Beyond the Fire

by Dewayne A Jackson

  “More soldiers?” Wart asked. “Did the Gray Lands have soldiers along the river when we lived here?”

  “Yes,” Benhada answered.

  “You knew of them?” Wart asked in surprise.

  “I knew of some,” Benhada said. “I’m sure there were more than I realized.”

  “How did you come to be one of them?” Wart asked.

  “The answer to that takes me back to the night I was robbed. As I said, I think the thieves were sure they had killed me, but when I finally awoke, I found myself in a strange camp. My goods and boat were gone, but I was alive.”

  Just then, the group came to a steep cliff blocking their path. “There is a path that climbs the face of this cliff. There is no other passage for many miles. We must proceed in single file.”

  Wart had to hold his questions until everyone had reached the top. When all had turned northwest again, others joined the father and son. No one cared to stray from the group as the barrenness of the countryside loomed before them.

  “What happened after you recovered?” Wart asked his father.

  “I met a pleasant fellow among my rescuers,” Benhada said simply. “Not that they weren’t all pleasant enough,” he hurried on to say, “but I learned that very few of them were able to speak. However, this older gentleman could talk, and talk he did. He seemed to know all about me. He told me of my rescue, and since I was able to speak, he offered me a position with the very men who had rescued me. Since I no longer had a boat, and river traffic was so dangerous, I decided to accept his offer. I have been employed by the Gray Lands since.”

  “That’s why I never saw you again.”

  “I am sorry about that,” Benhada said. “You were nowhere to be found when I heard your aunt was gone and discovered her place abandoned. I didn’t know where to look for you.”

  “After Auntie died,” Wart said, “I wandered downriver looking for you. I worked here and there until I came to Green Meadow.” Wart stopped at a sharp glance from Rudy. His father noted the exchange but said nothing.

  They rode in silence for some time before Wart spoke again. “Dad, if you thought we were enemies, why did you capture us instead of killing us outright?”

  Benhada smiled. “I recognized you. Besides, it’s not only for enemies we watch but for kings as well.”

  “Kings? What does that mean?” Wart asked.

  Benhada leaned back in his saddle. “Many years ago, when the kingdoms east of the river were at war with each other, a gracious man ruled the Gray Lands. He allowed many refugees to enter his realm and come under his protection.

  “Among those refugees was an incredibly beautiful woman. In time she captured the king’s eye, if not his heart. It was only after they were married that he learned her true temperament. She was shrewd and conniving. She cared nothing for her husband or his people, and she tried to introduce strange, new religious ideas. The poor king’s life would have been utter misery if a son and daughter had not entered their troubled marriage.

  “Shortly after the birth of their daughter, the king was summoned to a distant country. Placing his brother in control of the Gray Lands, the king sailed away. He took his son with him, but he was unable to care for his infant daughter, so she remained with her mother.”

  “What happened to the king?” Wart asked.

  “He never returned. Rumors spread through the country that his ship had wrecked and that he’d been lost at sea, but no one knew.”

  “What happened then?” Wart wanted to know.

  “The queen tried to claim the throne, but many people were afraid of her, and they asked the king’s brother to remain as guardian of the kingdom. Because the Lord Guardian could not bring himself to believe that the king had perished, he refused to leave his appointed position. “Rumors spread throughout the kingdom that the queen had faked the summons that had drawn the king away from the Gray Lands. No one could prove the rumors wrong, and the Lord Guardian sent far and wide for information about his brother’s whereabouts. He also placed soldiers along the river to watch for the king’s return. Because of the nature of what we do, many people call us Watchers.”

  “So who was actually in charge of the kingdom?” Wart asked.

  “Well, the Lord Guardian had been appointed by the king to rule before he left,” Benhada explained, “but the queen claimed that the king had given her a tiny silver key on the day of their wedding. She said this was the key to the kingdom and gave her the authority to rule. When officials in the kingdom asked her to produce the key, she refused.”

