The Sleeping Sword: Chapter Four
The next morning was like any other; Viktor awoke alone. His eyes flickered open in the drab light of the room. She was gone, had slipped out as Viktor slept at some point in the night. Quickly Viktor dressed and, running his hands through his hair, opened the door of his room. There stood Gremio and Tir, staring into Oulan's room with the door wide open.
"Morning," Viktor said. Tir and Gremio turned to face him. Gremio's brows were furrowed in consternation. Tir was looking at his feet.
"What's going on?" Viktor asked.
"Oulan has left, apparently," Gremio said. "There's no sign of her anywhere, and her room is empty. "
"What?!" Viktor pushed past them to look for himself. Oulan's bed hadn't even been slept in. There was still a single bough of the queen's flowers on her pillow.
"I don't understand..." He stared at the flowers. "Maybe it's not to late to catch her? Where did she go?"
Tir and Gremio were silent.
_______________________________
"She's hours ahead," Flik decided as the rest of the companions met later. They stood in the seabreeze of the rooftop patio at the inn. Flik had his back to the sun while the others shielded their eyes in the dazzling light. "We'll never catch her. Two fishermen on the island's shore reported seeing a woman with red hair board a boat with Shu late last night. "
"At least she is safe, then," Ayda said. Forlornly she smoothed her hair back with her hand.
Flik held out a piece of paper to Tir. "This is a message from the oracle." He paced as Tir read it carefully.
"This says the priest who murdered the princess and put your sword to sleep is in the volcano near the capital city of this island," Tir told the rest. He handed the paper back to Flik. "Noelani is to accompany us as our guide."
Ayda put a hand to her hip. "Oh," she said, looking Flik in the eye. "I guess we have a replacement already, well fine." Her confidence faltered as she saw the look he gave back to her.
"Collect your things, let's get going," Flik said, turning as he marched down the steps, with Viktor slowly following. Flik let go of the paper. It fluttered in the wind, flew out towards the cliffs beyond and disappeared. Ayda watched it go as it alighted towards their destination, a volcano that had hefted itself up into the sky. Even from this distance, Ayda's eyes teared at the thought of the heat it appeared to be giving off from its ashen grey top. She wiped her face with the back of her hand and started after Flik, leaving Gremio and Tir on the porch to their quiet debating.
______________________
Under green fronds and coiling vines they trekked together towards the volcano's entrance. The mountain had once been a small city when the people here now had first arrived at this island, but they had no warning of the volcanic disaster that would strike bare years later. This first major setback against the island's new inhabitants prompted them to continually worship the god of fire whose anger caused them so much grief years ago. Other parts of the story, including a hero who had guided the remaining people to a new place to survive and eventually prosper, were told to the newcomers by Noelani as they walked the narrow paths through the jungle, which pawed and poked at them with burr and briar. No breeze relieved them of the heat, and the air was heavy to breathe.
"There," Noelani said, seeing some invisible sign as she stopped in the middle of another tale. "We're close to our campsite for the evening."
"I hope they have water," Ayda said. "I've drank almost all of mine." Noelani waited on a wider part of the trail as the rest went by her, Ayda at the end.
"Here, let me see," Noelani told her. Ayda shrugged and handed her the canteen. Noelani shook it gently.
"Well, there's enough here to drink and wash up later if you want," Noelani told her. Ayda narrowed her eyes.
"What are you talking about?" Ayda grabbed the canteen away and it sloshed heavily in her hand. She looked up into Noelani's serene face. "I could have sworn . . . did you switch them?"
"Come on, we better catch up," Noelani told her, turning.
"You're not even sweating . . ." the young girl said, and she grabbed the middle of her simple beaded shirt and pulled it away, flapping it a few times to create a breeze. "Just something else heavy to carry," she told the rocks at her feet, and trounced on.
They had walked most of the afternoon away when they reached another fork in the road. Instead of choosing one way, Noelani went between them on an unseen path.
Tir and Gremio laughed. "That's an old trick!" Gremio yelled after her when she disappeared into the thicket. As they all followed, they found a comfortable place ahead to sleep for the night, with someone there already preparing a meal. Other tents surrounded a fire ahead of them.
"This is a secret encampment for those of us in the resistance against the corruption in the government," Noelani told them.
"Please, let me help with the food! I brought my spices along . . . if that's all right, Young Master," Gremio said, and at Tir's nod, he dashed off to the campfire.
"Find somewhere to rest for the night," Noelani said. "I'll be back in a little while."
After they set up their own camp, most of the evening passed slowly. Flik and Viktor seemed uninterested in talking or anything else, Ayda soon discovered, so she convinced Tir to escape their moodiness and explore the large hidden area they were in while they waited for Noelani and Gremio to return.
