"You need to pay more attention to those behind you, boy."
"A wise piece of advice," En-Don agreed, laughing and stifling a cough. A trickle of blood dripped from his nose. "I will take your observations under advisement."
"Good," the wizard huffed.
Ka-Ron turned prayerful eyes to those of the wizard's. He was never one to lie. And, try as Keeth might, he could not hide the look of panic rising upon his features.
"There's nothing I can do for him." the wizard stated. "He needs the services of a Wicca Master."
"There are none in these parts," Ka-Ron cried.
"Ka-Ron&" Keeth's emotions got the better of him. He started to shake. His voice was barely below that of a whisper. "I am sorry."
The dark clouds settled atop the Argo.
Keeth's eyes turned skyward. The wizard's face became puzzled. "This is something," the old man stated, slowly rising.
Lightening flashed outward, striking the spaces between the Imperial Guard and the wooden ship. Winds began to rise and all but rain seemed to be thrust upon them.
All eyes turned to Keeth.
"This is not of my doing," the wizard boldly stated.
The storm began to rise.
Again, the lightening flashes danced around the Argo. Whatever elfish forces that had been standing near the wooden vessel left, giving the thing all the room it wanted. No one in their right mind could argue with a bolt of energy and hope to win the battle.
Another bright flash blinded all.
Something had changed.
"Where are all the elves?" Dorian asked.
Everyone soon noticed that all the Imperial Guardsmen were gone. All that remained were the crew of the Argo. The only elves on board were Rohan and Rolmore.
Dorian, upon seeing that Rohan was alone upon deck, took up a sword and cut her lover's chains with one brutal assault. Rolmore, soon set free, thanked the little creature with a kind embrace.
"What is all of this?" Rohan asked.
"One does not look a gift-sheep in the mouth," Dorian stated, kissing the elf.
No one seemed to have noticed that the crew had grown by one.
Kai stood upon the bridge of the Argo.
"What a wonderful ship," the Wicca Master stated.
Keeth, upon seeing Kai, immediately started his attack. Powerful beams of energy shot forth from his hands, hitting the woman.
Kai raised up a hand, blocking everything.
"Wizard," she calmly stated, "I mean you no harm."
As quickly as he had attacked, Keeth retreated. Upon his face was a startling look of confusion.
"As before, I am not here, my friends," Kai stated. "However, I seem to have arrived too late to help you with your little war. No matter. In any case, I am here to help, nonetheless."
"Why?" the wizard demanded. "All you have offered so far is misery. Why the good shepherd now?"
Kai's features softened.
"Because, I am beyond my mourning, and I have seen the pain I have caused." The Wicca Master's eyes concentrated upon Ka-Ron.
The knight was not brave.
For the first time in her life, she knew how a coward felt. So terrified was she at how Kai could further ruin her life, that the woman urinated down both her legs. The knight turned to Jatel and hid behind him. The squire, in his shock, stood stupefied.
"Save me from her, Jatel," Ka-Ron pleaded. "She only seeks to make life more miserable. I cannot take it anymore. Please, hide me."
Kai gazed upon what she had done to the knight. Once brave and stout among all men. Once the fearful force capable of keeping the Xows at bay. Now, reduced to pissing all over herself and hiding behind a squire.
This was all her fault.
"Wizard," Kai softly stated.
Keeth was all attention.
"Is your craft seaworthy?"
"I believe so." Keeth shrugged. "There was some explosive damage at the bow, but I believe that only to be with the ship's weapons."
"Good. Listen to me. I am still within the confines of The Fire Mountains. I shall provide you with a vortex, whose destination will take you beyond the Tyming Seas and close to the township of Ur."
Keeth went over the directions in his mind. "That is close."
"Upon your arrival, hurry with great haste to my hut. There I will do what I can for the boy."
Ka-Ron was a nervous wreck. She continued to cry out loud.
"I am responsible, wizard." Kai's features turned soft. Her eyes stated it honestly.
