Chapter 5
The palace of the Northern Kingdom was quiet and everyone tense. With the King and most of his army locked in battle with the army of the Southern Kingdom, those who remained did their best. The gates were now kept closed and the guards much more cautious. When a troop of 100 Forest Folk showed up at the gate and asked to see the guard whose wife was named Martha, the guard in attendance immediately called his supervisor. It was evening and the supervisor initially told them they would have to return in the morning. When the lead of the forest Troop replied, “We will wait if we must, but we bring gifts for Heather of the Northern Palace from Daniel of Issip.”
Hearing the princes called by her name caused the supervisor to rethink his position. He assumed the guard position and sent his junior to fetch Elrod whose wife was Martha. When the somewhat confused Elrod arrived he was asked by the lead of the forest troop, “Are you the guard whose wife is named Martha?”
Elrod replied, “My wife’s name is Martha. Why do you ask?”
“We bring gifts for the one called Heather of the Northern Palace from Daniel of Issip. We were told you would help us.”
Elrod looked to his supervisor for help. The supervisor whispered instructions and Elrod replied, “What sort of gifts do you bring?”
“We bring a letter for Heather of the Palace. She will decide what to do with the other gifts.”
There was more whispering before Elrod replied, “I will deliver your letter but you must remain outside the gate.”
“We will wait.”
The letter was passed between the bars of the gate and Elrod took it directly to the Princess. He entered the dining hall which was almost empty. The Princess sat at the huge table with only a few other ladies of the court. Elrod bowed low and apologized for interrupting them. The Princess waived him in and asked what the problem was. He began explaining how this large troop of Forest Folk had arrived at their gate and asked for him. His lengthy description of how they wanted to meet with the guard whose wife was named Martha finally came to an end.
The princess asked, “And what did they want?”
“They said that they brought gifts for you from Daniel of Issip.”
Hearing Daniel’s name the princes lit up and asked, “What sort of gifts?”
He walked forward and handed her the letter. Heather moved beneath the chandelier and looked at the letter. It was addressed to, “Heather, of the Northern Palace.” The handwriting was Daniel’s, legible but with poorly formed letters. Penmanship was not his strong point. She carefully broke the seal and opened the letter. Reading, “My dearest Heather” brought tears to her eyes and she had to wipe them before she could finish the letter. She read the entire letter a second time before looking up and saying, “Where are they that brought this letter?”
Elrod replied, “The supervisor made them wait outside the gate.”
With that the princes got up and said, “We must go and let them in immediately. They have brought us a gift as precious as life.”
Elrod had trouble keeping up with the rapid pace the princes set as they hurried back to the gate. She told the supervisor to open the gate and let the Forest Folk in. He tried to explain why they had left the gate locked but the princes just waived him off and told him to open the gate. When the heavy gate was opened she walked through and addressed the troop seated on their packs outside the gate. “I am Heather and I welcome you to the palace of the Northern Kingdom. Please enter as my guests.”
She turned back to the supervisor and said, “They can use the officer’s barracks. Get them settled and I’ll have a meal prepared for them in the dining hall.” With that she turned and led the troop through the gate into the central courtyard.
When the Princess ordered a celebration dinner on short notice she received only a few complaints from the staff. The King had been gone over a month and they had not had any reason to celebrate during that time. The kitchen became a beehive of activity as stored food was brought out and prepared. The great dining hall was rearranged to allow for setting of the entire troop. The main complaint was that there was not going to be time to prepare any lavish dishes or desserts. Heather responded, “These are Forest Folk and they would not be impressed by our finery. We need to serve them an honest meal and receive their gifts with sincere gratitude.”
When the meal was finished Heather sent Betty to call the Forest troop to meal. They arrived looking much refreshed. There was no apparent hierarchy to the troop other than the spokesman she had talked with earlier. She invited him to sit next to her at the large U-shaped dining table. When everyone was seated Heather arose and opened the meal by saying, “We give thanks for those who are defending us, for this food we’re about to enjoy, and for the gifts that have been delivered by our friends from the Forest.”
