Before he could even pass the old men moving in the opposite direction, a hand marred by scars landed on the arm of the Eagle Bearer.

“Excuse me, sir...”

Abtin froze where he stood. It was Armin.

“I keep hearing strange sounds from over there.”

“What sound?”

“I don't know... It seems that someone is constantly hitting metal objects together.”

“Where?”

“Over there. Let me show you. Very strange! I mean, this sound is heard on many nights, but tonight especially...”

As Armin discreetly placed his hand on the back of the Eagle Bearer, guiding him with just enough force to avoid suspicion, he led the man towards the western edge of the valley while spinning a tale of his own creation. In a brief moment, Armin turned his head and locked eyes with Abtin, who stood in the background. Amidst the dim illumination of the stars and the towering lanterns' fire, Abtin recognized the knowing smile Armin flashed. He nodded in return, and once they were sufficiently distant, he sprinted back to the village as quickly and silently as possible.

The demon of uncertainty continued to sow doubt in his thoughts: "You didn't say goodbye to this. You didn't bid farewell to that. What if this is the last time you see your fellow villagers? Are you certain you don't" t want to breathe the air of your home one last time? What if the blue handkerchief is discovered on the Spring Tree tonight?" A voice within him protested, "I don't want to go! Why are you pretending that I want to leave?" The response came forcefully, "You are crazy!" Abtin shook his head and pressed forward. His heart raced, and his mind raced even faster, grappling with a whirlwind of emotions.

Despite it all, he remained steadfast in his decision. He could not spend his life idly in the village, and he believed his parents would agree with his choice if they were present. At last, he reached the village's outskirts. Finally, he reached the border of the village. According to estimation, two or three families who did not participate in the celebration for any reason must have gone to sleep by now. Therefore, they would not make any troubles for him by asking why he had not participated in the party, attracting the attention of the Eagle Bearers.

The primary obstacle was the presence of the Eagle Bearers themselves. Unfortunately, Sana was not available for aerial reconnaissance. Since Ardeshir had tasked her with keeping a watchful eye on Babak, she hadn't wavered from her duties, and that night was no exception. Abtin wondered when Ardeshir had found the time to get close to Sana, a thought that occupied his mind as he ducked into an alley to ensure it was deserted.

Behind these ruminations, the steady thumping of his heart became the most prominent sound. Abtin questioned whether he was losing his grip on reality or if his heartbeat had synchronized with the fading local music. Even as he crossed one alley after another, the sound resonated throughout the recesses of his skull, and he could feel the pulse of his temples without needing to touch them. He paused to catch his breath at the next alley. He had never run so extensively in his entire life. Behind a wall, he entered the blacksmith's alley, bending forward slightly and pressing his palms against his thighs, trying to alleviate his parched throat.

Then, vexed with his body for causing him this discomfort (and simultaneously forgiving it because he held himself accountable for his current predicament), he peered into the alley, only to be taken back. In the darkness, he detected a shadow lurking right behind the wall's corner. As he turned his head into the alley, the shadow's hands reached out and gripped his arm firmly.

“Oh, is that you? I was about to make some serious moves, man!"

Abtin, who would only later feel the pain in his arm, breathed a sigh of relief and placed his right hand on his chest to calm his suddenly racing heart. If his composure could falter this quickly, he considered abandoning the whole plan before it was too late—an internal voice that had a persuasive impact. Abtin straightened his posture and chastised Babak in a hushed tone, "You scared me half to death, Babak! What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to stay in the workshop?"

"What else could I do? Your chick was acting up, so I thought someone was coming, and it was considered a threat. I came here to be ready to attack when I saw you."

"Weren't you supposed to wait for me? What made you think that the person coming was a threat?"

"Ask that from your chick. She really lays it on thick when she sees you! Made me suppose..."

"Leave it! We don't have time!"

Abtin hurried into the workshop, reached a dark corner, grabbed the first item he could find, and dashed out.

"Oh, we're stealing weapons?"

