Forest & Kingdom Balance (24 page)

“Just lucky I guess?”
He
laughed as she hoped he would.

“Actually, we have a great deal in
common. We both are who we are because we both grew up in a
sanctuary. Yours was a sanctuary of healing, while mine is a
sanctuary from strife. The other difference is that my sanctuary
has been here for a very, very long time. Would you like to see
it?"

Now it was his turn to be surprised. “Yes, but
wouldn’t that be breaking our agreement?”

“No, because while I am a ward of
the mountains, I do not live there. Your Red Knight could gather
every subject he has and search the mountain range for a thousand
years and he would not find my home. I cannot tell you why, but I
trust you know that what I say is true.”
She waited for his
answer.

“How long would it take to get there?” Yamikura was
still unsure of what she said.

“Oh, you wouldn’t come here, I
would allow you to see it through my eyes.”

He didn’t know what to say, he felt adrift. He may
have felt this way once as a small child, but not that he could
remember, and certainly never as an adult. Suddenly his training
took over, he cleared his mind of all thought, took a deep breath
and stepped away from himself.
“What do I know?
Where is the center? What is the truth?”
Calmly and
methodically he looked at his current experience and absorbed
it.

“You have skills that few possess,
your balance of mind and soul is a beauty that few have
achieved.”
Catherine’s voice seemed to hover at a
distance.

He felt his balance solidify. “You honor me my Lady,
I accept.”

“Just lean back in the chair and
close your eyes.”
As he did, she joined their minds.

His eyes opened. No, it was her eyes that opened. He
could feel himself in the chair, but he also felt her. In a moment
the duality diminished as the awareness of his body faded into the
back of his thoughts. He felt the breeze as she moved, and the
fabric on her skin. She looked around the room and he saw the same
workmanship that he had seen at the way station, but more like a
home. She picked up a glass figurine.

“This was made by the same artist that created your
wine glass.” He heard her voice as well as her thought. “Would you
like to meet her, she doesn’t live far.”

“Yes.” He sounded crass and out of place as he heard
his own voice in the way station.

“Let’s take a walk.” She went out the door and the
richness of life overwhelmed him, he could feel the beauty. His
center held as he accepted the gift of wonder without need of
explanation. He couldn’t tell how long they walked. It could have
been an instant or a lifetime. His sense of time returned as they
came upon a glassmaker’s workshop. He saw a woman take a long metal
rod out of the furnace. The hot glass glowed as she twirled it on
the end.

“Catherine! What a surprise. Let me put this down.”
She handed the pole to an apprentice that was standing near by and
took off her heavy gloves. He could feel the heat of the furnace on
Catherine’s skin, and the cool breeze that met them as they moved
away.

“You know of Yamikura, don’t you?” Catherine
asked.

“Of course.” The artist seemed puzzled by the
question.

“He’s with us now.” Catherine pointed to her
head.

“Oh! Hello.” The artist looked into Catherine’s eyes
and smiled.

“He’s at the way station. He complimented your wine
glasses, he said they were a treasure that men would battle for.”
Catherine opened herself to the artist’s reaction. Yamikura felt
her beam with delight and gratitude.

“Those old things! Let me show you the new set I
made.” He could feel the artist’s excitement as Catherine followed
her into the other side of the building. “I made these for ”

Catherine raised a finger to her lips. “Shhhhh.” She
cautioned her friend.

“Sorry, I made these for you know who.” The artist
winked and handed the glass to Catherine. As she held it up to the
light and turned it, the intricate design came to life and seemed
to move. Yamikura had never seen anything like it and had never
even conceived that it was possible.

“Magnificent!” Catherine exclaimed and allowed the
artist to feel their wonder and awe. Her face, raw with the labors
of fire and furnace, turned a deeper shade of red as she
blushed.

“Thank you, both” She said as Catherine carefully
handed the delicate glass back to its creator.

She waved goodbye as Catherine made her way back
home. When they arrived, she sat and closed her eyes. Suddenly he
was once more in his chair in the bunkhouse, He felt humbled and
filled with a profound respect.

