January 13, 2015

Under the Apple Tree

By: C. Jason M.

     Somewhere beyond the mountains, a small village was on the verge of slumber. Every house was dark, and outside, you could hear the soft pitter-patter of rain on clay roofs. In the center of the village, one candle shone into the darkness from the window of a single tavern. I walked through the night in the rain and knocked softly on the door. It opened, and a man, tall and thin with deep-set coal black eyes and musty red hair, stood in the doorway.
     "Come in," he said. He stepped aside and took my cloak. Inside the tavern, it was warm and comfortable. A fire burned to the right, where four men sat, one of which was speaking animatedly. I took a seat by the wall closest to the fire.
     "What can I get for you, sir?" the innkeeper asked.
     I sat there for a moment in silence, looking deep into the flames of the flickering fire in the hearth. "Just some bread with cheese and a mug of elderberry cordial," I said.
     The innkeeper turned to the bar and returned shortly with a wooden bowl of bread and cheese and a wooden cup filled with the deep red drink. I sat eating in silence, but couldn't ignore the story teller. He was just finishing a well-known tale of a girl who was taken by a ranger to a mysterious forest, and supposedly, she had been seen wandering those very woods, searching for her way home.
     "Now, with the hour peaking right, I shall tell a tale handed down through my family," the speaker said in a hushed tone. I turned slightly in their direction to better see the four men. The speaker noticed. "You there, come join us. You look weary and a good story may do you well."
     I took my food and sat in the circle by the fire. The speaker was a wild-eyed man of many seasons, his hair reaching past his shoulders. "This tale is no myth as the past fable. This one is as real as the very storm beyond these very walls. It took place hundreds of years ago, in a land far across the eastern sea known as Delgor..."
     The night was quiet, but this quiet was filled with a sound no tongue could describe...

     "Hey, hey, hey. I surrender!" Aarik sat with his back to a wall and a sword to his chest. Kari stood over him, victorious once again.
     "That makes the score seven to nothing," she said, smiling. She removed the blade and helped Aarik to stand.
     It was a warm summer afternoon. The two friends sat back to back under an apple tree in the center of the garden. Aarik took a bite from an apple above him and handed it to Kari. They grew up together, coming from similar lifestyles. Both lost their parents in the war against the forces of the Serpent of Old. Ever since then, they dedicated their lives to defeating them, and ending this war of pain and loss.
     "Hey, Kari, you know, I'm astonished it's been twelve years already since we made that pact."
     Kari leaned her head on Aarik's shoulder. "Yeah, and look at how much we've grown. I'll come of age tomorrow, so once that happens, we can get the captain's approval, and we'll be ready to head out next week." She closed her eyes, letting her blond and brown hair fall around her shoulder.
     Aarik lifted his nose and took a long, deep breath, filling his lungs with a fresh, warm breeze. He took one last bite from the apple and tossed the core to the side. There was silence between them. A silence filled with the chirping of birds, the howl of the high winds above, and the rustling of leaves on the cobblestone. The silence was broken by the ringing of the temple bells.
     "Oh, no. Is it already time?" Aarik sat bolt upright and looked toward the sound.
     Kari looked the same way before turning to Aarik. "You should go. Don't want to be late, do you?"
     Aarik nodded. He had just been accepted as a part of the temple, so when he wasn't training, he was accomplishing his duties there. Kari kissed him on the cheek before he bolted off toward the sound of the the still tolling bells. The suns were setting to the north and south. Kari looked up to the rays of light colliding like two sides in a battle. One red and one yellow. Indeed, they had grown a great deal since then. Aarik had grown into a very handsome young man. And coming of age didn't only mean that they'd be able to go to war, but also that if Aarik were to ask for her hand, she could accept. Their long-awaited chance to join the front lines was drawing nearer.
     "I will protect you! I swear it!" She got up to go home, but before she departed the cover of the tree, she reached out toward the temple. Then, lowering her hand, she went from that place.

     The next morning, Kari and Aarik met by the same tree before going to their commander to receive the O.K. to fight on the front lines.
     "At last," Kari started, "we can finally have our chance out there."
     Aarik tossed her a small loaf of bread with dew cream spread on top. "I can only imagine what it must be like out there, in the midst of battle."
     Kari nudged him playfully. "What is this? Is Aarik Carrier getting scared?"
     He smiled sheepishly. "Not at all. How could I when I've got you to watch my back? Anyway, it's almost time for our audience with the Captain. Let's hurry!" The two strode to the Captain's quarters.

     It was now around supper time. Aarik and Kari walked out of the room. Kari was wearing a smile that would put the Prince of Lies himself to shame. Aarik had more of a timid smile.
     "Oh, Aarik, we've finally done it! It's only one week until we leave for the front lines."
     Aarik held the papers with the Captain's seal on them. In his other hand, he held four talents the Captain had given them to use to prepare before their departure.
     "Hey, Kari, what do you say we go get something to eat from the Smoldering Dragon to celebrate? I'll use one of my talents to pay for the two of us."
     Kari's eyes sparkled like the stars. "That'd be lovely!" She smiled again. "You go on ahead and save a spot. I need to go feed Kaitlyn first. She's been in that stable for too long."
     Aarik agreed and went on his way after Kari had given him the traditional kiss on his cheek. She turned to go and walked out the big double doors that left the facility.

