A Fated Meeting
"She’s cool, and I like her face."
-excerpt from the journal of infinite wisdom.
1-5.4a. Cir. June 2015.
“Gather round. Gather round.”
The old innkeeper’s voice was smooth and deep, like honey ale. He sat on a stool across the bar and motioned for the children to claim stools for themselves on the other side of it. It was a tradition of sorts - something to keep the children occupied while their parents indulged themselves in bad decisions and behavior unbecoming of nobility.
“What will you tell us today, old man?” The voice came from an inquisitive girl who’d perhaps seen the seasons cycle ten times. The two boys with her looked to be around that same age - each with that eager look in their eyes.
The innkeeper smiled the way a grandfather would, but it was laced with something dangerous - something true. He lowered his voice and leaned in. The children did likewise.
“Have you heard the tale of Sir William the Namebreaker and Lady Lupe the Sleepless?”
Their faces illuminated with excitement and recognition.
“Everyone knows about them. We’ve heard all kinds of stories. Like how Sir William once held off an entire army for her, or how Frena herself gifted the Lady Lupe with her grace, or how they both overcame the elder on the mount of horns, with only their love for one another.” one boy said with eager eyes, the color of grass. The others nodded in agreement, but their eyes did not waver from the innkeeper.
“All good stories, yes. All true, I’m sure. But have you heard of how they met? Of how Sir William the Beardless valiantly did battle against an ancient dark wizard? Of how he braved the Forest of Times Past, crossed the Forbidden Sea of Tomorrows, and rescued his Lady from imprisonment? Have you heard,” he paused for dramatic effect. “Have you heard this truth of their first meeting? Of how their eyes fell upon one another and the stars themselves sang? Of how Sir William threw himself to the eternal flame that he might overcome its embers? Of how Lady Lupe herself did gift her rescuer with a piece of her very soul? Have you heard, children, of this tale?”
His callous hands brushed the thick wood of the bar, and his grey eyes scanned the audience. Each of them was attentive, so much so that none of them said a word. They simply shook their heads in expectant bewilderment. They craved a tale. And so, a tale he would tell.
“It all began on the 5th day of May, in the year of rebirth 2015. Sir William the Meek was still a soldier in the high King’s army then - serving under the twin eagles of his father’s brother, Samuel. He had arrived back from the War of the Sands just a moon ago and was visiting his mother and stepfather in the Kingdom of Kansas, nestled deep within the land of howling winds.
And from the lips of his mother, he heard a tale - a rumor really. She had told him what travelers say and what seers and tellers are afraid to utter. A maiden, fair and kind, was taken captive by a great and ancient wizard. For seven years he’d held her, bound by the hand with metal and by the heart with the power of his own name.
Now Sir William was no Frena. He hadn’t the legendary might of such a being, and he was lowborn himself, not some offspring of the wind like she was. But Sir William the Titless was a mighty man nonetheless, and a hero he’d become. So, he strapped on his sword, saddled his steed, and made for the wizard’s dark tower, deep in the den of the untrustworthy and decrepit - in the land of the Kingdom of Kansas that is simply and inaccurately called ‘Good’.
However, to get to the Good Land, Sir William the Wanderer would need to navigate the Forest of Times Past- a land covered in a fog, thick as a maiden’s thighs, and dense as a drunkard’s mind. Travelers with half their wits dare not venture more than a stone’s throw from the edge, and it’s said a mighty dragon roosts at the center. Those who do enter are never heard from again.
But Sir William the Feeble had no fear of such things.
He rode forward into the fog with the intensity and determination of a distant lover. But as you know, the Forest of Times Past is a desolate and dreary place, where the past refuses to die and the future to take root. It is a place where there is neither sun nor moon - no stars or wind. Only an infinite and repeating past of one’s memories, mistakes, and misdeeds. Even the wildlife refuse to enter. This is why Sir William’s steed did not go far, but stopped and ran away.
But Sir William entered alone regardless, as he needed to cross this Forest to get to the Good Land, where his maiden needed rescuing.
But very soon, Sir William the Restless found himself lost within its mighty timbers. For many a day he wandered, contemplating, as most men do, on things better left forgotten. He wandered until his feet bore sores, his tongue ached with thirst, and his eyes screamed for sleep. Yet he knew if he were to lie down, he may not wake again. And so, he walked. Walked until a mighty roar shook him from his daze and startled the world into focus.
It was a dragon - a beast like none other - twenty horses tall, with teeth like daggers and breath like hot coals.
But Sir William the Unintelligible left his sword in its sheath. Rather, he stood atop a moderately sized stone and challenged the beast, demanding it show him the way out of the forest, should he get it to submit.
And the dragon agreed to this challenge.
So, Sir William leapt into the air, dodging tail and talon alike. The beast breathed a fume of flame, but Sir Wiliam’s passion ran hotter, and the fire fell away before him. And he climbed atop the dragon’s head and punched it in the eye. And with a single blow the beast fell to the ground and roared in submission. And that is why, to this day, it is said,
’In forests deep with passing time
Ye who step shall lose your mind.
