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Uruk, the city of Gilgamesh, lay peaceful and quiet on the morning the hunter and the harlot set out on their journey. As to not draw attention to themselves, the duo set out before the sun was visible over the horizon. The journey back to the forest would take but three days if the weather was kind. Provisions and supplies were packed the night before to allow them no delays the morning of their departure. The city was absent of commotion and clatter as they made their way out of the large city gates.
The harlot named Shamhat was a meek girl, even though her title in the city didn’t much allow it and required her to be more outgoing when the situation called for it. Though she had never been out of the city walls, she was quite confident the hunter would keep her safe, even though he terrified her himself. The hunter stood much taller than the average men she’d seen and his face was not as inviting as she was used to. However, being sent on a mission by Gilgamesh himself didn’t allow her to voice her fears and she was not about to turn down the honor he bestowed upon her. So Shamhat kept quiet with her head down and followed the hunter for many hours before any form of communication was shared.
“Do you know of your purpose on this journey, Shamhat?” The hunter inquired, hardly sparing her a backward glance as they continued to walk. Shamhat was not used to such a cold shoulder due to the life she lived, and although she did not much care for the hunter and had no plans to know him for any longer than necessary, she was determined to make this journey as painless as possible. She ignored his rudeness and replied to his question.
“No, I do not. However, I can only imagine it has something to do with how I live out my days back home. I know not much else than the body and how to pleasure it.” Shamhat returned, earning a grunt in acknowledgement.
“You are going to pleasure a man in the forest where I hunt so that he is no longer a friend to the animals. When it is complete, hopefully you will take him back to Uruk with you.” Though the hunter’s description of what she would be doing was brief, she understood her task and had no questions to voice. There was a brief lull in conversation when she decided to inquire about his name, fore she did not remember ever receiving one to call him.
“I do not believe I learned of your name, hunter. Might I ask what it is?” Shamhat asked as she travelled behind the large man. The hunter did not reply for a time one would consider appropriate and when she prepared to ask again, he gave a short reply in response.
“You may ask, but I will not tell you. It is unimportant.”
“Why not? I find it only fair. You know my name. Why am I not allowed to know yours?”
“It is unimportant.”
Conversation came to a halt after that and did not continue until the next day. The sun was beating down on the earth and the air was thick with dust, making it difficult to breathe. The plan was to eat their midday meal as they walked, but as it became apparent they could not go on in the heat, they took shelter under a cluster of sparse trees that proved to give more than adequate shade. Their meal consisted of flat bread with dried meat and a selection of both fresh and sun dried berries. Surprisingly, it was the hunter who broke the silence.
“So how is it you came to be a temple prostitute in the city of Gilgamesh?” The hunter asked in between large bites of bread and meat.
“You want to know my life story, when I have not even been granted the privilege of learning your name?” Shamhat asked, baffled by the hunter’s confusing attitude. He shares nothing of himself but expects answers to everything he inquires about.
“I had assumed that a woman who is so open with her body would also be open with her soul. My mistake.” The hunter returned half-heartedly.
“Your mistake indeed.” Shamhat shot back. “I am a woman of high standing back in Uruk. A women of the temple is one to be praised and I have never been shown so much disrespect. I will not tell you, because you do not have a right to know and as a more than questionable man once said to me, ‘it is unimportant.’” Shamhat reiterated, earned a small but almost unnoticeable smirk from the hunter in response. The pair packed up their things in silence and stepped into the hot sun, continuing their journey.
The day continued on, both parties staying quiet due to their second failed attempt at conversation. As the heat faded, the light of day did as well. The party continued on a little longer than they did the day before to make up for the lost time during lunch earlier that day. When the hunter and Shamhat made camp for the night, no words were spoken. Bed rolls were lain out around the fire and meals were eaten quietly. Shamhat was almost lost to the throws of slumber as she lay in her bedroll when she was brought back to a more aware state after hearing the hunter speak up quietly from his bedroll.
“I am sorry for my inconsiderate words during this trip. Please excuse my rudeness. It has been a long time since I was around anyone other than my father.”
“You are excused.” Shamhat returned. No words were spoken again that night.
The third and final day brought with it cooler air and a brighter mood. Instead of walking behind the hunter like she did the past few days, Shamhat found herself walking next to the man with her head held high. No conversation was held until they began to approach the forest later that evening, but the atmosphere was no longer hostile between the two. The duo made it to their destination at sunset on the third day and began to set up camp when it was clear Enkidu was not there. The hunter got a fire started and began to cook the birds he managed to catch earlier that evening. Shamhat sat on the other side of the fire and ate a small loaf of bread as she stared into the fire, a contemplative look adorning her face.
"I’ve lived in Uruk all my life.” The hunter stopped what he was doing to listen when Shamhat spoke up. He chose not to question what she was talking about, having a vague idea of where this conversation was going. “My family was one of the more wealthy households and so we lived closer to the center of the city. I lived a privileged life. Well, as privileged as a young girl can be. It was but a few days after I turned the age of 10 when two women from the temple came to collect me. Of course my parents accepted. It was a great honor to our family for one of their daughters to be chosen to live up in the temple. I packed what little I could take with me and I never went back or saw them again.” Shamhat paused to take a drink from her water skin.
“I spent the remaining years up until the age of 18 learning of the body and all the ways to pleasure it. Ever since I graduated that little school, I have lived out my days in relaxation and comfort in the temple, waiting to be called upon. I imagine my life is not as nearly as exciting as you imagined it would be.” Shamhat finished.
“No, but I thank you for sharing anyway. I was not expecting a response.” The hunter replied, nodding in thanks when she looked him in the eye. They lapsed into silence once again and left each other to their thoughts.
“Aindrias” The hunter said later that night as he was cleaning up the remains of their dinner.
“What was that?” Shamhat questioned, a piece of bread halfway to her mouth.
“My name. You asked for it. It is Aindrias.”
“Aindrias.” Shamhat tested its sound on her tongue. “Does it have a meaning?”
“It means ‘man.’” Aindrias replied.
“Oh, well thank your mother for giving you that name. I would have had no idea you were one if it weren’t for such a cleverly crafted name such as ‘man.’” Shamhat teased, earning a small, exasperated chuckle from Aindrias in return.
“I admit my family was not very capable of giving their only son a strong name, but you can’t deny that it does fit me.” Aindrias joked back. The pair shared a laugh and lapsed into a comfortable silence as they got their bedrolls set up for the night and went to bed.
For three more days, the pair waited for Enkidu to appear. When at least he showed himself to them from their hiding spot, Shamhat was overcome with a sense of fear, having never seen a man like him before. He was tall and intimidating, much like her king Gilgamesh, but this man was wild and she did not know how he would react to another person, much less a female. Shamhat felt a hand on her shoulder and was given a light squeeze before Aindrias removed his hand. They looked to each other and prepared to say their goodbyes, knowing this is where they would part ways.
“Thank you very much for your company, Aindrias. Your time was much appreciated.” Shamhat lifted her hand out, waiting to receive a parting hand shake.
“Thank you for your company, Shamhat. I pray all goes well for you and your future.”
Aindrias met her hand shake with a firm hand. The hunter shared with her again her task and told her in detail of what she must do. With a parting glance, the two went their separate ways. The hunter went home to his father and Shamhat entered the field where she spread her cloak down on the ground and laid down upon it, ready to fulfill her role.