Magic is Force: Chapter 18
As the sun began its final decent towards the horizon, Karn was sprinting alongside Angela as she charged forward on her mare. Solembum, in human form, sat in front of the herbalist and leaned back into her preventing him from falling off. The company had been riding hard since the early morning; if the group didn't experience any obstacles or complications they should make it to the Surdan border by dusk that day. Since their departure, the group had made good time. Following the coast of Lake Tüdosten on its eastern shore, Angela stated that they would be reaching the city of Petrøvya. From there, the group would traverse directly south and arrive at the capital of Surda: Aberon.
The group spent little time resting along this last trip of their journey. They stopped only when necessary – mainly to give the mare a rest and let it graze to regain some energy. The travelers didn't stop for lunch and supper and ate while they traveled providing them some additional time of travel.
For most of the day Karn had kept to himself, most of his attention focused on maintaining the Force providing him a refreshing source of energy for his body. However, during his time running alongside Angela his mind wandered back to last night. After he had fallen asleep, memories of the past replayed through his mind the entire night. Some memories he wish he could forget. The fight between him and the shade at Gil'ead where he nearly died at the hands of Durza. The mere thought of that night brought back the feelings of insecurity and fear that Karn felt. The same feelings he felt that night were also the same when he experienced them while training at the arena as a padawan. It was there he had to take the first step to conquering his fear. It was there that he had to turn all his insecurities and fear into a force strong enough to stand up against his instructor, and face him in open combat. The thought of his scars along his body were testimony of his struggle. It served as a reminder to him that without fear one cannot hope to grow stronger without understanding one's weaknesses.
But something had troubled him that morning as he reflected upon the dreams he had witnessed again of his life. He felt...something. A presence. At least he thought so. As he replayed the scenes of his life, he felt that someone was watching him. But the mere thought seemed quite preposterous. It was probably his own imagination thinking such things. Nevertheless, Karn had thought upon the idea for a duration of the day but came up with no plausible answers, and soon he dismissed the matter.
"Karn, look!" Angela's voice shouted. She pointed in the direction of the lake shore.
Looking up towards the horizon, the sun was making its final decent. Part of it had already delved beyond the horizon as dusk began to set. The light of the sky shown in a variety red and yellow shades. The water of the late reflected the sky, mirroring its beauty. The water was calm with no waves, it was utterly tranquil. Looking past that, Karn could make out across the great distance of water, the small outline of objects floating across it. It took some time for Karn's eyes to adjust to the fading of late but he could soon make out the features of the objects. An elongated wooden hull, large wooden beams rising into the sky with sails catching the wind. The objects each varied in size and shape, some appeared to be weather and others fairly new.
"Those must be the fishing boats of Petrøvya," Angela exclaimed as they continued to ride along the coast. "It won't be long now before we've entered Surda."
As a silent reply, Karn put on a burst of new speed pouring the Force into his body. His speed increased and he drove forward past Angela and her mare. "Karn, slow down!" Angela shouted from behind, pushing her mare to its limits.
He was too excited to wait any longer. Over a month had passed without being in Eragon's company and he was concerned for him and Saphira. Now the hardest part of the journey was finally over. The trek across the plains of the Empire was no small feat and now that they were close to finding the Varden, Karn couldn't delay. He dashed across the fields that surrounded Lake Tüdosten as if his life depended on it. Soon the faint outline of a small city grew upon the horizon. The city of Petrøvya was now in his sights.
Coming up to a large boulder that sat at the edge of the shore, Karn jumped on top of it to observe the scenery. Petrøvya sat at the southern end of the lake and hundreds of fishing vessels littered the waters. He could soon hear the small distinct sounds of fishermen shouting orders to the crews. The lights of the city stood as a beacon to those out on the lake to guide their way back home. We made it. He thought to himself.
Relief swept over him as Karn sat down on the boulder staring out across the lake towards the city. Weeks of travel and training finally began to weigh on him and Karn felt for the first time in a long while - exhausted. He peered back towards his companions and noticed that he had put quite some distance between them out of his excitement. He waited several minutes before Angela came trotting up alongside the boulder, the mare began to foam at the mouth and its body trembled due to the exertion. Angela dismounted the mare and Solembum followed suit. The werecat's skin began to shimmer like water and fur grew at an accelerated length. He fell onto all fours as the young boy turned into his normal feline form. Solembum jumped onto the boulder and sat right next to Karn peering off towards the city, his slit eyes focused.
