Authors: L. M. Roth
It was with
astonishment that Cort recognized the unusual mountains that were visible just
off the bow of the ship. They were not tall and sloped gently down to the
water. Not a tree or a flower grew on their smooth surface. He knew that in the
winter the snow slipped off them and fell into the water below.
He clutched
the arm of Siv who stood next to him and pointed excitedly to the mountains.
“It is Grete’s
Land, we are entering Grete’s Land!” he exclaimed, and actually jumped up and
down in his joy as he used to when a small boy.
His wife
laughed in amusement but shared in his joy, recalling the tales of the land
that he had shared with her, and how it had been colonized for Dominio on his
journey of many years ago.
Their ship
pulled into the cove that Cort remembered so well; but what a difference
between entering it in April from entering it in January! On his previous
journey the cold had been bitter and the wind eerie as it howled all though the
night, alarming his friend Kyrene and Elena, the former slave girl who traveled
with them.
Now the gulls
circled overhead, and the cove was dotted with small white wildflowers that
clustered along the shore, lending a bright cheerful presence to the harsh dark
gray stone of the mountains, so dark a gray that it was almost black. The clear
water reflected the mountains, mirroring them until it seemed that there was
nothing but the mountains in this land. Fluffy white clouds hung low overhead,
and it seemed that with the exception of some sparse grass that grew further
back from the shore that the primary colors of this land were gray and white.
Cort was
surprised that a ship would call at Grete’s Land, remembering only too well
their policy of isolation that had almost resulted in the death of himself and
his companions. Why would a ship be calling at Grete’s Land? What had happened to
change their fiercely guarded privacy?
Cort and Siv
disembarked briefly, with the admonition from the Captain to return within two
hours when they would weigh anchor and go to their next port of call. To
satisfy his curiosity, Cort asked the Captain what cargo they were taking on
here.
“A special
water that is found only in this land,” was the Captain’s reply.
Cort nodded
his head sagely, but did not comment. He knew what that water was, and was
astonished that it was permitted out of this country. He puzzled over it, and
decided that since they were staying for a couple of hours that he would
attempt to find some of the inhabitants from his previous journey and discover
whether he could solve the riddle.
He took Siv’s
hand and led her through the thick pine forest where he and his friends had
been taken captive, and where squirrels now scampered busily in the mild spring
weather. They came to the grove of pines that was so hushed and private that it
seemed like a cathedral of trees. Siv breathed in the pungent aroma and smiled
in bliss; how it reminded her of Trekur Lende, she told Cort!
When they came
to the valley where the springs and the skrells reigned supreme she caught her
breath in awe and marveled at the sight of so much water, all of it pristine
with the clarity of purity. The valley was now green in the first flush of
spring, and relieved of the burden of ice and snow that Cort knew from his
previous visit. Down through the valley they trekked, stopping here and there
to exclaim over the sound of running water over rocks in the stream, or to
savor the sight of a skrell shooting a spray of hot water into the sky, with an
occasional spray landing on them.
At last they
came to the great hall that the people of Grete’s Land called home. Cort strode
up to the door and knocked; a wooden slot was pulled back and a pair of eyes
peered through it to investigate the stranger. The door opened cautiously and
the head of a young man appeared in the opening.
“Who are you;
state your business!” he ordered.
“I am Cort
Adalbart and this is my wife, Siv,” Cort answered. “I visited this land many
years ago and wish to know whether Gunnar, son of Gunvor, still dwells here
among you.”
At the mention
of Gunnar’s name the young man’s whole countenance, which had been rife with
suspicion, changed at once to a welcoming grin. He opened the door wide and
bowed to Cort and Siv.
“Come in, come
in!” he said. “I will have them send for Gunnar at once.”
As they waited
for Gunnar, Cort looked around the great hall. The interior as well as the
exterior, was still the light blondish wood that he remembered from before. But
the paintings of water that had adorned the halls and the statue of Jytte had
been removed. The walls were plain and bare, and only a fountain decorated the
hall.
He turned
abruptly at the sound of a still familiar voice.
“Cort!”
Cort whirled
around and beheld Gunnar, bounding toward him with the wide grin and sparkling
eyes that had always seemed a permanent fixture on his face. The two men held
out their hands and grasped them tightly. A warm feeling of pleasure flooded
Cort, and it comforted him, having secretly grieved at the parting with Dag.
What a joy to meet with an old friend, one who had also been a friend of his
adopted father’s.
He hastily
introduced his wife, and Gunnar bowed to her before leading them into a small
room off the hall, where he bade them sit and rest. They spent several moments
exchanging news and Gunnar asked after Dag.
“Does he still
hunt? And does he still love honey?” he asked with a mischievous glint in his
eye.
Cort laughed
out loud, remembering the joke Gunnar had played on Dag that had nearly
resulted in the death of some of the natives. Gunnar joined in his laughter and
they guffawed until they wiped tears from their eyes.
“No, he only
hunts occasionally, but yes, he still loves honey!” Cort replied and attempted
to sober himself before submitting to another fit of laughter.
“Oh, but that
felt good!” Gunnar said. “It is so good to see an old friend, is it not?”
