Journey to Rainbow Island (15 page)

Jacob cowered, looking weak and vulnerable. “You would forgive me? You would let me walk with you back to the light?”

Yu-ning nodded. “Though I came here looking for Lightcaster, I believe there's another reason why I came, and why you were supposed to see the Light of Balthazar again. And, there's nothing to forgive. Yes, you can come with me.”

Jacob was doubtful. “But didn't you say that I need your crystal orb to see?”

“You won't need my orb if you stay in the light and choose love over hate,” Yu-ning replied in a comforting voice.

Jacob looked at Yu-ning, truly wanting to believe her. Slowly he rose from his chair, and the two walked toward the door of the cabin. Yu-ning placed the Light of Balthazar back into her robe, slipped Lightcaster around her shoulder, and left the cabin. Jacob turned to look back into his house and stood just inside the doorframe. He shook his head. “I . . . I can't leave. I have work to do here.” His voice and demeanor became slightly defensive.

“That's not work,” Yu-ning said, pointing back into the cabin full of dead animals. “That's just death. If you come, you will see,” Yu-ning urged.

“No, I can't go,” the hunter insisted, still standing just inside the door of the cabin.

“There is nothing in your house for you anymore, Jacob. It is darkness and pain.” Yu-ning stood on the patchy grass that ringed the clearing of Jacob's cabin. The air was fresh, and a soft breeze was blowing. The fragrance of honeysuckle filled the air. She breathed in deeply and smiled. “Jacob,” she
said, trying to appeal to him. “It is so beautiful here, and only twenty feet beyond your cabin door the air is pure, clean, and fresh. Come outside,” she said, extending her hand.

At that moment, Yu-ning heard a shuffling and chuffing nearby. “I know that sound . . .” said Yu-ning as she turned around to confirm her hopes.

It was Leonidas, her lion friend from Rainbow Island. He emerged from the forest and walked toward Yu-ning, head held high, looking very regal. He began to play his flute. “Leonidas! Oh, Leonidas. Hello! I'm so happy to see you. Such lovely music; I should have known,” she said with joy. “But how did you get here?”

“Hello, Yu-ning. It's wonderful to see you.” Leonidas smiled, holding his flute. “It's not an overly long journey from Rainbow Island to Palova—especially if you ask the pink dolphins nicely,” added the lion, chuckling. The pink dolphins of Rainbow Island were a helpful source of transportation for anyone wanting to travel to nearby islands—and as large as the dolphins were, even a lion could ride comfortably atop one's back. “I come here often, Yu-ning, to visit my kin. I was walking nearby and heard the sound of voices. What a pleasant surprise it is to find you here,” exclaimed Leonidas.

Yu-ning reached for his mane and snuggled his large furry cheeks, scratching him behind his ears. After they rubbed noses and laughed, Yu-ning looked over toward the cabin, and though the door was ajar, she couldn't see Jacob. “Jacob, my lion friend is here; come out and meet him!” Yu-ning called out loudly, while still scratching and cuddling her friend.

The hunter stood back in the darkness of the cabin and said, “There's no lion here, Yu-ning. The lions live deep in the forest, away from people.”

“You heard his music,” Yu-ning continued. “He was playing his flute. Come outside and you will see.” Yu-ning nodded and winked at Leonidas, who stood proud and protective at her side.

Jacob retorted, “There is no lion!” Leonidas lifted his flute and began to play another soft, sweet melody. Jacob paused once again, utterly surprised for the second time that day, for he remembered a tune like this from his childhood. He peeked from the doorway and his eyes strained to focus in the distance. He squinted and saw Leonidas playing the flute next to Yu-ning.

“There's a lion!” he said, turning back to retrieve his crossbow from above the steel table. He emerged from the cabin with his weapon, nocked an arrow, and took aim at Leonidas. His arms, however, were shaking, as he could see that the lion held a flute.

“Jacob, stop!” shouted Yu-ning. “It was Leonidas who was playing the beautiful melody that calls you. He is my friend, and he is playing beautiful music for
you.”
Jacob seemed not to be listening as his finger started to squeeze back on the crossbow trigger.

