Shahnameh - The Book of Kings (Synopsis, Part XI)

Firoud

All goes well for a while, until Kai Kaous holds a feast to honor his champion, and then he gets maudlin. Praises Saiawush, curses Afrasiyab, etc, then tells Kai Khosrau that he must swear to always be filled with hatred of Afrasiyab, and only mediate with sword and mace. It was even written and entrusted to Rustem on a royal scroll. After eight days, seven of which were spent gorging themselves, Kai Khosrau called his nobles and all the armies go to war, Kai Khosrau on an elephant instead of his horse. Kai Khosrau charges Tus with not hurting anyone who doesn’t fight against them, and avoiding the land of Kelat, where Kai Khosrau’s brother Firoud lives. Tus vows to remember and obey.

Problem is, as the armies go to Turan, Tus decides to detour out of the desert into Kelat to get water, and laughs off Gudarz’s warning. Firoud, of course, isn’t terribly pleased, and talked to Tokhareh, his counselor, who warns that he doesn’t know where the battle will take place. So Firoud talks to his mother, who’s still crying over Saiawush, who tells him that there is a new Shah, and he should go serve as vanguard, and seek out Bahram to be his stay in battle, for he was a friend and foster-brother of Saiawush.

Tokhareh went to a high place to look over the army with Firoud and told him who everyone was. Tus spotted them and was suspicious, and sends Bahram to find out who they are. Bahram demands to see the mark of the Kaianides and Firoud shows him, and takes the message that Firoud would like to join them back to Tus. He warned before leaving that Tus was vain and an idiot, and might not listen, and that if someone else was sent, not to listen or confide in that person.

Of course, Tus gets angry and tells his warriors to go chop off their heads, but Bahram warns them that the shah will be angry if they kill his brother. Tus gave the order again, and his son in law Rivniz rode out to do it. Tokhareh recommends shooting at the man rather than the horse so that Tus might repent, and Firoud shoots the man (ed. – with an arrow. Just to be clear.). Tus gets angrier, and sends his son Zerasp to avenge Rivniz. Firoud shoots him, too (ed. do you think they might have figured out at this point that the guy has a bow and lots of arrows? Oh, do read on). Tus finally goes himself and they bicker. Tokhareh recommends that since Tus is a prince and the shah might be angered at his brother, to shoot the horse, because a prince will not fight on foot. Except that angers the nobles, and Gew son of Gudarz comes, and they shoot the horse again. All nobles are happy he returns, except his only son Byzun, who upbraids him for leaving and swears to avenge Rivniz and Zerasp.

This time, Tokhareh recommends that Firoud shoot the horse because Byzun’s wearing Saiawush’s armor. Byzun, however, will fight on foot and charges the mountain. Firoud throws stones after retreating into his castle and is taunted a second time.

Tus vows to raze the castle. Firoud’s mother dreams a bad dream and speaks of evil stars. So they fight on the mountain, and there’s great havoc on both sides, and when Firoud goes to go back to his castle, he finds Rehham (later note: son of Gudarz) and Byzun are waiting in ambush. Firoud would have killed Byzun if Rehham hadn’t clubbed him over the head. Somehow he got back to mommy and told her to lay waste to everything. So she burns the treasure, kills the horses, and impales herself on a sword.

Tus finally realizes what an idiot he’s been, and builds a royal tomb, and then they go off to Turan again against Afrasiyab, who tells Piran to ready his army. When suddenly, it snows, and the Iranians nearly starve, and then the snow melts and they’re in the middle of a lake of melted snow. But they still fight and win, so they stupidly celebrate and leave a nice opening for Piran to attack, and only Gudarz the wise is sober. The Iranians lose, and Tus is woebegone, and Gudarz sends a messenger to Kai Khosrau, who really is shah now and decides to put Friburz in charge of the army instead of Tus. Kai Khosrau also states that he no longer knows friend from foe.

Tus goes back to the shah, and got chewed out, and throws him in the dungeon. Shah would have chopped head off if Tus hadn’t had a white beard.

In the meantime, Friburz asked Piran for a truce, but Piran told him that he had to leave Turan for that to happen, since the Iranians were the aggressors. So they fought, and many on both sides died – it seems all the Turans and the only Iranians who survived had fled the fighting (ed. - confusing wording). Piran is happy that the Iranians have left. Afrasiyab is also, but counsels Piran to watch Rustem’s land, for he is the only threat left.