And though your way you’ll only find
In the challenge of a guide half blind.’”
The old innkeeper stretched back in his stool and took a long drink of ale. The children didn’t say a word. Their eyes were set on his, mouths gaping with awe. Finally, someone spoke.
“Why didn’t Sir William kill the dragon?” green-eyed boy asked.
The innkeeper smiled.
“Is it right to kill something just because it makes your life a little difficult? And besides, only the dragon knew the way out of the Forest. It wouldn’t quite make sense for him to k-”
“By Frena! Mother!”
The boy who’d thus far remained rather silent had exclaimed, pointing toward the other end of the bar.
The innkeeper turned his gaze with the children. A woman in a green blouse stood atop the bar dancing wildly. Her curly brown hair fell viciously over her bare shoulders. She hiked up her skirt as she danced in a scandalous fashion. She wore modest leggings under, but based on the shouts and cheers, it may not stay that way for long.
“Hey! Get down. It’s not that kind of party.” the innkeeper said, grabbing her arm in a respectful but assertive manner. She stopped, frowned at him, and complied. The onlookers booed and waved him off, but they knew better than to cross the old man. They’d return to their parties momentarily.
The woman left with her husband - a look of embarrassment and disappointment on his face. The boy who first yelled ‘mother’ followed behind them, dragging his feet. It was obvious this wasn’t the first time this kind of thing had transpired.
The innkeeper returned to his spot at the bar, where the two remaining children were chatting about small things. He sat down onto his stool and rubbed his old legs out a bit. His knee still bothered him from time to time, but he supposed that’s just how it was getting old. After all, every man falls apart and joins his fathers in the earth someday.
“What happened next!?” the girl asked, excited.
The old man laughed and took another swig of his ale. He wiped his mouth with a hairy arm and set his mug down with a heavy clunk on the counter. And he leaned in to continue.
“When he’d come to the outer edge of the forest, Sir William the Lost could see the Good Land in the distance, with a fair number of buildings scattering the landscape - dusty and yellow. However, the city lay on the other side of the Forbidden Sea of Tomorrows. To go around would mean wasting time - time that the Lady Lupe did not have. So, Sir William decided to brave the sea.
Now, I’m sure you’re already familiar with stories of the Forbidden Sea of Tomorrows. I shouldn’t have to tell you why it’s called Forbidden - or how storms and uncertainty lurk about as if stalking prey - always just a hairs breath away and yet still unseen. And I’m sure you’ve been told of the endless waves, and how the coast is always seen but never reached, of how the rain falls up and the wind blows down. And of the monster. Of course, the monster.
Nonetheless, Sir William boarded the small boat and began to row himself steadily across the black waves. The Sea’s hold on him was strong, and he rowed for a long time without tiring, but coming no closer to the shore. He rowed longer and harder than any man had before him. So much so, that the great beast of the sea - Leviathan - grew weary of waiting. It rose up out of the water, a great and terrible thing. And it smashed the boat and dragged Sir William the Breathless under the icy waters.
But the beast underestimated the grit of one man’s unspoken love. Sir William grabbed hold of his sword, but he didn’t unsheathe it. And he ran the beast through from the depths of its very home. And it roared in agony and floated belly up amidst the foggy waters. And Sir William the Persistent swam the 42 miles to shore in his armor.
And that, as you may have guessed, is where the Bards get their song:
’Where many a man wound wander in time,
Leviathan’s rage might take him.
But Sir William the Vain, with sword from the sky
Slain beast with stilled blade, his hymn’”
“Come on old man!” green-eyed boy exclaimed in disbelief.
The innkeeper stared at the boy, politely waiting for more.
“Hmm?” he prompted.
“Did he really kill it without unsheathing his sword?” The boy asked.
The innkeeper laughed.
“Thats what you’re worried about? Ha, I’d be more inclined to jostle the fact that he swam 42 miles in his armor.” He got to his feet and collected the empty mugs nearby. He glanced back to the two children and grinned.
“But that is what happened, they say.”
“Is Sir William a real person?” The girl asked.
“Of course he is.” The boy answered. “I just dunna believe he kilt Leviathan with a stilled sword.”
Having set the dishes in the sink, the innkeeper returned drying his hands. He watched the children in amusement.
Then a man approached the children from behind and laid his hand on the green-eyed boy’s shoulder.
“Time to go, Shale.” His Timani accent was thick and quick, like a well-kept whip.
The innkeeper nodded in polite acknowledgement. Timani lenders were common in these parts. For as long as he’d remembered they’d been the only honest financial folk there were.
“Alright.” The boy said, getting up. “Thank you for the story, old man.”
The innkeeper gave the boy a respectable nod and waved as he left. And he took his seat again, this time breaking a loaf of fresh bread. He passed a piece to the girl across from him, and she took it with glee.
“Mmm. What next then? You must finish!” She said, excited.
The man swallowed his bread and gulped down a cup of water he’d brought back with him.
“Alright then, lass. But listen well. This is where the important bit happens.”
