“Never mind. I don’t want to hear whatever lame excuse you’re going to give me. What makes you so great, Goose, that you can’t spend some quality time with your favorite person?” She fakes a jab. I flinch. Then, she smiles and exits my hollow.
I walk to the doorway and watch her disappear into the tangle of organic catwalks. “You do,” I mutter to myself. “You make me great.” As do all the other inhabitants in this treetop village. And Stone and Jaymes. And Coloss. And my father. They all make me great. They have brought me here to this moment.
Despite the shock of her resurrection, a large smile presses into my cheeks. There is so much to learn. So much growth to be had. I cannot give up now. I must find Old Lady Windblown. I must get across that crossing.
With a surge of hope, I escape the gloom of my dark hollow and muster the courage to return to the Redcliffe Crossing and face Coloss yet again. Upon my arrival, the giant ape gives me his typical greeting, always trying to intimidate. But I’m insusceptible to his monkeyshines after all we’ve been through.
“Brilliant morning, isn’t it?” I speak to him through the conduit of my newfound Instincts. Though, I don’t know if I’m communicating what I think I am. It’s difficult to know when speaking to a beast. I’ll know soon enough, depending on his response.
He takes a step toward me and places one of his enormous hands on my shoulder, nearly knocking me to my knees. I know his intent is nothing more than a generous salutation, but he could go about it with a bit more finesse, if that’s possible for a beast of his mass.
“It’s time, my big, hairy friend. I’m ready to venture across the Redcliffe Crossing if you’ll allow it. Goose the Worthy has much to learn. What can you teach me?”
His fearsome, forest-green eyes are gentler today as he stares down on me.
“Your talents are limitless. Today is the day,” an unspoken voice states.
I look around for the old goat and his squirrel, but he is nowhere in sight. Was it Coloss? I’m still getting used to these Instincts.
Coloss, towering over me, gazes into the distant forest. I round on my heels to see the White Hart standing with grace and authority. It’s a hundred paces out in the underbrush, watching. Not so different from a startled blacktail, except this one is nearly impossible to take your eyes off. It makes a subtle dip with its head, only noticeable because the sizeable antlers shift with it. It’s almost as if it’s giving an approving nod.
I stare, mesmerized, for a long moment until a rhythmic thumping pulls me from my transfixed state. Coloss is at the base of his fig tree. His hand gripping the trunk and his feet beating on the ground. Another ape, a few branches overhead, joins in the rhythmic pattern. Then a few more join in, and a few more, until all of Coloss’ kin have the trunk in their palms, creating a captivating melody with their feet.
The ground beneath me rumbles softly, causing a light vibration that I feel in my core. Astounded as to what is taking place, I watch intently.
The calming vibration lasts as the siamangs serenade the forest. Eventually, after my fixation on the apes eludes me, I notice the tree branches are withdrawing. Each one gradually retreats into the trunk as if it were a turtle in danger. Whatever abnormal event is occurring right now, it’s unsettling, and I’m right in the middle of it. Then, enormous tree roots blast from the side of the cliff, easily spreading the distance of the ravine, and interlock with the roots on the far side. Every tiny root protruding from the granite wall becomes part of a massive structure that continues to climb and climb. A crossing forms, and a staircase evolves along the insurmountable wall.
I look back, admiring Coloss and company, and he offers a grunt of approval amidst the meditative croon of his feet. Why now, I wonder. Is it because I asked, rather than go it on my own, trying to force my way across? I may never know. I send him a nod of appreciation in return, then start on my journey to the top of the wall.
I feel guilty for having to leave the Redcliffe villagers so suddenly. Graytu, Fairview, and what of Helios? I cannot pass up the opportunity while I have it. That would just be plain stupid. Helios is in good company, and I will be able to return for him. Judging by the challenging climb forming ahead of me, I couldn’t foresee him keeping his feet anyhow. He’ll be fine here at Redcliffe.
