Sacred Water, Book 2, The Time Before

by Charles Kaluza

Chapter 15

  The cave was located on a wind-swept ledge several hundred feet above the ice field. Debris from rock falls above had partially obscured the entrance. It was two days’ work to clear the entrance enough to safely admit their party. The protection from the wind alone was enough to celebrate, but the wonders they hoped were contained within were the goal. Just inside the cave were a pair of heavy wooden doors which remained intact despite their ancient status. Heather asked, "How can the wood be so well preserved if it is so ancient?"

  Daniel responded, "I would expect the cold and dryness have protected the wood. The ancient ones had great knowledge of alchemy; it is likely the wood has been protected with some chemical."

  There was no lock, just an inscription which the young priest translated as, "Enter in peace. Knowing must continue for those of the right." He was unable to explain further.

  Jeremy wanted to immediately open the door but Heather said, "It says enter in peace; I would we plan a little more before entering. We will camp here in the vestibule and ponder this mystery for the morning."

  It was a festive, if austere, evening meal as they celebrated their accomplishment. Heather was distant, lost in her planning. It was not until they climbed into their sleeping robes when Daniel asked, "My love has been lost in thought, why such worries?"

  Heather responded, "The inscription is a warning but of what I'm not sure. Hopefully sleep will bring an answer. I pray to the God of the Sacred Water for a good sleep for you my love."

  Daniel's soft snoring should have allowed Heather to slip into a restful sleep but her thoughts were tormented. Images of the Red Ambassador and his attack kept intruding into her thoughts. Occasionally an image of her grandmother would form in the background. She was trying to tell her something but Heather could not hear her. Most of the night passed in torment, and she was sleeping only partially. It was near morning light when Heather's dream of her grandmother formed more completely and she saw her grandmother open the right hand door. Suddenly she understood; the Red Ambassador's door opened on the left, tradition was the doors opened on the right. Now the inscription made sense, "Knowing must continue for those of the right-sided tradition." Sleep came for only a short time before the activities of the day began.

  Daniel's movement awoke Heather. She said, "I had a visit from my grandmother last night. The warning now makes sense. We must use the right door."

  Daniel responded, "It would seem the left door is designed to be opened first."

  "So it would seem. I would explain while we break fast. I will join you shortly. No one is to touch the door."

  Heather took time completing her morning ritual, letting the certainty of her dream fully enter her consciousness. She joined the others and partook of the travel rations. The conversation was light while everyone waited for Heather. When she had finished eating, she told of her dream.

  The young priest spoke first saying, "Your interpretation makes sense. There is an emphasis on the word right in the inscription, I knew not why. A blessing from your grandmother, most certainly."

  Jeremy and Daniel picked up the torch and lit it from their small cooking fire. Everyone followed the few steps to the large doors. It was obvious the left door was to be opened first. As Daniel explored the door with his hands he realized the trim board was hinged. The hinge gave way with some groaning, and with the trim board folded back, the left door appeared to be openable. Daniel looked up at Heather who said, "I think it is safe to try the door."

  Daniel and Jeremy pulled on the large carved handle and the door grudgingly moved a little. Others helped and soon the door was opened enough to allow entrance. Heather said, "One should go first but how to choose the one."

  In a very quiet voice the young priest replied, "I shall go first. I feel it is my calling to explore and remember this sacred site."

  Nodding Heather replied, "So it shall be. I would you trail a line in case your torch fails. Do not explore past the limits of the line."

  Accepting the torch offered by Jeremy, the young priest squeezed through the narrow opening. His nose was assaulted by new odors. There was only minimal dampness present but the smells were of things very old. The smell of ancient scrolls mixed with the other odors increased his exhilaration. The walls were close and were of bare rock. He bent down slightly and examined the floor more closely; traces of footsteps were present. The realization that he was walking amongst his ancestors struck the young priest like a lightning bolt and he was unable to move forward for a few minutes. A call of concern from outside returned him to the present and he moved forward again slowly, without bothering to answer the call.