“No, stop! Please don't hurt Leonidas! He's my friend!” She stood in front of the lion, extending her arms to protect him. Leonidas pulled Yu-ning softly aside with his teeth on her collar, and stood to face the hunter some thirty feet away. His eyes were without fear as he looked directly into Jacob's lethal gaze. Leonidas began to play his flute again, with Jacob's crossbow pointed directly at his head.

Yu-ning hugged Leonidas, calling out to Jacob, “Leonidas won't hurt you, so please don't hurt him. He is our friend.”

Time seemed to pause as Jacob's gaze was frozen on the fantastic scene of a lion playing a flute. Then, calmly and slowly, he lowered his weapon. It was almost as if he remembered something long forgotten. “I had forgotten that animals could play music. But now it's coming back to me—from when I was a very young boy on Rainbow Island,” Jacob murmured.

Leonidas nodded, acknowledging that he was one of the animals that had played for Jacob when he was a lad. The tune he was playing was one that Jacob had forgotten, but which had reawakened memories of a long-ago, happier time.

“You don't need to bring anything,” Yu-ning called out reassuringly. “Just come with us. We have everything you need.”

Jacob gripped the crossbow in his left hand, but his hold on it was different, less certain. It was like a foreign object rather than a familiar killing tool. He slowly walked away from the cabin.

“You can trust us. You won't need your weapon; Leonidas won't hurt you,” Yu-ning called out reassuringly. The hunter looked uncertain as he walked toward them. He stared again in disbelief at the peaceful, flute-playing lion, but refused to lay down his crossbow.

Cold beads of sweat formed on his forehead and rolled down his temples. He was ten feet away from them when Leonidas smiled and produced a handful of colorful, shining beans, seemingly from thin air. He held out the beans with his large, furry paw and offered them to Yu-ning.

“Thank you, Leonidas,” Yu-ning said as she took a handful. She instantly felt the light and magic from the beans. Leonidas smiled as he walked toward Jacob, who immediately
stepped back, holding the crossbow tight in his trembling hand.

Leonidas called out, “Hello, my friend. I can play music for you anytime you like. Don't worry; I won't hurt you. Here, take some magical beans and allow them to grow in your heart. You will then know how to use them.”

Leonidas set some beans on the ground in front of Jacob, who was sweating profusely. Yu-ning slowly approached him, placed her hand on his forearm, and gently reached for his crossbow. As the hunter stared at the beans, without realizing it he released his grip on the weapon.

Yu-ning took it and placed it by a tree. “Don't worry,” Yu-ning whispered, “Leonidas won't hurt you.”

The hunter nodded slightly and leaned down to pick up seven beans. He held the shining beans in his hand, amazed. Lights danced and vibrated in his palm. Jacob looked at Yu-ning, his eyes wide. “I had forgotten that lions could play music,” he said.

Leonidas walked up to the hunter and said, “We only roar to protect ourselves. We never want to hurt you; please don't hurt us anymore. We only want to share this place with you.”

The hunter stood in silence, shocked by Leonidas's warm gesture and greeting. The lion gazed into the hunter's eyes. “You are safe now. Walk in the light. Only choose the light.” Leonidas ambled over to Yu-ning and rubbed her face with his.

“He's safe now,” he said to Yu-ning. “I will see you soon. I am off to visit my cousins!”

Yu-ning threw her arms around Leonidas's mane before he ambled off into the forest. “Goodbye, Leonidas!” Yu-ning said, waving after him.

Jacob stood in disbelief, and Yu-ning gently took his hand. “Let's go to the forest. Come, but not with that,” said Yu-ning, nodding toward the crossbow.

“Let's just bring this,” he said, stopping. He reached for the crossbow that Yu-ning had set by the tree. As he did, Yu-ning placed herself between him and the bow, and just shook her head from side to side. Then she reached out her hand, and he reluctantly took it again. Together they walked into the forest.