And Graytu…he has been nothing other than a father to me during my stay. He would understand my sudden departure. After pondering it, I don’t feel so bad for Graytu. Today is the damned day, for Susy’s sake. He has been trying to boot me out of this village the entire time.
Fairview, however…she will be missed. And the overall jubilant aura of the entire village. They are all so free. Not weighted down by the Taoiseach or any other force in this world.
But Zoie…my heart sinks for her. She may never forgive me. I pause on the organic bridge and look back. Once my journey is complete, the Taoiseach is assassinated, and Jay is safe, I must return to give my gratitude for all they’ve done.
With a reasonable pace, the hike measures out longer than anticipated. All the way to the top, I watch as the path forms before my eyes. I use it as a motivator to keep pace with, so as not to start dragging. It is a worthy challenge, but Goose the Worthy has no problem conquering it. By the time I reach the last leg of the natural stairway, my legs are ready to collapse beneath me. I clamber on, however, one step at a time. As I summit the wall, triumph is the only emotion that pulses through my blood. That is, until I see another man standing beside my triumph, waiting. A coot with fresh foliage for a headdress and grey tree bark as a breast plate. And, of course, a wily little fur ball perched atop his shoulder.
“Graytu?” I ensure he can here the irritation in my voice. If it were so easy to gain access to this damned clifftop, then why did I suffer in a way that would drive most to murder?
“Goose of House Greyson?” he retorts without moving his lips.
So, this is how we communicate now.
Suddenly, as if a lightning bolt zapped me, I detect something I have known all along but haven’t realized during my entire stay here. I cannot believe it took me this long to recognize it. I suppose the blaring sunlight is enhancing it and has made it visible to the blind. But I’m disappointed I did not conclude this earlier. Graytu wears grey bark. All the Redcliffe Warriors don grey bark armor. Zoie encapsulated herself in grey bark. I’ve been in Greybark this entire time. And Old Lady Windblown is likely one of the villagers I’ve associated with.
“Graytu of Greybark,” I declare through my Instincts as I approach him.
“Aha!” he chirps out loud, and the squirrel on his back dances from shoulder to shoulder. “You’ve revealed a mystery that has been here all through history. I’m elated that ‘Goose Greyson the Worthy’ is also ‘Goose Greyson the Wise’.” He drags out the last word with a low, melodramatic tone.
I don’t know if he mocks me or if there’s sincerity there.
“It’s a pleasure to see you up here,” I say to Graytu as I grip his forearm in a warrior’s greeting. “But it’s bittersweet.”
“So it is. Sit. Admire the view for a moment. You look dreadful.”
I ignore his unintended slight, and the two of us take a seat at the cliff’s edge. I can see the entirety of the Redcliffe Forest below expanding to the Garnet Plains and beyond. The irrigation windmills to the northeast look like children’s toys arrayed on a royal carpet. To the south is a mass of violent clouds forming in the proximity of the Thunder Bluffs. I cannot hear the everlasting thunderous booms that echo in those canyons, but I can see them. Like crackling flames or a heavy snowfall, it’s mesmerizing. And to witness from above, even more so.
Then, a peculiar sight diverts my attention away from all the beauty. Peculiar, but still beautiful in its own way. Back in the direction I journeyed to get to this pinnacle, several small thickets of forest have been taken by an early touch of Autumn. Yellows, reds, and oranges paint the terrain. I ponder it briefly but move on as I am distracted by the astonishing view and all t
hat is visible.
Looking outward, the horizon is infinite, and the only place visibly higher than the two of us is the Cerulean Mountains to the south and the west. And, of course, Cerise with its boundless ambience hovering in the blue sky. The brilliance of the view can be challenged by none other. I glance north then south, and the Redcliffe itself expands as far as the eye can see in either direction. Its magnitude is marvelous and causes me to wonder what could create such a thing. Is this all Susy’s creation?
And then another peculiar sight, an eruption of owls catches my attention down below us. Hundreds fly to the southeast. The same event I witnessed while in the canopy of the Broken Forest. Something I’ve never witnessed in my lifetime, and now twice in one season.