They set out in search of a stream to fill their canteens, and found more than they could have imagined. A small rainbow lit the spray from a thunderously loud waterfall like something out of a dream. As they approached the hidden place, their voices lowered to a whisper in the presence of something so awesome. The water fell from fifty feet above into a slate colored pool at their feet.
"Can you believe it," Ayda said. They had found a place behind the falling water where they could stand, and extend their arms so it fell into their hands. They were only a few feet above the pool but they couldn't see any further than the sheet of water before them.
"I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful," Tir said, hands extended. Ayda looked over and spied the rune in his hand. Tir caught himself and pulled back from the water, looking sideways at Ayda.
"Sorry to stare . . ." She walked behind him and left the ledge, dizzy from the intense roar of the water. Tir followed.
"It's all right. I'm used to it . . . I mean, used to it being there, I guess," he said. They stood in the grass a moment, until Ayda began to giggle.
"What is it?"
"Oh," she said. "Let's go swimming!" She ran for the pool, untwisting her braids and pulling off her shoes as she ran. Tir had to laugh, as she seemed to lose all restraint like a child running wild. As Tir watched, she ran down the bank and a sock flew up into the air.
"Come on!" She yelled, and plunged into the clear water. The day's sweat and weariness left her immediately. She floated on her back in the still pool. A dragonfly landed on her nose and she coughed and sputtered to her feet. Tir laughed again, and after removing his shoes and shirt, jumped in after her.
"Gremio wouldn't even recognize me now," Tir told Ayda after the splash fighting had ended. Ayda was now walking up to the back of the waterfall again, and Tir watched her shadow behind the falling water. Suddenly she dove out and into the pool below. She plunged below the surface, where sounds were muffled, and she opened her eyes as she began to swim upward to the surface. It was then that she saw something fast and deadly dart past her in the water, and her eyes widened as she realized what it was.
An arrow. Panicked, she kicked to the surface and as she reached it she cried out, "Tir!" But he was already swimming towards her, no expression on his face. He reached her and they made for the shore, hearing another arrow fly by them. It stuck into a little grove of mushrooms on the ground. They hid under the shadows of a small grove of gnarled trees. Needles bit their bare feet, but neither seemed to notice.
"Whoever it is, he is shooting from above us," Ayda told Tir.
"He must be at the top of the waterfall," he responded. "If he comes down here though, we're in trouble." They heard a heavy splash, and then another.
"Two of them!" Ayda whispered.
"Run, now!" Tir hissed, and they dashed back to the camp.
______________________________
Viktor mulled over his thoughts as he sat back at the camp, waiting for dinner. But his thoughts were distracted. The tinny HRING, HRING of Flik ritually sharpening his sword was making Viktor a little crazier every day.
"Are you sure it needs to be so sharp?" he asked Flik.
"If yours needs to talk, mine needs to be sharp," Flik answered simply. HRING, HRING. HRI... He stopped.
"Did you hear something?" Flik asked.
"Hmm," Viktor said, narrowing his eyes in the sunlight. "Here come Tir and Ayda. They're both drenched... Ayda's hair is a mess... Tir is stripped to the waist... and they haven't got shoes on."
"Hmmmm . . . indeed." Flik responded, and with a final HRING, sheathed his sword.
Tir saw them and yelled for them. "We're being attacked!"
"Well what the hell else is new!" Viktor yelled back, and as Tir and Ayda caught up, ran with Flik for the center of the encampment to warn the others.
An alarm was raised, and most of the inhabitants of the camp ran for a pre-arranged cave for their safety.
"I'm sure we were followed," Tir told the little gathering of defenders. "They must have heard us swimming."
"I'm so sorry," Ayda said, looking down. "I've put everyone in danger."
"All right, no time for that now," Noelani said. "They were surely scouts of the high priest. We will have to -- have to capture them."
A strange man road up on a horse at a trot, leading another by the bridle. He wore a simple vest and pants cut off at the knee and looked as if he had been surviving alone in the wilds for weeks. He was bald and had keen black eyes that looked down on them from his seat.
"Noelani, let's go," he said. His voice boomed, matching his apparent physical power.
"This is Ojo," Noelani said. She swung up onto the horse Ojo had brought. "Introductions later. Stay here!" They galloped away.
"Don't they need help?" Ayda asked.
"No," Viktor said. "They don't want us involved."
"Why not?"
"They intend to kill the scouts," Viktor said simply.
"Because they don't want them revealing the location of this camp," Tir explained to Ayda. She stared at him in revulsion. "It's not your fault . . ." But Tir could already see Ayda was crushed.
Gremio rushed up. "Young Master! I've found you at last. What have you done with your clothes?"
