The Cavalier (36 page)

***

 
When that day arrived it was like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He had been penned up for months thinking of what was next in his life, thinking of Annure and the conflicts to come.

Finally the day came, and Jonas felt conflicting emotions, happy and excited to depart, and yet apprehensive to leave his mountain home and his new friends. He had spent over three years with these men and the thought of leaving them was not easy for Jonas.

Everyone had gathered to say good bye in the cold morning air. The sun had just risen over the steep peaks and the dripping of the melting snow broke the stillness of the quiet dawn. There was still snow on the ground but many of the game trails were now clear and passable.

Kiln was wearing his customary light chain mail covered with his thick wool tunic and on his shoulders hung his dark green traveling cloak. He wore dark breeches and thick leather boots. At his waist dangled his long sword and dagger and he carried his long bow in his hands. Kiln hefted his backpack to his shoulders and looked at Jonas with a nod.

Jonas was similarly outfitted with thick wool traveling clothes and at his belt hung his sword and dagger. Jonas adjusted the straps of his pack and looked at Lambeck and the rest of the men, unsure how to say good bye. Kiln had given the compound and most of his money to Lambeck. Except for what he now carried on his back and a small pouch of gold and silver, enough for their travels, he had nothing.

“Good luck, Jonas. May the High One watch over you,” Lambeck said, reaching out and shaking Jonas’s hand in the warrior’s grip.

“And you as well, Lambeck, thank you for everything. I owe you much,” replied Jonas, their eyes locking.

Lambeck nodded his head and stepped back. Jonas shook everyone’s hand and said his good byes.

“Lambeck, you’ve been a good friend to me over the years, as have you all,” Kiln said, addressing the group. “I count myself lucky to have spent so many years with you. Take care of my home for me,” he added as he went to each man to say his good byes. Kiln did not shed a tear, but Jonas saw more than one eye glisten with moisture from his men. “I will be back again. If I am to die then I want to be buried here in the mountains. If I live then I will walk these hills with you again. Either way I will be back. I promise you that. Until another day!” he shouted as he and Jonas started the long walk down the valley.

***

The first few days of travel were slow but without incident. Snow still covered some sections of the trail, making their descent down the Tundrens a bit arduous.

On the third day Jonas spotted a huge stag in the forest, standing at the crest of a tree dotted hill. It was standing absolutely still and looking directly at them. The deer was massive, almost the size of a horse. Its rack was gigantic. The span of the impressive horns was as far apart as a man is tall. At first he thought it was an elk, but then he noticed the horns, which distinguished the animal as a buck, despite its impossible size. Jonas had never seen anything like it. It was standing amongst the trees, head held high with no sign of fright, eyeing them both as they walked along the game trail. It was as if the deer was expecting them.

Jonas immediately thought back to a conversation he had had with Tuvallus, the mysterious mountain man who had rescued him and Fil. He recalled the man saying that he was tracking a huge buck, the biggest he had ever seen, and then it had just disappeared. That was when he had spotted the boarg tracks that had been following Jonas and Fil. Tuvallus had arrived in their camp just in time to save them both from the attacking boargs.

Jonas smiled to himself momentarily as he thought about the possibility that Shyann had had her hands in that rescue. Was this stag another warning? Or was it something else?

Jonas motioned for Kiln to look to his right, towards the animal. Kiln stopped and looked up into the woods and spotted the magnificent animal. His eyes widened and his hand automatically reached for his quiver.

“No,” Jonas whispered. Something inside him told him that this animal should not be shot, that it was standing there for a reason.
 

“Why not?” Kiln asked incredulously.

“I don’t know. I just feel like we shouldn’t shoot it.” Just as Jonas spoke the deer flicked its head as if it were saying,
come here
.

Jonas and Kiln looked at each other in wonder as the animal flicked its head one more time before leaping through the brambles and over the crest of the forested hill.

Kiln looked at Jonas and shrugged his shoulders. “What now?” he asked.

