by Travis Pond
They continued walking through the streets of Kurith. Occasionally, Tureis would avoid a street or turn around suddenly. He even pulled them into a small alley to avoid some of the Guard coming down the street. All the while feeling nothing as to how to find Braon.
They came to the end of a street where there were very few people. They stopped walking and moved over against an empty shop. “We’ve been walking for over an hour now and it’s getting late in the afternoon. Any idea where to look?” Ailish asked.
“No. Not really,” said Tureis. “I can sense where not to go as we move through the city, but I have no idea where to look for Braon.”
“Why is that? Why can’t you find him?” Seth asked.
Tureis thought for a moment. “I think it’s because I don’t know the feeling of his Matya very well,” replied Tureis. He thought back to the night they had freed him from the stocks. As Tureis attempted to connect with Braon’s thoughts and interact with his Matya, Tureis had had a very strange feeling come over him. After that it appeared Braon had shut off his Matya completely so Tureis couldn’t sense it at all.
“What does that mean?” Seth asked, now very confused.
The question brought Tureis out of his thoughts. “I’ve been around you two so much, I can easily sense your Matya,” explained Tureis. “But I’ve not been around Braon enough to really get a sense of how his Matya feels, so it’s hard to find it in an area with so many people.”
Seth now was beginning to understand. “Isn’t Matya just Matya?” Seth asked for clarification. “We know every person has Matya inside of them, whether it’s been awakened or not. Isn’t it all the same?”
Tureis thought for a moment, searching for a way to explain this to Seth. To Tureis, this idea had become clear to him when he was young and had practiced using his Matya, but he’d never talked to anyone about it and was unsure of the exact words to use. Finally he said, “In one sense, the Matya is the Matya. But it’s also different in every person.”
At first, Seth thought he was understanding this, but now Seth was even more confused than when he asked the question. Tureis thought of another approach. “It’s like an apple,” he said. “When you eat an apple, some would say it’s just an apple. But some apples are sweet and some are tart. Some are crunchy and some are soft. While an apple is just an apple to some, to others there are many differences in all the varieties that can take a while to fully recognize. The Matya is like that, each person interacts with the Matya in different ways and it feels different for each person. It takes a while for me to recognize a person based solely on their Matya.”
Seth was nodding his head as he began to understand. “You know, as you explained that it reminded me of something,” he began. “I asked my father one time why I felt different inside when I spoke to different people in the castle. He told me it was the Matya. He said depending on how a person respected or feared the Matya would manifest in a feeling you get around them. I didn’t understand before, but maybe this is what he was trying to say.” Seth stopped and looked off in the distance lost in his thoughts; as if he’d just learned some great truth in the universe.
Ailish turned and faced Seth, her hands on her hips. “This is fascinating information, but since we don’t know where to go to find Braon, I still need to get some bolts for the crossbow. Maybe we can find an armorer and get some weapons,” she said.
“Good idea,” said Seth as he shook his head, clearing his thoughts. “We passed one a few streets over.”
“Actually, I heard a guy talking when we were at one of the shops earlier,” said Tureis. “He said there’s a blacksmith on the edge of town that makes weapons as well. Some of the best in town.”
Seth looked a little surprised, “A blacksmith? Really!”
“Yeah. He said the guy could make anything and that his weapons were some of the best quality in town. Very reasonable prices too,” replied Tureis.
Ailish reached into her bag and removed her bag of coins, shaking it. The sound of coins had become softer and the bag much lighter than when they began this journey. “We are getting low on coins,” she said. “We should try it out and see what we can get for the money we have left.”
With the map of Kurith in his mind, Tureis continued to lead them through the city. With the occasional dodging into alleys, changing streets and ducking behind things, it took nearly thirty minutes to find the blacksmith. As they approached the blacksmith shop, they stopped outside and stared.
The shop was composed of three tents with four wooden poles each. The tents were connected together, forming one giant tent. The roofs were made of canvas and there were side walls on each. The two outer tents also had backs of canvas. The fronts were open to display all the goods for sale.
In the center tent, sitting at the back, was a rock chimney extending out the back of the tent and high into the air. The front of the chimney contained a large rock forge. Attached to the base of the forge was a giant bellows. In front of the forge was an anvil attached to a tree trunk still planted in the ground.
The front of the shop had various metal objects hanging from the tents and standing on the ground. Wind chimes and weather vanes as well as metal gates and decorative iron candle holders and lamps. It was what was in the back of one of the side tents that caught Seth’s eye. “Hey,” he said, “look at those swords.”
Along the back wall of the tent at least two dozen swords hung from a tall rack. Below the swords were leg irons and chains, crossbows and various kinds of bolts with different tips. A table next to the rack held an assortment of various daggers and long knives, and even some maces.
Seth removed one of the swords from the rack and was swinging it, impressed with both the balance and the craftsmanship. Ailish was looking through the assortment of crossbow bolts and had already chosen several. Tureis was also impressed with the items in the shop, but was especially fascinated at the quality and beauty of the daggers. He was holding a dagger in his hand when a voice came from behind them, “Can I help you three?”
