The Secrets of the Wild Wood

by Tonke Dragt

  The Master of the Wild Wood stroked his beard thoughtfully and said, “The Road of Ambuscade is heavily guarded. But there is a hidden path that leads from the Green Grottos into the mountains and emerges close to the pass. That way is also not without dangers, but it is the only chance to get from the Wild Wood into the Kingdom of Unauwen. As I said, it is a hidden path, known only to the Men in Green. One person passing along it, creeping and with cunning, could escape the attention of Eviellan…”

  “Would you show me this way?” asked Tiuri.

  All was silent for a moment.

  “I will,” said the Master of the Wild Wood. “But I cannot promise that you will reach your destination. To be honest, the chance is small.”

  “All I can do is try,” said Tiuri. “If I succeed, when could I reach the other side of the mountains?”

  “Set off tomorrow morning and you’ll be at the Green Grottos by the afternoon. From there it’s just over three days to the pass,” replied Tehalon. “In less than six days, you’ll be in the Kingdom of Unauwen.”

  Tiuri looked at Lord Rafox, silently asking his opinion.

  “Just you?” Rafox said quietly.

  “No armies may pass along that path,” said Tehalon. “Only a lone traveller stands any chance of crossing the pass unseen.”

  “Surely two people could do it as well?” said Piak. “Such an important mission cannot be entrusted to one person alone. Two have one more chance of success! And I know the mountains. I’m more at home there than Tiuri. He has to take his squire with him!”

  The friends looked at each other and grinned.

  “Fine, the two of you,” said Tehalon. “If Lord Rafox agrees.”

  “I believe providence has appointed Tiuri for this task,” he said slowly, “and I understand Piak does not wish him to go alone. May heaven grant that you succeed!”

  “Thank you,” said Tiuri. “But do not forget the other messengers, too.”

  “So you got your way, after all,” muttered Jaro.

  The Fool looked around with big, frightened eyes. “I am afraid,” he whispered.

  “That’s the Road of Ambuscade dealt with, then,” said the Lord of Mistrinaut.

  “One moment, my lord,” said Tiuri. “I was actually appointed for another task, or rather, it was a promise I made. I was to take Marius back to his home, to his cabin in the woods. He knows we can’t go there now, but I’ve just realized he doesn’t have to wait.” He turned to Jaro. “I know, Jaro,” he said, “that you are uneasy about being here with us. You’d rather not be listening to the plans we are making to oppose your former master. And you don’t know what you should do yourself. So I thought perhaps you would keep my promise for me. Would you take Marius back home?”

  Jaro’s face lit up. He nodded. “If Marius trusts me, I’d be happy to,” he replied.

  The Fool nodded, too.

  “Then, with Marius’s permission, I charge you with completing my task,” said Tiuri.

  Piak kept glancing at his friend. He’d changed quite a lot since their paths had separated – he seemed to have become older somehow.

  “Good,” said the Lord of Mistrinaut. “And now this: if the people of Unauwen are warned in time, they can lie in wait for the King of Eviellan and stop him. Then he will most probably retreat back here. No, he definitely will, as there is nowhere else for him to go. What then? Will he not turn his army on us in fury and vengeance? Advance into the east, deeper into the Kingdom of Dagonaut, where they are just as unsuspecting of an imminent attack?”

  “I thought of that, too,” whispered Tiuri.

  “I agree that they need to be warned in the west,” said the Lord of Mistrinaut, “but at the same time we must prepare for a war in our own land. Messengers have already been sent to King Dagonaut with the news of enemies in the Wild Wood. But we did not know then which enemies, or how many! And the City of Dagonaut is far; the king’s knights and army will take days to get here. So we’ll have to take care of the first battle ourselves.”

  He took out the abbot’s map and spread it on the ground. “The nearest castles are Mistrinaut and Islan,” he continued. “The Lord of Islan is in league with Eviellan, so he represents an additional threat. For now we can count only on my men and on the reinforcements from Castle Westenaut, which will be here soon.” He looked up and asked Tehalon, “What help can we expect from you?”

