Chapter one

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‘A bird does not change its feathers because the
weather is bad’- Nigerian Proverb

It was the sun on his face that woke him, bringing the sense of dread he had hoped not to feel.
But a poor man can but hope. As he sat up Kaesper could see that he had missed the first light
and likely the break of fast as well but that was not the cause of his discomfort. From his bed
he dressed swiftly, discarding his tunic he attired himself suitably for a long road as at this
point his mind was already settled. Kaesper was a healer and one with many duties, he knew
that his leaving could cause problems for many but what was in his mind he could not let lie.
It had been too long and Kaesper could wait no longer. Leaving his own, he made his way to
Repinsi’s house. The old healer was respected by many, including Kaesper and it was that
respect that led him to seek Repinsi out. Weaving his way through the narrow streets like a
dance with those who were out under the sun’s glory and going about their work most of
them farmers or makers of things, Kaesper thought about how to best present his words to the
old healer. Kaesper believed that words held as much power (if not more than) any force on
Gaia’s earth and always tried to deliver his carefully and after considerable thought.
Chesstitana was a small coastal town that took its pay from the gods in the fish they farmed
from the waters surrounding them and the town was comprised of a criss-crossing shanty
labyrinth but the healers were situated at points around the town and they had to move
through the bustle of people to reach each other. Repinsi’s house was located closest to the
boundless road and there he lived alone watching over Chesstitana with two sagacious old
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eyes. Moving through the shanty town Kaesper was greeted by many gleeful and content
faces, it was upon their happiness in which Kaesper’s own thrived and it was for the sake of
the people around him that he hid the worry behind his eyes; they should not know something
is wrong, they are so peaceful here. Eventually, and with sweat forming on his brow Kaesper
reached the hard up shack whose occupant he was in desperate need of counsel from. He
stepped forward and read the prayer roughly inscribed upon the door;
‘To know the light is to know the darkness,
To know pleasure is to know pain,
To know peace is to know war.
To know a friend is to know an enemy
To know all is to respect all’
He wished that the words would touch him, but many times had he read the text and not once
had it reached out to him. Or perhaps it had, and he never took the hand offered to him.
Kaesper knocked hard on the door. The whole shack seemed to shake as he did so and he was
certain his ears were not deceiving him as he heard the low grumble of the small man inside.
He took half a step back and straightened himself as the door swung open and was welcomed
with a beckoning finger and a wry smile. ‘Come in, come in, I trust all is right with you?’
Repinsi made his way to nest himself in a chair near the window, whilst Kaesper simply
perched on an ageing armchair that groaned profusely as he made himself comfortable. ‘I
cannot lie Repinsi. I am greatly troubled and am forever looking to the north for the sign of
migration’. Repinsi could see what the young man was going to do; he had suspected this for
many a day now. ‘You are right’ Kaesper’s pupils shrank at the shock of the old man’s words
‘These events are most unusual, even with a difficult ride she should have returned three
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nights past or at least sent word if she required more time’ Kaesper opened his mouth to
respond; he had expected resilience from the tough old crow, but it seems at least one thing
on this day had pleasantly surprised him. ‘I was preparing to go…’ but Repinsi didn’t let him
finish.
‘Yes, yes go. But take Baovener with you; I will not lose you to the harsh lands as well’
Repinsi rose to his feet and walked to the door with a swiftness that much impressed Kaesper
and the healer opened the door, looking back at his apprentice. ‘I think it best that you depart
as soon as possible, whilst the sun is upon your backs’ Kaesper rose to his feet in reply. ‘I will
do all that I can, on my finding her I will send a singing bird to that window’ Kaesper pointed
to the window which Repinsi had sat close by. ‘So listen for that song’ he said softly as he
hugged Repinsi and walked through the threshold back out into the world. ‘Race upon
reliable steeds and Poseidon will treat you well’ Repinsi called to the young healer. But
Kaesper was already running back the way he had come.
*
The waters were deathly quiet and still and the rickety boat sat upon them like a blemish
upon flawless skin; disturbing the tranquillity of the lake. Baovener was fishing, as he did
most days and already past his second meal this day he had lured four fish from their
freshwater haven. A quiet man, Baovener was often found in his own company and he
himself found fishing to be a particularly peaceful pass time. The fish were needed by the
town but the silence and the hours spent in isolation were all his. Baovener was a man of
thought and was often pondering things others did not, making him as wise as he was
vulnerable. But after seeing nearly fifty winters pass he possessed a wealth that none could
buy with coin and such wealth was his experience. The lake was seated comfortably as the
nucleus of Chesstitana; feeding the townsfolk with rich water and even richer marine

