The travels of Sabayna 4th(you can pick up a copy in the hotspot of Isfahan the city of Sabayna)

SABAYNA'S STORY
  THE PILGRIMAGE-FROM NADIRA TO THE SARDAR MOUNTAINS

     What I really wanted was to make the pilgrimage, every good Gorean must do it within his twenty-five years, sometimes organized by initiates sometimes real groups are organized, crossing the Sardar is not advisable alone, dangers loom during the journey.
     My journey starts from the city of Nadira in the gulf of Cadonicus, in the North-West of the sea of Thassa crossing the whole plain up to the Sardar mountains, I was in Nadira after escaping from the plague from Bazi, I spoke about it last time and I was there because I had come to visit my sister, I was now twenty-four and the time had come for the pilgrimage, also by virtue of a radical change and to become aware of life.

      I hadn't challenged my father when choosing my mate and I only reproach myself for abandoning Bazi when my creams and herbs could ease the pains of disease in the city, look at the sun below left two black dots, the city of Kasra.

   I didn't have to pray at the shrine for my family or anything else, I wanted to be as close to what the Priest Kings call home, I hadn't agreed to swear on Nadira's stone, I wanted to understand, grow, know what my direction, my true path, even if I had been kindly accepted by all, but I was aware that like others who believe in the Initiates it was the right time to go, understand, pray, the right age before twenty-five.

    The Connoisseur (philosopher) Dupie, I speak with my patron Aiax, gave him a Golden tarn for travel and expenses, they gave me the Pilgrim's staff, I saluted my sister, Aiax, my neighbor Gireaux, my friend Malin , my friend Brianna, the head of the merchants, Dupie said he would come with me to his monastery, I took my briefcase and my bundle of clothes, we left for Cardonicus, the thinker Dupie went down to the platform first, turned around to the captain tapping his stick on the side of the ship and said a prayer addressed to the Priest Kings '' Tu Bosk drunk, miserable Vulo, blue lightning will strike you, you said you know the way, and then you sail the seas drunk for ages without knowing the destination? Thank you Priest-Kings for hearing my prayers and showing us the way! ''.

     Dupie disappeared into the crowd without paying the ferryman, which I did for him too, three copper plates, whereupon when I saw the crowded city I crossed it to the mountains in the distance, there was my journey, until I reached high white walls of a monastery, where a young student of Dupie, opened me and I entered what was the school for new Initiates,
the young monk with shaved hair shows me the great monastery, I would have liked to meet Dupie again but no trace of him, the young man assigns me a room and offers to let me visit the monastery, long parallel white walls that end at a large staircase with a large Temple at the top of the hill, we sat looking into the distance, the gulf and the city of Cardonicus in the distance and certainly further on there must be Nadira, the sound of a bell warned us for dinner.

    Early the next morning the young man called me for breakfast, which unlike the Spartan dinner was plentiful, then it was time for greetings and thanks, the boy accompanied me to the gate telling me he would show me the way, but once he turned pale and nervous, I asked him for the reason, and he told me he wanted to follow me on my journey, I asked him if Dupie knew, he said no, I knew he would never give permission to abandon his studies, and I understood from the looks of the young man who was madly in love with me. I was very amazed and I knew that he could not kidnap me and escape we would have no future, I told him that the pilgrimage for me and like his school, ''A Proof'' so I promised to meet him on his return and think about what would be the our future. I liked the boy too and who knows, in the meantime I put the second bronze ring on my stick, my sister had given me the first one, they are the rings that demonstrate permanence in places, three bronze rings, one silver, ten silver a gold one, and I was at the beginning. A total of 58 seats, some empty, others very busy with citizens.

    Saying goodbye to the monastery, I finally got to the point where the climb to Teveh Pass begins. At its narrowest point, the trail leads through the mountains up a long gorge to the pass, then over the top of the pass and finally down the south side to the fields of Sa Tar Na in the great plain north of the Vosk. I could have stayed on the north side of the mountains and passed through Harfax, but then I would have passed Clearchos Forest, which swarmed with thieves and Panrtere, we would have kept to the south side on the other side of the mountain following the safer Theveh pass, but at Rive du Bois it was very close to the forest.

