Mother, I’m Here
Takes a while for Zulf to start talkin’ again. Ha - who can blame him? Ain’t just his pride that’s still recovering from the Terminals. He’s been lyin’ there for days, and I start to think maybe he's just waiting to die. When he gets up, joins us at the fire, Zia looks ready to burst. She’s not sure if she wants to punch him or hug him. Before she can say anything, he says there’s something he wants to do, before anything else.
He heads into the shrine like his boots are made of lead. Kid’s already in there, and he watches Zulf without saying a word. There’s offerings on three of those stone pedestals. Kid’s left some shard pieces by the statue of old Pyth. Force of habit. Then there’s Zia’s basket of apples, set on the shrine of Garmuth. Zulf and I lay a couple of old gold pieces down for Micia. Makes sense for Zulf; gold got him through life, Tazal to the City. Me? Weeell, what does it matter? The Ura take the gods seriously; if Mother is Zulf’s favourite now, she probably has been since the day he was born. But the Kid watches as Zulf stands there in front of Micia, like he’s waiting for her to speak. Then he gives her a bow, like the proper gentleman he is, takes up his gold pieces, and carries ‘em across the crowded room, where he lays them down at the feet of a different goddess. Acobi. The chains that bound the Chastened Maid were of her own making; make a promise, and she’ll keep you to it. Kid knew why he did it, but that didn’t make it easier to watch. He thought he should leave, give Zulf a moment of peace; but before he could, Zulf stopped him, looking the Kid in the eye for the first time since Tazal. What happened back there, he says, Won’t ever happen again. You don’t have to take my word for it, if my word means nothin’. Take Acobi’s.
Kid nods, cos he can’t find the words to say anything back. Zulf leaves him standin’ there with his mouth half open and comes back to the fireside. Zia’s staring at him, but Zia’s Zia, and a second later she’s just about knocked him over; throwin’ her arms around him like he’s her own family. Don’t get me wrong -- I don’t think Zia had forgiven him for what he did. But she was starting to.