  “What happened?” Rudy asked, having been drawn into the story.

  “Tensions mounted between those who supported the king’s brother and those who supported the queen, and it was feared that civil war might break out among the people. The Lord Guardian persuaded Astarte, the king’s wife, to let the people decide who would rule. People from all over the kingdom gathered at Gray Haven on a specified day. When the king’s brother stood, the crowd began to shout and cheer and nearly refused to stop. When Levi was finally able to speak, he offered the people comfort and counsel. However, when it was Astarte’s turn to address the crowd, not one voice was raised in her support.

  “Furious, Astarte shouted at the crowd. ‘You mock me with your silence! If it is silence you want, it is silence you shall have. By the power of Beelzebub, may you never speak again!’ She took something from beneath her cloak and hurled it into the sky. A terrible explosion rocked the gathering, and thick black smoke filled the air. When the smoke cleared, the queen was gone, and in her place was a tiny silver key with the letters FAITH raised upon the handle.

  “The Lord Guardian snatched up the key and shouted to the crowd: ‘The key to the kingdom!’ but when the crowd tried to cheer, most found that they could not utter a sound.”

  Wart stared at his father.

  “I know!” Benhada nodded. “It is an incredible story, but I heard it from the Lord Guardian himself. How the queen could inflict silence upon so many people was a mystery. Some wondered if it was by the power of her foreign religion, but no one could ask her, for she was gone!”

  “Where did she go?” Wart asked.

  “No one knows for sure, but some say that she and her supporters fled across the river where she met Jabin, and together they built the kingdom of Endor!”

  Wart gasped, and Rudy’s face grew dark with suspicion. The company rode on in silence for a long while before Wart turned to his father and asked, “But if the king is dead, why do people still watch for him?”

  “After the queen’s disappearance, the crowd dispersed and went to their homes. It was soon discovered that very few in the kingdom were able to speak. At first people thought this inability to speak would be temporary, but when it continued for weeks, they began to panic. The Lord Guardian began to fear that his people would flee the country, hoping to escape the curse. Going to his advisors, he shared his fears.

  “One seer rose to his feet and proclaimed, ‘We know that God is the healer of every infirmity, and He can overcome every power of darkness, but right now these people need hope. Let everyone know that a kingly man will one day come, and when he does, God will bring deliverance to the people. You must inform the Watchers on our border, and every citizen, to watch and wait with expectation, for no one knows the day or the hour of our visitation. We must be patient and persevere through this trial, for when the king appears, all will be made right.’

  “The Lord Guardian made a proclamation that day and sent envoys throughout the kingdom, calling people to watch and wait. Copies of the seer’s message were posted in every village and at every crossroads throughout the Gray Lands. The message gave people hope, and they have long endured their inability to speak while waiting patiently for the return of their king.”

  Benhada went on. “This all happened before you were born, Son. I was not aware of the Gray La
nd’s trials, and the watchers along the river were so discreet that few were aware of their presence, let alone their limitations. The Lord Guardian has raised the king’s daughter, and presently they rule the land together. But the people still watch and wait for this kingly man who will bring about their deliverance.”

  The company rode on in silence and covered many miles of rolling prairie. As the moon settled in the west and dawn spread its rosy colors across the eastern sky, they could see mesas protruding like ragged teeth upon the horizon.

  “We’ll take a short break,” Benhada said, pulling his horse from the road into a grassy hollow. “Water your horses and stretch your legs.”

  They took their respite in a permanent campsite. Wood was neatly stacked under a rock ledge, and a spring bubbled with life-giving water at the bottom of the hill.

  Wart stayed with his father while the others led their horses to the spring for water and grass. “Dad, how will people recognize their king?” he asked.

  “I don’t know,” Benhada said, watching Seagood and the others return from the spring. “Your master commands much respect, doesn’t he?”

  “I think I would follow him anywhere,” Wart responded.

