Original subtitles

[UNCLE] The nomads attacked, defeating our militia.

Without our forces, it will be impossible

to prevent them from entering the city.

When they arrive, there'll be pillaging.

So, we'll need to hide our food and valuables before then.

[Zumurrud grunts] We won't get too much down here.

[ANIS] Mm...

[smirks]

[BOTH] Uh?

[both exclaim]

I'll lead my sons to the mountains,

and we shall take shelter there.

Yes, good idea.

For right now,

you and Sitara need to hide down in the cellar.

We will come back in three days.

Sitara, I leave Ms. Fatima in your hands.

Sure! I'll keep her safe!

And we'll be seeing you soon.

- Till then... - You two take care!

[ANIS] Times like these bring me back to my childhood.

We fled our city more times than I can count.

[ZUMURRUD] You should at least feel

a little worried about all this!

[ANIS] I suppose so.

[SITARA] Mistress, why don't you have some dates?

[FATIMA] That sounds nice. Thank you.

In this cellar,

it feels as though the world has come to a complete stop.

I can see the outside light through here.

It has already come and gone three times now.

So, that should mean Uncle and the others

will be coming to get us soon. But still...

If it takes them a little longer,

thanks to all their preparations,

we'll have plenty of supplies to last us!

And your books are safe here, too!

You're right.

Thank you, Sitara.

Having you with me keeps my spirits high.

I haven't done anything!

Uh...

Come to think of it.

I wonder if the nomads have read

about Euclid's different theorems.

I'm not sure.

That said, I mustn't lose a single volume.

My husband spent his life collecting them.

[Sitara exclaims]

Yes, you're right.

[Fatima chuckles] Sitara, I'm curious.

You care for Muhammad, don't you?

[Sitara gasps, stutters]

Yes. I think highly of him.

There can't be many people in the world

who are as intelligent.

[Fatima chuckles softly]

The boy takes after his father.

Bridling at the restrictions of conservative theology.

But still...

The more he walks his own path in life,

the more objections and resistance he will face.

In such times,

there will be only one person able to comfort him.

Sitara, that would be you.

[Sitara gasps]

I want you to serve my son.

As a human unto yourself.

♪

[Sitara breathes softly]

[Fatima chuckles]

[Sitara breathes shakily]

I will.

- [footsteps] - [thumping]

[SITARA AND FATIMA] Uh?

[FATIMA] It's my brother and the girls.

We can finally come out.

[SITARA] Yes!

[BOTH] Hm.

[both grunt]

[Sitara gasps]

[Fatima exhales]

[SITARA] Uh?

[Sitara breathes uneasily]

[footsteps approaching]

[Sitara breathes uneasily]

[TOLUI] Ah...

[♪ opening theme song playing]

[Sitara grunts]

[gasps]

I thank you, Sitara.

[SITARA] Of course.

- Stand back. - [Sitara gasps]

[Sitara grunts]

Sitara.

Don't offer resistance.

Yes...

Mistress.

[SHIRA] Uh?

[Shira chuckles]

[thudding]

[Sitara and Fatima breathe uneasily]

[Fatima breathes shakily]

[Fatima, in English] No! Not that book!

[laughs]

[Fatima breathes shakily]

[grunts]

[in English] "Whether they are a man or woman,

cut off the hands of thieves

as punishment for the awful deed they have done!"

- Sitara! - It's not right.

That book doesn't belong to you, so you must give it back!

[in English] My Master says you are not to call him a thief.

"Everything on this..."

[SITARA] This boy understands our language.

"...The Genghis Khan."

[both gasp]

[Sitara trembles]

- [Shira breathes shakily] - [Fatima, in English] No!

[Fatima screams, echoes]

[Sitara gasps]

[SITARA] Uh...

- Mistress? - [Fatima breathes weakly]

Don't you...

dare touch...

[breathes shakily]

my beloved daughter.

[Sitara whimpers]

Mistress?

Mistress? Mistress! [cries]

[wails]

♪

[Sitara gasps softly]

[Sitara breathes shakily]

[SITARA] Uh?

[SITARA] Uh?

[ANIS] Uh?

Sitara?

[Zumurrud gasps]

[Anis gasps]

[ANIS] Oh, you're alive.

Are you hurt?

Ms. Anis, I... I, uh...

[tearfully] I didn't keep my promise...

to keep the Mistress safe.

- The Mistress is... - [Sitara cries]

[ANIS] Oh...

They had captured us

as we were all making our way up to the mountains.

[Zumurrud and Anis laugh]

[both gasp]

[ANIS] After that, we were divided into smaller groups.

Women, children, and skilled craftsmen.

Then, the men and the elderly were rounded up

and taken away somewhere.

We haven't seen Uncle since.

And then...

[men groaning]

[Zumurrud cries] Mikhail!

[cries] Mikhail!

[SITARA] Oh, no.

Ms. Zumurrud...

[cries]

[in English] Please, you have to stop crying. [shushes]

Now be a good baby.

Ms. Zumurrud...

can you stand?

- [horse neighs] - [grunting]

[ANIS] Have you got her?

[SITARA] Uh?

I know him.

He's the ironmonger who fixed that water basin for us.

We must find Uncle and the others soon!

[woman screaming]

[gasps] Hasan! Hasan!

[woman groans]

[SOLDIER] Chuu!

[SITARA (ADULT)] Their fear of these mysterious men

spurred Sitara and the others forward into the vast wasteland.