Angela walked the mare down the shore towards the water's edge. The smell of the lake water quickly enticed the beast of burden; it's ears immediately perked up and it hastily trotted into the first two feet of water where it dipped its snout into the water to drink. "I think we'll walk the rest of the way," Angela commented as she stood along the shore, watching the mare. "We'll give the mare some time to rest as we make our way to the city."
"I am glad that we have finally made it. The hardest part seems to be past us now." Karn commented. He stroked the fur of the werecat and soon he could here Solembum's purr resonate within his chest.
"Indeed. For once, we'll be able to sleep with a roof above our heads and we shall eat a warm meal. Oh without a doubt, without the fear of the Empire chasing after us, I definitely believe that the worst is far behind us now." She walked towards the water as the waves began creep along the sandy shore. Taking off her leather boots and placing them off to the side, Angela allowed the waves to roll past her feet. She wiggled her toes letting her feet sink into the wet sand. "I've not felt sand underneath my feet for some time. It's rather relaxing," commented Angela.
Stretching his arms back behind his head, Karn observed her as she continued to dig her feet deeper into the soggy sand, the water rising past her ankles, wetting the hem of her green traveling skirt. "You lived in Teirm, I'm surprised you didn't visit the ocean more often," he replied back. He changed from petting the werecat to scratching behind his ears which increased the volume of purring.
"Every once in a while, when my time would allow it, I would walk along the shores of the sea and bask in the scenery presented to me. It was a wonderful place to release pent up anxieties." Kneeling down towards the surface of water, she cupped her hands together, forming a makeshift bowl in her hands and allowed it to fill to the brim. When it was nearly full, she quickly shot her arms up into the sky, the water being flung into the air. The water refracted the last rays of dying sunlight and disappeared as the water droplets hit the surface of water.
Turning her hips so she faced Karn, Angela waved to him to join her. Curious, Karn patted Solembum on his head before walking onto the sandy shore, coming to stand some feet away from Angela without having to get into the water. "Come join me," she said with a smile on her face. "The water is not to cold and it's quite refreshing. It'll help you relax."
Releasing a slight smile and shaking his head, Karn said, "I'm quite content where I am now. But I'm pleased to see that you are enjoying yourself."
A mischievous look appeared on Angela's face and she quickly replied, "Oh no. You've spent quite enough time being serious." She pulled her feet free from the sinking sand and retreated from the water's edge towards Karn's side. She grabbed hold of his hand and attempted to forcefully pull him into the waves' path.
"Angela, stop this!" With great effort, Karn tried to pull from her grasp but she held tight onto him. The two struggled to gain the upper hand as Angela tried to force him into the lake and he into staying put on the shore. After several goes, Angela eventually stopped. She released his hand and Karn staggered backwards. "You're so stubborn," she said disappointedly.
She placed her hands on her hips and the young Grey Knight stared back at her with a playful look of his own. "You're one to talk," he replied. "Sometimes you're quite difficult to work with, you know?"
"Is that so?" she asked with an edge to her voice.
Folding his arms as if he were acting serious, he looked at her with another playful grin, "Quite so."
"You have quite the mouth on you, don't you?" she said walking back into the water, letting the waves brush past her feet. "I'm surprised you would say such a thing to charming woman, such as myself." She flipped her curly chestnut hair out of the way to aggravate him.
"Are woman charming, yes," commented Karn. He gazed at Angela and thought of a way to irritate her, teasingly. "You, however, I'm not so sure."
The stout woman suddenly recoiled back at his words and a fierce look grew in her eyes. Karn suddenly sensed how surprise she was at his remark and he knew he hit a spot. Clenching her hands into fists, Angela dipped her head down away from Karn's view, her hands began to shake.
Karn observed her with a raised eyebrow. She didn't honestly take that as true statement, did she?
Angela's shoulders grew rigid and soon, he could see her whole body begin to tremble. Flabbergasted, Karn quickly realized that he may have crossed a line. He never wanted to intentionally hurt Angela's feelings and was mortified that he may actually have.
Walking up to the edge of the water Karn spoke sincerely, "Angela, I apologize. I didn't mean to upset you. I was only jesting about your stubbornness." The herbalist continued to tremble, her fists clenched and her head still dipped out of sight. Knowing not sure what else to do, Karn continued to apologize and made an effort to coax her into feeling better. "You're a wonderful person Angela. You've done so much for me since our first encounter and I take back what I said. You're not a stubborn woman."
"You're just saying that," Angela whispered, her face still hidden, and her body trembling as well."
