Her greatest hopes and deepest fears made manifest as she watched Diana’s flame brighten to a blinding light. Diana’s flame had found completion in her love for Stefan. A deep desire for Diana’s happiness allowed her to beat back the void and imprison there her pain and loss. She felt a complexity of emotion beyond all her life’s experience, searing pain and ultimate joy combined into a single emotion as she rejoiced in Diana’s happiness.
Catherine’s life as the Caretaker faded. She found herself once more a mortal, lying in the arms of her lover surrounded by flowers. Her travels through his life had left her with an understanding of this being she loved that no other had ever known. She sat up and looked into eyes older than humanity, eyes of the one true love she’s had all her life. “Diana had a flame to match your own, didn’t she? She could have filled the void you’ve lived with since the world was young.”
The Caretaker smiled as he returned her gaze and caressed her hair. “My beautiful Catherine, do you know that you have the greatest gift in all humanity to bring joy to anyone you meet?” He kissed her with a tenderness that surpassed any mortal experience.
“Yes, as I watched Diana grow up I knew that I would need to make a choice. If I chose to relinquish the core of my being and commit to the love we could have shared, I would have experienced heights that not even I could imagine, or comprehend.”
He then took her hand. “It would have lasted only a brief time of course, and her passing would have left me changed. Into what, I do not know. There was also the possibility that she would not have fallen in love with me. I shutter to think of what that possibility would have wrought.”
He took a deep breath as he considered his thoughts. “I do know that the Red Knight started out with the purpose of helping humanity. Time and humanity’s less noble aspects have taken a heavy toll on him.”
A warm smile came to his face. “It seems that circumstance, Stefan, and especially you my love, have conspired to save me from the Red Knight’s fate. You’ve helped me to retain what balance I have. For that, and all that you are, I thank you.”
She felt his love fill her from every part of his being as she hugged him with all her strength, their tears mingled to moisten a gentle kiss.
Interlude
Fortune’s Child
Throughout histories unwritten, victors celebrate while the vanquished mourn. For those whom fate had dealt the harshest blow, their only choice was to scatter and live their lives as best they could. These people are known as the yamikura, an ancient word that has come to mean, ‘the forgotten.’
As their ranks diminish through time and hardship, the yamikura are ever replenished by the strife and wanton avarice of each new generation. Fate does not choose with prejudice, any may find themselves upon the road. The tale of their misery told in the distant, empty gaze that reflects a life ripped from them, as a ship’s mooring is ripped away by storm and swollen tide to be set adrift on fortune’s sea.
Many years ago on a warm fall day across the sea, a healer traveled far from village and castle. He knew the desolate road well for it led to the safety and companionship of his fellow healers at Sanctuary. As he enjoyed a cool breeze that hinted at winter’s nearness, he was awakened from his walking meditation by an unfortunate and all too familiar sight. At the side of the road were a well-traveled wagon and two dead bodies.
He approached cautiously as the carnage was recent, his hand held near the hidden blade beneath his robe. He circled the wagon and then checked the bodies. The highwaymen were gone but not long gone. The contents of the wagon had been scattered and it seemed from their meager possessions that it was unlikely that the thieves had found much of value. “Why rob yamikura?” He thought to himself. Were they killed in hopes of riches that did not exist, or was it merely for sport? He shook his head at the disdain for life that humanity could breed and walked into the woods to find a burial place that would not be seen from the road.
With a strong back and a long life of labor to draw upon, the task was completed quickly. He said a few words over the couple, a man and a woman, still relatively young. “At least their trial was brief, a few years at most,” he consoled himself, and then returned to the road to continue his journey home. He wanted to be well away before sundown in case the highwaymen were still about. He took one last look into the wagon as he hefted his pack, and almost without notice, his eye caught the telltale signs of a hidden compartment that the thieves had missed.
The healer knew that to the poorest of us, treasure had little to do with wealth. He found the hidden switch and opened the hatch. “In all the lives of angels!” His startled cry did not slow his actions. He removed the pacifier that was tied with cloth about the child’s mouth, the slight movement of bubbles from his nose showed that he was still alive, if barely.
He laid the child on the floor of the wagon and sought out clean cloth and water. He dampened the cloth and placed it in the child’s mouth. The infant began to suckle. The healer sized up his situation and decided to stay with the wagon until the child could travel. Before dark, he had started a fire and stockpiled wood for the night. The infant’s color was looking better once he had been bathed and swaddled.
A few hours later, hunger overtook the child’s condition and he awoke. “I’m sorry my young friend but I’m afraid my wet nurse abilities are sorely lacking.” The healer mused as he stirred the pot. “I know, I know.” He said as he rocked him. Once the grain had cooled, he chewed the food and feed the child mouth to mouth. Soon the infant was fast asleep while the healer sat watch, his knife never far from his hand.
Three days on the road had brought the infant to full vigor and voice, although the healer wasn’t quite sure if the child’s voiced complaints were increased or decreased by the his habit of singing as he walked. He consoled himself that the young yamikura just wanted to join in.
