The Path to the Sun (The Fallen Shadows Trilogy)

by Kimberli Bindschatel

  Roh glowered. “And by that you mean, He will guide you, and we are to follow you? Is that it?”

  “My father told me—”

  “Your father’s not here. Aldwyn told us to do this together. He didn’t say anything about following you.”

  Deke clenched his teeth. “But I will recognize the signs.”

  “And how is that? Do you know something you’re not telling us? Something in the Script?”

  “I do,” Kiran blurted.

  “You do what?” asked Roh, his eyes still on Deke.

  Kiran fumbled through his muddy pack and held the scroll out before him. The pounding of the rain echoed through the cave. Kiran faltered, the weight of their eyes bearing down on him. “Aldwyn gave me this scroll before I left,” he said, his voice crackling like dry wood on the fire.

  After a long moment, Roh said, “Why do you think he gave it to you?”

  “He, uh, he said it would guide us.”

  “How is that?” Roh asked, his gaze intense, as if he could extract the truth by his stare alone. “Only Elders can read the scrolls.”

  Kiran hesitated. He knew he must trust Aldwyn. He would have known the others would learn their secret. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I can read it. Aldwyn taught me to scribe.”

  “What!” Deke bellowed, his voice thin. “But you’re not even a Toran! I haven’t even been taught to scribe yet. First, you must graduate the Lessons, then go through the Rites, then earn a seat as an Elder, then you learn the Tongue of the Father. That is the Way!”

  Kiran stared at Deke. What could he say? The look Deke gave him was one of such fierce condemnation that for a long moment no one said anything.

  Kiran looked to Jandon for support, but he turned away. Kiran’s heart sank. Jandon was his best friend. But he had to keep this secret, even from him. He hoped Jandon would understand.

  “Wait a moment.” Deke narrowed his eyes. “You’re lying. The other Elders would never allow it.”

  Bria spoke up, “He’ll prove it one way or the other right now. Read it to us.”

  Kiran exhaled. Deke rocked back on his heels and crossed his arms, his eyes like daggers.

  “Go ahead, Kiran,” Jandon said. “Show us how special you are.”

  “The fact that Kiran has the Script here, and can read it, is a blessing,” said Bria.

  Kiran stared at his companions for a long moment before he pulled the leather mantle from the scroll. Roh quickly made a small torch and stood next to him, holding it so he could see to read. Kiran carefully unrolled the thick parchment. His mouth went dry as he stared at the ornate calligraphy, the elegant strokes of each letter. For a moment, it was as if he were seeing writing for the first time. He took a deep breath and began to translate aloud, slowly, determined to get it right. “When you have fallen into famine, and your well runs dry, when the ground is covered with thorns, do not despair.” He paused, searching his memory. He’d heard this before. The ground covered with thorns. Who had said that? Old Horan. In the temple. He had said those exact words.

  “What’s wrong? Can’t you read it?” asked Roh.

  “Oh, no. I can. I just… Never mind.” He continued translating, “Before you lies a long and perilous path. There is yet hope. Turn your eyes to the Great Father, and follow the path to the…” He tried to come up with the correct word. “…sun. For he who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

  “The path begins at the first gleam of dawn. Rejoice and do not look back, for nothing new is to be found there. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you, as the sun shines ever brighter.”

  “What does that mean?” Jandon interrupted.

  Roh waved the torch at him. “Let him finish.”

  Jandon frowned.

  “Do not hasten in your travels, for time is the essence of passage. Along your journey, the river will flow. Drink of it and be merry, for it is your salvation.”

  Kail’s blue eyes sparkled with hope. She clapped her hands together. “It's a river that we are looking for then!”

  Kiran cleared his throat. “Alas, you will be faced with a crossroads; choose the way less traveled. The way is an upward struggle, never take your eyes from the summit. On the hills remember Him, in the valleys He will remember you.

  “He who guards his way guards his life. Be mindful of the ways of the world about you. The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; The ears of the wise seek it out.”

  “So we head toward the setting sun.” It was Deke. “The river leads to a mountain. The dwelling place is at the summit on the edge of the world.”

