Chapters 12 & 13

TWELVE

I could not even look her in the face, least I saw her expression.

“Ah, uh, so pleased to um..meet you. But really now I must ah, leave. Thank you again your highness.” I tried to bow, but instead stumbled, my face red and turned and all but ran from out of the curtained area, past faces that showed concern, shock. I walked quickly across the stands, past the range and into a stand of trees on the other side.I leaned up against a tree, certain that I would be sick, breathing heavily. I willed myself not to throw up.

Just an hour earlier I had come to understand how my world worked. And now it felt like everything that I had been able to build up and understand about this place had just come crashing down. As I stood there, leaning my arm against the tree, the past five days again came into focus, but now through a different lense.I had been a fool, I was a fool.

As I stood there something else was bubbling up in the back of my mind- I had to get out of that place and back to the mountain. I realized that, despite being in a strange and sometimes dangerous land, I was now in real danger for the first time. Not many men I knew would take kindly to a guy making time with their girl on the eve of her wedding and I knew that the King I had just met would be worse than most. I was just about to turn around and go find Walter when I heard her voice.

“Eri?”

I turned and looked at Karn, her face streaked with tears, but still beautiful. Seeing her made me physically ache. I wasn’t sure if it was with love or embarassment.

“Go away Karn. I guess you had your laugh, had your fling. Go, before someone sees you here.”

Karn’s face went dark. “Eri, do you think this was a fling? That I was laughing at you?”

“Well, weren’t you? What was this, some dare from your friends, mix with the common people and see what sort of trouble you can get into?”

“No! No. I mean I did go that first day to see what it was like for everyone else. You have no idea what it is like to be separated from everyone else.I just wanted to... experience life a little. I certainly didn’t mean to fall in love.”

“We’re not in love Karn. Nothing like it. If you think that you’re fooling yourself. God knows I was fooled.”

“Stop being so hateful Eri, this isn’t like you!”

“How would you know Karn? What else can I be? I just got played with like a toy-”

“I wasn’t playing with you Eri, you have to understand that. Do you really think I would do something this... foolish right before my wedding? With all that is at stake? What I felt, what I feel is real Eri, more real, deeper than anything I have ever felt.”

“You are young and full of dreams.”

“I know what is real!”

“Fine then, prove it. I know I still feel something for you Karn. If you feel the same come away with me now. We can slip out tonight.” I must have sounded crazy, but at the moment it seemed like the the most sensible plan I could come up with.

“And go where? I’m a princess Eri, people will know me and for sure look for me if I run away. Not to mention the whole peace my father has constructed with Ilea will be ruined. Decades of war being brought to a close Eri, the lives of my people and his people finally put to peace.”

“We can hide, maybe go back to my country, who knows. And let others worry about peace, it’s not your fault. With you gone it’ll be like nothing happened. The peace will hold.”

“I am not sure about that. It is me Eri, don't you see? I am not like others, I am a chess piece. That’s my job, I was born and raised  to be a bride my father can make peace with.”

“That’s horrible.”

“It’s life. I live a life most people never even get a glimpse of, in return I have a political duty. I know my place. You are the one who is dreaming Eri, it is not so simple.Meeting you has...complicated things.”

“But Karn you can’t be happy this way, right? You are not just a chess piece, you are a real person.. I saw the way you were out here with us common folk. You’ve got too much up here to every live that life.” I gently touched her hair, she backed off and quickly looked around.

“You’re in danger Eri. Inlea will find us out some how. He won’t hurt me, he can’t if he wants to inherit this kingdom, but he will get you. You have to go.”

“Then go with me Karn.”

She looked at me with an annoyed look “And go where exactly? “

“I don;t know... maybe... maybe come back with me to my home?”

“Across the desert, how?”

“No not the desert, through the bamboo...”

“Eri, there is no through, only across to the desert behind that bamboo. I don’t know where you really came from, but no one has ever made it across that desert.”

I was confused, it was as if we were talking about two different places, but I also realized that there wasn’t time to argue.

“Think about it Karn. Meet me at the clearing where we practiced in an hour.  I’m going to go get Walter and Jet, they can take us back to a place I know I can get home through or they’ll know where we can go and wait until this blows over.”

“Eri, wait, this won’t blow over!”

“Trust me Karn, I’ll do whatever it takes...”

“I can’t promise anything Eri.”

I turned to her. The sun was setting behind her, lighting her up. She was at that moment tougher, more beautiful than any girl I had ever met. I thought my heart would burst right there.

“I know Karn, just go with your heart, not your head.”

“That gets me into trouble.”

I reached in and quickly kissed her on the cheek.”I hope so.”