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delicacies. Baovener was not the only one to take his boat out into the lake but many lacked
the time or patience to fish, and those who didn’t often kept to themselves and didn’t bother
him. Although the sun was at her highest it was strangely quiet upon the lake and Baovener
was certain he had only seen one other fisher but they had retired before the sun had even
begun to warm the ground. It was no sooner than he had begun to question the absence of life
around him when he heard shouting coming from the edge of the lake. Immediately he
thought of a poor soul drowning and instinctively grabbed the mangled rope at his feet as he
frantically searched to match the sound with a cause. But Baovener’s eyes relaxed and his
shoulders dropped as he saw the lone figure signalling him from the greens around the lake.
He couldn’t help but laugh. It was a hearty laugh that carried across the lake reaching
Kaesper’s ears as a merry echo. Baovener sat back down in his boat steadying himself before
taking a hold of a splintered oar and pushing it through the waters underneath the boat. As he
reached the greens Baovener saw Kaesper waiting for him, rather impatiently he thought.
Even as Baovener got out of the boat the young healer was running over to him, the boat was
small and as he rose from it an illusion was created of his increased stature, but the man
himself was only of average height, no more than a few inches shorter than Kaesper. ‘I hope
it is not my ill health that has brought you here in such haste’ Baovener said with laughter in
his voice. Kaesper put his hand on Baovener’s shoulder. ‘No my friend, to my knowledge you
have many winters ahead of you and many more souls yet to infuriate with your words of
wisdom’ The two of them laughed together for a few moments, but Kaesper was in haste and
as Repinsi could; Baovener saw it within him. ‘I hope you’re right my friend, now tell me
why are the two of us together on this humdrum day?’ Kaesper looked into Baovener’s eyes;
studying his reaction as he replied. ‘The simplicity of the situation is that one of the healers
travelled north to the sand lands after word was sent for immediate aid, I have seen too many
sun’s rise and set since her departure and of yet there is no word nor sign of her’. Baovener

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was not a stranger to this information, and it was broadcast across his face as his eyes grew
smaller and his lips curved tightly. ‘Aye, I saw her depart, even got one of the horses for her.
She was set on going far; I could tell that much and she had supplies to last her weeks.’
Baovener paused, he looked uncomfortable. ‘Do you not think, perhaps in one avenue she
explored in thought; led her to a place where her permanent residence differed?’ Kaesper
seemed shocked, he had not anticipated this response, nor as an actual outcome of her
actions, if she were to leave for definite, Kaesper was certain she would have confided in him
with such a momentous decision. ‘No.’ he said simply in reply to Baovener. ‘Although those
actions would not be impossible, they would not naturally be hers to take. She isn’t like that’.
Baovener nodded his head, looking to the earth at his feet. He exhaled loudly as if bracing
himself for something and then looking up at Kaesper he spoke again. ‘So it would seem that
a rescue would be in order?’ Baovener couldn’t help but smile as he said this, unable to
contain the boisterous love of adventure inside of him and seeing this Kaesper couldn’t help
but smile too. ‘Yes my friend, a rescue it shall be, let’s just make it a good one’ and the two of
them walked together away from the lake and possibly the last unclouded day they might see
in a long while. They first set out to the stables to select their steeds, as they walked Kaesper
informed Baovener of Repinsi’s words and of the route he planned to take after leaving
Chesstitana. The town itself was mother to twelve horses and with one of them absent, alive
or otherwise Kaesper and Baovener had the pick of the eleven remaining. The stable was a
small, makeshift structure only loosely held together. In the harsh winter months the horses
were packed closely together, touching each other’s noses as they took refuge, but today
under the welcoming sun the horses were frolicking in the fields. They knew not the meaning
of worry or strife. On this morning unmanned the stable sat on its lonesome as the horses
circled around it, knowing not to stray too far from their less than beautiful, but still loved
home. The two men stood admiring them for a while before deciding to make an approach.

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Baovener went towards a horse almost immediately, choosing his mount with complete
decisiveness and he bowed before her. She was a rich chestnut with glowing hair that
Baovener couldn’t help but run his fingers through as he patted her gently. Kaesper surveyed
the rest of the horses; he wouldn’t dare to take Baovener’s from him but there was a stallion
that caught his eyes in such a grip. At first he thought it an illusion, the light tricking his eyes
into madness. But it certainly was not. The brilliant white streak darting around in front of
him was not an apparition; it was a stallion that any man would be blessed to tame as their
steed but so far none had. ‘Her beauty, it would please me indefinitely if this was no trick’
Kaesper gazed in awe as the horse turned around to face him. ‘Hello my friend, you haven’t
ridden before with a lowly man astride your back have you? No, but are you ready to ride I
wonder’ Kaesper spoke aloud to the horse and she seemed to hear him as she rubbed her head
against his and he laughed, lovingly caressing her face. ‘You have no tag?’ Kaesper asked the
horse as he saw the absence of a name hung from her neck as the other steeds sported. ‘I shall
have to name you, and I will name you well my dear, for perhaps one day our names will
make up the songs of travellers and old wives and dreaming children. But we’ll see. We’ll
see’ Kaesper sighed a small sigh as Baovener walked over leading his new found lady. ‘We
should name them both, if we are to ask of them to endure such perils as we might face they
are at least deserving of titles. And titles that will fill men with hope and children with joy as
they reach their ears’ Kaesper considered this, looking closely at his stallion and then at
Baovener’s a thought came harshly knocking at the door of his mind. ‘I have it my friend, let
us say with Poseidon as witness that we name them Ródo’ he pointed to Baovener’s horse,
‘…and Chárii’ pointing to his own. The horses neighed proudly as if in agreement to their
christening. ‘That sounds wonderful Kaesper, Chárii and Ródo, the two of you will do great
things’ Kaesper and Baovener took them inside the stable, fed and tied them preparing to
depart. ‘Take them down to the edge of town at the last of the sun’s light, we will take flight

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then, first I must gather some supplies for us’ Baovener nodded in understanding, ‘I will do
the same, until later Kaesper’ they shook their hands and went, both of them in a different
direction. Kaesper thought about his first success in recruiting Baovener, he knew of the
man’s strength and his mind was more at peace for the knowledge of his accompaniment. He
would see her face again soon, and before he knew it he would be back in his garden, nursing
the roses. Or at least he hoped. And a man can but hope.

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