The Army Marches Out

When the sun lifted itself high and settled on its swift summit, it drew the sign of Aries down beneath it, until the whole earth turned golden. The war drum sounded from Tus's court, along with the wail of the horn and the boom of the kettledrum. A great cry rose across the whole country; the earth was full of clamor, the air boiling with it. From the neighing of horses and the dust of the troops, the faces of sun and moon turned pitch black. From the clash of weapons and the trumpeting of elephants, you would think the world had been steeped in indigo. The air turned red and yellow, blue and violet from the flashing of the Kaviani banner. The horsemen of Gudarz's clan wheeled around, and at their center flew the Kaviani standard. The commander, with his crown, his mace, and his horn, came out from above the royal pavilion. Tus advanced with the Kaviani banner, golden slippers upon his feet. An elephant-shaped standard rose above him, its shining head lifted into the clouds. The great nobles who wore torques and crowns, world-seekers all, sprung from the line of Nowzar, moved off together like a black mountain, galloping and charging toward the king. He ordered the famous heroes to be brought, led from the army's ranks to the king. When the whole army had come before the king, they came roaring, with banners and helmets. The vigilant king spoke to them thus: that Tus, the commander, at the head of the army, stands with the Kaviani standard; you must gird yourselves to obey his command. He handed him a seal before the troops, as the sign that Tus is their leader and finds the way. All must obey his orders, for through him every knot is untied. He told him: do not break my covenant; keep to my customs and my command. No one on the road should be harmed; such is the code of the throne and the crown. Whether a farmer or a working craftsman, anyone who does not gird himself for war, no cold wind should ever blow upon him; fight with no one except those who face you in battle. Do not inflict suffering on those who cause none, for this fleeting world stays with no one forever. Do not pass by Kalat in any way; if you take that road, the whole plan will fall apart. May the soul of Siyavash shine like the sun; may he have a place of hope in that other world. He had a son by Piran's daughter, one who was scarcely different from his father. The boy also resembled me like a brother, young, of my own age, and blessed with fortune. Now he is in Kalat with his mother, a world-seeker with glory and an army. He knows no one from Iran by name, so you should not turn your reins that way. He has troops and famous warriors, and a mountain barring the hard, narrow road. He is a fighter, a hero, a horseman, noble in lineage and renowned in his own person. You must take the road through the desert; it is not good to attack lions. Then Tus spoke to the king: that fate will not overstep your will. I will take whatever road you command; nothing but good ever comes from your orders.