  When Seagood’s company returned, Rudy asked bluntly, “When do we reach our destination?”

  “I will announce you to the Lord and Lady of Gray Haven as soon as we reach the city.” Benhada waved his hand, and all eyes turned to see the morning sun break upon the walls of Gray Haven, which was situated on the brow of the nearest mesa. In the distance they heard the sound of a trumpet announcing the dawn of a new day.

  Helsa fingered the tiny key that hung around her neck. She had been summoned to the throne room to join her uncle Levi, the Lord Regent. She had not waited long before the doorman announced the arrival of Benhada Rooleen.

  Levi rose to meet his friend. “Ben! What brings you so far from the river?”

  “I need your guidance, my lord,” Benhada said, bowing as he entered the room. “We detained a small party near the river, and they won’t tell us their mission. I believe Endor may be their goal, and I thought it best to bring them to you.”

  “What kind of men are they, and where do they come from, Ben?” Levi asked.

  “Most appear to be soldiers from Amity,” Benhada replied. “However …”

  Levi studied the Captain of the Watchers closely. “Are you holding something from me, Ben?”

  “Well …” Benhada stalled. “My son rides with them.”

  “Your son!” Levi laughed. “Why did you bring them to me? You surely trust your son?”

  “I do,” Benhada agreed, “but the leader of their group is unable to speak, and he resembles the Lady Helsa in many respects. I just felt you should meet him.”

  Helsa felt her heart skip a beat, but glancing at her uncle, she could see that Levi was not pleased.

  “Ben,” Levi chided. “I’m not sure this is the right time or place for such a meeting.”

  Helsa reached for Levi’s arm. Her heart was aflutter.

  Levi turned to study his niece, his eyes full of love, as Helsa’s heart swelled with anticipation and hope. “Very well,” he sighed. He turned to Benhada. “Disarm your party and bring them here.”

  Benhada departed, and Helsa sprang to her feet. “Don’t get your hopes up, dearest,” Levi said. “There are many who cannot speak, nobleman and bum alike.”

  Helsa smiled and wrapped her arms about the doting old man’s neck. Suddenly she stooped and kissed his cheek.

  Levi laughed. “Nay, child! I love you too! But come, compose yourself. We are about to have company.”

  The door was closed, but Levi and Helsa could hear raised voices outside.

  “Leave your weapons here,” Benhada was saying firmly.

  “I’ll be glad to, Dad, but please don’t make the others.”

  “All must disarm!” Benhada was adamant.

  “Dad, we didn’t cause trouble when we came with you. We will keep faith.”

  Intrigued by the conversation, Helsa broke protocol and slipped from her uncle’s side. Hurrying to the door, she lifted the latch and witnessed three travel-weary men and one boy, their clothes rumpled and dirty from days in the saddle.

  Wart dropped to his knees in astonishment.

  “My lady!” Rudy said as he bowed beside Wart.

  Mathias slowly bent his knee, clearly begrudging every delay their adventure had taken.

  Two men remained standing: Benhada Rooleen and Seagood.

  Seagood closed his eyes as memories flickered like phantoms through his mind. He could picture his father guiding him onto a boat and waving to a crowd where his mother had stood holding her new baby daughter. When Seagood opened his eyes, he saw his mother—or a likeness of her—standing before him.

  Seagood gasped at the woman before him. Her nose and eyes mirrored his own. Who is she? he wondered.

  “My lady!” Benhada exclaimed, bowing low.

  “Helsa,” her uncle chided as he finally reached her side and stepped between his niece and the lone man yet standing.

  Benhada rose and turned to face Seagood. “You will bow before the Lady of the Gray Lands!”

  Seagood stood motionless, staring as if in shock.

  Benhada drew his sword and placed it at Seagood’s neck. “Bow before the queen!” he shouted angrily.

  Helsa slipped quickly around her uncle and laid a hand upon Benhada’s shoulder.

  Benhada yielded to her touch and, lowering his blade, stepped aside.