The next morning was like any other; Viktor awoke alone. His eyes flickered open in the drab light of the room. She was gone, had slipped out as Viktor slept at some point in the night. Quickly Viktor dressed and, running his hands through his hair, opened the door of his room. There stood Gremio and Tir, staring into Oulan's room with the door wide open.
"Morning," Viktor said. Tir and Gremio turned to face him. Gremio's brows were furrowed in consternation. Tir was looking at his feet.
"What's going on?" Viktor asked.
"Oulan has left, apparently," Gremio said. "There's no sign of her anywhere, and her room is empty. "
"What?!" Viktor pushed past them to look for himself. Oulan's bed hadn't even been slept in. There was still a single bough of the queen's flowers on her pillow.
"I don't understand..." He stared at the flowers. "Maybe it's not to late to catch her? Where did she go?"
Tir and Gremio were silent.
_______________________________
"She's hours ahead," Flik decided as the rest of the companions met later. They stood in the seabreeze of the rooftop patio at the inn. Flik had his back to the sun while the others shielded their eyes in the dazzling light. "We'll never catch her. Two fishermen on the island's shore reported seeing a woman with red hair board a boat with Shu late last night. "
"At least she is safe, then," Ayda said. Forlornly she smoothed her hair back with her hand.
Flik held out a piece of paper to Tir. "This is a message from the oracle." He paced as Tir read it carefully.
"This says the priest who murdered the princess and put your sword to sleep is in the volcano near the capital city of this island," Tir told the rest. He handed the paper back to Flik. "Noelani is to accompany us as our guide."
Ayda put a hand to her hip. "Oh," she said, looking Flik in the eye. "I guess we have a replacement already, well fine." Her confidence faltered as she saw the look he gave back to her.
"Collect your things, let's get going," Flik said, turning as he marched down the steps, with Viktor slowly following. Flik let go of the paper. It fluttered in the wind, flew out towards the cliffs beyond and disappeared. Ayda watched it go as it alighted towards their destination, a volcano that had hefted itself up into the sky. Even from this distance, Ayda's eyes teared at the thought of the heat it appeared to be giving off from its ashen grey top. She wiped her face with the back of her hand and started after Flik, leaving Gremio and Tir on the porch to their quiet debating.
______________________
Under green fronds and coiling vines they trekked together towards the volcano's entrance. The mountain had once been a small city when the people here now had first arrived at this island, but they had no warning of the volcanic disaster that would strike bare years later. This first major setback against the island's new inhabitants prompted them to continually worship the god of fire whose anger caused them so much grief years ago. Other parts of the story, including a hero who had guided the remaining people to a new place to survive and eventually prosper, were told to the newcomers by Noelani as they walked the narrow paths through the jungle, which pawed and poked at them with burr and briar. No breeze relieved them of the heat, and the air was heavy to breathe.
"There," Noelani said, seeing some invisible sign as she stopped in the middle of another tale. "We're close to our campsite for the evening."
"I hope they have water," Ayda said. "I've drank almost all of mine." Noelani waited on a wider part of the trail as the rest went by her, Ayda at the end.
"Here, let me see," Noelani told her. Ayda shrugged and handed her the canteen. Noelani shook it gently.
"Well, there's enough here to drink and wash up later if you want," Noelani told her. Ayda narrowed her eyes.
"What are you talking about?" Ayda grabbed the canteen away and it sloshed heavily in her hand. She looked up into Noelani's serene face. "I could have sworn . . . did you switch them?"
"Come on, we better catch up," Noelani told her, turning.
"You're not even sweating . . ." the young girl said, and she grabbed the middle of her simple beaded shirt and pulled it away, flapping it a few times to create a breeze. "Just something else heavy to carry," she told the rocks at her feet, and trounced on.
They had walked most of the afternoon away when they reached another fork in the road. Instead of choosing one way, Noelani went between them on an unseen path.
Tir and Gremio laughed. "That's an old trick!" Gremio yelled after her when she disappeared into the thicket. As they all followed, they found a comfortable place ahead to sleep for the night, with someone there already preparing a meal. Other tents surrounded a fire ahead of them.
"This is a secret encampment for those of us in the resistance against the corruption in the government," Noelani told them.
"Please, let me help with the food! I brought my spices along . . . if that's all right, Young Master," Gremio said, and at Tir's nod, he dashed off to the campfire.
"Find somewhere to rest for the night," Noelani said. "I'll be back in a little while."
After they set up their own camp, most of the evening passed slowly. Flik and Viktor seemed uninterested in talking or anything else, Ayda soon discovered, so she convinced Tir to escape their moodiness and explore the large hidden area they were in while they waited for Noelani and Gremio to return.
