Owl Of The Forest
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The owl was silent. It sat on the branch, its head turned to one side as if listening for something in a far-off place that only it could hear. Its eyes were closed and there seemed no movement at all within them; but when I looked closely they showed me nothing of what lay behind their lids: not even the faintest glimmering like firelight or smoke from some distant chimney.
They had an expressionless look about them which made my heart sink with fear lest this might be death itself – though how such a thing should come upon any bird is more than I can understand! But then again perhaps it would have been better still if he did show his face before us so we knew where our doom lay. For now, however, it remained hidden away somewhere deep inside him…
‘What do you see?’ asked Tarkaan quietly. ‘Can you tell whether your vision has brought good news? Or bad?’ He spoke softly enough that none other than myself heard these words. Yet somehow I felt sure everyone else must know exactly what he meant by them too.
And yet nobody answered him directly either. Instead, each man merely stared into space until finally, the old warrior said, ‘I cannot say.’ Then he added, almost as an afterthought,’ But whatever may happen here today will surely bring great changes to our lives!’
It was true enough. There could be no doubt of that. Whatever happened next would change everything between us forevermore. We three men stood together in silence while the sun rose higher above us and began to warm our backs through our cloaks. At last, I found courage enough to speak up once more.
‘Do you think she’s dead?’ I whispered. My voice sounded small and weak in my own ears. ‘Is that why her father sent you out alone?’
Tarkaan shook his head slowly. ‘No, I don’t believe so. She’ll live. That much I am certain of.’ His gaze fell back onto the owl. ‘And yet I also feel that there are things going on beyond our ken which we shall never fully comprehend. All I can hope for is that she survives long enough to give birth safely. If she does, then perhaps we shall find ourselves blessed indeed.’
He paused briefly before adding,’ Or cursed instead.’
We waited another hour or two longer without speaking, watching the light grow stronger around us and feeling every moment as if time itself were running backward. When at length I dared ask him again, Tarkaan told me, ‘She’s alive. Her life seems strong enough. Perhaps just barely so, but nevertheless it remains intact. Now let’s go down below and try to make sense of all this.’
So saying, he led the way along the tree trunk towards the edge of the forest floor. As soon as we reached the ground level we saw that the others had already left their hiding places. One glance was sufficient to confirm that both Beka and Kallor had survived the night.
Both were standing close beside each other, looking straight ahead as if neither wished to meet anyone’s eye. Neither moved nor uttered a sound, although I noticed that their hands hung loosely by their sides. Their faces wore expressions of utter despair, and I wondered if they had ever truly believed themselves capable of defeating the wizard. Had they really thought that the power of magic could overcome anything? Or was it simply that they feared defeat so deeply that it drove them mad?
Either way, I decided that I didn’t want to know. Better that they kept quiet and concentrated on getting well away from here. So I walked past them quickly and went over to stand alongside Tarkaan.
As we watched, the first rays of sunlight touched the topmost branches overhead, turning them gold and red and purple. Soon afterward, the birds came flocking out to greet the new day, singing loudly and joyfully as if they hadn’t a care in the world. In fact, most of them seemed quite oblivious to the presence of human beings nearby. Only the owls stayed aloof, sitting silently atop their high perches, staring fixedly forward as if waiting for something terrible to happen.
At length the sun climbed steadily upwards, burning off the misty vapor hanging low across the valley. By midmorning, it was clear that the weather would remain fine throughout the rest of the day. Around midday, however, clouds began to gather in the sky, darkening the blue expanse above us.
A few minutes later, heavy raindrops started falling gently against the leaves of the trees. Within half an hour the whole area was drenched under a thick blanket of grey clouds. Even the birds took cover beneath the canopy of foliage, leaving us completely alone save for those who remained perched on their lofty roosts.
For several hours we stood motionless among the shadows cast by the huge oaks, watching the storm pass overhead. The wind grew gradually fiercer with every passing minute, whipping the droplets into tiny whirlwinds which danced wildly about our heads like miniature tornadoes.
Once or twice one of these whirling eddies caught hold of my cloak and lifted me bodily into the air, spinning round and round until I lost all sense of direction. But when I looked down I discovered that I still held tight to the branch upon which I’d been standing only moments earlier. It seemed that nothing could shake my grip now. Not even the fury of nature herself.