Keeth believed her. "Life offers us all the tools we need for forgiveness," he said.
"Quite." The Wicca Master gazed out upon the people of the elfin nation. "There is great evil at work here, wizard. In time, we of the sacred arts will need to help these people."
"But not today."
"No, wizard," Kai's face filled with regret. "Not today."
Kai disappeared from the ship.
The crew was now quite alone.
Jatel tried to calm Ka-Ron down.
***
Rakamore did all that he could to halt the Argo's escape.
Once the vortex opened, the wizard turned the ship around, and drove it through.
Nooooooooo!
Upon seeing the ship disappear, King Rakamore killed over twenty thousand of his people. Just to make a point.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
Within the beat of their hearts, the Argo was enveloped, transported, and dropped back into the ever-churning waters of the ocean. The glowing vortex disappeared faster than it had first appeared. Keeth later stated that most magic seemed to work quicker, when it was in the vicinity of the wizard who had evoked it.
"Ocean ahoy!" Jatel yelled, spitting water from his mouth. The squire was completely soaked by an oncoming wave.
The wizard responded, pulling and lifting levers.
The amazing "tracks" pulled up into the ship, closing the hull. Trap doors sprang to life, allowing the ship's tall masts to unfold and beam brightly in the twin suns. Another flip of a switch and the cloth sails unfurled, filling instantly with reliable propulsion. They were underway again!
"Ah! It is good to feel the buoyancy of the watery green under us again." the wizard huffed, turning the ship into the wind.
"I have missed the waves, myself, wizard," Jatel stated, securing the ship's rigging lines.
Out on the main deck, Ka-Ron stood troubled. Everyone knew that she had been deeply embarrassed by her reaction when she had last seen Kai, but none judged her. Anyone who had been made to suffer as much as she had, by one individual, could have performed even more badly. But, Ka-Ron was a knight of the blood. She was born to combat fear, not to cower like an animal about to be slaughtered.
Ka-Ron's face was covered with both tears and shame. She ran to hide in her cabin.
Keeth gave Jatel a sympathetic glance.
"You have a great matter of your own magic to weave, squire." the wizard stated, securing the ship's wheel.
"This I know, wizard."
Shaking his head, Jatel headed off to face his master.
The battle ahead would not be a pleasant one for him.
Delivering the truth often wasn't.
***
"Close the door, please."
Ka-Ron winced as the bright rays of the suns lit up the cabin. Only Jatel's form, blocking the brightest of the two suns, had kept the knight from raising her hand for protection.
"Master, I have come for your counsel," Jatel stated, his voice formal.
Ka-Ron glared at the man, sad. "Jatel, I believe I instructed you never to refer to me as "master."
"In this conversation, the title fits, sire."
"Proceed," Ka-Ron surrendered.
The squire closed the door, as ordered. He watched as the woman he had come to love, and the master he had served faithfully all of his life, sit in darkness and condemn herself for her cowardice. How could he go forward and not cross his line of servitude? What he had to state required passion
and independent observations. To do so, however, was a breach of the social order.
But, gazing at Ka-Ron's cheeks, seeing the stream of tears, feeling her shame and pain, and knowing of her love, he thought, To hell with society.
"Ka-Ron," Jatel said, sitting next to her upon the bed. "You judge yourself too hard."
"I was a babbling coward out there, Jatel," the knight cried. "In front of all our friends, I betrayed my honor, my house, and my king."
Jatel took hold of the woman's hand. "Look at me, sire," he ordered.
"Amongst the ranks of your friends, Ka-Ron, you are an unequaled success. Your house has never stood on more solid ground. As for your king, sire, I honestly believe that even he could not have endured what you have." He placed a hand upon his master's shoulder, which caused Ka-Ron to brush it with her cheek. "You have nothing to be ashamed of."
The knight stopped her crying. She tried, quite hard, to maintain a forced smile.
"How is our son?"
Jatel's face showed momentary sorrow.
"Keeth thinks him able to travel."
"Travel?" Ka-Ron's eyes contracted with confusion.
