Tranquil Fury (30 page)

Chapter 22

After they stopped for lunch, Logan managed to reclaim his pony, leaving Lauren to ride in the wagon. This time, instead of climbing into the back, she sat beside Mirtza. They rode in silence for twenty minutes, and when he could no longer bare her quiet presence, he finally spoke, “Does something trouble the Earth Daughter?”

“Everything, and in fact, there is nothing that does not bother me. Strangely, this does not bother anybody else.”

 “Well, what is your biggest concern?”

 “They want me to lead them. I have no idea on where we are going, or how we are going to get there. Even stranger, the Earth Mother thinks they, whoever they are, will trust me. How can they trust me? Mother could have sneezed when she opened the door, went to grab somebody else, and instead ended up with me. How can I lead them?”

Mirtza smiled, “That reminds me of a story. When I was younger, I found six scared children stranded in a field. All of a sudden, the forces in the lands tasked me with leading them to safety. Some of them trusted me, others did not, but in the end, it seemed to work out.”

Lauren rolled her eyes, “I don’t think this is the same thing.”

 “Well, when I found you six, I was worried, didn’t really know what was going on. I knew something was up in the Newlands, enough that it was not safe. You even came around to trusting me a little, and the same will happen with others. Some might hesitate, some might resist, but others will follow. They will follow simply because you lead, and they will want somebody to help show them the path. From there, you take it one day at a time, until you can find others that will help, just like what happened with us.”

“It’s that simple. Just start walking and everybody will follow?”

 “Well, I did have to do some convincing, but in your hearts, you all knew that you had to let me help you. The same will happen with others, and you are forgetting one other thing, Mother.”

Lauren shook her head, “I have seen the things I have done, heard the words I have spoken. I clutch this odd piece of wood as if it’s a security blanket, and don’t even realize that I have it with me half of the time. I know things that I can’t know, have been proclaimed an Earth Daughter, but Mirtza, to be honest, this whole Mother thing still has me confused. She could have made so many better choices. I really don’t know what she has gotten me into.”

 “Well, to begin with, it’s not just you that she has involved. I had a talk with your friend Zack, interesting fellow. Most days I could not get him to speak, but some days, it comes out of him like water from a broken dam, just can’t stop him.”

 “Was he drinking beer?”

 “Well to be honest, I think his body rejects anything else.”

 “What did Zack say?”

 “I don’t remember his exact words or his ‘train of thought’, or how it was ‘de-railed’, as he called it, but he thinks Mother got me involved in this long before you arrived. He believes that I got lost because of her, so that I would come out at the bottom of the Newlands, and arrive at the same time as you six did. He explained that it was only through Mother’s guidance that I could wander through an invading army, and avoid bumping into any of them. For me to be within a day’s ride of your arrival seems more than coincidence, but Zack’s telling of it is much more colorful. You might be leading Lauren, I mean Earth Daughter, but I think that Mother controls your compass.”

 “If I had time to warm up to the idea, could better understand anything, knew the people, but I don’t. I was here two weeks and they made me an Earth Daughter. Leap forward two more weeks, ‘as long as you are here Lauren, can you find the people, even though you don’t know where they are? Then lead them into the unknown?’ How do you wrap your head around something like that?”

 “Earth Daughter, I remember that night back at the covered forest when I went looking for answers. I told you that everything happens for a reason—be it fate, destiny, or something else. In your case, I think that something else might be Mother. Sure, you do not know what is happening, where you will go. The same was true when I found you six. Like you, I felt that those powers could have made a better choice, but they have reasons for the selections they make, reasons that they will never tell you. I accepted the burden, though I am still unable to find a better word to this day. My best advice to you is to accept it, do not try to fight it, or try to understand it, but instead embrace it. I think these lands are different from the lands that you come from. If you try to apply your reasoning and emotions to this foreign place, it will only create friction. It took a few days, but you trusted me. I think you just need to extend your trust.”

Laurens response was simple, “I need to think right now.”

Mirtza remembered the words he had spoken so often. Quiet for so long, when he finally had somebody to talk to, he had too much to think about.
So it is quiet again. Mother are you trying to punish me?

