The Seeker - Finna's Quest

by E L Russell

  Finna’s wide eyes were enough to show she got the message.

  “Enough of that,” he said, “I knew both of you would take time travel seriously. You have each seen too much death to not hold your powers in respect. Life takes on a more sacred, realistic aspect. Life is good. Life needs to be respected.” They were smart. Both of them. He wasn’t worried the wouldn’t take what he said seriously. “I think we’ll save additional talk of time travel for another time.”

  He bent over to be eye level with Finna. “And as I said before, we will complete your mission for Queen Eleanor after we end the conflict I am about to introduce you to.”

  She poked his chest. “Your word on it, Seeker?”

  He laid his hand on his heart. “My word as a Templar Knight.”

  Jamal obviously liked the idea of combat. He jumped to his feet. “Where and when is Spes?”

  Leeth clapped his hands. “Good for you, my boy. That’s the correct question. The when is easy. When we travel to Spes, we go into their timeline, which corresponds to Earth’s year 1348, which is a bit into your future. For the record, that time on Earth is the beginning of the Great Pestilence.”

  45

  Castle Star Point

  Traveling to Another War

  Finna shook a hand at Leeth’s face. “You said much that confuses me. I know you have jumped us through time, but I find the details confusing. And what, by the sarding blood of all the saints, is the Great Pestilence of 1348?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

  * * *

  Jamal obviously liked the idea of combat. He jumped to his feet. “Where and when is Spes?”

  Leeth clapped his hands. “Good for you, my boy. Those are the right questions. The time part is easy. When we travel to Spes we go into their timeline, which corresponds to Earth’s twelfth century. That’s hardly relevant compared with Spes’ location. It’s on the opposite side of the galaxy from Earth.”

  Jamal did not appear to be impressed.

  Finna asked, “Do you ever travel into the future?”

  “No. I am not able to initiate travel into my future, however, I can take the two of you into my past, even though it is your future. Do you understand?”

  Leeth took her hand again and included Jamal with his glance. They sat side-by-side, leaning against the rampart as they often did for comfort. “Time travel into your future on your own is impossible. Such travel is one of the mysteries of time travel and no one, not even the Time Overlords, seems to know why.” He knew they would both have questions, so he waited.

  Finna stared across the keep’s floor and spoke, almost as if to herself. “Speaking mind-to-mind is second nature now. “She shook her head. “Humph. “Godfrey and I could have used the skill to sabotage Bromwell’s bullying.” Her hand wave dismissed that part of her past. “I like the ability to view remotely. It helped against Prince Zafir’s pirates.” She crossed her arms. “Sort of.”

  Leeth knew what she meant. In the end, she’d been caught anyway.

  She lifted both hands with enthusiasm. “Now repositioning, that’s amazing . . . and time saving. They are skills I can expect to use without fear.” She stood and paced away from the table and then returned. “But time travel scares me. I desperately want to be with my father again, but to do that, it seems to me I must interfere with God’s work and that scares me more the time travel.”

  Leeth reached his arm around her shoulder and gave her a little shake. Finna didn’t know if it was a companionship hug or something else, but a flush of warmth shot through her and she pushed away.

  Jamal’s eyes had never left the Seeker’s face and Leeth knew in spite of reassurances, the boy worried he might just disappear. Jamal opened his mouth to speak, then closed it.

  “Out with it Jamal. Ask your question.”

  With your time travel, why can’t you prevent a death by redeeming anyone you want to? Like you did us? Like my mother.”

  “Ah, of course. Your mother. Understand when I say our actions cannot . . . must not . . . ever alter Earth’s timeline. We cannot casually remove a living being from the timeline or retrieve someone who has died. We may only redeem someone the world believes to be already dead and that requires witnesses that remember and record the death. That means the corpse itself must be irretrievable. That is the reason I had you and Jamal fall into the deep ocean from the prince’s boat while his men watched what they believed was your death at sea.” His voice softened. “Know this. I will find a solution for your mother’s redemption. Can you be patient?”

  Jamal’s jaw fell and he blinked his eyes several times. “What you say is true? You can save my mother? She will be alive again? You can accomplish this redemption for her?”

  Leeth stood, holding his journal close in his folded his arms. “Yes, Jamal. In time, I will figure it out.”

  The same joy Finna saw on the boy’s face surged through her. “Is that a promise, Seeker? You won’t disappoint us in this?”

  He put his hands on his heart. “My promise as a Templar.” He sighed. “We have digressed enough. You are ready. Tomorrow we leave for Castle Star Point on Spes, just a bit into this future.”

  * * *

  Early the next morning, Leeth stood in the center of the keep’s rampart with two large sacks at his feet. He straightened his robe under his belt, adjusting his long swords and short one. I his right hand, he held his pain stick, a weapon with special skills of its own. “Are your travel bags equipped? Are your weapons battle-ready?”

  At a nod from both his trainees, he said, “Hold tight.”

  Finna, hands full of her bow and arrows, her swords, a bag, and the strange spear Leeth had given them, managed to grab Leeth’s arm and Jamal, equally burdened, did the same.

  Leeth repositioned Finna and Jamal to a high rampart at Castle Star Point. The sunshine of their previous location had disappeared and clouds hung heavy over an unfamiliar landscape.

