A Leopard in the Mist

by S E Turner

  Cornelius rolled his eyes in response. 'So, what is your real name?'

  'Gya, my name is Gya.'

  'Did the wise man know that you were a woman?'

  'Yes, he knew, but he knew everything, didn't he? I was a scrawny frightened slip of a girl when he found me, but he turned me into the warrior that I am today.'

  'It's unbelievable, Gye, I mean Gya. How you managed to fool everyone. Me, my father, the General, everyone at the inn, including Shorty. I don't know how you have done it.'

  'Where there's a will, there's a way.' She smiled. 'As a woman, I found my strength, but as a man I was able to prove it.'

  'And now?' Cornelius asked.

  'I don't need to prove anything anymore,' she began. 'I am not hiding from any monsters either.'

  'So, you will revert back to your true identity? '

  'Yes, I will, Cornelius. I will let my hair grow out now and become a woman again. And I will go into the palace as your companion, if that is all right with you?'

  'As you wish, dear friend. I do not mind at all. You are the most courageous woman I know. Strong, fearless, and I know the gods look down on you and protect you.'

  'Thank you, Master Cornelius.'

  'And if I'm going to call you Gya from now on, then will you please drop the Master bit and just call me Cornelius?'

  'Of course.' She expressed a look of satisfaction.

  Cornelius smiled at his friend's bravery and then thought of her savior. 'Talking of gods, I wonder who that old man was. Where did he come from? Where did he go?'

  'I have often wondered the same thing myself ,Cornelius. Was he a hermit, was he a wise man, or was he my destiny? I do not know, but everything that I am today, I owe to him.'

  'Well Gya, I raise a toast to the old wise man, I raise a toast to you, and I raise a toast to the deceased Emperor and his General, for their absence has allowed me safe passage back home.'

  Cornelius poured himself another huge goblet of wine and finished it in two gulps. Gya was now laying prostate on the bunk, out for the count and snoring like a warrior. She had dropped off at the second toast. Cornelius draped a blanket over her and took himself up to the top deck.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Lyall had found himself in bed with Arneb on the morning after the wedding. He opened his eyes and thought he was still dreaming.

  'Oh no!' he exclaimed. 'What on earth have I done now?' He ran his fingers through his hair in desperation and checked beneath the sheets to see if he still had his clothes on. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that his lower undergarments were still intact. Gazing around his room, he saw the discarded clothes that had obviously been thrown off in a hurry. Arneb was still sound asleep. He watched as the sheets rose up and down in time with her breathing and could hear her purring softly. He smiled at her, resisting the temptation to stroke her cheek. He really wanted to kiss her now, but he knew that it wouldn't be fair. He would be leaving soon. It wouldn't be good for either of them. Instead, he got out of bed as quietly as he could, grabbed his clothes, and hurried towards the stream.

  He sat on a tumble of stones that had been abandoned there for centuries, it seemed—white lichen and bearded moss made up the outer dermis now, much the same as the standing stones that he had become so accustomed to seeing on a daily basis. He looked at the small ripples, rolling by under the haze of a new dawn, skimming over vivid green reeds, and washing the arrangement of pebbles below them. He let out a long sad sigh. He still hadn't told Namir about his intention to leave, and how many chances had he forsaken since that life changing day on the battlefield? How could he possibly have left it so long?

  He looked back at the cave. It still had the power to haunt him, but now he was able to embrace the cavern, as it had opened up a whole new life for him and given him a new family. A family he was now poised to leave.

  He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Namir approaching.

  'You are up early, brother,' the voice was chirpy.

  'Yes,' Lyall answered, quickly swallowing the lump in his throat. 'I have left Arneb sleeping.'

  'Oh, really,' Namir's tone was now full of questions.

  'Nothing happened,' said Lyall, tutting under a raised chin.

  'Hmm,' Namir's response was more incredulous. He sat down beside his brother and started skimming stones.

  'It wouldn't be fair of me to start anything with her.'

  'Why not? You are eighteen in a couple of months. It is time you took a wife.'

  'No, I can't. It's impossible.'

  'But you like her, don't you? And from what I have seen over the past few weeks, I would say that you two are becoming very close.'

  'We are. We are very close, but I have my reasons.'

  Namir stopped skimming stones and looked at his brother. 'Tell me your reasons.'

  Lyall swallowed the pain in his throat and let the words tumble out. 'Because I am leaving soon.'

  Namir looked at his brother, then at the water, and felt his eyes sting. He couldn't speak.

  'I'm sorry, but I need to return to the castle.'

  'Why?' came the croaked response.

  'Because it's my heritage. It is my home. I can be someone there,' Lyall strained.

  'But this is your home. You can be someone here,' Namir begged to differ.

  'How can I be? You are the leader here, and you are now married to Skyrah. I am just a nobody now.'

  'You will never be nobody. We have always said we would be leaders together. All this time, that is all I have ever wanted: to share all of this with you.' Namir jutted out his chin as he surveyed the surroundings.

