THE DAY OF NAJEWEL
I had a most horrific dream of a man who had been found dead beyond the city limits. He had been torn from limb to limb. Both arms had been cut off, one lay to the right of him and the other lay far above him. Both legs had been cut off, one lay to the left of him and the other lay far below him, even as his torso swam in an ever widening pool of blood.
In my dream an old man dressed all in white came and stood near what remained of the body, and said to me, “Son of dust, no one is beyond the justice of God no matter how far he reaches to the north or east or runs to the west or south; shall he be sought and found.”
I woke with a start, wide awake in the morning to the clambering of voices beyond my window. People were quarreling and questioning about the sudden appearance of a great stone standing in the midst of our tent village. I too ran out to marvel at the unsettling sight as well. For fear’s sake, and the introduction of this new thing, I told no one of my nightmarish vision.
Seven days after my dream and the great stone’s appearance the lord Judge of our people commanded us to resettle a day’s walk to the north, for the pillar was a frightful unknown to us. Because I was fearful of being called mad I told no one of my dream even after our village stood elsewhere. Then, seven days after we had raised our encircled-encampment of tents, the horrific dream of the dead man came to me a second time. Again was I awakened to find the entirety of Saljath in a clambering uproar; for there now stood two such standing stones in the midst of our village. It was the same as the first and another like unto it. They were ice cold to the touch and immovable from their stance. The fear, induced by both of those attributes caused the Judge-Shadol to command our move a second time. We departed a day’s walk to the east, leaving the standing stones behind.
Then, as before, I had the dream a third time, and as before on the following morning; yet, again came the appearance of now three standing stones! There, in the midst of Saljath’s encampment her fearful people murmured, and demanded an answer from the Shadol as to what this great mystery meant. Haradthrim demanded of the gathering, “Speak now, any of you who knows of this matter.”
When no one answered, I stepped forward and told him before the people and my kin of the dream, and how for fear’s sake I was reluctant to speak before. Then I bravely said, “We shall move once more, this time to the south. My lord Shadol, if my dream and a fourth standing stone appears, I tell you now that we shall have an answer at the center of this matter.”
Shadol Haradthrim answered, “Then let us encamp a day’s journey to the south once more, and put an end to this ordeal.”
The people of Saljuth gave Najewel only silence, but he heard their grieved whispers and caught their scathing glances for causing their settlement’s move once more; nevertheless, they obeyed their leading Judge’s decree. As before, seven nights after the tent village had been raised the Seer Najewel had his most bewildering nightmarish vision once again. As before he awoke to voices that now demanded an answer for the appearance of four great standing stones in their midst. From his front door Najewel was greeted by the bewildered people led by an angry Shadol who demanded, “Najewel, speak now the meaning of these events.”
But the man only looked defeated, saying, “We shall have resolution tomorrow Shadol from one who knows all things. At day break we must walk half a day’s journey to the middle of where all our camps have been erected. Once there, and not a moment before, shall even I know the outcome of it all.” With that Najewel retired to his tent and was not seen until the morning of the next day by the awaiting villagers.
Without a word to all the clambering outcries of the people, Najewel quietly passed by even the lord Judge as he pressed forward through the parting crowd who followed him in silence. After half a day’s journey without water or voice they arrived at the middle of the plain in the desert. As Najewel turned about to face the Judge, a young boy came out from among the people to address them all. His eyes glazed over in a gray haze and his voice sounded loud and firm like a great orator. He pointed to Najewel saying, “Do to him what was done to the man in the dream.”
Then without question Shadol Haradthrim withdrew his sword and stabbed Najewel through the heart and he fell dead before the silent people. The Judge cut off both arms and hacked off legs tossing them all aside as its remaining torso bleed out upon the soaking ground. Bloodied from his work their leader knelt before the seven year old boy saying, “I have done as you instructed my Lord.”
Turning to face the people the gray-eyed boy continued in his strange voice, “Some of you here shall witness first hand the foresight of these events played out today, and you will be just as dumb before them then as you are now. For the wicked are always blind to the truth before them.
“Gather stones upon which to burn these scraps of flesh to ash, and after having done so scatter them to the four winds. For, when this child before you reaches his fortieth year a man all in white shall surely appear. He shall admonish your deaf ears to no avail, leaving such standing stones in ash. Then, two generations after will the wickedness man be wiped away.” With that the boy collapsed with no memory of what he had said and done. The people did as instructed and burned the body of Najewel, and every year thereafter they built an altar of fire to recall the day of Najewel and the standing stones.
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