“At last.” The healer exhaled with relief as he pulled the rope and heard Sanctuary’s gate bell ring with its deep, resonant tone. It wasn’t long before the gate opened. “Good day Brother Samuel. Thank you for your prompt response.” He greeted his fellow healer.
“Good day to you Brother Domen.” Samuel replied absently as he noted the contents of Brother Domen’s pack. “I have always known that you walk with the angels brother, I did not know however that they also rode in your pack.” Samuel questioned with an amused expression.
“You don’t know how close to the mark you are, it seems that we’ve been given a gift. This is Fortune’s Child and we’ve been tasked to start him on his path.”
As Fortune’s Child grew, he was instructed in the arts of war, healing, and philosophy. At the age of eighteen, Brother Domen asked what name he would choose for himself and what road he would walk.
Fortune’s Child looked into the healer’s eyes, “You named me Fortune’s Child wisely father, for I have been truly blessed by fortune to have your love, and to have Sanctuary as my home. I believe it is time for me to seek my fate. I will travel where fortune takes me and do what fortune requires. I have chosen the name Yamikura to honor my parents and all those who travel in search of a better life. The name has a ring of truth to me. After all, self-importance is merely an illusion, is it not? If we truly look at ourselves with honest eyes, we are all ‘the forgotten.’”
The healer kissed him, then turned to hide his tears. “I have two gifts for you Yamikura so that fortune will know you wherever you roam.” The healer opened a rich cloth to reveal a sword of ancient wonder. “This is the sword of my youth, it was my father’s and his father’s before him. Its craftsmanship is unparalleled, however I believe that your life will outshine it.” He handed his son the blade, then removed his healer’s medallion. “This is my most cherished possession because it represents my choice to respect life. Over the years and my many pilgrimages it has become part of me. I would ask you my son, to carry that part of me with you on your journey.” Yamikura bowed to accept his father’s gift.
Chapter Five
Engagements
I
“Get up!” Kalibra shook her head. “First I had a baby-sitter, now I am a baby-sitter. This is not how I had envisioned this trip.” She mused.
Atheria and Simon had immediately assumed the position of respect with their foreheads to the floor as soon as the door opened and the Warrior Queen entered their suite. By her command, they stood before her.
“So, you two are the slave dancers. I’ve never had much use for slaves, they don’t fight with passion.” Kalibra slowly walked around the pair. “In my mother’s realm it was a privilege to serve in her court and there were intense competitions to win such a treasured position. Slaves were neither needed or desired.”
Kalibra walked a few paces away then turned, drew her belt knife and lunged at Atheria. “Move or die!” She yelled.
Atheria and Simon reacted instantly. Atheria’s back flip was flawless as she landed six feet from where she had been. Simon ducked and rolled forward to get behind Kalibra with his arm around her neck and a firm grasp on the wrist of her knife hand. Kalibra stopped and the three stood frozen in place.
“Man child, what is your name?” Kalibra inquired.
“Simon.” He answered.
“Simon, I am Kalibra. You can let go now.” Simon released her and stepped back. “So that you understand,” she added, “if you ever touch me again without permission you will die before a second thought enters your mind. Am I clear?”
“Yes mistress.” Simon’s heart raced while he tried to make sense of the situation.
“I’m going to sit down, you two can do as you please.” Kalibra dropped onto a couch in the reception area and put her feet up on the low table. “Simon, you must truly care for this woman to court certain death to protect her.” She turned to Atheria as the pair took seats as far away from her as the furniture allowed. “By the way, what is your name?”
“Atheria, mistress.” She answered in a soft tone.
Kalibra sat forward to consider the two Mindow. “I commend you both on your reaction time, you have potential. It seems that I must spend some time with you two, and as I said, I have no use for slaves so do not act like one in my presence.”
Kalibra leaned forward to the fruit bowl, “I have been given an assignment. It seems that ‘he’ feels that you two would be more comfortable around me than you would around him. He wants to know more about your people. You surprised him and that does not happen often.”
Kalibra picked up an apple and bit into it at the same instant that her free hand flung a peach toward Atheria at weapon’s speed. She caught it and took bite. The exchange was so quick that it looked to Simon as if the peach simply appeared in Atheria’s hand.
“Good! Excellent hand-eye coordination.” Kalibra sat back to recline on the couch. “No more tests, you two can relax a little. Seriously, if you two were any stiffer we could use you as dome supports.” The dancers relaxed a bit in their chairs.
“Unfortunately, this trip has turned out to be more talk and less warfare than I had hoped, and now it seems that I’ve also lost my sparing partner. I’ve decided that you two will join me at my morning workouts. Even together you still would not come close to Yamikura, but you have some natural talent. We’ll work with that. Be at the training room at ten bells tomorrow morning and we’ll see what you’re worth.” Kalibra then returned to the subject of her assignment.
“I enjoyed your performance the night we arrived, let’s start with that. As I understand it, the play was based on the fall of your kingdom to ‘him,’ three or four centuries ago. Apparently it was a huge insult to the rulers here, though I don’t know why. Yamikura tells me he had to stop your executions. Is that correct?” Kalibra nodded to Atheria.
“Yes mistress.”