Karn was searching what words to say next but the sudden thought occurred to him. Angela had done a great deal for him since their first encounter in Teirm. She offered him assistance in the port city, she had rescued him from Gil'ead and mended his wounds. And she took it upon herself to train him for weeks where he believed he would fail.
However, she stayed with him through it all and her company was welcoming. Karn appreciated all her efforts and for that he was grateful. Not only was he grateful for her efforts, he was appreciative of her presence. He grew to enjoy the herbalist's company. Their time spent traveling along the road, engaging each other in conversation, and being a source of support. Karn valued Angela on a professional level but even more than that, he saw her on a personal scale. He valued her presence and her advice; whenever he saw her, Karn was happy to see her. He saw her as a friend and also…
He gazed down at the slender woman, her clothes outlined the curves of her body and the dying light casted a red-hue to her person which added to her natural beauty. The sudden smell of lilacs drifted into his nostrils and he realized the aroma was originating from Angela. The smell of her perfume was new to Karn, and it was intoxicating; it clouded his mind, slightly. His cheeks began to blush as he began to think of Angela in such a way. He wasn't accustomed to seeing women in such manner, for it was new for him.
Unsure of what to do or say next, Karn quickly thought on the spot and hoped this next apology would be enough. He bent over towards Angela, bowing before her. "I'm sorry Angela. Never once have I seen you as a stubborn woman. I see you as a close friend, and I would never hurt someone close to me. You've gone to great efforts for my sake, and for that I'm grateful. You're a unique woman, Angela…" he hesitated, reflecting upon the words he was about to say which only made his face grow a darker shade of red. "…And I find you to be quite charming."
Minutes passed by and Karn remained in his bent position, hoping it would coax Angela into forgiving him. From his stance, he could see that her trembling had stopped but he wasn't sure if she had an angered or saddened look on her face. It wasn't long before he felt a force push him backwards onto the ground where he landed flat on his back. "Now that serves you right," replied Angela.
Peering up towards her, Karn was surprised to see that Angela was in fact smiling. She crossed her arms over each other and tilted her hips off to the side. "I wasn't at all taken aback by your words Karn. I quickly understood the game that you were playing and merely played the part. I'm surprised you didn't catch on."
He throughout a finger at her and Karn felt his blood begin to rush into his head out of frustration. "I thought you were actually upset!"
She waved her hand in the air at his response, "No, no boy. You're surely mistaken. I merely jest. Had I truly been upset at your words, I would not be standing here silent like a normal maiden. If anything, my tongue would be lashing out at you with words so vulgar that you would be shocked to ever hear such a thing."
Karn sat there on the beach utterly agitated. He had truly believed he had hurt the woman's feelings and spent all that effort devising an apology only to find out that all of Angela's actions were a shame. "Thank you though," replied Angela softly.
Confused, Karn gazed up at the woman, her posture changed and she no longer had her arms crossed. Instead, her hands were interlinked in front of her and she had a humbled expression on her face. "For what?"
"You truly thought my feelings were hurt and wanted to mend the issue. I appreciate that you went to that much effort to apologize. It showed me that you actually care."
Pushing off against the ground, Karn brushed the sand off his robes, "Of course I thought I did – on both accounts," he said coming to stand at the water's edge. However, this time he walked out into the water up alongside Angela. "I cared that I may have hurt you and I wanted to make amends."
Angela looked as if she was truly surprised by his words. "You care that much about me?"
"You're a friend," Karn continued. He could feel his cheeks getting warm and he was grateful of the position of the sun. The last bits of sunlight casted the same red-hue on him which helped mask her blushed face. "…And I care about you. Like I said Angela, you've gone through quite an ordeal for my sake. My life is indebted to you."
The herbalist stood still and silent for a long moment. Her eyes were wide-eyed and her lips parted and closed as if trying to find words to speak. For some time, she stayed like this before she ultimately dipped her head down, away from his sight. "…Thank you, Karn," she whispered. "So rare have people offered me kind words like you just have. It is…delightful to hear."
A small smile grew on Karn's face as he looked down upon his companion. Sometimes he had trouble understanding the actions and motives of the cynical woman. But this time, Karn was pleased to see that she appreciated his words. Reaching up, her placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze of endearment before making his way on shore.
A slight tugging at the hem of his cloak caught Karn's attention. He turned around to find Angela's hand gripped at the end of it. She still remained positioned from her spot, seconds ago. Her face obscured by her locks of chestnut hair. She made no reply. "What's the matter, Angela?" he asked concerned.