  “No more than I have already given,” he replied in a chilly tone. “The Men in Green will keep out of this and defend only our own land. But,” he added, “we will no longer warn the King of Eviellan with our drums. We shall offer him no assistance at all, so you will have every opportunity to foil his plans. Our drums will pass on one more message for him to hear: that you and your men have retreated. The rest of the battle is up to you! Just one more thing: I will tolerate not one single armed man, from either side, in my territory between the Green River, Green Hills and Great Mountains.”

  “Thank you,” said the Lord of Mistrinaut, just as coldly. “So now we know where we all stand.”

  “Lord Rafox,” said Tiuri, “you will be few against many. Of course I want to help you if you wish me to. I do not mean to run away! Perhaps another could…”

  “No,” said the Lord of Mistrinaut, interrupting him, “as the only army commander in the forest I will take the liberty of giving orders. Someone has to go to the west and you are the right person to do so. One man more or less will make little difference in the battle… You and Piak must go to the Kingdom of Unauwen. I will keep watch in the wood. Now let me tell you my plans.”

  Those plans were as follows: Lord Rafox was to return to his soldiers immediately and send out some of his fastest men as messengers to King Dagonaut and the Kingdom of Unauwen. Then, with Adelbart as his guide, he would go eastwards with his small army, towards the Forgotten City. He would wait a few days before turning back, to give Tiuri and Piak time to get across the mountains. Then he would approach the Tarnburg again, along the Black River. A number of scouts would be sent ahead to observe the enemy’s movements.

  “I will give my men the same task,” said Tehalon. “They will stay in constant contact with you.”

  The Lord of Mistrinaut raised his eyebrows. “More help, after all?” he said wryly. “It is, of course, welcome. If the King of Eviellan sets off earlier or attacks us, I will naturally have to change my plans.”

  For the first time, he turned to his daughter. “Lavinia,” he said, “you will come with me, and then return home as swiftly as possible. Perhaps Brother Martin can accompany you.”

  “She would be safe here,” said Tehalon.

  “Do you think so? No, now that there is a chance of fighting, I do not wish her to remain in the forest. I’m sure you agree, don’t you, Lavinia?”

  “Yes, Father,” she meekly replied.

  It was decided that Lavinia would begin her journey home the next morning. Twarik and Lian said they would take her some of the way.

  Lord Rafox stood up. Everything had been discussed, so he was free to leave. Adelbart left with him.

  They said farewell to the others, who would be setting off the following morning at sunrise: Tiuri and Piak going with Tehalon to the hidden path, Lavinia back home to Castle Mistrinaut, and Jaro with the Fool to the cabin in the woods.

  Lord Rafox made a point of shaking both Tiuri and Piak firmly by the hand. They wished each other good luck and their expressions were grave at the thought that they might not see one another again. Just before he rode away, the Lord of Mistrinaut took Piak to one side for a moment and said quietly, “It is rather premature to speak such thoughts aloud, but I wanted to let you know that I would welcome your friend as a son-in-law.”

  *

  The Men in Green had made sure everyone had a place to sleep – in hammocks or on the ground.

  Tiuri and Piak lay next to each other; they were both tired, but still couldn’t fall asleep. They whispered together about all that had happened. Piak did most of the t
alking, and after a while he noticed his friend was saying very little. “What are you thinking about?” he asked.

  “Oh, about all kinds of things, all at once,” replied Tiuri. He gave a little sigh.

  “About Lavinia?”

  “Yes, about Lavinia, too…” Then, very quietly, he added. “Do you know something, Piak? I love her. Maybe you don’t believe that after… Oh, never mind! But perhaps she doesn’t feel the same way about me.” He fell silent for a moment and then said, “Why didn’t you tell me that she had come with you?”

  “Because…” Piak began. “No,” he said, “that’s something you’ll have to ask Lavinia. It’s not my secret to reveal.”

  Tiuri was awake before sunrise; he knew he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep, so he got up.