  The narrow cave turned multiple times and he had gone most of the length of his line when he came to another door. The inscription on this door read, "Contained herein is the knowledge of our people." With this hands shaking slightly, the young priest reached out and tried to open the door. It refused his efforts. The torch was already half gone but the young priest stood and tried to visualize what the ancients would have been thinking. Did they mean to bar his entrance? Was the door simply frozen by the effects of age?

  A slight draft was evident along the edge of the door and the young priest realized the door needed to be secured to prevent its opening. He explored the perimeter of the door and found a simple metal pin securing both the top and bottom of the door. The light of the torch revealed moderate rusting but he was able to slowly retract the pins. He had no sooner released both pins when the door opened slightly by itself. There was a definite flow of air from within through the door opening. He pried the door open enough to allow himself to look within. The light of the torch revealed a small library room. Two walls were covered with shelves of scrolls. The third wall was a mural of a large city on several hills adjoining the sea.

  By now his torch was burning low; the young priest pushed the door closed and secured it again with the pins. By the light of the dying torch he retraced his footsteps. The light of the torch gave out completely before he reached the end of the tunnel. Moving more slowly, he followed his line until the light in the entrance was visible again. His companions were waiting without and said nothing as he exited the door.

  The young priest sat on a rock just outside the doorway. His face radiated both excitement and contemplation. Heather was about to ask him what he had seen with a young priest began to speak in a soft voice. "I walked amongst the footsteps of those who have gone before us. At the end of the tunnel is a small room with two walls of scrolls and the third wall is a mural. The mural depicts a large city against the sea."

  No one responded to the young priest's proclamation, everyone was lost to their own thoughts. Heather said finally, "We have much planning to do. Let us share our midday meal.”

  While they ate, a torrent of questions came forth for the young priest, most of which he was unable to answer. Heather finally took control by asking, "How much time will you need to study and remember the scrolls?"

  "At least a lifetime to study the scrolls but perhaps only two weeks to remember them. Remembering is best done by at least two people but I will try to remember correctly."

  Heather responded, "We have not enough supplies for two weeks. I would some of those of the Forest would ferry additional supplies. I would also have some continue to explore this country. I would know the pass which connects us to our ancestors and to those of the Red Ambassador."

  Jeremy spoke up, saying, "A good plan, but we of the Forest would see this treasure for ourselves."

  Heather replied, "And you shall. One person will be needed to assist our young priest with fresh torches or lamps. We shall rotate this responsibility so all can share in our discovery." Turning to Daniel she asked, "Could you draw in your book a copy of the mural?"

  "I would try, but I am a healer, not an artist."

  Heather said something but Daniel did not understand and asked her to repeat it. She said, "All h
ave tasks now except myself."

  Daniel broke the tension by laughing and saying, "You my love, have the hardest task of all, for you have to plan. We just have to do."

  Those of the Forest chose amongst themselves their tasks. Jeremy and one other were to seek out the pass of their ancestors. The decision was made for their journey to be delayed while the young priest searched for a map amongst the scrolls. Others set out to establish relay camps for ferrying of supplies.

  Jeremy was the first to act as the assistant to the young priest, with Daniel accompanying them. Daniel made them stop just inside the doorway so he could examine the inside of the door. A complicated lever system connected the left-hand door to a trap door built into the ceiling of the tunnel. Climbing on to Jeremy's shoulders Daniel explored the trap door. It retained a large mass of round boulders. Tripping the trigger mechanism would have unleashed a small rock slide which would have most certainly closed the tunnel. Those rocks would have buried anyone who had opened the left-hand door.

  Daniel said, "We owe a prayer of thanks to the God of the Sacred Water and Heather's grandmother. Those who built here were most serious about protecting the knowledge they were storing."

  The young priest pointed out the footsteps of those who had gone before. Daniel compared his foot to the prints evident in the sand and dust covering the stone. Their feet seemed slightly bigger than Daniel’s. Jeremy asked, "Could it not be they simply wore bigger boots than us?"

