Kiernen - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

“What are the Powers, Kiernen? What do they do?” This question comes to me frequently from students who come to learn from a saddened, wizened woman whose years have gone beyond the point of measuring. I have stepped away from my story for a moment to contemplate this question again.

The Powers – that is a good question, and one which is often answered incorrectly. Many misinterpret the meaning of the word power to describe having dominion over someone or something that is lesser of value or importance. Others view it as an ability to be used however one feels is appropriate.

However, true power is none of these things. In short, The Powers are the source of all magic – and the source of life. There are three parts: Faith, Love and Spirit. Each part is crucial and must be in perfect union with the other two to keep balance in our world.

Faith gives us strength and courage to do what must be done. While most perceive faith as a religious ideal, true faith can be for any number of things: faith in oneself, faith in one’s abilities, faith in another person, faith in an object, or faith in an idea. One does not need to worship something or someone to have faith in it. Believing that something or someone is vital and worthy of any and all cost to protect or uphold, and that the same will be received in turn – that is Faith. With Faith we can stand our ground or forge ahead when fear would have us turn away or crumble.

Love is a power that helps us be compassionate, forgiving, and helpful to each other. With love, we learn to give instead of taking; to heal instead of hurting; or to help instead of turning away.

Spirit is the vessel in which Love and Faith are contained; and from which The Powers spill out into our hearts and minds, giving us the ability to create, heal, or change whatever is needed to help maintain balance and unity in the world around us. Without a Spirit, a body cannot function naturally. Without a Spirit, only darkness can animate flesh and bone – and that disturbs the balance.

When speaking of The Powers, refer to them with respect. There is no need to bow down to them. They do not care to be worshipped, only to be used with wisdom and with care. If you look closely within yourself, you will see that in your core there is that vessel which is Spirit, which carries your own Powers. This is because we are part of them and they are part of us. They are not greater than us – just more. More deep, more abundant, more far-reaching. But the vessel, the Spirit, which brings them forth, is within us.

If you feel you must pray to something or to someone, pray to yourself – to your own Spirit. Pray to be wise and respectful of the Powers within and around you. The message will still get through. And your own Faith and Love will help you do what must be done.

It is as simple as that.

Kiernen - Chapter 5

Outside the borders of Frestan Township, the Southeast Road became little more than a path that ran through various levels of scrub, forest, hills and valleys.  For the most part we were alone on the path, only occasionally passing a merchant caravan plodding cautiously along. Forro would greet the guards and discuss the path ahead and I would chat briefly with the merchants, in hopes of news that someone had seen Eidero along their route.  We never lingered long as the path was too small to allow for large groups to stop and dally.

No one had any news of my brother. 

As the Southeast Road turned more southward, it led into deeper forest, which we reached in the afternoon on the fourth day. We didn’t want to camp in the forest the first night, so we stopped early. Forro caught a rabbit and I found a wild tree growing near a stream, bursting with Travel Fruit. We had stew and the yummy fruit for dinner.  I showed Forro where the tree was and he picked an armload and put them in a bag that he volunteered to carry. 

“Do you like the Travel Fruit, too?” I asked. 

He made a face, possibly a grimace (I was not sure of my ability to read Wolfkin facial expressions), and replied, “It is very sweet and the meat of the fruit does not resemble the meat of an animal nearly enough for my liking.  I would much rather snack on that squirrel on your shoulder.” 

I decided to avoid further questions about his food preferences.  “I thought perhaps one of your journeys as a guard might have carried you near Mim’s Cottage. How much do you know about that region?”

“I’ve only skirted the outer edge along the Weeping Pass. That was not what I expected at all, but still not as bad as tales I’ve heard from fellow warriors who have gone closer than that.”

“The Weeping Pass? I’ve never heard of that. Where is it?”