[SITARA] This year, the month of Safar

still feels a little chilly,

so the water is cold.

Although...

when the sun is out,

I see the rose buds are already starting to swell.

As Anis and I are doing our chores...

[CHILDREN] "In the mighty name of Allah,

the Most Gracious..."

[SITARA] We can hear Uncle's students

practicing their recitation together.

- How adorable. - [Sitara chuckles]

It reminds me of when I first came out here!

[exclaims]

They've returned!

Hello, Mistress, welcome home!

So how was the bazaar today?

Thanks to Zumurrud,

I found quite a few bargains there.

That's because I'm always at your service.

[Fatima laughs] That's true.

Sitara, you'll have to come with us next time.

Great!

By the way, I just sent a letter off to Nishapur.

As the roses bloom, a reply might arrive.

[Sitara exclaims]

[SITARA] After Safar comes the month of Rabi' al-Awwal,

when the roses bloom.

At least, when they should have.

[Sitara cries]

[ANIS] Zumurrud, you must eat to keep up your energy.

[Zumurrud groans]

And you as well. So, go on then.

[SITARA] You have it, Ms. Anis.

[Anis exhales]

[ANIS] Thank you.

But this share here is all yours.

Hey, tell me.

Do you remember when I said

slaves don't get to decide things for themselves?

[SITARA] Yes.

Viewed in another way,

it means slaves aren't responsible for things, either.

For instance, even if one were to commit a crime,

their punishment is only half that of somebody who's free.

[Sitara gasps softly]

[ANIS] I suppose you could say they think

we aren't capable of answering for our own behavior.

When it comes to the Mistress, you mustn't decide for yourself

whether you're accountable or not.

[Sitara cries] Then who decides it?

There's no one left who can!

The Mistress or Uncle. They're both... [cries]

That's true.

Wait,

there is still one person who's in Nishapur.

[Sitara breathes shakily]

Yes, that's right.

[Anis chuckles]

Master Muhammad's out there. He's still alive!

[ANIS] That's right.

So, you see then. We still have one person left.

[Sitara breathes shakily]

[Anis chuckles softly]

We... [cries]

We do! [cries]

[Zumurrud cries]

[SITARA (ADULT)] Soon...

the prisoners continued moving eastward.

Day after day, they traveled...

...threading between mountains, crossing rivers.

And then, just as Safar was ending...

[Sitara (adult), in English] The caravan came to a stop,

arriving at a group of tents.

Pitched in a place called Taloqan.

[sheep bleating]

[GIRL] Uh?

[SITARA] There are people here who aren't soldiers.

Could this be their city?

[CRAFTSMAN] Excuse me, where do you all hail from?

[all gasp]

From Tus.

[craftsman breathes uneasily]

[CRAFTSMAN] You mean they even conquered Tus?

[breathes uneasily] Where are you from?

They spared us.

After we identified ourselves as skilled craftsmen,

they brought us down here...

[exhales]

...from Nishapur.

[Sitara gasps]

♪

[CRAFTSMAN] After we learned the nomads were approaching,

we fortified our defenses.

Then at the very moment they descended upon us,

a single arrow fired from the ramparts.

Found its mark and struck down their commander.

And in retaliation for that one arrow,

the city of Nishapur was completely burned to the ground!

[Craftsman, in English] We skilled craftsmen

are the only people who survived.

The others, even our children were...

[Sitara gasps softly]

[SITARA] Master Muhammad was in Nishapur.

Can't be...

[Zumurrud grunts]

[all gasp]

[ANIS] Zumurrud!

[SITARA] Ms. Zumurrud!

[Zumurrud groans]

Mikhail...

Mikhail.

Uh?

Zumurrud.

[ZUMURRUD] The setting sun.

It's so bright, isn't it, Mikhail?

- [waves lapping] - [birds screeching]

[ZUMURRUD] And so beautiful.

- [Sitara and Anis gasp] - [SITARA] Ms. Zumurrud!

[ANIS] Please, no!

Don't leave us!

I'm begging of you!

[both crying]

[SITARA] Ms. Zumurrud came from a distant land

where she could watch the sea!

She served the mistress longer than any of us.

Did she want to return there the whole time?

Did she miss her family the whole time?

[Sitara cries]

[ANIS] We must give her a proper burial at least.

And reunite her with her brother.

[SITARA] "Indeed. We all belong to Allah."

[ALL] "And indeed, to Him we shall return."

[Sitara snores]

Now there is no joy.

- [birds chirping] - [flock bleating]

[WOMAN 1] Poor thing.

[WOMAN 2] What happened?

[Sitara gasps]

Excuse me.

[gasps]

[WOMAN 1] She lunged at a soldier who was walking by.

[Sitara gasps]

And then he just struck her down.

[WOMAN 2] How dreadful!

So why is everyone just...

[CRAFTSMAN] Peace be upon her soul.

[SITARA] She decided for herself.

Rather than becoming a slave to the nomads

for the rest of her life,

Ms. Anis wanted to die

while she was still a slave to her Tus family.

I know.

If I keep walking straight ahead,

maybe someone will shoot an arrow into me.

[SHIRA] Wait!

[Sitara gasps]

[SITARA] It's that boy.

[Sitara grunting]

[Shira grunts]

It's not... it's not like that!

- Hey, listen! - [Sitara crying]

You wanna get that book back, don't you?

[Sitara gasps softly]

[♪ closing theme song playing]

[SITARA (ADULT)] Next time, "An Undying Flame."