The Misadventures of Ka-Ron the Knight (57 page)

But, gazing at Ka-Ron's cheeks, seeing the stream of tears, feeling her shame and pain, and knowing of her love, he thought,
To hell with society
.

"Ka-Ron," Jatel said, sitting next to her upon the bed. "You judge yourself too hard."

"I was a babbling coward out there, Jatel," the knight cried. "In front of all our friends, I betrayed my honor, my house, and my king."

Jatel took hold of the woman's hand. "Look at me, sire," he ordered.

"Amongst the ranks of your friends, Ka-Ron, you are an unequaled success. Your house has never stood on more solid ground. As for your king, sire, I honestly believe that even he could not have endured what you have." He placed a hand upon his master's shoulder, which caused Ka-Ron to brush it with her cheek. "You have nothing to be ashamed of."

The knight stopped her crying. She tried, quite hard, to maintain a forced smile.

"How is our son?"

Jatel's face showed momentary sorrow.

"Keeth thinks him able to travel."

"Travel?" Ka-Ron's eyes contracted with confusion.

"We are only cycles away from The Fire Mountains, sire."

Ka-Ron looked up at her cabin's porthole in surprise.

"Yes, sire," Jatel stated, laughing. "Kai actually helped us in our escape. She is ready to forgive you. All is indeed quite well."

"Then our quest is almost over?" she asked.

Jatel nodded yes.

Ka-Ron gave her squire a hug.

"Then I am to be a man again?"

Jatel softly pulled away and said nothing. This did not escape the knight's attention.

"It is all for the best, Jatel."

"Yes, sire." He bowed.

Both sat on the bed for quite some time, just listening to the pitch and roll of the ship. Neither wanted to be the one who broke the silence.

After a while, however, Jatel just got up and left the room.

Ka-Ron was alone again, battling with her thoughts.

"To be a man again," the knight softly whispered.

The Fire Mountains had been named appropriately. A long chain of volcanic mountains, they were enveloped by a bluish flame, which never seemed to lose its energy. It was rumored that the chain of mountains had been accidentally set aflame by an ancient wizard. So, as a matter of payback, a Wicca Master had always been stationed there to help out the populace.

The
Argo
set her course to follow the northern ridge, leading them soon to the docks of Ur.

Molly had worked hard to keep En-Don comfortable. She had placed cool towels of water upon his forehead, kept him happy with wine, and offered both love and attention when they were needed. Dorian helped where she could, by offering comfort to Molly.

En-Don did not look well. His pallor and weak state made him worse than he actually was, but fighting the pain had drained his energy to the point where he could no longer afford to pay attention to the messages coming from his body. So, with great bravery, the young man just lay there.

Ka-Ron entered the room quietly, having defeated her own demons.

"Molly?"

The red headed woman darted to her feet upon seeing En-Don's mother enter the room. The knight softly motioned Molly to relax. She returned to the tending of the young man.

"How is he?" Ka-Ron asked.

"He comes and goes," Molly explained, changing out his bandages for fresh ones. "I fear his energy is low."

"Keeth states that he is well enough for travel."

"The wizard hopes for much, I think."

"He is a kind man who means well." Reaching for a wet cloth, Ka-Ron applied it to En-Don's forehead.

En-Don stirred.

"Mother?"

"I am here, son."

The young man fought to open his eyes. Even this simple act was not unlike a war to him. Upon his noticing his mother, he brightened and smiled. He was surprised, however, to discover both Molly and Ka-Ron in the same room together.

"How goes everything?" En-Don asked, his brow showing signs of curiosity. He coughed up some blood. Both women did their best to clean up the regurgitated stream.

Molly's hands shook. Ka-Ron calmed them. "Do not let him see you so, child." the knight whispered.

Molly nodded. She was quite surprised at the genuine affection shown by the knight.

"We are approaching The Fire Mountains, my son," Ka-Ron announced, beaming.

En-Don shook his head with pride. "Then your quest is near its end?"

"Yes."

"That is good," the young man struggled to say, fighting the pain. A lone tear streaked down his face. "For what is a knight without her faithful quest?"

