They came out of the woods and the two stood still, amazed. They had never before had the opportunity to see their world from a height and the view stunned them.
If you wish to read from an earlier book, from Book 01 to Book 08, use this link button to open the LC Book Index:
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They were excited to see the green of the river sides, though they could not see the river itself. They could just barely discern the skyline of the city. Samkin pointed out various areas, telling them about the people there, what grows there and so on. For this once, Kiris did not pretend nonchalance and eagerly asked questions.
“Did you learn that your world is in the shape of a ball? Look at the horizon, because you can see further, you can just begin to see that it curves.”
“We know our planet is a ball. What I find difficult to believe is that the stars have worlds like ours with different people on them.”
Samkin did a fairly decent version of the talk given by Sagan, ‘if x stars have…’. Kiris was overwhelmed by the numbers being thrown at him and he rebelled. He did not tell Samkin, but he decided it was all nonsense. The Kabetu cannot be that insignificant! Nericha, on the other hand, was fascinated and asked questions, but more importantly, as she lay trying to fall asleep, she created imaginary worlds and people within her mind as she struggled to fall asleep.
The Sorkit Pass, as it winds its way through the mountains has a lot of rises and descents. In one of them they saw a small valley with a lake. To get to the valley would have wasted a day so they admired it and then made to move on. Kade asked them to wait and ran off into the trees.
“We’ll never get anywhere if we keep stopping like this.”
“Kiris, he has very keen senses, if Kade needs to check something he sensed, we wait.”
“He is your man, you know him best, I was just commenting.”
Kade had to jump to a place she had never seen. All she could do was jump to a point she could see, look and jump again, until she reached the dwelling she’d noticed by the lake. Silently she watched from a treetop. She did not know why she had felt the need to come here, but she is always certain that if she feels the need, it is either to protect the one she is with or else, somebody out there needs help.
Two boys appeared, following the shore line, dragging two poles that had an older boy suspended between them. Kade noticed that the shore line had the same furrows being dug by the poles, ahead of the boys. She sensed the worry of all three, worry edged with fear, but no panic. The older boy had broken his thigh bone and it would not heal, her healer told her. She jumped a small distance and sat on the ground before the entrance to their makeshift home.
The boys stopped, startled, when they saw him. “Bring him to me, let me take a look at his leg.”
“Who are you? We have not stolen anything, why can’t you leave us alone?”
“My name is Kade. My job is protector of all children. Bring him to me.”
What Kade said was total nonsense to them. However, to run away they would have had to abandon their friend or brother, so they obeyed.
Kade took out a knife and ripped the leggings. The thigh was swollen and discoloured around a gash. “You did not clean out the wound properly and it is infected. Keep quiet while I heal him.” She sent back the healer with instructions to heal him and, closing her eyes, she talked with Tserika. *What do I do? They are not equipped to survive here, but if I bring them back, there will be questions asked.*
*Bring them.*
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By the time they arrived, the three boys were relaxed and interrupting each other as they told Kade how they’d ended up in the mountains. I won’t torture you with their bits and pieces; I’ll knit it together into a short explanation. They came from the slum area of the city our party had recently left. When their father was alive they had travelled with him through the mountains and had seen the small valley. When faced with starvation in the city, the oldest brother suggested they go to the valley as there is bound to be a lot of food there. They laughed at themselves as they told of how they starved until they learnt what they could eat and how to trap small animals for meat.
“I promised them we will not send them back. Lady, will you employ them?”
Tserika stared into the eyes of the eldest boy. “You are the one that called. Kade, see to it that his gift is strengthened.” She turned to Kiris, speaking to him privately. “These are of your people, they must work for you. Kiris, see to it that they become your friends and are loyal to you only, for this one, he is special and you will need each other in the years to come.”
The three of them could not grasp the fact that they now worked for Kiris and they talked to him, respectfully, but as if he were a boy of their age. Kiris could not recall ever having friends of his age to talk to and speak the kind of earnest nonsense kids of that age speak. They had come too late into his life. Kiris found it impossible to respond to them for he has been forced to learn how to speak and deal with adults four times his age. Nericha was wary of them, for some reason seeing them as a threat to her.
Luckily Kiris has a blind spot. He refuses to believe in civilisations existing throughout the stars. Tserika has given him too many clues, he should have guessed by now. He attached little importance to the existence of the three boys and continued behaving the way he had during the entire trip. His mind gnawed at work, at problems left unattended. He tried to fit within his jigsaw puzzle what he has learnt, ideas he can adapt and use to increase his wealth.
