Chapter 15

Emzara repositioned her cushion as far to the right as she could to allow the man a spot in the seat next to Noah. Noah reached out a steady hand to guide him and he laid his staff in the wagon bed behind them before settling in.

“I’m Vadid. And you are?”

“Noah, and this is my wife, Emzara.”

As Vadid directed the caravan toward the camp, Emzara studied him from the corner of her eye. His hair and beard were shorn close. His garment, a cream linen tunic, fell to his knees, and a belt cinched it at his waist. He wore a dark blue woven outer cloak, bound together in the front by a beautiful metal clasp. Hides encircled his calves and leather cords crisscrossed and held them tight to his legs. His brown shoes reached mid-calf and completed his unique outfit.

“That’s one of our herds over there.” Vadid pointed left when a sudden animal call drew their attention. A lone man stood in the distance with a staff in his hand. At least ten bovar surrounded him. Soon more herds and farmhands dotted the landscape, and not long after that, clusters of large rectangular tents appeared. Their peaked tops were not much higher than the sides. Pelts or fabrics covered them, and Emzara imagined what each home told about its owners. One had hides haphazardly strewn around the structure, and she pictured a chronicler living there, more interested in the information he wrote than the place where he lived. Another was brightly colored with images painted on the sides, and she imagined a happy young family lived inside. They passed by a plain one, and Emzara stifled a laugh as she pictured someone like Nmir living there.

As she watched, a woman stepped outside, but she bore little resemblance to Emzara’s old nursemaid. Instead, this woman looked like someone else from her past. She raced through memory after memory, trying to locate the person’s face. Suddenly her mind brought up an image of Kal as a young girl, hugging the woman. She smiled and spoke quietly to herself. “That’s who she reminds me of.”

“What did you say?” Noah glanced at her.

“Oh, nothing really.” Emzara gestured toward the woman. “I was thinking that she reminds me a little bit of Adah. I guess it must’ve slipped out.”

Vadid raised an eyebrow at her. “That’s funny. Her name is Adah, too.”

Emzara spun to see the woman again. “Could it be?”

Vadid swept his arm in a sideways arc to indicate the whole encampment. “Her son leads our group. Actually, he started it after they fled Havil.”

Emzara grabbed Noah’s knee. “Stop the wagon.” Before they fully slowed, she leapt to the ground and hurried toward the woman. “Adah!”

Though now gray-haired and wrinkled, the still-beautiful woman stood on her front platform and stared.

Before Adah could stop her, Emzara grabbed her old friend by the shoulders and studied the face she had not seen for centuries before wrapping her in a hug.

Adah pulled away. Looking confused, she measured Emzara. “You seem familiar. Where do I know you from?”

Emzara bit her lip and nodded rapidly. “From a long time ago. We were . . .” Emzara looked up as she searched for the words, “we were coconspirators — well, almost anyway.”

Adah’s face lit up. “Emzara?”

“Mmhmm.”

“How? I mean, what are you doing here?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing.”

“It’s a long story.”

Noah rushed toward them as Vadid and the others secured the wagons.

“Adah” — Noah tipped his head slightly — “it’s good to see someone we know so far away from home.”

“This is my home now. It has been for a long time.” She held out an arm to Vadid, who came alongside her. “Long before Vadid here was even born.”

“Good to see you, Grandmother.” He warmly took her hands in his own.

“Vadid, where are you taking them?”

“To see the chief. They want to trade with us.”

“Perfect. Come with me, all of you.” Adah turned her back to the group and started walking.

Emzara looked at Noah and shrugged, then they all followed the elderly woman. None of the dwellings seemed befitting for a leader, but they continued toward their unknown destination.

“Here we are.” Adah stopped outside a large but modestly constructed tent.

“This is where the chief lives?” Noah asked. His tone made it clear that he was surprised, too.

“Yes.” She opened the leather flap and led them inside.

As her eyes adjusted to the low lighting, Emzara saw the wooden posts that formed the inner frame of the walls. She was amazed at how large and cozy it was. Fur rugs covered most of the floor except for the space opposite the door. There, a man sat next to a bleater in a small pen and the animal bellowed loudly.

“Son, we have visitors,” Adah said.

“Be right there.” The man wiped his brow with his forearm and then cleaned his hands on a large cloth before looking up at his guests. He opened his arms out wide. “Welcome. What can I do for you?”

Noah stepped ahead of his friends. “Sir, we came upon your settlement, and Vadid mentioned that we could purchase food and supplies from your people.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem.” He glanced at Adah. “Mother, why didn’t you just take them to one of the merchants?”

Adah smiled. “I thought you might want to see an old acquaintance of ours.”

The chief furrowed his brow and turned to Adah. “Acquaintance? Who?”

“This is Noah, someone you met when you were very young.” She laughed. “And, Noah, this is my son Jabal.”

Turning back to Jabal, Noah asked, “The musician?”

Jabal snorted. “No, that’s my brother, Jubal.”