"No, I'm borrowing a sword."

"Well, if you want, I saw one way better than this. Why can't I..."

"Because I don't have that much money or permission! Didn't you say you have several weapons on you, large and small?"

"Well, yes, but..."

"Can we go!?"

"Okay, mate, easy."

Abtin led the way, feeling anxious, and signaled to Sana to take to the sky and act as their eyes above. He wasn't entirely sure why he had taken the sword. If he was resolute about not leaving Farnas, then he shouldn't have been seen, let alone be involved with agents holding the governor's license!

He left his inner turmoil behind and focused on the road ahead. As their group had expanded, their pace had slowed, and they moved with increased caution. He couldn't help but wonder, "Where are those cursed Eagle Bearers? Why is there no sign of them?"

"I was wondering why none of those red-cloaked folks are in sight. Did you do something to make them suspicious?" Babak asked.

Abtin responded through gritted teeth, "No! Be quiet!"

Babak, undeterred, continued, "Well, I like to think things through, not for planning but to avoid surprises. Let's consider the scenario where the enemy somehow surprises us or they're all waiting for us at the gate. Then what?"

"Lower your voice! You're supposed to be a fighter. Figure it out!" Abtin hissed.

Babak explained, "I don't remember much about my skills, at least not in my mind. I don't plan for things. If they come at us, we need to engage. We just need to be mentally prepared."

Abtin inquired, "Can't you come up with a better plan?"

Babak retorted, "No need to tax my brain when I know I can easily handle these guys."

Abtin reminded him, "But we promised Ardeshir we wouldn't stir up trouble in Farnas."

Babak started to argue, "I wouldn't say we promised..."

But Abtin cut him off, saying, "Yes, we promised."

"Then why did you bring a sword?"

"Shhh!"

From the last thatched building facing the Farnas gate to the gate itself, there was a short stony road flanked by thorn bushes and thickets. Abtin peered cautiously from behind the wall towards the gate. Under the starlit sky, he could make out several shadows patrolling around it. He mumbled under his breath and signaled to Babak to stop.

"What's going on? Are they guarding the gate?" Babak whispered.

Abtin responded, "Yes, but not as many as I expected. Some of them are missing."

Babak suggested, "Well, keep an eye out, and perhaps your friend will start his work when he spots Sana in the sky."

Abtin nodded in agreement and squinted his eyes as he scanned the area around the gate. The border of Farnas was enclosed by a wall constructed with vertical timbers that extended from both mountain edges, curving inward to a height where falling from it would be fatal. The gate was the sole point of entry into Farnas.

"See anything?" Babak inquired.

Abtin didn't respond. In the silence, with only the sound of his and Babak's breathing, he concentrated on searching for the gleam of a pair of eyes. Across the span of the wall, as far as he could see, there was no suspicious shadow resembling a lurking figure.

"Very well then... there's no need for a plan."

This wasn't the first time Abtin felt that Babak could read his mind. He turned to face him and found Babak's countenance brimming with confidence under the moon's gentle glow.

"You've come far enough. You can head back now. With or without Ardeshir, I'm leaving here and walking the Mahro Road for a day. Is it called the Mahro Road? Yeah. The path won't branch off so soon, will it?"

Abtin locked eyes with Babak. The time had arrived to make a definitive choice, to set aside all doubts and vacillating decisions, and choose a path with no possibility of return. Should he stay and forfeit five years of patience for mere emotions, yearnings he often deemed childish? Or should he depart, relinquishing the patience of a few days which had effectively transformed into patience spanning several years, not turning it into a lifetime of fruitless waiting? He swallowed hard. The faint faces of his parents loomed in his mind. What was he thinking? His rightful place was unquestionably in Farnas! How could he abandon his sole steadfast anchor in the world in exchange for an unknown adventure? Perhaps he had simply become overly emotional at the base of the Spring Tree, that's all!

