The morning sun rose to greet them, its warm rays shining down through the thinning foliage of the giant rain trees. The fog gradually dispersed, and the gateway to the Mossy Trail was left behind.
Their sandals kicked through the dense underbrush. Agniran ran at a swift pace, following close behind the short horse ridden by Solor just ahead. Handoko followed carrying his spear, with Joko bringing up the rear as they traversed the forested slopes of the eastern Mossy Mountains.
On their uninterrupted journey, they kept running through a fertile region. Parts of the area were now open clearings—vast grasslands dotted with broccoli-shaped giant rain trees, some draped in cloaks of moss.
At last, they paused at a river, a tributary of the Walindir River. There, they rested and washed themselves.
"Hey, fair-skinned youth," Solor called out.
Solor removed his vest and draped it over his shoulder. Reclining his body, he approached Handoko—who wore only a jarik cloth wrapped around his waist down—as he squatted on a boulder, filling a silver flask in his hands with the clear, flowing river water.
"Tell me, who is he?"
Handoko glanced in the direction Solor indicated. They saw Joko and Agniran soaking in the deeper water near the middle of the river, engaged in conversation, unaware they were being watched.
"Do you mean Agniran?"
Solor nodded, adjusting his squatting posture.
Handoko capped his water bottle. "You mean, where does he come from?"
Solor looked at Handoko with rolled-up pupils, his eyelids half-lidded so that almost only the whites of his eyes were visible.
"As for Agniran, he comes from Winihdibyo, Sir..."
"We have been disciples at Padepokan Agungdhijoyo Winoto since we were children."
"Why do you ask, Sir?" Handoko adjusted his posture, sitting on the boulder warmed by the morning sun, right beside Solor, who was squatting and gazing at the flat, green valley in the distance beyond the giant rain trees.
"His family?" Handoko turned to him.
"Yes... Who is he?" Solor continued, settling his hips down before glancing toward his horse, which was grazing a short distance away along the riverbank.
Handoko's handsome face was still wet, with a single drop of water hanging precariously at the tip of his neat, shapely nose. His face looked clean after his bath, his wavy hair tied back in a ponytail with a few stray strands dangling loose. His damp, thick, and long eyebrows met Solor's gaze. "We no longer have parents."
Handoko squinted his eyes. His thick brows almost knit together as he stared into the rising sun before them, adding a sharp composure to his firm, clean face.
"We've been disciples at the padepokan since we were little..."
Solor's face appeared expressionless with his mouth slightly agape, yet he was listening. His gaze swept over the scenery before him, then he turned back. "So you are brothers?"
Handoko turned to meet his gaze and nodded.
"I didn't know you were family. I thought you were childhood friends."
"No, Sir." Handoko looked back at Solor's face. He noticed that Solor also possessed a lean frame. "Why do you ask about Agniran, Sir?"
"No reason, I just thought he was the son of a prominent figure or from a family of noble scholars."
Handoko let out a broad smile, his face turned toward the green valley. His charming dimples added to his handsome appearance. "Haha, no... we come from a family of farmers." He cast his face downward, still holding a shy smile.
Handoko looked back at Solor. "But Agniran is a good person, Sir. Out of all of us, he's the one most willing to yield. He's been like a father to us, hehe..."
"No, I was just curious as to who he was..."
Solor shifted his sitting position. Now a bit more focused, his eyes were locked directly onto Handoko's. "What are you going to Lataran Ijo for?"
Handoko adjusted how he sat. He wrapped his arms around his knees tucked in front of him, tilting his face up slightly. "Well, during a Panandha year like this, many padepokan disciples go on journeys."
"And we set out with Lataran Ijo as our destination."
"Though I don't really know, Joko and I are just following Agniran. He was the one who set the destination... Even though I already know the way, I understand that there's nothing in that region—it's just grasslands."
Solor's lower lip rose to cover his upper lip, almost swallowing it whole. "That's why I was wondering, what are you planning to do at Lataran Ijo?"
"I don't know." Handoko lifted his face slightly toward the serene blue sky.
His mind drifted as his eyes watched the white clouds moving above. "Though, when we first started the journey, I was a bit curious about Agniran's behavior."
He turned to look at Solor. "But I didn't think much of it. I trust Agniran. There's no way he would lead us into a dangerous place."
Handoko shifted his position again. Now his body angled slightly toward Solor beside him, sharing the same boulder. His bent legs spread wide, both hands resting on his knees, and his face turned to Solor with a serious look. "Oh right, Sir..."
"If I may ask..." "Since both of you were once inaugurated as Crescent Moon Wanderers..." Handoko flashed a smile. "...are you close friends with Grandmaster Ki Wandarimo?"
"Hmph, you won't understand unless you become a Crescent Moon Wanderer yourself," Solor muttered. He assumed a cross-legged position while looking straight ahead at the valley nestled between the grand trees.
The palm of his hand wiped across his forehead up to his hair, gently tidying his forelock. "I'm not particularly close with that master of yours." "He's a powerful man." "From a prominent family." "A trusted family of Alingkukoh." "Of the remaining Crescent Moon Wanderers, the only one I frequently communicate with is Samiranah..."
Handoko was awestruck listening to him, like a fan hearing news of an idol.
"Is that true?" "The woman from Lawas, right?"
Handoko adjusted his posture, appearing more relaxed now. His face looked out over the lush green valley ahead. "If only... I could have watched those tournament matches. Then I would have been able to see them and their actions in person..."
He looked at Solor. "Back then, I was still a kid..."
Solor smiled, occasionally tidying his hair again. "Yeah, how old were you when I entered the tournament?"
Handoko tilted his tall torso. He leaned his upper body away from Solor while keeping his eyes fixed on him. "Well... I mean..." He turned his face toward Agniran and Joko, then back to Solor. "We weren't even born yet, Sir..." A cheerful smile brightened his young, handsome face.