* * *
Long had the sun’s power waned when the spidery, gray clouds began creeping across the darkening sky. Ishtar peeked out from under the boughs of her hiding tree only to groan in despair. The smell carried on the quiet breeze warned of a coming storm, the clouds threatening harbingers of its arrival. Her feet hurt from the wild, panicked flight, and her stomach ached from hunger, having not eaten for many long hours.
Ishtar was tired, torn, bruised and distraught. Her housecoat, which was of little protection from the previous night’s chill, was not much more than tatters, leaving the girl all but naked. Why had they not come to recapture her? Was there some reason hidden to her that kept them from entering this forest? She shuddered at the thought of terrifying beasts, or an evil necromancer, or possibly the cannibalistic Cyclops’s her father once told her about!
“Screech-a-chk-chk-chee-screech!” A bone-chilling shriek coming from the deeper wood echoed through the forest.
With a cry, Ishtar was up and running in a panic for her life, paying no heed to brier or bush. As she stampeded through the growing gloom, her foot chanced upon a protruding root, catching the girl up and pitching her headlong onto the hard forest floor, tearing away her shredded blouse when she fell in a sliding crash. Sitting up, dazed, the child quickly gathered her wits about her, ignoring the throbbing in her foot and charged away down the trail.
Gathered her wits? Yes, but other things were not considered in the rush of that moment. When she finally came to a panting halt some distance from the foreboding of the deep east wood, Ishtar realized her nakedness. Moaning in despair, the girl looked longingly back down the trail. That garment, as badly destroyed as it might be, represented her last and only means of protection, a shield between her and the rest of the world. Now she stood there exposed, totally vulnerable to all, a helpless slave to the universe around her.
Ishtar was given little time to contemplate her dilemma or whether she should attempt a rescue of her lost garment. The sounds of the earlier screechy chatter drifted through the air, telling the girl that whatever was making those noises was also departed the deep woods. Without giving her night blouse further consideration and forgetting her naked condition, Ishtar took off in fright on a hobbling run, attempting to distance herself from whatever evil creatures might be in pursuit.
The girl’s reckless desire to escape took her off to the southwest, far from the trail she had taken earlier that day. Here she could find no defined path, only seemingly endless stands of hoary oaks punctuated with patches of thorny thickets. Exhausted, Ishtar struggled to find her way in the gathering darkness. The foreboding sky was now occasioning a white, glowing flash of distant lightning far off on the horizon, warning of the approaching storm.
Stopping to rest at the edge of a clearing filled with tall weeds and scraggily huckleberry bushes, Ishtar looked into the gathering gloom pondering what she should do. The previous night’s rain would pale in comparison to this approaching storm, and here there were no giant trees to shelter under. The forest was thinning, the trees small and spindly, and the leafy thickets filled with thorns and stinging nettles. On the verge of tears, she looked for a trail through the thickets in hopes of finding a better hiding place to weather the coming tempest.
“Screech-a-chk-chk-chee-screech!” The cry of a deep forest beast fell upon Ishtar’s ears, quickly followed by “screeh –ee- kac-chee-screech!” reply coming from a different direction. Too terrified to scream, Ishtar clutched her chest as her heart erupted in an excruciating spasm. Hearing the howling again shook her to her senses. Off she went on a mindless run, escape from these monsters her only concern.
The going was not at all easy, and when she blindly ran into the thorny branches of a wild rose bush, Ishtar surrendered to the fates of the moment. In howling despair, the girl fell to the ground, crumpled up into a little ball, clutching her bleeding face while weeping pitiably. “Mother! Oh, mother! Why has it come to this? What evil has your little child done to be treated with such cruelty? Why have you not come to rescue me?”
A chill gust of wind suddenly swept over Ishtar, sending shivers through her naked body. Rolling over onto her back, she sat up, wiping oozing blood from her mouth while she contemplated the moment. A tempest appeared to be swiftly approaching. The girl needed to find some shelter soon. There was none here, and… and… her belly ached from hunger. Oh, she was so hungry...
At that instant, the shine of tiny, glowing lights appeared off in the darkness, accompanied by quiet hooting noises. Forgetting all other concerns, Ishtar struggled to her feet and took to flight on a limping run.