“It runs from the Deep Forrest along the western border of the mountains.  We approached it from this same road – there’s a difficult path leading into it once you enter the Deep Forest.  We passed by an even trickier path that I’m told leads into the mountains and eventually winds up in the eastern edge where Mim’s Cottage sits atop a very treacherous crag. We will have to be extremely cautious from the moment we set foot on the Weeping Pass.  I recommend we pass all the way through the Deep Forest and seek some help in The Forest Town.  Then we can double back into the Deep Forest and head up the pass.”

I pulled out the map Eidero made and showed it to Forro.  I hadn’t noticed it before, but he pointed out where the Weeping Pass was marked.  Zino chattered and danced around on a spot that I thought was just an ink stain, but he seemed intent to point it out.  It was in the hills at the foot of the mountains and there was no notation near it.  I cut him a piece of travel fruit to distract him, and then pointed to the Forest Town.

“I’ve been to Forest Town with Eidero. He only took me once. He said it isn’t a very nice place, and from what little I saw, I would have to agree.  Are you sure we’d be able to get help there? I mean, help that we can trust?”

“You can if you have me with you. Since you were with Eidero, you probably only saw a few shady merchants and maybe a charlatan posing as a mage or healer. We will be visiting with a different sort of people when we get there, assuming you take your guard’s advice.”

***

“Well, that went well,” I said later that night. My sarcasm was lost on Forro, but not on Zino who loudly agreed with me. He was still nursing a bald spot on his tail and shooting looks of death at Forro. 

“How can you say that went well? I’ve never encountered such creatures on this trail before.” Forro was still bleeding from an injury to his arm and I was attempting to find the herbs from Dulabi to help patch it up.

“Well I hope there won’t be any more surprises like that one.  Is it safe to light a fire?  I can’t see what I’m looking for in this bag.”  Light suddenly appeared inside the pack. I was startled and fell backward into Forro, who was moving towards me to help. Feeling suddenly awkward, I sat up and looked in utter wonder at the inside of the pack. “Did you do that?” I asked Forro. 

“Maybe you should ask the furry snack.” Forro was looking with distrust at Zino, who was doing a fair job at pretending to be fascinated by a leaf and unaware of what had just happened.

“You really shouldn’t call him that.  Zino is a very resourceful squirrel and has actually saved my life.  You never know when he might save your life, too.”

“He might have showed some of that resourcefulness when we were surrounded by those…things. Have you found what you need? I don’t know what those creatures were or if they follow blood trails.  I don’t want to lure them after us.”

Thinking his pride was stung, I decided not to chastise him further. I found the herbs and patched his arm as quickly as I could.

We had been attacked in the middle of the night while we were camped in a small clearing. Forro was standing watch and Zino was curled up next to my head on my pack. I was attempting to read Eidero’s notes by the campfire, but was distracted by thoughts and fears of what might have happened to him. I couldn’t help thinking about the scorch mark and the farmers’ horribly burned feet. 

Forro was checking his weapons when he stiffened and his ears started twitching. He slowly placed a hand on my arm to warn me to stay put and made his way towards the edge of the clearing.  I froze in place, but Zino awoke with a start and jumped on top of my head. He was quiet but clearly very agitated.  I was still trying to wrestle him down and away from my face when the attack began. 

So you want to see the cottage, huh?

Glalpha, Ice Empress

This is Glalpha the Ice Empress. She lives in the northen most regions of the mountains where Mim's Cottage rests. She is not exactly friends with Mim; let's just say they have made arrangements to live in relative peace with other...

Kiernen - Chapter 4

As planned, in the morning Forro helped Dulabi take the farmers to Dulabi’s grove while I visited Graff’s farm and asked him to tend things for Telor and Mishe. I asked Graff if he had seen any strangers passing through. He hadn’t seen anyone recently but was happy to help out in whatever way he could. They had been neighbors nearly all his life and the couple had always been there to help him.

I made my way back to the grove and found Dulabi with the farmers. She had them resting at the edge of the pond, their feet wrapped in herb-soaked cloth and dangling into the water.

