not in the Indus Valley), the color-changing onager, and the blind river dolphin. The latter is a real animal, still alive today, but it is not the frightening creature I have portrayed.

As far as social structure and culture, religion, and mythology, I made it up out of whole cloth, borrowing just a few bits and pieces from various places in and around the region. Some readers may recognize the story of the quail and the hunter as coming from Buddhist myth. Furthermore, while it was the relatively egalitarian nature of the Indus Valley that drew my interest, I am too much of a cynic to believe that any civilization has ever been completely free of class strife and warfare. Therefore, I did create class tensions both in the caste system and in the resentment over the Coalition, as well as a history of warfare with the mountain people. Even so, inequality is a matter of degree, and I consider the civilization in this fantasy world to be more egalitarian than most. Servants are not obsequious, the wealthy do not live in palaces, and even the lowest caste has rights reserved for it alone.

As for language, I would have liked to use the actual language of the Indus Valley civilization as the mother tongue, but it is not possible because of our inability to translate it. As a substitute, I used words and phrases of Akkadian, a dead language from ancient Mesopotamia. If there are any linguists, I beg your tolerance, as I picked words more for their rhythm and mouth feel than for their spot-on accuracy, and occasionally I modified them. I intended this book to be a playful romp rather than a history or language lesson, but if anyone feels inspired to learn more about the ancient Harappans, I am delighted to have sparked such an interest. They were a fascinating people, and I wish we knew more about them.

And Last

Thank you for reading
The Fire Seer
! I hope you enjoyed it. This is the first book of a planned series following the adventures of Taya and Mandir in the river valley as they solve mysteries, negotiate their relationship, and struggle with the troublesome Coalition.

My other series, Hearts and Thrones, is set in a different fantasy world. It features strong heroines, sweet heroes, political intrigue, and magic. It includes the novels
Assassin’s Gambit
,
Spy’s Honor
, and
Prince’s Fire
, and the novella “
Archer’s Sin
.”

If you’d like to know when my next book is available, you can subscribe to my newsletter at
http://www.amyraby.com
, or follow me on Twitter at @amyraby, or like my Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/Amy.Raby.Author
.

Acknowledgements

My effusive thanks to:

Copyeditor Kim Runciman of Night Vision Editing and cover designer Ravven for their perfect blend of artistry and professionalism.

Jessi Gage and Julie Brannagh of the Cupcake Crew, for their insightful critique as well as their friendship.

The talented people at Writer’s Cramp, who never let me get away with anything: Barbara Stoner, Steven Gurr, Tim McDaniel, Amy Stewart, Thom Marrion, Janka Hobbs, Michael Croteau, and Courtland Shafer.

And my readers, who make this all worth it.

About the Author

Amy Raby is literally a product of the U.S. space program, since her parents met working for NASA on the Apollo missions. After earning her Bachelor's in Computer Science from the University of Washington, Amy settled with her family in the Pacific Northwest.

Amy is the author of the fantasy romance Hearts and Thrones series as well as the fantasy/romance/mystery Coalition of Mages series. She is a 2011 Golden Heart® finalist for
Assassin’s Gambit
and a 2012 Daphne du Maurier winner for
The Fire Seer
.