  Lyall turned to face him and took his hand. 'Namir, you are everything to me: my inspiration, my rock, the person who I admire most in all of this kingdom.' He took a big intake of breath to settle his nerves. 'But I can't live in your shadow forever.' His voice became hushed. 'You have made me strong. From the first day I came through that cave, all I have ever wanted is to be like you.'

  'But you are like me,' Namir interrupted. 'We are the same, we come from the same blood, and we have the same parents.'

  'I know,' his tears spilled silently. 'But I want to do something for me, now. I want to return to Castle Dru and restore it. I want to be a king. I am ready for that.'

  'And what about me? What about Skyrah? What about the clan?' Namir's grief was immeasurable right now.

  'We have the cave that joins us. We will keep it open, and we will make it safe. Every year, we will make sure the structure is sound so that we are not kept apart.'

  'You can't go, I won't let you go.'

  'Please, Namir, I beg you. Please don't make this any more difficult than it already is for me.'

  Namir sighed heavily. He wore the guise of pain on his face, and his body was shrouded in grief.

  'Please.'

  Namir saw the angst of his brother. The difficulty he had born for these past few months must have been an incredible weight. Who was he to deny his brother what he really wanted? His face softened. 'I suppose we will still be neighbours.'

  'We are more than neighbours, brother.' Lyall kissed Namir's hand. 'I can never repay you for everything you have done for me. I have become a man and faced my fears because of you. But now I need to see if I can do it on my own.'

  His hand found Lyall's. 'I understand, and you have my blessing, really you do. But we must make a pact to keep the cave open. It must never be closed. '

  'That goes without saying. Our battle is over with the Emperor and with the General. We can live in peace now. Without fear of retribution.'

  Namir slipped his arm round his brother's shoulders. 'So, when are you leaving?'

  'Probably in a couple of weeks. I haven't got any possessions to speak of, but I want to make a start on the castle while the weather is good.'

  'How will you finance it?'

  'There is a casket of treasure in Canagan's apartments. I will use that.'

  'And who will you get to help you?'


  Chapter Eighteen

  'Thank you everyone for agreeing to this assembly so soon, and I know you must be wondering why I am heading this meeting while our leader stands at the back with his wife.' Lyall raised a thin smile and tried not to gaze too long at his brother for fear of crumbling at the last minute. He took some deep breaths and tried to assemble some words to lessen the pain—to be tactful without bluntness, to soften the blow—but they were stubborn and spilled without contemplation.

  'I am leaving.'

  The room fell into a tense silence after the initial gasps of astonishment had abated.

  'I know you must be shocked,' he continued with a strained voice. 'But I have talked to Namir and I have his blessing. Rest assured, it is with a heavy heart and a lot of soul searching that I have made this decision.'

  'So where are you going?' asked Ronu, hardly believing what he had just heard .

  'Well, that is why I am holding this audience, to inform you of my intentions.'

  The room was in unbearable stillness now. Even the breeze outside had come to a pivotable stop and the clouds overhead had become static in movement.

  'I am returning to Castle Dru and I am offering the chance to come with me.'

  'But it is a ruin!' exclaimed Clebe.

  'You are right, it is; but there is treasure in the king's apartments. We can use that to restore the building.'

  Hushed voices and excited murmurs trilled round the echoing room.

  'I know it won't be easy. It will be a lot of hard work, but at the end of it, we will have a fortress that offers safety and security for our people. All the rooms will have beds, carpets and furnishings. There will be kitchens and pantries and store cupboards full of food. I will offer rooms for the children to be taught lessons. I will offer bathrooms with running water and there will be torches that give light in the dark. It will be a growing community with the offer of work for everyone. A new skill for each of you. A bright new future for all.'

  Namir stayed quietly at the back, fearful that he would lose most of his clan to that promise. Silva spoke up. 'Will you keep the cave and the tunnel open so that we can come back and see our loved ones if we choose to go with you?'

  'I have already given my word to Namir that that is what we will do. And I can promise even better than that. Every year we will send a group of men to properly assess the tunnel for continued safety. But for now, I will put in brackets so torches can frame an otherwise treacherously dark chasm. The floor will be lined so it is not damp and flooded in places. A proper door will be mounted that is safe to use in an emergency. Never again will anyone have to go through there in the dark. Never again will the door seal itself rigid.'

  'When do you leave?' came a voice from the back.

  'I will leave in two weeks. That will give us time to secure the tunnel for the safety of the women, children and infirm. The men will travel with their livestock over the mountains.'

  'Count me in,' said Silva over the murmurs.

  'And me,' said Hali.

  'I don't think my leg will stand another winter,' said Bagwa sadly. 'And I want my daughters to have more opportunities than me. You don't mind if I go, do you, Namir?'

  Namir shook his head in response.

  'I will go as well,' said Norg. 'I feel like half a man with only one eye. At least I can be useful in the castle. I am still a good carpenter.'

  His wife Tali threw a concerned look at Skyrah, but Skyrah's expression gave her safe passage without fear of reprisal.

  'Thank you, everyone. Remember it will be hard work, but the rewards will be so much greater. Thank you for your time.'

  He stepped down from his dais and went to embrace Namir and Skyrah, but Skyrah was already chatting with Arneb .

  'Are you going with him, dear friend?'