“Kiernen, I understand you will be making a journey to see Mim.” Dulabi spoke over her shoulder while she prepared a simple meal for the farmers. “What, child, could possibly drive you to her side? Have you not listened to a word in those legends about her? She has no soul, child. No kindly spirit, no care for what her price will cost you. She will take what she wants whether your needs are met or not. Do you understand?”

I swallowed around yet another lump in my throat. I was going to have to find a way to stop doing that. “Dulabi, I know she is dangerous. I know she can’t be trusted, and I know that she takes pleasure in watching the writhing and whimpering of her victims.” I paused and wiped a tear from my cheek. “He is my brother, Dulabi; and he is all I have left in this world – my only remaining family. Think about it. Would you do any less?”

“No, and that is why Forro will go with you. And I will give you what aide I can from here. I would go along as well, but it looks as if I will be needed here for some time.” She set the bowl down and stepped into her house for a moment. When she returned, she held a small pack in her hands.

“Forro will be able to help you find your way, and he will guard and protect you. But he is a warrior, not a healer. And he does tend to get himself hurt from time to time. You will both be glad of this bag if you run into trouble. There are two potions in here – use them only in the most dire circumstance. They are very precious; do not let anyone know you have them. They can bring a person back almost from the grave. They will not heal you completely; time and rest are still the best cure for injuries. But they will give you a chance to put time and rest to good use.

“There are also simple herb remedies for common problems. You will be familiar with them, I am sure. And finally, there is a small amount of Wolf’s Bane. Forro has not yet passed Gr’hp’ha. He may be affected by the full moon, however slightly. You must see that he uses this each night before you rest.”

I put my arms around Dulabi and thanked her for the pack and its contents. I went over to Telor and Mishe and wished them swift and strong healing, and I told them Graff would care for their farm while they healed. Dulabi directed me to the eastern edge of the grove to find Forro.

I found Forro piling wood and gathering thresh for Dulabi’s home. He finished his work as I approached. We greeted each other civilly, but with some reserve. He could see that I was still a little unnerved by his actions the night before. Feeling the need to be moving on again, I asked if I could help him gather his things so we could go.

“My things are gathered already. I will get them when we stop to say goodbye to Dulabi. Did you make arrangements with Graff? He will tend Telor’s and Mishe’s farm?”

“Yes, Forro. He is happy to repay their constant kindness. I’m still amazed at the horror they went through. Graff said he’d watch out for any strangers passing through and send word to town if he saw anything.”

We returned to the house and got Forro’s things. He said his goodbyes to Dulabi and the farmers and we made our way back to the southeast road.

As we passed the farm of Telor and Mishe, we decided to take a look at the house. The door hung open and breezes from the night before had blown dirt and brush onto the charred floor in front of the fireplace. The horses were out in the pasture, grazing peacefully; the cow lifted her head and mooed softly at our approach, and several chickens clucked and scratched their talons on the ground. Graff had clearly been by already to tend to the feeding of the animals.

The house was dark inside so I lit a candle from my pack. The fireplace was opposite the door. It was a blackened pit, and the floor before it was burned, the wood almost completely destroyed. Oddly, the fire did not extend beyond a sphere of about two arm-lengths. The rest of the house looked perfectly normal, except for the dinner plates with food still on them. I took a moment to tidy that up for them and sweep the floor before we headed out, closing the door as we left.

We were some way down the Southeast road when I realized what disturbed me about the odd pattern of the burn marks. The pattern reminded me of something, but it took some time for it to come clear.

The marks on the floor reminded me of the scorch marks where Eidero had stood in his library—the marks that I saw in my mind when I closed my eyes and tried to not to worry overly much.

“Kiernen! Wait! What is this burst of speed?” I heard Forro call out to me from behind and was confused at first. My thoughts had taken over and I had apparently put greater emphasis on speed, hoping desperately to reach Eidero in time. I had no idea for what I hoped to be in time. I only knew that I must be, no matter the consequence.

Forro caught me up and I apologized and explained myself. Together we quickened our pace towards Mim’s Cottage. Whatever lay within her walls, we would face it together. That was an amazing comfort to me.