It was after the meal that night that Lauren climbed into the back of the wagon, “Well Earth Mother, it seems that everybody thinks I should lead. Find the people, tell them the truth, and maybe even raise an army. Do you have words that can help me?”

The Earth Mother’s voice was tired, “It does warm mine heart to hear thou shalt embrace thine quest from Mother. Thou hath brought us answers that we does wait for. Now, truth, darkness hidden thine will release. Her children thou shalt save.” The Earth Mother smiled, “My duty does now be complete Earth Daughter.”

Before Lauren could continue the conversation, the Earth Mother fell asleep. Lauren could not believe it, as it was not as if she was expecting a playbook or an instruction manual, but surely some advice, guidance, or words of wisdom seemed reasonable. Dumbfounded, she grabbed a bedroll and headed to the edge of the camp.
I’d even settle for a job description, something, anything.

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It was late in the morning when Lauren woke, the Earth Mother and Alron were talking again, and Panry was running interference. It only fueled her resentment that was building, t
he Earth Mother cannot advise me, but she can advise Alron.
Mirtza brought some breakfast and tea over to Lauren, advising that they had made good time, and that Alron wanted to rest the stags for a while longer.
Sure, they can advise Mirtza, but not Lauren
. She just watched the Earth Mother and Alron in the back of the wagon, hoping that an expression from either would provide her a hint about their discussion.

The Earth Mother let out a sigh, “Alron, Earth Daughter does embrace Mother’s quest with words, naught in her heart. She does say she wilt lead.”

 “What does thou mean?”

 “First, thou does know, when I does be with Mother, thine Earth Guard shalt protect Earth Daughter. Protect and serve her thou shalt.”

“As thou does command, protect and serve Earth Daughter we shalt.”

 “We both does naught know that which does be ahead, neither does Earth Daughter. Alron, greatest of Earth Guard, challenges great does wait for thou on thine travels. Mother does try to show me thine path, but it does be dark. Naught even she does know what dangers thou wilt face. Alron, great may naught be enough. Rise to thine challenges thou hath to.”

 “I does be Earth Guard. Protect and serve Earth Daughter we shalt.”

“One special command I does hath for thou. Naught until mine tree hath I gone, canst thou tell Earth Daughter of this. Command Earth Guard, Earth Daughter canst naught. I does think her fire burns strong, her gift naught fully bloomed, talent hidden she does hath. Her life or Earth Guard, to safety she would order thou. Command Earth Guard, I does forbid. Advise, guide, serve, thou canst act as thou does need. But above all else, naught matter how great threat does be, reason does naught matter, thou will protect this force known as Lauren, called Earth Daughter, Mother Chosen.”

 “As thou does command, protect Earth Daughter we shalt. Commands to safety naught does we follow.”

“Lauren does tell me, lead she shalt. Words I does hear, passion absent they does be. In her heart, Lauren does be Earth Daughter. In her head, Earth Daughter does be Lauren. Conflicted they does be, as she does pull herself to thine path, and push back at time same. Here does burn a spark, a spark that wilt light a fire of truth, and darkness push back. Thou may call her Earth Daughter, her friends may call her Lauren, but Mother does call her Hope. Mother does ride on Lauren’s shoulders, and Lauren does ride on thine shoulders, so thine weight that thou does carry, does be great. Failure, this option thou does naught hath. Protect and serve, naught enough wilt it be, mentor as well thou shalt hath to. Mistakes many Earth Daughter shalt make, does try to be respectful towards her. Earth Daughters confidence, a fire thou must stoke, naught put out. She wilt test thou, meet her challenges with civility. Easily could thou crush her fragile spirit, and permit that I wilt naught. Does thou understand?”

Alron had received many strange commands in his long service as an Earth Guard, none compared to the words he had just heard, and was unable to think of a proper response.

 “Alron, a fourth sun does burn amongst us, its name does be Lauren. Should this sun set, night everlasting will embrace us. Never again wilt Mother’s children know warmth, and darkness engulfed all wilt be. Death great embraced wilt these lands be. Does thou understand?”