As he reached the verge of thinking he was losing his mind, Abtin forcefully corralled the rebellious and tantalizing aspect of himself into an unseen chamber inside his mind and securely closed the door. He would not leave Farnas unless...

An unfamiliar voice reverberated in his thoughts: "Unless I provide you with a clear sign?"

"Hey, your arm is bleeding," Babak observed.

Abtin, who had snapped back to reality at Babak's words, responded defensively to his comment.

"Did something happen along the way?"

Abtin glanced at his right arm, which Babak had indicated with a concerned expression, and noticed that blood was seeping from a tear in his sleeve.

"No, nothing happened... Well, yes... I might have been a little too excited and brushed against something. It's nothing."

"How is this nothing?... Come on. I found a piece of cloth in my pocket."

Abtin, still distracted, extended his hand and accepted the handkerchief offered by Babak. But suddenly, his hand froze mid-air. Even though the delicate blue of the fabric was barely discernible under the moonlight, there was no doubt about the large silver mole in the center of the elegant and beautiful handkerchief that Babak had handed to him. Abtin asked, his throat dry with apprehension:

"How did you come by this?"

Babak hesitated for a moment, glancing between the handkerchief and Abtin with a perplexed expression. Then he answered:

"Do you mean why I tied your father's on my head when I already had one? I swear, I didn't know I had it until last night. It's because of the countless holes in my clothes. Afterwards, it was too late, and your father's handkerchief was stained with blood. It didn't seem right to open it and use this one. Take it, bind your wound."

Abtin, his round eyes slowly turning into curved lines, held the handkerchief in his hand like a child would hold a treasured candy. But then he inquired:

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Has your wound dried?"

"What? Yeah."

"Then give me the old one. This one’s for you."

Babak, still uncertain about what was happening, looked at him with the same perplexed expression. As he seemed equally clueless as before, he returned to their original topic:

"Okay then. After passing through the gate, I'll walk for a day and then find a spot by the roadside to hide, waiting for Ardeshir for one or two days. If he doesn't show up, I'll continue on to Jangar alone, and you can inform him about everything I told you. Does that work?"

"No, it doesn't. Because I'm leaving tonight!"

Babak's eyes quickly widened, and he asked excitedly:

"But what about your unfinished business?"

Abtin quickly hushed him and then shook his head decisively, indicating that the matter was resolved. "It's resolved! It's completely resolved!" In just a few moments, he had pieced together a puzzle in his mind: his father had been unable to come for some reason, and Babak had been his trusted messenger, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, perhaps a conflict, he had lost his memory. Abtin believed that if he helped Babak regain his memory, he would also recall his father's message and deliver it to him. The handkerchief was a token of trust from his father to Babak. Even if there were gaps in the story, he chose not to dwell on them. This plan made much more sense than his previous one to leave Farnas with Ardeshir without a clear destination. Now, Jangar was their destination, and the aim was to help Babak recover his memory to learn about his father's latest news. Abtin felt that the puzzle pieces had fallen into place perfectly, aligning also with his true desires.

While these thoughts swirled in Abtin's mind, Babak, sensing that the conversation had taken a turn he couldn't follow, asked:

"Well then... tell me, what should we do now? It doesn't look like your friend is going to show up."

"We will wait. The moon has not reached the middle of the sky yet. We arrived a little early."

"OK. But in general, do you trust him?" Babak inquired.

"Why should he want to expose us?" Abtin replied.

"What do I know? Maybe there's a price on my head. Maybe he saw that he's not strong enough to deal with me all by himself, and that your people will take your side in a possible conflict, and you're on my side , so he told himself he'll get you and me alone with these guys and finish us off. I don't know, maybe he'll share the prize with them. I sure can't remember how much I'm worth! "

Abtin narrowed his eyes and asked, "How do you know that I am on your side in this story you made up?" He continued after seeing Babak's face, "Come on, you must be too naive to think that Ardeshir is afraid of you. Didn't you see what he did with Erkhon?"