  A huddled figure sat by the lake. It was the Fool. When Tiuri went to sit beside him, he looked up and whispered, “Soon you will leave, Friend, and I am returning home to my cabin. Our paths are going in different directions, taking us further and further apart. You won’t forget me, will you?”

  “How could I forget you, Marius?” said Tiuri. “Could I forget when you showed me the way in the forest? Could I forget fighting for you? Could I forget being captured and escaping together? Could I forget that we should really have travelled back to your home together? I haven’t asked you if you will forget me, have I? And I’ll be sure to come and visit you in your cabin… if I can find my way over the mountains and back.”

  “To where the sun sets…” said the Fool. “You have been there before. And you will return. I will wait for you, in my cabin in the woods.”

  Time to say farewell… to Marius and Jaro… and to Lavinia…

  After a hurried breakfast, Tiuri suddenly noticed that he and Lavinia were alone on the shore of the lake. Had everyone realized he wanted to speak to her in private?

  No, not everyone; Tiuri saw Tehalon approaching. He stood beside them, not saying a word. His presence meant their words of farewell were only what friends might have said. Ah, thought Tiuri, but perhaps it’s better that way. His path was uncertain and there would be time enough if he returned.

  “Time is passing so quickly!” said Tehalon suddenly. “The messengers sent by Lord Rafox to the Kingdom of Unauwen will be there soon. You, Sir Tiuri, hope to arrive before them by travelling along the hidden route. But perhaps it is not hidden enough – you could be betrayed by your haste and come to the end of your life’s path before the battle has even begun. Why do you want to risk it? Do you wish to follow the example of those fearless knights who have perished at a young age? Songs are sung of their daring deeds, but they can no longer hear those songs themselves! What good is that to anyone?”

  Tiuri was silent. He saw a flash of fear on Lavinia’s face and turned away from her. He noticed that Tehalon was watching her. Then he understood that he had deliberately chosen to speak those words while Lavinia was present. The Master of the Wild Wood surely hoped she would agree with him, so that he would abandon what he considered his duty.

  He closed his eyes for a moment. Oh, if only Eviellan did not exist! If Lavinia loved him, too, she would not wish him to go, and saying farewell would be unbearably hard. And yet he had to go. Tehalon was undoubtedly acting out of self-interest; he probably still hoped the enemy would disappear forever along the Road of Ambuscade. But Lavinia… Oh, Lavinia…

  Tiuri’s reflections took no more than a moment, and were interrupted by Lavinia.

  “Last night I thought of a song,” she said, “a song I once sang for Sir Tiuri. Also about a knight who…” She did not complete her sentence but looked at Tiuri, her eyes gleaming. “About Edwinem of Forèstèrra, do you remember? I thought of a verse I did not sing for you.

  The slopes, they are so high and steep,

  deep and dark the gorge below,

  rough and grey the rocky cliffs,

  with lofty peaks of bright white snow –

  as white as the shield of Forèstèrra…

  She paused for a moment before continuing:

  as white as the shield of Sir Tiuri the good,

  who with Piak, his friend and squire,

  sought out the secrets of the dark Wild Wood.

  “There,” she said, “now I can sing it for you, too. Farewell, Tiuri. Have a good journey and take care… until we meet again.” Her voice trembled, but she did not cry.

  Tiuri did not concern himself anymore with Tehalon. He put his arms around her, kissed her and said, “Thank you, Lavinia… and farewell to you, too, until we meet again. I will return… for your glove… and for more than that.”

  For a moment, they held each other tightly as if they would never let go. Tiuri was unspeakably happy and deeply sad at the same time. But he knew he could not have one without the other.

  11 TEHALON’S SECRET

  Soon Tiuri and Piak were moving westwards through the forest. They took it in turns to ride Ardanwen, while the Master of the Wild Wood went ahead of them.

  “Every step takes us closer to the mountains!” said Piak. “We’ll be up there in a couple of days. I’d never have expected to go climbing again so soon.”

  “But it’s not like before,” said Tiuri, “when you knew every path and could avoid every danger.”

  “Oh, but I’m always at home in the mountains,” said Piak. “I can just smell any dangers in the air! And I have a friend beside me who knows how to handle a sword. Sir Tiuri is his name!”