There is no elf word for an indescribable-pressure-that-is- about-to-crush-me. Alron did not answer, did not need to, his face white with worry, not a look seen on a captain of the Earth Guard, but it told the Earth Mother that Alron understood.

 “Alron, mine mind does go to meet Mother before mine body. Mother does say, thine service, greatly appreciated it hath been. Both sad and fortunate she does be that thou will protect Earth Daughter, and greatest of Earth Guard she does name thou. Naught any other would she wish the misfortune of protecting Earth Daughter, for fail they would on thine challenges ahead. Thine name, history written it shalt be. Earth Guards naught born for one thousand years to come, all will know of thou, wilt try to be like Alron. All will try, few thine standards will meet. But Alron, fail and thine name forgotten it shalt be, as wilt Mother’s. I does tire, sleep now I shalt.” And with that, the Earth Mother rolled onto her side, closing her eyes to hold back the tears.

Alron gently got out of the wagon, and headed for the forest to think, as he did not want anybody to see the look on his face.
In her heart, Lauren does be Earth Daughter. In her head, Earth Daughter does be Lauren. Conflicted they does be.
A fourth sun does burn amongst us, her name does be Lauren. Mother does call her Hope.

An hour later, the wagon was traveling down the road. Logan was sitting beside Mirtza, and Lauren was on his pony, riding beside Alron. Lauren looked at Alron, “You don’t look well, is everything okay? Is the Earth Mother alright?”

 “Earth Daughter I does be fine. Sad I does be for mine trip, that is all it does be. But something to tell thou I does hath. Years back many, when Mother does first show, naught only does she seek those with her gift, but also she does ask some to protect those with gift. They does be called Earth Guard. An Earth Guard does both be one that does protect, and a group of six. Both does be called same. Our purpose does be simple, protect and serve who does hath Mother’s gift. Earth Mother does command, when to her tree she hath gone, we does be thine Earth Guard, and thou we shalt protect and serve. Where thou shalt go, it will be thine Earth Guard that does insure thine path does be safe.”

 “I don’t understand Alron. What do you mean?”

 “Thou does naught hath to understand. Simple it does be, thine life, thine safety, Earth Guard protected it does be.”

 “I don’t like that, no. No, I really don’t like that. I release you from whatever sick bond or servitude it is.”

 “Earth Daughter. Earth Guard and honor, one in the same they does be. Many does seek this chance, but few does be chosen, and great is the honor to be Earth Guard. Earth Daughter thou canst naught decline, and thou wilt naught travel alone, for where thou does lead, Earth Guard does make sure thine path does be safe. Every Earth Daughter, every Earth Mother, Earth Guard they does hath, except thou. Thou wilt hath mine Earth Guard when Earth Mother does be with Mother.”

“So once again, I don’t have a choice. Somebody else simply states, ‘this is the way it is going to be,’ and Lauren has to accept it.”

Alron did not understand the sarcasm, “That does be correct, I does be afraid thou would naught understand. Glad I does be that thou does see wisdom of Earth Guard.”

 “Crap on a stick.” Lauren shook her head and rolled her eyes, then dug her heels into the pony, and raced ahead of Alron.
Crazy freaking world, crazy freaking world.

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Eventually they came to the campsite that the Dawnfalcons had selected, where Mirtza pulled the wagon into the secluded opening, and Alron asked him to deploy his magic guard bats immediately. Once again, Logan gathered wood, and started the fire, (though he wondered if he actually needed wood). Mirtza went to unpack the food, but Alron brought over the baskets that Gor had given them, asked Mirtza to prepare them instead, as he advised that they were the Earth Mother’s favorites, and that Gor had prepared them especially for this meal. 

After the meal, Mirtza handed out mugs of hot bean juice and tea, the Earth Mother declined both, and instead, she pulled out the flask that Gor had given her, cracked the seal, and took a big gulp, “Damn, Mother does grow good stuff. But only dwarf does ferment her good into greatness.” This started a night where the Earth Mother was the center of attention, and told stories of her youth, her adventures, made jokes, smiled and laughed. While not everybody understood the humor, all laughed and enjoyed the festivities.