Flight did not last long though, the girl soon tiring in hopeless despair. The hooting had been constantly growing louder as the creatures drew ever closer. Eventually, the surrounding wood was filled with countless glowing lights, Ishtar believing them to be the ghostly eyes of the approaching demons. Dismayed, the girl looked up to see the trail entering the looming forest ahead. Whimpering in surrender, she sat with a plop! in the middle of the mossy, grass-covered clearing.
Accepting whatever might become of her, she waited while watching the golden lights grow brighter. The creatures drew nearer, all the while quietly hooting. A sudden movement high above caught Ishtar’s eye. She glanced up just in time to watch a pair of those lights, accompanied by a black shadow, swoop down from a tall tree and land gracefully in the grasses little more than a rod from her.
Though terrified, Ishtar could not help but stare curiously at the intruder. Small, little larger than a street cat it was, with giant saucer-size eyes that glowed golden yellow like the moon. It reminded her of the dancing monkeys found in the marketplace...except this monkey could fly!
After quietly studying the girl for some time, the little monkey-like animal began a wild, excited hooting and stood up on its hind legs, jumping about in frenzied gyration. Ishtar could clearly see the wide flaps of skin that allowed the monkey-like creature to glide down from the trees, but she took no note of it for, at that instant ,the entire forest erupted in a deafening hooting and screeching as hundreds of dark shadows began jumping about in raucous tumult… probably in anticipation of their upcoming meal.
The little creature finally tired of its antics and fell forward on its tiny hands. The animal had long fingers of sorts, the same as could be found on its feet. Bobbing its head from side to side as if studying this newfound arrival, it began to cautiously approach, the other monkey-like animals leaning forward, watching curiously.
Ishtar screamed, frantically waving her arms. The little creature jumped back, chattering excitedly, exposing its long fangs as it cried out in surprise. The other creatures all joined in with their screeching chatter. When Ishtar finally stopped her panicked gesticulations, the uproarious antics of the little animals also subsided.
Soon the creature that had swooped down from the trees began anew its investigative approach. Ishtar shouted, flailing her arms to fend the creature off. All her efforts to scare the little fellow away were futile, for every time the creature was chased back, it would advance a little closer on its next return. The other monkey-like animals soon began following suit, becoming bolder until dozens of them were little more than arm’s length from the girl. The excited hooting eventually quieted to little more than curious chatter, the closest of the creatures slowly pawing at the air as if reaching out to touch the girl, but not yet sure how wise it might be.
Ishtar was at a loss about her situation. Were the beasties waiting for the others to gather, or on some signal to make their attack? Small they were, true, but so many of them, she stood no real chance of surviving such an onslaught should it come. What was she to do?
As the girl sat there, contemplating her dire straits, she recalled a gruff voice as though coming from some confusing dream. “The Lord of Uncertainty brings many to these depths below. They wait until it is too late, no decisions come to them, and down into t
he waters they sink and drown.”
Well, the Lord of Uncertainty would not take her without a fight! Ishtar cautiously started getting to her feet. If these tiny monsters wished to make a meal of her, they would have to fight her to get it! As she stood, the entire clearing filled with riotous chatter, but the creatures did not attack. The little animals began anew their hooting, pointing at her while looking excitedly at one another.
Summoning her courage, Ishtar finally started for the edge of the forest. The creatures did not attack, but jumped clear of her, all the while hooting and dancing about while leaping into the air, stretching their arms and legs wide to drift a few feet upon the gentle breeze. In a slow and deliberate manner, the girl gradually neared the edge of the wood, finding a narrow trail that would take her to a large, open meadow not far away.
The hazy flash of distant lightning raced across the sky, revealing the approaching tempest. Several seconds later, thunder rolled up through the forest and away down toward the eastern wood. Then silence, the breeze even dying to a deathly stillness. Ishtar looked down, surprised to see the little monkey-like creatures staring up toward the sky, moving their heads about, searching the evening air. She could not help but wonder what matters were all about. Could it possibly be something caused by the approaching storm? The girl doubted it. Instinctively she, too, cocked her head to listen, but for what?
Then she heard it, far in the distance off to the east. Drifting in on the night air came the most hauntingly beautiful of night songs. It flowed around her, through her, filling the girl’s soul with feelings of warmth and contentment, and others more sensual in nature. All the little monkey-like creatures erupted with excited chattering and hooting, dancing and scampering about like puppies sensing their master’s return. Creating a deafening commotion, the entire troupe scampered off in the direction of the lilting song.
