Call of Mahida - Book One: Whispers of Parsin

Chapter 4: The Passengers of Parsin (2)

"I'm already missing our cows and sheep."

This voice broke through the silence, tearing her away from the ancient library of Ashuban and into the present. She turned her head and saw a girl with long braids leaning against the mast, her hands clasped tightly to her chest. Her features were stunning, from her small nose and sharp blue eyes to the delicate arches of her eyebrows and dimples that punctuated her cheeks. But her skin was deathly pale, almost translucent under the moon's eerie light.

"You must be glad that everything's gone pretty well so far," the girl said, peering at her expectantly.

"We're just getting started," she replied, her voice low and resolute. She knew that the opposition wouldn't abandon their claim easily.

"We haven't even reached the beach yet! Do we need to celebrate for safely crossing the calm sea? Luck was on our side. Look over there! The clouds are moving towards the port. If we'd arrived a little later, we might've been drenched by rain."

The girl rolled her eyes, her high boots clattering on the wooden deck as she approached, placing a hand gently on her companion's shoulder.

"I don't object to rigor, but there are limits. How many times must I remind you not to be too hard on yourself? We're all Ashuban's finest apprentices. It's true that we lack your level of prowess, but in our own right, we've always been recognized. You ought to first detect any hint of failure or a lack of success before pushing the boundaries of strictness to such an extent."

She turned to face the girl, positioning herself so that the moonlight bathed half of her face. Like her, she was a girl of around thirteen years. Yet from her darkened eyebrows and blue-grey eyes to her petite lips and clenched fists, she exuded a determination that hailed from an entirely different realm.

"Rule number thirteen of Ashuban: at the first signs of failure, you must try ten times harder. I don't see anyone eager to make things more difficult, so it's better to be strict from the start to avoid having to be ten times stricter later."

"And you're always reluctant to be a bit stricter," the girl said smiling.

"Listen, Siah-tin! Our friendship is important, but this is my first mission outside of Ashuban, and I won't let anything ruin my record."

"Let's not make it a permanent arrangement for the mission to call me by that name!"

"Ashuban law number forty-eight dictates that during foreign missions, members should address each other by..."

"I'm well aware of the blasted law!"

The girl with neatly braided hair turned away, making her way to the cabin. Just before she drew the curtain and stepped inside, she glanced back at her companion and stated firmly:

"I'm Parisa, and you are Suzanne! But if you're insisting on strict adherence to the law, so be it, Azarpeik!"

Parisa delivered this with a touch of sarcasm anddisappeared inside. She had aimed to hit the mark and was fairly successful.Suzanne, while having a fondness for the name, did not particularly care to beaddressed using it alone. She found it somewhat masculine. Since her childhood,whenever she had a dispute with Parisa, she would use that name to get underher skin. Nevertheless, Suzanne understood that the name Azarpeik held greatrespect among the Ashubanis, and her parents had encouraged her to uphold thehonor of this name, to revive the legacy of that legendary figure, Azarpeik theSecond, her illustrious ancestor. In her homeland, the descendants of Azarpeikwere treated as if they were royalty. Among all of the seven noble families of Ashuban,the Azarpeik lineage held a place of distinction, and Suzanne was the youngestfemale of this noble line.