Forest & Kingdom Balance (28 page)

The second night was shock. He felt nothing from the
slaves. It took him a few moments to realize that it was not his
inability. He could tell that they had been touched. The enemy had
sniffed the bait. However, if he was very still and very quiet, he
could feel the emotions of the people around him. Their thoughts
were more difficult, they were muffled and fragmented, but they
were there. It helped to let his mind drift. When he did, their
thoughts were like distant voices too far away to understand. He
would let his mind drift toward theirs and their voices became
clearer.

Then he waited to hear a voice in their minds that
was not theirs. While he waited, he wondered. What was intuition?
It was knowledge he always had and trusted. The few times he
disregarded it, he usually ended up on a slab in a dungeon, or
worse. The memory of waking up in the middle of the sea filled his
mind.
“Two years.”
His entire body
shuttered with the thought. There was a time when he loved the
ocean. No more. He would take a ship only at great need, and then,
only his flagship. He buried the memory of his swim back where it
came from, very deep.

Intuition could be the undeveloped ability to hear
other’s thoughts. It was more than that he knew, but that could be
part of it. What about a person’s flame? The flame was how he saw a
person’s abilities. He could feel a person’s flame more than see
it. It could be simple or complex, powerful or weak, bright or
muddy. He smiled and looked back at Deminar and his men,
“those are some very muddy flames.”

“Kalibra, the most mysterious
flame of all.”
There were great healers whose flames were
not as bright, great scholars whose flames were less complex, and
the raw power of it is unmatched. His carnal need had dwindled to
nothing more than the occasional pleasant dalliance a thousand
years before she was born. Then she came to his bed. Her flame
crackled and grew with lust and need. She consumed pleasure like
oil on fire. He felt his flame engorged with hers and he
rediscovered the lust of youth.

The Knight had to adjust himself in the saddle.
“That subject might be best kept for a different
time.”
He decided. His mind calmed and he listened for
distant voices.
“He’s worried.”
He let his
mind drift closer.
“She’s just enjoying the
ride.”
He tried to open himself to whatever there was to
hear.
“And everyone is saddle sore. Ah well, I’m
patient, my time will come.”
The Red Knight relaxed and
allowed his thoughts to wander.

IX

Dionara rolled over in bed to watch John sleep. The
soft, warm light of early morning caressed his strong features. She
wanted to dive into him like a lake and swim in his love and
desire. She put her head gently on his chest so she could listen to
his heart.

“One week.”
She thought.
“It’s only been one week.”
The first day
was rough. The emotions she unleashed in him were raw and powerful.
“We found a way to put those to good use.”
Dionara felt herself purr with delight.
“One
week, we should celebrate. Let’s see, what can we do.”
She
grinned, and then corrected herself.
“Okay, what
else can we do?”

“If you purr like that now, I can’t wait to hear
what you sound like as a lioness.” John leaned up and kissed her
head. “Good morning.” They lay together for a few moments, just to
enjoy each other.

“I should leave today, I have to get the Elites
packed up.” John was loath to move but duty called. “He should
arrive at the way station late today, we will know quickly if
Yamikura has any effect. Either way, the Elites and I will need to
set out in the next few days.” He started to get up.

“Stop.” She propped her head up and looked at him.
“Let me see if I have this correct. You are the head of the Royal
Guard Elite. I am the princess and only ruler of the Kingdom. So
that makes me your superior. Does that sound right?”

His laughter made her bounce up and down. “My love,
you were superior to me from the day I was born.”

“Good, then I command you to stay. Now that that’s
settled, what do you mean ‘from the day you were born’? Are you
implying that I’m an older woman again, the young, handsome warrior
and the old hag? Is that it? Well. I’ll show you! Let the pillow
fight begin.”

The pillow fight led to the dunking contest at the
lake, that led to a very messy breakfast, which led to another trip
to the lake to get all the food off, that led to the love seat.

“Hang on, I’ve got to catch my breath.” Dionara
leaned back, her long wet hair doing whatever it wanted.