Both Tserika and Samkin made certain that whenever Kiris and Nericha needed to be alone, whether it was to talk, cuddle, or make love, the journey for that day would be delayed, with some excuse or other. They would not have felt that complacent if they’d known that whenever they took a walk into the trees, they were watched over by Kade. The dangerous animals, whether carnivorous or not, had learnt to keep their distance from the road, but if anyone trespasses into their territory, they attack. Kade had to quietly dispose of (jump them elsewhere) two animals while in the mountains.
Tserika asked, “Samkin, why aren’t there any robbers?”
“The city considers this an important trade route and if anyone is attacked, they will send men to comb through the mountains until they catch the thieves.”
Kiris bristled. “Are you saying they do not consider the road to Rapperten an important trade route?”
“They do, but there is no way they can protect it. The mountain range there is too complex and the distance to be protected too large.”
Once out of the Sorkit Pass they found the road easier, but also less pleasant. There seemed to be areas of marsh all around and the insect population irritated them. When they slept, they woke up in the morning damp from the humidity. They were all glad to arrive and book into an inn. Not even Tserika could understand why Samkin brought them to this town. When they went to eat, they discovered one of the reasons.
“This is the nicest fish I’ve ever eaten! How do they prepare it?”
“They fish it from the lake and smoke it lightly with a secret recipe of herbs. The wood they use is also important. I thought you would like it.”
Kiris saw the potential for another income stream. “Is there anyone capable of supplying me? I’m certain all the restaurants will gladly add it to their menu.”
“I know a man who can arrange it. He will have to collect your order and ship it to you, so you must allow him a profit.”
5893
“It would be foolish of me to think otherwise. Samkin, I do not examine with an envious eye what profit others make when I deal with them. If I am making what I expect, what they make is their business.”
Samkin let them have a full day of rest and then advised them he has prepared a surprise for the next day. When they arrived at the wharf, Tserika was not pleased. She does not enjoy sailing.
“Kiris and Nericha, there is no lake close enough to your city for you to experience sailing there. I was told by the local fishermen this day would be a perfect sailing day. The inn has prepared baskets of food and drink for us. We will spend the day on the water and I promise you will remember today for many years.”
Kiris loved sailing. Nericha clung to Tserika, the two of them keeping each other company in their misery. Dommi told Cherine to stop acting up; her misery is spoiling it for Nericha. Cherine moaned that she was not acting but, as Dommi had expected, she took a good look at her own thoughts and realised her own attitude had made the experience unpleasant for her. The proof, as they say, was in the pudding. Once Tserika began to find it enjoyable, so did Nericha. She’d ignored the effect her link was having on a child who was already frightened of the strangeness of being on water.
At the end of the day, when the boat arrived at the quay, they were surprised to find their entire crew waiting for them. As they stepped back on land, they were surrounded. Kiris found himself and Nericha being jostled to the centre and it annoyed him, but Tserika asked him not to resist and they will find out what is happening once they are in their rooms.
“Averis has sent back the men who were trailing us during the first part of the journey. He has sent a message with them.” He handed over an envelope. Kiris tore it open and read it, his face growing tighter until it looked as if he were about to explode. His eyes burned fiercely as he stared at Tserika.
“Ofkertis has been sabotaging two of my businesses. The one defaulted and he bought it from the creditors. The other one is ready to collapse. I must return urgently.”
“Is that all he says?”
He looked as if he were about to dismiss her question, as if it were unimportant. The look in her eyes forced him to admit, “He thinks a team of assassins have been sent to kill me.” Solace burst out with her thought, *I don’t understand people who own businesses! His life is not important, only his business?* Alki shushed her, promising to explain.
“By Ofkertis?”
“He thinks so, but he has no proof. Someone who must know me well approached Sibark. Whether out of loyalty or because he feared it was a test, he confided in Averis. Averis instructed him to play along so that he can have the man followed, but after their next meeting the man was killed while on his way to meet someone.”
“I think we will have to leave an opening for potential assassins so that we can capture them and find out who is responsible. Will you trust us to that extent?” Kade asked.
“Does the Lady still have an interest in me?”
“What?”
“If she does, I will do as you say. If not, I must use all my men.”
Tserika’s voice was very soft and gentle, “Do you truly think I would not stand by a friend?”