Back Alley: A Visit with the Mystery Cats

Mr. Bond, the Danger Cat, is my bedtime buddy. He usually strolls up to my side, pads the mattress for a moment, and when I tell him “That’s enough!” he curls up and purrs happily while I read. Binks, the Tiny Panther, is my bedtime hunter. He hunts for some page in my book that I haven't reached yet, and tries to make me flip the pages...right up until I toss him off the bed. But they both make the ritual of bedtime that much more satisfying and comforting.

These two lovely creatures are my current children. They are also my guardians, protecting me from vicious inch-long lizards, but not cockroaches (ew) or spiders (ew). They do, however, keep me well posted on communications from the mother ship.

You may be familiar with this phenomenon. Cats have amazing hearing, much better than yours or mine. And they pick up sounds that we, as mere mortal humans with only one life, could not even imagine. This is “speaking to the mother ship,” a phrase I have stolen from my mother, boldly and without conscience. The ears perk up and the cat comes to full attention. He sniffs at the air and points his head at some object located in the unseen or invisible distance, usually directly behind you and above your head. He stares at this point long enough and with enough intensity that you feel certain some hideous beast from the under world has materialized behind you and somehow has fit itself in the one-inch gap between your headboard and the wall. And, naturally, it is looking at you hungrily, drool running down from its fangs, claws clenching and unclenching as it dreams of rending your mortal flesh into…I think that’s enough of that.

Anyway, cats do that thing that makes you paranoid.

Binks and Mr. Bond are no different from any other cat in that respect. I have often awakened in the night to find one of them staring at me from on top of my stomach, watching as if to ensure I am really asleep and not about to spring upright under them. It does give me some temptation, I must admit. But if I were to do that, whichever cat was there would now be thoroughly spun and spend the rest of the night keeping me awake by attacking the other (possibly, but not probably, innocent) one.

So, to their adventures! Binks and Mr. Bond have other personalities. I am certain of this because I have occasionally caught them in the act of being the other person. Binks, or Tiny Panther, is literally a tiny panther in his subconscious. This regal beast alternately sits atop a high mound overseeing his realm, and roams the jungles of some exotic island hunting minor creatures, ravaging the carcasses and leaving the bones to warn other creatures that the Great King has been here. (The real Binks sits on my vanilla sofa with his black fur, shedding constantly, and hunts plastic bags, leaving me “presents” on the floor in the middle of the night. Use your imagination, you’ll get there.)

Mr. Bond’s alternate personality is Danger Cat. Danger Cat is a master of the intrigue game who has his very own tuxedo which he wears absolutely everywhere. He loves to steal into a hidden alcove and waylay passing missives from other International Spy Organizations. He is fearless and has endless stamina, able to race the wind and storm the palace in one breath. Needless to say, he is irresistible to the lovely female spies from every organization around the world. (The real Mr. Bond loves to hide in the closet, managing to get into it with only a 2-second window of entry, no matter where he was when the door opened—NASA could learn something from him. He waits for me to hang or remove my garment and close the door; then, in about 10 minutes starts to push at the door and jiggle it until he hits it just right and it opens. He loves to wait “in hiding” for Binks to stroll unwarily by and pounce on him. He waits until I am distracted and curls himself around my shoes, “loving” the laces with his paws and fangs until the blasted strings are useless tangles of fuzz. He is irresistible to any person who enters my humble abode. He is not afraid of people at all, and happily climbs onto anyone’s lap, rolling around and forcing them to pet him.)

So, these are the Mystery Cats and their alter egos. They’ll be around Mim’s Cottage on occasion. Being cats, they have endless lives that cover many eons of Earth history, so of course they fit right in with Mim. Come by and visit for a “spell.”

Kiernen - Chapter 3

Southeast. That’s what I understood to be the general direction of Mim’s Cottage. About a week’s travel southeast and through the high terrain. I didn’t know what else lay between Mim and me, but I knew the high terrain would lead to the frightful forest from all the legends.

