The guard slowly backed away in horror. He stuttered in pure shock, "Cheh.... Chetor... Shoma ra cheh mishavad?" (What....How.... What's wrong with you?)
"Man ra tanhabegzar. A'alan." Erik spoke bluntly. (Leave me alone. Now.)
"Esme shoma chist?" the guard inquired suddenly. (What's your name?)
"Chera?" Erik queried. (Why?)
Again the guard repeated, "Esme shoma chist?"
"Esme man Erik hast." Erik said reluctantly, "Va shoma?" (My name is Erik. And you?)
"Esme man Aref hast." the guard answered. (My name is Aref.)
A true Persian.... I don't know if that's good or bad.
"chera shema aaneja hestad?" Erik asked. (Why are you here?)
"dhen herguz" Aref said abruptly. (Never mind)
"Chera?" Erik mused. (Why?)
"Man asheghe farance." Aref said, but Erik knew that he was lying. (I love France)
"AM men bh dadar akea az besteguan " Aref said. (I am visiting a relative) Erik studied Aref, his golden eyes searching the Persian's face for any hint of a lie. It was the truth.
"Baleh." Erik said. (Yes.)
"Baleh? Motavajjeh nemisham!" the Persian exclaimed. (Yes? I don't understand!)
Erik held back a laugh at the man's misunderstanding. Aref quickly set aside his confusion for curiosity.
"Keja ma rewa?" he inquired. (Where are you going?)
"Rouen." Erik didn't know why he was telling this unfamiliar man all this information. He probably didn't even have jurisdiction here.... Like Erik cared about jurisdiction!
"Men ma banem shema der hal sefr bh tenhaaa.keh besaar khetrenak aset." Aref said. (I see you are travelling alone. That is quite dangerous)
"Men ma tewanem bh khewba der khewd men medarat." (I can manage quite well on my own) Erik thought of the lasso in his saddlebag that was made of cat gut. He held back a smile as he remembered the Rosy Hours of Mazenderan (or what little he allowed himself to retain in his memory.) He preferred to forget those horrible times in the Shah's domain. The lasso whistling through the air before it caught on to its intended target, the rope tightening against the struggle. It lasted only a moment before the deed was done.
"Ama shema nema khewahed bh ak hemrah w hemdem sefr bh shema a'eterad ma kenad?" Aref queried. (But you would not object to a travelling companion, would you?
"Shema ma tewanad sherket ra dewset nedarem." Erik muttered, not caring whether the other heard him. (You would not like my company)
"Awh men beraa khewdem tesmam ma guarad keh." Aref told him. (Oh, I will decide that for myself) Erik knew that the Persian would only prove to be nosy and annoying. He knew that from Mazenderan's own Daroga.
Perhaps that only comes with being Daroga. Erik mused, But perhaps it also comes with being Persian... with being in Persia! Erik thought of his own nosy behavior while in Mazenderan while building both the new Mazenderan Palace for the Shah and the Torture Chamber for the Shah-in-Shah. He never trusted anyone after he fled from Rouen. Not after his mother's behavior around him.
Erik looked around him, standing up for the first time in almost half an hour. He stretched, then said to the Persian, "Aseb khewd ra bh kejaset?"(Where is your horse?)
"Aseb men?" (My horse?)
"Shema maal bh sefr ba men, ba aan hal shema hach hawana bh shema adamh ma" (You wish to travel with me, yet you have no animal to carry you. Why is this?)
"Men akea der shher b'eda" (I will get one in the next town)
"W ta an zeman?" (And until then?)
"Men rah reften" Aref countered. (I will walk)
"Ama qet'ea an ra bash az hed bezregu faselh ta rah reften" (But surely it is too big of a distance just to walk)
"Men khewb khewahed bewd." (I will be alright)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Shoma aleh koja hastid?" Aref asked, trying for the third time to strike up a conversation with his travelling companion. (Where are you from?)Erik had finally caved in after almost an hour of bantering and trying to discourage Aref. When Erik remained silent, the Persian replied to his own question, "Man Mazenderan hastam" (I am from Mazenderan)
Erik sat on the white horse, shocked. Mazenderan!
"Chand salet hast?" Erik whispered. (How old are you?)
Aref looked at Erik in surprise for a moment, "Man chel sal daram. Va shoma" (I'm forty years old. And you?)
"Man panja sal daram." Erik replied looking straight ahead, so as not to see his companions' reaction. (I am fifty years old)
He would have seen me in Persia.
"Persian e shoma khoob as" Aref mused, "Chera?" (You speak Persian well. Why?)
"Man az Mazenderan hastam. Man ham az Rouen hastam." Erik chuckled. (I am from Mazenderan. I am also from Rouen.)
"Shema hemchenan az rewan hestend?" Aref raised his eyebrows. (You are also from Rouen?)
Erik was silent for a moment then replied, "Baleh"
“Lotfan sabr… Koja…” (Please wait…. Where….)
“Man az Mazenderan hastam. Man ham az Rouen hastam.” Erik repeated. (I am from Mazenderan. I am also from Rouen.)
“Shema hemchenan az rewan hestend?" (You are from Mazenderan?)
“Baleh. Man az Mazenderan hastam. Chera?” (Yes. I am from Mazenderan. Why?)
“Man ham az Mazenderan!” Aref said almost like an excited child. (I am also from Mazenderan) Unknown to Erik for almost a minute, Aref stopped his horse behind him.
“Haletan khoob ast?” Erik turned around to face his companion. (Are you okay?)
“Men tew ra ma danem....Aref said. (I know you....)
YOU ARE READING
In the name of our love
FanfictionWhen Erik (also known as the Phantom of the Opera) loses his home to a fire, it seems that he has nowhere to run. Christine—the love of his life—has abandoned him, choosing instead to marry Erik's enemy and Christine's childhood friend viscount Raou...
