The Path of Decisions (15 page)

RETURN

J
ain was eating ham and bread in the kitchen when Christine walked
in. Her hair was combed and, although she looked more gaunt than she used to,
she was clean again. It had been two days since the councilor approached her.
She hadn’t said a word to Jain since returning home that day.

“What did the councilor want from you, Christine?” Jain broke the
silence.

Christine didn’t want to talk to him. “A truce.”

“A truce? Really? And you agreed?”

“Yes. For a few days.” Christine sliced a piece of bread for
herself. She had spent the last day talking to a few others in the farmlands
and deciding on how she would stop the fighting. She didn’t have control over
everyone anymore. Some of the younger farmers were hotheaded, still rearing for
a fight.

“Can you do that?”

“I don’t know, Jain.” A deep sigh escaped her tight lips. “But I
guess I owe the councilor a chance. He did come to me.”

“Christine…” Jain opened his mouth to say more, but Christine
stopped him.

“Jain. We don’t have time to get into this now. Later.” Her eyes
flashed at him. She knew he felt bad at what he'd done, and they would work
through it eventually, but not now.

“I am going to the gates to see what is going on,” Jain said.

“I will be there soon,” Christine informed him. “But don’t let
them start fighting.”

Her mother walked into the room as Jain left. “Christine, will it
stop?”

“I don’t know,” Christine said softly. “Maybe earlier something
could have been done. But it might be too late. The councilor was adamant that
some news may be coming that would stop the fighting. I can’t dream of what
that would be, but for the sake of Darius, I will honor his father’s request.”

Christine left the house, closing the door softly, and went to the
barn to get Lightning. On her Cremelino it would be a short trip to the city
gates. The road was still muddy from the rainstorm the previous day. Brown mud
kicked up behind the white horse as they approached the crossroads in front of
the north gate to the city.

Jain stood in the middle of the road. A group of farmers were
marching in from the farmlands. Suddenly a loud crash turned Christine’s
attention towards the gate. A group of soldiers emerged. At least a hundred of
them. Armed and ready to fight. Her heart pounded. Had she brought them to this
point? The city soldiers would slaughter the farmers.

Down the road toward Forest View a group of farmers pulled down a
man from his horse-drawn cart. He had most likely been trying to get food to
the city. A few other city dwellers were running toward the gate, trying to get
in before the other group of farmers caught up to them.

Jain seemed to be caught in the middle of everything. He yelled
for the farmers to stop their approach, but of course, they wouldn't listen to
him; he was just a boy in their eyes. These were Christine's followers. They
were ready to fight.

Then Christine saw a large horse ride up behind the soldiers at
the gate.
Richard!

She galloped out to join Jain.

“You promised to stop this!” Richard’s voice floated to her over
the din of gathering men.

“Call your men back!” she demanded of Richard.

The councilor looked shocked at the command but turned toward his
men and repeated the command to return into the city gates.

With dragging steps, the city guard and the few other townspeople
in attendance obeyed their Senior Councilor. Down the road, small skirmishes
still arose between soldiers and farmers. Christine galloped down to stop them.
One of the farmers left ranks and ran to help his friends. That brought a yell
from the group of soldiers.

“Get back!” yelled Christine at the lone man. “You'll get yourself
killed!”

Another farmer ran to help, and others followed him. The soldiers
stood looking at Richard for direction.

An arrow shot out from the midst of the soldiers. It hit
Christine’s horse in the thigh. The horse reared in pain, and Christine slid
off into the dirt and mud.

I’m sorry, Christine.

Christine jumped up and ran back to her horse.
Don’t be sorry.
Are you hurt badly?

I will recover, but we must stop this. You must do as the
councilor wants. It’s the only way. It’s coming closer.

What is? What do you know that you’re not telling me?
Christine could feel the pain from
Lightning as she stroked her. She could tell the horse was trying to hold it
back.

I know something important is coming. Something that will shake
the Realm. Something that will change you forever. The Prophecy is at its
crossroads. Decisions are being made.

What are you telling me?

S
oon, Christine, soon. He comes quickly!

Seeing Christine fall off the horse was all it took to move the
other farmers to action. The main band of farmers ran forward toward the
soldiers at the gate. Christine tried to call them back. She really did. In her
mind she saw them running to their death against the highly trained city men.
Tears streamed from her eyes. She couldn’t let it end like this. She mounted
Lightning and mustered all the strength she had.

“No!” she yelled as loud as she could. Drawing on the power from
Lightning, she yelled again, and her voice carried across the field of men and
filled the air louder than any normal voice would carry. The sound stopped the
men in their tracks.

Richard turned toward Christine with silent thanks in his eyes. He
ordered his men into the city again.

Once the soldiers started to retreat, the farmers become bolder
and, despite Christine’s yelling, pursued the soldiers toward the city gates.
Christine knew it would be a slaughter. Was this what she had led her people
to? How had she been so blind?

Jain stood next to her in silence. She knew he hurt also. Their
friends were going to die.

The soldiers scrambled inside the gate, but it was too late. The
farmers attacked the back row, and the soldiers turned to defend themselves.
Richard stood up in his stirrups as high as he could and yelled for the gates
to close. He rode in behind his men, the last to enter the gates before they
were closed and locked.

As they closed, Christine heard horses coming down the road from
Forest View. She could tell by the sound that they were traveling fast, but she
couldn’t see who it was over the other farmers and remaining skirmishes. One of
the men in the new party drew his sword and tried to break up a few fights on
his way towards the gate. Another man sat at his back. As the horses came
closer she could see two others on the second horse, but one, a girl, leaned
against the man as if she was hurt.