The food was served and began disappearing at a rapid rate. The troop had traveled hard and carried their heavy loads with minimal supplies for themselves. The volume of conversation picked up quickly as the beer and wine was served. The spokesman introduced himself as Randy of Issip. Heather asked, “Are you all from Issip?”
Randy replied, “No, I’m the only one in this group from Issip. The rest come from many different villages. When the word went out that we needed volunteers for this journey the group assembled, and we headed out.”
Heather asked, “What is Issip like? Daniel never told me much about his own village.”
“Not much to say. It is a village of about 500 folks with a small store and a nice tavern. It has good people and a fertile valley for orchards.”
“Do you bring any news of Daniel?”
“Nothing much. He has been off in the distant mountains creating something called an explosion. All I know is that there is a loud noise and the rocks breakup. Jeremy left with him on a long voyage about a month ago. No one has heard back from them. As long as he has Jeremy looking after him he will be fine.
“I will want to hear more later but for now tell us how you crossed the gorge.”
Randy said, “I’ll let Ben tell the story since he was our guide.”
People turned and looked at an older gentlemen and Heather followed their eyes. He was obviously not embarrassed by the attention and took a long sip of his beer before he stood up. He started, “Well ma’am, it’s like this. When I was an apprentice hunter, which was a few years ago, I was given the task of charting the ancient paths across the gorge. The old priest had copied one of the ancient scrolls which described the trail, and told me to create a chart using a compass and star headings. It was a good adventure and that’s how I came to know the old Route to your Kingdom.”
He sat back down and again took a long sip from his glass. Heather asked, “So your hunters not traders?”
Randy replied, “If we were traders we may have been able to carry more of the sacred soil but we’re not. Jeremy put the word out that he needed volunteers and it was just natural for us hunters to step forward. With the Southern Army destroying stuff and scaring off all the game we didn’t have much to do anyway.”
“Is this Jeremy you speak of, Daniel’s friend?”
“Yes, ma’am. There can only be one Jeremy, I’m not sure we could survive having two of him.”
Heather asked, “How is it Jeremy asked for volunteers and not Daniel?”
Randy replied, “Daniel would never ask anything of anyone. Jeremy knew what he wanted so he took care of it for him. Daniel is a special person and we all look out for him, but Jeremy sees it as his personal responsibility.”
Heather had tears in her eyes listening to them talk about Daniel. Randy said, “I’m sorry, we’re upsetting you.”
“No, it’s OK. Hearing you talk about Daniel makes me happy but also makes me miss him even more. Please go on.”
“Not much more to say. We were asked to deliver this new sacred soil and to offer our services to you. Jeremy says that you’re a warrior at heart and we
are here to join you. The nature of the forest requires us to fight a passive war there but here with you we can take an active part in recovering our homes.”
The evening wore on and the stories continued but Heather’s thoughts kept returning to Randy’s simple statement. Why did Daniel send her these men and what should she do now?
The next morning Heather met with Randy again. Despite the short night he seemed well rested. They shared breakfast together and discussed the war in more detail. Randy explained how the Forest Folk were fighting a passive war by creating natural appearing disasters which disrupted the supply lines of the Southern Kingdom. He could not help laughing at how scared the troops had become of the spirits of the Forest. Their guards kept disappearing at night, never to be seen again. The captured soldiers were a bit of a burden to the villages that had to keep them hidden. This simple strategy had really limited the invaders ability to control the countryside. The Southern Kingdom did have absolute control over the sacred spring. Daniel’s work on the essence of the sacred water had temporarily reduced this advantage of the Southern Kingdom but winter was coming on and there would be hard times in the forest.
Heather explained how the wounded were transported back to the city and carried with them stories of the war. Despite a month of fighting the Northern Kingdom’s army had not been able to dislodge the troops protecting the only mountain pass connecting the Northern and Southern Kingdom’s. The armies of the Southern Kingdom were well entrenched in the high ground and had built many catapults. These catapults rained down death and destruction on any Northern troops which tried to make their way through the open ground of the pass. Heather finished by saying, “Your gift of this sacred soil is timely because the normal summer caravan was blocked and our supplies were running low. Unless my father can break through the blockade of the pass we will soon reach a stalemate. We need to put more pressure on the Southern Kingdom.”