“This way,” Yu-ning said sweetly, smiling at Jacob. He looked down at her and a small smile formed on his lips.

It was the first time he had smiled in years.

T
HEY VENTURED INTO THE FOREST
, back in the direction of where she had left Suparna. And as they walked, all kinds of animals materialized to greet Yu-ning. Rabbits, birds, squirrels, chipmunks, frogs, lizards, insects, and even snakes approached her joyfully. All creatures great and small were celebrating her as she ventured through the forest.

“It's Yu-ning, it's Yu-ning!” the birds chirped with excitement. Yu-ning was very happy as she greeted everyone, though she wasn't quite certain how they all knew her, since she'd never before been to Palova! She inquired about this mystery. “Leonidas and other friends from Rainbow Island have told us about you, Yu-ning!” the animals explained. “Your love and care precedes you!”

Jacob couldn't believe his eyes and ears and had difficulty shifting his customary reaction toward animals. As
they continued walking into the forest, they noticed blood and animal footprints on a dirt path, leading away from the meadow where she'd landed earlier that day. She hesitated, but decided they needed to follow the footprints and blood drippings, which led them deeper into the woods. Jacob stopped. “I don't think we should go any further. Who knows what the blood is from, and I don't have my weapons with me. It's dangerous; we should head back,” he said.

Yu-ning shook her head. “Maybe someone is hurt and needs our help. Come on, let's go,” she said firmly. Jacob nodded as they continued to follow the footprints and blood, which led them down a steep ravine. At the bottom, a rushing stream tumbled through, most likely the same stream where she had refreshed herself that morning. They forded the stream across a thick mossy log and climbed up the far side of the ravine. Once they exited the dell, the path weaved along the edge of a cliff, and eventually led through a dense thicket to a large stone cave. As they quietly approached the entrance of the cave, they heard talking.

They crept closer to the entrance and saw two bears inside, one black and one brown, talking to each other. They looked like Yu-ning's Rainbow Island friends Stout and Madrigal, but they were different bears. Yu-ning wondered if they were related to her bear friends. The black bear was hurt; his leg was bleeding, and the brown bear was helping him with the wound. It became clear that the brown bear was a female and the black bear was her mate.

She was licking his wounds and spoke softly to him. “Oh, darling. Are you in pain? Why do they want to hurt us? We are just trying to take care of our family.” Just beyond them was a soft bed of leaves where three cubs were sound asleep.

“I wish they would stop hurting us,” the black bear replied, cringing in pain. “Our clan is dwindling; the death is senseless.”

Jacob hung his head as he listened to their conversation. He whispered to Yu-ning, “I've killed many bears. I'm probably responsible for the suffering in this family.”

Yu-ning looked at him with eyes full with tears. She reached for his hand and said, “It's never too late, Jacob. You can help protect the animals from this moment forward.” Jacob was quiet as they backed away from the cave. He saw Yu-ning pull out several fruits and nuts from her pack to leave at the entrance. She continued to pull more and more food out of her backpack, smiling at Jacob, who looked at her in fascination.

“Bears eat a lot.” She smiled. “This is food from the Tower of Light, where I've just come from. It will help the black bear heal, and there will be plenty for the cubs.”

Yu-ning and Jacob backed away from the cave, leaving a full harvest of fruits and nuts behind them. Jacob paused and turned. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the magical beans that Leonidas had given to him. He carefully placed them next to the fruits and nuts. They continued down the path.

In front of them as they headed back down the path, they saw a deer—a large brown buck—standing on the right side of the hill, looking at them. Yu-ning had never seen this deer before. His body was beige with brown spots, and he had a huge rack of antlers, from which yellow rays of light were shining. It was clear he was not a normal deer.

Wherever he stood, the path lit up. He looked very alert and wise. A small fawn walked out of the trees, and a doe
walked out from behind a large bush. They snuggled and frolicked as the buck above kept watch. The fawn began to nurse as the doe ate grass and looked up at the buck, smiling.