     Later that night, long after the moons Den and Nir had reached their highest points, Kari and Aarik were by the apple tree once again. Hand in hand, they kept the chill at bay with Aarik's cloak around them both.
     "I'll not see you tomorrow, shall I?" Kari asked.
     Aarik looked to the stars. "I'm afraid not. I'll be at the temple till late with my studies."
     She moved closer to him. "What a shame," Kari said after a time. "Did you hear that the Princess's lady-in-waiting fell ill to a virus? I heard a new lady is being searched for immediately. Seeing as how the Princess is now with child."
     Aarik rested his head on hers. "I wonder who it could be."
     Kari lay down, resting her head on Aarik's lap. "What does it matter? We shall be gone long before they pick a new one."
     Aarik closed his eyes with his back to the tree. Their lives would change so much in just one week's time. Aarik had to be brave for her. How could he not be scared? The night went on after they had departed from each other's company, and after the wind of autumn tore the first leaf from that apple tree.

     The next afternoon, Kari was wandering the city streets, looking at shops and talking to familiar faces.
     "You there! Girl." Two men in formal wear of the courts approached her.
     "Yes? May I help you?" Kari asked.
     "You are, as of now, the only candidate left to be the Princess's new lady-in-waiting, on the grounds that you have no family to claim you. You are to come with us immediately."
     Kari was shocked! Her? A lady-in-waiting for the very Princess of Delgor herself? "Bu...but I am a part of the royal army. I'm to go to the front lines six days from now."
     The two guards stood beside her and escorted her to the palace. "Orders are orders. You must come with us."
     Kari struggled to free herself. "I can't go! I have to stay by my friend's side! I have to be there to protect him!" Her struggles were to no avail. "Fine," she said finally. "But promise me you'll watch out for him during the war. Make sure Aarik comes home safe."
     The guards looked at each other for a moment. "You have our word; he will come home safely!"

     The day came when Aarik was waiting for Kari by the apple tree before they were to leave with the army. When she didn't show up, he turned to the tree and chiseled out their code on the base of the trunk. 'Grow as the apple tree does. Healthy, strong, in the light, and bearer of fruit.' Then he turned to the gate and was gone. The tree sat there, its green leaves fading slowly to a light brown color. An apple fell from the tree and rolled to the side, discarded by its former home.

     Months passed. Seasons changed. Kari sat at the window overlooking the eastern hills. She saw the trees die as summer passed to fall, then as fall passed to winter. The trees were covered in a heavy blanket of snow, and the hills danced with radiance from the sunlight striking the layer of white. As she was looking over the sunset, she saw the glimmer of metal in the snow. A helmet. The troops were coming over the hills toward the city gates! In an instant, she was gone from the room, and was seen dashing as fast as she could toward the courtyard. As the gate opened, she stood there looking for Aarik. One by one, soldiers passed by her, but not one of them was Aarik. As she continued to search, she saw one of the two guards who had taken her with them many months ago.
     "Where is Aarik?!" she yelled, making the guard lower his eyes; he suddenly looked weak.
     "H-he is gone...the front lines got flanked. A majority of us fell, but I saw him fighting in the midst of fallen warriors from both sides. The stench of blood filled the air, and I thought I saw a tear roll from his eyes, but it had started to rain, so I couldn't tell. He was shot with an arrow in the chest. Then his ankles were cut by an enemy blade. He fell to his knees, then landed face down, driving the arrow completely through his heart. I'm sorry...I couldn't keep my word." The guard trudged past her, weeping.
     Kari stood in a state of shock, tears building up in her eyes at the news of her lifelong friend falling without her there. She walked through the gates, following the footprints of the returning soldiers. Behind her in the courtyard, the apple tree stood, barren of life--a silent sentinel forever watching the gate for the return of two friends who spent their time under it...

     The old man stopped talking. The fire was low, and the rain had ceased. I noticed most of the other listeners had gone to sleep, except for the bartender and me.
     "What happened to the girl?" I asked.
     The old man looked at me, then to the candle on the window. "She never returned. Some think she wandered around in the cold until she froze. Some believe she went to the battlegrounds to find any trace of where Aarik had been buried, or at least his remains. But if you go to where the front lines stood, you can sometimes see two specters standing back to back with swords drawn."
     I looked at the ground in thought. "Have you ever seen them?"
     The man stood up and stretched, gathered his belongings in a bag, and walked to the door. Before he opened it, he spoke, still facing the door. "Aye, I have."
     I called out after him as he walked out on the path. "Why do you tell this story?"
     The man turned to me, and he suddenly looked older for a moment. "They couldn't save Aarik, and ultimately lost Kari because of it. I will, however, not let their memories die away. No, sir. Not this time." He turned again toward the path and began to walk.
     As I watched him fade into the distance, I saw an emblem on his bag. The emblem of the royal guard.