The Lessons of the Mahout

Alexander Mukuru burst out in laughter as his child struggled to keep his balance. 

"Stop laughing" shouted Erwin Mukuru in frustration. He watched enviously as his father rode his elephant mount without breaking a sweat, while he was struggling to keep a 3-year-old cub under control. 

"Be careful, young master, " quipped a soldier behind him "If you run into battle like that you won't last very long."

Erwin glared back at his father's men but wasn't the most intimidating figure, eventually, he decided to ignore the jabs and take a second to clear his mind. He lay flat on the fresh grass while taking a moment to appreciate his surroundings. It was a beautiful day, halfway between the eastern mountain stronghold of the Mukurus -Mukurusi, and the Theluji capital of Idobha. The plains extended as far as the eye could see and a pleasant breeze swept across the land, carrying a wonderful fragrance. 

One can only be frustrated for so long on a journey as serene as this, Erwin took a deep breath and turned to see his entire caravan moving steadily. Carriage after carriage, pulled by both horse and elephant moved slowly past him. Some carriages covered ores - iron, copper, tin, and more, while others carried salt and a black powder he did not recognize. When they left Idobha and returned home they would instead be laden with flour, rice, beans, fish, and produce from all over Theluji. Everyone had something that they wanted, and everyone had something that they could give, the bazaars of Idobha simply put all these people in the same place and let them figure out the rest. 

"What am I doing wrong, Father?" He shouted out, hoping to learn some of his father's grace. 

"What was that? I couldn't hear you." teased his father "Oh, what's this? Straining myself to try and hear you is so tiring that I'm feeling pretty sleepy. I'm going to take a nap while staying mounted on Gajendra. Go bother someone else. "

"Can you not rub it in my face, you old man!" complained the ruffled little boy, "I never needed your help anyway."

"General, you're usually lazy and often a show-off, but somehow you've managed to do both at the same time. I think we've found your real talent!" came another voice from behind, as the whole unit burst out into laughter. 

Erwin joined in their delight, gracious that finally someone else was being laughed at for a change. He had always admired the relationship his father and his soldiers had fostered, candid and informal with each other at most times but snapping into order the moment they needed to. He could also plainly see the trust and familiarity that these soldiers had with each other and the respect they held for his father despite all the jokes. 

Refusing to admit defeat, the young Mukuru ran up to the expert in the convoy - Mahout Rishka. Mahout were responsible for capturing, training, and maintaining the Theluji elephants, if anyone could help Erwin it was one of them. Mahout Rishka himself was one of the older men in the military, with his salt and pepper hair and a full white beard, he cut an honorable figure. 

"Mahout Rishka, Mahout Rishka, please help me, sir." pleaded Erwin after catching up to his elephant "I've been trying to ride on Veena's back for hours now, but she isn't listening to me no matter what I do." 

The mahout smiled gently, impressed by how earnest and prideless the young Mukuru seemed. "Listen up, Erwin, riding an elephant is the same as riding a w-" Rishka paused to take another look at the boy "Never mind, maybe it's a bit too early for that" he chuckled as Erwin scratched his chin in confusion. 

"The problem between you and Veena is clear, young master. " he advised "You do not know each other, she does not like you, and you have not made any effort to win her heart."

Erwin nodded with understanding, but the mahout could tell that he understood none of his explanation. 

"Look at how I am riding now," Rishka tried again "Abhaya here is a 40-year-old, this is when they are the most energetic, and yet he is going the way I want him to go. Why is that? Look carefully and tell me what you see?"

The young Mukuru focused on the war elephant in front of him and had no idea what the mahout was trying to say "I don't understand, every step Abhaya takes is in a different direction, sometimes he goes straight and sometimes he meanders to the side but ultimately he moves in only one direction."