“Yes, it is,”
Cort agreed. “But we can not stay long for our ship will depart soon. And that
raises a question, Gunnar: tell me, when did the policy of isolation change for
Grete’s Land? For I recall that you never permitted anyone to enter or leave
this land. Why did you change that?”
And Cort
waited for his old friend to answer. Gunnar, however, exhaled slowly and a
frown clouded his brow. It was evident to Cort that the new policy perhaps did
not please his old friend.
“It is true
that we have changed our policy, whether for good or ill I leave to you to
decide. As you know, our people forsook the worship of Jytte and turned to
Dominio, and we realized that we now had no reason to forbid any from entering
or leaving our land, as it was no longer sacred to Jytte. It was even suggested
that we should share our special water, the healing spring as Felix called it,
with those who had no access to such a gift. We felt it might be wrong to keep
it only for ourselves, and so we began to sell it and permit ships to call in
our harbor where we sold it in exchange for other goods.
“But that may
have been a mistake, and may lead to our undoing. For some have found our land,
which had been forbidden to others, and they have come to lead our people
astray, and to teach them things that Dominio would not like. Our people have
always led simple lives, and worshiped Dominio alone, and only Jytte before
Him.
“But some have
come preaching other gods, and I fear that some have forsaken the way of
Dominio, and followed others that are false. And our simple ways have been
changed. Our women now lust for fine cloths of linen and silk that the traders
bring, and pay more than their husbands can spare, when before they were
content with flax and homespun. And even worse, our young people have discovered
spirits that intoxicate them, they who used to drink nothing but pure spring
water.”
Gunnar shook
his head and he looked at the floor with a mournful gaze. Without raising his
eyes he pronounced to Cort a summation that his friend would find of good counsel.
“No, my
friend, I fear that changing our policy from isolation to let the outside world
enter was a mistake. For only when we were cut off from the outside world did
we remain pure in our faith and our hearts. Now we have fallen into temptation,
and I do not know what our end shall be.”
After Cort
left for Valerium, Kyrene was left behind to stand guard in Leith. She deemed
that both Dirk and Maelys were far too young to stand up to the evil that now
simmered beneath the surface in general, and she did not like the feeling of an
unnamed threat that seemed to stalk the Adalbart family in particular. She did
her best to help Maelys and Nolwenn with the housework, but when she had a
spare moment she decided to put her time to a use that might better fit the
family whose safety she felt was at risk.
And that was
when she started training Dirk, Maelys, and Lucius how to be spiritual
warriors. She omitted Nolwenn, sensing a duplicity as well as rebellion in the
young girl. Not only was she angry with Dominio and sought to escape His
presence at every opportunity, but she was fully capable of running to
Melisande or any other women of the village who sought to bring back the old
ways and betray the training that Kyrene would give the others. As loyalty was
an inviolable requirement in any military troop, she could not afford to permit
the flighty girl access to any of their confidential information.
She took them
deep into the woods behind the village, even to the places where the Eirini
were warned not to go. At first, Maelys had been nervous, and glanced around
her as if expecting to see some unspeakable horror pop out at her. But Kyrene
merely laughed off her fear.
“You must be
strong and courageous,” she told the young woman. “For greater is He that is in
you, than he who is in the world. Remember that: you have received of the
Spirit of Dominio, and there is no power that can stand against Him. But you
must be pure of heart, or you will not be able to stand before your foe. I do
not say that he will defeat you; he may, or he may not. But your own heart will
quake in fear and you shall run and not stand your ground. Do you believe
this?”
Kyrene peered
deeply into Maelys’ eyes: her blue eyes grew large and she turned pale, but at
last she nodded her head slowly as comprehension came to her.
“Yes,” she
said, “I do.”
“Good! All of
you remember this: your heart must be pure before you engage in battle, so
examine it daily. Be sure you have nothing against anyone, even those who have
wronged you. Forgive them and release all anger and desire for revenge to
Dominio. He will repay should the need arise; if not He will love them into the
Kingdom.
“And never
forget that it is the Astra who are behind their enmity with you, as they
inspire them to hate you, wrong you, and cheat you at every turn. But Dominio
has already judged the Astra, and they are diminished in their power. The power
you wield is far greater than theirs against you, for their power is dependent
on the lies they can make man believe, but you have the truth and the truth
shall set men free.”
Kyrene studied
Dirk and Lucius; it was clear that they grasped her words. Even Lucius, who was
not very spiritual, had at last understood the dire need of being spiritually
prepared for the battle that Kyrene sensed was coming on the Eirini, and quite
soon. She returned to her lesson.
“The Tuadan,
as your people call them, are nothing more than the Astra whom Dominio banished
to earth. Even in your own legends their power is diminished as they dwell in
the hills that men trod underfoot, and in the trees that men chop down. It is
true that you can not fight them in your own strength, but it is the Spirit in
you that will give you the victory if battle is engaged.
“Remember to
examine yourself; be sure you are in right relationship with Dominio Himself.