Randy said, “I think Daniel is working on that. Everyone assumes that he is going to use his explosions to try and disrupt the trade bridge and break the supply lines.”
Heather asked, “How can you reach the bridge, we have heard how heavily it is guarded?”
“The long secret journey is most certainly related to the bridge. There is knowledge in the forest of things the Southern Kingdom is unaware of. If anyone can use that knowledge it will be Daniel and if anyone can guide him it will be Jeremy.”
Heather spent the day visiting with the hunters from the forest. They put on a display of their marksmanship. Their skill with the Longbow was most impressive. Heather would discuss military tactics however and they appeared completely foreign to the hunters. Her frustration with being locked in the castle was more acute than ever. Her father had refused to allow her to join with him in the battle. Staying locked in the castle was like being in prison. Now she had her own army of sorts but was without a plan. As the afternoon wore on, one of the hunters took up a position on the castle wall looking east towards the mountains. It was obvious to Heather that he was a lookout but what he was looking out for was uncertain. The sun was starting to set when the lookout called out something about a message. Most of the hunters ran to the top of the wall. Heather followed them up the multiple stairways and looked to the east. Everyone was looking not down at the ground but towards the top of the mountain. She saw multiple flashes of light coming from the mountaintop.
It was a message coming from afar but the meaning of the message was not decipherable to her. The flashes continued in random patterns for about 10 minutes and then stopped. No one signaled back. The hunters were celebrating and Heather asked what was going on.
Randy explained, “The signal message was from the forest. Daniel has succeeded in bringing down the trade bridge.”
“How? With his explosions? Is he okay?”
“I’m sorry ma’am, we can only send very short messages and I just don’t know. He’s with Jeremy so he should be fine.”
Heather asked, “Can you ask?”
Randy was thoughtful and slowly replied, “We’ll have a good Sun angle first thing in the morning and will send a reply. The message will need be relayed by several signalers and each must wait for the proper Sun angle to pass the message on. The reply will require a similar series of steps but we will ask.”
That evening the entire castle was involved in the celebration. A messenger was sent to the King advising him of the positive news. It would be several days before the messenger arrived but the army needed to hear some good news. Heather had trouble sleeping with the question of what she should do with her small army keeping her awake. When she finally fell asleep she dreamt of Daniel and pictured her father and his army being pinned down in the pass. The two images gradually merged and she saw herself with Daniel freeing her father. They were fighting together disrupting the Southern Army and allowing her father’s army to make their way through the pass.
It was a message as clear to her as the light signals were to the hunters. Her decision was made she would escape from this prison and do what needed to be done. She was not really disobeying her father because things had changed and she did not have time to wait for messengers to relay her intentions. Much better to seek forgiveness than to beg for permission. Her mood was definitely upbeat at breakfast. She asked Randy to accompany her on a walk. She told him of her dream and her intentions.
Randy said, “How can we help?”
Heather replied, “We need an attack from the rear to disrupt the defenders of the pass, so my father can traverse the open ground.”
“Let’s do it. We’re not warriors but our ability with the Longbow is significant. We are expert at stealth and should be able to get behind the enemy. There must be alternate routes over the mountains. Do your priests have copies of the ancient scrolls?”
“They may but I prefer not dealing with them. Besides, a land journey would create too much of a delay. Almost all of the horses were taken with the army, on foot it would take the better part of a month to make the journey. We need to act quickly so that the news of the bridge will create an advantage in morale for us.”
“What other choice do we have?
Heather asked, “Would you be willing to travel by ship to reach the southern side of the mountains?”
Randy replied, “None of us has ever seen the ocean before much less sailed on it but we have pledged our services and will do what is asked of us.”
