The Black Sword Trilogy: The Poacher

by VanMeter, Jeffery

  “I can feel it.” Kayla said sadly. “And I can feel…” Suddenly she stopped and brought her smile back with some effort.

  Terri wanted to press Kayla further, but decided against it. Whatever it was that she was thinking about seemed especially painful. Then a question came to mind.

  “You mentioned something at breakfast about someone being able to summon the creatures.”

  Kayla took a deeper drink of ale and then had an even more far off look.

  “We don’t know where he came from.” She started to tell. “We found him half dead in the forest; even worse than you. We took him in, brought him back to health and then eventually came to regard him as one of our own. He even became a member of the Sanctuary Council; the only outsider to ever earn such a position. He was intelligent, hardworking, generous, and compassionate; all the things we valued. He also had, what we like to call, ‘the gift’. He could speak to the trees and the spirits. He had a healing touch and we were all amazed at how fast he learned to use these gifts.”

  “What was his name?” Terri asked.

  “I cannot say it,” Kayla answered. “His name is a curse in the language of the forest. Speaking it causes suffering and decay to everything that can hear it. We never called him by his real name; instead we simply called him ‘friend’; for that’s what he was at first.”

  “What happened?” Terri prodded.”

  Terri then saw a look in Kayla’s eyes that was even sadder and far off than she’d seen before. She even saw tears forming in Kayla’s eyes.

  “One can only step through the veil when one is called,” She continued. “However, his thirst for knowledge was his weakness. We had warned him time and time again not to pass through; but we couldn’t stop him. One night, he snuck into the sanctuary and stepped behind the curtain.”

  Kayla stopped for a moment and rubbed the tears from her eyes.

  “When we found him the next morning, he appeared undamaged. He seemed to be the same ‘friend’ we had always known. But soon, we began to notice changes in him. His moods were darker. He was easily angered. And he had ideas that were dangerous.”

  “What kind of ideas?” Terri asked.

  “He became colder and his compassion was gone. He proposed harsh penalties for anyone who transgressed in any way. One young boy was caught stealing bread from a market and before we could stop him, he whipped the boy nearly to the point of death. He began to hunt well within a no violence zone we hold sacred here. He began speaking his name to anyone or anything that offended him. He even began demanding that we call him by that name; which, of course we refused.”

  “He had new ideas about the Blackwoods’ role in the world. He felt that we should come out of our forests and take, what he called a more ‘leading role’ in the affairs of the outside world. He proposed that we try and enforce our way of life on the other nations; even suggesting that we use our magic to take over the rest of the world.”

  “The final act that we could no longer abide was when he discovered a secret village in the hills between the Blackwoods and Walechia. He determined that the village belonged to us and that they should pay taxes to us. He sent someone to demand such and when the village refused, he began to raise a small army to punish them.”

  Then Kayla’s voice began to crack and tears rolled down her cheeks.

  “He used foul craft to bend the will of some of our soldiers to his own. He made them as cold and harsh as he was. They marched on the village, killed everyone and burned everything he could see. No one was spared, not even…not even the children.”

  Kayla then lowered her head as if praying. Terri was silent; not knowing what, or even if there was anything right to say.

  “When he returned, the Lady of the Woods was horrified by what he had done. She tried to banish him; but instead, he attempted to assassinate her. He tried to kill her. And of all places, he attempted such evil in the Sanctuary.”

  Terri put her hand on Kayla’s shoulder to try and comfort her. She could tell this story was painful.

  “But…” Kayla said with renewed strength. “The Sanctuary will tolerate no ill deeds within its walls. He and his soldiers were spat out and forced out of the Blackwoods and were never seen or heard from again.”

  Terri rubbed her back tenderly and then Kayla took her hand in her own. She then looked up and smiled, almost as an apology.

  “I’m sorry to hear about that.” Terri said gently. Kayla then wiped more tears from her face.

  “We had all but forgotten about him. For many years, it has forbidden to speak of him or the dark deeds he committed. But now…” and her voice trailed off.

  “Are you sure it’s him?” Terri asked.

  “Oh yes,” Kayla answered. “He’s the only one with enough power to call that much evil back from the deep places. And the only one I can think of with enough evil will to want to do such.”

  Terri and Kayla continued to spend time with each; smoking and drinking until the light in the forest began to fade.

  “Wow!” Terri exclaimed. “I didn’t think it would actually get dark in here.”

  “It does indeed get dark and the time has come for me to leave.”

  Kayla squeezed her hand and started to leave.

  “Get plenty of rest, my friend.” She said with her sweet smile and then left Terri alone with troubled thoughts.

  Chapter Thirty Two

  Terri was sleeping soundly when she was awoken by strange voices. It sounded like there were hundreds of them at the same time; all calling her name. The voices were mostly soft, barely above a whisper; but they were enough to disturb her rest. More than that, the voices seemed to beckoning her; almost as if physically pulling at her.

