The World Below Me: Chapter4

Chapter 4

Days passed, and Elise became accustomed to Zerdi cleaning her house and cooking for her. He prepared meals without fail, using ingredients that were more familiar to him and making substitutions where necessary. Elise noticed something about his cooking. Every dish seemed to carry the same earthy sweetness.

She lifted her spoon and inhaled the aroma of a rich stew. It smelled delicious, but there was definitely that same hint of something.

“Zerdi, did you put cinnamon in this?”

He looked at her and gave a quick nod.

It was an interesting choice, but not all that strange. However, the next morning her eggs also had a dash of cinnamon on top. She smiled. Everything he made had a sprinkle of the stuff.

“This has cinnamon too.”

“Yes. It does.”

“Do you put it in everything?”

He nodded quickly, glancing nervously back at the cupboard where the spices were kept. “I do. I promise.”

Elise tried hard not to laugh.

“Zerdi, you don’t have to put cinnamon in everything.”

He looked at her, confused. “But you bought that large jar.”

Elise had bought a bulk container of eighteen ounces the week before. It was more practical that way, especially with the holidays coming and all the baking she would do.

“Yes, I did. It should last a while.”

His large eyes widened further. “I am sorry, Amaresh. I thought you ate luxuries commonly. I have used much of your fine spice.”

This time Elise did laugh.

“No, no. It’s not a luxury. It’s just cinnamon. It’s pretty common.”

Zerdi nodded meekly, his ears drooping a fraction.

“I may have put it in the bath as well,” he admitted quietly.

Elise had noticed that the baths he drew had a subtle change in fragrance. She hadn’t thought much of it before, but now it made sense. She laughed again, and he perked up a little.

“Zerdi.” Elise’s voice sobered as she changed the subject. “Do you sleep in your bed?”

She had noticed how perfect it always looked, even in the morning. He shrugged.

“Normally all the bakdan sleep together. I feel alone.”

“I’m sorry, Zerdi.”

“It’s okay. I miss the others. We used to stay up and talk at night.”

“About what?”

Elise was captivated. She generally spent her time studying language and history. Zerdi’s insights into an unknown civilization living beneath their feet absorbed her curiosity so completely that she couldn’t get enough.

“Stories about our people. Old tales and wisdom from the elders.”

“Can you tell me?”

He paused for a moment, thinking. When he settled on a tale, he began.

“I heard this story many times when I was a child. Did you know there is a land called the Lake Lands? I was telled that in this place, the men and women with shorter ears and slim tails tamed the lakes. When people first moved to the Lake Lands, there were great monsters living in the waters. They would come to the surface at night and eat the settlers. They had long arms that could sting and freeze a person so they could not move while they were dragged into the water and eaten. The people were frightened for weeks until one of the bakdan, a brave man with white fur in his ears, used glow weed to light the waters around his boat. When the monster comed near, he saw it. He speared the monster before it could sting him. He used this method to kill many monsters. Then the people were safe.”

He finished with a note of pride in his voice. Elise was silent the whole time.

“But it’s real,” he added quietly.

“Real?”

“My mother told me once that there are tunnels, ancient pathways to other lands.”

“You mean there are more places like your village?”

“Master, there are many civilizations in the womb of the earth. We are just one.”

Elise paused, then asked, “Zerdi, what’s your village like?”

“Oruthal? It’s small, but close. We are cut off from the other places, but it’s okay.”

“Oh?”

“I mean…” He looked at the ground and pressed his lips together. “It has good order and many record keepers.”

“Do they keep people safe?”

“They are the keepers of all things sacred. With the record keepers, we have a link to our past, even if we are alone.”

“Religious leaders.”

Zerdi nodded.

“So do they own slav— I mean, bakdan?”

Again, Zerdi nodded, though more slowly this time.

“What about your mother?” He had mentioned her earlier.

There was a pause. “I have a big family. All bakdan are family.”

“I mean—”

“No.”

The answer was quick and quiet. Zerdi looked away and swallowed hard. His next breath was shaky. He stood quickly and hurried to his room, controlled enough not to break into a run. Elise was dumbfounded as she watched him go.

Although she knew she had crossed a line, Elise wasn’t sure how to repair the damage. She sat with it for a moment until an idea came to her. She went into the kitchen and pulled out her grandmother’s snickerdoodle recipe. Before long, the kitchen was warm with the smell of freshly baked sugar and cinnamon cookies. She meant to take some to Zerdi, but found him edging his way into the kitchen instead. He hung his head when she looked up. She didn’t say anything, letting him approach at his own pace.

“Amaresh. I am sorry.”

“It’s okay, Zerdi. I should be the one apologizing. I really have no idea what things are like where you come from, and I shouldn’t have pried.”

“You should know. We don’t have families. Our mothers care for us for a time. We are with them only until we begin training. I was lucky. My mother raised me until I was five. I remember her a little.”

“I’m glad.”

Her voice was barely audible, but Zerdi heard her easily enough. She handed him a cookie.

“Try these. It’s my grandmother’s recipe.”

He took it with both hands and sniffed it carefully. It was rich with cinnamon and sugar. He looked up at her for confirmation before taking a bite. It was such a luxury that he felt guilty eating it.

“Go on. Try it. I made them for you,” she encouraged.

He took a bite. It was so sweet and spicy that he coughed. The tang of tartar was something altogether wonderful on his tongue, and he took another bite.

“This is good!”

He finished the cookie and wiped the sugar from his mouth.

“Another?” Elise raised an eyebrow and handed him a second cookie.