by Ciana Stone
Juro lunged, his weight shifting forward onto his front leg as he propelled the tip of his sword out in a piercing thrust. Before the blade tip could make contact, Morgan swung her sword up in a circular motion, smacking the advancing blade with her own.
To an onlooker it would appear that the locked blades were whirling around toward her forward leg. But she stepped back, clearing her leg from the blades' path and allowing the circular motion to continue on around. As the blades reached the top of their swing, she suddenly dropped her blade down on Juro's forearms, using her body weight to push the cut across. Then quickly shifting her weight back she lifted the blade and caught him across the throat with it.
A sudden clapping sound from the doorway caused both to turn. Victor leaned against the door frame. "Very impressive," he straightened and walked over to where they stood. "I see you're well versed in the classic maneuvers."
Morgan looked from Victor to Juro and noticed a look pass between them. "I know a little," she admitted. "Juro was kind enough to allow me to practice with him and give me guidance."
"A shinobi disciple." Victor took the sword from her and turned it in his hand. "You never told me."
"You never asked," she said, then turned to Juro and bowed deeply. "Master," she said in a tone of respect.
Juro gave her a short nod then took the bokken from Victor, returning it and the one he held to the rack. With a curt nod he left the room.
Victor leaned down and kissed Morgan lightly. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"
The Mountain
An old man stood looking down on a younger man who sat cross-legged on the ground. "Share my tea?" the old man asked.
"No, thank you," the younger man replied politely.
The old man just nodded and sat down on the ground, crossing his legs in front of him.
"I am a healer," the old man replied, "An Elder of the Fae Council." He raised a small clay cup of tea toward the younger man.
"This will help settle you," he said as he extended the cup.
The young man looked from the old man's face to the cup. He accepted the cup, holding it in both hands and feeling quite dazed and nauseous. Sweat poured down his face yet he felt cold down to his very bones.
"Yes," he said in a trembling voice, trying not to shiver. "I could use some tea." He gulped down half of the contents of the cup and felt almost immediately better. "Thank you."
"How may I serve you?"
"Why would you want to serve me?" the young man asked in confusion.
"You are Ancient Warrior," the old man answered. "Protector of and Royal Consort to her Majesty, the Queen."
"Yes!" the younger man exclaimed as a glimmer of memory flashed in his mind. "I remember. I was on a quest. I was in a cave and something bit me on my hand." He looked down at his hand but there were no marks as he expected.
"What happened?" He looked up at the old man.
"The Beast of Crossing bit you. He brings from other realms, those destined to come here and learn an important lesson. Those of us in this realm must serve those who are sent here to learn."
"And what have you to teach, old man?" Ancient Warrior asked.
"I’m merely your guide in this world. You must find and learn the lesson for which you were sent on your own. I can only council."
"How do I start? Where does this journey begin?"
The old man stood and led Ancient Warrior outside. There were four lodges made of wood and animal skin. Each lodge faced the other and arranged in a perfect square. From each a path led from its entrance to the center of the square where a large round circle joined the four paths.
The Elder spoke and pointed. "This lesson comes from the original people of this world, who were possessed of great wisdom. The white lodge on our right is the home of White Buffalo, who is the Spirit of the People. From White Buffalo the knowledge of life is learned.
"White Buffalo teaches us of beginnings and endings, living and dying. Birth is nothing more than new life wearing a cloak of apparent death; while death is merely the shedding of old life for new. From White Buffalo we learn to give for the sake of our people. We give freely even though the price may be our life. But we do not grieve or regret this giving for we know that life is perpetual, never ending.
"If we take the knowledge White Buffalo offers inside ourselves, let it become as one with our spirits, we find that we are endowed with new powers of intuition. Our, what the modern man calls psychic ability, is enhanced. We find the power to read and understand our dreams as well as those of others."
The younger man nodded, focusing intently upon the words of the Elder who continued. "To learn White Buffalo's teachings, you must open your spirit to the earth. Accept life fully, as well as death, and know your path will be to share this knowledge and acceptance, to share what has been shared with you."
Ancient Warrior stood quietly, letting the Elder’s words sink into his mind. The words struck something deep within him. As the words stopped, he looked at the old guide who pointed to the next dwelling.
"The green and yellow lodge on our left is the home of Golden Coyote. He is the Keeper of the Spirit. Coyote's power is mysterious and not to be understood. Coyote grants us the opportunity to have our wishes fulfilled. Once on the path of fulfillment it is then our responsibility to follow it. From Coyote we may learn valuable lessons about love and our relationships with others. How to be worthy of love and how to give and receive it may be learned here.
"Humans often believe sexuality and sensuality are the same. But Coyote teaches us that is not entirely so; they are different and yet alike. Here we learn how to tell the difference between falling in love and loving. Man has no trouble falling in love; attraction to another is like an adhesive. It draws two people together. But love, that is another matter. If attraction is but an adhesive, then love is a permanent bond. As long as the two are willing to open their hearts and minds and learn from the other, the bond endures.
"Coyote's teachings are, therefore, on the nature of relationships and the tricks men play on themselves in those relationships. If you desire to learn these lessons, your heart must be open, willing to accept and give love freely and without conditions."