Heather explained her idea of seeking passage through the islands. Randy asked why the army had not sailed if sea passage was possible, instead of trying to battle their way through the mountain pass. Heather said, “The sea passage is also heavily defended and passage of a flotilla would be impossible. There are those traders who avoided the normal channels and the transit taxes, who would be able to provide passage for a small group. We would need to travel aboard one of these trader’s ships.”
“A smuggler’s ship?”
“If the trader pays our taxes we do not consider them smugglers but I’m sure the Southern Kingdom would disagree. The transit taxes for passage through the channel are onerous enough that some traders are willing to take the risk of unrecognized passage. Of coarse, they run the risk of running around and losing both their ships and their cargo.”
“And how do we find such a ship?”
“I think maybe Elrod could help us, he used to be a sailor.”
“The one whose wife is named Martha, and talks a lot? He is on guard duty this morning.”
They made their way to the guard station; Heather went to the supervisor’s office and asked him to relieve Elrod. The supervisor wanted to ask why but would not risk offending the Princess. He did is he was told and had Elrod relieved of duty. They met him at the gate and asked him to accompany them on their walk. They had the gate opened and move towards the city proper. Heather asked him about his sailing experience.
Elrod responded, “Your Highness, It was
such a long time ago but yet not so very long ago. I enjoyed the sea but when I met Martha, I needed to choose between her and the sea. I chose Martha but let me tell you what it’s like to be on the ocean…”
They let him go on for a while as they walked towards the merchant’s district. Heather finally interjected a question, “Do you know of a ship that could transport a hundred people through the island passages without being discovered?”
“While there are several captains who say they can do this, but Captain John is really your only choice. The times are hard and the blockade of the channel is pretty complete.”
Heather asked, “How would we find your Captain John?”
“If his boat is in port and he’s either on it or at the Rusty Anchor Tavern. If his boat isn’t in port then nobody can find him. So if we want to find him we should head down to the docks and have a look-see.”
Heather had been to the docks only during her sailing lessons. They were not really a seagoing people and sailing the dinghies in the harbor was the standard maritime training for those of the palace. It was a nice enough experience for Heather but she felt more at home on a horse. The smell of the harbor brought back the memories almost as if they were yesterday. They began wandering around the docks looking for Captain John’s boat. Randy had wanted to know how they were going to recognize the boat but Elrod just said that they would know it when they saw it. They never found it. Heather insisted that they stop at the Rusty Anchor Tavern just to make sure that Captain John wasn’t around.
The Tavern was built into the side of the hill above the docks. The only windows were alongside the door. They opened the door and were greeted with the smell of pipe tobacco and ale. It was fairly dark despite the bright sunshine outside and their eyes took a while to become accustomed to the dark. Elrod made his way to the bar and asked about Captain John. The bartender just pointed towards a corner booth. They made their way to the back corner which was even darker. Whenever they walked by a table the conversation always stopped. They were obviously not regulars and everyone noticed them.
A man was sitting by himself in the booth. The darkness added to his swarthy complexion making him seem almost sinister. He had a small ledger book in front of him and was nursing a glass of ale. He looked up at them and recognized Elrod. He acknowledged Elrod by saying, “Nice uniform.”
“Thanks. We’ve been looking for you but your boat wasn’t at the docks.”
“Just got in and the boat is at a private dock being unloaded. So why are you looking for me and who’s your friends?”
“We’re looking for passage. This is Randy from the Forest and this is the Princess.”
Captain John responded, “Your Highness, not often someone from the palace is found down here by the docks. How can I be of service?”
Heather said, “I’m seeking passage to the Southern Kingdom for myself and my friends from the forest.”
“There is a blockade across the channel.”
“I want to travel and avoid the blockade. I was told you would be able to do this.”
“It wouldn’t be legal to avoid the inspectors. Besides, I’m not sure your father would think kindly about someone who transported his daughter through a war zone to the enemy side.”
Heather responded, “These are hard times and they require extraordinary measures. I will worry about my father. I’m seeking transportation for myself and a hundred other soldiers. Can you provide this transportation?”
“Can I? Yes I can. Will I? Probably not.”
“Why not?”