Worship Him only, and leave no room for idols in your heart. Be at peace with
all men, and let there be no occasion for sin. Trust in the Word of Dominio,
and hide it in your heart so that you do not sin. Love your enemies and do good
to those who hate you. Do not return evil for evil. Be kind and forgive,
praying for those who war against you, for remember it is not flesh and blood
that is your true enemy. They are only inspired to hate you by the Astra, who
are
your true enemy.
“And let me
share with you what my mentor taught my friends and me: you will never defeat
the kingdom of darkness unless you conquer the chambers of your own heart.”
Having said
this to them, Kyrene warned them of the need to put these principles into
practice if they wanted to ensure victory. Maelys looked at her mentor and
groaned inwardly, knowing that Kyrene heard what was not audible.
Melisande; she
had to make peace with Melisande before she could make war on the Astra.
It was not
easy, for Melisande truly did hate Maelys as much as she returned the feeling.
But if she wanted to be right with Dominio, she must be right in her
relationships, even with those people whom she did not like.
With that
charge on her, she decided to visit her sister-in-law one evening with the
excuse of calling on her small niece, whom she rarely saw.
Gwenaelle was
now more than a year old, and walking with a slight wobble that frequently
caused her to fall, something that was of great concern for Melisande, who
worried if something was wrong with the child. When Maelys had knocked on the
door of the hut, her sister-in-law’s face shut down when she saw the identity
of her visitor as surely as if it had been a shop door that displays a closed
sign to discourage unwanted shoppers. Maelys ignored it and pasted a bright
smile on her face, turning her attention instead to her little niece, who
crowed at the sight of her.
“Maalee,” the
child cried in delight as she stumbled her way over to her aunt. “Maalee come,
Maalee come!”
Maelys scooped
her up in her arms and kissed her tiny cheek. Gwenaelle reached a small hand up
to her copper curls and pulled on them curiously. Maelys laughed and seated
herself with the child on her lap.
“How fast she
is growing!” she exclaimed. “I can not believe it. Why she is no longer a baby
and will soon be chattering away.”
“Well, if you
paid more attention to her you would have noticed before how fast she is
growing,” Melisande snapped at her.
She closed her
mouth and tossed back her head, choosing to ignore Maelys and not encourage her
to stay.
Maelys
swallowed her anger and remembered the words of Kyrene.
“I am sorry
for that, Melisande. You see, I have not only been worried about Father and
absorbed in the housework while Mother is gone, it is hard at times to be
around Gwenaelle, for she reminds me so of dear Brenus.”
And unbidden a
tear came to Maelys’ eye and coursed down her cheek. Noting it, Melisande
started and flinched before addressing her.
“Yes, she does
look like her father, doesn’t she?” she murmured with a note of sadness in her
voice. “Judoc has mentioned that she is almost the image of him as a baby. How
cruel is fate that he can not be here to see her.”
The look that
Melisande cast on her small daughter was so sorrowful that it startled Maelys,
who had never believed that her sister-in-law had truly loved Brenus. Was it
possible that she had? She remembered her high-spirited brother, so quick to
laugh and lose his temper, yet the merriest soul in the world. How could his
own wife not love him? Were it not for the trouble she had stirred up with
Cort, she would believe that Melisande had truly cared for her husband.
“Yes,” she
agreed. “It is a cruel fate.”
An awkward
silence fell between them, one that showed no signs of lifting, as neither was
inclined to break it. They sat for some time with Maelys rocking the child and
Melisande looking on, and neither of them said a word. At last after about
fifteen minutes had passed, Maelys rose and handed her niece back to Melisande.
“Well, I must
go back and finish cleaning. I should like to stop again soon if that is
alright with you.”
Melisande
stared at her in bewilderment, but nodded her head slowly.
“I suppose
that would be alright.”
Now as they
trekked through the woods, Kyrene cautioned them to be alert for any
impressions they received from the Spirit of Dominio.
“You may feel
a physical sensation, perhaps a sudden fear, or a chill, maybe a tingling along
your spine or an arm. That is what happens when you sense the presence of evil.
Do not let it frighten or alarm you. Or you may have an impression of a shadow
or something that flits just out of your vision, perhaps something glimpsed out
of the corner of your eye. That also is not unusual. A vision may appear if the
evil spirit chooses to take a form to frighten you. Do not cower, but stand
strong, for always they try to intimidate so that you will run in fear.”
Dirk raised a
hand to ask a question, just as if, Kyrene thought with amusement, he was one
of her pupils back in Solone.
“Beg your
pardon, but what if we do not see anything? Some have said that they hear
something but never see anything? What does that mean?”
Kyrene
shrugged her shoulders.
“It means that
they know that what is not seen is more frightening than what is seen, because
it is more terrifying to imagine all kinds of horrors. If they choose not to be
seen, then you will know you have encountered a demonic force that desires to
frighten you, and that can happen only if you permit it.”
She regarded
Dirk with a measuring look that bored deeply into his soul.
This one will
be powerful, she thought. I pity the demon who tries to lock horns with him!
But aloud she
only said, “Does that answer your question, Dirk?”
He nodded his
head briskly.
“Yes, ma’am,
it does.”