“‘Kalibra’ will do, I don’t own slaves, I’m not your queen, and I’m no one’s ‘my lady.’ Well, technically I’m ‘his’ lady, but if he called me that I would cut his heart out with a rusty knife. Again!” Kalibra smiled and added absently, “That just never gets old.”
“So, tell me your story.” Kalibra made herself comfortable on the couch, “Start with a little about the time before your people were slaves and then explain the play to me.”
II
“Good Morning Adam, what’s on the menu today?” Dionara projected her presence to the Forest village and concentrated to be sure that she only touched the verbal level of the herdsman’s mind. The wonder and newness of her ability had begun to fade but the skill of fine control was not yet automatic.
“A bright good morning to you Princess.” He greeted his new friend. “I’ve been asked for lamb today. Selene’s birthday celebration is this evening and her parent’s requested something special.”
“Peace my friend!” She withdrew her presence from his mind but continued to observe him as he worked. While Adam did not possess the Sentinel’s gift, he did have an extraordinary empathy for all living things, especially for animals. She watched as he chose a lamb and led it into the workshop. She could feel him reach out with love and gratitude as he calmed the lamb and slowed its heartbeat. She could feel the lamb’s contentment as it fell asleep. Its heartbeat grew slower, and then stopped. Adam gently ran his hand across its neck and whispered, “Thank you.”
Dionara continue on with her morning exercises. She greeted a few more of the Forest Dwellers she had met in the village, and then went on to visit her grandparents. Her visits with them were her favorite part of the day. She could feel their love cascade through her, it made her toes tingle.
Froggy had asked her to be brief this morning so she moved on to her other stops. Her second favorite visit was to the Kingdom’s councilors, after years of their lectures it felt good to have the upper hand. Her last exercise was to let herself roam free to see what flames she could sense between her Kingdom and the coast. She noted that Tre and Raphael were making good progress, and checked to see how far Yamikura had come. She stopped short of Kingsport, she wouldn’t venture there unless Froggy was with her.
She opened her eyes and took a deep breath. “Ready,” she said to Froggy who sat across from her in the chalet’s main room. “What’s the lesson for today?” Her smile faded when she noted his expression was as grave as she’d ever seen it.
“I’m sorry my Lady,” his voice expressed the sadness she felt from him. “Today will be difficult for you, but to reach your full potential I will need you to rediscover your memories.”
Dionara was confused, “What don’t I remember?”
“It is not unusual for a child to bury the memory of a traumatic experience. You have memories of when you lost your parents that are buried deep within you.” Froggy paused. “I encouraged this in you when I placed false memories of that day in your mind. My hope was to give you time to heal.”
“My Lady, this would be a good time for you to understand that the gift you’ve found within yourself has limitations. Neither you, I, or anyone with the gift can alter a person’s actions if their will is opposed to the suggestion.” She could feel his concern for her as he spoke. “When it came to your memories of that day, your mind so wanted to forget that all I needed to do was help.”
“Let us begin” Froggy entered her mind. “I believe it will be easier for you if I take you through the events with me first. Join me.” Dionara joined with his mind.
Dionara found herself in a strange castle. Somehow she knew that it was ten years ago somewhere in the far lands and that it was a man’s memory. He was one of two men summoned to the Red Knight.
“You two will leave in the morning, do you have any questions?” She heard the Red Knight’s voice, his curt demeanor now familiar to Dionara.
“We will of course complete our mission my Liege, but it will be many years before we return.” The first man nodded to the second, “My Liege, we are warriors first, even spies and assassins at need, but map makers? Are there not better men suited for this task?”
The Red Knight understood his men�
�s objection. “If it were as simple as map making, you would be correct, however this task will be anything but simple. You two are the most skilled of my agents and have been trained in the art of going unseen. There is something wrong on the other continent and I need to know what that something is.” The Red Knight stood to address his men.
“Perhaps it is just that the natives are lazy and superstitious, too content with their own lands to explore beyond them, I hope so. In which case you will return with the maps we need to extend the settlements. However, I want you to approach this assignment as if there were enemies at every turn, use your skills to the utmost. I do not know what you will find, be prepared for any contingency.” The Red Knight dismissed his men.
Dionara traveled forward as she experienced time through the man’s memory. She was fascinated by how he was able blend into whatever situation he found himself. Within an hour of docking at Kingsport he not only looked like he had been born and raised there, he thought like it.
That was their greatest weapon. They became who they needed to be. He and his partner took service as farm workers at the very edge of the settled land in the foothills of the Warded Mountains. All his thoughts were about his daily life, his duties, and his prospects to better himself. Even though she knew who he was, Dionara could barely discern that he was anything but a farmhand.
One day he and his friend went hunting, they thought there would be good game at the base of the mountains. The other workers warned them against it but they decided to try. Once they had ventured to an area where the ground quickly began to elevate, a sudden fear overcame them. It was a terror they had never experienced.
“Maybe the boys were right, let’s get out of here.” He said to his friend, and the two retraced their route in a hurry. Then Dionara sensed it, somewhere deep in his thoughts, below the conscious level, was a recognition that they had found what they were looking for.
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