Chapter 21: Silence and Turmoil

As the sun began to set the crew of 5 mounted and rode again. They were now only a few days from Chiff and all of them were very eager to reach the city. It seemed odd, but tensions among the small band were rising at an extreme rate. As the days had progressed Peace’s tolerance of Strife has lessened and everyone had sensed it. Peace couldn’t hardly look at the man without a seemingly unwarranted shiver shooting down her spine, and her dreams: her dreams had been getting increasingly worse. Perhaps a better way to put it would be to say that her memories were becoming clearer: too clear. It seemed as if every motion Strife preformed, every word he said, every mannerism he held, reminded Peace more and more of some nightmare from her past. She had tried to make some sensical connection with him, some reason, but nothing. She had searched elsewhere too, trying to recall if she knew Erlfag or if she recalled the symbol of his warlord, but nothing there made sense either. She had seen the men of many warlords in her younger days, but none that matched Erlfag’s. The one in her memories certainly didn’t. He had born the symbol of the king, not one of the warlords. That had been when the kings still had power. Yet despite all her searches, her questions, nothing seemed to connect with her troubled past. Something at the back of her mind kept nagging though, telling her that everything ought to connect, but nothing seemed to make sense together.

Peace leaned forward and clung tighter to Yevish as the sun fully set and the chill winds picked up. She derived a great deal of comfort from being able to guard her young ward, her little brother. It wasn’t just human comfort though: the comfort of being able to care for another human being. It was God’s comfort, the deep comfort which came only from the Father, the Creator of the universe, and Peace was infinitely glad for it. During this time of deep trouble in her soul she wasn’t sure if she’d have been able to survive without this comfort from Yeshua, from God. Despite everything that was going on within her, Yeshua was telling her that he was still there, always there, protecting her, holding her, loving her. She would never be alone, she would never have need to fear, she could never be touched beyond the earthly things…

 Yes, it was true, nothing could touch her beyond her earthly being, and yet being touched to the depths of the earthly was still painful enough. Ah, the pain, she was glad for those who never had to experience such depth of emotion, either good or bad. For even such a deep emotion, when of good, can cause a great deal of pain. Peace knew though that the depths of humanity which many believed could only be touched by love and all things good, could also be touched by evil, hate, and all things wrong in this world. There was a reason God warned so much about sexual sins in his word, for truly all other sins were without the body, but these entered into the depths of the human heart and soul. Peace knew, Peace knew firsthand and forever she had only wished that she had never known. Peace shook her head unsuccessfully trying to clear the thought. Those dreams, those memories…

Suddenly she was there again: in that simple inn room. He was there too, his strong and hated hands having just ripped away her thin dress top. ‘Father God on high she couldn’t live through this again, not even in her mind.’ “Please don’t” Peace pleaded with the man.

“Don’t challenge me, girl. I paid for this night, and I will enjoy it.” A rough chuckle escaped his strong jaw and sent a defeated shiver down Peace’s backbone. No, she wasn’t defeated yet. Last time she’d been taken by surprise, unknowing of the ways of vulgar men, in particular of her boss the innkeeper, but this time… this time she would fight back. Peace reached behind her to the small table where she had formerly placed a broken table leg (the only weapon available to her on short notice). The warrior snorted, turned, and went to inspect the pitiful bed that the room had to offer. Peace threw caution to the wind and charged, aiming the hefty table leg for the back of the man’s head. She had almost made contact when the man suddenly whirled and caught the leg. Peace’s strength was no match for his, so she knew she’d have to rely on training and cunning. She quickly spun to the right, shifting her and her weapon out of the man’s grip, and then as quickly as she could she did her best attempt at a distracted double-strike. She swung fixedly towards the man’s head with the table leg, the distraction, while firmly kicking at his mostly unprotected knee with her right foot, the double-strike. Peace may not have had a great deal of strength, but her kick likely would have damaged the knee had not the man worn hidden knee bracers. Peace released the table leg and stumbled back in surprise, desiring to nurse her now wounded and bare foot, but knowing that such would only harm her more.

The King’s soldier scowled a bit and threw the table leg aside like a twig. “They didn’t tell me you were a feisty one. A bit of training to your name as well I’d say.”

Peace would have liked to respond, save that she was unable to manage words due to the fear in her heart. She quickly scanned the room for anything which could help her out, but failed to find anything. The man took a step forward and Peace stumbled back, tripping on the hard wood floor. She gasped and tried to push herself up on her elbows. The man grinned, and reached down towards her throat…

Peace sat up with a jolt, and then gently leaned forward again, encompassing Yevish in her armored and weather protected arms. That was the difference between dreams and memories. Dreams required a state of sleep or near sleep: memories could take over the mind whenever they wanted. Peace shivered a bit and hugged Yevish tighter, while reaching down and gently stroking Darkstar. She could hear the hoof beats of her brother’s and the Stranger’s horse. It was difficult to see them in the low light, but the moon would rise soon and provide light for their small party.

Peace focused herself on Yeshua and began to settle. The world seemed quite peaceful right now. It seemed odd how everything could seem to be going all right and all wrong all at the same time. Somehow it would all work out though. In the end, no matter how long away that was, it would all work out for the better: for the goodness of the created by the will of their divine Creator.