The worst of the storm passed after a couple of hours, and the sun returned to shine down brightly on the land. Birdsong filled the air once more, and the breeze died away almost entirely. After that, the afternoon became pleasantly cool and pleasant. We spent some time exploring the surrounding countryside, searching for signs of any living creature.
Although we did not see many animals, we heard plenty of bird calls coming faintly through the woods. Most of them belonged to species native to the region, such as woodpeckers and jays, but occasionally we encountered unfamiliar voices belonging to creatures whose names I couldn’t begin to pronounce. At least none of them appeared hostile.
By late evening we were ready to return home. As we made our way back up the hillside, we found that the path leading to the cave had become impassable due to the accumulation of fallen debris. This meant that we had no choice but to climb the steep slope using the roots of large trees for handholds. While doing so, I glanced behind me and saw that the forest lay silent and deserted. No sign of pursuit greeted us there either. For the moment, then, it seemed safe to assume that the wizards’ spell had failed utterly.
I felt strangely elated at having escaped unscathed. My mind was full of thoughts of Beka, wondering what she must be thinking right now. Was her heart broken beyond repair? Did she blame herself for failing to protect me during the battle? Would she ever forgive me for being unable to help her?
And how long might it take before she finally gave up hope and accepted the inevitable fate awaiting her? These questions tormented me while we trudged slowly uphill, pausing frequently to catch our breath. Eventually, we emerged onto the open grassland where the horses waited patiently for us. They snorted and stamped impatiently whenever we stopped moving too long, urging us onwards with loud neighing sounds.
“We’ll have to leave them here,” said Tarkaan suddenly. “They won’t survive another night exposed to this cold.” He turned his head slightly towards me, frowning anxiously as he studied my face. Then, without warning, he reached out and grasped my arm firmly. His eyes glittered fiercely in the darkness.
“You’re hurt!” he exclaimed. “What happened?”
He helped me dismount from my horse and led him over to the others. There was blood seeping profusely through the bandage wrapped around my thigh. When I tried to stand upright, pain shot through both legs and sent waves of agony coursing through my body.
Tarkaan quickly applied fresh linen strips to the wound, binding them tightly together. In spite of the discomfort caused by the pressure, I managed to hobble forward a short distance. From somewhere deep inside came to a voice calling urgently: ‘Help! Help!’ I staggered forwards again, ignoring the throbbing ache in my leg muscles. I knew instinctively that someone needed my assistance.
As soon as I set foot on the ground, I realized why I’d sensed the presence of another person nearby. Standing just ahead of me was a young woman dressed in tattered rags. She stared blankly at me with wide-open eyes, her expression revealing utter terror. Her hair hung loosely about her shoulders, matted and tangled.
A filthy rag covered her mouth, preventing her from making any sound whatsoever. Even though I didn’t understand the language spoken by the people who lived in the valley below, I understood perfectly well what she wanted me to do. All she could manage to say was an unintelligible series of guttural grunts.
She pointed frantically to the west, indicating that she wished me to follow her. Without hesitation, I started walking along the trail. The girl followed close behind me, keeping pace easily despite the fact that I moved much slower than usual because of my injuries. It wasn’t until later that I discovered that I hadn’t been mistaken; the poor thing really was blind.
After several minutes of following the narrow track, we arrived at a small clearing surrounded by thick undergrowth. Here the vegetation grew sparse enough to allow us to make out the outlines of two huts built against the base of a rocky cliff.
Beyond these dwellings stood a stone wall enclosing a patch of cultivated fields. Several men wearing rough leather tunics and carrying crude wooden clubs wandered aimlessly among the crops, their faces hidden beneath hooded cloaks. One of them noticed us immediately and shouted angrily when he spotted the girl standing beside me. Before anyone else could react, however, I stepped between them and raised my hands defensively.
“Stop!” I cried loudly. “Don’t touch her!”
My words brought instant silence to the scene. Everyone present froze in place, staring at me with astonishment. After a few moments, one of the farmers approached cautiously, holding his club loosely in front of him.