  Tehalon looked back at them now and then, but he did not speak.

  “I wish he’d smile for once, or cry, or look angry,” Piak whispered to Tiuri. “I almost feel like sticking my tongue out at him, just to see if he’d show any sign of surprise.”

  “Shhh,” said Tiuri.

  “He knows everything I say, anyway,” replied Piak. “I feel like he can hear everything, even if we don’t say it out loud. But I’m sure he doesn’t care what we say. I know I talk nonsense, but sometimes I have to say something, even if I don’t really know what I’m talking about.”

  Tiuri smiled; he understood what his friend meant.

  By the afternoon they’d reached the Green Grottos, in the foothills of the Great Mountains. The caves were at different heights, with paths winding up to the lowest ones, but those at the top could only be reached by climbing a rope ladder.

  “What a wonderful place to live!” said Piak, his eyes roaming around the slopes with their birches and pine trees, and patches of green grass between. There was a lookout post and a Man in Green up there, who waved in greeting. From the caves and from the slopes came more people dressed in green – mainly women and children. They looked curiously at the strangers. Tehalon raised a hand and briefly spoke to them in his own language. Then most of them left.

  “You must regret that you cannot stay here longer,” Tehalon said to Tiuri and Piak. “This is our home, a better place to live than any castle or town.”

  “Like the Forgotten City,” said Piak thoughtfully.

  “That is a place we would not want to live. It is good that it has been forgotten. You have been there, haven’t you? And while you were there did you consider that every city will one day fall, perish, or be destroyed?”

  “But perhaps it will be rebuilt,” whispered Piak.

  Tehalon did not reply. “Here we live in safety and happiness,” he said. Then he placed his hand on Ardanwen’s neck and continued, “Soon you will have to say farewell to your horse, Tiuri, because you cannot take him along the hidden path. But he can stay here and graze on the meadows above. My daughters and grandson will take care of him, and they will not ride him if you do not wish them to.”

  “Thank you, my lord,” said Tiuri. He was not particularly fond of the Master of the Wild Wood, but he was sure Ardanwen would be in good hands until he returned.

  “Then follow me now,” said Tehalon. “I wish to depart at midnight, so we shall eat soon and go early to bed.”

  He took them up one of the winding paths, past caves where many
people peered out at them, and then climbed a rope ladder to the highest cave, his home.

  The cave was large and simply furnished, like a hermit’s cell. Pine needles were scattered on the floor, so that the room smelt, as Piak put it, “really green”.

  Dark openings led to other caves. Tehalon told them there was a whole network of caverns and passageways, and that nearly all the caves were connected. “We have water,” he said, “and a supply of food. If necessary, we could withstand a siege.”

  “Do you think that will happen?” asked Tiuri.

  “No,” said Tehalon. “But if you return here, you will not know this place as it has always been.”

  He went to stand in the mouth of the cave and looked out for a while over the land he called his own, the green forests between hills and river.

  “Whatever happens,” he said, “no matter who wins or loses – our days are numbered.” He looked at them; there was still no emotion on his face, but his voice sounded melancholy. “Our realm, as it was, is over,” he said. “But that too was written in the stars – and I see now that I can no longer resist the change.”

  Tiuri and Piak remained silent. What could they have said?

  “And so I shall give you something, before it gets dark,” continued the Master of the Wild Wood. “A secret I did not wish to reveal at first. But it would be bad if I did not, as it is a legacy handed down from my forefather who came from the Kingdom of Unauwen. Perhaps I was given this knowledge only so that I might pass it on to you now.”

  He went to an old chest, which he opened with a bronze key, and, after some digging around, he took out a number of yellowing documents. “Letters and writings of the first Lord of the Tarnburg,” he said.

  They sat on the floor, with Tehalon in the middle. He spread out the documents in front of him; they were covered with spidery, faded letters.

  “This is the old language, of course,” said Tehalon. “Listen and I shall tell you what it says. It is about Vorgóta, which is the name of the river, the forest, and the first castle on the other side of the mountains.”