The Forest
“Chanock!” Sami shouted, “Where are you? It’s not funny anymore! Come on. Come out wherever you are.” He listened, changed direction and shouted again. The forest was oddly silent. Not a bird, nor a whisper of breeze; just strange, unnatural silence. Something felt off.
The young, barefoot boy in the plain brown short robe stood on top of a grassy knoll, the highest point in this part of the wilderness, and surveyed the empty forest around him. He was alone.
“Chanock!” he shouted with a bit of resignation in his voice. There was no answer. His eyes began to tear. He wiped them and tried to think. He didn’t know what to do. He stared at the unfriendly dark woods and tried to focus. Misty, whisps of vision danced in his mind. He shook his head, squinted, and they were gone. He was seeing things that weren’t there.
There was a rustling in the woods behind him. Sami whirled, hoping that his friend would emerge from the forest with that broad goofy smile on his face. Instead, a vague shadowy shape evaporated from behind a tree. Frantically, he ran down to check it out. There was nothing there. No tracks, no nothing; now he was seeing things! It was unnerving.
Sami and his best friend Chanock were on a quest. At least that’s what they called it. They were both fourteen this year, and that meant that they were finally of age. This year they had to choose an apprenticeship. It would set the direction of the rest of their lives.
The choice was an easy one. Both he and Chanock had decided to join the Borderguard; if they could pass the entry test. They wanted adventure and the Borderguard provided that in spades! They would finally leave the little backwater town of Bethul for good.
Just yesterday, they had both asked their parents if they could go on one last “quest” together before choosing day. Their hearts were overflowing with imagination and adventure, as they headed for the woods and spent the night under the stars alone. They were almost adults, after all.
One thing was certain, Sami hadn’t seen Chanock for hours. They had been practicing tracking one another in the forest when Chanock’s tracks suddenly disappeared. It was a puzzle. The tracks just ended in the middle of a glen. He’d been searching ever since, and Sami was really worried. It wasn’t like Chanock to stay hidden for long. He was just gone. He vanished into thin air. No matter how he tried to figure it out, he couldn’t wrap his mind around it. How does a person just vanish? And he didn’t recognize this part of the forest. On top of everything, he was lost.
“What would a Border man do if he was lost?” Sami muttered to himself. He and Chanock had talked about that question many times.
“Stay calm. That’s the first rule,” the boy mumbled, trying to keep his composure. “Look for landmarks. Landmarks are like signs that will guide you home. Determine the way back home based on those landmarks. At the very least, find a stream or river and follow it. It will provide water and lead you to civilization.”
He was sure that Chanock would be following those rules. If they both headed home, they might cross paths. He made a decision. Off in the distance to the east, Sami could see the towering Gaboah Mountains. To get home, he had to travel west. Heading away from the mountains, reluctantly, the sandy haired, freckle faced boy began the long trek back to Bethul by himself. How would he explain this to Chanock’s mom and dad?
He’d been hiking through the woods for mere minutes when he thought he saw movement again. Once again, he saw a dark apparition dissipate into the forest! He craned his neck and looked more closely. This time he was sure he saw something! He stood stock sill, watching and listening, hoping he would see it. He just didn’t know what “it” was. This was not normal. A feeling that he was being watched came over him. His hair stood on end.
While the Qirath Forest was enchanted, this one was not, at least not that he had ever heard; and he’d been hiking in the Bethul Forest since he was a youngling. But today the woods seemed enchanted to him.
Cautiously, he crept through the underbrush trying to find whatever it was that was haunting these woods. It seemed to appear right on the edge of his vision and just when he got a line on it, it disappeared in a wisp of smoke. Sometimes it almost looked human, at other times he thought it looked like a ghost, perhaps even the Dark One himself! What if that thing was responsible for abducting his friend? It almost seemed like whatever it was, was watching him, or baiting him to follow it. Maybe he was next!
Sami shivered. And then, straight ahead, it appeared again. This time, he stopped and stood still as quietly as possible, hoping to catch a good look at it. Then he saw it. It was an old man, staring right at him! A strange old man with a pointy hat! He was difficult to see because he robe seemed to blend in to the forest. At that moment, off his right, in his peripheral vision he saw another movement. Swiftly he turned to look. There just a stride away with his back to Sami, was Chanock! Joy burst into his heart.
Before Sami could speak, Chanock’s hand went up! “shhh!” the other boy whispered. “Get down. Look!”
Chanock pointed through the darkening forest, but not at the old man. Several shadowy shapes slunk along the draw below them. At first it was hard to make them out because the foliage in the woods distorted the light as it reflected off their camouflage-colored bodies. Then Sami’s eyes focused, and he could not believe what he was seeing!