“It is peculiar, isn’t it?” Graytu breaks the silence.
I stare at him for a moment without responding, wondering if I was thinking aloud or not. “It is,” I respond.
“Have you ever seen so many owls fly together? Or even one owl fly with another owl?”
“I have, actually,” I say before briefing him on my recent experience with Jay.
“This is not a good sign. No, this is not a good sign,” he replies somberly. “I have seen many things, Goose of House Greyson, but I have not witnessed this. No, I have not witnessed this. I’m not sure what it means, but it’s not natural. I will ponder on it.” Unexpectedly, but not surprisingly for the old coot, he changes his tune in one breath to his typical quirky self. “So, you must have unraveled the answer to my riddle. ‘You are a tree, soft on the inside and hard on the outside.’ What say you?”
“It came to me just this morning when I discovered Zoie is alive.” I let a moment of silence pass as I deal with the reality of that situation. “Everything that comes from your mouth is rubbish. What you really meant was I’m soft on the inside and hard on the outside, but I should be aspiring to be like a tree. Not just any tree, but a velvet tree in particular, which is undoubtedly the hardest of all trees on the inside and unnaturally soft on the outside. A tree solid and unyielding all the way down to the core of its heart but generous and forgiving on the outside. A tree that emanates, above all else, strength and compassion. A tree more commonly known as the antlers of a White Hart. Finally, something that has escaped your tongue has actually made sense to me.”
“Huh?” he chirps. “A clever answer, that is. I’ll have to remember that one.”
I look at him quizzically, yet again.
“But you have it all wrong,” he adds.
My face heats up, and my smile yields.
“It is all a matter of perspective, lad. It was a simple comment left open for interpretation. That is all. There is no answer.”
“How…” I ball my fists, digging my nails into my palms. “How infuriating. It’s all falderal. You’re just an old coot who enjoys being crazy. I’m exhausted by listening to you.” I stand up and begin to stamp away until Graytu chants some more nonsense in a child’s tune.
Anger, anger, a taunting danger.
It flares your cares and faults the stranger.
Anger, anger, a taunting danger.
It feeds your weeds and points the finger.
“I know what you’re doing,” I complain with my back still facing him.
“Come. Sit back down,” he says in a compassionate tone.
I accept his invitation. I hate admitting it, but it’s a tantrum birthed from exhaustion. Nothing more. I flop back down beside him.
“Now…let’s have more of that falderal that constantly leaks from my cheeks. Who makes Goose the Great?” he asks.
“You do. And Zoie. And my family. And everyone else who I care for.”
“And who makes Goose the Worthy.”
I scratch at my head and run my fingers through my hair. “I do,” I say with hesitation.
“You do. The fact is…there is a gap, and that gap needs filling. It’s human nature to fill a void when there is one, but it’s not always easy to make out all the holes that need filling. There are large holes and small holes, holes far away and holes so close you wouldn’t see them if you looked straight down.”
“So, you’re saying I used Zoie to fill a gap?”
“No!” he exclaims an unduly harshness. “Well…yes, you filled a gap in your heart with Zoie and then you literally filled a gap across an impossible ravine, but that is not it.”
“You said everything that came from that tongue of yours was simple?”
“It is. Pay attention, lad. It is all too simple. If I had sent you on your way in your current state, you would have never succeeded. You were young and immature. Hot-headed and overconfident. Your self-proclaimed greatness made you unworthy. You would have learned nothing from the Grumpy Old Goat. It would have gone in one ear and out the other. Now listen.
“You had the potential. Potential with your talents, your Instincts, and your overall values. But what you didn’t have was the understanding of how to grow into something more than your own desires. Nor did you realize you even needed to. You filled those empty gaps with overconfidence and boasts that only weighed you down and kept you from growing. Kept you from becoming great. All that falderal was intended to get you thinking about who you are and those who your actions affect. In the end, you are the one that decided you had a void in your heart that needed filling, and in doing so, those that filled your heart also elevated you to the top. They are your passion to carry out what you intend.”