  “Hold on,” Roh cautioned. “How can we be sure?”

  “That must be the way,” insisted Deke. “We look for the river first. It will take us to the mountain. Weren't you listening?”

  “I don’t believe it was that clear.”

  “That's because you don't know anything about Scripture. Look at you. You make torches from crap.”

  Roh thrust his jaw forward.

  Deke turned toward the others. “My father says, it is the glory of the Great Father to conceal, not for mere men to deliberate. We don’t question. Our duty is to act. As the Script decrees.”

  Roh turned his back on Deke and asked Kiran, “Is that all of the Script?”

  “No, there's more.” Kiran refocused his attention on the scroll. “When you reach the peak and stand on the edge of darkness, before you will be a great pool of glorious reflection. There a wise man will appear, wrinkled with time and crippled with wisdom. Listen to him, for his is the Voice of the Father.”

  “Is that it? Is that the whole thing?” Jandon asked. Kiran nodded. “Well, where's the part about choosing the Seventh Elder?”

  Bria piped up, “See, I told you. It's not there.”

  Deke moved next to her and glared, “Of course not. This is the Script of the Legend. It's in the Script of the Prophecy. But you don’t have that scroll, do you Kiran?”

  Kiran shook his head.

  “Well, then you’ll just have to trust me,” Deke said. “Now let’s get going.” He reached for the scroll. “I'll carry that from now on.”

  “No!” Kiran pulled away, a hot streak of anger rushing through him. “Aldwyn gave the scroll to me. I'll take care of it. And who made you the leader, anyway?”

  Deke sighed with pity. “What? Do you think because Aldwyn gave you the scroll that you are to be the Seventh Elder? You're not even a Toran. Obviously, he taught you to scribe to save himself toil. Don’t you see? You’re only here to record the tale of our journey. That’s what a scribe does.”

  Kiran backed down as if he’d been slapped.

  Bria stood next to Kiran and Roh, hands on her hips, glaring at Deke. “You assume too much. What makes you think we would follow you?”

  Deke leaned toward her, his brow furrowed, a wicked grin on his face. “I don't care what you do, girl, but we are on a quest.” He dug in his pocket and held out two flat, round rocks, each about two fingers wide. They were yellow-brown with a shimmer. “Oh, and I’m the only one with these.”

  “What are those?”

  Kiran had a large collection of stones and he’d never seen one like these.

  “Sacred stones, of course,” he said and shoved them back into his pocket. He turned to Bhau and Jandon. “Now get your boots on. We're leaving.”

  “What? It's still pouring!” Jandon said. Deke glared at him. Jandon plopped down to put on his boots.

  Deke turned to Kail. “You're coming with us.” Her eyes darted back and forth from Bria to Deke as she twirled her fingers in her long, blond hair. “Get your pack!” She jumped to her feet.

  “Leaving?” Roh said, a condescending edge to his voice. “Didn't the Script say not to hasten?” He turned to the others. “We should stay here where we are sheltered for the night. Who knows how the storm will turn.”

  “We’re not afraid of a little rain,” said De
ke. “The villagers are counting on us. We must get there before the next planting season. If you want to stick around here gazing at the scratches of savages on the wall, go right ahead. Do as you please.” He focused his dark eyes on Roh. “With a father like yours, I’m sure you always do.”

  Roh lunged at Deke, knocking him against the wall. Bria and Kail stared, mouths agape. Deke tried to jerk free. Roh had his hands wrapped around Deke’s neck, his eyes filled with rage. “You mention my father and those lies again and I'll cut your throat. Do you understand me?” he said, his voice a low snarl. Deke didn't move, didn't breathe. Roh’s grip tightened, his fingers taut. Deke nodded, his eyes wide. Roh shoved him away.

  Deke rubbed his throat and took several deep breaths. “Well,” he said, regaining his composure. “There’s no call to be violent.” He swung his pack over his shoulder. “Obviously, Roh is not a faithful follower of the Way.” He turned to Bria. “Get your pack.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you. Roh is right about the storm and you are just being a stubborn fool.”