  "Maybe, but the imprint is pretty well defined. I would guess whoever made this was a bit taller and heavier than ourselves." He continued, "I would some of these tracks be saved."

  Jeremy said, "It is wide enough here in this part of the passage for us to travel only to the left, leaving the tracks intact."

  Daniel said, "A good plan. We can use some of the rock rubble from outside to create the path."

  When they arrived at the second door, Daniel used some of the oil from his medicine kit to lubricate the hinges. With effort, they were finally able to open the door fully. The three of them stood filling the doorway, looking at the small room that contained the treasure of knowledge, of those who had gone before. It was Jeremy who noticed the lamp sitting just to the inside of the doorway. It was filled with a clear oil such as they had not seen before. Turning up the wick, they lit the lamp which filled the room with a much brighter light. The room measured only three paces by four paces and the ceiling was just high enough to allow them to stand without bending. They extinguished the torch, much preferring the clear light of the lamp. The room was barren except for a single chair and a small keg such as oil would be stored in.

  Jeremy wanted to begin searching for a map but the young priest insisted they try and learn the system of the scrolls. Each shelf had an inscription on it, which the young priest read out loud. The word order seemed strange to their ears but many of the words were unchanged from their own. A pattern seemed to be emerging, each column of shelves contained repeating sections of information. The different columns seemed to indicate different time periods of history. Only after several hours of study was the young priest willing to remove a scroll which he thought might contain a map. With great care he unfurled the scroll.

  With Daniel and Jeremy looking over his shoulders he traced the lines of text with his fingers trying to help his brain remember them correctly. Two thirds of the way down the scroll was indeed a map of sorts. The inscription read, "Path to our new life or our extinction."

  Daniel was busy copying the details of the map onto his notepad. It was a crude replication of the scroll's finely detailed drawing but the major information was copied. Jeremy spent his time trying to orientate himself to the map. Only after he walked around and looked at the map upside down did he finally recognize some landmarks. Most of the map was of the area to the north and east of the present location. The pass was well marked on the map as was the passage to the east. To the west and south was almost featureless, as if those who drew the map knew not what lay ahead.

  The young priest completed his remembering of the scroll before looking up and saying, "I will need time to study this more fully but it would seem the map is indeed of their journey onto the ice field. It speaks of a way forward found by one of their scouts but has no detail."

  The afternoon had grown late and Daniel said, "Enough for now. Let us report to the others." They relit their torch and extinguished the lamp before carefully closing the door. They spoke not at all while they retraced their steps. Only Heather and one other of the Forest were waiting for them. All others had departed to work on their supplies.

  Heather asked, "Have you learned more of our ancestors?"

  Daniel replied, "A little only. We have a map of their passage onto the ice field."

  "Do we know the why of their passage?"

  Daniel turned towards the young priest who again entered his trancelike state as he studied the scroll he had remembered. After a few minutes he said, "I will need time to study the scroll in far greater depth to be certain. This scroll speaks only of their journey and hardships."

  Daniel asked, "When you remember, do you remember the words themselves?"

  The young priest responded, "Mostly I remember a picture of the scroll and must read it in my mind to see the words. That is why studying and remembering are different."

  Heather said, "The first of our replenished supplies will not arrive for several days as they are ferried from the cache we left on the ice field. We have enough supplies left for one week. If you're ready, you could depart at first light."

  Jeremy said, "If the map is drawn to scale we should be able to explore the pass and return easily in one week. If the weather does not hold, then the God of the Sacred Water will know our schedule."

  Heather said, "I pray to God of the Sacred Water that the weather holds. I would you take supplies for two weeks and plan on returning in one week."

  Jeremy protested, "Those left behind would then be short of supplies if the weather turned before more supplies arrived."

  Heather said, "We are protected here and at rest. You will be traveling hard and harsh terrain. I would you take the supplies as I requested."

  Jeremy replied, "We leave at first light."