  Everyone watched in amazement as Helsa did the unthinkable. Holding the folds of her robes, she curtsied low before Seagood.

  “Helsa!” her uncle gasped.

  “My lady!” Benhada exclaimed.

  “Don’t stare, Wart,” Rudy hissed.

  Helsa felt a gentle touch on her cheek. Looking up, she saw that the strange man was smiling. There was a light of recognition in his eyes, and she knew he understood. Flying into his arms, they held each other tight. Her brother had finally come home.

  Levi, Helsa, and the travelers spent the day talking quietly around a fireplace. Levi told of things that had happened in the Gray Lands since the king had disappeared, and Rudy spoke guardedly of their current mission. Helsa clung to her brother as if he might disappear, and Levi struggled with the realization that his brother was truly gone.

  It was a sad yet joyful occasion to let one dream go and to begin plans for another.

  Wart’s arms swung freely as he and his father walked quickly down the hallway. “Dad, how did you know?” he asked when they were an appropriate distance from the reunited family.

  “Know what, Son?”

  “That Seagood and the princess were brother and sister?”

  “I didn’t.”

  “But you brought us here just so the two could meet, didn’t you? You had the authority to let us pass, but you came here instead.”

  Benhada stopped and looked at his son. “You are becoming very observant. You can glean a great deal of information even without asking questions. Strength will carry you far, but a man of understanding will go even further. I’m very proud of you, Son.”

  “But you haven’t answered my question.”

  “About what?”

  “How did you know?”

  “I didn’t. I thought I told you that.”

  “Then why didn’t you let us go? Master Levi even said you had the authority to do so.”

  “You are persistent,” Benhada said, chuckling. “Very well. I found it most intriguing that your master could not speak, and neither do most of the people in this land. I wondered if he was from here. And too, you were being very secretive about your mission. I felt certain Master Levi should know of your activity.”

  “Then you really didn’t know Seagood and the Lady were brother a
nd sister?”

  “No! I thought I already told you that,” Benhada said, laughing. “Now, no more questions. There is much that has to be done before you leave tomorrow.”

  Torches dimly lit the street where Benhada and Seagood’s men had gathered. Wart sat shivering between Rudy and his father. Their horses stomped and snorted impatiently. Rudy held two extra mounts. One was for Seagood, and the other was for Master Thomas, if they should indeed be fortunate enough to find and rescue him.

  “I wish he’d hurry,” Wart whispered. “I’m freezing.”

  “He’ll come,” Rudy said. “Remember, Wart, that he hasn’t seen his sister in many years. It would be hard to leave so soon.”

  “If it were me,” Mathias added, “I’m not sure I would leave.”

  “You don’t think he’ll change his mind and stay, do you?” Wart asked with alarm.

  “No,” Rudy said emphatically. “Ah, here they are now, and isn’t his sister beautiful?”

  The group watched Seagood and Helsa descend a long staircase, hand in hand. As they neared the bottom, Helsa slowed her pace to counter that of her brother. At the bottom, Seagood turned and lifted his sister’s hand to his lips. He knew the coming days would be very hard for those he left behind in the Gray Lands.

  Seagood started to turn, but Helsa restrained him. Throwing her arms about his neck, she pulled him close and wept upon his broad shoulder. Ever so gently, Seagood pulled from her embrace, nodded, and turned to go.

  Leaping into his saddle, Seagood turned to salute his sister one last time. She pulled her cloak tightly about her slender frame and raised her hand in farewell. Seagood wheeled his horse about and cantered away into the darkness.

  Wart peered over his shoulder as they headed toward the city’s gate. He saw the Lady Helsa still waving farewell to the party and felt a lump settle in his throat that threatened to remain there for a long time.

  Seagood and his group reached the open prairie by full daylight and made only occasional stops during the day to water the horses. As evening drew near, they rode into less desolate country where an occasional tree and some green grass could be seen.