He then pointed to a golden lodge across from them that was decorated with red paintings. "The lodge of Cloud Eagle, the messenger of the Great Spirit.
"Cloud Eagle's power is plain yet great. It is the power of new beginnings. From this power we find the light that replaces darkness, rebirth after death, the illumination emerging from the void. From Cloud Eagle's teachings we are given the capacity to be curious and questioning, and the drive to search for our answers. We learn to free our minds so we may soar high above and see things from a new broader view. This imparts the ability to have a deeper understanding.
"If truth is what you seek, Cloud Eagle's teaching will guide you. But know here you must let go of any lies or falsehoods that keep you bound to old territory. By letting go, you may begin anew."
The Elder then fell silent. Ancient Warrior remained quiet for a long time, looking down on the village and considering what he had been told. There was still one lodge which the Elder had not spoken of. It was the color of a deep blue sky with dancing figures painted in black.
"And what of this one?" Ancient Warrior finally asked. "What is to be learned here?"
"That is the lodge of the Keeper of Life," the old man said. "I must caution you. He is a Bear."
"A bear?" Ancient Warrior asked. "Is there nothing more?" He turned to look at the Elder, but the old man was disappearing as if becoming one with the air.
"Hey!" Ancient Warrior called out. "What am I supposed to do?"
But the old man faded from sight as if he had never been there at all. Reaching up, Ancient Warrior scratched the back of his neck as he tried to figure out what to do next. He contemplated the four tents, trying to decide where to begin.
Suddenly, a rumble filled the air with a noise as loud as thunder. As Ancie
nt Warrior stood with his eyes wide in surprise, a big burly man rode a chopper out of the lodge of the Keeper of Life. Dust kicked up in billowing clouds as the bike roared toward the center of the encampment. Spinning it around on its back wheel, the big man brought the machine to a halt facing Ancient Warrior.
"Hey, Cord!" the man shouted. "Come on! We've got an adventure to go on!"
Ancient Warrior felt the darkness that covered his memories suddenly lift and everything flooded back into his mind. The Ancient Warrior receded, and Cord came back to himself.
"Big Jeff!" he shouted in relief. "Man, is it good to see you!"
Cord tried to take a step, eager to get to Jeff, but his legs were like stone. He couldn't move no matter how hard he tried. Struggling desperately to make his useless limbs move, the scene suddenly faded from view, and the ceiling of the cave reappeared before his eyes.
"Jeff!" he heard his own voice call. He realized he’d been dreaming and wished he could just lie down and sink back into the dream, replace it for his present reality. "Big Jeff," he mumbled, then looked around. "Holy shit! I'm in a cave."
Cord's head throbbed as he sat trying to figure out what was real and what wasn’t. His memory was restored but his mind was foggy with the effects of the poison.
He concentrated hard, holding his head in his hands and trying to stop the pounding in his brain. Cassie must have left me in this cave! He remembered the beating. Oh damn, my head. They must have fucked me up pretty bad.
He took a deep breath and raised his head, clenching his fists in front of him. "Come on, Cord," he talked to himself, "Get it together. Damn! They took my watch. I hate to be without my watch."
He crawled toward the light. The cave opening wasn't too far away. As he neared the entrance, he pulled himself to his feet and stumble out of the entrance into the blinding sunlight.
"Cord!" a voice yelled. "Hey man! I can't believe I found you!"
As Cord blinked his eyes in the bright light a huge arm reached out and wrapped around his neck. The smell of sweat and road exhaust took his breath.
"Man, you look like hell!" Big Jeff exclaimed. "Where the hell have you been, man? Everybody's been looking for you for months!"
The words "for months" seemed to echo over and over in Cord's ears. "Wait a minute!" he pushed back from Jeff's grip. "Did you say months?"
"Yeah, man," Big Jeff nodded emphatically. "Where the hell you been? What happened to your hair?"
Cord shook his head. "As far as I know, I've been in that cave."
"For months?" Big Jeff's eyes were wide.
"Does Morgan know you're here?"
Big Jeff paused for a long moment and looked away from Cord. "You really don't know what's been happening, do you?"
"No," Cord was getting a little nervous over the expression on Jeff's face. "I guess you'll have to fill me in."
Jeff looked away again. "You look like you could use some food. Me and Trev's got a room not too far up the road."
Cord's words were excited, "Trevor's with you?"
"Yeah," Big Jeff hitched up his jeans. "Between the two of us maybe we can fill in the blanks. My bikes just down the hill. Feel up to riding?"
Cord just nodded his head and followed Jeff down the path that led to the road. The closer they got to the road, the more indistinct it appeared, as if a mist had gathered, hiding the landscape from sight.
Cord opened his mouth to ask Jeff if he was seeing the same thing, but nothing emerged. A moment later, he felt consciousness slipping away.
Jamaica
Victor was busy on the phone, so Morgan took a run on the beach. She changed into the new sports clothing and shoes. Like everything else, they fit perfectly. It had surprised her to find the new clothes and shoes waiting for her when they arrived. She was certain she'd never wear all of it, but Victor had provided outfits for every imaginable occasion.
