Over the next few months their hunting trips occasionally strayed into the lower mountain forest. Each time the fear presented itself, they retreated quickly, but each time they also adjusted their thoughts to try something new. On one trip, they went far beyond the area where fear normally stopped them and nothing happened. Back at the farm they compared notes. If they kept their thoughts to an instinctive level, they would not be detected. They made several more trips to hone their skills and waited for the following spring to set out.
They made their way slowly into the mountains, always vigilant to keep their thoughts at a level that was undetectable. It required a mental discipline that Dionara found hard to grasp. As fate would have it, their task was made simple through a chance discovery. They spotted a Forest trader on a return trip with goods for the Kingdom. The trader was well into the mountains and felt no need of stealth. The pair tracked him from a distance.
Dionara’s eyes opened as she felt Froggy sit beside her. “My Lady, how did your parents die?”
She thought the question strange. “They were killed in a rock slide while on one of their exploration trips, the entire party was killed.”
Froggy took her hand. “Actually, there never were any exploration trips, that was the story they allowed their subjects to believe when they wanted to spend some time away, here in Spirit’s Vale. So you see, they could not have been killed in a rock slide.”
“Of course they were, everyone” Dionara stopped mid sentence. She didn’t know where he was going, but experience had taught her that she had best keep up. “I’m sorry Froggy, please explain.”
“I’m going to share with you some memories of my own, as well as others. They will seem false to you, however I assure you they are true. It will be difficult, please try to remain in the moment but separate from the event. If you are able, think of it as information only.” Froggy kissed her on the forehead as she closed her eyes.
Her vision was once more filled with a scene from the past, she knew that it was seven years ago, the day her parents had died. She saw Froggy at the Forest gate with a boy. “Oh my!” She smiled when she realized the boy was John. He looked so very young.
She felt Froggy begin to scan beyond the gate and there she was, her younger self, along with her parents at Angel Falls. Tears started to well in her eyes at seeing her parents again. His scan quickly went beyond the glade, first he sensed two farmers a few miles away. He scanned them and found nothing but farmer’s thoughts. He continued and when completed, his scan had gone from the edges of Angel Falls to the coastal farms and found no threats.
Suddenly she was in the mind of one of the farmers Froggy had first scanned, she instantly recognized him as one of the Red Knight’s agents. His thoughts were filled with a farmer’s concerns, one of which was to find a lost horse. “Maybe that way.” He wondered and the two set out in the direction they had seen the royal party go earlier that morning.
His memory switched to a few hours later, where their supposed search had brought them to within a few hundred yards of the entrance to Angel Falls. Suddenly the agent released his thought mask, Dionara stiffened as the memory of who he was came fully into his conscious mind. He knew exactly what he needed to do. “The royal family must be the source of the strange power,” he thought, “if we eliminated them, we eliminated the threat.”
With the stealth of predators, they approached the royal couple from behind. Dionara went rigid as they struck, the details were blurred but the result was unmistakable. The agents acted surely and swiftly, within moments there was no one left alive but her younger self. “Run!” Her mind screamed, but to no avail. She watched as the agent’s memory recalled his partner approach her younger self.
A thought flashed into the agent’s mind. “Perhaps we should spare her, we could take her to the Red Knight.” He considered the idea, and then dismissed it. “No, too risky.” He watched his partner slowly approach the girl and raise his sword. Suddenly a falcon flew through the falls, its talons flashed and his partner lie dead. He barely had time to comprehend the event before he was blinded by an intense green light. Disbelief was his last conscious thought before his vision cleared enough to see the hilt of a sword aimed at his head. As his memory left her, Dionara surrendered to the emptiness.
Froggy laid her back in the love seat as he lightly touched her mind. “A deep sleep, good.” He consoled himself. Once he was sure that she was resting comfortably, he stood and whispered, “Forgive me My Princess, I failed you, your parents, and so many others when I was needed most.”
III
“A way station.” Yamikura concluded.
He walked around the three large buildings situated on the edge of a small valley. The storehouse was empty but the bunkhouse and stable were fully provisioned. He noted fresh cordwood had been recently cut presumably to replace what had been used. “About four days old.” He surmised, “They’re still four days ahead of me.”
It was only late afternoon but the massive peaks that surrounded the valley had already hidden the sun. He looked to the wide, well maintained road that ran east and decided that he could afford to rest there for a night, “No need to track them now, just follow the road. It will be a simple matter to make up the distance.” He thought.
“Not as simple as you may think.” A woman’s voice said calmly.
Yamikura whirled around, sword drawn, but could not tell from what direction the voice had come. “Show yourself!” He challenged, but received no response. He withdrew to circle the perimeter and then moved in to check the buildings. He entered the stable first and used the four large wagons for cover. He made note of the details around him as he searched for the woman. When he saw that there was enough tack to harness eight horses per wagon, he thought, “No horses though. They must bring them in.”
The woman’s voice seemed to answer the question he did not ask. “Actually, the horses are out romping around the other side of the valley. Why lock them up when they can run free! They’re more than happy to come when requested.” Her tone had such a playfulness that Yamikura almost laughed.