“But you were both talented musicians. I saw you play when I first visited Havil.”

“That was a long time ago. I played when I was a child, but I could never compete with my brother.”

“You were—” The bleater moaned, and Noah momentarily lost his focus. “You were young, perhaps not even ten years old.”

“Jabal?” Laleel asked, her high forehead pinched in thought.

“Yes. And forgive me, you are—”

“I’m Laleel, and this is my husband, Garun. He used to guard your family.”

Squinting, Jabal stepped closer to Garun. “I think I do remember you. Well, it’s nice to meet you again after all this time.” He fanned his arm around the room. “Please, everyone, have a seat and rest from your journey.”

Adah sat beside her son, and the others followed her lead, forming a small circle. Only Lamech and Methuselah were missing, since they had remained with the wagons.

“Forgive me for greeting you in such a fashion, but this bleater is about to give birth, and I don’t want anything to go wrong. She lost her last baby. But please, tell me about your travels. It’s likely to be a while before her little one makes an appearance. Vadid can bring you something to eat and drink.”

“Jabal, how did you and Adah end up here, so far away from Havil?” Noah finally asked what Emzara had been longing to know.

“Mother?”

Adah looked into her hands before nodding.

“Well, there’s really not much of a story here if you know what my father is like.” Jabal shifted in his seat. “After my brother and I grew up, he tried to take over our futures. I started getting really involved in architecture. He fueled that passion, and I became rather proficient in it. However, I noticed several odd things. One day, Mother had a long scarf covering her arms though the day was very warm. Then, a week later, I found her limping. She said she’d stumbled into something.”

Jabal sighed. “Honestly, I probably wouldn’t have figured it out had I not been walking around the palace late one night when I heard terrible sounds coming from Mother’s room.” His words picked up speed until they tumbled over each other. “My father. He went into these rages. I think he might have killed her if I hadn’t shown up. He stopped as soon as he saw me.” Jabal slowly let out a deep breath. “That’s when I realized how selfish I’d been. I’d seen only the grandeur of Havil and imagined my own greatness. I didn’t even notice the pain my mother was enduring.”

“Jabal—”

“It’s true, Mother. Anyway, I knew I had to get her out of there. I figured the only way I could keep her safe was to travel as far away from that city as possible. And that’s what we did.”

A little squeal turned everyone’s attention to Rayneh. She had wandered to the pen and stood before the bleater with one little hand clutched to her chest.

Jabal chuckled and lightly patted Rayneh’s head. “Would you like to try petting her again?”

She stared at him through wide eyes.

“Here. She might have thought your hand had food in it. If I hold her head like this, you can feel how fluffy she is.” He cupped the creature’s face in his hands.

Rayneh held out her hand cautiously and plucked up the courage to try again. After making contact, she giggled and pulled her hand away again.

“There. See?” Jabal scruffed the ears of the animal. “I think she likes that.”

Noah knelt beside the young girl. “Rayneh, you just met him, but he’s your uncle, which means that you’re his niece.”

“And that makes us family,” Elam said.

Noah glanced at Adah. “She’s Kal’s daughter.”

Adah leaned forward. “Kal? Where is she?”

Elam took a deep breath and shook his head. “My wife—” He swallowed hard and fell silent.

“Kal died before we left Iri Geshem.” Noah put a hand on Elam’s shoulder and sighed. “I’m sorry, Adah.”

Adah’s mouth curved downward and she slumped. After momentary silence, she considered Rayneh and smiled through misty eyes. “I’m glad I can meet her daughter, my granddaughter.”

Emzara pursed her lips, pleased to see the hurting people she cared about finding comfort together. She noted Noah’s wisdom in not sharing the details of Kal’s death. Adah did not need to learn that Lamech had killed another one of her children.

“And I guess that makes me your nephew.” Purlek stepped toward Jabal. “Tubal-Cain was my father, but he, too, is no longer with us.”

Jabal lowered his gaze. “I’m sorry to hear about Tubal-Cain. I only knew him while I was a boy, but he was always very kind to us. You look very much like what I remember of him.” He grasped Purlek’s forearm. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Nephew.”

Garun cleared his throat and gestured to Jabal. “So you and Adah escaped here?”

“We did. We’ve picked up many people along the way, others who wish to be free of the growing violence in the cities. We focus on our herds and staying out of everyone’s way. We’re able to pick up and move whenever the need arises.”

Emzara gestured at the large room. “And your knowledge of building created something so cozy and warm, yet strong, protective, and mobile. It’s impressive.”

“Yes.” Evet added. “But I’m surprised that you, as the leader, have a tent that looks no bigger than any of the others.”

“No, my son doesn’t look like a chief or a king. And that’s how he wants it. We’ve had quite enough of palaces and powerful people. I think my son’s humble lodging suits him quite well.”

Jabal lowered his head briefly, acknowledging the comments, before looking over at Noah. “So tell me about you and your group.”