“I was answering his question in a way he would understand. Lady, you are the only human being that frightens me, but you are also the only one I would trust with all that is precious to me. I don’t know why and I hope I grow to understand before you depart.”
5894
Samkin muttered to himself, earning a venomous glance from Kiris and Tserika, “What a strange youth! A male of this medieval society who admits he fears a female.” I know Samuel too well not to believe he did it deliberately - I don’t know whether it was to goad Kiris or Cherine. Probably both, I guess.
Tserika shrugged and then smiled grimly, putting her arm around Kiris’s shoulders. “Yes, you are a strange youth, but also special. Do as Kade suggests, I would trust him with my life.”
He shrugged off his mood, more interested in specifics. “How do we trap them?”
Kade answered, “You are not going to like my idea, but I don’t see any alternative. We will have to disguise you so that you look like me while I change to look like you.”
“We are too different, how can you make it real?”
“Kade, come with me.” Tserika and Kade stayed in a different room for about half an hour, mostly talking to each other and us. When they returned to the others, all the locals gasped with astonishment. I guess if they had been Greek, they would have crossed themselves superstitiously.
“He looks just like me! How will anyone know I am the real one?”
“Give me half an hour with you and you’ll see.” Kiris forced himself to walk out of the room proudly. Despite his fear he was curious. Tserika did not give him a chance to guess what she was doing. She had him lie down, covered his face with a steaming towel and while he could not see pulled and massaged his limbs. He felt her put cold creams on him and then she told him to lie without moving and sat back to wait for an interval that would sort of justify in his mind the changes. She laughed when someone (in Freddie) suggested she make him look like Robert, but she did not really find the comment funny and many others saw to it that the man (he was at that time regressed to a boy of eleven, so we were not angered by his joke) was made to see how un-empathic he’d been.
When Kiris got up and felt the changes, he had a problem staying on his feet. When Nericha saw him she cried out in protest. She then saw the desperate look in his eyes and ran to embrace him.
“Why are you playing these games Cherine? No assassin could come within a mile of him without us sensing him.”
She stared at the crowds walking past below their balcony and her look was melancholy. “I miss him so much Samuel.” As if she only then heard his words, she looked at him. “You like playing your games, why do you begrudge me mine? Samuel, I do not always see my way clearly, but I do know that he has to change if he is to become the Robert of his world. If I have to confuse and unsettle him so as to force him to see the world is not as he imagines it, then I will do so.”
“Heck. Just take him to Freddie - that will change him.”
She laughed a real laugh for once. “What would be the fun in that? How would we spend all these years we have to wait? In the beginning I expected it to take about eighty years. Then I found out they are a long-lived species, as shown by their slower metabolism, and I could not bear those extra years. Samuel, it is too long…I’m so afraid.”
“Afraid! You! I refuse to believe that.”
“If even one of us stops loving him, it will break his heart.” He was about to make a humorous response, but he felt her and muttered to himself, “Damn!” For the first time, without him wanting to, he allowed us to feel the ache, the need in him for a love that is so absolute and devoted. The cynic in him says it is not healthy, but the heart, it calls in yearning. I knew it! However many twists and turns his complex psyche takes, he is a good man to have as a friend.
5895
Samkin sat studying their map, his thoughts private to him alone. He made up his mind and announced his decision. “Kiris, I know you are in a hurry to get home to meet your problems head on. To get you home alive is not the solution. We will still not know anything about those who plan against you. Once there, you will be too busy to take the precautions you should, leaving you an easy target.
I have a friend; we saved each others lives during a difficult part of our lives. He is a thief and lives in the Thieves Valley Town. The last time I visited him he was running an inn, but that was just a façade. He controls the town and nothing happens that he does not have a finger or two in. We must pass through their town so that his men can watch for those who follow us.”
“Thieves Town!? Isn’t that on the other side of Thieves Mountain? The journey would take months!”
Samkin stare at Tserika without replying. She bit her lip as she thought about it. “Only back to Dakost. The rest of the way we travel the usual way. How do you persuade the assassins to follow us?”
“It will not be difficult, just slightly complicated. The word will go out that we are supposedly taking the ferry to travel down the river. It will also become known that we are secretly returning to Dakost as Kiris wants to strike a deal with one of the largest merchants there. He does not want word to leak out about his deal before it has been agreed and has taken effect. They will see the men Averis sent returning to Dakost and when they check at the inns in Dakost, they will have confirmed for them that we were there and Kiris was overheard talking about a deal that involved the Stabarti saw mills and forest. They’ll find clues of where we’ve been and where we are going all along the way - that will be my job.”