The horses were heading straight toward Christine, Jain, and Lightning
when the man in back on the first horse shouted to the other. “The west gate.
Go around the city. That should be safer.”  Then only a moment later he yelled,
“Kelln, stop!”

“What? We'll be killed. We have to—”

“Just stop! It’s Christine.”

The second horse skidded around the first and kept going along the
road, but the first horse stopped in front of Christine.

Christine and Jain looked up in response to hearing her name
yelled. Her dagger dropped to the mud in surprise. Jain stood with eyes wide.

She recognized Kelln and his red mop of hair, but it was the man
behind him who caught all of her attention. The man Christine looked at wore a
tattered uniform and his hair was longer than it used to be.  He looked older
and hardened. But seeing him almost made her fall back to the ground. He had
returned.

“Darius?” Christine said in disbelief. “What—Where—” Tears came
unbidden to her eyes.

“I don't have time now. What are you doing here?” he asked,
pointing to the group of fighting men still trying to get into the city gate.

“Darius...” urged Kelln with a small smile at Christine. He had
changed also. There were dark circles around his eyes, but his red hair still
sat unruly on his head.

“Christine, we’ve got to go. I....”

She watched him not knowing what to say. Tears came to his eyes,
but he brushed them away with a dirty hand.

He looked over at Lightning for a brief second. After a short
pause, Darius laughed out loud.

“What?” Christine didn’t understand what was so funny.

“I’m sorry, Christine. Lightning has a puzzling sense of humor
sometimes.”

“You can hear her too?”

Darius smiled a real smile of joy now. Lightning limped forward.
Darius leaned over and placed his hand over the horse’s wound. He closed his
eyes, and a smile came over his face.

Christine’s eyes widened as she saw the arrow fall out and the
wound close up and heal.

“Darius, we have to go.” Kelln urged the horse forward. “Mezar
won’t be able to get in the gate without us.”

“Meet at the field at sunset,” Christine yelled after him. She barely
saw him through her tears. She couldn’t believe it was actually him.
Oh,
Darius!
Her heart pounded, and her legs shook.

I told you something important was coming.
Christine could feel Lightning’s joy.

“Our field!” Darius shouted over the noise of the other farmers.

That was all she had to say. Memories flooded back, forcing tears
to run unashamedly down Christine’s face.
He is back.
She thought about
the fighting she had started.
Oh, Darius. Will you still love me?
She
stood watching the back of Darius until he rounded the corner and the dust
disappeared.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Darius turned around only once as they rode away toward the west
city gate. Christine was still standing there next to Jain and Lightning. His
heartbeat raced and wouldn’t slow down. He breathed deeply to stop himself from
being too emotional. He didn’t know what to think. Upon seeing Christine again,
his transformation from the prison cave now seemed complete. Joy ruled his mind
rather than despair. Love controlled his powers rather than anger. However, he
had changed, and Christine didn’t know who he was anymore.
He
hardly
knew who he was. Would she even care for him anymore?

“Kelln, why did you come for me?” he asked from behind as they
rode toward the west gates. The large horse was slowing down, tired of carrying
the two men.

“Your father asked me to.”

Darius frowned.

“And because I wanted to.”

“Why? I was willing to have you killed in Belor.”

“That wasn't the real you.” Darius could hear Kelln smile. “I know
you too well.”

“Who am I? I don't even know. How can you? Someone or something
deceived me into thinking I could take over Denir, Belor, and then Anikari. For
a while I wanted to rule the Realm, to show the King and my father they
couldn’t push me around. Isn't that crazy?” Darius laughed heartily and slapped
Kelln on the back.

Kelln stiffened in silence. He still held the secret. His poor
friend!

Mezar and Leandra sat waiting for them on the other horse as they
approached the west gate. The guard stopped them. “Sorry, orders are no one
from outside is to enter.”

“Whose orders?” demanded Darius.

“Councilor Williams.”

“Well I am the Councilor’s son, Darius San Williams, and commander
of the King's Elite Army.” He showed the guard his personal signet ring.

The old guard opened his eyes wide, bowed awkwardly, and stuttered
before letting them through. Darius watched the old guard eye Mezar with
suspicion as he rode through.

The streets were full of chaos. People ran everywhere. The
children looked thin and hungry, and the adults were arguing and fighting.
Darius wondered what had been going on by the north gate.

They rode at a trot toward the castle. They passed Darius’s house,
and memories of his mother flooded through him. He felt embarrassed for what he
had done and had been about to do. As they neared the castle, soldiers
approached from a northern road, led by Richard.

“Father!” was all Darius said as they approached. What could he
say? He had left in anger and had spent the entire time he was gone vowing
revenge. He was still worried about being manipulated again.

“Let’s go inside,” Richard motioned, as he called over some of the
soldiers to help Leandra. He, like the guard, eyed Mezar. “A Gildanian?”

“Yes, Father. My prisoner from Denir.” He saw Mezar stiffen at that.
“But also my friend and savior, along with Kelln.”

Richard raised his eyebrows but just motioned all of them inside,
away from prying eyes.

The soldiers took Leandra off to the palace healers, and Richard
took Darius, Kelln, and Mezar into the palace offices. They walked down the
long echoing hallways toward Richard’s private office. Darius knew the way
well. One part of him felt happy to be back home, but another part felt
anxious, wondering why he was called back so abruptly.