“All right,” he stood out in plain sight, “Enough foolishness, come out where I can see you and you have my word that you will not be harmed. He waited.
“Well,” the voice paused, “that also may not be as simple as you think. You see I’m not there. You’re there, but I’m here.”
“Where is ‘here’?” He asked.
“That depends, my here is here but your here is there and my there is your here. Hmmm? Yamikura, you really need to be more specific.”
This time Yamikura did laugh. “Ah, a philosopher I see. I must warn you young woman that I am not unversed in that art. You may find me a worthy adversary.”
“Mmmm, ‘Young woman,’ I like that.” The voice said with contentment. The tickle of joy that ran up his spine as the voice hummed left Yamikura out of balance, a sensation he hadn’t felt since he was teenager.
“I’ll tell you what, why don’t you stable your horse and go to the bunkhouse, it’s been weeks since you slept in a bed. Please help yourself to whatever provisions you would like and I’ll join you after you’ve eaten. You have my word that you will not be harmed or even disturbed. The closest people to you are the guardsman and the boy as you call them, and you were correct, they are well ahead of you.”
Yamikura was set further off balance when he realized that as she stopped speaking he felt her presence leave, a very strange sensation. As much to calm himself as to confirm that he was alone, he checked the rest of the buildings. Satisfied that what she said was true, he then proceeded to the bunkhouse to prepare a meal. However the first thing he did was to meditate, he wanted to be perfectly centered and have all his wits about him when she returned.
IV
“I’m impressed” Kalibra stepped back from the two slaves and lowered her staff. “Not with your fighting abilities obviously, I could kill you both before you realized that I had advanced.” She poured
herself some water. “It seems from what you’ve told me, I must admit that he was correct, you are a mystery. After four hundred years there really shouldn’t be so many of your people left, and those who are left, should be nothing but broken husks.”
After two weeks of workouts in which Simon learned more about combat each day than he had learned in his life previously, he was still shocked that she not only taught them to fight but that she trained Atheria harder than him. He wondered what was next, they had told her everything they knew about their history and present day life of the Mindow. This morning they had finished their discussion of life as a slave dancer. Simon and Atheria waited in silence to see if Kalibra wanted to talk or fight.
“He hates mysteries.” Kalibra walked to the rest area and sat down,
“Talk, good.” Simon let out a breath of relief. He was very concerned for Atheria. She still limped from the injuries she took several days ago. She was used to a life of abuse, but Kalibra’s workouts involved an intensity she had not known before.
“You’ve been honest with me, so I will be honest with you. I’ve discussed your people with him at length and I still don’t know his thoughts regarding you. I will tell you though that he hates a mystery. When he finds one, he wants it solved as quickly and simply as possible. In your favor is the fact that he has a much larger mystery to solve. However, if decimating your people would solve the larger mystery, then he will do so without hesitation. If the mystery that so captivates him at the moment does not involve you, then he won’t give your people a second thought.” Kalibra seemed to dismiss the subject of the Mindow as closed.
“Atheria, have you ever heard the term Harrier?”
“No” Atheria answered. Her mind filled with the unrelenting pain that shot from her hip and down her leg.
“Come here. Strip.” Kalibra ordered.
Atheria complied moving stiffly. Once she was naked before her, Kalibra examined the huge purple and red welts that stretched from the side of her waist half way down her thigh. “Lift your knee.” Kalibra’s instructions continued. “Now rotate. Good. Now give me a side kick.”
With every movement the pain threatened to overcome Atheria. “Just do it!” She ordered herself. “I have overcome greater than this and survived.” Her concentration focused to a pinpoint intensity. “If I am useless to her, then both of us will be discarded, and if we are given to Deminar than this pain will be but a tickle compared to what we will go through before we die.”
“You have no joint restriction and no muscle tears.” Kalibra looked up from Atheria’s injuries to face her squarely. “If you were a Harrier in battle, you would not notice so minor an inconvenience and would be able to fight at your full potential.”
Kalibra sat back down with a sly smile. “I’ll make you a wager slave girl. You and Simon perform that throw and back flip maneuver you described to me. If I see you move flawlessly, which should be simple since you have no structural damage, I will call for a healer to sooth your pain. Then we will sit and relax while I tell you the story of the Harriers.”
Kalibra’s eyes narrowed as her smile widened. “However, if I see you give the slightest consideration to your injury, then the three of us will have a real workout. I haven’t worked up a good sweat since Yamikura left.” She gave the two a moment’s consideration. “I believe there is a good chance that you both would survive the workout, I have no ill will toward you, I just want some exercise. Whether either of you would heal completely is another matter.”
Simon rose and began to pick up Atheria’s clothes. “No. I want to see every bit of her as she moves.” Kalibra commanded as she motioned them to begin.
Atheria met Kalibra’s stare with equal intensity. “May we have a moment to prepare?” Their mistress nodded her approval.
