The Orchard of Hope

by Amy Neftzger

  “We all have our standards,” Kelsey said wearily. She was feeling weak and looking forward to a hot meal and some rest. It might have been the healing that took it out of her, but she’d never felt so tired after a battle. This was an odd situation for her. She usually felt energized after a fight. However, today she felt light-headed. As she listened to the conversation, her vision blurred for a moment, but she shook it off. It was no time to be tired, at least not yet. She had a job to finish.

  “Do you think the pack will agree to this arrangement?” Maggie inquired of Bardou. “Will you talk to them?”

  “I can ask,” he replied. “Wolves are not farmers, but the prospect of getting all the hope they need may be appealing to them. It will take some convincing.”

  “I’m sure the Brothers of Discipline will be more than happy to teach the pack how to cultivate the crop,” Maggie said. “It’s in everyone’s best interest.”

  Bardou nodded and trotted back to the pack to deliver the message. He conversed with the group for several hours, pacing back and forth and answering questions that the wolves posed to him. Maggie and Kelsey watched from a distance, observing that the conversation became quite heated at times.

  After the first few minutes of monitoring the wolves’ debate among themselves, Kelsey sat down on the ground and propped her back against a tree. She invited Maggie to do the same. By this time they had all been awake for two days and were feeling exhausted from the combination of the battle and lack of sleep. Kelsey’s muscles were aching, and the pain in her hand was severe.

  While they were waiting for the wolves to finish their discussion, the Sisters of Mercy came out to the edge of the orchard and set the bone in Kelsey’s hand. Kelsey watched Bardou continue to negotiate with the pack and paid little attention to the nurse bandaging her hand. After a short time, her hand was tightly wrapped with a splint to prevent further injury. Kelsey looked down at it.

  “This is inconvenient,” she said.

  “It’s more annoying to have a hand that doesn’t work properly for the rest of your life,” the nurse replied. “A short period of inconvenience is worth the trouble.”

  “It still hurts an awful lot,” Kelsey said.

  “And it will for quite some time. We don’t stock pain medication here. This isn’t a hospital.” The nurse abruptly walked away once she had finished speaking.

  As the discussion continued, Kelsey could see some of the wolves were restless, and their leader had to work to keep them calm and agreeable. Kelsey dozed off briefly from exhaustion a few times, but she awoke again each time that she heard the noise of the wolves disputing. There was a lot of waiting and discussion, and everyone was tense. Bardou finally turned away from the wolves and trotted slowly back to where Kelsey and Maggie were sitting.

  “They don’t trust you,” Bardou said wearily.

  “But they trust you,” Kelsey responded, “Don’t they?”

  “Some of them. The others think I’ve gone soft and lost my edge. Almost all of them like the idea of getting our own hope, but quite a few think you’re attempting to trick us.”

  “That’s understandable,” Maggie replied. “They’ve been fighting with the brothers and sisters for so long, and trust doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to build it.”

  “We don’t have time,” Kelsey interjected.

  “But we do have the trust of some of the pack,” Bardou insisted. “And I think I can sway the rest of them to at least try this solution, but as I was talking with them I realized that I don’t fully understand how I changed my mind on the situation. It’s confusing.”

  “It was a spell,” Kelsey explained. “When my knife cut into your skin it also cut through the magic and the spell lost its hold on you.”

  “That’s a fine tool to have,” Bardou said with a hint of awe in his voice.

  “It’s been very useful,” Kelsey agreed.

  “Will the wolves understand that they’re under a spell?” Maggie asked.

  “Some will, but I could’t see that it was a spell until it was broken. While the other wolves are still under the enchantment, I don’t think they will see clearly,” Bardou answered.

  “Then we should build on the trust you already have with them,” Maggie said firmly, “and begin creating a relationship of trust with us and with the residents of the abby.”

  “Wolves are loyal,” Bardou responded. “But they’re also loyal to their convictions. They’ll want to see everything with their eyes.”

