Forest & Kingdom Balance

by Robert Reed Paul Thomas

  “Aside from Atheria and Simon, he hasn’t given us a second thought since he arrived.” Isabelle tried to rationalize and dismiss Desiree’s fears.

  “Heed my words, for they are not idle. You sent me in there because you believe that I’m a good listener. My skill is not only to hear, but also to understand. I have studied him and learned that he takes no action until he is confident of his knowledge. When he does act it is deadly swift,” she hesitated, “and he is not one for half measures.”

  The two sat in silence for a moment. Then Desiree spotted the owner coming down the street. “We are on a razor’s edge, do nothing to arouse suspicion. He may let us pass if he is unsure enough. Pray that he does. Two nights hence is my regular visit to Old Town, if I’m still free have the decoys ready and I will attend the meeting.” Desiree stood as the owner entered.

  “You! I would speak to you! How dare you send rotten fruit to the Red Knight’s table, he should flay you alive!” It was the perfect opportunity for Desiree to release some of her anger.

  A few hours later in the ambassador’s office, the Red Knight called in a rather nondescript man in journeyman’s clothes. “Report,” was all he said.

  “Nothing my Lord.” His strong young voice seemed at odds with his appearance. “Although I doubt that you will ever have rotten fruit again. Once that woman gets going, she uses language that would blister a stone.” The two men chuckled at the thought of soft-spoken, demure Desiree swearing like a dockman. The nondescript man left through the private side door he had arrived from.

  VIII

  Dionara sat beside the lake enraptured as her life force intertwined with the vale. She felt the lightest touch of a scan. “Ah! Froggy’s on the hunt.” Before he even perceived her, she closed all access and his scan passed her by. When his scan was concentrated on the far side of the vale, she opened only the verbal part of herself. “Not even close!” She sent and allowed just a hint of her triumph to accompany the thought.

  “Now take a hike, I officially declare this a day of rest. After the beating you gave me yesterday, I need some time to pick out just the right mountain to drop on your head.” Her mental barriers went full up and her thoughts were hers alone. He not only couldn’t tell where she was, he couldn’t even tell where she wasn’t. Most likely he had concluded that she was off sulking, just as she wanted him to. “Excellent, now to work!”

  After many days, and a lot of headaches, she had finally found that battle-ax he had spoken of. Yesterday, through brute force alone, she was able to enter his mind. It was only a partial victory, it took intense concentration and she still didn’t have complete access. Then she discovered it. At the height of one of her attempts to break his block, she suddenly released her effort. He thought she had just retreated, but she had lingered a moment to rest and ‘leaned’ her mind against his.

  She drifted past his block like smoke through a wicker basket. As far as she could tell, he had no idea. She retreated quickly and feigned fatigue. She didn’t want him to guess what she’d discovered.

  Now she would use what she had learned. She allowed her mind to drift centered, peaceful, and undirected. She was aware of him at the chalet and she became an observer. No contact, no action, she accepted without response. The verbal level of his mind was open as Catherine gave him an update on Yamikura, below was a solid barrier. She relaxed and allowed herself to drift past the barrier like morning fog across the lake. Everything he is, or ever was, lain before her.

  The wonder of what she saw fed her excitement, she used her mental discipline to relax and maintain a peaceful center. “Observe, learn, and understand.” She reminded herself. “Where to first?” She remembered how cute young John was at the gate, she also remember what day that was. “Can I keep my center well enough not to be detected while I view those memories? That would be a true test.”

  She held the vision of young John lightly in her mind as the years, people, and places of Froggy’s memories flowed by. “There.” Froggy walked toward the gate, his thoughts were about Diana.

  “Please! Please Caretaker! I’m old enough, honest!” She heard young John say. A pleasant little tickle ran through her as she watched. It occurred to her that Froggy’s memory was as sharp as a razor. “Are everyone’s memories this sharp?” She wondered.