He kissed her in between inhale and exhale. “You
have your morning rounds and I have to straighten up before I
leave.”

“Wait a moment, I thought I settled that!” She
yelled.

“You control many things, some of them unique in
human history, but the calendar is not one of them.” He said from
the bedroom, and then stuck his head out of the doorway, “Unless
you’d like to wait until the Red Knight rides into Spirit’s
Vale?”

She tackled him on to the bed as he was
straightening the bedding. “All right, I’m a monarch, that means
one of my skills is negotiation.” She gave him her best serious
face. “I see your position Forest and can appreciate your duties
and time constraints. I believe the Kingdom can provide a
compromise that would suit all parties.”

He looked skeptical.

“Consideration one: Today is the one week
anniversary of our initial coupling and while I am not inclined to
be parted from you for any reason, under the circumstances I’m
willing to allow you to leave at first light tomorrow. This will
not only keep you to your timetable, but will also save time since
your departure today would require you to spend considerable time
and effort to calm your one true love who would be understandably
furious and inconsolable at your leaving.”

“Consideration two: In response to your concession I
will dutifully complete my rounds and be sure that there is nothing
that requires either of our attention today. This will include, but
not be limited to, the assignment of a councilor to the Royal Guard
Elite for preparations.”

“Consideration three: As recompense for the
disruption of your schedule, I will prepare for us a picnic lunch
that we will take to a specific tree that I have located which
exactly duplicates the tree we sat under my first day in the
Forest. Once there you will regale me with stories reminiscent of
the afore mentioned, ‘first day.’ At which point I will indulge in
behavior that I desired to on that day, but was prohibited from by
convention.”

Dionara brought her lips close to his ear then
whispered seductively, “How say you Forest, do we have a deal?”

“You truly are a wellspring.” He said through the
laughter.

They got up off the bed and she wrapped her arms
around him. “You don’t get raised by a bunch of stogy old
councilors without picking up a few phrases.” She kissed him and
went to work.

It was a perfect afternoon and John had to admit
that the spot she picked out looked just like the tree near the
gate. He watched as she unpacked the basket. “Did you pack the
imaginary sword?”

She raised an empty hand, “Got it. Oh no, I forgot
the scabbard!”

He put his arms around her waist and nuzzled her
neck.

“That part I don’t remember from my first day.” She
leaned her head back. “But I like your creativity, let’s keep it.”
She reached into the basket and pulled out the wine and glasses.
“Now this I remember.”

“You only brought one bottle?” He looked into the
basket.

“Yes, like I said, the wine I remember. I didn’t say
fondly, I can still feel the headache.” She looked at the label.
“Oh my! John, look at this.”

They both read the label. “Diana & Stefan,
Special Reserve, Bottled in the year they wed for their 25th
anniversary.”

Dionara held the bottle gently. “I wanted something
special for today, and this was in a box off to the side. I didn’t
read the label until now. This year would have been their 25th
anniversary.”

John took the bottle and placed it carefully in the
basket. They held each other without saying a word.

X

“They’re just behind the ridge,
have you decided how to approach the subject?”
Catherine
tried to keep her concern hidden.

“The Knight can be distant and callous, but
somewhere under all those centuries he is an honorable man, at
least by his own standards.” In the early dusk that comes deep
between the peaks, Yamikura waved his lantern. “Joshua well met!”
The men stopped their horses.

“Captain, it’s good to see you again.” Joshua moved
to the side as the Knight arrived.

“My Liege,” Yamikura bowed his head, “I have”

The Red Knight struck and Yamikura fell from his
horse, unconscious. “Joshua, disarm him and make sure he’s out.
Then tie him to his horse.” He turned to the back and called for
Deminar to bring up his men and the slaves.

“You are now captain,” the Knight told Joshua as the
company arrived at the way station, “have the Guard search the
grounds, settle the horses, and then assemble in the main
building.”

“Deminar!” The High Councilor came immediately.
“Stake out Yamikura and the two slaves down there.” He pointed to
where the compound met the valley. “They are not to be harmed until
I give permission. Your men will have to wait until the prisoners
are no longer useful.”

