Journey's Middle

by B. K. Parent

  “It would seem that the capitol fair is acting like a lodestone for many who are dissatisfied with the Regent’s rule as well as for his supporters. Who else might we expect?” asked Master Rollag.

  “A boatload of fishers. After this crazy feller and I had our adventure on the high seas,” Johan said with a chuckle in his voice, nodding towards Da, “I be sendin’ word out to the other independent fishers, and they be passin’ the word along. Ayup, the royal harbor ought to be a mite crowded come the third day.”

  “You were successful then?” inquired Seeker Eshana, looking straight at Da.

  “Very,” replied Da, “but only because of help from a very unexpected source, but that is a tale for another time over a brimming pint, and only after Johan has had time to tell it a few dozen times, so it gets more exciting and interesting in the telling. Right now I am more interested in keeping Kiaya and Nissa safe for the next few days.”

  No one seemed to be questioning Da’s right to be among this group gathered in the cellar, and from what I had learned this summer, a number of them probably had known him for quite some time. I still did not know how many of those gathered knew I was his daughter, and all things considered, it was not very important at the present moment. The Princess and her continued safety are the priority concerns. The fact that the Regent had something up his sleeve, which did not bode well for the country or the common folk, was a great possibility. The fact that all of us in this room could be found out and tried for some real or perceived crime against the Crown was next down the list of concerns. That Da was here in the capitol and still sought after by the Regent was probably pretty far down the list. It was difficult to know who in this room knew what about who, so I did not feel confident that I could stand up, walk over to Da, hug him, and thank him for making me as important as the heir to the throne to all of these folks, but I certainly wanted to. My wandering attention was pulled back into the discussion when Lord Hadrack began to speak.

  “My sources have brought very little useful information, but I would speculate, based on what they have been able to gather, that the Regent intends to either declare the Princess too ill to rule at this time and offer to extend his position as Regent indefinitely, or he will declare her dead and have something in place to take the rule by force. I do not think he will go with the second plan, for he would face stiff opposition and create a possible civil war. He could not guarantee himself a sure victory in any case. No, I think he will continue the illusion of the Princess being quite ill. If he could pull that off, the nobles, large landholders, and merchants would probably allow him to continue his rule as Regent, which unfortunately would give him a bit more time to consolidate his power.”

  “What happens if I appear at his announced gathering and put a lie to my recent grave illness?” the Princess asked.

  “Your appearance would certainly shake up the Regent’s short term plans,” suggested Lord Hadrack, “but I do not think that you will be immediately welcomed and crowned Queen. I am sorry, but I must speak bluntly. The Regent has done far too good a job, with your unwitting help, to paint you as a rather self-centered young woman, who has neither the experience nor the interest in Sommerhjem and its folk, to rule. This opinion is widely held by many in Sommerhjem, and your fitness to become the next ruler was in question long before your reported grave illness.”

  What Lord Hadrack would have said next was interrupted by the return of Master Clarisse accompanied by Lady Celik, and Silas the forester, both of whom reported they had met with their folk, and word was being sent out. Lord Hadrack repeated the Princess’ question and her reply.

  “Unfortunately, I concur with Lord Hadrack,” Lady Celik stated. “If that is the case, we need to be prepared with a plan that will satisfy all of the various parties and still maintain peace in Sommerhjem.”

  “Lady Hadrack and I have been studying the ancient text which suggests that historically the ruler of this land was not chosen by the virtue of being the first born of the reigning king or queen. Only in recent memory has that been the way,” said Lord Hadrack. “In the past, Sommerhjem was ruled by a ruler and a council made up of representatives from each of the groups representing the folk as a whole. The council advised the king or queen as to their opinions about what might be needed for Sommerhjem to remain peaceful and profitable. We also discovered that we were not so isolated then, and we not only had a lively trade with both the lands to the north and south of us, but also with the western islands.”