  “If that’s what it will take, then that’s what we’ll do,” Kelsey announced.

  “I don’t see another choice,” Bardou responded.

  He led the two girls over to the pack, moving slowly but keeping his head high and his stance tall. He paused before speaking to make sure that all the wolves were looking directly at him. Once he was assured of their attention, he began to address the group.

  “Trust must begin somewhere,” Bardou announced. “we wolves are a noble breed and will begin this process by listening.” He then motioned for Maggie to begin speaking.

  “I understand why you don’t trust the residents of the abby,” Maggie said. “I don’t blame you. There has been much misunderstanding on both sides of this issue. However, you have no reason not to trust us. Kelsey and I are working to help you. We’re going to have the brothers make cuttings from these trees while you observe them. Then you’ll carry those same cuttings home with you. The cuttings will never be out of your sight during the entire process so there’s no danger of anyone switching them for other plants.”

  “What if the cuttings die? What if the abby residents don’t help us to grow them?” one of the wolves shouted. “What then?”

  “Then you’re no worse off then you are right now, and you will have taken the more noble path of giving us a chance. You know where the source of hope is located, and if the abby doesn’t hold up their end of the deal, then your attacks on it will be more justified than they are now,” Kelsey answered. “As it is, you’re currently stealing what was never promised to you.” She paused for them to silently consider her words for a moment, and then she continued, “Talk among yourselves and give us an answer.”

  When she finished speaking the last sentence, Kelsey turned to walk away. Although she was moving slowly, she had to pause and regain her balance several times because of her fatigue. She eventually made it back to the tree where she and Maggie had been sitting earlier, and she leaned against the sturdy trunk as she waited. For another ten minutes the wolves spoke in low tones so that they could not be overheard, but it appeared that Kelsey’s statement had swayed them. Bardou returned to deliver the news that the wolves were accepting the terms.

  “That was brilliant of you to appeal to their sense of nobility,” Bardou said with admiration.

  “There’s not much that can’t be accomplished when we work together,” Maggie replied. They started the process of making cuttings from the trees and placing them within full view of the wolves, who watched everything with interest.

  It took almost a full day for the bird Roland sent to reach the castle and deliver the message. However, as soon as he had received it, Nicholas was present with them.

  “What’s going on?” Nicholas asked. “Is everyone OK?”

  “We’re fine,” Kelsey said.

  “You’re not fine,” Nicholas replied. “I can tell. Something is wrong.”

  “I’m injured, but we can worry about that later. Right now we have a problem to solve, and we think you can help.’

  “The hawk only told me that you were negotiating with the wolves and needed me. I’m not sure what I can do.”

  Maggie quickly explained the terms of the negotiation and asked Nicholas if he could start the cuttings growing. Nicholas turned to Moss, who had joined him scrying, and asked if he was capable of doing what Maggie was requesting.

  “Of course you can do this. I was just talking about paths and growth. This is the perfect lesson!”

&nb
sp; “Who is that?” Kelsey asked.

  “This is Moss, my instructor,” Nicholas said. “He arrived at the castle after you left.”

  “We need to create a path of trust and growth,” Moss explained. He shouted instructions to the Brothers of Discipline about how to arrange the cuttings so that they were near Maggie and Kelsey, the two people Nicholas knew best.

  The brothers arranged the cuttings in a tight circle around the girls, who were still sitting on the ground leaning against a tree.

  “You’re exhausted,” Nicholas said. “I can feel it.”

  “Yes, I am,” Kelsey agreed. “We’ll get some rest before we make the journey back to the castle. Right now, though, we need to solve the issue at hand.”

  “There are four hands,” Moss said. “Nicholas has two, and I have two. We’re going to work together.”

  Moss gave Nicholas instructions, and the two of them began to work on growing the cuttings into small trees with roots. Kelsey could feel the energy flowing around her, and it made her feel thirsty for healing. She wanted some of that energy to flow through herself and take away the pain she was feeling.