"Erkhon? Was that the name of the big guy in the workshop? He was nothing! None of them are! It's not clear what they were thinking sending these clowns after me! But you really pointed out a good point. This issue of not starting a fight in Farnas... don't you think that the first person who violated it was Ardeshir himself?"

Abtin glanced at Babak's contented expression, clearly pleased with his observation. He rolled his eyes and shifted his gaze back to the wall. The discovery of the handkerchief had brought him joy, but his cautious nature was still at play, and he could not shake the multiplying butterflies in his stomach. His answer to Babak had not entirely convinced himself.

Waiting for the moon to reach the middle of the sky meant that Babak and Abtin would have to remain there, vigilant, until the last of the villagers returned to their homes. According to Farnas customs, each family would cook dinner under their own roof and then pray for the well-being of the other families. The prospect of waiting under these conditions made Abtin uneasy.

"Let's get behind the bend of the bushes in front of us. If it’s our luck, the same family that lives in this border house will return home sooner than everyone else!"

Babak nodded in agreement and moved ahead without further coordination. There was no time for Abtin to get agitated. Babak acted swiftly, crouching down and positioning himself behind the razor bushes. He then turned back and signaled to Abtin that he had completed his ambush like a piece of cake.

Abtin's hand started to itch, a common occurrence when he felt uneasy. He gave a signal to Sana, his bird companion, who had silently become a shadow in the sky. Sana was a beautiful sight, a carpet of sky gems behind her, and at nights like this, her owner usually sunk himself in deep contemplation rather than engaging in escape missions. Abtin's hand movement signaled her to check the other side of the wall.

He then mimicked Babak's cautious posture, bending his body and moving stealthily. After what felt like the longest two seconds of his life, he reached Babak's side.

"You're good," Babak said.

Abtin replied, "You don't have to scoff."

"No, I'm serious! Why are you so pessimistic?" Babak inquired frowning and smiling at the same time.

Abtin remained quiet, maintaining his vigilance over their hidden location. The intertwining bushes formed a protective semi-circle around them, providing good cover. As long as no one ventured directly to their spot, they felt secure. After feeling somewhat reassured, he turned to Babak and whispered:

"I'm not sure if I'm alone in this, or if you agree, but it seems like you're treating this like a joke."

Babak responded, "What's important to you is important to me. And who says a little humor can't help in moments like these?"

Abtin said, "I've never been in a situation like this before, but I doubt that armies and military groups, just before launching an operation, engage in light-hearted conversations and laughter."

Babak questioned, "Do you really believe that?"

"I don't think they talk to each other at all. Because all their mentality and attention should be focused on the plan."

Babak said, "Look, if you want us to proceed according to the ideas you have created in your mind about how other people go on adventures, I won't argue with you. But as you can see, we are now in exactly the same situation, and we are talking without any problem. I say let's try to get to know each other better while we have time!"

Abtin narrowed his eyes.

"Such a game would be rather one-sided, considering you don't remember anything from your past."

Babak laughed with a not-so-low voice and playfully punched Abtin's arm. "See that? You can scoff too!"

Abtin couldn't help but smile widely despite his restless heartbeat. Abtin had a sudden realization. He found himself, the always scheming, quiet, down-to-earth, and thoughtful person, who had years since his last adventurous run, next to a strange boy in the middle of the night, hiding behind bushes while trying to escape secretly from his home. These actions were so unlike him that he couldn't help but smile.

"Now, THIS is the face of someone who is going to succeed!"

Abtin composed himself and replied, "In a way, you are right. If God helps, I promise that the further we go, the easier it will be for me to handle such situations. But first, we have to get out of here. Can we just be quiet for once and think about what we should do? I promise that if this one is successful, I will be less like myself in the next situations."

Babak raised an eyebrow and observed his new friend, wondering if Abtin saw him as clearly as he could see Abtin. In the dim light of the night, it seemed impossible to distinguish every detail of a person's face, the stones on the ground, or the cracks in the walls with such clarity.