  As the conversation continued Dionara felt dread rise from the pit of her stomach. “Please, no. Oh Froggy, please say no.” Her awareness moved off with Froggy. She felt his change and the freedom of flight as he soared, but it did not exhilarate her as it might have on another day.

  She allowed herself to drift forward in time. She stopped when she felt her parent’s powerful death scream. She watched as Froggy flew through the falls, one murderer dead, the other unconscious, and her younger self in shock. Froggy sent a thought across the gate to Catherine who was with John. She was trying to calm him but to no avail, he kept screaming, “I killed them! I killed them, it was all my fault. I didn’t protect them!” Dionara could feel the unbearable raw pain and guilt radiate from John like a flood. Catherine tried to hold him but he ran off toward the trees. Froggy and Catherine joined for a brief moment; no words were needed as they shared their pain, loss, and grief.

  He felt Catherine as she went after John, but his sole focus quickly returned to Diana’s daughter. She watched her own eyes stare into nothing as he helped her mind do exactly what it wanted to do, go away. He laid her down gently on a blanket as his presence went to the castle. The Kingdom’s councilors all received the thought at once and the councilor’s wing exploded in activity. His presence returned to Angel Falls and his attention went to the second murderer, with his full power unleashed, he entered the murder’s mind.

  “John,” Dionara thought, “what about John?”

  Time flowed forward, then another wave of tremendous sadness. Froggy watched through Catherine’s eyes as the healer worked feverishly to stem John’s bleeding. Catherine sent him a memory of being in flight above John as he ran through the Forest. He had reached as far as the hills, but his speed did not diminish as he ran up the steep grade. From her height, she could see the sheer drop off that he could not. She dove with all her speed as he fell, his guilt and pain so powerful it felt like a solid wall. She changed into a great condor and reached him just before impact but their momentum was too great, she could only reduce his injuries, not prevent them.

  “John, oh John.” Dionara shared in Froggy and Catherine’s sadness and concern.

  Dionara focused on John, and Froggy’s memories flowed. John wouldn’t see or speak to anyone for months. He even tried to block out the Caretaker. “Yes,” she finally understood, “he is the Caretaker.” Slowly Froggy made progress. John’s memories of that day could not be buried in the same way that hers had been, his guilt would not allow it. So Froggy took another path. He told John everything he knew of the Red Knight’s decision to investigate the mountains himself. He made John his second in the war that was to come.

  Together they planned their defense. First, John needed to be both a warrior and a Sentinel. Young Dionara however was the Caretaker’s first priority, so John knew that his time with him would be limited. What time they did have together, Froggy trained him mercilessly. Which was a kindness compared to the intensity that John inflicted upon himself when he trained alone.

  John’s body would never fully heal correctly from his injuries, so he could not start his physical training until he could accomplish the change. It took him three months, he accomplish a change years younger than anyone ever had. Once he was able, he built himself a cottage, miles from farm or village. It was a single room with the barest thought given to food or bed, its only purpose was training.

  Dionara watched as John grew. He had dedicated himself to one goal, to stop any more damage from his mistake. As Froggy’s memories flowed forward she felt John’s wall of pain and guilt again, as fresh as the day it happened. Froggy and Catherine had been awakened in the night as her parent’s death knell
once more flooded their minds. Froggy entered John’s mind, he found him asleep at his cottage in the grasp of terror as he relived it all again.

  Froggy stayed joined with John as the events unfolded. Just as the deathblow missed young Dionara, John’s eyes snapped open and his heart stopped. Froggy leapt from his bed, though before he could get out the door he sensed John’s heart beat once more. He chose a falcon for speed as he raced to the cottage, relieved that he could sense John’s heartbeat return to normal. Perched on a branch above John’s cottage, Froggy tried to remember if he had ever sensed someone’s heart pause that long.

