Each elder stood, some hesitantly, some excited and all but one asking for time and the destruction of the kingdom. The last elder stood. A man strong and bold, he rose to his feet.
"I have seen many things and heard many more. The ability to destroy a kingdom does not belong to a man. We will stay and see all of you fools abandon what little lives you have to run away. This man promises nothing but more suffering and I will have no part of it, neither will my people." He walked from the room.
The man stood, "Two weeks is all the time I will give you. Prepare your people in secret. You will have a night to flee. When the moon is dark again you will fill your wagons and packs and leave this kingdom behind. That next day you must avoid all the kingdom's men for the entire day. That night you must be out of the kingdom or suffer the same fate as those bound to the kingdom."
The next two weeks passed as people secretly packed all their belongings. Carts and wagons were built and loaded in secret, hidden from the kingdom's men. Food was prepared and weapons secured for the flight from their homes. During this time more and more sightings of the man occurred, driving the king into a frenzy. He decried the man an enemy of the state and put a reward out for his capture. It was all for naught. Finally the night arrived. The moon darkened again, like it had for all of time. Yet this time it seemed to hide it's face from the people leaving their homes. Families sneaking across the fields and through the forest. Whole communities emptied into the countryside and raced for the kingdom's borders. All but one community. They rested in their beds, secure in their knowledge that they were right.
When the sun arose that next day no workers arrived at the mines or fields. When sought out by the king's men no one was found in the homes. Homes were stripped down to bare buildings, furniture had been used to make more carts so the rooms stood bare. As the news became known the king's men raced through the communities trying to find anybody still there. Occasionally some souls were found, those who had refused to leave their homes. Few had stayed, yet they also refused to betray those who had run ahead of the king's men.
Messengers started to arrive from all over the kingdom, bringing the news that the people had abandoned their homes. That the villages were empty of all life. The king was brought to an anger beyond anything he had ever known. He was furious that his people, his slaves had dared to leave, to seek freedom. He ordered his men to scour the countrysides for the people. He ordered them to find the man who had caused this mass exodus.
At that very moment the man walked into the court, his beautiful robes flowing around him like a flower. He walked right up to the king and stopped. The court was shocked at the brazen man. The king ordered the man seized. The solders tried yet failed. He escaped every effort with ease. Finally he stood alone before the king, as he had killed all who tried to capture him.
"I come for your kingdom. You will not last the day. You have till dark to try to escape your fate." The man turned around and walked over the bodies laid to waste.
The king stood still and watched the man walk out. He then rushed to the stables and saddled the fastest horse. He grabbed no water, no food, nor clothes. He raced for the border, knowing that he faced an enemy who would destroy him. His only option was to escape.
When the sun set the king was in sight of the border, mere moments from escaping. Suddenly a bright flash occurred on the road and the man appeared. The horse reared and threw the king to the dirt. He looked up and tears ran down his face. He knew he faced his destruction.
The man walked forward and placed his hand upon the king's forehead. "Even after all this you still do not realize who I am. I am the son that your father denied every siring. My mother was a slave who could not refuse the king. He cast her aside and she escaped from his power. I was born of royal blood yet lived a paupers life until I learned I had magic. My father took everything from my mother. Her family, her home, even her life as she died from giving birth to me. I learned what kind of man my father was and decided to seek my revenge upon him. But he died before I could kill him. I hoped his other son would be a better man, yet you are worse than anything your father could have imagined. I came to avenge my mother, yet I learned that I was meant to free this kingdom and also you my brother." The man started to glow. "This land will die. I am going to kill it. Not a single stone will stand upon another. Not a single plant will flourish for generations. And I am destroying the very people whom followed your orders, those who carried out your commands in ways that even you do not yet understand. You, however, will not die. Neither will you live. I am going to make you an example to all other rulers. If they rule like you and your family did then they can also be destroyed."
The man's magic wrapped around the king and transformed him. His body twisted and grew. His limbs stretched towards the sky and his feet sank into the ground. His body transformed into a massive gray tree, growing up in the road. The tree stood taller than any building and swayed in the breeze.
"No ax nor fire may destroy you. You shall live rooted to this spot, only passing away when all the descendents of those you oppressed have forgotten your very existence. When they no longer tell tales of the evil king will you finally die. You shall serve as a warning and a reminder."
The man turned and faced into the kingdom, "All of those who have fled have escaped. It is time." His magic flowed out of his body and deep into the ground. The magic rolled through the ground, rocks tumbling and the very mountains shaking to their cores. The man worked all through the night, forcing his magic and will into the ground of the kingdom. Buildings tumbled and fell, leaving no structure standing throughout the kingdom. The very soil changed and plants died until the only growing thing in the kingdom was the tree of the king. The kingdom was destroyed and the mage had fulfilled his promise. He turned to the tree, which shook in anger.
