Azaria (11 page)

"Azaria, come here! Look at this spider!" Daneel called. She made her way through the crush of girls to where Daneel was inspecting the face of one of the support slabs. "Look Azaria! Isn't it amazing? I've never seen anything like this before! Have you?" As if the wonder of the relief overpowered her earlier embarrassment, Daneel asked Fahim directly, "Ta'araki! This spider is beautiful! What does it signify?"

"I'm happy to see you’re finally showing some respect for our customs, Daneel," Fahim answered. Her response, though patronizing, had an element of satisfaction in it. "Can anyone tell us what the spider signifies? Let's see if any of the new girls know, before I call on one of you who’ve already had this tour."

When no one chose to answer, Aiyana, the Falcon Camp girl who’d initially asked about the carvings, spoke, keeping her head down in what Azaria interpreted as natural shyness, "I think I know, Ta'araki."

"Then go ahead, girl. Please tell us."

"The spider signifies rainfall," she said. Azaria strained to listen. She could barely hear the small girl's soft voice.

"That's correct, Aiyana. Excellent! And do you know why the spider is linked to rainfall?" Fahim asked.

"Well, everyone knows spiders come out when it's going to rain."

"Yes, that's true," Fahim said, pointing to the magnificent arachnid carving. Aiyana looked uncomfortable going any further, so Fahim addressed the group at large. "But what does that tell us about this spider here? Azaria, would you hazard a guess?"

Azaria didn't expect to be put on the spot, and stumbled at first in trying to answer. "Uhh, the spider... Well... spiders can predict the rain... and our survival depends on rainfall to water our wheat fields and the other things we eat. Without it we would die. So the spider reminds the Ta’ar to send us rain?"

"Very good, Azaria. How about the other carvings? Can anyone else guess what any of them mean? This lion for example, on this main slab."

Fahim was visibly gratified when several hands went up. She called upon one of the younger girls from another camp who Azaria had never met.

"The lion fears no other beast, not even humans. Could that lion represent the strength of the Natu? Or maybe our dominance over the other peoples?"

Azaria thought Fahim was trying to mask her disappointment in the girl's answer, but felt she did a lousy job of it. "No, that is not correct. But it’s a good guess. Anyone else?"

The rest of the girls must have read Fahim's face as well as Azaria did, because none of those who had their hands up earlier raised them again.

"A little shy, are we?" Fahim asked coyly, "It's okay to be wrong." She seemed to recognize she scared the other girls from attempting an answer and finally explained. "The lion lives here, because it was commissioned by the Ta'araki of Lion Camp. Although every camp provides resources for the different elements of the Great Temple, Lion Camp was responsible for quarrying the rock, its shaping and for its transport and placement. Men from many of the camps participated of course, but Lion Camp was ultimately responsible for its success. When all of you are with the Ta'ar, and your daughters and granddaughters also, their children and grandchildren will know that Lion Camp contributed to our greatest achievement."

Exclamations of understanding and appreciation for the wisdom of the Ta'araki were discernible from the group. Many were nodding their heads in comprehension. "Well then, I think we’ve seen enough. If I don't return you to Izyl soon for the next segment of your orientation, I fear she’ll be quite upset with me," Fahim said, her false humility not impressing many.

The girls climbed back out of the Temple and started down the gentle slope, stopping when they met Izyl, who was waiting for them. "Okay girls. How was the tour?" Izyl asked. There were nods of approval and she continued, "Why don't you all sit down for a moment here and I'll explain what is expected of you this evening and in the morning." The young women did as they were told, and Izyl began the next phase of their introduction. She directed them to first set up their tents and then join the girls who'd already arrived in preparing the communal evening meal. Most of it Azaria had expected from the instructions her mother had given her.

"Tomorrow after you’ve provided the workers their early meals and yourselves eaten, you will gather here. Specific assignments will be meted out then," Izyl instructed. "Now, hurry with your tents before the sun gets low."

