Forest & Kingdom Balance (8 page)

Uncalled for and unwanted, thoughts of her years of
imprisonment at the hands of the Red Knight surfaced. The pain and
deprivation she suffered in that dark, damp cell had left its mark,
and the contrast of her morning’s pleasure felt poignantly sweet.
Slowly she turned to her lover who was pouring over sparse and
contradictory maps of the mountain passes, she smiled as she placed
a single kiss upon his cheek, then called him a bastard and turned
back to the magnificent view.

The Red Knight didn’t even look up.
“True enough”
was his only thought, content in the
knowledge that even an immortal will never live long enough to
understand a woman, any woman.

“Yamikura!” The Knight summoned his captain and
handed him the courier case and maps. “These are useless. See what
is delaying High Counselor Deminar and his so called survivors,
I’ll be in the ambassador’s office, have them brought here
now.”

With nothing left to do but wait, the Knight
returned to his breakfast but found his frustration to be a bitter
spice that spoiled his food. He watched as Kalibra removed her robe
to sun on a nearby divan. The Knight’s thoughts turned to a more
enjoyable use of the time until Yamikura returned with the
minister.

Kalibra lay relaxed and inviting before the
brilliant seascape. His eyes drank in the beauty of her golden hair
and sensual curves. Her toned muscles flowed beneath smooth skin
that glistened in the morning light. His gaze drifted from horizon,
to Kalibra, to the dagger on the robe beside her. He then recalled
some reports he wanted to read before Deminar arrived and exited
down the Pavilion’s steps unaware of the knowing smile that crossed
Kalibra’s lips.

VI

“Myths and faery tales? I ask about mapping
expeditions and you bring me myths and faery tales?” The Red Knight
looked across the desk at the three expedition survivors who stood
before him.

Deminar joined the three men. “These are not merely
myths Sire. There is a tangible force that protects those
mountains. If my Liege will permit.” The High Councilor walked
around the desk and picked up a few of the many records scattered
about. “From the most recent report to the earliest accounts of
settlers on this coast and every report in between, they all agree
in detail and in tone Sire. The mountains were given the name
Warded as much to describe them as to name them.”

“You, redhead,” the Knight turned his attention to
man on the left, “describe your experience.”

The man stepped forward with an air of
self-confidence. He began to look to Deminar but caught himself and
faced the Red Knight. “Sire, we had passed through the foot hills
without incident and began to follow the natural terrain of valleys
and mountain passes, as we progressed a sense of foreboding and
danger grew among the men. Within a week every man had voiced their
concern.”

While he listened to the man speak, the Red Knight
noted telltale signs that all three men had a connection to the
High Councilor. He thought nothing of it and had assumed Deminar
would hand pick anyone brought to be questioned. He glanced over to
Kalibra who was seated off to one side and was surprised to see
that her reaction was much more visceral. Her body language spoke
of insult and treachery. He briefly wondered why she would have
such a reaction to these men but didn’t give it much thought.

“The first month was plagued by minor troubles. One
was navigation, even though a good number of us, including myself,
were experienced woodsmen and trackers, we would very often find
that a full day’s journey ended in an area we had passed before.”
The man appeared to be re-experiencing the journey as much as
remembering it.

“Food was a constant issue throughout. In area after
area where man has never set foot, where game should be plentiful,
none could be found. We protected what food we could find,
especially at night. Whether it was guarded, hung high in a tree,
or covered in a stone mound, more often than not it was gone in the
morning with evidence that some predator had found and made off
with it unseen. Eventually we ended up divvying up whatever we
found that was edible and each man was responsible for his
own.”

The Red Knight noted each of the other two men had
an equally somber expression as they nodded in agreement. He glance
at Kalibra to read her sense of it and to his surprise, found her
seething with anger.
“Strange. What is she seeing
that I’m not?”
The Knight’s attention returned to the
speaker but the question lingered.