  Leeth put his weapons on his bags and walked to the battlements. “Come, join me and take in the view. It is hard to see through the mist, but the distant ring of water tells us we are on a small island. Beyond the cleared space around this magnificent castle is a dense forest of short trees that shade the way to the beach.”

  Finna looked all around before she spoke. “This is Spes?”

  “During Earth’s twelfth century?” Jamal asked.

  “If we use Earth’s timeline as a basis, yes, we are here on the planet Spes a few hundred years in your future.”

  Jamal said, “What year do the people here call it?”

  Finna groaned.

  Leeth laughed. “I have no idea. The people of Spes, called the Silva, do not seem to put much importance on that aspect of their calendar.”

  Finna gestured overhead. “Is that a dense fog or are they clouds?”

  Untroubled by the sky, Jamal, like any twelve-year-old, raced to the far side of the rampart, filled with curiosity. “Come look. This castle is huge. It has many levels and inner courtyards. Some of the baileys are for training. See the men down there? And there are other areas for gardens and animals. Do they have horses?”

  “There must be a hundred men training down there,” Finna said, joining him.

  Leeth grinned. “Look again. I see a few women fighting, as well.”

  “Don’t be silly, we’re too far away to tell—” She leaned forward. “Oh, I can do that. I see them clearly now. What did you call this abi
lity, remote viewing?”

  “Vizing,” Jamal said,

  Finn inhaled sharply and her voice rose to an excited squeak, not so much for realizing she could use her new skill, but for the women she saw.

  “They’re dressed like the Amazons.” Her eyes grew large. “And they’re partly without their tops.” She leaned even farther forward. “And they’re good. I mean their fighting skills. They’re worthy.”

  Leeth stood between them and flung his arms over both their shoulders. “There will be time for meeting some of them later. First, however, I want to tell you about them.” He gave their shoulders a pat. “Get your belongings and follow me. We have to present ourselves to one of the official in charge of the war. He over sees the rules. I’ll talk as we walk.”

  “Most of the fighters are not from your world,” Leeth said, leading them down a set of stairs and through a maze of hallways and ramparts. They come from many different planets. Take care to be respectful to all those you encounter. Some time in the near future, your life could depend on how well these warriors accept you.”

  “Who is this official if he’s not on our team?” Jamal asked,

  “His name is Vald.”

  46

  Vald

  Evil Rises

  Just as she would carefully take note of every boulder and tree on a potential battlefield, Finna noted every passage, door, and rampart they passed. This was new territory and she wanted to be ready for any surprises. More than she’d already had, she amended. So far, everything was a revelation.

  With no warning, Leeth stopped in the middle of a long dimly-lit corridor and raised his arm, motioning them to stay behind him.

 

  They replied in unison.

  He turned.

  Jamal asked.

 

  Finna shook her head. Sometimes he sounded like such a lackwit.

  Leeth raised an eyebrow before continuing toward their destination. He turned his head to them but kept walking.

  They answered again in unison.

  He snorted at their response.

  Finna grabbed the sleeve of his robe and stopped walking.

 

 

  He nodded and began to walk slowly.

  Finna crossed her arms and didn’t budge from where she stood.

  Jamal crossed his arms as well and moved close to Finna for a united front.

  Leeth stared at them and Finna had the distinct impression he wanted to laugh, but he schooled his full lips to a thin line and said,

 

  Finna was proud of him. He had grown in many ways over the last few months. Or was it years? With time travel, it was a fuzzy detail. Whatever, he was an astute thinker as well as a physically strong and skilled fighter. She ducked her head and blinked rapidly to stop tears. Sarding shit. His mother would have been so proud.

  Leeth, unaware of her struggle, pulled on his lower lip and continued.

  Finna began walking again.

  Jamal caught up and addressed Leeth.

  Finna pushed on.
  Leeth waved a hand in dismissal.

  She shook her head and held up her arms.

  He gave her a small thumbs-up.

  She glared.

 

  They both responded.

 

  Finna said,

 

  More confusing things. Finna’s existence had been a mixed up muddle since she’d met Leeth. Nothing was straight foreword, nothing made sense, and nothing was ever fully explained.

 

  He never did.

  For a change, he reacted to the thunderclouds on her face and revised his response. He threw up both hands.

  Not much real information . . . again. What could be more powerful than time travel? She had trouble conceptualizing it, especially since Leeth couldn’t explain it . . . again. As far as she knew, they could be living in be any year. All she knew was the place kept changing. It was all she could manage. Jamal did better.

 

 

  Jamal was not satisfied.

  Leeth took in a full breath and cleared his throat before responding.

  Jamal nodded and folded his arms.

  Leeth continued. eems empty enough to be safe. Since they can always reposition to any place they’ve been, they can safely reposition home at any time, no matter how far away they are.>

  Jamal interrupted.

  Leeth grinned and raised a finger.

  Finna took a turn.

  Leeth’s shoulders slumped slightly.

  Finna’s eyes widened.

  Leeth put a hand on Jamal and Finna’s shoulder.

  They nodded.

  * * *

  After what seemed like hours of walking in a tangled maze of passages, Leeth led Finna and Jamal into a large hall with thick-carpeted floors, ornate gilded mirrors, and large paintings.

  Finna had never seen such opulence.

  Leeth said nothing, but nudged them through an open door onto one of the many balconies. They emerged just above the warriors fighting on the green.