"Not bad, Erwin. " laughed Rishka, "These steps you see are Abhaya's own decisions, he is his own person just like you or I. If I tried to control every action of his, he might get mad at me, but if I only ask what I really need, then he is willing to do what I say. "

This time the words actually made sense to the young boy, he jumped onto the elephant calf and tried again. He tried putting the advice into action - "Don't yank her unless she goes truly in the wrong direction, It's okay if she isn't walking at the best pace at all times" Erwin recited to himself as he tried this new style of riding. It was a clumsy and wobbly ride, but at least he could stay seated for many minutes continuously now. He turned to the mahout and smiled. 

Rishka was surprised at how quickly the young boy had applied his advice; his father had been mocking him, but riding an elephant without experience and instruction was essentially impossible. He had long heard that the Mukuru's only child had shown flashes of brilliance, and was now wondering how far he could push the young one. 

"Next step, " started the mahout, too interested to let this project go "go observe your father as he abandons his duty of surveying the surroundings and rests on his steed."

Erwin nodded, negotiating with Veena until they eventually ended up beside Gajendra to get a close look at what exactly his father was doing. 

Alexander Mukuru was the most efficient slacker there ever was, doing just enough to never get in trouble, but never so much that he might get assigned greater responsibility. He lazed around on his howdah (carriage with a bed on the back of an elephant), happily selecting grapes to eat from a vine as he stroked his partner's forehead. He seemed to be chatting with him, and occasionally Gajendra would throw his snout up top to greet his friend, receiving some grapes for his troubles. 

Erwin and Veena stumbled back to Abhaya, as Rishka waited for the Mukuru's observations. 

"They seem to be … having fun?"

Rishka's eyes lit up, "the child sees well", he thought to himself, "now let's see if he can bring thought into action." With a smile on his face, he looked at the child and declared "Your next lesson is best done up ahead " and picked up the pace on his march forward. 

Erwin had been riding long enough to realize he could never catch up to Rishka with his current control over Veena, the mahout was testing him. Instead of trying to move forward he looked around and spotted a carriage with fruits and berries. After hobbling over to the cart and picking up a large plate of assorted options, he raided a nearby carriage with some grass and hay. 

He then settled down, relaxed his body, and focused on his companion. Veena was unlike many of the elephants in Theluji ranks, as a female who had been born in captivity, she was unsuited to the role of a war elephant as she would instinctively run from any male elephant. She was instead destined for a life of logistics - moving cargo and material from one place to another. Erwin stroked the cub's head, adjusted their walking speed until she seemed most comfortable, and then began to speak to her. 

"Hi Veena, I am Erwin of the Mukuru, nice to meet you! I'm sorry for how I was behaving earlier, can I please make it up to you with a gift?" he said meekly, as he offered her a sliced apple. 

Slowly and steadily Veena's snout probed around her head, following the scent of the bribe. After a thorough investigation, she decided to accept the terms of Erwin's peace deal. 

Erwin gradually tested and scoped out Veena's palette, discovering that the young elephant was not the pickiest eater, but there was a distinct excitement she showed when offered a strawberry. "Got you now!" Erwin chided. Veena was also growing more curious about her passenger, feeling out the shape of his face and arms with her snout, with Erwin more than happy to cooperate with her checks. 

One plate later, the two had forgotten about the lesson plan, the views were simply too spectacular. "Look over there, " Erwin exclaimed, pointing Veena to a small village they were passing by. They were busy at work, with farmers plowing the fields, getting ready for the long season of work up ahead. In the corner, he could see a shrine housing the local village deity, with a few young children performing a dance as a way of asking for a good harvest in the future. As they crossed they picked up quite a crowd, a procession with elephants and soldiers was a sight to see for the humble villagers. 

A few bold children who had slipped past their parent's supervision ran up to Erwin offered Veena some of their own treats and extended their hands in greeting. Never one to turn down free food, Veena vacuumed up their offerings, shook their hands, and kept on with her march. The children ran back before their parents got too worried, with a story they would tell their friends for many days. 

A loud bellow from an elephant in front pulled Erwin's attention, it was Abhaya. "It seems the mahout is getting impatient, Veena" chuckled the young boy, "shall we go meet him?" Erwin leaned and applied pressure in the direction he wanted to go, and stormed forward with his partner. 