“Trade is now at a premium. Risking my ship for the value of transport makes no sense. Despite the war, trade needs continue. The value of trade transport has now become quite lucrative. I am a practical man. Perhaps you should look elsewhere for your transport.”
“If the price of transport was sufficient would your ship be available?”
“For the right price perhaps.”
Heather undid one half of the clasp from her cape and handed it to Captain John. He took the jewel encrusted gold clasp and hefted it in his hand. He then closely examined the jewels. After several minutes of examination he said, “This is a nice piece, probably old.”
Heather responded, “It was a gift from my grandmother. I will offer this piece to secure transport and the other half upon safe arrival.”
“When can you be ready to travel? The night will be dark in four days which means we would need to leave in 24 hours.”
Heather said, “We can be ready in 24 hours but before we proceed I would like to see your ship.”
Captain John replied, “Fair enough. It’s a bit of a walk.”
“We can walk.”
They made their way through the merchant’s district and away from the city proper. They headed towards the military compound. The compound was essentially deserted now with the war effort. Tied to the military dock was a small ship that appeared almost black. They were unloading small boxes which appeared quite heavy. When asked what the cargo was Captain John responded, “The military buys the steel it uses for arms from a supplier in the Southern Kingdom. Like I said, despite the war trade needs go on.”
Heather was estimating the size of the ship and said, “Your ship is less than eighty feet in length. It would seem that transporting a hundred troops might prove difficult.”
Captain John shrugged his shoulders and said, “It would be cramped, but the ship will carry the load as long as you are reasonable about supplies.”
Heather looked at Elrod who said, “It’s a good ship. The Forest Folk will be in the hold which will not be pleasant. They will need to sleep in hammocks, probably four high. The voyage is less than a week, and if everything goes well it won’t be too bad.”
Heather turned back to Captain John and said, “OK, we’ll be back tomorrow mid-day.”
Captain John replied, “One other thing, you can’t come.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing personal. It’s just, women are bad luck on boats and I don’t need any bad luck right now.”
Heather said nothing but reached her hand out to reclaim the first half of the clasp. Captain John started to hand it back to her but then paused. He hefted the jewel encrusted gold clasp and looked again at the jewels. He finally said, “Well now, maybe I was being a bit hasty. You can come but the accommodations will be a bit primitive. Are you sure you want to do this?”
Heather responded, “We will return tomorrow at midday. Our stores will be limited to what we can carry in our backpacks.”
Heather and her companions made their way back to the palace. They discussed their needs. The hunters would only need dry provisions and a supply of arrows for their longbows. They were used to living off the land. Elrod was full of stories but also had some suggestions for the trip. He wanted them to bring lots of rope. They would need to fabricate their own hammocks. The hold would be cold and no fire would be allowed so warm clothing was essential. When they arrived back at the Palace, Heather had Elrod take Randy to the armory for supplies. She returned to her quarters to make preparations. Her first task was to write a letter to her father explaining her plan.
My dear Father,
As you have probably heard we have had good news here. Daniel has sent us a substitute for the sacred water. The supply should be adequate to carry us through the winter if we ration it carefully. We have also received news that Daniel has destroyed the trade bridge. The Forest Folk communicate somehow with light and sent the message yesterday.
The tide of battle has changed. It is time to bring more force onto the Southern Kingdom’s army. I am going to do my part. The troop of a hundred hunters from the forest who delivered the gift from Daniel have pledged their loyalty to us in this war. I am taking them to the rear of the battle to see if we can free you up.
I’ll see you soon when you break through the pass and march to the palace of the Southern Kingdo
m.
With love,
Your daughter
When Heather finished the letter she carefully sealed it and had it set aside for delivery after she left on her journey. She next met with the Queen. When she briefly summarized her plan the Queen said she expected as much. Apparently Betty had told her something was afoot. Heather was not surprised; it seemed that there were no secrets in the palace. The Queen’s only request was that Heather take Betty with her. Heather objected saying she did not need an attendant. The Queen responded, “You may not need an attendant but Betty insists that I send her with you. These half brains know things we don’t and I trust Betty. For my sake I ask that you take her with you. Please be safe and give my love to your father when you see him.”