The map I took didn’t give finite detail, just general information about the area. There’s a mountain here and over there is a lake. This line is the limits of Frestan Township. That’s where Eidero and I lived, Frestan Township. I hoped we’d both see it again.

It was dark and I was traveling alone, except for a very peculiar squirrel. I planned to walk as far as I could the first night and secure other transport if possible in the daylight. I got as far as the far edge of the Township before I met up with any other travelers.

It was not a happy meeting.

Two people were walking down the road towards me. They appeared to be walking arm in arm, like lovers. My Elven eyes could see it was a man and a woman, and they appeared to be middle-aged in the darkness. They were moving slowly, and as we got closer to each other, it became clear that they were supporting each other.

Then I noticed their feet. I had seen people with bad burns before. I thought I’d seen the worst that could be, with the victim still alive. I don’t know how the couple managed to stand at all, much less walk however far they had walked. The flesh was charred so completely that I was sure I was looking at bone in places.

Realizing they couldn’t make it much farther, I rushed forward to help them. I had no idea what I could do for them, but I had to do something. The nearest house was at least half an hour’s walk on good feet.

I helped them to the roadside where I had them sit down. Now that I saw them up close, I recognized them as people from the Township—a farmer and his wife who were always kind and open with their home to any traveler who needed aide. I could not imagine what could have happened to cause their injuries.

“Mishe, Telor. What happened? How did you get so burned?”

Mishe answered. “A man came to the farm. He said he needed water for his horse. We gave it to him and offered him shelter. He thanked us and left. We saw him leave by the southeast road. He left…”

“Mishe, stop,” Telor cut in. “You’re in no condition. We did see him leave, but when Mishe went to the barn to feed the animals, the man was back. He didn’t have his horse, and he seemed different somehow. But it was him. He attacked Mishe and made him come up to the house. He forced his way into our home and took what little money we had. I don’t understand; we offered to help him and he said no…then he came back…”

“Telor, why did he come back? He came back to take your money? Is that when he burned your feet?”

“No, Kiernen. That’s when he blew up the fireplace. He did something, said something. Neither of us could move. He knocked us down and laid us out on the floor with our feet in the fireplace. He spoke from the door, and the fireplace roared. Ugh…”

“Telor!” Telor had toppled over and now lay on the ground moaning. “Telor, stay awake, please! I’ll get you help. I have to find help.”

I stood there, staring at Mishe and Telor, not knowing what to do. Zino climbed out of my pack and moved over to a small stand of brush. He chittered and rustled around in the brush and waited for me to figure it out. I got it. I’d seen Eidero help a wounded man once by building a lean-to out of brush and making him more comfortable while he found a sage who could heal him. I knew the basics of how to make the lean-to. I thought about building them a fire, but changed my mind. The night was fairly mild, and I didn’t want them to wake and be frightened by a fire so close. Besides, if the man came back, who knew what else he might do.

I made them as comfortable as I could. I put Eidero’s cape over Mishe and my own over Telor. I left them some of the bread I had taken with me, and I headed back up the road at a full run. I knew where the nearest healer was; it would only take a few minutes at the pace I could run unburdened. I had left my pack with the couple. I had also left Zino—with instructions to chew the ankles off anyone who threatened them.

A quarter hour later I was pounding loudly on a tree at the edge of a lake. Dulabi lived in these woods, and everyone who spent any time here knew how to get her to come out. “Dulabi, come out! They’re hurt! Mishe, Telor, they need you! Dulabi!”

“Child, you should hope there are no bears out here with the noise you’re making. Who is hurt and where? I see no blood on you…” Dulabi, the old Wolfkin healer who tended this part of the forest, came from under the branches of a tree and stood up from all fours. She often went through the forest on all four feet, like a full wolf out on a hunt. But she always stood up on two legs to speak to human-size people. “Who needs my help?”

“Mishe and Telor. A man came and burned their feet in a fire. They walked almost to town. I made them a shelter on the southeast road. Please, hurry. I don’t know how long they’ll last. The burns are the worst I’ve ever seen.”