"Agreed," Babak finally said, and they shook hands. Babak turned his face away from Abtin, towards the wall, and muttered, "Your hands are not sweaty."

Abtin asked, "What does that mean?"

Babak explained, "It means that, believe it or not, this kind of thing is probably in your nature."

*

Abtin had experienced many sleepless nights over the past few years. Some nights, the sound of heavy raindrops on the roof kept him awake, and other nights, his thoughts about the faint and distant memories of his parents prevented him from falling asleep. If it were up to him, he would prefer to stay up at night and go to sleep after watching the dawn and sunrise, as the sense of solitude at night, under the vast starry sky, always held a special allure for him.

It was this habit of staying awake at night that made what happened a few moments later so surprising.

As Abtin sat in silence, he stared off into the distance, towards the closest house of Farnas near the gate. It was now Babak's turn to keep watch at the gate. Suddenly, Abtin felt something move behind the wall of that house. He didn't see a shadow or hear a sound; he simply had an intuition that something was happening behind that wall.

Without moving or alerting Babak, Abtin narrowed his eyes and leaned forward slightly. A gentle breeze rustled through, and the mysterious object came into view from behind the wall with a soft hiss. At first, he thought it might be a mouse or a small insect. But when he observed that it responded to every gentle gust of wind, he peered more closely and realized it was a leaf. Its hue was so dark that he initially dismissed the blue color as a trick of his eyesight. However, the leaf's shape was unmistakably familiar. He furrowed his brows, trying to remember why this leaf seemed more significant than the others. He felt like it was calling him, beckoning him to follow it. With its subtle movements, the leaf appeared to convey a message: "Come."

The longer Abtin gazed at the leaf, the more it felt as if it was pulling him towards...

"Abtin! Wake up! Are you kidding me?"

When he snapped out of his daze, Babak was above him, and the moon had moved further to the west. Abtin's left little finger, which had borne his weight while he dozed off, throbbed with pain as if it wanted to be severed.

"I was asleep?" he muttered to himself.

Babak nodded. "Yeah. I can't believe it. You're even calmer than I am."

Abtin shifted slightly in his spot, frowning as he looked towards the house in question, still rubbing his sore finger. There was no sign of the mysterious blue leaf or anything else unusual.

"What about Sana?" Abtin inquired. "Have you heard from her?"

"As far as I can tell, there's been no word from the chick. She must have landed somewhere to rest."

"Is there any sign of Ardeshir? Anything unusual, signals, sounds? Did anyone alert the Eagle Bearers?"

Babak shook his head. "If I don't want to be pessimistic, I'd say that Ardeshir may have run into trouble and couldn't make it. We might be on our own. But there is something going on."

Abtin turned his attention back to Babak. "Just as your chick landed, I heard people heading back to their homes. It seems like the party is over. When they got closer, two of the Eagle Bearers who were stationed at the gate passed right in front of us and joined the crowd "

"So... what do you suggest we do?" Abtin asked.

Babak shrugged. "This might be the best opportunity for you to avoid a confrontation. I don't think there are more than three or four Eagle Bearers left at the gate. Does Farnas have horses or any other rideable beasts?"

"There's only one horse that belongs to the kadkhoda, and it's on its last legs," Abtin replied.

"Perfect," Babak remarked. "If you and I start running, they'll have nothing but their own legs to chase us. How fast can you run?"

Abtin reluctantly acknowledged Babak's plan. "When I need to, I can run fast and for a long time. Catching my breath afterwards is another matter."

Babak proceeded with his strategy. "Good. As long as we can, we'll approach the gate discreetly. However, we can't pass through without being seen. From the closest possible position to the gate, we'll run together when I give the signal."

Babak handed Abtin a cloth and said, "I obtained these from the workshop. Don't give me that look, I left a coin for your master! It might be better to tie these around our faces. I'll pull my thing over my head to conceal my hair color. It'll take them longer to figure out who we are that way."