I’m fully aware he is right, but I’m not going to admit it. I may have grown enough to understand I won’t always have the answer, and it is possible to survive without knowing the right answer, but I’m not ready to shed all my pride by admitting he’s right. He knows that as well. I can tell by the look on his face.
“Alright, enough chippie chatter,” I spurt out. Graytu’s face lights up. “Why did you help me, Chief Graytu? I know my eagerness to inflict pain and suffering on someone is not a worthy cause.”
“You are strong willed, Goose Greyson the Worthy.” He winks. “You dissolved one family due to a confliction with what your heart believed was right and replaced it with another family you are willing to go to extreme measures to protect. I don’t know why you fled your father, but you are transparent in the fact you deeply care for him and respect his teachings. It takes a strong and courageous man to make such a decision. An attitude can be adjusted, but a good, strong heart is something you’re born with. In the end, I have no doubt your greatness will be what Azure needs. And I was confident you would choose to be worthy of scaling the Redcliffe Crossing. Not just any legs can carry a man up here. It was just a matter of how long it would take.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence. My father would have given me an insincere congratulation then told me what I could’ve done to improve the matter. He made a choice I didn’t agree with, you know. That’s why I fled the capital. I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t want to be part of his plans.”
“Goose, remember this. No man has it all figured out. I don’t have it all figured out. Your father doesn’t have it all figured out. No man does, regardless of what they boast. It is time to break away from your past and start becoming your own man. You have yet to see the worst of your demons. You must always grow stronger. This was only the first step. There will be a day you must leap from a cliff not much different than this. It won’t be so easy.”
“Understood. I think. And you might not know it all, but you sure know quite a bit more than myself. What else can you teach me? What other secrets do you have?”
“Scope and sequence, lad. You’re only an infant amongst the blood of Azure.”
We sit in silence for a moment. This was the first time I’ve heard words of prose come from him, so I contemplate them for some time as opposed to deciphering them. As I ponder, a peregrine falcon—I presume a father—teaches his young how to hunt. The larger of the two hovers over the other, helping guide it through the air. The youth goes into a stoop at an incredible speed. It
readies its talons and collides with another bird twice its size. Successful in all ways.
Graytu leans back onto his arms and enjoys the scenery. He breaks the silence by answering an unspoken question. “You’ve already met her. I’ll reintroduce you this evening.”
I look at him, puzzled, wondering who he’s referring to. Then I just smile, knowing all well his intention is to preserve my confusion at all times, but in the end, an answer always reveals itself.
Sport. Are we ready for that? A lad and his sis were head-to-head in a field, with the lad gripping a wooden sphere. Trying to get around her, his feet shuffled. She wouldn’t have it. She knocked him to the ground, grabbed the sphere, and stepped on him. A brutal sport that will feed their ugly lusts.
43 Stone
“I
haven’t seen an Ironball match in ages. I was with my parents…” I trail off in thought, but I notice Astor’s smile fading, so I quickly continue rambling to prevent the mood from going sour. “Jay was there too. And my childhood friend, Elder. He was a quirky one, but most people are, in their own way.”
“Elder?” Her brow raises. “Is that where you came up with your alias?”
“Yeah. It was the first name that popped into my head. We spent most of our childhood together. His family lived in the neighboring village of Farrow, but my parents would send a carriage for him regularly to come visit.”
“Farrow?”
“Yeah. Small farming village. Up north. Nearest town east of Redoak, just on the rim of the forest. They have a few too many hogs roaming their paths if you ask me. Come to think of it, I never made it his way much. His parents were eager to get him away. I think they wanted him to become more cultured and see the world outside of Farrow. We were always traveling to the capital and other villages for various reasons. My father was involved with Parliament, as you know, so he had business all over Vedora. Elder tagged along quite often.”
Season of Sacrifice (Blood of Azure Book 1) Page 55