“Your job?” Kiris was finally about to react. He’d had enough of being intimidated by Tserika and Samkin. “Just what is your job old man? Guide or guardian? It is time you explain yourself.”
“I thought you understood from the start - I came along because I was bored. I told you I wanted laughter and good stories. I’ll have many laughs and stories to remember from this adventure.”
“Nonsense! You spend most of your time trying to influence how I think…”
“That is the duty of elders. To die without passing on the wisdom we have acquired would be such a waste!”
His mouth turned bitter. “You are all conspiring, playing games with me.”
Tserika nodded. “You are right. I have shown my willingness to pay the price for the games I play. All my money is being invested in your future - does that not buy me the right to try and influence you so that we work together as one? Do you claim the same is not true for you?” (Once he is a Robert, he will understand the futility of trying to argue with a Cherine. It took him a bit longer to give up, determined to have it out with her once he was back home and not at her mercy.)
“Kiris, you have not understood what we intend doing. I am only thinking of Neri, she is too young to continue riding for days without a rest. I have a way of arriving in Dakost within the hour. We will stay there for three days, giving your pursuers the time to nearly catch up with us. After that Neri will just have to endure, for there is no way I can help again. What you will see, it must remain our secret. Do you give me your word?”
“One hour! You are a user of magic! That is how you have bound me to you - with spells!”
“That is an odd observation, coming from you. I thought it was my gold that bound us.”
For the majority in Freddie, it looks like Tserika is facing a reversal of fortunes. She has pushed and frightened Kiris (after all, underneath it all, he is a country boy with all the superstitions they are susceptible to) to the point where he has become hostile. We all know that she is capable of manipulating him in ways that are more empathic, gentle, yet she persists in taking spasmodic actions in reaction to events, which is not like her at all. None of us understand her and the only answer I can find is the one she gave. There are too many years of waiting for her to bear. She needs to play the game in a way that creates a number of future challenges so as to maintain her interest.
5896
They had to slow down so that another group of travellers would pass them. Tserika asked everyone to remain still and to control their horses when they arrive at the other side. Kade jumped and returned before anyone noticed her absence and gave Tserika the go ahead. They jumped.
As soon as they arrived at their rooms, Kiris turned on Nericha. “Stop fawning on that woman! Can’t you see that she is using us for her own purposes? How can you admire someone who uses magic?”
“I’m sorry Kiris, I did not mean to upset you.” Her heart was hammering as she continued. “When you changed my name and made me into Nericha, to me, you were creating a kind of magic. Taking a worthless street girl and making her someone important - your cousin. When you began to show that you cared for me, it too was a kind of magic. How could someone as special as you love me? Hers is a different kind of magic, but not as special as yours is.”
He gave up remonstrating, using the usual male reason to justify their differences; she is female. I wonder why males never say, ‘I do not understand her, because I am just a male’. (It was also a dig at you Arthur 
)
Tserika heard a knock on her door and knew it was Kiris. She did not turn from the window, her eyes staring out into the darkness as she called out permission for him to enter.
He was disconcerted, seeing her with back turned to him. He felt his teeth wanting to retract in submission and he steeled himself. His primary reason for calling on her was not his interest in what kind of creature she is. All that was important to him at this moment was his own independence. If she is to rule his life, then he needs to know so that he can fight her.
“Why did you come to me. No Kabetu, however distant your land, has such powers. Why did you make a show of your powers today, you must have known I would no longer silently kneel to your wishes. Am I meant to be your slave, a toy for you to play your games with?”
His words struck her like a blow, shattering her defences. “Do you know what you accuse me of?” She turned and he was surprised to see from her face that she was torn by emotions. “Have I truly become what you claim, a creature without empathy?”
He neither understood nor knew how to answer her. He was astute enough to realise there is more happening than he’d thought, so he remained silent, his eyes boring into hers, accusing her of things he did not understand, but sensed she’d done.
As her projection wavered, Dommi and I jumped.
Dommi’s arms reached out to pull Cherine to her, the comfort of her embrace a tacit invitation for Cherine to let go and weep. Instead, the shock of seeing us helped her recover, steeling herself to block her emotions so as to deal with a terrified Kiris. He’d had one shock too many and stared at us, two monsters suddenly in the room with him and his mind went blank, unable to deal with the new twist in his reality.
