LIFE IN CARTASSA -ON THE ROAD TO LANDADA ISLAND

6th part

   After Jinny's departure, life in Cartassa was no longer the same, I missed the afternoons in the tea room, those quiet chats with the ladies, Lady Mae with her little girl named Zoe, carried on her back wrapped in a large shawl, often took part in our tea break, Finthor secretly loved YiYi, his favorite slave, he was often seen in amorous attitudes with that slave, Lady Athena suffered in silence, one day when I was lingering with her to chat, she told myself that Jinny's drama was Finthor's plan to get rid of her, I was extremely disappointed by those words, I thought that the warrior always around in tournaments was a sincere friend, but he aspired to have only the slave YiYi for himself.

   One morning he came to my office and spoke to me seriously, he told me that he intended to free his YiYi, to then take her as a companion, he needed me, the Magistrate of the city, to make him the certificate of ownership and then the certificate to make her a free woman, I told him clearly that for the certificate of ownership I needed the Medical certificate, at which he became pale, the Pysichian of the city was lady Mae, the mother and she would never have consented to him marrying a slave, this made him even more nervous, and he went away slamming the door.

  After a few days a new Scribe arrives in town, his name was LC Cougar, (he was Congo Pasha brother) he turned out to be a great friend of Sir BernHard the caste leader, companion of Safina, he spent his time sitting outside the tavern drinking, served by a compliant slave, Bernhard appointed him Merchant Magistrate, and assigned him an office on the same floor as mine, I immediately understood that something was wrong, this newcomer LC seemed too sure of himself, and with the help of BernHard he drew up the certificate for Finthor for the ownership  of the slave YiYi,  and the free woman,  the warrior Finthor had achieved his goal, he chased Athena away and married his former slave in secret.

    One day the whole population of Cartassa went to the forest on the hill, where  Pasha Umar Congo, the chief of the Congo tribe, celebrated the companionship ceremony with Lady Mae, I stayed in the city, I had a lot of work to finish, and honestly I didn't want to be part of the group with Bernhard, LC and Safina, but while I was quietly working in the palace, I heard screams coming from the square below, I looked out the window and saw the inn filled with smoke and flames,  I rushed down, you could hear the screams of the slaves on the first floor trapped, trying to jump out of the windows, a little slave named Asha approached asking what to do for her sisters, I didn't think twice, I told her to take some blankets and follow me, we went up the stairs filled with smoke and flames, 

with a shoulder I broke down the door, I covered the girls with blankets making them get out, I went down too I looked around I didn't see little Asha, I went up again on that staircase now in flames, I found her on the ground passed out from too much smoke, I took her in my arms and shielding myself with my arm we went down to the street, I rushed her to the infirmary, where Mae's slave assistant was ready we put her on a cot and it was immediately clear that she was in serious condition, many burns all over her body, the slave assistant did what she could to ease the pain while waiting for Lady Mae to return, I was tired I sat on a chair, I took off my cloak my arm was burned, I had shielded myself with that arm,

but I didn't have much pain, after a few minutes I returned to the square where the slaves were trying to put out the fire, but the wooden construction and the wine barrels made everything collapse, we had no choice but to watch those ashes burn.

  Lady Mae finally returned to town called by a servant, took care of the girl, made me sit down, said she would take care of my arm as soon as the girl was 

had recovered a little, I covered the burns on Asha's body with ointments and salves, I gave him artificial respiration and after a time that seemed like an eternity he devoted himself to me, he told me that it wasn't serious but that he would treat me in the following days with creams and that only a small scar would remain.

 

  Every morning I went to the infirmary for my dressing, and at the same time to know if little Asha was better, Mae told me that the scars on her legs would remain while the others would heal, she thanked me for having saved her together with her sisters, then after some time everyone forgot, only a memory remained of those who had lived it.

  Life resumed, as usual LC was always sitting outside the tavern, with his feet on a barrel drinking, instead he kept an eye on everything that was happening in the city and reported to BernHard, -during a meeting of the elders, they had talked about the possibility that the Pasha Congo tribe currently in the forest would come down to live in Cartassa, and Pasha Umar Congo, Mae's companion, would become the Ubar, at this point things got complicated, Bernhard with the help of LC cougar, and other warriors loyal to them took the city by occupying it, Safina the administrator and daughter of Mae was in danger, the same companion was trying to imprison her, to take control of Cartassa, I together with a few guards loyal to me ran to the palace, we helped Safina to take the house stone and opened the secret passage, the long tunnel passed under the square and emerged behind the walls, on a small inaccessible beach from the high cliff, 

We waited there for Pasha Umar Congo and his men to come down from the forest, and so he and his men captured the rebels, regained control of the city, imprisoning the traitorous warriors, while Bernhard and Lord Cougar were sent into exile,

they were still members of the high caste of scribes, we returned to the palace from the secret passage, awaiting events.

   Pasha Umar Congo thanked me by offering me his everlasting friendship, and during a meeting it was established that the city of Cartassa would become an Oasis, therefore no more Castes, only citizens with the functions of notables, magistrates and traders. All this had really touched me, the events had precipitated, but I remained there to complete my work, until one day Lady BB arrived, my adoptive mother, told me that she had heard that Orlando had reached Mith on the island of Landa, and wanted me to accompany her, so I decided to leave that city of Cartassa where I had spent some beautiful years stained by some shadows.

   Safina and Mae were very disappointed by my decision to follow BB, they wanted to adopt me into their Congo family, but I preferred to remain an Arliss, and follow BB in search of Orlando, only Pasha Congo greeted me with a hug thanking me, and said family comes first.

 We set off for Shendi, where we would take a ship to the island of Landa...........

darianeditor