“I believe you knew the answer to
your question long before it was asked.”
Catherine said.
“I perform the duties that my skills are best
suited for, in the same way that the artist you met follows the
calling best suited to her talents. Does my answer meet your
standard?”

“Yes.” Yamikura allowed himself to drift, immersed
in the afterglow of his experience. “Oh yes.”

Interlude

The Red Knight

Exactly two thousand, eight hundred years before the
Red Knight made his way across a mountain range on a continent far
from his birth, he roamed the Far Lands on his way to visit his
friend, King Jarod. The Knight had no fortress, no army, and no
need of them. The year was YK* 562 and as he rode through Jarod’s
capital, those that recognized him bowed and those that did not,
just stared and wondered. In either case, he would simply nod.

When he arrived at the palace of the Western
Province, Jarod declared a three-day feast for the entire province.
The Knight laughed, “I just came to see how you were.”

Jarod leaned toward him, “It’s not for you, we’ve
had a good year and the people could use a few feast days. Besides,
it will give them a chance to tell each other tall tales of the
immortal Red Knight! Come, sit with me while I decided whether to
introduce you to my beautiful new wife, or have her hidden away
until you leave.” Jarod gave his friend a stern look.

The Knight shrugged, “I wouldn’t worry about it, if
she married you then she certainly wouldn’t find me attractive. I
would assume from her choice that she finds handsome unappealing.”
The laughter continued as they retired to the king’s chambers.

Two days later King Jarod became the first to
successfully trap the Red Knight. He was neither dead nor alive,
but kept in a drug-induced stupor tied to a rack in the king’s
dungeon. Jarod was then free to begin his conquest of the known
world.

Twenty-eight years later, Jarod’s ruthless quest had
reached the capital of the Eastern Alliance, the last independent
state. The Eastern Alliance knew that it could not defeat Jarod’s
forces and sent an agent to infiltrate Jarod’s capital. Long after
the Eastern Alliance had fallen, its agent reached the Red Knight.
A quick knife thrust and the Knight was free, upon reappearing he
was told of Jarod’s treachery. The two then battled their way free
from the palace. The agent would become the Knight’s first captain
as he formed his Crimson Guard.

In YK 613, fifty-one years after the Knight rode
into Jarod’s trap, he and the Crimson Guard led the final battle of
the rebellion against the capital of the Western Province and
captured the palace were he had been held. King Jerome (Jarod’s
Son) was stoned to death as he was dragged through streets.

Jarod was not the first to try and incapacitate the
Red Knight, nor was he the last to succeed.

( * ‘YK’ refers to ‘Year of the Knight.’ Once the
larger kingdoms were well established, a single calendar was
accepted for all. The prefix was to honor the Red Knight, who by
that time was already ancient.)

Chapter Six

Journeys

I

The sun had not yet risen above the mountains when
the Crimson Guard lieutenant rode into the staging area just
outside Kingsport. “Ular, what are you up to?” He asked his fellow
Guard.

“Joshua, good to see you’re back. I’m horse training
the slaves.” Ular continued to watch Atheria and Simon as they held
on for dear life while their horses trotted along. “You two listen
up, it’s really not that hard.” He yelled to them and shook his
head. “You know,” he said to Joshua, “I think it would be easier to
slave train the horses.”

Joshua laughed and then nodded toward the main tent,
“Is he in there?”

“Go gently my friend, he’s had everyone packed and
ready to mount for two days, and you know how he feels about
delays.” They gave each other a nod and Joshua set off for the main
tent at a gallop.

“My Liege.” Joshua found the Red Knight dressed in
full riding gear. He waited briefly for a response and interpreted
the Knight’s expression of impatience as permission to proceed,
quickly. “Yamikura’s trail markings are clear and I’ve scouted the
first three days of travel.”

“Only three days?” The Knight’s expression did not
improve.

“Yes, the guardsman took a circuitous route, there
are many stretches that a company our size would not be able to
traverse. I scouted and marked a suitable trail, though that will
need to be done for each leg of the journey.” He waited.