The dancers moved the practice mats aside and stood in the center of the room, their foreheads together. Simon looked into the eyes of his love. “I think I can catch her unaware while she’s seated,” he whispered, “if she’s unconscious or dead we’ll be able to leave the grounds and try to get out of Kingsport.”
“I love you, you silly ass.” Atheria smiled. “We both know that we have only one chance and it’s up to me to make it work. Now shut up and let me concentrate.”
Atheria knew that she was no warrior, she also knew that her skill at dance was unparalleled. She concentrated on a single thought. Balance. She rose to her toes, legs straight. Simon moved slowly away as he held her hands to steady her. She raised her good leg from the floor and leaned forward. Simon released her and she proceeded with her warm up, balanced only on the toes of her damaged leg, she allowed her torso to descend until her nose touched her knee.
Once her stretches were complete, she walked to Simon. She moved as fluid silk, her gaze was distant and serene. With out a word, or even recognition of his presence, she moved Simon to his start position and paced off to hers. Their hummed melody synchronized instantly, and on the beat they began.
They moved as in a dream, her flips were precise and flawless. She turned in mid air with the grace of an eagle. His catch, her landing, and the transition to their dance were so effortless that it seemed as though gravity no longer existed. They ended in their final position as her eyes returned from that far away place and they shared a brief, tender kiss.
Kalibra walked toward them. She grabbed Atheria by the chin and looked strait into her eyes. “You! Woman!” A smile curled on Kalibra’s lips. “I knew it! If you had just been born fifty years ago in my mother’s realm,” she shook her head as her smile grew, “the Emperor would have been worm food at your feet, and I would have never been born.” She released Atheria and turned to ring the servant’s bell. “What a waste.” She muttered as the bell rang.
Desiree, the head of household, entered the training room to find the three of them in the rest area. Atheria was laid out on the couch with her head resting in Simon’s lap. “You,” Kalibra called from the side chair, “bring a healer and make sure they have muscle balms and herbs for pain. Once that’s done, bring us food and drink, we’ll be here awhile.”
Realm of The Warrior Queen
A hundred generations ago in the central region of what you call the Far Lands, a rich kingdom prospered. It was the last arable land that bordered one of the vast wastelands that dot the interior. The wasteland was so large that few ever tried to cross it, the handful that returned told of an impassable mountain range down its center. Trade would take many months to circumnavigate the dead zone.
As I said, this kingdom had wealth, and wherever there is wealth you will find greed. No one recalls who started the war or why, all that is remembered is that the kingdom lost and every male over the age of ten was put to death. The victors wanted the land, not the people. The women and children were herded together with only what they could carry and sent out into the wasteland.
They moved from one sparse patch of dry grassland to the next. One young woman named Karenten, the daughter of a village elder, began to shepherd the people. She circulated among them and made sure that rations were fairly distributed and the weak were cared for. Soon everyone looked to her for guidance on what was later called, “The Search.”
They had lost half their number by the time they reached the mountain range. Even if they could cross the mountains without more losses, they would still have as much hardship ahead of them as behind. Karenten settled her flock in an area below the mountains that at least had some vegetation and a small water supply. She chose six of her stoutest sisters and set out to explore the border between mountain and wasteland.
About a week’s walk south she discovered a break in the mountain line. It led to a basin larger than all the land of their former kingdom and was surrounded by vast vertical cliffs. Her sisters didn’t believe it was worth the time to explore. The ground was hard and flat with very little grassland. Karenten had a different vision, all they needed was water and her people would have the greatest natural fortress in existence.
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br /> Among the farm wives and village workers in her flock, she had also met engineers and builders. She looked to the snowcaps far off in the distance and told her sisters that they had everything they needed.
Many more died as they attempted to settle in their wasteland fortress, none of which were the skilled tradeswomen she needed, Karenten saw to that. Over time with a little trade and a great deal of building, the land took shape. In a few years most of the women capable child bearing had new, very young husbands. A few years more and the vast mountain reservoirs had been rerouted. The land bloomed.
Once the land and her people started to thrive, Karenten knew that what they had found was special. Which meant that before long they would be challenged. She named herself Warrior Queen and declared their home Realm of the Warrior Queen. Her land would never be a kingdom and would never have a king if she had anything to say about it, and she most certainly did.
She called together those of the survivors who had fought in the war. The women fighters were known as Harriers, their task in the war of the old kingdom was to harry and slow the enemy any way they could. She asked them to search the Realm and find the strongest young girls. Those that were chosen would be raised and tested. The few that excelled far beyond the others would become the core of the Realm’s defense. As the girls grew, the greatest warriors from across the content were enticed to travel to the Realm to teach the Harriers their craft. Many great fighting men chose to spend a few years as a guest of the Realm to share their skill, and their seed.
Over the generations the Realm prospered and the Harriers grew strong. In addition to the now fertile land, a path across the mountains was found and a road built. The Realm became a nexus for trade across the wasteland that cut travel time to a fraction of what it had been. In addition, many veins of metal ore were discovered and exploited. By the time of third Warrior Queen, her Realm was the richest jewel on the continent and many wanted to possess it. That is when Karenten’s true genius and foresight became apparent.
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