“Are they who I think they are?” he whispered, sucking his breath in deeply.
Chanock held his hand up to silence Sami. Sami looked again. This time he could see them clearly. A troupe of heavily armed warriors hiked swiftly away from them down the draw, never making a sound or breaking a twig. Their green and brown scaly bodies glistened in the sun. Each wore a dangerous curved long knife strapped to their side. All of them wore an earth green kilt and the chain mail of the fearsome Fel’Stoi warrior! Sami and Chanock had stumbled upon a barbarian raiding party!
The two gangly teen age boys crouched down behind the foliage. If they were seen, no one would ever find them again. The barbarians never took hostages. They were bloodthirsty and vicious. They hated pale skinned humans with an inhuman hatred. If they were discovered, they’d be dead. Below them the barbarian leader signaled his company to a halt. In silence, the Fel’Stoi warriors stood completely still, listening to the forest. They looked tense and uneasy. Perhaps the boys had been discovered. The leader of the warrior band turned his stony face toward their hiding place and scanned intently as though he could see right through the dense vegetation.
Time stretched out interminably. Neither Sami, nor Chanock dared to move a muscle. A lazy dog fly buzzed by, circled lazily, and then landed on Sami’s nose. He didn’t dare swat it away. If he made any movement they would certainly be discovered. The fly buzzed his wings and bit him, drawing blood! Then it leaped into the air and sailed into the undergrowth. Sami scrunched his eyes in pain, but refused to move. He gritted his teeth. The warrior in charge gave the signal, as though satisfied, and the raiding party moved on.
Both boys sighed in relief. Chanock let out a deep breath and Sami nursed the bite on his nose. They had to get the news back home and alert the Imperial Guard! That’s what a good border man would do. But just to make sure the barbarians were gone, the two of them laid low in silence. When they could detect no movement, slowly they stood and made ready to cross the draw.
That’s when Sami saw him. On the other side of the gorge, the mist coalesced into one spot and an old man materialized in the shadows. He stood there, still as a statue, watching them. Sami froze! He was about to point him out to Chanock, when, mysteriously the man vanished, leaving only a whisp of wind behind.
“Did you see that?” Sami whispered hoarsely, pointing across the way.
Both boys ducked. “What?” asked Chanock. “I didn’t see anything. Was it the barbarians?”
“No. No, it was an old man in a strange looking hat. These woods are giving me the willies! First your tracks disappear, then the enemy warriors, and now that strange old man.”
Chanock gave him a strange look. “What do you mean my tracks disappeared? You’re the one who disappeared! I looked for you for hours before I headed back! I couldn’t find a trace of you anywhere!” This was certainly a strange day! But they had more important things to worry about.
With caution, the two skirted the draw, hoping to evade the stranger, and made for home. They hurried as fast as they could, keeping an eye out for barbarians and for the strange old man; they had grave news to tell. The country was in danger! Who knows where the Fel’stoi were headed, but wherever it was, blood was certain to be spilt. Chanock and Sami literally ran the rest of the way back home to Bethul. It was a grueling trek. By the time they reached the outskirts of town, they were winded and sweating like a sow on a hot summer day.
Suddenly Sami pulled up short. Chanock plowed into him, almost knocking him to the ground. “Look!” warned Sami. That’s the old man I saw in the forest. How’d he get here so fast?”
Sure enough. Sitting leisurely on a log at the town gate was the wrinkled old man, looking as old as time itself He stood as the boys approached, stepped in behind the city stockade and disappeared down the street. The boys rushed to the gate, peered in, and looked to the left and the right, but the old man was nowhere in sight.
“Where did he go?” panted Chanock. “He couldn’t have gotten away that fast!” It was a puzzle, and it was just one of many strange happenings that day. “Oh well. Come on. We’d better go to your house and talk to your da about the raiding party. He’ll know what to do.”
Sami’s father was the First Watchman of Empyrean. It was an important position. He oversaw all the watchmen of the country. Watchmen lived a solitary life, keeping an eye out for enemy incursions. They were spread out across the vast border between Empyrean and Fel’Stoi, watching for barbarian raiders. It was their job to identify threats and signal the Borderguard who would swing into action to intercept the raiders. Often the Imperial Guard were mustered as well, especially when the raiders got this deep into the country.
Once inside the wooden stockade, the two boys, wound up as tight as a spring, ran as fast as they could down the dusty side streets to Sami’s house. There they found another surprise. Waiting outside Sami’s house was a contingent of the Imperial Guard! There were over a dozen soldiers!
