Asmath wept as she looked at the young stranger and wondered what to do about this man. He had held her against her will and threatened her life, yet he did not truly harm her. Of course, he did not give her any reason to forgive him, but her Knight was not so different than the man who sat before her. As her tears fell, she watched, and her heart began to soften.
She did not know his tale, though she knew well the story he asked her to tell him. Knowing one and not the other, she found pity for both. In truth, she too was part of the tapestry and suspected all of them shared sorrows woven of a similar tragedy. Rather than speak to him, she chose to wait, weeping in silence. For she knew, wisdom and patience were the hands of forbearance upon the brows of those wronged. It needed to be he who bridged the distance between them.
In time, Avtandil stood. He put down his weapons and walked towards her with no pride in his steps. Unlike a thief who bore sorrow only for the consequences of his actions, he came with humility and genuine regret. He was a man shamed by the knowledge and understanding of what he had done and why it was wrong.
He got down on his knees and bowed before her, the desperation and fire of his earlier demeanor gone. Meek as a willow bent before the storm of his wrongs, he apologized. For the first time, he spoke to her with the tongue of a Knight instead of a madman.
“I abused you in deed and word. By my own hand, I made you a stranger to me. Your anger is not misplaced, for my actions caused the loneliness I now suffer. Yet, the wise have said sin must be forgiven seven times. Knowing this, I hope to receive the grace of your forgiveness.”
“Though I alone bear the blame for the wrong of my service, I beg you, pity the soul rent by love. Understand this. There is no other than you in all the world from whom I might find aid or draw strength. For the sake of my heart, I yield my life to you. What more can I do than this?”
When he mentioned love, Asmath began to sob uncontrollably. Her tears, which before had been soft as summer rain, fell like a waterfall. It seemed to Avtandil his wish had been granted. She was moved by his words, though it pained him to witness the ruin she suffered for it.
When her color changed, he understood she did not cry because of what he said. Instead, he thought she was wounded for one she loved. Indeed, he reasoned, she carried a madness about her not unlike his own. Seeing a chance to connect with her, he told his story.
“We share a bitterness and hurt which only love can cause. Yet you must know even foes have pity for the agony lovers endure. It compels them to seek death, ending the light of all joy and the fire of every pain. They do not turn away from the eternity of darkness, for it sets them free.”
“I did not choose the path of daggers I walk. Love gave it to me and made me a madman. The sun of my life, Tinatin, sent me to find this Knight you call brother. I have not heard a cloud or whisper from her for near three years as I journeyed in search of him. This separation makes my life unbearable, yet to this day I have not forgotten or forsaken my vows to her.”
“The face of your Knight is imprinted on my mind like a holy icon. I gave up all the joy of my life and became mad for him. Now I fear there are but two choices before us. Set me free or slay me. There is no other way open to me. Speak, and release me to one fate or the other, for I am your slave and can ask no more than this.”
She looked up when he spoke, wiping the tears from her raven lashes. Fixing her eyes on him, she gave him an answer more pleasant than he had any right to hope for.
“The words you share now are what I expect of a Knight. They are far better than the poison which you sowed enmity in my heart with earlier. The truth you speak begs me to forgive you, and so I do. More, your duty to another has won a friend and sister in me.”
“As you called on love as your aid in this matter, I will devote myself to you. To behave otherwise would bring further sorrow and ruin to us both. Should I be unable to assist you, I would rather perish. For it is becoming of one held prisoner to the whims of love to help another who shares similar bonds.”
“Now, quiet your heart and listen closely to what I say. If you follow my instruction, you will learn what you seek, and your quest will not fail. You will return to your Tinatin and be whole once more.”
“Yet, if you refuse me and do not heed my words, the way before you will be forever lost. You will not find what you have so long sought. Instead, your tears will flow like rivers, and all the world will come down around your head. In the end, you will die in shame knowing it was your hand which brought everything you loved to ruin.”
Her words moved Avtandil to the point he could not speak for a moment. He looked at her, remembering she called herself sister to him, and gave a small smile before answering.
“What you ask of me, I will do, and of what you said to me, I am reminded of an old tale of two men. They journeyed together somewhere along some road, and the one behind witnessed the one before fall into a deep well. He rushed forward, crying out, and told the man to stay so he might bring ropes to pull him up. From down in the well, his friend laughed and shouted back up, ‘If I do not wait, where will I go? I am trapped. None other than you can save me. Without your aid, I am lost.’”
“I am like this man in the well and can do nothing alone. You are a balm to the madness which earlier consumed me. I would not willingly bind myself with ropes. Instead, I will follow whatever road you choose. As you are my sister now, so will I forever be your brother.”
Asmath, pleased at his words, leaned close and took his hands. She stared into his eyes before answering.
“Your speech is more pleasant now than before. It would appear you are truly a good Knight, come from afar. Doubtless, you are worthy of praise in your lands and elsewhere. Since such grief has fallen on you once, I would not want to see it on your head again. Now, listen carefully, and you will find the answer to what you seek.”