Seth dropped the sword to his side, Tureis placed the dagger back on the table. Ailish turned with recognition in her voice, “Braon!”
Reflexively, Braon stepped back, “Ailish? Is that you?”
“It’s all of us!” she exclaimed. “We’ve been looking for you.”
Braon backed up even more and looked around as if making sure no one else was coming to find him. Uncertainly, he said, “Looking for me? Why? You’re not trying to catch me again and take me back are you?”
“No. No. Nothing like that,” said Ailish.
Braon narrowed his eyes, not quite sure what to make of them. “Ok. Then why are you trying to find me?” he asked.
Now it was Tureis who looked around not wanting to be overheard. “Is there anyplace we can go to talk about this other than here?” he asked quietly.
Braon eyed them skeptically, looking back and forth between them. After a minute of considering the various reasons they might be here, as well as not seeing any of the King’s Guard coming through the tents, he said, “Ok. Sure. Follow me.”
Braon led them out of the back of the shop. The blacksmith shop was located at the very end of all the shops, on the road that led out of the city towards the border of the kingdom.
Behind the shop was the beginning of a large forest that extended into the kingdoms of Zummot and Galaera. Behind the wood pile a small path led into the forest. Braon began walking up the path leading them deeper into the forest.
After several minutes of walking they came to a hill. It was here they left the path walking around to the other side of the hill, staying close to the rock walls at the base. They continued to walk for another minute or two when a cave opening appeared in the base of the hill. Braon went inside. Seth, who was following next in line, stopped and turned to face Tureis and Ailish. “What d
o you think?” Seth said, looking straight at Tureis.
Tureis had been walking this whole time with his hand in his pocket. He moved closer to Ailish and Seth and whispered, “I don’t sense any danger.” He paused and then continued, “Before we go in there, I will say that I feel it’s important to share with him everything we can. But no talk of the sphere. I can’t explain the feeling, but I feel we need to keep it a secret between the three of us only.”
Tureis looked seriously at each of them. Together, they nodded their heads in agreement. Seth turned and walked inside the cave, followed by Ailish and Tureis. Tureis stopped at the door and looked at the dimly lit room. If he was expecting the comforts of home or even the comforts in his own cave, he was going to be severely disappointed.
The cave was lit by a single small oil lamp. Towards the front of the cave was a fire pit used for cooking and warming the cave. There were two bedrolls along one wall. A few logs sitting on end served as stools and were arranged around the fire pit. Along the other wall was a large pile of firewood. Braon was currently selecting branches and logs for laying a fire. After the fire was going, Braon sat down next to the other three and looked at each of them. “Ok,” he said, “I don’t think anyone will overhear us talking in here. So why are you here?”
Seth and Ailish looked at Tureis. Who was going to be the one to start this conversation? They had searched for Braon for several days, and only now did Tureis realize they never discussed what they would say to Braon once they found him.
Tureis looked at the other two unsure of what to say. Finally, Braon chuckled and said, “Ok. So you found me, and you know why you were looking for me, but you don’t know how to say it. Is that the problem here?”
All three of them looked astonished that he would know exactly what they were all thinking. “Well…it’s just that,” Tureis’ answer trailed away.
Braon chuckled again and looked at Ailish. “Ailish,” he said, “Out of all three of you, I know you best. We’ve trained many times. I’ve visited your home and ate at your table. Even after what your father did to me, over something I didn’t do, I still respect him. He did what he had to do in the presence of the king. I would have done the same thing if I was put in the same situation, and with no real evidence to work with.”
He paused and let his words sink in. After a minute Braon continued, “Now you know how I feel about Emmett and that I hold no bitter feelings for him. Ailish, you’ve always been the most direct person I know. Just tell me why you are here?”
Ailish leaned back on her log and took in a deep breath. She looked at Seth and Tureis who gave her a slight nod, prodding her to go ahead. Ailish looked at Braon and said softly, “We need your help.”
Braon was silent and stared into the fire for what seemed like an eternity before he asked, “Help with what?”
Again the three of them were silent, unsure how to explain. After a minute, Braon appeared to be losing his patience. He looked at Tureis and asked, “What do you need my help with?”
Tureis took a deep breath, mustering all the courage he had. What if Braon wouldn’t help them? What if they had come all this way only for him to laugh at them and send them on their way? What if they got into another fight? There were many more ‘what ifs’ going through his mind. He pushed them out of his thoughts, sat forward and calmly said, “We need your help to find the Oracle.”
Braon laughed out loud and stood up. He walked around the cave, laughing. Eventually, the laughing stopped and he returned to the fire. “The Oracle?” he asked still chuckling slightly. “Did I hear you right? You said the Oracle?”
Tureis was shocked with the response, “Yes. The Oracle. We have been sent by King Seathan to find the Oracle for Seth.”
“Seth has been sent to find the Oracle?” asked Braon. “Is the Oracle even real? There’s so much legend and myth associated with the Oracle, I don’t even know if she’s a real person. I always thought it was a legend.”