The Knight’s gaze bore into Deminar. “Listen well,
if you are naïve enough to believe that I don’t know exactly what
you were planning and how you intended to carry it out, you are a
fool. Or would you like to quench your thirst with that hidden vial
of liquid you had planned to slip into my food.”

Deminar bowed, “My Liege.”

“Good. Now, you and your men will do what I say,
when I say, nothing more, nothing less. If even one of your men
cannot obey that simple rule, your life is forfeit. I may need
their sword arms, but you are excess baggage. I brought you along
to observe and learn because you will have to deal with this
situation after I leave.

“If you are going to be a king, then act like one.
If I see any more of that putrid rat you so like being, then I will
find another king when I return to Kingsport and your corpse will
be left to rot in these mountains.”

“Yes Sire.” Deminar dismissed any plan that he might
have had. He was smart enough to know that complete obedience was
is only option. He bowed and left to carry out his orders.

The Knight entered the bunkhouse followed closely by
Kalibra. “Finally!” She said. “It’s about time the ‘real’ you
showed up, it’s been so long that I was going to have a healer
check you for brain damage.” There was a pause, “My Liege.” Kalibra
bowed in mock obeisance.

The Caretaker circled high overhead.
“Of course, just like his agents. If he could train two
mortals to be so effective, then his skills would be even
greater.”
The Red Knight’s mind had transformed the moment
he struck Yamikura. The Caretaker searched the Knight’s memories
and thoughts, all still laid out for him to see. He found nothing
new, however the structure had completely changed.

“He couldn’t change what he
thought or what he knew, so he changed how he thought. He took on a
different persona, lived it, and became it. When it was no longer
necessary, he discarded it in an instant. That’s twice now, there
will not be a third.”
He promised himself.
“Catherine, pack up supplies for three in several packages,
keep it light enough to carry by air. Round up the horses on the
far side of the valley and stay in touch with me.”

“They are staked out Sire.” Deminar reported to the
Red Knight a short time later.

“Bring your men,” the Knight took a lantern, “and a
bucket of water.” Once Deminar had left, he gave Kalibra her
instructions. “You and the Guard will stay in here, bolt the doors
and bar the windows. You stay in here until I come back, if you so
much as step outside that door I will kill you myself. Are my
instructions understood?”

“Yes.” She said with a sigh and put her sword back
in its scabbard.

The Knight followed Deminar to the captives, he
instructed the slave hunters to surround the group and watch for
predators. He had Deminar throw the bucket of water on Yamikura,
then bent down and slapped his ex-captain.
“The
silk fouled the blade.”
He thought.

Yamikura came around. The Knight looked him in the
eyes, “Tell your friends that they will speak to me now or all
three of you will die slowly at the hands of these highly skilled
craftsmen of pain and suffering.”

An eagle glided toward the group, and from a
blinding flash of emerald green a man stood before the Knight. A
simple man, unclothed, unarmed, and unassuming. “I believe you
wished to speak with me?” He said, “I am called the Caretaker,
although you may know me better as the Ward of the Mountains.” The
Caretaker nodded his head, slightly.

“I am the Red Knight.” He returned the Caretaker’s
nod, slightly. “It’s taken awhile to finally meet you.”

“Actually we’ve met before, it was a few hundred
years before your troubles with Jarod. I don’t know how long ago
that was; I don’t keep track of your calendar. Our meeting was
brief but I found it very insightful.” The Caretaker stood politely
and waited.

“I don’t recall. You must not have made much of an
impression.” The Knight sized up his enemy.

“I try not to.” The Caretaker looked around. “I
believe you called me, is there something I can do for you?”

“Well, some of my people landed on the coast west of
here awhile back and they haven’t been able to expand their
settlement. Perhaps you are aware of the difficulties they’ve run
into. I just wondered if we could find a solution for them.” The
Red Knight noticed that most of the slave hunters had turned toward
their conversation. “If you would excuse me for one moment.”