  She stepped out of bed and, still wearing the night shirt that had been provided for her, left her room and followed in the direction the voices were pulling her. She followed all the way to the bottom of the tree and to the river where a single boat looked as if it were waiting only for her. The silvery light around her was softer, but it was not quite dark. She heard the sounds of a forest at night, but there was a stillness as if the entire city were sleeping except her. She stepped into the boat and it started floating down the river seemingly of its own accord.

  Eventually, the boat came to rest on the river’s bank in front of the Sanctuary. The voices were still quiet, but somehow stronger. Their pull was greater. Terri felt almost as if she could feel hands on her pulling. She climbed the steps easily and the wooden doors opened wide for her.

  The sanctuary was virtually silent, except for the trickling of the stream running through its middle. Upon entering, she saw the direction that the voices were beckoning and she became afraid. She felt being pulled toward the curtain and the veil. She remembered the story that Kayla had told her of the man who had been driven mad by crossing the veil. She also remembered that Kayla had told her that very few had ever been chosen to cross through the curtains and; surely, she thought she could not have been called.

  It didn’t make any sense, she thought to herself that she would be called. She wasn’t from the Blackwoods. She wasn’t a member of the Sanctuary Council. She was just an ordinary Walechian soldier from a farm. The veil couldn’t be calling her, she reasoned. She wasn’t worthy. Still the voices called and pulled her closer to the curtains. She tried to resist, but the voices were stronger than her.

  “Do not be afraid,” She heard Kayla tell her. She managed to stop herself for a moment and look towards Kayla’s voice. She was standing at the door of the Sanctuary leading to the garden.

  “Can you hear them too?” Terri asked.

  “Yes,” Kayla answered softly and sadly.

  “This can’t be happening.” Terri said in a desperate voice. “Is this a dream?”

  “No,” Kayla said with her familiar sweet smile. “This was meant to be, my friend.”

  Terri found herself afraid and excited at the same time. What was on the other side of the curtain? Did death wait for he
r there? No, she reasoned. Death could have found her many times before reaching the Secret City. Would she be driven mad like the man Kayla had earlier spoken of? Something told her that wouldn’t happen either. Something seemed to be telling her that, what waited on the other side of the veil was something wonderful. At this thought, she stopped resisting and let herself be carried through the curtain.

  Once past the curtain, she felt herself almost flying; as if she were an arrow being loosed from a bow. She felt as though she were soaring across miles and years at the same time. But she did not hear any sounds of wind past her ears or see anything pass by at first. To begin, it was totally dark. Then she began to see shapes and images of clouds and mountains passing around her as she still felt like flying. She saw the sun begin to rise, but it looked even further away than what she had ever seen. The sky; or what she thought was sky looked as if it were softly on fire. Mountains and land she had never seen passed beneath her and then on to a wide valley. She felt herself slowing down and begin to gently float lower to the ground. Soon, she found herself flying over a river that wound its way through the valley and then she saw the images of uncountable shapes of people; all watching her go by.

  She floated down into a forest, not unlike the Blackwoods. The floor of the forest was like the garden she had visited earlier and the sweet aroma of spring flowers seemed to envelope her as she felt her feet touch a velvety ground.

  Before her, wrapped by a glimmering yellow sunlight was a bridge crossing a stream. Standing on the bridge was the silhouette of a person; but she couldn’t tell if it were man or woman. Cautiously, but curiously, Terri approached the bridge and the person standing in the middle of it. Like everything she had seen in Avalos, the bridge looked as if it were growing out of the ground and it was covered in flowers of nearly every color she’d ever seen. She stepped forward slowly and the figure with bright, but somehow soft sunlight behind it stepped to the edge of the bridge. When Terri’s feet nearly touched the bridge, the figure spoke in a hundred voices at once and told her to stop.

  “From here, you must go no further,” The voices instructed her. They were strong and forceful; but also had a tenderness and a feel of wisdom. Terri took a step back. She stood staring at the figure trying to see more of him or her. However, no matter from which angle she tried to look, she could see nothing but a robed figure with the sun behind it.

  There was a silence that made Terri nervous as she stood before the bridge and the figure apparently guarding it.

  “Why am I here?” She finally asked.

  “The time has come.” The voices answered simply.

  “Time? What time?”

  “The time has come.” They answered again.

  Terri continued to look for some way to see more of the figure before her.

  “You’re really not giving me a lot to work with here.” She said trying to sound funny. But again, the figure just stood in front of her. She began to feel frustrated as she wanted some answer to why she had been called, where she was and what was to happen next?

  “Hold out your hands.” The voices said.

  Terri did as the voices told her and the figure stepped forward. The beam of sunlight then crept over the bridge and touched her outstretched hands. It was warm and soothing and its energy felt like it was flowing, like water in her veins. Suddenly she felt something in her hands and unseen hands and fingers helped her to close her hands tighter around that which she felt. She looked down at her hands and saw, what looked like a bow, but the light was still shining on her hands and she could only see an outline.