"I am no better than you my brother. I have just destroyed an entire kingdom. People died. Animals were destroyed. The very land will never bring forth plants. I have utterly destroyed everything my father controlled." He smiled sadly, "However, I also freed my people. They will once more sing around the fire, dance in the squares, and teach their children to laugh. So maybe I am redeemed." He laid down and cast one last spell. His body collapsed and started to transform. Another large tree grew up beside the tree of the king. Where the tree of the king was gray and dark this tree was bright and beautiful. The bark was a rich mix of browns, the leaves were all the colors of nature, and the tree stretched towards the sky. It gently swayed in the breeze.
Both trees stand looking out over the wasteland that was once a kingdom. Lost to all who once lived there and who would ever desire to live there. They still stand there today, one a dark, dour tree. The other a tree full of life and color. I have seen them with my own eyes.
The people escaped that night. They crossed fields and rivers. Finding themselves outside the kingdom they looked back and watched a kingdom be destroyed, a land die. The were left with a decision. What must they do to survive, to hold true to what the mage had asked of them. Some wanted to settle down, to build homes and plant gardens. Others felt that since they had lost their home they would never live within one again. The two groups split families and communities, but they loved one another. The elders developed a solution. The people would stay as one group, the Lost Kingdom. However, they would be made up of two distinct groups. These groups would be defined by their lifestyle. One group would build and maintain campgrounds, inns, and taverns. These places would provide homes and communities for those who desired such things. The other group would wander, never building nor developing homes. They would live on the road, among the hedges and fields. They would visit the campgrounds, inns, and taverns of their families. So the two groups were born. Yet both groups go through changes. The group that had homes occasionally needed to leave, to explore, or to visit their family and friends on the road. Those on the road grew tired of the wagons and packs. They desired gardens. So both groups are fluid, ever changing in who is on
the road. Those who live on the road most times are called the Wanders. They are the ones who live in wagons and tents. Those who live off the road in houses, yet travel occasionally are called the Travelers.
And to this day they live happy lives, full of laughter, dance, and joy.
***
By the time Stain had finished his explanation my stomach was starting to let me know that it was time for food. "Could we stop for lunch?" I asked Stain.
He grinned and nodded towards a place on the side of the path. "That is a fine idea. I feel like I could eat something also." We all found a place to rest for a few moments and pulled out traveling food. For a few moments the only sounds nearby were us eating and drinking.
"So how far is the path to the caravan road?" Tag asked Stain.
Stain looked over at Tag and grinned, "If I understood correctly, then it will be three days journey to reach the road. That is if we make good time everyday. So perhaps figure on four days."
Tag nodded and went back to his water bucket, sipping slowly.
"What will we do once we reach this road?" Raven had finished her food.
Stain took a bite before answering. "We will travel along the road until we reach the large city. If we can we will travel with a group of Wanderers. Along the way we collect anything that can be used as a trade good item."
Raven sighed, "I know nothing of herbal craft. Not even enough to identify most plants as safe to eat. What do I do while we travel?"
I grinned, I could see the frustration on Raven's face. "How about practice your knife skills?"
She nodded, "I can do that, however I do get tired and could hurt myself. Plus I would like to contribute if possible."
Stain contemplated this. "Perhaps it is time to teach you something other than magic." He stood up and pulled Raven to her feet. "How about if Ott and I teach you about herb craft so that you have a better understanding of what we do? I can also work with you on magic while Ott works with you on forest related skills."
Raven nodded, relieved that Stain had an answer. "That sounds like a plan. I can practice my knife work better in a camp. The rest sounds as if it will be better while traveling."
Stain motioned to me, "We can start now. We need to keep moving, however this is a good place for Raven to learn some basic forestry skills." He picked up his bag and headed down the trail. "Take her out in the woods and show her how to find her way without a map or guide. Meet me at the campsite after dark. It will be the one with a massive turtle and snail." Tag and Evins followed Stain leaving Raven and I alone with only Mophar as company.
"Well that was sudden." Raven just stood there watching Stain walk off.
"He does that a lot. I think we should cover some basic rules." I picked up my sack and threw it over my shoulder. "Do not eat anything without asking. There are plants that have defenses against being eaten. Also, ask questions. We are not hunting so making noise is not an issue." I headed away from the trail and into the woods. "We are going to use the sun to keep off to the side of the path. Every so often we will sight the path to make sure it does not move away from us." I stopped and pointed upwards. "By using the sun and the shadows cast you can tell which direction you are heading and what time of day it is. The shorter the shadow the closer it is to mid-day. That is also the hardest time to tell which way you are walking." I pointed downwards. "These shadows all point off to the side. That way we know is north. We want to travel west. So we need to head this direction." We started walking through the woods. "You have to check the sun's height, otherwise you will slowly travel in an arc as the day passes."
Raven sighed, "But how do we walk through all these trees and brush? I have never traveled like this."
I looked back and realized that she had leaves in her hair and must have slipped a few times as she had mud on one knee. I stopped and thought for a moment. "You have never walked through the woods?"
"Well woods like this? No." She wiped hair out of her eyes. "Just parks. Places with trees. Nothing wild like this."