Heather could not help but accept the Queen’s request. After the evening meal Heather informed Randy of the addition to their troop. Instead of being upset with the addition of someone who was sure to slow them down he was excited. He explained how the stories of Daniels escape had enshrined Betty in the folklore of the forest. His troop would be happy to share their journey with someone as brave as Betty.
Their discussion then centered on their immediate plans. Packing was not a significant concern but the topography of their destination was. Heather spread out on the table a map of the lands between the northern and Southern Kingdoms. Everyone tried to see at the same time and Heather became claustrophobic with all of the heads bent over her. She straightened up and asked for a little room. The Forest Folk moved back and allowed Ben, the older gentlemen who had guided them, to join her and Randy at the table. The chart showed the massive mountain range extending out into the sea which separated the two Kingdoms. The pass which the King was trying to pass through was very evident. It was the only break in the otherwise continuous line of snowcapped mountains. To the east the mountains softened into the land of the Forest Folk. The great Gorge that separated the Forest from the Southern Kingdom was well pictured as was the canyon that separated the Northern Kingdom from the Forest. Looking at the map it seemed as if the mountains had lifted the land of the Forest above the other Kingdoms.
The area of concern was the lands of the Southern Kingdom between the coast and the mountain pass. The gorge was so wide at this point that it formed a huge valley. The Southern slope was very gentle and provided the favorable hills for the wonderful vineyards of the Southern Kingdom. The northern slope was much more rugged and partially forested. Ben traced his finger along the upper edges of the northern slope and suggested they follow the ridgeline. They needed to move secretly and the easier going of the valley floor would be offset by the much greater likelihood of their discovery. They could only guess where Captain John planned on setting them ashore.
As the planning went on, Ben asked if they had a priest with the knowledge of the old scrolls. Heather said, “Why should we talk to a priest, all they are interested in is their rules.”
Ben disagreed explaining how they also kept the ancient knowledge. Someone armed with extra knowledge was always further ahead.
Heather was uncertain if their priests studied the ancient scrolls but said she would find out. As the evening wore on, everyone left to finish their preparations. Heather sent a message to the palace church that she wanted to meet with one of the priests who had knowledge of the ancient scrolls.
Heather was finishing her breakfast when a young man in a simple priestly robe approached the dining hall. He apologized for interrupting her but said that his supervisor had told him to report to her. Heather’s initial opinion was that he was much too young to be a priest much less someone who had studied the ancient scrolls. She asked him if any of the scrolls described the mountain pass to the Southern Kingdom.
He replied, “Several of the scrolls discuss the mountain pass and its discovery. What did she need to know in particular?”
Heather shrugged her shoulders saying, “I don’t know what I need to know. Without knowing what challenges we face how can I ask you for specific information?”
The young man replied, “This is why most priests no longer study the ancient scrolls. Figuring out how to apply the ancient knowledge to our modern problems is difficult. I chose or was chosen to study the scrolls because I find the knowledge they contain to be so stimulating.”
Heather was beginning to like this young man despite his status as a priest. She asked, “How is it that you can recall what is in the scrolls?”
“For some reason I am able to look at the scroll and the image remains in my mind which I can call up and examine when necessary. My ability is not as well developed as those in the forest who pursue the study of the ancient scrolls.”
Heather said, “Your having the knowledge is good but how does that help us when we sail off on our journey? Can you provide us a copy of the relevant scroll to take with us?”
“Your Highness, I am sorry but there is no time to make a copy of even one scroll and information you may need is scattered across many scrolls. It would seem that your best option would be to take me with you.”
Heather looked at Randy who nodded his approval. She asked, “You would be willing to join us despite the dangers?”
“I do not seek danger but the knowledge I have obtained from the scrolls could help you in your mission to save our Kingdom. If I can help, I will, despite the danger.”
Heather asked, “Can you be ready to travel in three hours?”
“I will be ready.”
Half Brains, Sacred Water book 1 Page 8