Dulabi didn’t ask any more questions. She went back down on all fours and loped off through the woods faster than I could go. I followed as quickly as I could. She found them easily and was already tending them when I arrived, out of breath and too strung out to think anymore. So, I was somewhat unprepared when I saw her on all fours next to Telor, licking her feet.

I ran forward and shoved her away from Telor’s damaged feet. I called her a savage and swore to defend the wounded couple with my own life. That’s when he came out of the woods. I thought he was a full wolf. He loped forward and knocked me onto my rump on the ground. I was being held down by what felt like a million pounds of muscle and fur. His teeth shone in the moonlight as he swooped down and clamped my throat—not hard, just enough pressure to keep me from moving.

“Levh ovh. Sje musj ke’ da fesj.” Amazingly, I understood him. “Leave off. She must clean the flesh.” Later, we joked about how hard it was to speak with someone else’s throat between your teeth. For the moment, I lay still and tried to avoid causing the jaws to tighten on my throat. I had seen Forro fight before, when a band of brigands attacked the caravan Eidero and I were traveling with. Forro had come along as a guard. I never intended to be the one he was up against; not after watching that event.

Dulabi spent a few minutes licking the feet of the couple, then she started circling them, huffing, and woofing softly. At one point, a break in the clouds revealed more of the moon and Dulabi stood up tall and bayed with a soulful wail. I started, and Forro tightened his grip on my throat. I would have promised not to interfere if I could have spoken, but I was too afraid the movement would cause him to bite down harder. So, I waited and wondered just what Dulabi was doing. I wished at the very least that Zino could give me a running narrative, but being a squirrel, I doubt I would have understood him.

Eventually, the circling and chanting ceased and Dulabi lay down between the two farmers. She seemed to have fallen asleep. Forro decided it was safe to release me, but told me not to touch Dulabi or the couple. He sat down at their feet and watched over them.

“Lie down and rest while you can,” he said. “I can see you intend to travel, but this is not a good time to start. You should wait until morning when I have had a chance to help Dulabi bring Telor and Mishe to her grove. Then I can aide you. I think you will need it. You are, after all, only a silly wizardling. You will need protection.”

I cleared my throat, feeling chaffed by his bold comment. Surely, I was no master wizard, but that was no reason to taunt me or belittle me. Even Eidero got more respect than that when face-to-face with people.

“You’re assistance would be welcome,” I replied, “but only if you could refrain from speaking your opinions of my ability. You do not know me well enough to have the faintest idea of my skill with the Powers. How would you feel if I said you were an inadequate warrior without ever having seen you fight?”

Dulabi made a soft wuffing noise, almost like a stifled chuckle, and Forro looked abashed. I think he looked abashed, anyway. He seemed to pause and rethink, then spoke again. “I meant no disrespect towards your abilities. I merely wished to note that you have not completed your training, and I see you are traveling without your brother. And you appear to be in a hurry. Both of these facts suggest some danger is present in your circumstance. I wished only to aide one who has been a good client in the past.”

He paused a moment, then added, “May I ask, Kiernen…Where is Eidero? Why are you fleeing in the night without him?”

Finally, all my fear and desperation reached the surface and I crumbled into a frightened youth. I could not speak yet, not with a lump in my throat the size of a melon. But I finally managed to tell Forro of the Gnome who attacked Eidero and that I was going to see Mim to get help.

Forro turned this information over in his mind. “It seems I was underestimating your urgency. I would say we should continue on, but Dulabi and the others must rest tonight, and we must get them to the grove in the morning. There Dulabi can tend them more carefully. While I am there, you can visit their nearest neighbor and ask them to care for the farm for now. When you return to the grove, you and I will start out for Mim’s Cottage. Will you accept this plan, and will you accept my aide?”

“Forro,” I said around a much larger lump, “I would be honored to accept your aide. And I thank you deeply for your kindness and willingness to help.”

And that is how I came to travel to Mim’s Cottage with the company of a stranger squirrel and a Wolfkin Warrior.