Whispers of a Legend, Part One-Shadows of the Past (2 page)

"Yes, my Lady," he said. He stood tall and
clutched his sword tightly. "What is your command? Do you want me
to defend the door while you escape out...."

"No," she said. "I want you to give your
oath that you will defend my children with your life."

"I will, my Lady," Turstan uttered loudly
and without hesitation.

"Then I'm ready to send you all along upon
your journey," she turned to Gunilda. She reached upon the mantle
above the fire and brought down a box. She withdrew a bag. "Take
this. Find a place of peace to raise my children. Teach them the
ways. In time they will need all. Protect them until that time.
They will search for them. They can't find them."

“You aren’t coming?” Gunilda asked in a
faltering voice of despair.

“We have not time to discuss all Gunilda. We
all have our purposes in this life. It is not to be questioned.
Promise me you will care…"

"I don't understand, my Lady," Turstan
interrupted, hearing a commotion arise from outside. "Am I not to
defend you....?"

"You are to go with my children. Protect
them without question," she said. A wave of emotions flooded over
me when I heard her words. We all could hear the echoes of all
descending down upon us. "I need to send you now or it will be too
late. Go with my love, my children. My hope."

My arm ached and began to waver. I cried out
to my mother. With everything in me, I didn’t want to leave her.
“I’ll stay with you, Mother.”

Her eyes misted over. "You have to go, Kela.
You have to live. Turstan..."

The large warrior bent over and picked me up
in silence. Words again she uttered in her language. A moment later
our small group began to disappear, I reached forth once more and
illuminated another light from my hand to surround my beloved
mother.

I saw no more except in my dream. And in my
dream, I saw my brave Mother watching us fade from sight, hoping
against all hope she had sent us far enough away and that all was
not lost, that the gifts we had been given would allow us to
fulfill our destiny that we were born to follow.

I saw the door demolished. I heard their
swords and weapons try to permeate the shield I had given her and
with such the time she needed to accomplish her objective. Her
intention held firm upon the words she uttered.

“
Kovia ropia repqouq
ewo, iade xpovoc kabapa kapoia eriotpateuw ueto!”

The room began to shake. The walls crumbled
as fear enveloped the invaders. They had no time to escape.
The room erupted, collapsing around them. My mother’s last
word uttered. The shield could not protect even her from the
eruption, "Mithelk."

In this I have dreamed and have known I will
not falter in my quest to fulfill my destiny. For this I was born
to do.

Chapter Two

The Encounter

The late morning sky, bright and peaceful,
gave way to a fine day. At this moment, I gave no thought to the
beauty of either the day or the pleasant landscape surrounding me.
Instead my focus lay upon my mission. I galloped through the
grasslands while the wind whipped through my fallen hair. My hat
long lost along the riverbank. From the corner of my eye I saw
Falco edged closer to me.

Ignoring the white-tipped mountains in the
far distance to the South, I raced on. On most clear days the
majestic Preda Mountain Range reigned over the valley in which we
now lived. Turstan said the powerful Kampar River whose banks we
raced originated on the tallest peak and flowed boldly down into
the valley giving life to all around. The intimidating presence of
the Preda Mountain Range could not be disregarded for long. In
truth, it served as an entrance to the kingdom of Scarladin, our
home, or would have been if not for that fateful night.

Stories we had been told, Falco and I. We
listened and have hung upon every word, clinging to the hope of one
day returning in triumphant. We have dreamed and watched the sky.
Some days if the fog cleared long enough from around the peaks of
the mountains, the hawk men could be seen dominating the skies. In
Falco’s eyes I have seen the desire within him to fly the sky like
our father before us, claiming his right as a Sordarin!

Turstan boasted at great length of the mighty
citadel which encompassed the grand cliff of Yucca. Excitement lay
within his voice. For years he has talked of nothing else and only
now we had come close enough to glimpse a semblance of the
grandeur.