Abtin wrapped the cloth around his head, ignoring the faint scent of the tannery as he pulled it up to his eyes – Sohrab probably had borrowed it from Armin’s family.

“Ready?”

He did not know. He was not sure. Maybe it would be better to wait a little lon... No! Either now or never! He nodded to Babak as a sign of readiness. There was no turning back now.

The two boys moved stealthily towards the gate, and Abtin carefully mimicked Babak's every step and movement. Babak's body, despite his memory loss, still retained the instincts and skills Ardeshir had described.

They reached the final line of bushes much sooner than Abtin expected, and he wasn't fully prepared for the situation. They were now less than twenty paces from the gate, close enough to hear the Eagle Bearer humming a familiar song. Abtin's brow furrowed as he recognized the tune. Babak had been humming it in the blacksmith's workshop. There was a mysterious and sorrowful quality to the melody that even the Eagle Bearer's scratchy voice could not wreck.

Abtin said to himself that this was probably one of Jangar's folk songs. As Babak turned to Abtin for the final confirmation, Abtin was momentarily caught in their exchanged gaze, forgetting the haunting song. Rubbing his numb knees and thighs, he sighed heavily and whispered under his breath, "God be with us."

In a swift and sudden motion, Babak jumped into action, propelling the two of them forward. The Eagle Bearers before the gate, those trembling figures encroaching through the window of Abtin's vision, grew closer by the second. Abtin's heart raced, but he couldn't quite feel its frantic thumping. His wide-eyed stare betrayed a sense of unusual alertness.

The approaching Eagle Bearers became aware of the intruders sooner than Babak anticipated. Two guards stationed by the gate quickly moved to intercept them, and a third figure, whom the boys hadn't seen before, emerged from behind the wall. It was Mordakh. He had left his helmet aside, revealing his bald head and short, wrinkled forehead, adding to the sinister aura surrounding him.

In Babak's mind, he thought, "We're still okay. This is manageable. As for him..." He glanced at Abtin, who appeared to be in a peculiar state. Abtin seemed to be lost in thought, and his expression was unreadable even to Babak.

Unbeknownst to him, a far more dangerous idea was brewing within Abtin's mind, one that even surpassed the boundaries Babak had mentally established. Mordakh began to speak, chuckling, "I knew it..."

Before Mordakh could continue, Abtin interrupted, ignoring the armored figures surrounding them. He turned to Babak with an urgent question, "Do you trust me?"

Babak, momentarily taken back, nodded his head in approval, allowing a pause induced by astonishment to fill the space between them. As though their enemies did not exist, Abtin spoke with a calm and confident tone that Babak recognized as emanating from deep within.

"Then follow me."

With those words, Abtin started sprinting in the opposite direction, and Babak swiftly followed. For the first time in many years, a real night chase was underway in Farnas. The pursuers were surprisingly quiet. Aside from the occasional exclamation of "Aha!" from behind, Abtin didn't hear any threats orders to stop. The farther they ventured through the dim and lonely village alleys, the more Babak grew puzzled about Abtin's intentions. He couldn't fathom the reason for Abtin's actions, and he a growing unease gnawed at his heart because of this surprise.

Amidst another one of those shouted "Aha!"s, a portly and short Eagle Bearer suddenly appeared from behind a wall, blocking Babak's path. The chubby man went down a moment later, but Babak knew that even with his courage, a two-against-eleven or so confrontation left little room for escape. The odds seemed insurmountable. So, what was going on in Abtin's mind? Why was he leading them back towards the location of the party?

When Abtin realized that Babak had taken another path on a small road paralleled to that of his choice, he shouted, "Head to the tree!"

"Got it!"

Abtin suddenly felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, and as he turned to see, he found Mordakh closing in menacingly, a dagger in his fist, with dark red liquid dripping from it. Mordakh had aimed for Abtin's already wounded arm, causing fresh blood to flow.

"What did you think you were doing, boy? Do you even know who we are? Do you know who we take orders from?" Mordakh yelled as he closed in on Abtin.