“Well, your father and sister haven’t changed their ways. They recently took over Iri Geshem, which is why we fled. She wants to kill me — has for quite some time now. This time I barely escaped.” Noah stood and paced across the floor. “We plan to travel through Eden to the northwestern lands. That should be far enough away from her reach.”

“Eden?”

Jabal’s face held an odd expression, and Emzara was unable to categorize what it meant.

“One moment.” He turned his full attention to the pregnant animal. Still lying on her side, the beast grunted and bleated loudly.

Emzara watched in fascination as this former prince gently encouraged the creature with soothing words.

Jabal kept his eyes on the bleater. “Noah, you may want to rethink Eden.”

“Why?” Noah asked, but the loud grunts from the struggling creature nearly drowned his question.

Jabal clenched his jaw as he deftly worked with the bleater. “Garun. Hand me that towel and water basin over there.” His focus locked in on the struggle for life in front of him.

“Is the baby in the wrong position?” Evet looked at Adah.

“I believe so. My son’s had to deal with this plenty of times before. One of the shoulders is likely caught. He’ll have to reposition it before the baby can come.”

“There.” Jabal scooted back as the spindly, wet newborn suddenly slid out and onto the ground.

Jabal looked pleased as he turned back to the group. “What were we saying? Oh, Eden.” He dipped the towel in the basin and washed his hands and arms. “Strange things happen there. I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors.”

“Yes, but they are rumors,” Emzara said.

“That’s what we thought, too.” He scratched his head. “It’s a couple weeks’ journey to the west. We settled close to that land at one point many years ago, but we suffered for it. We lost nearly an entire herd and a couple of our herdsmen.”

“How?” Noah asked.

“The men spoke of a beast so large and terrifying that it could swallow an entire bleater in one bite. It wasn’t worth risking any more lives. We decided to stay away from that area forever.”

“Sounds like a grendec.”

Jabal nodded. “That’s what one of the men called it.”

Noah sighed. “Well, I certainly don’t want to be foolhardy, but we think that the rumors about Eden will keep unwanted people from coming too close to us.”

“Suit yourself.” Jabal shrugged and stood up. The mother bleater sniffed her baby as it nosed around her looking for nourishment. “Please be careful.”

“We will.”

Jabal adjusted his wrap and tightened his belt. “So tell me about the food and supplies you need.”

“Well, since we’re not sure how much longer we’ll be traveling, we’d like to restock our wagons with food and purchase some bleaters from you.” Noah looked around the expansive tent. “And I wonder if you might have some of these tents to sell.”

Jabal smiled. “I’ll see what I can do. How many tents would you like?”

“Let’s see.” Noah stared at the ceiling as he counted on his fingers and mouthed the names of people in their group. “Six, I think.”

“Make it five,” Purlek said as he stood.

“Who else is sharing one?” Noah asked.

Purlek grinned and pulled Evet to his side.

Embarrassed, Evet stepped back. “But we’re not—”

Purlek smiled at her. “I was hoping we could take care of that while we’re here.”

Emzara beamed, and Noah caught her eye, chuckling.

Evet gasped. “Are you asking me to marry you?”

Taking a deep breath, Purlek looked around the room and then focused on Evet. He took her hand and kissed it. “I’m not good with words, but I know that everything is good when you’re near me. Evet, I love you and would do anything to be your husband. Will you marry me?”

She buried her head against his chest and squeezed him tight. “Of course I will. I love you, too.”

Purlek kissed her cheek.

Jabal laughed. “It’s not every day you get to watch your nephew stumble through a proposal. Let’s prepare for a wedding celebration. But first” — Jabal patted Rayneh’s head — “I have something I think you might like to help me with. He walked over to a large clay oven and withdrew a fluffy baby bleater from one of the side doors. It blinked its eyes and gave a timid call. “This little one has been left alone by her mother. But we’ve been able to care for her. We keep her warm in there, but now she needs to be fed. Would you like to help?”

Rayneh hid behind her father. “Uh-huh.”

“Wonderful.” Cradling the animal with one arm, Jabal grabbed a leather pouch and slipped off the cap. He placed the young one in Elam’s lap before sitting down next to him. Then he set Rayneh on his knee and helped her hold the pouch in her chubby toddler hands.

Rayneh giggled as the tiny creature squirmed against her.

“When she’s finished, we’ll see if the new mother will adopt this one.” Jabal pointed to the newborn and mother bleaters in the small pen. “I’ll rub some of that afterbirth on this one and hope that the mother will treat her as one of her own.”

“Can I help with that?” Emzara asked.

“Of course.” Jabal smiled at Rayneh and then looked at her father. “Sometimes, the bleaters who’ve lost their mothers and are given extra care by those who love them are the ones who turn out the strongest.”

Elam put a hand over his heart and nodded at Jabal. “I’m very thankful for our close group here.”

Jabal stood and brushed his hands on his wrap. “I suppose we’ll need to make some plans for this wedding. The whole community will want to be involved in the celebration.”