“Who are you?” he demanded gruffly. “And what is your business here? We don’t want trouble.”
The man’s tone left little doubt that if he decided to attack me, none of those gathered near the field would dare interfere. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to simply walk away from the situation. Instead, I lowered my arms and took a step closer to the farmer.
“Please listen carefully,” I told him quietly. “This isn’t going to end peacefully unless you let go of the girl. You can either release her or fight me. Your choice.”
For a moment there was complete stillness. Then the other villagers began shouting excitedly, pointing accusing fingers at me. Some brandished weapons threateningly, while others advanced menacingly upon me.
“Stand back!” I yelled furiously, raising my sword. “Or I swear I will kill every last one of you!”
I had no intention of actually doing so, but it seemed to be sufficient for the crowd to retreat hastily into the safety of their homes. As they did, I saw the girl watching me intently. Although she remained silent throughout our confrontation, I felt certain that she understood everything that was being said.
“Thank you,” she whispered softly.
When I looked down at her, I found that tears were streaming freely down her cheeks. For some reason, this made me feel ashamed. I knelt before her and gently wiped the moisture off her face with my sleeve.
“It’s all right now,” I assured her. “They won’t bother you anymore.”
Her response surprised me. She shook her head slowly, then turned towards the cliffs beyond the village. With a trembling finger, she indicated that I should follow her. Once more, I obeyed without question.
We walked silently across the open space separating the houses from the fields. At first glance, nothing appeared unusual about the area – except perhaps for the absence of any livestock. But once I got closer, I became aware of something strange. There weren’t any animals grazing anywhere within sight. And although the plants growing in the surrounding soil showed signs of recent cultivation, not even a single weed could be seen sprouting up through the rich loam.
At length, the girl stopped abruptly. Pointing upwards, she gestured for me to look closely. When I did, I gasped aloud in shock. Above us stretched a vast expanse of cloudless blue sky dotted only by tiny white clouds drifting lazily past overhead. Looking around, I saw that the same phenomenon extended far beyond where we stood. In fact, it covered most of the land on both sides of the valley as well.
“What . . .” I stammered. “Where am I?”
As soon as I asked the question, I realized how foolish it sounded. Of course, I knew exactly where I was! This was the world I’d come from. Yet somehow, the realization didn’t help calm my nerves. My heart pounded wildly inside my chest, and I struggled desperately to control my breathing.
“You’re home,” the girl replied calmly. “Welcome to the Land of Mist.”
***
A short time after leaving the village, we reached an enormous forest stretching almost to the horizon. A wide river flowed through its center, dividing the trees neatly into two distinct sections. On the opposite bank, a large city sprawled across the landscape like a great black stain spreading over the earth.
Even though I recognized the location instantly, I couldn’t believe my eyes. How could such a huge metropolis have grown up in the middle of nowhere?
“Is that really the capital of the kingdom?” I wondered out loud.
The girl nodded solemnly. “Yes. It has been since long ago when the gods created this country.”
Although I wasn’t sure why I suddenly felt very uneasy. The girl noticed my expression change immediately and smiled reassuringly.
“There’s no need to worry,” she reassured me. “No harm will ever come to you here.”
She spoke these words confidently, yet I sensed that she too was troubled. Her smile faded slightly, and I thought I detected a hint of sadness behind her gaze. Perhaps I imagined it, however. Either way, I chose not to pursue the matter further.
Instead, I focused my attention on the city itself. From afar, the buildings appeared quite ordinary. They consisted primarily of stone structures built along narrow streets lined with tall columns supporting arches above them.
Many bore carvings depicting scenes from ancient history, while others displayed elaborate sculptures of mythical creatures. All of this struck me as odd, considering that I hadn’t heard anything about this place until just recently.
“How is it possible that nobody knows about this?” I mused aloud. “And what are those statues supposed to represent anyway?”
Before answering, the girl pointed at several figures standing near the edge of the forest. Upon seeing who they were, I quickly averted my gaze.
“That’s the king and queen of the realm,” she explained. “Their names are King Gaius and Queen Livia. Their reign has lasted for many years, during which they’ve brought peace to the people.”
The End