Tureis had also heard some of those stories, although not from his father. There were well known legends of the Oracle. The Oracle was thought to be an all powerful holder and guardian of the Matya. She could wield the Matya for good or evil. It was said there were secret messengers of the Oracle that she controlled. These messengers would go around helping people and stopping evil based on the Oracle’s wishes. Some stories even suggested that King Hamish of Zummot was the Oracle; creating the fear of the Oracle and of the kingdom of Zummot.
With these stories out there, it wasn’t hard to see why many people feared the Matya and were scared of the thought of an Oracle being real. When Braon could see the expressions on their faces hadn’t changed he asked, “So...then I assume the Oracle is real?”
“We believe so,” Ailish said.
“And you two?” Braon said, pointing his finger at them. They both nodded.
Braon rubbed a hand over his short beard, considering the things he’d been told. He seemed to come to some kind of internal decision and asked again, “So...why me? I don’t know where the Oracle is. Legend says the Oracle finds you and not the other way around. So why me?”
“Emmett asked us to find you,” said Tureis. “He felt terrible about what had happened to you, but asked us to find you anyway. He said you would be a great asset on our journey to find the Oracle.”
Ailish jumped in, “We also really could use someone to help protect us too. After the fight we got into on the way from Freb, we need someone that can help us stay safe.”
“Fight?” asked Braon.
They rehearsed to Braon the events on the road from Freb. After they finished, Braon nodded his head, “First of all, that was amazing strategy. Second, I agree, you do need help fighting...well, if a fight arises that is.”
They became silent for a minute, pondering over all the information that had been shared. Finally Braon asked, “You said Emmett told you to find me? When did you see Emmet?”
This time it was Ailish that explained how after he escaped up the boulder hill that they had been caught by Emmett and Elis. She explained how they were banished from the kingdom until they could learn to make better decisions. She also explained how the king had wished for Seth to see the Oracle. Only then would they be allowed back into the kingdom.
“So help me understand,” began Braon. “You got caught saving me? Because of that you got banished from the kingdom? After the Oracle talks to Seth you can go back? What’s the Oracle going to say to Seth that will change everything?”
They all looked dumbfounded. This was something they hadn’t even thought about. They all shook their heads, speechless. “We don’t know,” Ailish finally said.
“We won’t know until we find the Oracle,” said Seth somberly. “To be honest, I’m a bit nervous myself about what I’m going to be told.”
Ailish looked back at Braon and asked, “So, will you help us?”
Braon was silent for a moment. During this entire conversation, Tureis hadn’t removed his hand from his pocket. The Matya continued to help him clear his mind and focus on the discussion. As Ailish asked this question, something changed with Braon. When they first entered the cave, Tureis felt joy and comfort. As soon as Ailish asked if Braon would help, Tureis felt that same conflicted feeling he felt the night Braon was in the stocks. But no sooner had the feeling come that it vanished.
“I think I will,” said Braon, holding up a finger, “But, I also think that I’m not going to be enough.”
“What do you mean?” Seth asked.
“I mean that me alone isn’t enough to keep you all safe,” said Braon.
“So what are you asking?” asked Ailish.
Braon smiled and said, “I’m asking for you to let me take one more person with us.”
They looked at each other. “Who?” asked Ailish.
“His name is Eamonn Pha
draig,” explained Braon. “He’s the nephew of the blacksmith that owns the shop in town. Eammon’s just as good at making things as his uncle, maybe even better. He can make or fix anything. He’s also a good fighter and was in the King’s Guard as well. He quit the guard to come help his ailing father. After his father passed away he started working with his uncle.”
“Do you think he’ll help us?” asked Seth.
“I think the better question is why would he help us?” asked Tureis.
“You can ask him that yourself,” answered Braon. “He’ll be here soon. He stays here with me. Usually comes in around dark and it’s nearly dark now. Why don’t we cook something for dinner.”
Chapter 14
- Eammon -
As they finished cooking dinner, a rustling noise came from outside the cave. They looked up to see a man enter the cave, humming to himself. The man stopped and looked around as if he was unsure if he’d walked into the wrong cave.
Braon spoke up, “Eammon! It’s alright. You’re in the right place. Come in and have a seat. These are friends of mine from Thaven.”
Eammon sat down next to Seth on a short log, which seemed appropriate as Eammon was a very short man. In addition to being short, Eammon was also very round in the middle. He had no hair on his head, but had a long red beard, which appeared to carry remnants of what he had for lunch under his chin. His most striking feature, however, was his smile. He hadn’t stopped smiling since sitting down. When he smiled, his whole face seemed to light up and come alive.
Eammon looked at each of their faces and said with a chuckle, “Well who do we have here? Wait a minute,” He held up a finger, closed his eyes and tipped his head back. When he opened his eyes he looked at each of them again. “If I had to guess,” he started, “And if you subtract about five years from each of you...I would say you are Ailish, the daughter of Emmett.” Eammon turned and looked at Seth. “You sir need no introduction. It’s an honor to have you in my humble abode your highness-to-be.” Eammon pretended to remove a non-existent hat from his head and bowed as he sat there.