  Then, abruptly she felt herself being pulled back even faster than when she had flown after going past the curtain. The land, the distant mountains and the fiery sky all flew before her until she found herself in darkness again. Soon, she felt a wooden floor under her feet and the heavy curtain against her back. She felt as though she had just woken from a deep sleep and nearly stumbled. And she felt something in her hands. She shook her head to regain more consciousness, then stepped backwards through the heavy curtain. She turned around and saw Kayla smiling and with tears in her eyes. The Sanctuary Council were all behind her and they bowed low as Terri stepped towards them. Terri looked down to see what was in her hands. There she saw a solid, black longbow with ribbons of gold wrapped around it.

  “No way!” Terri gasped.

  She looked up at Kayla. Still smiling, she looked at Terri and said, “At last. The time has come.”

  Chapter Thirty Three

  Soon after returning to the Sanctuary, Terri followed Kayla and her entourage back to the terrace for another breakfast. However, she couldn’t eat or talk. She just sat staring at the bow and asking herself the same questions over and over. Is this really what I think it is? Why me? What now? These and other questions were like an argument in her head happening all at once.

  The bow was as tall as her; solid black with ribbons of gold apparently carved into the wood. The string looked like spun silver, but felt as soft as down. Running her fingers up and down the shaft, she felt a kind of buzzing energy coming from the bow and heard softly whispering voices that sounded as if asking her questions.

  “I always wondered if I would ever see the time when the Blackwoods Bow would return to the world.” Kayla said. The sound of her voice brought Terri out of her trance-like state.

  “Are you sure that’s what it is?” Terri asked nervously. Terri was fairly certain herself; but in a way, she didn’t want it to be.

  “Oh, yes.” Kayla answered. “It could be nothing else. And I, for one am glad that it was to you that it was given.”

  Terri then shook her head.

  “No,” she said emphatically. “This can’t be. It can’t be for me. Here,” She said holding the weapon towards Kayla. “It has to be for you.”

  Kayla’s eyes widened as if wanting it and she reached out to grab it. But then when her fingers touched it, she pushed it back toward Terri.

  “No my friend,” She said in her familiar sweet voice. “It is you who were called to go past the veil. It was to you the weapon was given. It is yours.”

  “But it can’t be.” Terri said in a whine. “I’m nothing. I’m nobody. This is the weapon of a queen; of a hero. It must be for you.”

  Kayla touched Terri’s hand tenderly.

  “There is more to you than you know, my dear friend.” She told Terri. “In the two days you’ve spent with us, I have discovered you to be very intelligent and you have great courage and strength of character. Though you may not believe it, I believe that you are far more worthy of this weapon than I.”

  “But I don’t know how to use it.” Terri exclaimed.

  “Neither did the first person to whom it was given five hundred years ago. She had to learn to use it, just as you will have to learn how to use it.”

  Terri silently sat staring at the bow for a few seconds, not knowing quite what to say or do. She studied it and gave it a pleading look as if wanting it to say something tangible to her. Kayla caressed her hand again.

  “You’ll be just fine,” She told Terri reassuringly.

  “These are great days.” Saab said in his deep, rumbling voice.

  “Yeah,” Terri added dryly. “Great. Just wonderful.”

  “These are also terrible days,” Kayla said somberly. “The return of this weapon to the world means the coming of another great war; perhaps even a final conflict that may destroy the world as we know it.”

  The table was silent for a moment, then one spoke.

  “I still say the affairs of the other nations are none of our concern.” He said. “We’ve managed to remain untouched by the conflicts outside of our borders for five hundred years. Why should we become involved now? Let the rest of the world burn. We don’t need anything more than what we have around us.”

  “You really are a fool, aren’t you?” Kayla asked him. “This world is more interconnected than you know.”

  “With all due respect my lady…”
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  “Imagine it as a spider’s web. Every strand connected to each other.”

  “I disagree. We’ve stood alone for…”

  “Have we really?” She interrupted. She then picked up an apple from off of her plate. “This apple fell from a tree in Walechia. It came to us on a ship from Sheyron, along with coffee from Masallah. Walechia has benefitted from the shelter the Blackwoods give against the stormy seas and frozen wastes to the west and north of us. The snow from the mountains gives water to our trees and to the fields on the mountainsides of Masallah. And the great ships of Sheyron bring ideas and information to all our lands. We’ve never been completely isolated and I say we shouldn’t be. We are as much a part of this world as the world is part of us. That is why the Blackwoods Bow was given to us in the first place and that it is why it has been found today.”

  “Unfortunately,” Saab added. “We have no standing army as Walechia and Masallah.”

  “We won’t need one.” Kayla answered him. “Military might hasn’t been the role the Blackwoods has played in the years since the Great War. This coming conflict will be more than just a clash of armies; but also of ideas and ways of living. What our trees and animals have to give is far greater than any weapon and it is our courage and conviction that will be tested. This forest is the home of love and beauty in the world and that is the role we will play in the coming war; not of soldiers and weapons; but of people and hearts. That is what the world will look to us for and that is what we will offer.”