The three men sat on cushions placed along the walls of a spacious hall. A large rug made from animal hide covered the center of the floor. There were a few decorations hanging on the walls, and they examined them quietly as they waited.
After a short while, several attendants entered the room and placed dried fruits and a variety of small snacks before them. After offering their respects to the three of them, they silently withdrew from the hall.
Chief Talkar spoke first, his expression sympathetic.
"I am truly sorry for what you have endured, Aktar. Unfortunately, this world has a harsh side, and at times it overturns all our lives like this. I understand why you came to us for help… so now, let us speak about your situation and what I may be able to do for you."
"You arrived in considerable numbers. Could you tell me how many you are?"
Aktar nodded respectfully.
"There are three hundred and sixty-eight people from my tribe in the caravan, honored chief. Thank you for your condolences and your goodwill."
Talkar's face remained expressionless, but it was clear he was making calculations in his mind.
"Aktar, your numbers are quite large. Our tribe would not be able to provide food for you for very long."
Aktar's expression did not change as he replied.
"We do not wish to become a burden on you for long either, respected chief. We only need land where we can produce our own food and access to the kinds of seeds cultivated in this region."
This time Talkar's expression shifted slightly. His brows drew together, and his gaze became more probing.
"Aktar, while the other tribes do produce locally, they either do not grow enough food to spare for outsiders, or what they produce cannot survive long journeys without spoiling. I doubt they would be able to provide the support or seeds necessary to prevent your people from facing famine."
"Then you provide them," Aktar replied.
"We are the largest food producers in the council, but even so, we must remain cautious against the possibility of future shortages. And my tribe is not responsible only for itself. Sarentu is vital to ensuring that none of the regions under the council's protection suffer famine, Aktar."
He paused briefly, measuring Aktar's reaction. The man, however, continued to listen with the same unreadable expression.
"Still, I will try to arrange something to help you. But even that would not change the larger problem. The Great Lake is the largest source of water in this region. Because our tribe is settled around it, we are able to irrigate our fields, while the other two tribes struggle. So even if you received seeds, you would still lack either fertile land or sufficient water to grow them. You are nearly four hundred people. Unfortunately, there is no land within the council's territory capable of feeding that many."
Aktar asked in a firm, unwavering tone,
"Then what solution do you propose?"
"To be honest, a migration of this size will create many problems. The most immediate ones are shelter and food. I believe we should first try to take care of these for your people. After that, I will request that the council be convened. Within a week, we can discuss your situation there in detail, and the council can decide how it may help you. Would that be acceptable to you?"
"Yes, that would be acceptable for us as well."
"Excellent. Then let us first speak with the village officials and arrange everything," he said. Then he turned to Loren, who had been sitting quietly to the side, listening while eating pistachios, and added,
"And afterward, we'll take a look at what Loren has brought this time."
"Ah, of course, Talkar. I'm sure you'll find things to your liking."
With that, they went to meet the administrative officials and began making arrangements to meet the needs of the Zeswa. After their assessments, it became clear that they could not provide enough empty houses for most of the tribe. So Talkar proposed several solutions. He asked the villagers to take Zeswa families into their homes as temporary guests and announced that extra wheat from the storage depots would be distributed to those who helped. In addition, several areas were temporarily converted into communal sleeping quarters. By evening, a place to sleep had been arranged for everyone.
When the next day came, the people of Sarentu went out to the fields under the guidance of supervising guards, while the Zeswa remained in their shelters to rest.
By the end of the day, Aktar and his people had begun to notice how different Sarentu's culture and way of life were from their own.
They asked the returning workers why the guards directed them to their workplaces and why they all went together in groups. The answer they received was that, in order to receive food from the tribal granaries, they had to perform the tasks assigned by the administration.
When they asked why they did not cultivate their own fields, they were told that all the farmland belonged to the tribe, and the administration decided how it would be worked.
This was very different from the way the Zeswa governed themselves and lived, so it felt strange to them. Some things even surprised them. And the differences did not end there. First of all, daily labor followed a strict order of priorities determined entirely by the administration. In return for their work, they were always paid in wheat and other crops grown in the fields. Everything that was produced was measured in terms of wheat value.
The food was also very different. They missed rice, but these unfamiliar flavors gradually began to grow on them.
They also noticed that many of the villagers were highly skilled at making clay tables, chairs, and even houses. These were crafts they had been practicing since childhood.
Thus the day came to an end, and in the following days, the people of Zeswa also began taking part in the village's work in order to earn the food they ate.
And so the days passed. The people of Zeswa clearly did not enjoy the constant labor and the lack of freedom. In the past, they had worked their own lands and moved as they wished. They had been their own masters.
Fortunately, the day finally came when Aktar and the elders would go before the council.