Not wasting the moment, Ishtar lunged toward the trail leading to the meadow beyond, only to be stopped up short. A shadow of a much bigger creature passed across the trail and into the wood. Had the little monkey animals run away, not because of the singing, but from some other evil lurking in the trees ahead? Her heart racing, she peered into the gloomy undergrowth to see what might be hiding there.
Gradually her eyes discerned the ghostly form a two-legged beast or person. It was too dark to tell. The shadow did not move. Gathering up her courage, she shouted with defiant uncertainty, “Who are you?!”
A voice off to her left called out, pleading, “Please child. Help we have come to give. Let us assist you.”
Ishtar perked up her ears, wondering. Was that the voice of her uncle… or, more likely, the man claiming to be such? Possibly it was her uncle’s angel coming to rescue her. After all, she had been very busy praying for rescue, and angels were real, or at least if the stories of the aged ones could be believed, they could be. Dare she chance such an improbability? She thought not. Shaking a fist, Ishtar bravely shouted, “Leave me be! I’ve got a knife and I’ll stick you!”
“Do you mean this knife?” The shadow stepped forward into the evening light. The shadow was that of the shirtless man seen earlier in the building, he now covered in cloak of sorts. The man held the knife Ishtar earlier lost when fleeing back into the wood after seeing those horseless chariots. The man smiled, holding up the blade. “You should be more careful where you leave your playthings. One could get hurt if happening upon this accidentally in the darkness.”
Ishtar cried out in fear and frustration, but refused to surrender the moment, standing defiant. All the while, the glen slowly filled with other shadows. The quiet was suddenly shattered by the hoots and screeches of the returning monkey-like creatures, this time accompanied by a woman of dark skin with silvery-white hair, dressed in a long, flowing cape, high, laced sandals, and little else. The woman lowered a hand toward the animals and softly called out some sort of a command to the little creatures. When all was quiet, she spoke to Ishtar. “Please child, come with us so that we all may escape this approaching storm.”
Staring wildly at the woman, Ishtar clenched her fists, screaming out in despair, “Why do you seek my death?! What have I done to you so that the whole world chases my soul in search of its destruction?!”
She spun about, preparing to flee into the meadow beyond only to see the path now blocked by two uniformed shadows. Crying aloud, Ishtar stepped back, knowing not what to do. These were officers of the court, soldiers of the emperor. There would be no escape now, only death for her rebellion, a quick one here… possibly, but unlikely… a slower and more painful some other place, the better reality.
The closer of the two officers stepped into the fading light, extending a hand and pointing a finger. “A servant of this land you are, to do the bidding of its lord and master. To the will of its rulers you have not submitted yourself, and well you know the penalty for such disobedience. What do you say? Will you submit to the rightful powers, now that you have been reminded of them?”
Ishtar’s head swirled with confusion and bewilderment as long-sleeping memories began to waken, filling her head with dread and ghastly sights. This man, this officer she remembered - at least somewhere far back in the recesses of her memory remembered. She remembered enough to dread and fear him. He was the law, enforced the law in any manner he saw fit. There would be no escaping this man or his wrath.
Dropping her arms in defeat, Ishtar lowered her head and bowed, distraught, staring at the ground. “Lord Treston, I fear I have spoken without knowledge this day. Please allow this child life and overlook her ruefulness.”
Treston could barely contain his real feelings. Knowing he must play this night to its full, he gruffly replied, “Life and death are not yours to command. Remain where you are and do not resist any longer.”
Ishtar nodded, promising to be submissive.
Treston’s heart ached with guilt and remorse. Here was the goddess divine he loved and cherished so. The pain of this charade was nearly as distressing as would be death, possibly more so. He must do something to ease his growing anguish, but what? He smiled. There was one thing he could do.
Removing his officers’ cape, he stepped up to Ishtar, wrapping it about her. “I promise you no harm this night. The powers in this land wish only for your rescue from the coming storm.”
When the woman of song approached, Treston lifted a hand toward her, requesting, “Chasileah, do not bind her for she has promised to remain obedient to us.”
Chasileah smiled, replying. “Yes, my lord, as you wish. This I will do, and tend to her injuries, too, as well as procure some food for a hungry belly.”