They set out in search of a stream to fill their canteens, and found more than they could have imagined. A small rainbow lit the spray from a thunderously loud waterfall like something out of a dream. As they approached the hidden place, their voices lowered to a whisper in the presence of something so awesome. The water fell from fifty feet above into a slate colored pool at their feet.
"Can you believe it," Ayda said. They had found a place behind the falling water where they could stand, and extend their arms so it fell into their hands. They were only a few feet above the pool but they couldn't see any further than the sheet of water before them.
"I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful," Tir said, hands extended. Ayda looked over and spied the rune in his hand. Tir caught himself and pulled back from the water, looking sideways at Ayda.
"Sorry to stare . . ." She walked behind him and left the ledge, dizzy from the intense roar of the water. Tir followed.
"It's all right. I'm used to it . . . I mean, used to it being there, I guess," he said. They stood in the grass a moment, until Ayda began to giggle.
"What is it?"
"Oh," she said. "Let's go swimming!" She ran for the pool, untwisting her braids and pulling off her shoes as she ran. Tir had to laugh, as she seemed to lose all restraint like a child running wild. As Tir watched, she ran down the bank and a sock flew up into the air.
"Come on!" She yelled, and plunged into the clear water. The day's sweat and weariness left her immediately. She floated on her back in the still pool. A dragonfly landed on her nose and she coughed and sputtered to her feet. Tir laughed again, and after removing his shoes and shirt, jumped in after her.
"Gremio wouldn't even recognize me now," Tir told Ayda after the splash fighting had ended. Ayda was now walking up to the back of the waterfall again, and Tir watched her shadow behind the falling water. Suddenly she dove out and into the pool below. She plunged below the surface, where sounds were muffled, and she opened her eyes as she began to swim upward to the surface. It was then that she saw something fast and deadly dart past her in the water, and her eyes widened as she realized what it was.
An arrow. Panicked, she kicked to the surface and as she reached it she cried out, "Tir!" But he was already swimming towards her, no expression on his face. He reached her and they made for the shore, hearing another arrow fly by them. It stuck into a little grove of mushrooms on the ground. They hid under the shadows of a small grove of gnarled trees. Needles bit their bare feet, but neither seemed to notice.
"Whoever it is, he is shooting from above us," Ayda told Tir.
"He must be at the top of the waterfall," he responded. "If he comes down here though, we're in trouble." They heard a heavy splash, and then another.
"Two of them!" Ayda whispered.
"Run, now!" Tir hissed, and they dashed back to the camp.
______________________________
Viktor mulled over his thoughts as he sat back at the camp, waiting for dinner. But his thoughts were distracted. The tinny HRING, HRING of Flik ritually sharpening his sword was making Viktor a little crazier every day.
"Are you sure it needs to be so sharp?" he asked Flik.
"If yours needs to talk, mine needs to be sharp," Flik answered simply. HRING, HRING. HRI... He stopped.
"Did you hear something?" Flik asked.
"Hmm," Viktor said, narrowing his eyes in the sunlight. "Here come Tir and Ayda. They're both drenched... Ayda's hair is a mess... Tir is stripped to the waist... and they haven't got shoes on."
"Hmmmm . . . indeed." Flik responded, and with a final HRING, sheathed his sword.
Tir saw them and yelled for them. "We're being attacked!"
"Well what the hell else is new!" Viktor yelled back, and as Tir and Ayda caught up, ran with Flik for the center of the encampment to warn the others.
An alarm was raised, and most of the inhabitants of the camp ran for a pre-arranged cave for their safety.
"I'm sure we were followed," Tir told the little gathering of defenders. "They must have heard us swimming."
"I'm so sorry," Ayda said, looking down. "I've put everyone in danger."
"All right, no time for that now," Noelani said. "They were surely scouts of the high priest. We will have to -- have to capture them."
A strange man road up on a horse at a trot, leading another by the bridle. He wore a simple vest and pants cut off at the knee and looked as if he had been surviving alone in the wilds for weeks. He was bald and had keen black eyes that looked down on them from his seat.
"Noelani, let's go," he said. His voice boomed, matching his apparent physical power.
"This is Ojo," Noelani said. She swung up onto the horse Ojo had brought. "Introductions later. Stay here!" They galloped away.
"Don't they need help?" Ayda asked.
"No," Viktor said. "They don't want us involved."
"Why not?"
"They intend to kill the scouts," Viktor said simply.
"Because they don't want them revealing the location of this camp," Tir explained to Ayda. She stared at him in revulsion. "It's not your fault . . ." But Tir could already see Ayda was crushed.
Gremio rushed up. "Young Master! I've found you at last. What have you done with your clothes?"