"To you, my son, I am your mother, first and foremost."

"Aye," En-Don softly said. He surprised Molly by grabbing her hand, and startled the knight by placing the woman's hand into hers. "I wish you two to call a truce. Let there be peace."

The young man moaned a little and drifted off into sleep.

Ka-Ron and Molly stared at each other.

"I will never be able to forgive the way I attacked your squire," Molly had started to say, feeling totally awkward and open. "But I meant no real harm. It was either attack him or suffer an agonizing death."

"You are right," Ka-Ron stated, holding back a hard smile. "I will never be able to forgive."

Molly closed her eyes.

"But I can learn to forget."

The redhead gasped in surprise when Ka-Ron placed her hands upon her shoulder. "I would be the first to state, that most of my son's happiness is because he had the honor to know you. For that, I am eternally grateful. You are welcome in my household, and, from this day onward, you'll be like a sister in my eyes."

Molly and Ka-Ron found themselves hugging.

"It is done," the knight concluded, accepting his new family member.

There was a soft knock upon the door.

It was Jatel.

The squire was pleased to see the two women in a touching embrace. He was quite sure that should all this have happened when Ka-Ron was a man, his old master would have never forgiven Molly. Something had changed in the knight. Perhaps, the squire mused, it was the simple miracle of motherhood. Wherever, or whatever her motivation, he thanked the gods for it.

"Yes, squire?" Ka-Ron asked formally.

The use of protocol set the man aback. It had been quite sometime since the knight had addressed Jatel so.

"The wizard has informed me that we will be docking soon," Jatel said, his voice calm but sad. "Both Rohan and Rolmore have stated that they will carry En-Don's gurney." There was a long pause. "All is well."

"Very good," Ka-Ron replied, nodding. "See to our needs."

"At once." Jatel bowed, closing the door.

Molly could not believe what she just saw.

"Why do you talk to him so?" she asked.

"The quest is almost at its end, Molly." Ka-Ron explained. "He is to be my squire again, and that is all. Once I have been turned back into a man, I can put all of this behind me as a terrible nightmare."

"He loves you." Molly huffed.

"He loves this woman that I am, Molly," the knight explained, rising to her feet. "There is a difference."

"I seem to remember you loving him once or twice during our travels."

Ka-Ron paused, in mid-step. She shook off the comment as fast as she heard it. "It was all the manner of the curse, my dear. It's time to pick up the pieces, seek forgiveness from Kai, and move on."

"What of En-Don?" Molly protested, her voice gaining volume. "If your love with Jatel were false, what of your son? He is the fruit of that love."

Ka-Ron wanted to turn and face the woman. She wanted to slap her, and remind her that as a member of her house, Molly had no right to question the motivations of a knight.

En-Don moaned, shifting slightly in his bunk. It was obvious that the man was having a bad dream.

Ka-Ron smiled down at him.

She had a lot to consider, and Molly had only added to the matter.

"Molly, I was not meant to be this way. I was born a man."

"We are who we are," Molly retorted.

The knight paused and patted the woman on the shoulder.

"Again, I thank you."

Ka-Ron left Molly alone with her love. The woman could not bring herself to accept Ka-Ron's logic. She had seen the pain in Jatel's eyes. She could see the questioning in Ka-Ron's. Her only puzzlement in the matter was why they couldn't see the pain that they were inflicting upon each other.

In any case, Molly prepared En-Don for his journey.

The
Argo
dropped anchor at the docks. The township of Ur was within one sun's walk.

"The sailors I talked with stated that Ur is just beyond those cliffs in the distance, about a sun's walk," the wizard explained.

Jatel felt almost normal riding again upon the back of a horse. He missed his horse left back home, and knew that soon he would be sleeping next to the stubborn beast, once this adventure came to its end. He could hardly believe that the quest was almost over.

The squire's sad glance caught the eye of the wizard.

"What troubles thee, son?" Keeth asked, showing some difficulty in steering his horse.

"Ka-Ron has accepted the fact that all this will soon end."

"Of course it will end," the wizard huffed. "That is the nature of the universe. There is a beginning, a middle, and an end. So, what is the trouble?"