"We are only cycles away from The Fire Mountains, sire."
Ka-Ron looked up at her cabin's porthole in surprise.
"Yes, sire," Jatel stated, laughing. "Kai actually helped us in our escape. She is ready to forgive you. All is indeed quite well."
"Then our quest is almost over?" she asked.
Jatel nodded yes.
Ka-Ron gave her squire a hug.
"Then I am to be a man again?"
Jatel softly pulled away and said nothing. This did not escape the knight's attention.
"It is all for the best, Jatel."
"Yes, sire." He bowed.
Both sat on the bed for quite some time, just listening to the pitch and roll of the ship. Neither wanted to be the one who broke the silence.
After a while, however, Jatel just got up and left the room.
Ka-Ron was alone again, battling with her thoughts.
"To be a man again," the knight softly whispered.
***
The Fire Mountains had been named appropriately. A long chain of volcanic mountains, they were enveloped by a bluish flame, which never seemed to lose its energy. It was rumored that the chain of mountains had been accidentally set aflame by an ancient wizard. So, as a matter of payback, a Wicca Master had always been stationed there to help out the populace.
The Argo set her course to follow the northern ridge, leading them soon to the docks of Ur.
Molly had worked hard to keep En-Don comfortable. She had placed cool towels of water upon his forehead, kept him happy with wine, and offered both love and attention when they were needed. Dorian helped where she could, by offering comfort to Molly.
En-Don did not look well. His pallor and weak state made him worse than he actually was, but fighting the pain had drained his energy to the point where he could no longer afford to pay attention to the messages coming from his body. So, with great bravery, the young man just lay there.
Ka-Ron entered the room quietly, having defeated her own demons.
"Molly?"
The red headed woman darted to her feet upon seeing En-Don's mother enter the room. The knight softly motioned Molly to relax. She returned to the tending of the young man.
"How is he?" Ka-Ron asked.
"He comes and goes," Molly explained, changing out his bandages for fresh ones. "I fear his energy is low."
"Keeth states that he is well enough for travel."
"The wizard hopes for much, I think."
"He is a kind man who means well." Reaching for a wet cloth, Ka-Ron applied it to En-Don's forehead.
En-Don stirred.
"Mother?"
"I am here, son."
The young man fought to open his eyes. Even this simple act was not unlike a war to him. Upon his noticing his mother, he brightened and smiled. He was surprised, however, to discover both Molly and Ka-Ron in the same room together.
"How goes everything?" En-Don asked, his brow showing signs of curiosity. He coughed up some blood. Both women did their best to clean up the regurgitated stream.
Molly's hands shook. Ka-Ron calmed them. "Do not let him see you so, child." the knight whispered.
Molly nodded. She was quite surprised at the genuine affection shown by the knight.
"We are approaching The Fire Mountains, my son," Ka-Ron announced, beaming.
En-Don shook his head with pride. "Then your quest is near its end?"
"Yes."
"That is good," the young man struggled to say, fighting the pain. A lone tear streaked down his face. "For what is a knight without her faithful quest?"
"To you, my son, I am your mother, first and foremost."
"Aye," En-Don softly said. He surprised Molly by grabbing her hand, and startled the knight by placing the woman's hand into hers. "I wish you two to call a truce. Let there be peace."
The young man moaned a little and drifted off into sleep.
Ka-Ron and Molly stared at each other.
"I will never be able to forgive the way I attacked your squire," Molly had started to say, feeling totally awkward and open. "But I meant no real harm. It was either attack him or suffer an agonizing death."
"You are right," Ka-Ron stated, holding back a hard smile. "I will never be able to forgive."
Molly closed her eyes.
"But I can learn to forget."
The redhead gasped in surprise when Ka-Ron placed her hands upon her shoulder. "I would be the first to state, that most of my son's happiness is because he had the honor to know you. For that, I am eternally grateful. You are welcome in my household, and, from this day onward, you'll be like a sister in my eyes."