Rishka was already impressed with the 7-year-old in front of him, but he could never have predicted such a brilliant performance from the young boy. "If he wasn't a Mukuru, I would have thought this was his talent. " he thought to himself as he gave his ward a celebratory pat on the back. "So? How was it?"

"Thank you so much, mahout" came an immediate response, "Veena and I are good friends now!"

"See, I'm much more useful than that lazy father of yours, right? Make sure you tell the Queen when you see her in Idobha." the mentor jested, as he picked up pace again to break past the front of the procession. This time Erwin and Veena could follow, stopping behind Abhaya, in front of a grand oak tree. 

"Watch closely now, child" called out the grand mahout as he stirred his partner up to action. He chanted something into his mount's ear and stroked his head in a deliberate pattern until Abhaya started breathing deeply and irregularly. Suddenly, the aura around the two was notably different, Veena stepped back, instinctively sensing danger. The great elephant reached out into the tree ripped a whole branch off, and flung it with incredible speed at a lake, over 100 meters away. 

Erwin's mouth was still gaping as the humongous splash fell back into the lake - "What…. what was that?!".

"Did you know, Erwin, " smiling proudly at his successful demonstration, "talent is not limited to humans alone?"

"But … but my tutor at home said that humans were the only ones who possess talent?!" Erwin questioned, "It is one of the most basic lessons in Imperial textbooks."

"Of course, they would say that! Magnus philosophers say that animals have no soul, that since they cannot speak and cannot think they are unloved by their god and hence not given the gifts of talent." sneered the mahout, clearly, he was passionate about this "Do you agree with that idea?"

"It's true Veena cannot speak human words, but the sounds they make with their trunks must be a language that we can't fully understand either! " opined the young philosopher "She clearly understands where I want to go, she has likes and dislikes, if this is not a soul what is?"

"So you understand then, boy," said the proud teacher, "not everything the Empire writes in their books is correct, make sure you never forget that. Still, we cannot pretend to be much nobler than them, we take these creatures from their homes and make them fight our battles. One day you will ride an elephant into battle, and on that day do so with regret in your heart, you are making a gentle beast shed blood. The only way you can repent is if you value their lives, and you value their souls, just like you would any man. " 

Erwin felt a cold feeling in his stomach as he heard his mentor's sermon, he wasn't expecting such a morbid turn. 

"But don't think too hard about it, Mukuru. " started Rishka, seeing that the boy had gone quiet. "This is the fate of every Mukuru, you will earn glory and fame in your battles, but you will also be the one responsible for sending people and animals to their deaths. It is not your fault that war exists, if you shy away from it and try to prevent all your people from getting hurt then you will fail and hurt them all. Do not have shame in your profession. "

Erwin could see that Rishka was trying to cheer him up in his own way. "Thank you again, mahout Rishka" bowed the boy "for all your lessons. "

"Go enjoy the rest of the ride child, we are nearly there" commented the mahout, his job now complete. The child wandered off with his friend, seemingly unconcerned by the weighty advice of the mahout. 

When Erwin was out of sight, a large elephant pulled up behind Abhaya. "So, what do you think Rishka?" enquired Alexander Mukuru, "can you see what his future will be?" 

"You know I remember when you used to call me with such deference as well" jabbed Rishka, a man who had known Alexander since he was a child. "He is ten times smarter than you were at his age. "

"I get it, I get it grand mahout sir, stop being so mean" snorted the head of the Theluji army. "We never expected he would grow up so fast, we haven't even taught him how to cultivate talent yet. "

"What!!" exclaimed the mahout, now visibly confused. "I fear his enemies if you raise him right, but make sure he doesn't grow a desire for power, that would spark the end of us as a people. People talk about the brilliance of the princess, but if you haven't taught him how to cultivate then this boy is no different. I fear the gods of destiny have something in store for us and are giving us the tools to prepare for it. "

Alexander laughed as the city of Idobha appeared on the horizon, he didn't believe in superstition or fortune. "Then we'll just have to make sure he's ready for that day, and trust him to handle the rest."