“Get out!” We instantly obeyed her, our faces red.
“Kiris, do not fear, no harm will come to you. Would you like me to leave the room until you recover?”
“What…what are you? Are you the same as those things…?” She could feel he was going into shock, retreating from his mind, not really asking the questions, the words just a shield to buy him time before something terrible is done to him.
5897
“I have been warned by those who love me, even Samkin has shown anger at the way I have been treating you. If you have the strength, I will tell you the truth, as much of it as I dare to at this moment.” She was emoting with such power her sorrow and regret, her gentleness an emotional softness and vulnerability she rarely shows, that he found the courage to try and think again. “I came to protect you, to help you become the man you can be. Kiris, I have been foolish and you spoke the truth, I, Cherine, have played games with you. Would you like me to tell you why? It is because, you and Nericha, are to become the most powerful man and woman of this world. It must not happen unless I can also teach you how to be the weakest.” She turned away from him again so that he could recover enough to concentrate on her words and try to understand them. Her next words she spoke so softly that he was not certain he had not imagined them. “No, that is not true; not all the truth.” With a sense of amazement reaching out from her to him, he heard her confess, “I thought I was the strongest but I was not. I’ve been trying to hide from my grief.”
We cry the same way the Kabetu do; with tears. She did not sob, but tears streaked her cheeks as she stared back at him. She desperately needed to jump somewhere to be alone - as she has learnt to do, not always trusting Robbie or us with her pain. No wonder she has remained a mystery to us. As I said, despite her need to be alone, she accepted responsibility for the fragility of his sanity and stayed.
Her tears spoke to him in a way that her words had not. He did not dare approach her, felt no need to, but he could not stand and watch her without speaking. “What has caused you such grief?” As he spoke he felt his fears draining away - no, not so much his fears as his anger. He collapsed on a chair.
“There is so much to explain to you before I answer your question. Kiris, will you promise to listen without allowing fear to shut your mind to me?”
She started off by explaining to him what souls are. She then told him about how she loves a man who died and that she could not accept his death and went after him, to bring him back. “Because of our love for each other, we developed, opened doors in our minds and learnt to do the things you’ve seen us do. The man I love is named Robert. He is stronger than me in many ways and weaker in others. Together though, we are all love can make of two people.
Our story is long and you will hear it when it is time for you to learn about us in more detail. We are human, just like you, but we do come from another world. We come from many different worlds. That is not important, it is more important to learn why I grieve for a love that is lost and yet is not. It is important you understand the most important aspect of Robert. He is, above all else, even above his love for his family, the Protector. As protector, above all else, he is the protector of all children. It does not matter what species they are, if they are children, have the hearts of children, he is their protector. Kiris, when a child is hurting, nothing is more important to him than helping that child. Now I must tell you about a child who was hurting, whose need was so great that he took my Robert from us.”
With reassurances and gentleness that his fear could not blind him to, she told him the story of how and why we lost our Robbie. “We have to wait for you to grow old and die so that we can get him back.”
“Why would you do that, why not kill me?”
“Our Robert would never forgive us if we did. Kiris, none of us are able to kill.”
They talked for hours, almost until dawn. When Nericha wondered and thought of going to find Kiris, Jade made her forget and with the thought that she would lie down until he comes, she helped her fall asleep. Jade spent the rest of the night outside the door of Cherine so that nobody can interrupt them.
As he stood by her door, Tserika gave a tired smile. “We’ll have to leave today, as we’d decided. Kiris, for the sake of Nericha, the others, and lastly, for what I hope to help both of you become, we will have to continue to play our games.”
“I will need some time to think on all you have told me.”
“Can you do your thinking on horseback?” He smiled back at her and nodded. “Kiris, it would not be right of me to take you to Freddie yet. When I decide both of you are ready, I promise I will.” Though the wonder of it made him ache with the need to see the marvels of which she had spoken, he still feared, so he did not press her. She watched him walk away, his emoting troubling her, convincing her she had not succeeded in firing his imagination.