  “Fine, stay here with…him.” He turned to Kiran. “C’mon, let’s go.”

  Kiran looked at Bria, defiant and strong. He wasn’t going anywhere without her. “They’re right, Deke.”

  Deke’s face burned red. Without another word, he turned in a huff and strode out of the cave. Kail looked to Bria then Roh then Kiran, then silently turned and followed Deke.

  Jandon hesitated, his eyes irresolute, as though he feared he had allied too soon. Bhau grabbed him by the arm and they were gone.

  Roh stoked the fire. “Finally, we’re rid of him,” he said with a satisfied grin.

  Chapter 7

  Roh sat down, stretched his legs out before him, and closed his eyes. Kiran and Bria hovered over the fire trying to ward off the chill. Kiran kept looking to the cave entrance, expecting Deke to walk back in at any moment.

  Bria whispered, “What do we do now?” Despite all of her confidence and strength, he saw fear in her eyes.

  He wanted to sound brave. He sat down. “Everything will be fine.”

  “Fine? Boys!” She threw her hands in the air and paced to the cave entrance and looked out. “Why is it that boys must always be boys?” She paced back to the fire. “By tomorrow, he’ll simmer down and all will be well. But he had to make a big show of it. I swear, if women led the races.”

  Kiran stared, speechless.

  “That arrogant fool!” she huffed. “I don’t blame Kail. What was she going to do? He certainly didn’t make it easy for her. I don’t know about Jandon, but Bhau would follow him over a cliff and never know what happened. Can you believe him?”

  Kiran swallowed hard.

  She paused. He waited.

  “We need to stay together. When I see Deke tomorrow, I’m going to give him a piece of my mind.” She exhaled with a loud huff. “Boys.” She plopped down next to him, drew her knees up like a child, and laid her chin on her knees. “But you’re not like him. You’re different,” she whispered. Her eyes met his. He wanted to tell her she was amazing, but the words stuck in his throat.

  Their eyes were fixed for a moment longer. Then she turned away.

  “I’m worried,” she sighed. “We should pray for them.”

  “With no Elder to lead us?” he asked, incredulous.

  “Well, I could be an Elder you know,” she said, fire in her eyes.

  “But you can’t.”

  “But I could. Nowhere in the Script or the Books or the Verses, not even in the Songs does it say women can’t be Elders. It’s just an old-fashioned tradition.” She was getting worked up again, her voice sharpened to an edge.

  The thought had never occurred to him—that a girl would dream of being an Elder too. Especially Bria. He rarely saw her at the Temple. He was confused and delighted and surprised all at once.

  “I don’t want to be a farmwife. I want my life to have meaning. I want to do something important. Just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean I am spiritually inept. And why was I chosen for this quest anyway? I can’t be an Elder, but I can traipse across the world and face the Voice of the Father? It doesn’t make sense.”

  The fire crackled and snapped in the silent space between them.

  “So, let’s pray,” she said finally. “You know the daily Verse. We can at least recite that together.”

  She took his hand in hers, and he smiled then, as he glanced toward Roh, still asleep against the wall.

  In a soft voice, she reached out to the Great Father and he joined her. At the end, she added, “Please watch over the others as they travel in haste to serve You. We are all merely innocent souls, blindly following Your command. Take care of our families back home, for they are at Your mercy.”

  When she was done, she laid her head on his shoulder and her hair spilled down his chest. He didn’t move a muscle. He stared into the fire, her hand still in his, her words on his mind. Bria was the first ordinary person he ever knew to pray aloud directly to the Great Father. It was bold. Maybe she is meant to be an Elder, he thought. He tried to picture Bria wearing the robes, but images of her dancing in her wet tunic crept into his thoughts, the soft, sensual curves of her body, now so close to his. He laid his head on hers, his lips touching her hair, and all he wanted was to savor the feeling forever.

  Thunder boomed outside, waking him. The fire had burned down to coals. Roh was sitting at the edge of the cave whittling the end of a large stick to a point. Kiran slipped away from Bria, laying her head down softly on his pack.

  He sat down next to Roh. The fog had lifted and lightning illuminated the forest in dramatic bursts. “Do you think they are all right back home?”