---

Azaria slept little the first night. As they’d planned moons ago, she shared her tent with Daneel, which was fine with Azaria, but doubly so for Daneel, as she had no idea how to set one up anyway. It wasn't a tent so much as a large sheet of stitched together leather scraps blanketed around a series of poles arranged in a cone shape and tied together at the top with sinew. The Ta'araki had learned generations ago that instead of making the workers and servants find and shape new poles from local downed branches when they arrived, it was easier to just save a large stock of thousands of used poles. At the end of the summer, they would wrap the poles in old, unsalvageable furs or leather and bury them deep in a permafrosted layer of earth to protect from the elements.

The leather hung just above the ground, allowing cooler air to flow through, which helped keep the occupants comfortable during the brutally hot nights. It didn't allow for as much privacy as they were used to, but most were generally too tired to care as they laid their wary heads down at the end of the long trek. The same was true throughout their visit, as Temple duty was notoriously exhausting. Most of the newcomers found it was tougher than anything they'd ever experienced, worse than they were prepared for, worse even than their families had warned them of, which was something to say, considering older siblings loved to inform their younger brothers and sisters of just what lie in wait for them.

Uncharacteristically, Azaria woke early the next morning, before the sun had risen, and went out to relieve herself. She saw Izyl talking with Fahim in hushed voices and tried to duck back into the tent before being seen, but was stopped by Fahim's call, "Azaria, you’re up early. Too excited to sleep? Well, there's no use in lying down again. We were just about to wake everyone. Why don't you get your tentmate and the two of you can start waking the rest of the girls?"

Azaria winced.
I would have held it had I known I’d end up being the one waking everyone. Daneel is just going to love this.
But she did as instructed and woke her snoring friend, enlisting her help in waking the rest of the servant girls.

"Really?" Daneel whined. "I haven't even woken yet and you're already volunteering us?" But Azaria knew her best friend wasn't really angry with her and only rolled her eyes in response.

After helping prepare and set the food out for the men to indulge in, the large throng of girls helped themselves. After they’d finished, Fahim joined Izyl in addressing them. "Before we announce your assignments, divide yourselves into pairs," the Fox Camp Ta'araki instructed.

Azaria knew they'd be pairing up and expected her and Daneel would work together. She turned and raised her eyebrows in expectation, "Shall we?"

Daneel appeared apologetic. "Azaria, I wanted to. But Yumineh asked me already," she said, embarrassment in her voice. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what to say."

"Oh, okay," Azaria answered, flustered when she couldn't hide her disappointment properly, wondering why Daneel hadn't just told Yumineh she was already partnering with her. "No it's fine," she said, trying to recover as she noticed Yumineh approaching. "I'll find someone else." She saw two of her closest Boar Camp friends, Ilaya and Aisika, standing together. Although they were known as "the twins", they were actually first cousins. But they looked so similar and were so famous for never separating that everyone who didn't know them well inevitably concluded they must be.
No, they'll be partnering with each other,
Azaria decided. Then she caught sight of another Boar Camp friend, apparently waiting for someone to ask. Smiling, she made her way over.

“Malena, do you have a partner yet?” she asked.

“No, not yet,” Malena responded. She was a slender girl, whose long, black hair flowed evenly down both sides of her very symmetrically structured face.

“Great!” Azaria answered, wondering why she hadn’t thought of her earlier. Malena’s closest friend was Azul, a Boar Camp boy she’d recently promised to. And other than Yumineh, who she was cousins with, it wasn’t surprising she didn’t have another natural partner.

"Azaria?" A creaking voice called. Cowering, she turned to find Fahim addressing her. "Why don't you pair with Aiyana? You don't have any objections do you, Aiyana?" Azaria looked to the short girl next to Fahim and saw an expression of utter surprise.

"No... No, Ta'araki. Of course not," Aiyana answered, looking overwhelmed.

"It's settled then," Fahim said, ending Azaria’s objection before she had a chance to make it.

