Chapter 4

The soldiers cleared the Balkans in their numbers seeing as they harboured no such treasure that king Gaius sought. The travelling merchants were set in motion again as the gate to the city was unsealed. Gradually, the travellers trooped out beyond the city's gate on their horses and chariots which were laden with bulk cargoes and consignments of large volume. Bojan could heave a sigh of relief, feeling at ease with the fact that he had been able to fool the soldiers back in the city, thanks to his magical wits. He could feel the tensed atmosphere drastically subdued the moment he and his entourage were declared free and clear to leave the city. Somehow, he felt his confidence on the rise upon achieving the new feat of aiding Limah and her new-born to escape the city. For Bojan, it was a sheer privilege as much as honour to have aided the famous priestess of temple Nuh in such a time of difficulty. He wouldn't baulk at the chance to repeat the feat over and over for Limah's sake.

Bojan had known Limah as the venerable priestess of temple Nuh from way back in the small religious city of Kinsas. He had often worshipped at her temple and offered rituals and veneration to the gods once in every moon until the sacred city was captured by king Gaius and razed to ruins. However, Bojan would remain indebted to the erstwhile priestess of the sacred temple Nuh for her soothsaying and speaking the message of unseen forces upon his trade ventures. As much as he attributed his booming ventures and fortunes to the gods, he deemed it appropriate--albeit religiously driven--to appreciate the mouthpiece of the gods in Limah.

The feeling of relief was mutual between Limah who sat comfortable and relieved within the chariot and Bojan together with his entourage as they propelled their chariots away from the city's gate. In this moment, Limah pulled her hood aside to reveal her face as she lifted the baby from the basket up above her head. She flashed a soothing smile at the little one and brought him down upon her lap gingerly. She placed two fingers upon his fontanelle and murmured some words of prayer upon the baby. It was a moment of both relief and anxiety for Limah. She stroked her baby's cheeks with motherly affection and tossed his playfully in her arms. They were finally free from the reach of king Gaius and his army, she thought and assured herself as they headed away from the city of Athena in Bejan's chariots.

Out of the blue, a defeaning blow of trumpet cut through the stream of travellers. The trumpet was loud and reverberating as the horses neighed and snorted violently. The travellers' attention was was drawn in utter curiosity. Even Limah had her feeling of relief cut short, but the baby suddenly had an outburst of tears and and uneasy whimpers amidst the chaos that threatened to shake the crowd.