I turned and ran as fast as I could back to fairgrounds to find Walter and Jet.

Walter and Jet had overcast looks when I hurriedly told them the whole story.

Jet gave a small sound and threw up her arms. I stopped talking.

“What?”

“What? Wha,t he asks!  Really? Get a grip Eric! You are impossible, you know that? How does your head get you through life? You pop into this world and lay back, never questioning anything, never asking about anything and then you get all worked up when things don’t go your way? What do you know about this country? About these people, about them?” Jet pointed to Walter. “Nothing, that’s what. You are a good man Eric, but you are a goddamn fool sometimes.”

Jet spat on the ground and turned and walked away. I looked at Walter. He sighed, settling down on his front paws. He sat there for a moment chewing his cud, his long whiskers twitching.Finally he spoke, quietly, I had to lean in to hear him.

“Eri, there is a lot... to be known about this country. About what is going on here. Things are not... always what they seem. We Lepus are not always... welcome here. People like Inlea are... they don’t want us here Eri. People like Smit are bad enough, rude, uneducated, but someone like Inlea is flat out dangerous. The idea that he wants you to go to work for him would betray everything I think you believe.He doesn't just want to create a new kingdom, he wants to create it without... without rabbits.”

“I don't see what that has to do with Karn?” I said, impatiently. Jet exclaimed and threw up her arms.

“It doesn’t, directly,” Walter continued, “People in this valley have been waging war against each other for generations, off and on. Then, almost one hundred years ago we Lepus came over the mountain. It was in our interest to have peace, so we helped to broker it. I guess in many ways that process culminates with this wedding. Once it happens the Inlae will eventually control the two kingdoms.”

“Then why not help me stop the wedding?”
“Karn’s father is young still, the Kingdoms will not officially come together for many, many years. He is an ally of the Lepus and will help us become part of society. If the wedding were to be off then Inlae may well restart the war and use it as an excuse to eradicate the Lepus while he is at it.”

“Do you really think a few more years will change people’s minds about your kind Walter?”

“It can only help. It is either that or certain doom right now. Eri, listen, in life there are choices that must be made. Often the choices are not good or bad, but rather shades of bad or worse. Sometimes the best course of action is simply the one that is not as ruinous as the other.”

“So you are saying I should just forget about Karn, accept nothing as being better than what could happen?”

“I can’t tell you what to do Eri. But if you did agree to meet her, then you should go see if she shows up. You go meet Karn at the place in the wood. We’ll meet you about a mile out of town going north.”

“Thank you.” I looked at Jet but she just stared back and then shrugged.

“Eri-”

“Yeah” I turned to leave but stopped when Walter spoke.

“Don’t wait too long for her. The king will surely find out soon enough and we need to put plenty of miles between us and his guard.”

“Sure.”

Jet cut in as Walter sighed. “Eric, get your head of from under yourself. She’s not like us, not like you. She won’t show, you’re wasting your time.”

“Jet, Jet, the boy must see his destiny unfold himself. No use stopping him.” Walter put a paw up. “Go Eri, good luck, but keep an open mind and a watchful eye.”

I nodded, left, confused. Walter was right, I had cornered myself into a terrible choice- either give up on Karn once and for all, or try to convince her to escape with me, perhaps dooming the rabbits to all out war. I stood there in the clearing and shook my head. I went back to the morning and thought about how clear everything seemed at the time. I resolved to do what was best not for me, but for a greater good. I had no business meddling in this place, I did not even belong here. I would tell Karn that, while I did still feel love for her, the choice I had to make was the bad one, not the horrible one. I felt a certain sadness, as if I had suddenly grown up.

I got the clearing just as dusk was settling in. The light was almost gray. The place itself was silent. I should have realized then it was too silent to be natural. I had just put down my russack when three guards and, to my surprise, Smit, stepped out into the clearing.

He turned to one of the guards. “Told ya. Hey there rabbit boy.” He came up to me.  I could smell the liquor from a few feet away, but he got right up close to me and put his finger on my chest. “Got a little deep didn’t ya?  I overheard you and the princess getting all lovey dovey. Need to learn yer place boy!” He jabbed his finger. I swung my arm up and managed to smash his hand into his face. It took just a second for him to register what had happened, I took that time to take a few steps back.

“You little punk!” He reached for a knife on his belt, but by then two of the guards had come up and grabbed his arms.

“Enough!” the third guard said. He pressed some coins into Smits empty hand.”Get out fool!” He gave Smit a shove.

Smit looked back and laughed “Don’t worry boy. If the King doesn’t get you  I will! a weirdo like you can’t hide around these parts.”