For a solid minute, the herbalist made no effort to converse with him. Karn wasn't sure what was going on but he could sense a great deal of conflict resonate from Angela. The emotions that swirled inside her were that of insecurity and apprehension.
"Angela…?"
In a hushed voice so soft Karn was barely able to hear it, Angela said, "I've not been quite truthful to you…"
"What do you mean?" Confused, Karn positioned himself so he faced Angela directly, yet she remained still.
"I've been lying to you, Karn," she paused for a moment. Her body began to tremble and Karn noticed that this time, the tremors were not fake. "I've been feeding you a false truth…a lie that I should never have kept over your eyes."
The sense of confusion battered Karn's mind, unsure of what to make of the herbalist's claim. "What do you mean you've been lying to me? I don't understand."
Angela grew silent again as she formulated her next words. Her voice was soft but it possessed an edge to it. "…Have you not felt it yet?"
Karn raised an eyebrow, "Felt what, exactly?"
"I'm sure you've must have sensed it by now, at least," she replied with a bit of condescending tone in her voice.
Unable to understand the game which Angela was trying to play, Karn was beginning to grow slightly annoyed. "I don't understand what you're talking about Angela. What was I supposed to sense?"
Suddenly, Angela's head shot up and a fierce look appeared in her amber-eyes, piercing his own. Her body stood tall and firm but the tremors continued along her length. "The Force bond."
"W-what?" confused Karn said. The word 'force bonds' was a term that he had only heard once before while training at the Grey Knight Temple. It was a term used to describe a bond between force-sensitives where the individuals could sense each other's feelings and thoughts. A bond formed only when individuals developed attachments to each other, through the Force.
"You can sense my feelings can't you?" asked Angela. She approached him and came up only feet away from him, holding his gaze. "You can sense my feelings and thoughts through the Force."
"How do you know what a Force bond is?" Karn asked. It occurred to him that he never mentioned before what Force bonds were to Angela. Not once in his explanation of the Force did he ever mention it.
"Can't you sense me, Karn?" Angela asked sincerely. "Open yourself up to the Force."
The words spoken through Angela's mouth sound exactly similar to those of his masters. She spoke as if she knew what the Force was. He had difficulty believing his own assumptions. Nevertheless, Karn closed his eyes and opened up his mind, connecting to the Force. His conscious stretched out into the surrounding area and Karn focused on one particular piece of it – the woman standing before him.
Stretching out his mind, Karn pressed in on Angela. He was soon met by a mental barrier, strong as steel. But before he could make any attempt to push against it, the barriers shattered, the thoughts and feelings of the herbalist came rushing forth like a torrent of waves. Karn had difficult shifting through the emotions presented to him and the thoughts melding through his own. He felt the same emotions earlier, only this time more intensified: fear and insecurity. Diving through the wave of emotions, Karn connected them with Angela's thoughts circulating through his mind.
Fear of being accepted…afraid of being rejected…insecure of being alone…
As he continued to tie the thoughts and feelings together to form a mental picture, Karn felt a pressure tug at his mind. A familiar presence drew him deeper into Angela's being, a presence that he had known for many years now. As he reached the core of Angela's soul, Karn was bathed in pure light. The presence grew stronger and powerful and he struggled to comprehend what he was looking at. This presence, this power that was emanating from inside the herbalist, the Grey Knight knew he felt it before. He had felt it the time when he was imprisoned in his own darkness…he had felt it after his fight in Gil'ead…at Teirm… he felt it the first time he stepped into the Force nexus on Zonama Seko. It took several seconds before the connection was made.
Impossible!
Quickly withdrawing from Angela's mind, Karn struggled to process the information he had just learned. The emotions and feelings that made up Angela, and the power the resided within her. He cupped his head in his hands and back away from the woman, falling onto the ground of the shore. "No, this is impossible. It can't be possible," he whispered, unbelieving what he just learned.
Angela quickly walked up to Karn and knelt down on the ground beside him, her face full of guilt. "I'm sorry Karn. But it's the truth."
Shaking his head, the Grey Knight still couldn't believe her words. "No this isn't possible. How, Angela?" He asked her. "How do you possess the Force?!"
"…My name is not Angela…"
Karn stared at the woman, quietly but a grave look appeared on his face. "What?"
The tremors continued along Angela's body making her shake uncontrollably. "My name is not Angela…My name…" she paused. Karn gazed at the woman and noticed glistening tear drops fall from her eyes. "…My name is Meetra Surik… I come from the same world as you, Karn…I'm a Jedi... And I'm sorry… I'm so sorry."