I looked around, "Then you need a few things before we continue." I finally spotted it, a perfectly straight sapling. Walking over to it I looked it up and down. No major bends or broken limbs.
"What are you doing?" Raven had followed me.
"I am going to make you a walking staff. It will help you move through the woods without tripping or falling." I pulled out a small hatchet and worked to carefully fell the tree. Once it lay on the ground I worked slowly and removed all the branches, piling them off to one side. I worked a while and finally had a decent length of wood, one that would reach about elbow high on Raven. I handed it to her. "Try walking with this. Use it to keep your balance and to test the ground. I can finish it later, it should work for now."
Raven took the staff and tried it out. She moved hesitantly at first but soon had reached a better level of confidence in moving through the woods. "This works really well. Who knew a simple stick could make such a difference?"
I smiled and headed deeper into the woods. "Okay, so some basic forestry ideas. Always be prepared. This means have food and water at all times. Have a weapon handy. Be dressed to be in the woods. Have a means to light a fire. These kind of things."
"That all makes sense." Raven seemed to be moving much better behind me.
"And always keep an eye out for danger." Mophar quipped.
"What kind of danger is there in the woods?" Raven asked.
Mophar looked back at her, "Basically it falls into three categories. The first is the very environment You could fall off of a cliff, slide down into a gully, step over a log and break a bone. The second thing is creatures. Some will attack you to try to eat you. Others will attack you to try to live. Either way can be deadly or just harmful. Even a simple bird can cause a person harm if it thinks it needs to do so. Finally the plants. Some plants will poison, some cut, some even strangle or snarl."
"You forgot people. People in the forest can be dangerous." I chimed in. "My dad said to always approach people as the most dangerous things in the forest since they behave differently. A bear will always behave like a bear, but a human will behave normal one moment and try to kill you the next. You can always count on animals to behave like an animal, with humans you can never tell which ones are dangerous."
"I have seen that also." Raven commented quietly. "I think I need to know about animals. I know almost nothing about them."
We spent the better part of the afternoon talking about basics of forestry skills. I explained about the different types of animals and what dangers they posed. Mophar helped in that aspect. We also discussed how to survive in different situations. After a while Raven was able to ask questions to get to a deeper understanding of a life in the forest.
"So, this is what you learned as a child?" Raven asked during a break. We sat on stones that pushed up through the forest floor.
I grinned, "All the time. My father spent a large bit of time making sure I could survive in the woods no matter what happened. We always thought that was what I would do with my life."
Raven grinned, "Well he was right in some respect. You do stay in the woods a lot."
Mophar asked, "How much longer till we rejoin Stain?"
I looked around and sighted down where I believed Stain to be. Pulling on my mage sight I could see him far away, maybe an hour's walk. Pointing I stated, "He is that direction. It looks as if he already has a campsite picked out."
"Let us get down there. I am hungry and could use a break from walking through the woods." She smiled when she said this.
We headed down towards the campsite. After a while we could see the light from a fire shining through the woods. We finally reached the path and picked up our pace. Walking into the camp set off a mild alarm, Stain must have set it out when he made camp.
"Well there you are." Stain stuck his head out of his tent. "Get your tents set up. I have food cooking and Tag and Evins are settled down already. I want to hear how the afternoon went." He pulled h
is head back into the tent as Raven and I went about setting up our tents.
Stain stood next to the fire, stirring a pot of food. "So, what did you learn today?" He directed this to Raven.
She smiled and rubbed her feet. "I learned that walking in the woods is much different than walking a path. I also learned a lot about how the forest works." She held up the walking staff I had made her. "I also learned that Ott understands more than he can ever explain about the forest. I think he is meant to travel his whole life, he just comes by it naturally."
I blushed and ducked my head when she said this. "There is still a lot I do not know."
Stain grinned and handed out bowls. "I am sure that both of you are correct. However, I am also sure that you will gain a mastery of the forest over time Raven. Now, I think tomorrow you will travel with me while I teach you. Ott can scout ahead and harvest plenty of herbal supplies while we work."
We all dug into the food, enjoying the hot food after a hard day of walking.
"Why is walking in the forest so much work over walking a path?" Raven was rubbing a lotion on her feet. They looked swollen and red.
"Ott, why not answer her question while I get a better ointment for her feet?" Stain stood up and went into his tent.
I thought a moment and then said, "Well a path has been made so that it is smoother and easier to travel. A forest floor is both softer and harder at times. It moves and shifts under you while you walk. It is also uneven most of the time. There are many obstacles that must be climbed or traveled around. Paths allow for the traveler to walk along a smooth, fairly level area without any of these challenges."
"Good explanation." Stain handed Raven a small container, "Rub this in. It will help more than that lotion."
She pulled out a sticky mass that seemed to glow slightly. Her expression showed her hesitation. "It is harmless. Just put it on." Stain snapped gently at her hesitation. She grimaced and applied the goop to her feet. I could see the instant it started to work, the relief seemed to roll over her like a wave. Stain grinned.
A Coursing Passage (A Life of Magic Book 3) Page 2