“We follow it,” replied Jonas with certainty as he ran after the majestic animal. Jonas and Kiln had to run quickly, leaping over rocks and snags as they tried to keep the buck in their sight. The stag stopped several times, looking back to see if they were still following.

“It’s leading us somewhere. Are you sure we should be following?” asked Kiln as he ran effortlessly beside Jonas.

“Yes. It wants us to follow; I can feel it,” Jonas panted as he jumped over a fallen log.

The two men followed the deer for several hours before they came to the top of a small hill overlooking a clearing. Down in the clearing was the largest, most magnificent oak tree that they had ever seen. Its base was probably thirty paces wide and its thick branches, each the size of a large tree, reached over a hundred feet in the air. It was colossal. Kiln and Jonas stared at the tree with wonder.

The huge deer looked back at them, flicked its head again, and disappeared behind the enormous trunk. Jonas sensed something special in the clearing, an aura of pure goodness that emanated from everything, especially the tree. It was like an oasis of pureness.

Kiln looked at Jonas in amazement. “What is this place? It is beautiful, and I feel something…different, like an overwhelming sense of peace. I can’t explain it. It feels like a sanctuary.”

“Trust your senses. We are looking at Shyann’s tree. I recognize it from a dream. This is the place where she was buried,” replied Jonas, his face a mask of wonder, similar to that of a child looking at a cavalier for the first time. Jonas looked at Kiln and smiled broadly, unable to hide his excitement. “You are looking at a sacred place. I’m willing to bet that no human has ever set eyes on this tree. Let’s go, nothing can harm us here,” Jonas said as he walked down into the clearing.

As Jonas entered the clearing, he felt a magical pulse deep in his body. It was brief, like a flash, and then it was over. He was standing at the base of the tree looking up into the branches. It was so big that his eyes could not encompass it.

Kiln moved next to him. “Did you feel that, Jonas?” he asked.

“I did. I think it was some magical barrier that we crossed.” Jonas stepped around to the backside of the tree where the deer had disappeared. He slowly ran his hand over the bark of the tree. Jonas felt the magic within the tree hum and pulse with life. It was an incredible feeling and his body felt alive. A sense of calm surrounded him and a flood of warmth surged through his fingers and into his body. He tingled everywhere and he had an overwhelming feeling to laugh, which he did. The scent of lavender filled the clearing and the gentle chirping of small forest birds created a peaceful symphony of sound.

As he neared the back of the tree he noticed a large opening at the base of the trunk. It was shaped like an inverted V and at the bottom of the opening was a set of stone steps that went down, underneath the oak’s root structure. The deer was nowhere to be seen.

Kiln approached him. “Do we go down?” he asked.

“Yes,” replied Jonas, mesmerized by the magic of the place.
 

Jonas led Kiln down the dusty stone steps. Vines and roots draped the walls as they went deeper into the ground. The air smelt of wet moss after a morning rain. The passage was dark, but as they stepped from the last step onto a stone floor, the room instantly lit up as torches ensconced on the walls flared brightly.

Kiln looked at Jonas in surprise.

“It’s okay. We are supposed to be here. No harm will befall us in this place. Don’t you feel it?” Jonas asked, his eyes scanning the room.

“I do. I just wanted to make sure that you felt it too,” answered Kiln with a smile. There were six torches lighting a round room about twenty paces in diameter. The floor was covered with thick dust and completely empty except for a massive stone sarcophagus resting in the middle.

“Is that what I think it is?” asked Kiln.

“I think so,” replied Jonas in complete awe. He slowly stepped toward the stone coffin. The entire structure was carved with intricate designs. On the lid was etched a beautiful oak tree that looked similar to the mark on Jonas’s chest. The sides of the stone coffin were covered with carvings of Ulren’s four-pointed star. The work was intricate and the lines graceful and smooth, obviously the work of a master craftsman.