  The evening was spent with Daniel and Jeremy studying the copy of the map. Heather could sense Daniel's desire to accompany Jeremy but she wished him not to go. She found living with her ancestors’ suffering to be quite oppressive. If those of the Red Ambassador had caused her ancestors to flee and face possible extinction on the ice field, what did it portend for her peoples? She needed Daniel to stay with her.

  At first light Jeremy and his companion departed to the north, searching for the pass to the ancestors’ homeland. Heather accompanied Daniel and the young priest to the library. The young priest returned to his work of remembering the scrolls and Daniel began sketching the mural on the wall of the city by the sea. Heather watched the others work for a time, but soon tired of doing nothing. She began exploring the crevices of the cave. One of the crevices which arose from the floor seemed to be the source of the airflow. The air smelled old but not offensive. There was no indication of sulfur. She interrupted Daniel by asking, "How can the air be flowing from this rock?"

  Daniel looked up from his work saying, "I know not, but presume a fissure in the rock leads to another opening lower in the mountain."

  "The other opening would not be below the ice would it?"

  "No, for air to move it would have to be open to warmer air which would rise through the rock. Why do you ask?"

  Heather hesitated momentarily before replying, "I was wondering how the ancients discovered this cave. If it connects to another cave on their side of the pass, maybe smoke made its way through the rock and revealed the cave to them."

  "Possibly, or their scouts may have just found it as they searched for passage."

  Heather continued, "If it did connect, we could use it for commun
ication somehow. A warning on when the enemy will appear would be quite valuable."

  Daniel left his work and walked over to Heather. The air was definitely moving through the rock crevice. He picked up the lamp and examined the rock more closely. He was able to wipe some smudge from the rock face; it had no odor but appeared to be smoke residue. Daniel said, "My love, your thinking may be correct. How we would find the cave I know not."

  The young priest spoke up saying, "I would that there was more time to study the scrolls as I remember them. I will watch for any reference to a cave. In the scroll with the map of the passage there is a reference to a cave in which they took shelter before reaching the pass.

  Heather asked, "Does it speak of the smoke at all?"

  The young priest again entered his trancelike state as he remembered the scroll. He responded, "It speaks only of a cave which sheltered their party from a storm. The cave is depicted on the map."

  Heather said, "I would have charged Jeremy with finding the cave had I thought more carefully. It may be worth searching for this cave."

  Daniel returned to his work saying, "There may be time yet to search for your cave. I would wonder at how long it would take the smoke to rise through the mountain."

  As all others worked hard, time for Heather seemed to pass excruciatingly slow. She tried to plan but had little inspiration. Almost a week had passed since she had sent Jeremy and his companion on their mission of exploration. She was sitting by the rock crevice watching her Daniel and the young priest at their work. Her nose came alive with the smell of wood smoke. The young priest and Daniel had both forbid any fires in the library for fear of damaging the scrolls or the painting. Heather asked, "Smell you the smoke?"

  Both Daniel and the young priest looked up from their work and extended their heads to sniff the air. Daniel spoke up saying, "I smell no change."

  Heather said, "Come here and smell the air rising from the crevice."

  Daniel did as Heather had bid him and carefully smelled the air. He said, "It may be my imagination but I do think I smell smoke."

  "It is not your imagination; I wonder if our Jeremy has found and used the cave?"

  Daniel responded, "Jeremy would prefer camping in the open unless the weather was foul. He may have sought shelter in the cave. Time will tell."

  For Heather, time itself was an issue. People came and went, everyone had a task except herself. She tried to plan but it was of little use, she knew not what to plan. Winter storms would howl outside their cave but everything stayed pretty constant within the shelter, nothing for her to do but exist until their task was done. The gloom of the cave kept growing on her spirits by the day. It helped only a little to imagine how Daniel felt while prisoner.

  They were nearing the end of the two weeks when Jeremy finally returned, about the time of the evening meal. His reports matched the record left in the scrolls. A hard journey from the Forest lands below but less severe than their journey from the Forest; when asked if an army could make the passage Jeremy nodded in the affirmative. As an afterthought Jeremy said, "We found footsteps."