  Dionara considered her childhood in light of all she had learned. Yes, there was pain, but she also lived a life of comfort and happiness too. Thanks to Froggy, she had enjoyed the love and laughter that John had denied himself. She relaxed and cleared her mind. Once more at peace, she revealed her presence in Froggy’s mind, “We need to talk, I’ll be right there.” She said, and then withdrew.

  “You amaze me more every day.” He greeted her with a beaming smile as she entered the chalet, then he saw her tears. “What is it my Lady, what has happened?”

  She motioned for him to sit, then knelt beside him with her head in his lap. Her tears flowed freely as she shared her thoughts with him. “Please ask John to join us would you? I need to speak to him, I need to make things right.”

  Froggy understood instantly. He placed a hand on her head. He knew that sometimes tears were the best healer. “I did what I could for him. He is a man of honor and responsibility; men of his nobility can find forgiveness for anyone, except themselves. Perhaps you can provide him the solace I never could.”

  IX

  Yamikura woke long before the sun entered the valley. Cold water from the well washed away any lingering thoughts of sleep. He split a few logs to replace what he had used and went back to the bunkhouse. A quick breakfast and he prepared to leave.

  “You’ll never catch up with them.” Catherine’s soft voice filled his mind.

  “I thought so, and I also suspect that if I try, I would find my horse somewhat uncooperative. Correct?” He hadn’t looked up and kept packing.

  “Well, that is true.” She let her voice trail off. “Horses do tend to like me and do as I ask.” Her tone turned curious. “Why are you packing? I thought we had tales to tell each other?”

  “Alas, if we had met at any other time I would truly have cherished such a unique experience. However, once I realized that I could not bring my employer the prisoner he requested, it became my duty to report what I’ve found.” She could feel his sadness as honor overrode regret. “Send your wolves and get the rock slides ready, I’m making a run for it.” He hefted his pack.

  “Wait, please. A few moments will not endanger your plans.” He could feel her honest disappointment at his decision. “Please.”

  He had to admit, her voice was not something he would give up lightly. “A few moments.” He agreed, dropped his pack and sat down. “Shall we bargain?”

  “Oh, much better than that!”

  Her playfulness was back, a bad sign if he wished to keep his wits about him.

  “Yamikura, honor and duty are as precious to me as they are to you.” Catherine opened her emotions to him so that he could feel the truth of her words. “I would never ask you to betray your honor. All I ask of you is to allow me to show you that our individual goals, those which honor requires, are not that different.”

  For the first time in his life, he felt as well as heard another’s words and knew to a certainty that they were true. “I’m listening.”

  “The Red Knight is planning to set out in about a week, I know that you’ve left him markers to follow and I have left them undisturbed. But if you agree to wait here for him, I will give you my word that he will be shown a more direct route that would be easier for a large group on horseback to follow. It’s one of our trade routes chosen specifically for horses with heavy burdens.” Her desire for him to stay came from her heart.

  “Everything in my soul tells me that I can trust you. While all of my training and experience would suggest otherwise.” He thought for a moment. “I see no way to reconcile the two.”

  Catherine thought for a moment. “How good are you at numbers?”

  “I only rarely need to take off my boots to add up a tavern bill.” He smirked.

  “Agreed! I too believe you are up to the task.” She smiled. “Let’s start with the original plan. You track down Tre, that’s the guardsman. His name is Tressan. That’s a week to catch them, and a week back. Although more likely two to get back. I have no doubt you could kill Tre, but to capture him alive, odds are that you would be injured and he certainly would be.”

  “If the Red Knight’s party tries to follow your route, it will take them at least five weeks to reach where you are now. If you backtrack to meet him with Tre as your prisoner, the quickest you would join up is four weeks. But as you said, the chances of success for that plan are very low.”

  “If you leave as you planned this morning, and I will not hinder you, it will take at least six weeks before you sit in that chair again. However you would be able to tell your employer that the mountains are warded. Not exactly a revelation. If I may ask, what will you tell him, that you heard voices?"