But then I didn't expect to be here that long, she thought as she went downstairs to tell Victor she was going to take a run. When they had come here almost three weeks ago, she’d thought it would be for just a couple of days. But the days stretched into weeks and they were still here.
Things back home seemed fine without her and she'd talked to Cable a few times. Trevor seemed to be doing a little better from what Cable said. He’d made some new friends and always seemed to be out.
At first, Morgan was concerned about the clinic and the ranch. Not that either was in danger of being neglected, but her funds ran perilously low. To her surprise, she received a call from Sam to say someone made a deposit into the ranch account for half a million dollars and the clinic had received a healthy influx of cash as well.
Morgan went straight to Victor and he admitted to having the money put into her accounts. She was stunned, a bit embarrassed to need financial assistance and very grateful. He passed it off as if it were nothing and said only that he wanted her to be able to relax and enjoy herself so was happy to do anything he could.
That touched her and allowed her to relax and enjoy the vacation.
So far, it’d been wonderful. Warm sunny days spent snorkeling and swimming and warm tropical nights spent under the stars. It was almost like a honeymoon. Victor had been wonderful, attentive, loving and passionate. She couldn't have asked for a more perfect vacation. But even still she often wished she could be there with Cord.
She stopped at Victor's office, knocked on the door then opened it a crack. He was talking to someone in what sounded like Arabic. She pointed to her running shoes and then outside. He nodded and waved, and she headed outside.
Once she reached the beach, she set her chronometer on her watch for half an hour and took off running. The beach was wide, covered in fine white sand that sloped gently to the blue water. Looking out at the ocean as she ran, the minutes slipped by. Before she knew it the alarm on her watch sounded, and she turned to run back the way she had come.
There were no other houses on the peninsula or anywhere close by. Victor owned much of the property surrounding his house so there was no danger of running into anyone here.
Hot and sweaty, she walked up the outside stairs to the pool area above. The patio was vacant, which reminded her she'd seen no one around today. Usually, the place was crawling with Victor's men. But today everyone seemed to have disappeared.
Relieved to have the place to herself, she took a seat at a large umbrella table to remove her shoes and socks. The water in the pool looked so cool and inviting she was tempted to jump in. She took another look around to make sure no one was around, then peeled off her sweaty running clothes and dove in, swimming to the opposite side.
She submerged and swam along the bottom of the pool in long easy strokes. Just as her head broke the surface of the water, Victor walked out of the house, followed by Juro and three men she'd never seen before.
She quietly sank deeper into the water and swam over to the edge to peer up over the rim of the pool, looking around frantically for something to cover herself with. She saw nothing. Then she remembered her running clothes.
Her heart sank. She’d never make it to the table without being seen. Damn, damn, damn. Berating herself for being stupid enough to get into this mess in the first place, she tried to figure out what to do, short of drowning herself.
As luck would have it, Juro spotted her. Victor and the men had stopped in their walk across the patio and were deep in conversation. Victor had his back to her while the three men faced her.
Juro made a noise in his throat and gained Victor's attention. Then he cut his eyes in her direction and Victor turned his head to look. Her stomach lurched when the other three men craned their necks to look.
Victor excused himself while Juro led the men to a table. Victor walked over to the edge of the pool and looked down at her. A wide smile appeared on his face. He leaned forward and stuck out his hand like he was offering to pull her up.
"Very funny!" she hissed, feeling foolish and embarrassed. "Will you please get me something to cove
r up with?"
Instead of answering, Victor turned and sauntered over to the table where the men waited. Morgan panicked as he walked away. "Excuse me for a moment," Victor said to the seated men. He picked up a phone that sat on the table and spoke into it. Less than five seconds later, a servant hurried onto the patio bearing a stack of towels.
Victor picked up a large bath sheet and walked over to the pool, unfolding it and holding it up. The towel blocked the men's view of her.
She put her hands on the rim of the pool and started to lift herself up and he let the towel fall. She splashed back down into the water and glared at him. "Not funny."
"Okay," he laughed. "Come on, I won't let go."
"You better not!" she warned as she leaped up.
No sooner had she stood, he let the towel fall. In total embarrassment she saw the three men and Juro all staring at her. Juro's eyes were narrowed with a hard expression set on his face. But the other three wore lecherous grins.
She could have choked Victor. She was so embarrassed she felt like crying. But she wasn't about to let him have that satisfaction. So instead, she picked up the towel, circled around behind him and wrapped it around her body.
Victor turned to face her and she placed her hands on his chest, standing up on her toes as if to kiss him. He wasn’t prepared when, instead of kissing him, she shoved as hard as she could.
Morgan saw him fall but didn’t wait to see more. She heard the splash as she turned and caught Juro’s gaze. Was that a hint of a smile she saw on his face? She almost hoped so because there would be hell to pay. Victor didn’t take being bested well. She’d learned that.
But she didn’t care. All the good times they’d enjoyed here had just been tainted, and she’d be perfectly happy to go home.
The Mountain
Cord blinked his eyes several times, trying to make them work, but try as he might he couldn’t see anything. A flare of panic lit within him as a horrifying thought entered his mind. Oh, god, I'm blind!