Soon she, Ishtar, and the others were in the meadow, making haste to escape the rapidly approaching storm.
Last to leave the wood were Drorli and Treston. They stopped at the edge of the field, watching the distant lightning, listening to the rumble of the thunder as it rolled over the hills. Drorli thanked Treston for the part he played in all this.
Treston frowned, his head sinking in dismay. “This has hurt me more than may be. Should I have perished forever would have been lesser of a punishment than I have endured this eve. Hope, I pray, that never shall I suffer so again.”
Drorli laughed, patting his friend on the shoulder. “Almost gave yourself away there… being so soft on the girl.”
“What!?” Treston was not pleased at all by Drorli’s comment. “Murdered her once! Wasn’t that sufficient enough? Never will I be able to look her in the eye without feeling such regret.”
Drorli laughed again. “Feelings change, have changed. The pain we will all forget once the tapestry has been woven to the full. Trust me, that girl will love you one day… loves you even now, doesn’t know it yet, but she does.”
Treston was more than a little confused and not pleased by Drorli’s joking. “You speak like the senseless women who wish only to see the good in all things.”
Drorli defended
himself. “A senseless woman I am not! I don’t joke with you at all. I speak only truth. Time heals all wounds. Besides…”
He paused, watching sheet lightning streak across the sky. “I also know… Mother told me so this very fact… and you know it, too… in your heart. The two of you are attached at the hip, ever since her spirit consumed you in the arena that day. In a way you’re both one, married up in some twisted ritual of life and death, I suppose. Your future fate and destiny are a shared with that girl. You can’t escape it, nor can she.”
Treston fussed. Drorli would have none of it. “Tonight you saved our girl from a very uncomfortable fate, but you will do so even more in the future, and from far worse fates, I assure you. The evil hour pants ever closer and that girl will need you more then than she does now, and this time you will do her right, save her very soul… and others as well.” He waxed poetic. “ ‘The devil’s spawn shall the devil’s machinations bring to a finish. To Desmond’s halls shall the holy saints journey with a fearsome host, to bring to a finish what the Wicked One has birthed in secret.’”
“What are you about?” Treston asked, confused.
Drorli refused to speak more of the matter, other than, “Long ago, at least by the reckoning of your lifetimes, were those words uttered by our queen, Tolohe, before she departed for dark and distant worlds after this Rebellion began. You, my friend, were not delivered here to merely assist this child tonight. Many more are the adventures you are going to have… you and her. Get used to it.” He laughed again.
Treston said nothing, could think of nothing to say in reply, his mind troubled as he mulled over Drorli’s revelations. Together, the two men started for the safety of distant shelter.
Drorli suddenly stopped in mid-stride. Looking his friend over from head to foot, he humorously mused, grinning, “You know, you cut quite a pose in that uniform. It really becomes you. Makes you look all authoritative and important. I’d keep it around if I were you, just in case that girl gets a little uppity in the future.”
Treston’s face clouded. Then he saw the twinkle in Drorli’s eyes. “Oh, you and your kind anyway!” He motioned him to be off. “Be gone with you...” At that, he turned, taking up a run to escape the coming rain.
Drorli laughed aloud, chasing after him as he also took up the hurried pace.
The chill rains soon swept in, swelling the tiny brook with a brown, frothing flood. The little monkey-like creatures retreated to the protection of the eastern wood, longing to hear their mistress of song again. Chasileah and Drorli finally found some private time for themselves. Symeon and Hanna remained far in to the night with Ishtar, eventually succumbing to their need for rest, they soon falling to sleep in each other’s arms.
And Ishtar? The girl lay awake in her cozy room, staring into the glow of the dancing firelight. No longer were her doors barred, no need for it. Where was she to go? Where was she? Who really were these strangers and why was she here? Tomorrow... Maybe tomorrow she would find the answer. Tonight, though, she would…
Soon the sounds of slumber drifted from the girl’s bedchamber into the room beyond. There, at a tiny table, a restless and troubled Treston sat alone, contemplating the future and what it might bring.
* * *
‘Oros, oh sweet, lovely Oros, deceptive Oros,
Love songs you sing to the beauty of war.
Your musical entreaties with enchantment filled,
To seduce the unwary and innocent souls.
With pomp and ceremony you gather them in,
To send them away with no promise of return.’