  “You are speaking of the Gylden Sirklene challenge as the ancient way to choose the ruler,” said Silas. The others looked at Silas with either a look of skepticism or surprise, as if they each thought they were the only ones who knew of this idea. “We have our learned historians among the clans, and the challenge has been much discussed these last few years, as dissatisfaction with the current rule has increased. The challenge produced good leaders for time out of mind, and the land flourished. The forest clans think it might be time to go back to the old ways.”

  “Aye, there be some swappin’ of tales among the fishers concernin’ the old ways, but we be thinkin’ it’s just a story come out of the fog,” quipped Johan.

  “It is all well and good to talk of legends and tall tales from long ago, but how does that help us now?” Elek inquired.

  “Because it is not a legend or a tall tale,” said Seeker Eshana, who had remained quiet up to this point. “The Gylden Sirklene challenge is real, and the time is right to call it when a number of elements are all together.”

  “Such as?” inquired Beezle.

  “First, and most obvious, is when the land requires a new ruler, one the folk will accept, no offense Your . . ., ah, Kiaya.”

  “None taken. Go on please.”

  “Then a copy of the Book of Rules needs to be found.” Upon seeing he now had everyone’s attention, Seeker Eshana went on. “As you know, I am a seeker. Our purpose in life is to gather and hold the old knowledge and find that which is lost. My fellow seekers and I have been looking for the Book of Rules since the death of the old Queen, anticipating that there might not be a smooth transition of rule. It seems that the Book of Rules is often hidden once a new ruler is chosen, and even lost, but somehow it can be found when it is most needed. I have been hunting it most of my adult life, following one rumor after another, one clue after another, until several weeks ago when I was told of an old, old hermit in the high mountains who might have a clue as to what I sought. I not only found him, but as we sat over our first dinner in his cave, after I asked what he could tell me, he got up. After much rummaging around in a large wooden crate he used as a table, throwing out this thing and that, he pulled out a rectangular object, blew the dust off of it, pounded it on his pant’s leg a few times, and handed it to me. Asked me if the book with the mouse-chewed pages and torn cover might be what I was seeking. I was sure he was pulling my leg, and having some fun with me, for he was a strange old bird, but once the book was in my hands, I just knew it was what I had been seeking all these years.”

  “So, this is good news then,” Lord Hadrack said.

  “Well,” said Seeker Eshana with a long sigh, “the good news is that I have a copy of the Book of Rules. The bad news is I cannot read it.”

  Chapter Seventy-Five

  The room got very quiet after Seeker Eshana made his announcement. Finally Master Rollag asked the obvious question. “Who can read it?”

  “I don’t know. What I mean is, I don’t know a specific man or woman. According to all I have been able to find out, members of Høyttaier clan have passed down the knowledge of the ancient tongue, and thus the ability to read the Book of Rules,” stated Seeker Eshana.

  “I hear a ‘but’ in that phrase,” suggested Lady Celik.

  “In all my and my fellow seekers searching, none of us has ever been able to find a member of the Høyttaier clan. It would seem they were
a small clan, and unfortunately those who were left have mysteriously disappeared since the death of the old Queen.”

  “I can clear up part of the mystery,” said Elek, with a great deal of grave sadness in his voice. “While I did not witness any of what I am about to tell you, because it happened before I worked my way into the Raven’s group, I have heard stories. Seems the Raven’s rise to power as an enforcer of the Regent’s will has much to do with his earlier assignment to eliminate anyone connected to the Høyttaier clan. I do not think he moved them out of the country, or that they are imprisoned somewhere. My feeling is that the Raven disposed of anyone he suspected of being a Høyttaier, and did so with great relish.”

  “We can only hope that he wasn’t completely successful,” suggested Da. “It also suggests that the Regent is both aware the Gylden Sirklene challenge is not just a legend and has set about trying to eliminate its possible completion. Not a good sign.”