I turned to the guard who had paid Smit.”What’s going on?”

“You are under arrest by orders of the King.”

“Why, what did I do?” I turned, trying to see if I could maybe make a run for it, but one of the other two guards grabbed my wrist. I went slack

“Not my concern flea, just here to take you back to town. We can do it easy or hard, your choice.”

I decided now was not the time to test my luck. At this point I still thought I could talk my way out of all of this.

The guards took me into town. This was the first time I had made it through the wall into the actual town itself. The guards were frog marching me pretty quickly, I barely had time to take in my surroundings.

The town was full of narrow streets and rough stone and wood and plaster houses. In the dark I could see some of the houses burning with candle light or hearth fires, people inside, talking, laughing, free and living. I hoped I would be both by morning.

In the center, behind yet another wall was a larger stone building, what I guessed was a castle. It was plain, none of the turrets or finials I would expect from say  a castle in the fairytale books. Instead it was basically a long box with a pitched roof covered in thatch and mud. The guards led me around this building to a smaller low lying stone building. Here they took me inside and down a long corridor. I recognized that I was actually in a stable, but at the end was a room with several doors lined up along the back wall.. There they opened one of the heavy wooden doors and shoved me inside a smaller room with no windows. When they closed the door I was left in a pitch black, slightly damp room.

THIRTEEN

It was not long before I could hear the door being opened again. I expected a guard but was surprised instead to find King Inlea himself. It occurred to me that it was strange as I was in Karn’s father’s stable, but it was Inlea who came to see me. I got nervous, I could see several guards standing behind him. I stood there, partially shielding my eyes from the torches of the guards.

“Well, I must say, this is a disappointment, in some ways. I was hoping that old drunk was wrong about you, but nonetheless here we are. I must say I am angry but also somewhat flattered. It is good to know I will be marrying a girl other men desire. It does my ego good no?”

I was in no mood to be lectured. Upone reflection I guess I should have tried to be more diplomatic, but  when I thought back to what Walter and Jet had told me about him, I forgot about being nice.

“She doesn’t love you, you should let her go.”

Inlea laughed. “Yes, I forgot, you are not from here, and perhaps also something of a dolt too? I doubt very much that she even likes me, much less loves me. That is not the point. My marriage to her will allow me to unite our two kingdoms. The history of fighting between our two nations will come to an end. You look so sad sir, but think of it! Peace, a chance to make a clean start. I tell you what, I am a reasonable man and about to gain the one thing I have sought since I inherited my own crown,the crown of this valley. I am not a small petty man, I am even a nice guy,or so I am told. I propose a deal with you sir. My offer from this afternoon still stands. I could use your skills in the guard... but with some added provisos now. You will sweat allegiance to me and forsake any interest you ever thought you had in Karnettia tomorrow prior tothe weddings. And, you will do so in front of not only myself,but her as well.”

I thought about his offer. At first I thought I had a way out. I had come to the clearing prepared to send Karn back here anyway, what would it cost me to do that publicly. But again, I thought of Walter.

“What about the rabbits then?”

“What? What rabbits?”

“I've been told all about your plans for peace. You’ll buy it with a payment of Rabbit blood right? Clean start without Lepus? How can you expect me to be a part of that?”

Inlea smiled, he waved his hand in a gesture of dismissal. “You mistake my intentions. I merely seek to … contain them. They expect too much from us I fear. If I... fence them in... it will do them some good as well as us. I am not a monster Sir.

“I know men like you back home you know. Men who get jollies from beating up those weaker than they are.Using those that are weaker as scapgoats.  I won’t be  a henchman for a bully.”

A dark look passed Inlae’s face. “Weaker! Look you fool, I think you have been misled...” Inlea collected himself. “Yes, Yes. I am sure of it.You are ignorant... of many things. What did your rabbit friends tell you about their homeland?”

“They can’t go back,and if you chase them from here...”

“Any why can they not go back? Hmmm?Did they forget to mention that part? Allow me to fill in the missing bits then. They can not go back because if they did they would all die, they would all starve. And why? Because Rabbits are thieves. They are not like men, who farm the land, who remake the land to produce enough to sustain their population. Rabbits instead steal, they take, regardless of how much there is. And once they have taken everything they move on. I am not evil ,despite what your friends say. I have tried, tried so many times, as have many others, to teach them to farm. I have given them land to farm, tools, seeds! And what do they do? They run away, they go back to “foraging,” as they call it. They go back to thievery. Why can they not go back across the mountain? Because they have stripped their land BARE! They took a lush green land and made it a dust bowl. Oh yes,  they try to hide this, but I have sent spies there, I have first hand accounts of a land laid bare by greedy,lazy thieves. So, I am not evil I am the opposite. I seek to save us and our land from the fate of the Lepus. If they will not contribute to the survival of this land they must leave it.. one way or... another.”