“A great wall encircles the city of Yucca,
home to King Edulf. The height and steepness of the cliffs below
serves to discourage any from such a dangerous climb. Within walls
the roofs of the homes of the Sordarins rise up. The castle
encircled by three towers stands aloft while in the center lays the
Great Hall of the Sordarins.”

We have long grown accustomed to Turstan’s
ramblings of finding our long lost grandfather, but on this day my
mind gave little thought to the castle in the distance intent only
upon my goal. Regretting not taking the time to tighten my braids,
I fought against the distraction of my unruly hair. In a vain
attempt I pushed my hair back while I urged my mount on. From my
vantage point, I realized I had once more lost ground after the
turn.

I glanced over my shoulder. To my side
underbrush. Suddenly the thought of losing gnawed within me. Not
again, not today. Without another thought, I took a sharp turn from
the path and cut through the underbrush. Dodging branches, I kneed
my heels into my roan’s side. He responded. The finish lay within
my view beyond a long extended ditch. Without hesitation, I clicked
my mouth. Knowing instinctually what I wanted, my pony lunged
through the air.

For a brief moment, I felt I flew into the
air. Landing abruptly, my pony’s legs buckled almost throwing me.
Regaining control, I flung my hands up in the air. We lay well
beyond the finish line. Reining in my pony, I turned in triumph to
my brother, who brought his horse down to a trot. He frowned.

"Ha! I won!" I declared most boastfully.

"Kela, you could have killed yourself!" Falco
cried irritation clear within his tone.

I was not certain if it was for concern or
the fact he lost. His sandy blond hair ruffled. His deep blue eyes
simmered at me. His white shirt smeared with signs of leaning
against his chestnut horse. "If I urged Mayer on, we would have
collided!"

At that moment in time, I
could have cared less. I wiped the sweat from my brow with the
sleeve of his borrowed shirt, but my thick auburn hair clung to my
forehead. Now I regretted losing my hat. Turstan wouldn't be happy.
Lately, he harped upon the fact I should conduct myself more like a
lady.
Like he would know what a lady
should behave like
. I laughed at the
thought.

I could feel my eyes sparkle with victory.
Rounding about my brother, I tethered my pony. "You're mad because
you got beat! How many times have you beat me? Never mind that your
horse has longer legs!"

He grimaced arching his back one way than
another. With his hand, he tried in vain to scratch his back.

"Not going to do you any good, Falco," I
bantered, taking advantage of the rare circumstance of having the
upper hand against my older brother. "Turstan said it will take
months for your wings to form. You have no choice but to
endure."

A huge grin formed upon his face. He
countered. "But when they do, I'll no longer be grounded. It will
be the skies for me. Poor Kela, we will see who beats who
then!"

He knew me well. Jealously swelled within
me. Why could I not have been born a male? Life wasn't fair to have
treated me in this manner. Refusing to allow him the upper hand
once more, I countered, “But it's not this day! I'll race you
home!"

Without waiting for a reply, I took off
intent upon taking the lowlands, but in my haste I had forgotten
the heavy rain of yesterday. I had not gotten far when my pony
slowed with the weight of the sodden mud on his hooves. With the
greatest reluctance, I pulled up as the ground gave way beneath the
weight of my horse and myself. Soggy and muddy, there was no way I
would ever make it through. To make matters worse, the echoes of
Falco laughing fell upon my ears while he galloped away.

Oh, why did I not
think
? I reprimanded myself soundly. How
many times had Turstan told me I was too impulsive? Slowly, I back
tracked through the mud, annoyed soundly with myself. Oh! With the
thought of the gloating Falco waiting on me when I returned back to
the farm, I slowed my progress.

At least I would take the time to look for
my brim hat. Turstan wouldn't be happy if I came back again without
my hat. He had threatened with holding my riding if I lost another,
but he was always threatening something. Sometimes I believed he
liked to hear himself talk for he rarely, if at all, carried
through with any of his threats.

I slowed the pace of my mount to look through
the tall, thick grass. Finally dismounting, I walked. There was no
hurry. I knew what awaited my return, either taunting by Falco or
another lecture which surely would follow from Gunilda.