  “It’s like healing,” Moss explained. “We’re creating a condition of health and advancement. It’s a natural state for the trees, but we’re speeding it up.”

  Moss gave Nicholas a few more instructions, and Kelsey watched the cuttings slowly sprout tiny nubs of roots that branched out and continued to extend and grow into a network of spaghetti-like strands. The tops of the cuttings grew branches that eventually sprouted leaves. She noticed that the tree she was leaning against also grew slightly with the cuttings, and when it was over, the trunk was thicker than when they started. However, her hand was untouched. It still hurt terribly. The spell had affected only the trees in the orchard.

  The entire process took about an hour, but the wolves continued to watch carefully. They were captivated by the rapid growth of the cuttings.

  Once Nicholas and Moss had finished growing the cuttings, Bardou lined up the wolves. They each took a sapling in their mouths, as if the tree were a large stick, and carried it off with their chests held high, like a graduate receiving a diploma. It was an orderly process. When the last of the saplings had been taken away, Bardou paused to say goodbye.

  “Most of them don’t understand what just happened,” he said to Maggie, who stood up to say goodbye.

  “They don’t need to understand. They only need to believe that their needs will be met,” she replied.

  “I’ll work with them for now,” Bardou assured her, “but eventually we’ll need to find a way to break the spell; otherwise, they may begin fighting again. They don’t know any better.”

  “The sorcerer has been tricking them,” Nicholas interjected. “He goes by the name of Mr. Crane.”

  “I often have dreams about a crane,” Bardou said. “All the wolves have a dream about this bird.”

  “Does that dream involve the crane saving your life?”

  “Yes!” Bardou exclaimed. “Do you have this dream, also?”

  “No, but I’ve heard the sorcerer tell the story. It’s about a wolf who has a bone stuck in his throat and a crane uses his long beak to remove the bone. The sorcerer always stops telling the story at this point and adds that the wolf is in debt to the crane for saving his life. Your dream isn’t real. The sorcerer planted it there through his stories and made it look real.”

  “This is an example of a pathway that leads away,” Moss interjected. “The story is a powerful spell that obscures the truth.”

  “What is he talking about?” Maggie asked.

  “It’s part of my lessons,” Nicholas answered and then turned to Moss. “Can we break it?”

  “Of course,” Moss replied. “But it will take time. Based on what we’ve seen of the crane’s operation, this will take some careful planning. We may need additional help.”

  “In the meantime, Bardou,” Nicholas said, “Remember that Mr. Crane is telling only a part of the story to try to convince you of what he wants you to think. He didn’t save all of you; the story is about another wolf at another time. In the full story, the wolf also spared the crane’s life and didn’t eat the bird once the bone was removed. That was how the wolf repaid the favor.”

  “How ungrateful,” Bardou replied.

  “Yes,” Nicholas agreed. “Nevertheless, the truth is that the sorcerer has convinced you that this story is about you, when it is not.”

  “Clever,” Bardou replied.

  “You don’t owe him anything. However, convincing your pack of this will take some time. We’re going to work on breaking that spell, but it’s going to be difficult and will take us some time.”

  “I appreciate your assistance.”

  “You’ve already paid quite a bit for a debt that you never owed. One day you’ll be completely free from the sorcerer’s spell. We all will be.”

  “I hope so,” Bardou replied.

  “But for now, you have all the hope you need,” Maggie added.

  “You can continue to hope until those cuttings make that hope a reality,” Kelsey said as she abruptly stood up. She was about to walk over to Bardou and shake his paw when she felt dizzy and staggered a few steps. Then she fell over, unconscious.

  Chapter

  24

  Going Home

  Kelsey woke up in a bed inside the abbey. She felt feverish. The Sisters of Mercy had given her some medicine, but it wasn’t strong enough for whatever was ailing her. The sisters only worked with herbs and didn’t have the more powerful ones on hand. Kelsey looked around the room and saw Maggie sitting next to her bed.