  Now Heather's senses were on full alert and she asked, "What sort of footsteps?"

  "On the trail just before we turned back, a single track of someone comfortable in snowshoes. They were headed away from the mountain."

  "A scout for those of the Red Ambassador?"

  "The tracks were a few days old and mostly covered by new snow but whoever made the tracks was not of the city."

  Heather asked, "Did you make camp with fire in a cave?"

  "No, we always camped in the open."

  Heather was quiet for just a moment before speaking in a voice which was both calm and decisive, "We leave at first light. I would some of those of the Forest lag behind to ensure we are not being followed."

  The young priest had not yet finished his remembering but said only, "I would look briefly at each remaining scroll tonight if I could have someone help with the light and filing."

  Heather said, "So be it but we leave at first light."

  It was a short night for everyone; Heather wanted no trace of their presence to be left. The morning arrived with grayness promising heavy snow. They had no sooner reached the relatively level ground of the ice field than the snow began. They were roped up, moving in single file behind Jeremy, who was bent over his compass. Despite the near-zero visibility they made good progress. The days were somewhat longer but the snow made them make camp early anyway. The route they followed was fairly straight until they reached the area of the huge crevices. Heather called a halt to their journey and had scouts fan out to explore alternate crossings. Only a few of the snow bridges would be suitable for a crossing army. This is where they would begin the fight she knew was coming. If they could destroy all but one of the major snow bridges it would concentrate the enemy. A small force could hold off a major army at such a checkpoint, or better yet destroy the bridge with the army crossing it.

  They had been exploring this region for the second day when one of the scouts who trailed behind showed up at Camp and asked for help. They returned well after darkness, half-dragging a stranger behind them. The man was dressed in tattered furs and appeared near starvation. He spoke not.

  Heather asked for warm food to be served and room was made in one of the tents for the stranger. Heather would not let them unbind him completely: enough to eat but not enough to fight. The stranger almost inhaled the travel stew he was given and looked up for more but Daniel said, "Enough for now. Too much food will stress the stomach and make him ill."

  Heather tried to speak to the man but he only stared at her. She asked for the young priest who soon joined them in the already cramped tent. He looked at the stranger for only a minute before saying, "A left behind."

  In response to Heather's question he explained, "The scrolls referred to some of the ancient people who chose not to cross the ice field but instead sought shelter in the mountains. They were referred to as those left behind."

  Turning towards the stranger, the young priest spoke in the dialect of Larby the fisherman. The stranger immediately began speaking rapidly in a tongue which indeed sounded like that of the fisherman. The young priest was having trouble with many of the words and the conversation moved only slowly forward. The young priest would occasionally stop and translate for Heather.

  The tale being told was hard to hear because of the suffering it contained. The stranger was named Stan and he was a hunter for a small village that existed in isolation in the mountains. Those of the Red had arrived last summer and destroyed the village, killing all who were there. He had been hunting and returned to the village only to witness the scene of desolation and destruction. He did his best to bury what was left of his family and friends. He followed the trail of the military company and managed some revenge but he was just one against many. The military company proceeded to the pass leading onto the ice field, creating a road of sorts. When winter came they returned south. He continued to explore, trying to find the trail of the legends.

  Their legends speak of a time when they were a great people but were forced to flee to the north. Some crossed the ice field to a new paradise while those left behind lived a semi-nomadic life in the mountains. The way across had long since been lost in time.

  Suddenly the stranger just stopped talking. Heather asked the young priest what the problem was. He replied, "His story is done. I think he wishes to hear our story."

  Heather took a moment to collect her thoughts; how much to share with a stranger, how much trust in his story? Heather began, "We are descendents of those who in ancient times crossed the ice field. We also are on a journey of exploration seeking this trail of legends. We fear those of the Red Ambassador are planning an attack on our people. This trail of legends gives them a pathway to our homeland and we search a way to block their progress."

  The stranger sat quietly with his eyes closed and silence
filled the small tent. He sat as if praying and several minutes passed before he spoke saying, "Those of the Red are preparing for war. Their incursions and destruction in our mountains has increased to ever-higher levels. Peace and safety are no longer known to my people."