  “It is disturbing to me that the Regent has had a number of contingency plans in the works, starting much longer ago than the recent troubles,” suggested Lady Celik. “I had heard only faint rumors that members of the Høyttaier clan were disappearing, but then they have always been such a secretive and elusive folk that I was hard pressed to be concerned about them, with so much else happening that demanded immediate action. I can only wish in hindsight that I had paid more attention.”

  “Nothing we can do about that now,” Master Rollag suggested. “We can only hope that some of the Høyttaier clan have escaped. Hopefully they are not so hidden that the news of what might come to pass on the third day of the fair has escaped their notice.”

  “Let’s move on,” said Lord Hadrack. “Seeker Eshana, the Book of Rules is the second element needed to be available at the time the challenge is called. What else is needed?”

  “There are the parts of the oppgave ringe that must be gathered over a year’s time from the date the challenge is called, and they must find their way to the site of the challenge. In addition, each part of the oppgave ringe must be placed in the vessteboks. They must each fit exactly to prove that they are true. There are false parts which have been made, and someone will surely try to pass them off, but the vessteboks will sort out that problem.”

  “This is getting more complicated by the minute,” suggested Beezle. “How does one go about finding a vessteboks, whatever that is?”

  “Well, first you have to find a ship and a captain who is crazy enough or desperate enough to take you to the Shadow Islands, and then . . .” stated Da completely straight faced, but I knew by the twinkle in his eye and the look on Johan’s face that Da was giving Johan a bit of grief.

  “Thar’s what that whole mad trip be all about. Ye risked me life, not to mention me boat, in the Fiske Yates reef for a, a, a . . . well, what the heck it be called again?”

  “Vessteboks, and yes, I risked your miserable life and equally miserable boat for it and would do it all again,” said Da. Before Johan could sputter a reply, Da continued. “There are not many in Sommerhjem who would know I knew not only where the vessteboks was hidden, but also that I knew how to retrieve it. Someone who we have trusted in the past may have given the Regent the information, which certainly should explain why I have been someone of great interest to the Regent and his followers.”

  “Combined with the Regent’s concerted efforts to remove anyone who might be able to read the Book of Rules, that suggests the Regent did not dismiss the challenge as an old granny’s tale and has had plans in the works to eliminate any element that would be needed if the Gylden Sirklene challenge were called. All the parts and pieces required to call the challenge must be in place in order for the challenge not to be dismissed,” stated Seeker Eshana, who seemed to know a great deal about the Gylden Sirklene challenge.

  “The coming together just now, here, of the Book of Rules and the vessteboks, both of which have been hidden or lost for a very long time, combined with what would appear to be the systematic elimination of the Høyttaier clan, certainly supports your conjecture, Seeker Eshana. The Regent must have surmised the calling of the challenge would certainly be a strong option if he tried to continue to rule, and one with enough basis in the history of Sommerhjem to possibly be accepted by the folk,” stated Lord Hadrack.

  “It is also a solution that most folk would accept. Since neither the Regent nor I have the solid backing of all the folk, I do not think either one of us dares to risk dividing Sommerhjem and causing either a civil war or the same chaos that arose after the death of my mother,” the Princess said.

  “Very wisely put,” Lady Celik said to the Princess, giving her a nod of approval.

  “Alright, let me get this straight,” commented Beezle. “Now all we have to do is make sure Kiaya remains safe and out of the Regent’s clutches until third day of the fair, get all of us into the Well of Speaking without being arrested, reveal that Kiaya is the one true heir to the throne and not gravely ill, survive that without being taken by the royal guards, and then have someone call the Gylden Sirklene challenge, produce the vessteboks and the Book of Rules plus somehow find someone to read it, and then all will be well?”

  “Not quite,” responded Lord Hadrack.

  “That isn’t enough?” Beezle shot back with a half comic, half incredulous look on his face.

  “In our study of the Gylden Sirklene challenge,” Lord Hadrack continued, “there was one more element that needed to be present, but I do not understand the reference. In several of the really old texts that I have read, there is a mention that the right time for the Gylden Sirklene challenge to be called would truly be known if one or more of the Neebing blessed walked among us. I have no idea what that means.”