  'I can't. I have a job to do here.'

  'What?' The answer jolted Skyrah.

  'I can't just leave,' said Arneb, noticing her friends shocked reaction. 'The blacksmiths was my father's pride and joy. I can't just abandon it.'

  'But Arneb, this is your golden opportunity. You can't tell me that you don't have feelings for Lyall.'

  'Of course, I do. I love him, I really do, but I can't leave here.'

  'I believe you are making a dreadful mistake,' said Skyrah with certainty. 'Think what your parents would want you to do.'

  'But I don't know what they would want me to do. All I know is that my heart won't let me go. And besides...' Her voice trailed off.

  'Yes?' queried Skyrah, eager to sort this out.

  'Lyall hasn't even asked me.'

  'Does he need to?'

  Arneb shrugged her shoulders and Skyrah knew what she had to do.

  The fourteen days that followed saw much soul searching as members of the tribe discussed with family and friends what they should do. A lot of the older generation didn't want change and would definitely stay behind. It mattered not to them what was on offer—they were the ones who were used to the old way of life and would find it difficult adapting to a completely new environment. These were the people who had lived off the land for years and who had embraced nature at an unseen level. They had grown up in the knowledge that it was the animals, birds, plants and rocks that had lessons to teach and not the voice of a human being telling them the way of the kingdom. For this was all that was instrumental for them to survive—the knowledge that had been passed down from their gods and from their forefathers, providing all the direction, protection, and healing that they needed. They didn't want new walls, new skills, new messages.

  But for the younger ones it was completely different. This was a window of opportunity.

  Arneb was busy making brackets for the tunnel so that lit torches could be lined, and the men started chopping down trees for the carpenters to start carving and planing so a track could be laid. Someone had already gone through the tunnel to start on the door the other end. It was actually going to happen and Skyrah didn't have much time.

  She approached Lyall one day as he stood resting from chopping up wood. He had talked to Namir and Skyrah for several hours every day about his passion and his fervent determination to restore Castle Dru. Eventually, they had to accept his decision, though it was never going to be an easy transition.

  'I'm going to miss you, Lyall. You know that, don't you?'

  'And I'm going to miss you too, Skyrah, but it's not the end. You know we will always be in each other's lives. That is why we are fixing up the tunnel now. '

  'I know. It's just such a drastic change that I can't get my head around.'

  'I know.' He smiled compassionately as he agreed with her.

  A pause followed as he remembered the very first day he saw her: her beauty, her strength, her intelligence and captivating wit. He still found her all those things, but now his heart belonged to another.

  'So is Arneb going with you?' she asked coyly, playing with a strand of her hair.

  'She hasn't said anything,' he answered, oblivious to Skyrah's subtle investigations.

  'Have you asked her?' she said.

  'Well, no,' he stammered. 'Not exactly.'

  'So, what's stopping you?'

  He thought long and hard about his answer and then looked her straight in the eye. 'You know something. Skyrah. The thing that is stopping me is because she is a woman.'

  She frowned in response. 'And what does that mean?'

  'I just don't understand women, I really don't.'

  'Not many men do,' she looked away and sighed.

  'We were getting on so well, and then I said I would be leaving in two weeks and she has ignored me ever since.'

  'Maybe she wants you to ask her.'

  'But that's just it, I don't think she would want to come.'

  'And men think women are difficult,' she mumbled under her breath .

  'What was that?' he didn't hear her exasperated reply.

  'I think you should ask her,' she replied. 'I think you two are made for each other, and if you asked
her, I think she would say yes.'

  'But she is loyal to her father's memory,' he started. 'We have spoken about it and leaving the blacksmiths would be a hard thing for her to do.'

  'But if you knew she wanted to go with you, would you be happy?'

  'Of course, I would, I had half hoped that I could ask her to marry me one day,' he paused as he remembered the time they had spent together. 'I feel so easy with her. She makes me laugh, we chat for hours... I like to dance with her.' He smiled at the recollection.

  'Anything else?' asked Skyrah, tilting her head to one side.

  Lyall laughed a breathless laugh. 'Her life is here, Skyrah. She won't come with me.' He looked up to the skies. 'I had better carry on chopping these logs up. I think there are rainclouds coming.'

  'Of course, I will see you later.' She smiled at him and went off to visit the next person on her list.

  Toady was in his workroom welding some hinges for the barns.

  'Toady, how would you feel about taking over the blacksmith from Arneb?'

  The eve of the departure had seen laughter and tears at the same time. Namir and Lyall relived every minute since he arrived at the camp: reliving the fun times, the challenging times, and the time in the arena where they faced the monsters. But they always came through it, they always survived and lived to tell the tale. Now, this was a new chapter in their lives, and with much trepidation, Namir and Skyrah had to say farewell.

  The morning came too soon. Lyall searched everywhere for Arneb but she wasn't to be found. He had now given up hope of ever seeing her again. Certainly she was not going to say goodbye to him.

  'Where is Arneb?' Skyrah faced Lyall as the rest of the clan stood around in their numbers saying goodbyes to loved ones.

  'I don't know. I haven't seen her all day. I really wanted to bid her farewell.'