  Yamikura sat and considered all the options for far longer than the agreed few moments. He could feel Catherine as she waited patiently. “I concede, point to you. Is there any assurance you can offer me that may help assuage my professional skepticism?”

  “Yes.” The natural joy returned to her voice. “Although it will not be for a week or so until his expedition sets out. At that time I will let you listen in when I give the instructions. Agreed?”

  “Agreed.” He lifted his pack, returned the foodstuffs to the shelf, and dropped the pack in the corner. “How long a wait do I have?”

  “The trade route will take a party their size about two weeks, so about three weeks total.”

  He sat back down in the chair. “I don’t suppose there’s a Risk & Reward set around here, is there?”

  “There is, but we won’t have time to play. We’ll be far too busy.” She let him feel the warmth she felt for him. “Why don’t you start your regular routine while you’re here. You usually have a workout in the morning followed by meditation, correct?”

  “Almost.” He grinned. “Since our ship arrived in this land, my training partner has been Kalibra so I’ve had to adapt. It was usually training, a trip to the healer, and then meditation.” He could feel her with him as he went outside to find a flat area with some room to move.

  Once he finished his meditation, which he had to admit was more serene and insightful than it has been since he left the Healer’s Sanctuary, he took a good look around the compound while the sun was overhead. He didn’t think it possible, but he was even more impressed than the day before. His last stop was the bunkhouse’s pantry. “The storehouse may be empty, but the pantry was stocked to the rafters.” He mused.

  “It’s all dry goods, no reason to clear it out,” He felt Catherine’s presence return. “I believe it was your turn to ask a question.”

  He went back to his chair and gave it some thought. “Are you human?” He asked. It seemed to be a good place to start. He could tell that the question took her by surprise.

  She paused, and then answered emphatically, “Yes! What did you think I was?”

  “I don’t know, an owl?” He shrugged.

  “Well, now that you mention it,” she stopped. “No, that’s for another day.” She dismissed her thought and started again. “All right, I’ll give you that one for free. What’s your real question?”

  He considered it a moment and decided that she should answer the same question she asked him. “How did a woman with your depth of spirit and ability to bring a joy that transcends all experience, end up with an assignment to frighten half wit farmers and toss Deminar’s men off cliffs?”

  “Just lucky I guess?” He laughed a
s she hoped he would.

  “Actually, we have a great deal in common. We both are who we are because we both grew up in a sanctuary. Yours was a sanctuary of healing, while mine is a sanctuary from strife. The other difference is that my sanctuary has been here for a very, very long time. Would you like to see it?"

  Now it was his turn to be surprised. “Yes, but wouldn’t that be breaking our agreement?”

  “No, because while I am a ward of the mountains, I do not live there. Your Red Knight could gather every subject he has and search the mountain range for a thousand years and he would not find my home. I cannot tell you why, but I trust you know that what I say is true.” She waited for his answer.

  “How long would it take to get there?” Yamikura was still unsure of what she said.

  “Oh, you wouldn’t come here, I would allow you to see it through my eyes.”

  He didn’t know what to say, he felt adrift. He may have felt this way once as a small child, but not that he could remember, and certainly never as an adult. Suddenly his training took over, he cleared his mind of all thought, took a deep breath and stepped away from himself. “What do I know? Where is the center? What is the truth?” Calmly and methodically he looked at his current experience and absorbed it.

  “You have skills that few possess, your balance of mind and soul is a beauty that few have achieved.” Catherine’s voice seemed to hover at a distance.

  He felt his balance solidify. “You honor me my Lady, I accept.”

  “Just lean back in the chair and close your eyes.” As he did, she joined their minds.

  His eyes opened. No, it was her eyes that opened. He could feel himself in the chair, but he also felt her. In a moment the duality diminished as the awareness of his body faded into the back of his thoughts. He felt the breeze as she moved, and the fabric on her skin. She looked around the room and he saw the same workmanship that he had seen at the way station, but more like a home. She picked up a glass figurine.