“The second month we started to make some headway by
shear force of will, that’s when the deaths started to occur. Men I
knew to be as sure footed as a mountain goat became absentminded
enough to misstep and fall to their death. Rock falls were common,
and the large predators we had seen evidence of, showed up
unexpectedly and often.”

“We lost a third of our expedition in the second
month, it was at that point that a number of men decided to return.
Of the original sixty, twenty-two were dead and another twenty-four
decide to head back to the coast. My fellows and I,” he nodded to
the two men next to him, “were among the small group that pressed
on.”

As he said ‘pressed on,’ the Red Knight noted the
look the man gave the High Councilor. Apparently before they left,
Deminar impressed upon them that failure was not an option.
“A likely death before them and a sure death
behind them.”
The Red Knight did not let his amusement show
but turned to Kalibra to see if she recognized the man’s plight.
The only thing the Knight saw in her was anger. Although to anyone
else her mood would not have been easily read.

“The following weeks,” the man continued, “were a
struggle just to survive. First we lost”

Kalibra launched from her chair, sword free. The
first of the speaker’s silent companions dropped to his knees while
his head rolled elsewhere. The second man barely had time to move
before Kalibra’s blade deftly slid between his ribs and withdrew,
piercing his heart. The speaker leapt back to no avail, the fully
extended stroke that would have decapitated him became a clean
slice of his carotid artery.

“Spies? You treasonous worm!” She shouted at a
stunned Deminar. Her final stroke met steel as Yamikura’s blade
intervened. If it were not for her friendship with Yamikura, the
ensuing match of speed and skill would have been a toss up. Even
with her hesitation and his speed of movement, his free hand was
just able to grab her sword wrist while his blade momentarily
delayed her stroke.

“Kalibra!” The Red Knight’s shout filled the
room.

Interlude

Flight

Wind streamed beneath his wings.

“Idiot!”
His mind shouted.
“How could I be that stupid!”
John did not
experience the exhilaration he normally felt in flight, his
thoughts were consumed by reliving the scene again and again.
“Relax. Soar. Catch the wind.”
John
repeated to himself as he flew effortlessly skyward and sought wind
currents that would best hasten his speed to the gate.

“Peace. Find your center.”
John’s inner flame brightened as his thoughts calmed.
“The Caretaker will need to monitor and hopefully diminish
the after effects of my blunder.”
He then dismissed a past
that he could not change and his thoughts turned forward.
“I’ll have to take over with Dionara, I’ll need
to be centered and balanced.”
He told himself.
“Peace.”

He landed below a rise just to the west of the oak
that shaded Dionara. John then opened his mind to the Caretaker. In
a brilliant flash of white light, John stood on legs once more,
naked; mind, body and soul.

Chapter Three

History Lessons

I

“What!”

Dionara felt as if she was falling without moving,
suddenly she was filled with the rage and pain of her parents’
death. “My mother was Queen! You know nothing of her. How dare you!
Her family was one of the most respected in the Kingdom.” Dionara
rose to a defensive posture as her hand dropped to find the hilt of
a sword that was not there.

John instantly knelt before the Princess, head
bowed. “I am so sorry my Lady, please forgive me.”

Dionara stood there a moment as her rage subsided,
then found herself about to wield an imaginary sword to decapitate
a man she had just met for the grave offence of offering his
condolences. The pain she had long lived with was slowly overcome
by a sense of profound foolishness.

The moment passed and she lowered herself to sit
cross-legged before him. Resting her head in one hand, she placed
her other hand below John’s chin and raised his head. “It’s been a
long day.” She said and smiled, surprised to find herself lost in
his deep, beautiful eyes. “Be a dear and grab the wine and some
fruit for us, would you? Let’s eat down here, it’s more
comfortable.” She leaned forward and placed a kiss of apology on
his cheek.

“Yes my Lady.” John’s anxiety from her reaction was
replaced by embarrassment as he felt himself flush in response to
her kiss.

