We made our way slowly, but without delay, across Ezon. We skipped Sarran and instead went south through Portanisha and then Orpital. The grandness of the Targon Mountains lay before us. We'd seen them for several days now and yet it seemed that we'd gotten no closer for they still lay off in the distance.
At midday Kuri stopped. He had the girl with him and I pulled up alongside both, curious to know why he had stopped. He was staring at the mountains before us as if in a deep trance and although I wanted to ask what was going on I waited, not wanting to bother him for he seemed to be praying.
Kuri spoke all of a sudden, "We will be in the foothills of the mountains in another two days' time. The situation here in these mountains is a very grave one."
He turned from the mountains to look at me and the character of his bearing had me sitting up in the saddle in expectation of something I didn't think I'd want to hear.
"Benaiah, this is as far as you and I go together. I'll take the girl on from here, but you will need to go another way."
I was so startled at his words that for a moment I had the thought that he was trying to play a cruel joke on me, but that wasn't his way. Instead, cold hard reality stared me in the face. It was the first time that I'd had to face it on my own in years and I wasn't prepared for it. The words fumbled from my lips in a rush, "What am I to do? I thought I was to be with you?"
"You always will be, in spirit Benaiah, but for now our paths go a different way. Even though we are parted in the lands of the living, what I have taught you goes on with you and so a part of me will always be with you."
Beyond even thinking of embarrassment before the girl, I felt tears fall down my face unchecked. Why was this happening?
I looked to the mountains ahead, searching for answers. Kuri's people were in those mountains. Was he getting rid of me because I wasn't of his blood? No, I knew better than that. But the question of why remained.
"You will see me again Benaiah. When that day will be I do not know, but I'm sure that it will take place."
Still staring at the mountains I asked, "What about my final lesson? How are you going to teach me diplomacy, if you're not with me?"
We made our way slowly, but without delay, across Ezon. We skipped Sarran and instead went south through Portanisha and then Orpital. The grandness of the Targon Mountains lay before us. We'd seen them for several days now and yet it seemed that we'd gotten no closer for they still lay off in the distance.
At midday Kuri stopped. He had the girl with him and I pulled up alongside both, curious to know why he had stopped. He was staring at the mountains before us as if in a deep trance and although I wanted to ask what was going on I waited, not wanting to bother him for he seemed to be praying.
Kuri spoke all of a sudden, "We will be in the foothills of the mountains in another two days' time. The situation here in these mountains is a very grave one."
He turned from the mountains to look at me and the character of his bearing had me sitting up in the saddle in expectation of something I didn't think I'd want to hear.
"Benaiah, this is as far as you and I go together. I'll take the girl on from here, but you will need to go another way."
I was so startled at his words that for a moment I had the thought that he was trying to play a cruel joke on me, but that wasn't his way. Instead, cold hard reality stared me in the face. It was the first time that I'd had to face it on my own in years and I wasn't prepared for it. The words fumbled from my lips in a rush, "What am I to do? I thought I was to be with you?"
"You always will be, in spirit Benaiah, but for now our paths go a different way. Even though we are parted in the lands of the living, what I have taught you goes on with you and so a part of me will always be with you."
Beyond even thinking of embarrassment before the girl, I felt tears fall down my face unchecked. Why was this happening?
I looked to the mountains ahead, searching for answers. Kuri's people were in those mountains. Was he getting rid of me because I wasn't of his blood? No, I knew better than that. But the question of why remained.
"You will see me again Benaiah. When that day will be I do not know, but I'm sure that it will take place."
Still staring at the mountains I asked, "What about my final lesson? How are you going to teach me diplomacy, if you're not with me?"