With the choice made for her, Azaria pushed through the mass of girls until she reached her new partner. She remembered her from the previous sun as the girl who'd known so much about the Temple. Aiyana was stouter than most girls her age and less than pretty. Her weak cheekbones were overpowered by red, puffy cheeks. Her eyes seemed permanently half-closed, but within them Azaria recognized an unusually curious, intelligent young woman. She stood smiling nervously as she waited for the taller Boar Camp girl to approach. Azaria flashed her best smile and was rewarded with a warm grin. She noticed Aiyana's shoulders relax, as if a burden had been removed. She didn't know Aiyana expected Azaria to reject Fahim's suggestion and ask for someone else - the type of reaction she'd experienced often.

Before either of them had said a word, Azaria decided she already liked her new partner. She raised her arms, palms forward in the common expression of greeting and spoke first, "Hello Aiyana, I'm Azaria, daughter of Zephia of Boar Camp... Messenger of Boar Camp." It was the first occasion she'd had to add the new title. She discovered she liked it. "In the name of the Ta'ar, I greet you."

Aiyana spoke next, "Azaria, I greet you, but I already know who you are. Everyone is talking about you. Oh, sorry!! I’m Aiyana, daughter of Iyenshia of Falcon Camp. I'm pleased to meet you, although a little flustered, I admit."

Azaria laughed at the other girl's admission. She was honest and forthright. Despite Fahim's forcible pairing, she was pleased to have her as a partner, sure they'd come to be good friends.

Once they’d paired up Izyl sorted them into packs of four to five pairs each. Azaria and Aiyana were teamed up with two pairs from Falcon Camp and one from Fox Camp. They were older girls Azaria didn’t know and she wished Izyl had put her with girls she was more familiar with, but all in all she was happy enough.

At the end of the process there were more packs than Azaria could count. Izyl met with each group to dole out assignments. There were several different projects happening at once and the Ta'araki liked to assign workers and servants to projects their camps were responsible for, which they believed heightened their sense of pride and therefore helped make the work bearable. Azaria's pack was charged with serving the craftsmen who were carving the beautiful reliefs inside the First Temple. One of the girls told her she'd heard it was an easy assignment since there were only three carvers plus their journeymen, another three men and one woman. The girls would assist the artists in whatever manner requested - tasks like filling their water cups, bringing food, fetching different tools and cooling them with large white fans made of ostrich feathers. It was one of the most sought after assignments.

The most senior artist requested Azaria to assist him, a pleasant, older man from Fox Camp named Dholuhn who liked to talk while he worked. She found him easy to cater to, as he didn’t ask much of her. She made sure his water cup was filled and fanned him when she saw sweat building on his brow, although he often waved her off. She noticed he - as well as the two other Master Carvers - concentrated on the exceptional details of the carvings while their assistants mainly removed the large pieces of limestone which surrounded future reliefs. Periodically, one of the elder craftsmen would comment on their assistants’ progress or offer suggestions regarding technique or call them over for a brief lesson. Ever so rarely someone would get chastised for removing stone too deeply or too close to the drawn charcoal outline the masters marked for guidance.

Although fascinated, Azaria grew bored quickly, wishing she could do more than just pour water and wave a giant fan. Watching them work, she longed for a rock of her own to practice on.
It’s just like making snow animals in the winter. I could at least remove the rock, like the journeymen are doing, if they'd only let me try. But they won't unless I go through the training and I don't really want to get involved with Ta'araki stuff. I want to tie with Dogahn and start a family.

As if Dholuhn had been peeking inside her head, he asked suddenly, "Azaria, what do you think of our work?"

"It's beautiful!" she answered immediately. "I don't understand how you make them so realistic though. It doesn't seem possible."

Dholuhn's laughing response showed his pride in her recognition. "Yes, it is beautiful and it takes a lot of effort to learn how to draw the beasts out of the stone, but I was more wondering what you thought of the process, not the results. Is it something that interests you? You seem more captivated in watching than the other girls."