  Heather instinctively accepted his statement and asked, "Would you join us in our struggle against those who would bring war upon us?"

  "We are a few against the many. I speak only for myself, I would join with those of my ancestors against those of the Red."

  Heather asked the remaining restraints to be removed and held out her hand saying, "I am known as Heather of the Northern Kingdom and these with me are of the region known as the Forest. We welcome you."

  The young priest translated Heather's words. The stranger responded, "I, Stan from those left behind, pledge my services to you and your cause. Others of my people may wish to join but since this new war has been waged against us we are scattered."

  The night was getting late and Heather said, "Enough for tonight. We both have much to learn and there is yet much work to be done here. In the morning we will break fast together and continue to learn."

  Heather left the stranger with two of the Forest in the small tent and returned to her tent with Daniel. She asked Daniel's thoughts. He said, "The stranger suffers from hunger but is otherwise in good health. It does not appear he suffers from an iodine deficiency. For him to track those of the Forest he is obviously a skilled woodsman. I would know more of his diet and lifestyle."

  "Do you trust his story?"

  "There were tears in his eyes as he told of his village; I think his story is true."

  Heather's yawning delayed her response she said, "We face a fearsome enemy and I feel the stranger is a gift from the God of the Sacred Water. We have much to learn and much to plan but for now I must sleep."

  She wasn't sure if Daniel had heard her because he responded not and his gentle snoring began almost immediately. Thoughts were racing in her head but the fatigue of their exploration won out and sleep came quickly.

  For two more days they explored the region of the crevices with Heather struggling with their planning. When they had mapped out all of the snow bridges she selected the largest to be their point of defense. All others would be damaged to limit their usefulness. Their trek homeward began on the third day and they traveled hard. The stranger had no trouble keeping up with them, but consumed his share of the rations with the vigor of someone who truly knew hunger. As they crossed over the barren lands Heather spoke to Jeremy, "I would we returned to the Forest not by way of the mining camp with Daniel's powder."

  Jeremy was a little surprised by the request and asked, "You trust not the stranger?"

  "I wish not to burden him with knowledge which would endanger his life as it did Daniel’s. Is it possible to bypass the mining camp?"

  "We will need the supplies but I will have some of the Forest ferry the supplies to our trail."

  "I would also have two of the Forest who can travel quickly move ahead and announce our return to those of the Forest Council."

  Jeremy smiled and said, "Those of the Council will know of our passage. If you wish I will send two ahead."

  Heather thought of the warm fire waiting them when she arrived with Daniel in Issip. She asked, "How do they know?"

  Jeremy responded, "I know not. Little is secret in the Forest, for even the birds carry messages if you know how to listen. Some of the Forest listen well."

  One of the scouts returned carrying fresh meat from an ice ox he had come across. Jeremy called a halt to the day's journey and everyone began searching for small twigs buried beneath the snow, for a real fire. That night they feasted on fresh meat. It was as grand a meal as any banquet. Stan asked for some of the sacred gland. The young priest had trouble translating the request. Daniel realized that these people depended upon the iodine found in animal’s thyroid glands. They had adapted to a very restricted amount of iodine much as Larby’s seafaring people had. Those of the Forest ate of the thyroid gland only if the patient did not respond to the sacred water. Regular consumption was toxic; how did these people avoid the toxicity? He had much yet to learn of the thyroid.

  It was several more days of hard travel before they sighted their first tree. It was an occasion of joy to be rid of the continuous white and spirits rose. Stan examined the tree with interest and ate several of the buds saying, "The tree is similar but the buds taste more bitter." He asked, "Do you eat of this tree?"

  Daniel responded, "Only during the hard times."

  Stan was quiet some time before replying, "Most of our times are hard."

  As they neared the region of the Forest Council, Heather's anxiety increased. How was she to explain everything to those of the Council. Daniel counseled, "Speak as yourself. They will know you speak true."