***
Rose felt as if her heart was going to pound out of her chest. Never in her life had she run so fast and with such urgency. There was regret for having to leave Logan behind in the cave after all he had done to get her to the staff, but saving Jirah had become her most desperate desire. She burst out into the clearing where they had first landed to find that a lot more of her friends than he expected. Gaost was there but so was Jer. Seafas was kneeling on the ground and cradling the still, pale form of Jirah in his strong arms. The closer she got to her companions however, the more a great lump began to form in her throat. Jer was weeping in the arms of Gaost, and even Seafas had tears in his warm eyes. The gentle fisherman was gently brushing Jirah’s matted hair with his rough hands.
“Rose, I’m so sorry,” Seafas said with a choke. “The poison took her at least five minutes ago.”
“No. It can’t be!” Rose cried out, dropping to her knees beside her dear friend. “This is not supposed to happen this way.”
“She gave her life to save you Rose,” Gaost said, trying to reassure the weeping priestess. “We did all that we could, but sometimes it’s just not enough.”
Rose refused to believe that this was happening. What use was having this newfound power if she could not save the people that mattered to her the most? Determination welled up inside her and she decided to take control of the situation. She was not going to let life turn her into a victim anymore.
“Everyone back off and give me some space,” she commanded to her friends.
“What are you doing Rose?” Gaost asked. “Even the first healer could not raise the dead.”
Rose just ignored the Cleric and spoke out a command to Jer. “Follow my tracks back into the cave Jer and help Logan to get back out here. He is hurt but will need you. Go!”
Jer jumped into action, bounding into the forest.
Now the new priestess of Ya, who had heard the very creator himself speak her true name, turned he attention to the dear friend in front of her.
“You are all wrong,” she said with a fierce assurance. “Jirah is NOT dead. She is sleeping.”
Knowing instinctively what to do, she stretched the staff of Ramah lengthwise across the unmoving form of the huntress. Closing her eyes tight, she focused all of her love on Jirah’s pale body, searching inside for the deadly poison. The same blue glowing light began to surge in pulses around Rose as it had on her previous healing events but this time it was much more intense, being amplified by the staff’s power. Shutting out all of her surroundings, including the plea’s coming from her companions, she spoke a simple word of command to her lifeless sister.
“Arise.”
The staff burst into action with a flare of blue light, so bright that those around her had to avert their gaze. Rose, called Roshua by the almighty creator Ya, pulled the poison out of Jirah and channelled it into the staff. At the same time, she could feel her very life force being pulled from her soul and into her dear friend.
With a great gasp, Jirah breathed in sharply and her eyes opened, filling with life. Her arms moved quickly to embrace the slumping form of Rose as she passed out completely from exhaustion.
“What just happened?” Jirah asked of those around her. “Rose, are you ok?”
Rose was showing no signs of life at all.
“We tried to stop her Jirah,” Seafas said, moving in close to the huntress. “I think she just gave her life to save yours.”
“No, no, Rose!” Jirah said with a desperate plea. “What have you done?”
“Gaost!” Seafas spoke said turning to the Cleric. “Why didn’t you stop her?”
Jirah sat up, holding the lifeless form of Rose in her arms as she too looked to Gaost for guidance.
The eternal man spoke nothing. He was lost in prayer, muttering in low tones to the god he had conversed with for millennia.
From the shadow of the trees came the forms of Logan and Jer, the young thief doing what he could to stabilize the weary knight. Once they reached the rest of the group, Gaost opened his glowing white eyes and raised his hands to gain everyone’s attention.
“Listen up everyone,” he said in a very serious tone.
“We have gained a great victory today by both defeating the disciple of Belial, and retrieving the stolen Staff of Ramah.”
Logan was about to ask why Rose was laying lifeless in the arms of Jirah, but Gaost lifted his hand to silence him.
“Rose followed her heart and has used her newfound power to raise Jirah from the dead,” Gaost said, a frown forming on his lips. “In doing so, she has traded her life for that of her dear sister.”
Jirah wept great sobs, too full of pain to even speak.
The Cleric continued before anyone could respond. “I have asked our heavenly father to help me return the favour to Rose on behalf of Jirah.”
The blank looks on everyone’s face told Goast that no one knew what he was talking about.
“I will give my life so that Rose may live,” Goast said simply. “I would request that you please say goodbye to Rose for me, and tell her how proud I am.”
“I didn’t think that you could die G,” Jer responded.
“I have lived for a very long time son, maybe too long. To tell you the truth, I feel like it is time to hand the office of Cleric to someone else. My time here is done.”
“Who could take possibly take your place Gaost?” Logan asked.
“Ya has already chosen my successor,” Goast said with a rare smile. “The time of their revealing will be up to Ya himself.”
The emotions of all the companions were so thick in the air that even the mighty blades of Logan could not cut through it.
“This is goodbye friends,” Gaost said with finality. “Ya has given every one of you all the power you need to turn this world into a better place. Trust him and do all you can to protect Rose. You can do all things through him who gives you strength.”
With those final words, the grey robed figure of the eternal man began to rise. His head slumped forward, as if giving up is spirit, and in that same moment, Rose opened up her luminous green eyes. Everyone held their breath in amazement as they watched the first Cleric of the Eternal Creator rise up into the clouds and finally disappear from view.
***
Epilogue
The days that followed the ascension of Gaost into the clouds were bitter sweet for Rose and her close group of friends.
Logan, having been the first to gain some semblance of resolve suggested that they all make their way back to the capital city. They all needed some time to recuperate and would need to pray for direction so everyone agreed with him.
Even Seafas had agreed to come, having no place to call home anyway.
Rose and Jirah walked together for most of the journey, holding hands much of the time. What had passed between the two of them over the last few weeks would never be forgotten.
Each evening, wherever they camped for the night, Logan and Rose would spend some time together in quiet conversation. Their friendship was quickly moving to a place of deep, abiding love.
Seafas kept himself busy most of the time with cooking and camping duties. He obviously was still not quite sure of what to do and of what role he should play in this group of friends.
Jer was taking the loss of Gaost alot harder than anyone else it seemed. The young thief kept mostly to himself, running off to scout the path ahead of them as often as he could. Logan did take the time at least once a day to still instruct his squire in the ways of a knight, but he could tell that the boy’s heart was not in it. Quite often, Jer would sit off by himself and he would usually be flipping his dagger back and forth with his nimble fingers.
The eternal Creator, Ya himself, looked down on this precious group of followers with love and pride. All things were set in place to turn the tide of destruction, Belial started thousands of years ago, and he could not help but smile.
High in the spire of ruin, t
he Fallen One cried out a scream of desperate rage, already formulating his plans for killing the Chosen Healer.
###
Author’s note
I shall give credit where credit is due.
Many thanks go to my wife Gloria who has been a great support in the writing of this book.
I must thank Kimmie as well for her support and encouragement along the way.
Yes, the name “Murken” wood is a direct steal from Tolkien. Consider it a tribute.
I have made the same sort of compliment to my favorite author, Terry Goodkind. The use of the term “Triad” in reference to the group of assassins is taken from his use of “quad”. Please read his books and be moved as I was.
As to the redheaded girl named Rose in a white dress? I did have this idea long before the movie “Titanic” came out, but I cannot deny that the Rose from the movie must be much like my Rose. I will let the reader decide on that one.
I welcome comments or questions on facebook or twitter @alanon68
Watch for book #2 in the Staff of Ramah series, appearing in the fall of 2016. “The Chosen Healer”.
The Staff of Ramah Page 48