Allan sent her a question. *Is it still correct of us to share his thoughts?*
5898
*Yes. Those of us on planet with them must not, we are sharing their lives and trying to influence them so it would not be right of us to invade their privacy. Please, all of you must keep their thoughts blanked from us. Allan, if anyone calls on the council and they decide I was wrong, I will pay the penalty, but it is important you continue. Freddie, why are you so close? I could see you last night. They might be behind us technologically, but they are not stupid. If you don’t want to wait in the void, then please move further away, or else, darken your outer shield.*
*It would not be fair to expect the crews in the ships attached outside, to wait in the void. Psychologically it wears them down. Besides that, if there is an emergency their ships afford them no protection while in space they would be safe. Their safety must come first Cherine. I’m moving, as requested, and lowering the reflection to dark star status.* It still amuses us when Freddie exhibits the same kind of knowledge-fascination with science fiction that Robbie has, but at this time, it also tugs at our hearts.
Kiris was ignoring Nericha after having spent the night apart from her for the first time, so it was only natural that she came to the wrong conclusion. She did not sulk, it is not in her nature. She cast worried looks his way until he happened to look up and see her. He swerved his horse closer to her and picking her up transferred her to his saddle, facing him. For a while he only stared at her face and into her eyes.
“She is right, you kept me soft.” Her heart hammered, certain now that he wants to get rid of her.
“Who was right? I didn’t do anything, I promise you.”
“Tserika. You did not have to do anything my love, just being there to love me did it. Do you know what thoughts made me tender when I no longer knew how?” She shook her head. “I kept on recalling my sister. Whenever I wanted to use you, her face would come back to me. I think you must be under her protection, for it was not easy for me being so soft with you. I felt I was giving you power over me. Neri, I’ve had a strange night and I’ve had to change a lot of the ways I think. The first change belongs to you. From now onwards my love, whatever powers you have over me, I will not begrudge them. When we are both old enough, we will register as man and wife, if you will still have me.”
Everyone pretended not to notice when she sobbed as she clung to him, her face buried in his shirt. When he took hold of her head and raised her face to his she explained, “I thought you were going to tell me you don’t want me anymore.”
He confused the hell out of her. “From now onwards and forever, you will be my Cherine.”
“You don’t want me to be Nericha anymore?” He chuckled, glanced at Tserika’s back as she rode ahead of them.
“You will always be my Nericha, unless you want to change back to your old name - I will not mind.”
“No, I want to be your Nericha. My old name was never spoken to me with love.”
Late that afternoon Kiris asked to stop for the night before the sun was close to the horizon. Taking Nericha’s hand in his he walked off into the bush. For the first time he made love to her as Robbie does to us - as a man loving an adored fragile child. When they returned to the camp her glowing face seemed to have absorbed the adoration he’d made obvious for the first time and she was the most beautiful soul and mind we’ve ever felt.
There was an exultant feeling throughout Freddie, nobody had expected Kiris to change so drastically after his talk with Cherine. We discussed it while they slept. We decided that his youth helped, but that his background should have made him far more cautious and cynical and that his ability to adjust to changes in his life is remarkable. From sharing his thoughts we have come to realise that he has a rare talent; he does not ignore facts just because they contradict his own ideas about life, or out of fear - or out of laziness; most people find it difficult to change because they find it easier to continue being as they are and believing in what they believe, because they do not enjoy introspection and dislike having their world turned topsy-turvy.
5899
During the night it had drizzled and when the sun cleared the horizon, the miniature rainbows that turned clumps of grass into Christmas trees enchanted Nericha. She had never seen anything like it within the city. Kiris stared at the view without speaking, but we sensed how they brought back memories of his childhood and that he is now viewing those memories sadly, but without the bitterness that had blocked them off earlier on.
The land they travelled, on the other side of the Kroondark Range, rose fairly sharply and as they reached the top they saw the Stabati Forest spread out before them. To the left, they could see a village in the distance. Tserika aimed her horse for the village.
“Why are we going there? We have no need of provisions.”
“We must leave proof of our taking this direction Kiris. We did not cover the signs of our last camp, which will be useful to them, but the villagers will be able to describe us. It should also lull any suspicions they have that we are aware of them.”
“You do not think the delay would help them catch up with us before we arrive at the place we choose to confront them?"
“They won’t, not until we are ready for them.” Samkin did not need to explain that we were running interference for them, but Kiris glanced up anyway. Of course we were no longer visible.
As they rode close to the village, Tserika dropped back until she rode beside Kiris. “You must ride as leader of the group. Leave Nericha here with me, it would not be seemly for a girl-child to ride up-front into danger.”
“There is danger?”
“No, these are a rough people, but basically honest. You are a stranger, so it is seemly that you act as if you are wary and protective of those you lead.”