“Sir William walked into the Good Land like he’d just rolled out of bed. He did not tire, for he knew that his sole purpose here was to rescue the Lady Lupe. He spotted the towering dark prison that the evil wizard had erected in the center of town. The townsfolk moved aside in awe and in respect at his passing, for their prophesies read,
“In times of dark
through past and future,
a knight of heart
rescues his suitor.”
When Sir William the Overconfident arrived at the base of the tower, he was met with an undead army of dark mages. The evil wizard himself peered down at him, with Lady Lupe shackled at his side. He sneered down at Sir William, saying “Haha. I am an evil dark wizard. I eat babies and stuff. And I do other monstrous things, for I am evil. I have captured the Lady Lupe and have imprisoned her for 7 years, bound by the hand with metal, and by the heart with the power of my name!” And as Sir William prepared to do battle with the army before him, the evil dark wizard continued, monologuing his entire plan as a villain ought to.
But Sir William the Baffled did not falter at these words. In fact, he hardly noticed what the evil dark wizard was saying. For the first time in his journey, Sir William drew his sword from its sheath. And the townsfolk murmured as the enemy scoffed and laughed, for his blade was nothing more than a simple willow switch. But yes, the enemy had forgotten the other part of the prophecy,
“Where evil claims a maiden true
and there another draws a sprig,
the bitter one is sure to rue
and to be slain by holy twig.”
And thus, Sir William the Arbor cut down the army before him as easily as if he were sifting wheat. And he approached the evil dark wizard at the top of the tower. When he saw Sir William, he said, “Aha! I see you have made it past the army of undead dark mages that I have placed strategically to stop you! You are strong, I see. But you have forgotten - I am an evil dark wizard! I push grandmothers down stairs and things of the like, for I am evil! You shall not defeat me here, for I have a staff!”
And Sir William saw his maiden behind the evil dark wizard, patiently awaiting her rescue.
The Lady Lupe, likewise, had spent many a year with the evil dark wizard, and had since adopted his speech patterns. She cried out to Sir William, “Sir William! It is I - the lovely Lady Lupe. Behold! For I have been imprisoned by this evil dark wizard for 7 years, bound by the hand with metal and by the heart with the power of his name! I bid thee free me, for I am helpless!”
And the evil dark wizard laughed and held up his staff and shot evil black lightning at Sir William the Confused.
But Sir William raised his small willow rod and the evil evaporated. And he took a step closer, intending to smite the evil dark wizard with his odd blade. But the evil dark wizard fled, stepping backward until he lost his footing, and stumbled from atop the tower. As he fell, he proclaimed in dismay, “Behold! I am falling!” And he could say no more, for he hit the earth, and thus returned to his evil fathers.
Sir William the Amused beheld Lady Lupe - freed from her bondage. And their eyes met, and Lady Lupe dared not speak, lest she ruin the moment. For in that moment the stars themselves sang out, the oceans bellowed with joy, and the very earth itself grumbled in approval.
And Lady Lupe, thankful as she was, rummaged in her pockets and retrieved a single pretzel from the house of Anderson, which she presented elegantly to Sir William the Rescuer.
And when Sir William the Whipped gazed into his Lady’s eyes, and laid his lips gently upon hers, he knew then that she would never leave him, for she was his and he was hers. He made a binding pact with the Lady Lupe soon after, and shared with her that which was unbreakable - his name.”
The innkeeper ran a hand down his greying hair and yawned. The room was nearly empty now, and the great light kissed the horizon and shone a thin orange beam across the bar.
“That was one of the best stories I’d ever heard!” The girl peered up at the old man, eyes hungry and wide. “Do you have any more!?”
He laughed. “Not today, girl. Next time, perhaps.” And he grabbed a towel and began wiping down the bottles behind the bar, grabbing one at random and polishing off what dust had accumulated throughout the day.
“I don’t understand, though.” the girl said.
“What’s that?”
“Why the Forest of Times Past, and why the Forbidden Sea of Tomorrows? I’ve heard stories of other heroes conquering these as well. But who really done it? Was it Sir William, or one of the others?” she asked.
The innkeeper set his bottle down and leaned in.
“Could be both.”
The look on her face betrayed her confusion. He continued.
“The trials one faces, girl, are different for each of them. See, Sir William didn’t fear many things, but he was afraid of both the past and of the future. The past to him is much like the forest - thick and confusing. Easy to become lost in and to wander forever, never moving forward. And likewise, the sea is like the future - an uncertain storm. It’s these he feared, and so it’s these he had to face. Because only by facing what we fear can we grow. And only in this can we become heroes.”
He laid a kind hand on her shoulder. “I wonder, girl. What kind of hero will you be?”
She smiled so wide, the old man thought for a moment she’d eat up all the darkness right there. And she hugged him as much as a little one could from across the bar.
“Thank you for the story.”
And she went to leave. And it was only then the old man realized that she was here alone. No one had come with her, and now no one waited for her.
“Girl.”
She turned, and her hair fell across her face with an unseen wind.
“What is your name?”
She smiled, that knowing kind of smile a mother would give to her child when he’d just discovered something amusing.
“Frena.”