  I, unfortunately, had no idea what that meant either, but I had a strong suspicion I personally knew someone who was Neebing blessed. Before I could think more or say anything, Oscar spoke up.

  “That might explain the large ingathering of the rovers, especially many of the older ones who don’t often venture from their well-established summer routes.” All eyes, except for Da’s and Bertram’s, looked expectantly towards Oscar. “It is something out of rover lore and tradition, and I really don’t want to say more until I’ve a chance to talk to Shueller.”

  Since Oscar could not be budged to reveal more, for which I was thankful, the discussion went on to talk about how to gather any more information and support. In addition, a number of plans were presented and tossed about on how to get the Princess into the Well of Speaking, and what might happen after that. The hour grew later and later, and with no clear plan in place, the group determined to meet again the night of the second day of the fair to give themselves time to gather more information if possible and discretely muster more allies. We left in the small pairs we had arrived in, with the exception of Lord Hadrack and Lady Celik who would remain until midday to return to their quarters in the capitol. Master Rollag and Master Clarisse did not have far to go. They just needed to cross the gardens to the guildhall.

  When I was part way back to my homewagon, it occurred to me that Master Clarisse had been unusually quiet, to the point of not saying anything during the whole evening’s discussion. That struck me as particularly odd, but I was much too tired to think about it at the moment. The minute I entered the homewagon, I mumbled a good night to Kiaya and Carz, or more correctly a good morning, and tried to get a few hours of sleep before it was time for the fair day to begin.

  As we had hoped, the Captain showed up early at my booth, and I sent Shyla to alert Beezle. He arrived with a basket of morning buns and then proceeded to charm the Captain into going to his booth to check out “the best darn cheese she would ever taste.”

  As we had anticipated, the fair was crowded, even for an opening morning, and I was grateful to Mistress Jalcones who arrived at my booth with meat pies and fresh apples at noontime. I had not had a chance to talk to Shueller
and hoped to do so once the end of the fair day horn blew. I was glad I had had a chance the day before to see even a little of the fairgrounds, for there was really no chance to leave my booth all day, not that I would have left the Princess’ side at this point. I was amazed by how calm she appeared, sitting under the awning of the booth in the shade, floppy hat pulled down, contentedly knitting as if it were every day that her life was in danger, and she spent it sitting in the middle of her greatest enemy’s territory. It occurred to me that maybe her life had always been in danger, since she had grown up in the Regent’s shadow, so perhaps this was quite a normal day for her after all.

  I was more tired than I can remember being by the time I dragged my worn out body back to the homewagon at the end of the fair day. As I pulled myself up the back steps to the homewagon, something seemed off, but I could not immediately figure out what it was. I looked around carefully, but nothing looked amiss. Carz was under the homewagon lounging but not on alert. Folks were setting kettles and pots over cook fires, several of Oscar and Bertram’s children were playing some type of complicated game involving a small ball, strange hand motions, and a great deal of laughter. Tannar was sitting next to Shueller concentrating mightily on some type of fancy stitching Shueller was showing him, and Mistress Jalcones had persuaded her mildly protesting husband to shell peas. It was not until I was inside the homewagon that it struck me what had been different. The green banners that had hung off both Shueller’s and my homewagons were missing.

  The missing green banners were not the only thing I needed to talk to Shueller about. I had several other conversations I wanted to have with him also, such as why my homewagon was attracting so much attention. More importantly, just what did it mean to be Neebing blessed, and why do folks keep telling me I am? I did have an opportunity to ask him to find some time to talk to me as I served him dinner, for he had joined our group. I was stuck on clean up duty, so it was not until after the dishes were done and the evening chores finished that I had a chance to sit down with him. Fortunately for me, the rest of the group and others from nearby wagons were being entertained by an impromptu gathering of musicians who were fiddling up some very lively tunes.