      When I reached the meeting point at the start of the pass road, a happy crowd was already there waiting for the next caravan. Booths were set up where showmen and magicians performed their tricks, musicians played their tunes, kajirae juggled with torches, merchants sold their wares. They were all going to Ko-Ro-Ba down in Vosk, or up the Sardar Mountains. One poet especially struck me. He stood apart, where it was more silent, on a small stage, and he recited touching and beautiful verses than I had ever heard in my life. It was just what I needed to get over the farewell to the Monastery boy, a red haired Kajira wandered around collecting coins for the Poet, but the men preferred to walk towards the Sul-paga booth with their coins, that's when I remembered who the poet and the girl were I had met them in Bazi, his name was Romero she Kiù, I approached, introduced myself, he remembered me and Bazi and offered me his protection and an invitation to travel together.

 

    The road to Teveh Pass was less dangerous although everyone feared otherwise. It was a splendid sight to see the motley crowd of jugglers, showmen, traders and pilgrims marching through the mountains in a long procession with waving flags and carts. Romero, Kiu and I didn't have a wagon, so together with the group on foot we walked happily looking around the beauties of the place.
We descended the mountain, came to the vast plain north of the Vosk with the vast fields of Sa Tarna stretching between Oak and Ko-Ro-Ba, The path now led us for many hands (days) through the cornfields. There were no big cities or villages, just small hamlets and farms where the farmers let us sleep on straw. During the day the sun beat down mercilessly from the sky, because the En-Var, (summer) we walked for at least 700 pasang through endless fields of wheat before the landscape gradually became greener. Small forests appeared before us, there were streams with clear water where we could refresh ourselves, pastures with magnificent cattle and orchards, we reached the region of Belnend in Rorus we received from the Master Builder lady Kusa the rings for the pilgrim's staff. she was a lovely lady who invited us in as soon as we stopped in front of her door, tired from the long walk, our clothes and hair still covered in straw, we met Bo and his partner Nici. I think I've seen her a few times before, but I didn't know that she was my future companion's faithful brother-in-arms. she gently taps the Piedmontese black wooden stick on the ground, and with his sleeve carefully rubs the precious metal pommel of the Sardar mountains, making him think of his adventures.
  As soon as we entered Rorus I realized that I needed a few days of rest, I asked the builder to assign me a room. Lady Kusa invited me as a guest to her house, while Romero and Kiu were still fit and continued their journey.
    The stay with lady Kusa was the most beautiful thing, she was a good Builder and was also known as an inventor of useful objects, such as my sister's kitchen that she used at home, I asked him if he had any new inventions for perfumers, but he said not yet but if you stay with me we'll do it together, the Sardar mountains are still there anyway.

    Lady Kusa took me under her protection, she taught me many things, dressing like a lady, how to buy objects and how to behave, together we studied many things for my perfume shop, and also a cauldron for perfumes which I still have on my terrace today, but eventually departure I left it with her I would have taken it on my return. She organized my pilgrimage with a group of departing Rorus so I could travel in safety. I was there a quarter of a year, the time between one fair and another, the next stop would be Rarn, a small quiet village to the west it was a beautiful place in a small forest, with a water mill, I can't remember a village improve.

   Their quiet life in Rarn suited the village. They were extremely drinkable, but also very hospitable. Many of them lived from the wood industry, there were lumberjacks and boat builders, but also fishermen, a blacksmith, a baker and of course an innkeeper. They are used to pilgrims especially those who come from AR, who cross the Vosk, the road passes by their village, the village elder Gawan and his companion Tanissa welcomed us with joy making us rest and refreshments.
   We leave Rarn and headed north to reach the Shrine, we walked a wide straight road 25-30 Pasang long

the only place of note between Ran and the mountains was a pilgrims' hostel, which we met halfway to the fortress of Saphronicus in the Sardar mountains, the closer we got the more the crowds increased pilgrims from everywhere, I wish I was there at the beginning of SeKar, but the stay in Robur took a long time so I arrived at SeVar, the mountains were already covered with snow, a beautiful sight, we arrived at night, candles and torches lit everywhere, climb to the top the white mountains were majestic, I stood on the Great Palisade Platform for a long time and enjoyed the spectacle. Along the way I had thought a lot about what I 

 wanted to say to the King Priests. What I wanted to thank them for, I wanted to ask their forgiveness, what I wanted to ask them for others. But while I was up there on the platform, I just stood speechless, I stood thinking, with real emotion, joy and gratitude.
I have been eight other times to the Sanctuary but the first time I will never forget

 text adapted by Darianarliss-editor