  “How long have I been asleep?” Kelsey asked.

  “Two days,” Maggie replied.

  “Did Bardou leave?”

  “Yes. We’ve been busy since then. Nicholas asked me to find the weed you stepped on during the battle. So I searched the orchard, and I found one – or one like it – to bring home to him so that he can examine it. We’ve also cleaned up the orchard, and we’ve already buried the dead, also.”

  “Good,” Kelsey replied. She disliked taking care of such loose ends after a battle. The Brothers of Discipline were an organized and efficient group, and Kelsey respected this quality in them.

  Kelsey looked around the room. Her throat was parched, and she saw a glass of water sitting on the table next to her. As she reached for it, Maggie came forward and supported her head as she drank. Kelsey realized how weak she had become, and it made her afraid. This was the first time since she had been an infant that she couldn’t take care of herself, and she had almost no memories of that time in her life. She reclined again on her soft bed, feeling the warmth of the covers as she did so.

  “Maggie, I didn’t think the king knew what he was doing when he sent you on this trip. I thought he was sending me to save hope, to fight for it. I thought you were joining me on my journey. Now I know that this was really your mission. The king sent me to escort you here so that you could restore hope for everyone.”

  “I didn’t restore hope. I simply negotiated so that everyone could have some hope.”

  “It really was the better solution. I’m sorry that I almost got in the way.” Kelsey thought about Sister Clementine. She had gotten in the way from the other side of the argument, and it had cost her her life. If Kelsey had proceeded with the battle, it’s possible that she might have died also. She knew this.

  “You don’t have to apologize,” Maggie insisted.

  “Yes, I do. I get too focused on my missions, and I forget that we’re all working together. Thank you for what you did. You talked to the wolves and came up with an answer. If it had been up to me, there would be a lot more lives lost and hope would still be eaten alive. You made a difference.”

  “Now I know you’re running a fever,” Maggie said with a smile. “You need to get something to eat and to rest. We’re planning to leave tomorrow morning if you feel well enough. Some of the Brothers of Discipline have volunteered t
o come along to carry you.”

  “No!” Kelsey shouted. “I’ll feel better by then.”

  “Do you think you’ll be able to walk?”

  “Yes,” Kelsey said as she nodded vigorously, although she really wasn’t sure. However, the thought of being carried was too humiliating for her. “I may not be as quick as I normally am, but I can walk.”

  “If you need help, we can get it,” Maggie offered.

  “No,” Kelsey replied firmly. Maggie quickly glanced up and down Kelsey’s tired form and made the decision not to push the matter.

  “Nicholas and Megan tried to heal you from the castle, but they can’t heal effectively without being able to touch you. It’s a different process from growing plants or casting spells. Healing is more personal. They tried a few things, but we’ll need to get you back to the castle so that they can work on repairing your broken hand and the scar on your arm.”

  “It’s just a mark,” Kelsey replied as she looked down at the flower petal on her forearm.

  “No, it’s not,” Maggie said. “It’s a spell. It was too complicated to explain via scrying, but the king wants you back at the castle as soon as possible. Moss and Nicholas think they know what caused the scar, but they want to examine you and the plant to be sure.”

  “Then we’ll leave in the morning. We shouldn’t waste time.”

  “Megan gave the Sisters of Mercy a recipe to strengthen you. It took a while for them to locate the necessary ingredients. They had to barter with some of the merchants in town, but they’ve been working on it for the past day. It should be ready by the time we leave.”

  “Perfect,” Kelsey replied with a smile. The thought about returning to the castle was a welcome one. She was ready to go back to the place she now thought of as home.

  “I’ll see about getting you some food so that we can build up your strength while we’re waiting for the medicine,” Maggie said as she stood up.

  “You really were great with the wolves,” Kelsey said. “I never knew how powerful words could be.”

  “I wouldn’t have had the chance to talk with the wolves if you hadn’t spoken up at the meeting,” Maggie replied. “You got me that chance. We both did our jobs.”