Leídan Aznawar of Khand

Soon they left even the green deltas of Muzeida river it was all steppe, rocks and sand. There was not much choice than to abandon the carriage to the elements. With the wheels it was impossible to get it across the desert. After a night camping Nawúe brought an unlike solution than none would thought off. They could strip off the wheels and attach two gliders under them. Sand was the same as snow, it moulded to anything. The two gliders became one, as one surface would spread the weight equally and sand could take any form at any moment. Leídan agreed and helped the other men among them to realise the carriage-broad-glider. The women prepared a hide than would protect the wood at the underside. Also they made a couple of boots for the bare feet of their slave servants. Leídan sought them up and mustered the five men, which from their features and their present garb were from very different background and lands. One of them was a little thicker than the rest and very quickly he found it, the man was no man at all, but a woman in delicate position. He sent her immediately into the care of Neida and Muïda, the other two women in the small caravan. She listened to a very beautiful name of Eimear and was from Rohan originally. She was blond-haired, long and sturdy of build. She had a clear voice. The four others were indeed men. The man most to the left was deep black-haired and deep brown skinned. In broken Numenorean he spoke that he came from the Chyan Empire deep in the southeast that lay at the Ormal Bay. Life there was as much as here, men and women separately living in their own circles, but his civilisation was a complete empire with a royal family, medicine, literature and art stood in high regard and the society no longer existed in tribes. The dark lord Sauron he had never heard off, only now as slave nearby was a land of ash and fire. His name was Narish Daratur. Leídan knew, how unlikely it was, that he would grow a friendship with Narish. The man bore no hatred inside of him, except for the raiders who had taken him prisoner five years ago.

The second man had a stern face and came from this region and was a Variag who rode with chariots. He was from the Angashaghur tribe and so an enemy of Leídan. Very reluctant he told that his name was Burtz Reidan. A long road would be walked if there was perhaps any chance on less hostility, and more chance for friendship. The third member was also an Umbarian, but then from the west coast, and neither was much chance on friendship or support, as he hated all tribes from the east. He is listened to the name of Arzâgar. The fourth slave was quite short for his appearance. He was quite young also, not yet in his teens and listened to the name of Alandur. He didn’t know where he came from, but Leídan had not much trouble to fill that in. His name was Gondorian. The boy had been a slave all his slave and had served with three masters so far. Leídan sent him toward Nawúe and Amenur, who probably would form some kind of friendship with him. Both differed not more than five years in age. The last man was dark-haired as well, and had dark eyes, but with that stopped all similarities from the other men in the caravan, Leídan and Nawúe included. He was the tallest of everyone and had a natural graceful walk. Like all the other slaves, he wore rags and was barefooted. The slaver who had sold them altogether to Neida on the market of Oud Ilaz must have taken all footwear. He said not much, nor what to say more than only his name: Eremir. Where he was from, was no concern to anyone. Leídan didn’t like the quite commanding tone, but he left it for what it was.

To survive all had to depend on each other. The first stage progressed without problems. The carriage on a slider became a refuge for the Eimear, Amenur and Alandur. Leídan and Neida rode their Azumehda, the rest rode on the horses. Their identities were no longer a secret, nor from the slaves. They reached the mountains in two days. The second stage to cross the mountains was a different matter. The peaks reached to high in the clouds and were white on great height. They exchanged the slider for the wheels again, so the carriage could go on over the rocky underground. Nawúe and Narish took it upon them to do some reconnaissance ahead. Burtz, Arzâgar and Eremir rode in the back and neither of them had much care of what came behind. Arzâgar watched out for an opportunity to escape and rode off toward the west again. And Burtz was after a moment of low guard that he could take his chances as well. They had entered the lands of the Variag tribes now. And he knew the land pretty well even it stretched out for thousands of miles to the east. Leídan had to keep an eye on them, but failed to do that. He would lose a few of them. More swords was safer for the women among them, but slaves who would betray him he rather lost than kept with him. Arzâgar formed no threat, but Burtz was a real enemy. And all knew it was playing with death to leave the caravan now. Everywhere enemies hid and go travelling alone and without weapons would most likely end up in slavery again. A few things neither of them suffered from were water, sleep, a whip and a hungry stomach. They got all plenty enough of that. Food wandered around richly in the mountains and groceries could be found also. Leídan expected to run into some tribe soon, and hoped to buy some food from them, instead to have to fight for his life.