  “We have strong warriors,” Roh replied, as if he were expecting the question. “They fought protecting us. They’re counting on us. That's what you need to remember.”

  “But the rains have come. I thought—”

  Roh glanced at the rain, then stared at Kiran with a blank expression. “It doesn’t mean it is raining back home. On the other side of the mountains.”

  “What do you think of the prophecy?”

  Roh used his knife with skillful precision. “I know why I'm here,” he said with a conviction that Kiran wished he himself had.

  “Well, what about the Script of the Legend?”

  “You’re the one who can read. What do you think it means?” he said, never looking up from his stick.

  “Well, I’m not sure I even translated it properly,” he admitted. “Mostly, I just copy scrolls for Aldwyn. His eyesight is failing and it is difficult for him. He didn’t exactly teach me the language, I sort of picked it up by, by asking questions.”

  Roh put his knife down and turned to look at him. “So you have no idea? Is that what you’re saying?”

  “No, I do, I just…” Kiran turned away from Roh’s stare. “That’s not what I meant.”

  Roh smiled, a genuine, caring smile. “Listen, Kiran, you’re a smart kid. Obviously Aldwyn trusted you. You just need to trust yourself.”

  Maybe Roh was right. He had been chosen to come after all. And he did know how to translate the Script. He did. “We're looking for a river and a mountain. But the scroll didn't explain everything. Do you think there is another scroll, the Script of the Prophecy, like Deke said?”

  Roh shot an intense, yet fleeting look at Kiran. “I know that Elders never reveal everything,” he said, an edge to his voice.

  “How does Deke know so much then? Elders make a vow of secrecy. His father isn’t supposed to share the secrets of the Temple. Even to his son.”

  Roh looked up at the dark clouds and a thin, wry smile, the kind of one who knows his own secret, came to his lips. “There's a lot Elders aren't supposed to do.”

  Kiran followed his gaze. “This storm should pass overnight. Deke was awfully brave to lead them out into it.”

  “Ha!” Roh scoffed. “We’ll find them in the morning soaking wet and shivering. Deke doesn’t stop to think. He acts on emo
tion and calls it faith. You think that’s brave?”

  “Well, he did jump off the Sanctuary cliff.”

  Roh turned, eyebrows raised. “Did he tell you that?”

  “Well, no. Well, yeah. I mean, I guess I assumed he had.” Suddenly he needed to scratch the bug bites on his neck.

  “He had you up there, didn't he? I assume you didn't jump.” He went back to whittling, the same enigmatic smile on his face.

  “Well, I was just about to when the Temple bells rang. We had to run to the village.”

  “Uh, huh.”

  “But I was going to.”

  Roh stopped whittling again. “Kiran, do you even know the story of the jump?”

  Kiran hesitated, then remembered that Roh already knew the truth, that he could scribe. “Yeah, of course I do. Past Elder Salder was on a—”

  “Santon.”

  “What?”

  “Elder Santon.”

  “Oh, yeah, you’re right. Past Elder Santon was on a prayer vigil on the Mount when his faith was tested by the Great Father. He was told to jump off the blind cliff to the safety of the Father's embrace below. Without question, he did as the Great Father commanded. Deke said it was the ultimate show of faith.”

  “And you were eager to prove yourself.”

  “Well, I'm no heathen!”

  “So, that’s how he got you up there,” he said, disdain in his voice.

  “No! I wanted to jump. It was my idea.”

  “You do realize there is a drought?”

  “What?” Kiran’s head was spinning.

  Roh shook his head. “Never mind. Why is Deke's opinion so important to you anyway?”

  Kiran had no answer. Roh made it seem so simple, but it wasn’t. Kiran had to do it. He just had to.

  “Don’t let him draw you into that nonsense. You’re smarter than that.”

  “Did you ever do it?”

  Roh went back to his whittling, with the same thin smile.

  Kiran turned away, frustrated, but he didn’t want to show it. He stared at a spot on the ledge where rain pelted the ground in tiny splashes. “Do you think Deke is the Seventh Elder?”