He grinned at her. “I’ve always employed others to protect me and mine, now you would have me act as a guard?”
“Not if you don’t feel a responsibility to those who follow you - I include your guards Kiris.”
“A Protector, like Robert?”
“Have you not already been one for a long time? Those you employ, do you not provide them with an income so that they feed their families? Have you not shocked your city and been named a fool for providing medical care for them? Take it one step further for now. You will be like Robert the day you feel that way for all your people and the tears in the heart of a child hurt you.”
“I cannot change that quickly Tserika. I am not certain it would be wise either.”
“Take your time, you have years ahead of you.”
He shook his head in disbelief. “And all this time you will live without him?”
She stared into his eyes and his heart faltered a second. “I have never and never will live without him. He remains in my heart through and beyond life.”
“You speak of shadows. To me, the pleasure of loving Neri is to be found in touching her, feeling the warmth and softness of her. It is found in the way she makes me feel when I stare into her eyes.” He turned to look at Nericha, as if confirming his words to both himself and Tserika, certain they proved the depth of his love.
5900
“Learn to love her shadow within you, so that she remains a part of you, whatever divides you.” He was not convinced by her words, though they sounded right. He put those thoughts away for another day and pushed his horse to the front.
It did not take long for the trader in Kiris to assert itself. Once the village had accepted their intentions are peaceful and they learnt that this child that leads the men is an importer from Rapperten, they proudly took him on a tour of the mills and workshops. They not only fell the trees and saw them into planks. They also extend their production, discovering ways to polish the wood so that it brings out the grain. Kiris could see that the furniture they make is not suitable for his market, but there were a large variety of artefacts they make he is convinced he can sell. He gave an order, placed a deposit only, as he did not have enough cash on him and promised to send his men with the balance.
A feast was prepared for them that night and Kiris was amazed at the variety of delicacies they harvest from the forest.
“I have never eaten these before. Do you not supply the cities?”
“No, they are not found easily.”
“Could you supply me a small parcel of each on a regular basis?”
Samkin cut in, “Our lord and master meant to say, exclusively.” That was an idea that appealed to Kiris so he smiled at Samkin (despite his displeasure at being made fun of) and nodded his agreement.
The next morning, after they had passed the edge of the forest and were no longer in sight of the village, Kiris asked Samkin to ride with him, apart from everyone. “Your suggestion was important and I thank you. I will make certain that condition is applied to all my contracts from now. However, I did not appreciate your making fun of me - even if only your own people understood what you were doing.”
“Making fun of you?” Samkin stared at him with an innocent look. “Does not Tserika intend for you to become a Robert of your world, has she not said so? If yes, then will you not be one of the masters of all Cherinians?” He felt the fury that flowed to him from Freddie and he chuckled, amused by his double-edged barb. In particular we felt him savour the anger of Cherine. Sometimes he sets my teeth on edge and then I really don’t know why I encourage his presence among us.
As soon as everyone was asleep Samuel left his body and tried to project his presence among us. He is not very good at projecting - at least, not at such a distance. As usual, he ignored everyone else.
“Samantha, you better decide soon, for it would be a terrible thing for you to discover you made a mistake in encouraging me to travel in Freddie with you.”
Coldly, because I was afraid he meant it in another way. “What exactly do you mean?”
“I will not change for you - or any other. Enjoy my presence or send me away. Anything else would be dishonest.” I could feel the anger from all around us. I smiled as sweetly as I can.
“If I and all those who love me can put up with your immature games, then you’ll have to reciprocate by tolerating my dishonesty. Don’t you think it is fair?”
He laughed. “You are not being dishonest with me Samantha, it is with them. Why do you pretend with them that you keep me here to protect Robert?”
I was careful not to bite my lip and widened my eyes. “Samuel! How did you come to that conclusion? It is not Robert I am protecting, it is you I hope to protect - from yourself.”
He ignored everyone’s amusement. “Then you are being dishonest with yourself. I am who I am and I will not change.” He tilted his head as if amused by a thought. “Is your wish for me to remain here, so that you have someone to sharpen your claws on?”
I hope you enjoy reading this story of fantasy, adventure and love - and should some of it be true for our reality, I hope you will love our Cherine.
Αλέξανδρος Ζήνον Ευσταθίου
(Alexander Zenon Eustace)5th March, 2020
- posted: 5th March, 2020
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