Molly and Ka-Ron found themselves hugging.
"It is done," the knight concluded, accepting his new family member.
There was a soft knock upon the door.
It was Jatel.
The squire was pleased to see the two women in a touching embrace. He was quite sure that should all this have happened when Ka-Ron was a man, his old master would have never forgiven Molly. Something had changed in the knight. Perhaps, the squire mused, it was the simple miracle of motherhood. Wherever, or whatever her motivation, he thanked the gods for it.
"Yes, squire?" Ka-Ron asked formally.
The use of protocol set the man aback. It had been quite sometime since the knight had addressed Jatel so.
"The wizard has informed me that we will be docking soon," Jatel said, his voice calm but sad. "Both Rohan and Rolmore have stated that they will carry En-Don's gurney." There was a long pause. "All is well."
"Very good," Ka-Ron replied, nodding. "See to our needs."
"At once." Jatel bowed, closing the door.
Molly could not believe what she just saw.
"Why do you talk to him so?" she asked.
"The quest is almost at its end, Molly." Ka-Ron explained. "He is to be my squire again, and that is all. Once I have been turned back into a man, I can put all of this behind me as a terrible nightmare."
"He loves you." Molly huffed.
"He loves this woman that I am, Molly," the knight explained, rising to her feet. "There is a difference."
"I seem to remember you loving him once or twice during our travels."
Ka-Ron paused, in mid-step. She shook off the comment as fast as she heard it. "It was all the manner of the curse, my dear. It's time to pick up the pieces, seek forgiveness from Kai, and move on."
"What of En-Don?" Molly protested, her voice gaining volume. "If your love with Jatel were false, what of your son? He is the fruit of that love."
Ka-Ron wanted to turn and face the woman. She wanted to slap her, and remind her that as a member of her house, Molly had no right to question the motivations of a knight.
En-Don moaned, shifting slightly in his bunk. It was obvious that the man was having a bad dream.
Ka-Ron smil
ed down at him.
She had a lot to consider, and Molly had only added to the matter.
"Molly, I was not meant to be this way. I was born a man."
"We are who we are," Molly retorted.
The knight paused and patted the woman on the shoulder.
"Again, I thank you."
Ka-Ron left Molly alone with her love. The woman could not bring herself to accept Ka-Ron's logic. She had seen the pain in Jatel's eyes. She could see the questioning in Ka-Ron's. Her only puzzlement in the matter was why they couldn't see the pain that they were inflicting upon each other.
In any case, Molly prepared En-Don for his journey.
***
The Argo dropped anchor at the docks. The township of Ur was within one sun's walk.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
"The sailors I talked with stated that Ur is just beyond those cliffs in the distance, about a sun's walk," the wizard explained.
Jatel felt almost normal riding again upon the back of a horse. He missed his horse left back home, and knew that soon he would be sleeping next to the stubborn beast, once this adventure came to its end. He could hardly believe that the quest was almost over.
The squire's sad glance caught the eye of the wizard.
"What troubles thee, son?" Keeth asked, showing some difficulty in steering his horse.
"Ka-Ron has accepted the fact that all this will soon end."
"Of course it will end," the wizard huffed. "That is the nature of the universe. There is a beginning, a middle, and an end. So, what is the trouble?"
"Squire," Ka-Ron insisted. "I am in need of some drink, please."
"That is my problem, wizard."
Jatel broke ranks, and allowed others to pass him by. Upon spotting Ka-Ron, who stayed at the back of the entourage for En-Don's sake, the squire rode with his master. Ka-Ron placed out an empty hand, and it was instantly filled with a cup of wine. Ka-Ron nodded in appreciation, for Jatel was quite good at his job.
The wizard understood.
"How soon they forget," he huffed.
Having waited until Ka-Ron was finished, Jatel took the empty glass and rode back ahead.
"Tell me, son that you are not going to blindly let that woman forget who she has become?" Keeth's eyes turned furious.
The Misadventures of Ka-Ron the Knight Page 44