“I see.” The Knight accepted the limitation, though
not gladly, and Joshua was able to relax slightly. “Have the
company packed and ready to ride in one hour.” The lieutenant bowed
his head to acknowledge the order as the Knight spoke again. “Did
you meet with any unusual occurrences or circumstances?”

“None Sire.” The Knight seemed surprised, and
dismissed his lieutenant. Joshua began to leave but stopped. He
started again, and then turned. “What?” He looked around the tent.
“Who?”

The Knight smiled as Joshua returned to face him.
The Guardsman hesitated, unsure of how to start, “A woman asked
that I relay a message to you, Sire”

“And exactly where is this woman?” The Knight’s
smile broadened.

“She says that she’s not here, Sire.” Joshua backed
up slightly.

The Red Knight stood face to face with Joshua and
looked into his eyes. “I do not know, nor do I care, how or why you
have you have restricted the expansion of this settlement. I
suggest that you do not hinder my company and that you leave my
subjects in peace to explore where they will. If you do not, you
will require me to take matters into my own hands.” The Knight
waited for a response and could see that the Guard was distressed.
“I understand Joshua, please relay her words to me.”

“She says that Yamikura has negotiated safe conduct
for our company to a way station about two weeks travel into the
mountains. She will provide me with the knowledge of a trade route
that will support our mounts.” Suddenly Joshua looked startled. “I
believe she’s left Sire.”

“Not in a talkative mood it seems. Too bad, I could
have learned a great deal.” The Knight’s attention drifted off then
returned to Joshua. “What is this trade route she mentioned?”

Joshua hesitated, “I know the route Sire. It seems
that I know it quite well, though I don’t know how I could.”

“You’ll lead the company, we leave in one hour.” The
Red Knight turned away, deep in thought.

II

On a hilltop far from the hub of Forest life, John
sat in a clearing just before the drop off. It was his place, the
place that gave him purpose, and the place from which he sent his
presence far to the west. He watched as Catherine spoke to the
lieutenant and kept a light touch on the Red Knight’s thoughts. As
soon as the Knight realized it was a communication, he searched his
own recent motivations and actions for signs of an outside
influence. John immediately withdrew the small contact he had with
him, and returned home once the message was delivered.

The exchange had left him unsettled. He stood to
look out over the Forest, the only structure he could see was his
cottage nestled in among the trees below. Far beyond would be the
village and even though it was hidden by the terrain, it gave him
comfort to think of his friends going about their day. It was a
pleasant diversion, but it didn’t ease his concern.

He reached out to Spirit’s Vale. The Caretaker and
Dionara weren’t in a session but it must have just ended, he could
the feel their powerful, raw emotions.
“Caretaker, when you have a moment.”
He kept his touch
light and hoped he hadn’t disturbed them.

“John, how goes the west?”
The Caretaker answered.

“Catherine gave him the
route.”
John’s unease resurfaced.
“It’s as
we thought, as soon as he was aware of the communication he started
to examine the possibilities. I don’t think I should risk direct
contact with him again, I’m not sure I would go
undetected.”

“We knew that our plan would need
to adapt.”
The Caretaker tried to console him.

“It still seems like we’ve given
him a huge advantage. Not only have we taken weeks off his journey,
he’s gotten a clue to his own abilities far earlier than we
planned.”
John seemed at a loss to understand.

“True.”
The Caretaker
considered his response carefully.
“The questions
are, what have we gained and have we really lost anything? As far
as the timing, Dionara will be prepared when the time comes.
Whether it’s a month from now or ten years from now does not make a
difference, she will still need to find a solution. I know you’re
concerned, but think of it this way, in any battle advantages arise
that must be capitalized on. Yamikura is an advantage that may give
Dionara the leverage she needs.”

John understood the concept but not the reason.
“How?”

“Only time will tell.”
The
Caretaker’s thoughts expressed his hope.
“Yamikura’s actions will be determined by his own morality
and the relationship he develops with Catherine. I see one very
important aspect of the situation. As it stands now, the Red Knight
sees everything about this continent and its people as foreign to
him. Yamikura could be the bridge that allows him to see us in a
fuller light.”