Abtin didn't respond, instead, he mustered every ounce of his strength to run faster. But no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't shake off the relentless Mordakh, who was closing in on him with every step. As he raced through a narrow alley and had to make a sharp right turn, he heard the creak of a door being opened ahead. Abtin sprinted past the open door, catching only a glimpse of a hand and a sleeve, but it was enough. A foot emerged from the door and was extended right in front of Mordakh. The sound of a loud thud echoed behind him, and Abtin was further reassured that Armin had come to his aid.

Ignoring the furious shouts from behind, Abtin pushed himself to run even faster and soon found himself in the open area between the village and the Spring Tree. There were still a few people gathered at the base of the tree. Abtin quickly turned his head to check on Babak. Babak emerged from an adjacent alley, with a mixture of surprise and joy on his face, which brought a smile to Abtin's lips due to the conflicting emotions. However, his smile vanished when seven Eagle Bearers spilled out of the alley right behind Babak.

Babak was unaware of Abtin's plan, which had been based on a short dream, a small leaf, and the enigmatic voice that had promised a clear sign. But as Abtin drew closer to the Spring Tree, his confidence grew. He believed that the leaf he had followed was indeed from the Tree, and the dream was no ordinary dream.

In the darkness of the night, Abtin ascended the familiar Spring Tree. Despite the chaotic events and the commotion that had unfolded below, his connection with the Tree and his instinctive knowledge of its branches guided him with an almost supernatural certainty. In the midst of the chase, Abtin could hear the wind rustling through the leaves and the soft, beckoning voice of a woman that had accompanied his dream, whispering, "Come! Come!"

Amidst the chaotic shouts of the Eagle Bearers and the people gathered beneath the tree, Abtin climbed with purpose, oblivious to the world below. The Tree had been his secret sanctuary, and he had scaled its heights countless times in solitude. Although for the first time he had some concerns about Babak's physical capabilities, Abtin was reassured when his voice echoed with determination and reassurance from below: “Right behind you!”.

Babak felt an adrenaline rush that only a daring and dangerous endeavor could evoke. At that moment, high above the ground, he was captivated by the audacity of their act. "If this isn't the craziest thing I've ever done, I might as well doubt my sanity," he thought as he continued to climb the Tree. Their vantage point was dizzyingly high, yet both of them remained remarkably calm. The sounds from below became distant, muffled by the height.

As Babak followed Abtin along a stout branch, he marveled at the strength of the tree. It bore their combined weight without protest. Below, he noticed that the Eagle Bearers had started climbing the Tree, and some were engaging in tense exchanges with the people gathered underneath. Babak couldn't help but reflect on the enigmatic nature of Farnas and the peculiar tree they now navigated: “This place is strange, and this Tree stranger”.

As they stood on the stout branch, high above the ground, Babak and Abtin exchanged nods and smiles. The strong wind rustled their hair, causing Babak's handkerchief to flutter while they took in the breathtaking view below.

With a hint of excitement in his voice, Babak suggested, "Shall we, boss?" Abtin mirrored the gesture, and together, they faced the deep and endless abyss beneath them. Abtin seemed to anticipate what was coming, and as if on cue, a deep and powerful moaning sound emanated from the depths of the chasm. The earth itself trembled slightly in response, and then, from the abyss, a small and luminous ring of fire appeared at the end of the God-stricken div’s throat.

Abtin gazed at the astonished and admiring expression on Babak's face. With a daring and confident smile, he removed his face-cloth, allowing the wind to wash over him. Sana, perched on his finger, seemed uncertain about the impending leap. Abtin secured her inside his collar, took a deep breath, and without a moment's hesitation, he jumped. Babak followed closely behind him.

Before the startled eyes of the Eagle Bearers and the horrified onlookers below, the two boys descended into the dark opening of the valley like hunting falcons, disappearing into the stone jaws of the div, leaving behind their astonished audience.