“What is going on?” exclaimed Sami! Now he was worried, more than ever. The Imperial Guard usually meant trouble. They showed up to arrest criminals or to question traitors. He shook his head in apprehension. “Do they already know about the raiding party?” he wondered.
Sami and Chanock cautiously made their way through the horses and the soldiers, who smartly moved aside and stood at a respectful attention while they passed. That made no sense to the boys. Why were they standing at attention? There were no Lords or Electors here. Who were they saluting? They were just two ordinary country boys from Bethul.
It was somewhat dark inside the house. The sun was setting and darkness would soon descend over the world. There were a few lamps flickering on the table. Sami’s mother Nan, was in the kitchen. She turned when they came in. There was a look of anxiety on her face. She quickly wiped her eyes and smoothed her blouse. Elqunah, Sami’s dad was seated at the table with another man Sami didn’t recognize. Elqunah had a solemn look on his face. Sami knew that look. Something serious was going on. An uneasy feeling hit his stomach. Somehow he knew that whatever was about to happen, he wasn’t going to like it.
When they came in, the man at the table stood up and looked the boys over, as though scrutinizing them. He was well dressed and taller than most. He was obviously a man of great importance.
“Is that the one?” he asked, turning to face the back of the house.
“That’s him.” came a rusty voice from the darkness. Sami squinted, looking for the source of the voice. His eyes grew wide with surprise! It was the same old man he saw in the forest! The same old man who had been watching him all day long. And now that old man was pointing at him. Why? And why had he been following him?
The old man blew a puff of smoke from his pipe and stated quietly, “He’s the one.”
The tall one stepped up to the two boys. “My name is Elector Shimown. Are you Sami?” Without waiting for an answer, he continued with an air of authority; “Sami, son of Elqunah, by the order of Lord Havel, thirty ninth Lord of Empyrean, I am here to escort you to the Palace. You are to come with me immediately.”
“But…” the words faded from Sami’s mouth. “why?”
Elqunah stood. “Son, it is time. You are fourteen. It is the time of choosing. You are going to the Palace in Khirbet to meet Lord Havel. You leave in the morning.”
“But why?” he blurted out. “Why am I going to the Palace? What does Lord Havel want with me? Am I to enter into the service of the Palace? I don’t want to do that! I – I want to join the Borderguard.”
Sami’s mother began to weep quietly. She stumbled over to her son and embraced him. “I’ll get your things ready, son.” She wiped a tear from her cheek, held Sami away from her and tried to be brave; “This is not your choice to make. Prophecy must be fulfilled. A promise is a promise. The decision has been made.”
Before Sami could ask what she meant, Chanock blurted, “What about the Fel’Stoi raiding party?”
All eyes turned to face him. “What raiding party,” demanded Shimown. “Speak up boy!”
Chanock and Sami told the story of their encounter in the Bethul Forest. Shimown and Elqunah listened tensely. This was a serious turn of events. And the news set in motion a flurry of activity. Elqunah rushed out the front door into the night, holding a torch over his head. The city watch must be warned. Messages had to be sent. The Border Guard must begin tracking the barbarians at once.
Outside, the Imperial Guardsmen went into high alert. One galloped off on horseback, the others took up posts around the house. Torches were lit and sentries set up a patrol. Two of the men immediately thrust their way into the house, with hands on the hilt of their blades, they stood coiled to spring into action at a moment’s notice.
“Guard the boy and don’t let him out of your sight!” ordered the Elector. “There is danger afoot. It may just be a coincidence that a barbarian raiding party is in the vicinity, but due to the importance of our mission, we cannot afford to take any chances. No one is to enter this house without my permission! Lock the gates to the city and double the guard at the stockade.”
Then Shimown turned his attention to the boys. “Now. Tell me again what happened today,” demanded the Elector.
“First they have to eat,” stated Nan, as she put a plate of venison in front of each of them.
While they ate, Chanock and Sami were grilled over and over about the barbarian raiding party. “Are you sure that’s where you saw them? How many were there? Which way were they headed?” The questions came in rapid fire and were repeated over and over.
Finally, Nan, Sami’s mom stepped up to the table. “That’s enough!” she postured in a motherly tone. “These boys need to get some rest. It’s late. Chanock, it’s time for you to go home. Sami, go and get ready for bed. You have an early day tomorrow. And don’t argue with me!”
The boys said their goodbyes, and a grumbling Sami went to his room. The Imperial Guard followed. That’s when the boy noticed that the old man in the strange pointy hat was gone. He had vanished again without a trace. He was certainly no ordinary old man. The boy shook his head. What a day it had been. He lay in bed for a long time. With so much to think about, sleep didn’t come easy. Nothing was ever going to be the same again.