Jonas put both his hands on the coffin closing his eyes in prayer. He recognized the gift that they were given in being allowed to see this place and he wanted to thank Shyann for the honor she had given them.

“Jonas, look,” Kiln said with wonder.

Jonas opened his eyes to see a shining silver set of chain mail lying on top of the coffin. The metal shirt sparkled in the torchlight like diamonds. Resting on top of the chain mail was a metal breastplate that was covered with Shyann’s silver and blue oak tree. The symbol was perfect, the lines clean and fluid. The blue and silver sparkled in the light, causing the cuirass to glow as if it were alive. There were metal greaves, faulds to cover the hips, wrist guards, thigh guards, and shoulder plates. Each piece of the armor had a mirror like finish and was covered with intricate etchings of Shyann and the High One.

There was also a leather belt that carried two magnificent swords. The handle of each blade was carved from the horn of a deer and capped with shiny steel. The scabbard was hardened black leather enforced with polished steel and covered with intricate carvings and runes. The belt buckle was shaped in the image of the silver and blue oak tree of Shyann. The polished metal sparkled with beauty.

Next to the chain mail shirt was a long black bow and a quiver of matching arrows with silver and blue feathers. The leather quiver was lined with silver and stamped with more symbols, some of which Jonas recognized as Ulren’s and Shyann’s symbols, as well as others that didn’t look familiar. The tips of the bow were capped with carved white deer horn and the handle was also deer horn wrapped in black leather.

The item that really caught his eye was the silver helm resting at the head of the coffin. There were two deer horns jutting from the shiny steel. The entire helm gleamed and every inch of it reflected the god-like presence that Jonas felt when he gazed upon it. Jonas just gazed in awe at the treasures, his mouth agape.

“Where did all this come from?” Jonas asked.

“When you touched the coffin, they just appeared,” answered Kiln, moving a bit closer. “Is this really Shyann’s grave?”

“Yes, it is. I can feel it. I can sense her all around us.” Jonas reached out and grabbed the handle of one of the blades. It felt warm to his touch and the handle felt like it was made to fit his hand. He slid the blade out with one smooth motion. The metal rang and hummed as he held the sword up in the torchlight. The blade was polished silver and curved slightly at the end. Both sides were razor sharp and there was writing etched in the middle of the blade.

Jonas brought the blade closer to his face so he could get a better look. He felt the power pulse within the sword and the energy vibrated in his head. The sword was extremely light and perfectly balanced. Jonas looked at the script carved into the blade. He recognized it as elven and he tried to pronounce it.

“Tanaii…”

“Tanai’ Kay Des-tai,” interjected Kiln as he stepped closer to analyze the blade.

“What does it mean?” Jonas asked.

“It is elven. It means
the path of righteousness
, a fitting saying for a blade. I think your goddess has given you some powerful weapons, Jonas.”

“Should I take them?” Jonas asked, unsure.

“Yes. All cavaliers are given weapons by their god when they pass the tests at Annure.”

“But I have passed no tests,” Jonas said skeptically.

“It seems that Shyann does not care. Take the gifts, Jonas,” Kiln said.

Jonas looked at Kiln who was nodding his head in affirmation. “Go ahead.”

Jonas slid the blade back into the scabbard and laid down the sword belt. He lifted off his traveling cloak, tunic, and old mail shirt and dropped them to the floor. He then noticed that in a neat pile near the armor were new breeches made of dark fine leather, along with a blue tunic made of the same soft material. There was also a long shirt made of thick soft cotton, and black leather boots that laced up to the knees. They were magnificent, fit for royalty, and Jonas quickly discarded his old clothes for the new. The leather and soft cloth felt warm and comfortable as they caressed his skin. He reached out and lifted up the shiny chain mail shirt. It was light and warm to the touch as well.

“It is so light,” Jonas said in wonder.

“It is magic. You will barely be able to feel that shirt and yet it will stop a spear thrown by a giant. A magnificent gift,” Kiln said.