"Squire," Ka-Ron insisted. "I am in need of some drink, please."

"That is my problem, wizard."

Jatel broke ranks, and allowed others to pass him by. Upon spotting Ka-Ron, who stayed at the back of the entourage for En-Don's sake, the squire rode with his master. Ka-Ron placed out an empty hand, and it was instantly filled with a cup of wine. Ka-Ron nodded in appreciation, for Jatel was quite good at his job.

The wizard understood.

"How soon they forget," he huffed.

Having waited until Ka-Ron was finished, Jatel took the empty glass and rode back ahead.

"Tell me, son that you are not going to blindly let that woman forget who she has become?" Keeth's eyes turned furious.

"It is who she was that she wants to remember, wizard." Jatel turned defensive. "It is all good. Ka-Ron, as a man, was a noble master. I have no complaints. He was, and has been, a dear friend."

"You, my boy, are a fool." With that, Keeth darted his horse out, turned around, and trotted beside Ka-Ron's.

"Wizard?"

"Ka-Ron, are the knights of Idoshia fools?"

The knight was taken aback by the wizard's anger. She could not understand why someone of his rank would be so negative at such a time in their journey. Her son was about to be healed, and she to be given back the birthright that was hers.

"You know that we are not, sir."

"Sir? You address me as sir?" The wizard's anger rose. "By what right do you treat us all so? We are your companions and friends. The things and wonders we have shared!"

"I am an errant-knight, wizard," Ka-Ron huffed. "It is time I remember my place. And, if I should be so bold to say so, so should you."

Keeth reacted as if the knight had slapped him along the bridge of his nose. He had been genuinely hurt. He didn't say a word, or respond in a way he normally would have. Instead, he just broke ranks and rejoined Jatel.

"You see?" the squire grumbled.

"I cannot understand," the wizard said, ponding. "Could her slip of bravery and the regret of her cowardice have shifted her reality so much?"

Jatel played with the thought in his head, and ultimately shook it off.

"I cannot believe that, sir," Jatel stated, pulling back on his horse so that both he and the wizard could see eye-to-eye. "There is a greater fear at play here."

"Perhaps. One so obvious that no one can see it."

Jatel became interested.

"Go on, wizard?"

"It is not my place to say."

"You haven't been shy yet," Jatel reminded him, smiling.

"Perhaps, just perhaps," Keeth mused, "she is more male than we have been led to believe."

The squire looked over his shoulder and back toward his master. Ka-Ron and Rolmore were discussing something. He saw the knight laugh and pat the elf captain upon his shoulder.

"In what way, wizard, are we comparing her?"

"Like any young man who is suddenly faced with genuine love," the wizard stated. "She is running away to what she knows is&safe! It's pitiful, really. When will men learn that love is not the enemy? Fear is the only true enemy."

Jatel played the formula around in his mind, and it did make sense.

But how could he, a lowly squire, convince a knight of the blood he has been a fool? Answer: he could not. So, it was his duty as a squire to accept the situation and just do his duty.

"That which we are, wizard, we are."

"Son," Keeth huffed, "you just cannot give up so easily."

"I await my chance, sir." Jatel insisted. "That is all."

"Do not wait too long."

The matter was set aside for the moment.

En-Don required rest.

The party discovered a fresh stream and an oasis. It was thought best to wait over for the night, so that all could start fresh in the morning.

No one even considered that they were being watched.

The people of Ur had been going through some hard times. There was a curse in the land, making it almost impossible for any farmer in the region to grow crops. Most food had to be sailed in from neighboring nations. And, like most in hard times, they tried their best to make a profit. Goods and liquors were raised to prices no honest person could afford. Beyond the aegis of the Wicca Masters, hunger was an everyday fact here.

So, in order to make ends meet, some turned to highway robbery.

Upon spotting the small group of travelers leaving the strange but small wooden boat, Tur-Kel and his men spotted the best opportunity they had encountered in over a season. To have such a vessel, and keep to both elves and women amongst them, these few travelers had to have copper and food. It would be a grand target indeed.

The bandits followed their prey to the oasis.