Engrossed in my undertaking, a loud and
thunderous noise caught me off guard. I hesitated until I
deciphered the sounds were voices carrying up river.

Startled for few people ventured this far
into the wilderness, I crept cautiously toward the edge of the
trees. Down the river’s edge, I could make out forms engaging in a
circle. A commotion held their attention of this small band of men.
I eased ever so quietly through the underbrush to the edge of the
trees. Seeing through the line of guards surrounding the scene, I
smiled when I made out the turmoil concerned an elaborate dressed
rider laying soaked within the river’s bend.

A rather large and heavy legged man lay
drenched while his purple head dress clung over his eyes. Screaming
unintelligible words, his hands gripped his confining head piece in
a vain attempt to relieve it from his head.

“Your Majesty!”

From the banks of the river, a little man
cried running into the strong flowing current. He stepped and
slipped. In a desperate effort to fight his fall, he tried to
compensate by lunging backwards only to find he too floundered in
the cool river water. Frantic arms thrashed as he tried to stand,
but with each attempt he would lose his footing and find himself
once more face down in the water.

I laughed soundly, hoping not to call
attention to myself, but found I could not leave the humorous
sight, especially since the water rose no more than waist deep at
that point in the river.

The band though seemed intent upon saving the
regal man from himself if nothing else. His Majesty with a final
heave managed to free himself of his bondage, sending his
emblematic head covering into the river’s current.

Immediately another member of dubious band
trotted his horse into the river reaching down to retrieve the
errant head dress. Extending his arm too far, he lost his balance
falling into the Kampar within inches of his royal highness. His
hands extended out of the water, grapping hold of the first solid
object it could find, his Majesty’s leg. No sooner had he grasped
hold than his Majesty floundered once more in the water.

The enraged monarch stumbled out of the
water. He treaded out onto the bank in his waterlogged clothing.
Dressed in bright purple jacket with a leather belt tied at the
waist, his clothes hugged tightly to his wet soaked body. His hair
dark as was his eyes which glared at all around. Although while I
quite enjoyed the scene, I instinctually realized he was not a man
to engage.
Time to depart
. I edged away from the sight.

Except the moment I had begun to swing my leg
over my pony, I halted hearing a resounding voice shout.

“Take hold! Do not let him depart!”

Kela
.

I heard him at that moment. My arrogant
brother!
Oh all that is good! What had
he done?
Holding the reigns of my pony behind me, I ambled backed to the
scene. How I had missed him sitting in the river laughing
hysterically, I don’t know, but there he was, water drenched with a
broad grin on his young face!

His feet dragged his body through the
current. He shook his shoulder length hair back off his face. His
horse stood quietly along the bank, his reigns free to the ground.
Falco stood, rubbing his forehead as if he had hit something.

My mind raced, studying quickly all around
with more thought than amusement. The small procession which had
the markings of a hunting party consisted of around fifteen armed
escorts. Most were dressed immaculate in bright gold and brown
uniforms without a trace of a beard. The guards made no effort to
move except to encircle Falco on their horses. They gave him no
room to make an escape, but Falco didn’t seem affected.
Of
course he didn’t. He was Falco!

"Your Majesty! Let me help you.”

His Majesty shoved the attendant back
harshly. He walked intent upon Falco.

“Who dares to disrupt my hunt? Knock me into
the river!”

“I beg your forgiveness, your…,” Falco
hesitated in a sarcastic fashion, he half bowed. “Highness. You
have to forgive me once more for I know not who I address. I can
assure you though that my intentions were not to land within the
river.”

“Such insolence!”

“Young man. Get down upon your knees and beg
forgiveness from his majesty, King Gregorius de Folur, King of
Brixtone. The land you inhabit.” The voice carried from the small
man the river had tried to swallow.

“Again, my apologies, my Lord,” Falco said
gesturing toward his horse. “It was not my intent. I will take my
leave and will take more care upon my ride.”