Dionara gazed off into the distance as John set out
their impromptu picnic. “Thank you.” She said absently, then took
sole possession of the wine decanter and poured herself a full
glass. John grabbed an apple and lain on his back while Dionara
watched dapples of sunlight play across him.

“Froggy was about to answer any question I had when
he was called away, but now I’m not so sure I want the answers. Why
don’t you tell me of your forest home instead.” Her eyes lingered
to enjoy the magnificent view, the rolling hills of his exquisite
form accented by the sheen of forest green.

John turned on his side to face her, “Yes my Lady,
but I must caution you that the Forest’s tale is interwoven with
the Kingdom’s.”

Her desire to be free from the weight of her duties
resurfaced. “Please, call me Dionara. Perhaps if we simply talk as
friends I may be less inclined to behead you with my imaginary
sword!” She made the motions of withdrawing a sword and brandishing
it about. She returned the sword to its imaginary scabbard with a
visible exhale while shaking her head in self-judgment.

John’s flame burned bright as he watched her. Her
physical beauty was striking, but that could be seen by anyone.
John however was one of very few that could also see the radiant,
untapped power she held within. He was overcome with a sense of
loss as he watched her flame diminish with self-criticism and
doubt. He also found that being near her had intensified his own
guilt in the tragedy of that day seven years ago.

Pain washed over him, the mistake he had made was as
fresh in his mind as the day it happened, and as fresh as it had
been every day since. It was the first time he had ever seen her
and he allowed himself be enchanted by her beauty, both body and
flame. His duty was to protect, not to indulge in adolescent
fantasy. He had failed.

By force of will he calmed his thoughts and allowed
the pain to fade as the Caretaker had taught him. His calm demeanor
never wavered, no one other than the Caretaker and Catherine were
aware of his struggle and he would keep it that way. He silently
renewed his vow to restore some of the damage that he had wrought
in full knowledge that the pain and guilt would return to haunt his
nights and drive his actions.

John took a bite of the apple as his focus turned to
Dionara’s education.
“Beginnings are a delicate
time.”
He thought. “As you know Dionara, your people came
from the coast some four hundred years ago to found the mountain
kingdom as an oasis from a world in constant conflict.” He paused
to choose his words carefully, “Over the years, the reasons and
details of your kingdom’s birth have been allowed to fade from
memory. This was a conscious choice made as a gift of peace to your
subjects by the Kingdom’s councilors, the royal family, and the
Caretaker.”

He looked into Dionara’s flame to judge her mood,
she was hesitant but willing to listen and find her answers. “It
became custom that as members of the royal family reached the age
of twenty-one, they were brought to the Forest for a deeper
understanding of the Kingdom, the Forest, and their roll in the
Kingdom’s security. Your father was brought here on his
twenty-first birthday and was met by a Sentinel like myself,
someone born with the special abilities needed to help the
Caretaker protect us. First visits of the past have always been a
time of wondrous discovery for the royal, and of celebration in the
Forest. Unfortunately Dionara, you have come of age at a time of
great peril and eminent danger for us all.”

“Danger?” Dionara felt immediate concern, “What
danger? My councilors have said nothing about a threat. If you have
knowledge of such a threat I need to know it now and must return to
the castle at once.” Dionara’s holiday demeanor left her as she
began to rise and look about for Foil.

“There’s no need to go my Lady, your councilors are
fully aware of the danger and know that you are here. Everything
that can be done is already in preparation. The most important of
which is that you need to learn of your heritage and understand the
full truth of the outside world.” John invited her to retake her
seat.

Frustrated, Dionara sat once more. Her playful mood
replaced by concern. “Continue, and please, it’s Dionara, not ‘my
Lady.’” She tried for a soft tone in her voice but was only
partially successful.

“I’m sorry Dionara that your day of discovery must
also be one of awakening to danger, but these are the times we were
born to.” John’s voice held the softness and compassion that
Dionara had hoped she could project.