“I … I don’t believe you.”

“That is immaterial. Tell the guard your answer before the midnight watch. I trust you will consider all of your options carefully, although you must know that most of them are not really options.”

“And if I refuse to join the guard?”

Inlea looked at me with a surprised look and then laughed. “Are you really that slow?” and he left, the door slamming shut behind him, leaving me in darkness.

As I sat there in the darkness I thought about the past week. Had it only been a week, eight days since I had stumbled across the creek? I thought back to my life before that week, growing up on the mountain, about my mom and dad. When they had died I had just turned 19. I knew people thought it was strange I was still at home, but being the youngest of seven kids I had no real idea what I wanted to do. I had graduated from the high school, only my two sisters had done that. but now they, and my four brothers had all moved away, most out west, looking for something better. I was pretty sure I had never wanted anything better. I planned to work the small landholding we had with my Dad, but beyond that I had no real plans.

Now, sitting in that dark hole, I realized life had made plans for me. Despite my  best efforts to let things wash over and by me things had stuck to me. In the space of a few days I had met new people, well new friends, who seemed closer to me than most of my brothers and sisters. And I had met a girl, a woman, who had won my heart in a way no one else, not even my parents, had.

And here I was, about to lose these few things that had stuck to me.  If I did nothing they would surely kill me, but if I joined them I would lose Walter, Jet and probably Karn too. I hadn’t shed a tear at Mom and Dad’s funeral, but now, in the dark, I cried sudden tears. They flowed out like a tap turned on, and in the process something unwound in me and I came apart. Walter was right, not all choices are good and bad, but I felt that the choices were becoming worse and worse.

I figure that was mostly my doing. Jet was right, I had been willing to go along for the ride. I needed to start making clear choices, but how? Locked here with little chance of escape and not very good prospects in the morning.

And, like magic, right at that point, as I lay still heaving on the floor, the door creaked open. I thought maybe I had gone mad for sure when I saw Karn in the flickering torch light. Behind her was a large white rabbit. I must have looked a mess.

“Eri! What have they done to you?”

“Karn?”

“Yes. It’s ok Eri, what did they do?”

“I’m ok, I uh, just... nothing. No one did anything, well yet. I think your finance means to kill me in the morning though.”

“I know, that’s why I’m here. You have to go now Eri.”

“How?What about the guards?”

“Meredith here” Karn nodded to the large white rabbit behind her, “makes a powerful sleeping draught, but it doesn't last for long. She will lead you to outside the town. Walter is waiting there, you have to go.”

“Will you be there Karn?” I asked her searching her face for a clue. She looked away.

“Not now Eri. Look,” she turned back, a fake smile on her face, “I promise I will do what I can. I know Papa will soon see how evil Inlae is.” She took my hand, her face serious again.

“Eri, you must promise me that you will listen to my plan and follow it. If you don't Inlae’s men will find you and kill you. Above all else I want you to live... even if we cannot be together now.”

I opened my mouth to object, but her face remained hard and serious. “Ok, what is the plan?”

“Promise first.”

“OK! I promise, just promise me you will let me come back to you.”

She smiled, the old Karn came back for a moment. “I promise that back to you. Now, Walter will take you back to the bamboo forest. Wait there until morning. If I do not come you must promise me you will cross over back to your world.”

“No, Karn, I can’t, I don’t want to.”

“Listen, you have to. But I promise you I will fix things here and send for you. The Lepus can cross back and forth you know. They will know where to find you and bring you back. I promise... Do you promise?”

I sighed, this is not what I had planned at all. But I knew by the look on her face that Karn was serious, and seemed to have a better way out than my plan at any rate.

“Ok.” I leaned in and kissed her, she grabbed my head and kissed me back hard. As we broke I whispered into her ear “I promise... I promise I will never forget you Karn, I will count the days until we can be together.”

“I also.” She smiled and then pushed back.

From underneath her cloak she drew out a small leather wrapped item. She undid a rawhide string and inside lay.. a knife. A small knife, about 6 inches long with a rosewood handle intricately carved. On the steel blade was a brass inlay showing a small vine. “I want you to take this with you Eri. It was my grandfathers. Keep it close to you always. As long as you posses it,  it will lead you back to me.”

I took the knife and looked at it, then wrapped it back up and put it in my pocket. “I will keep it close Karn.”

For the first time that night she smiled, her warm radiant smile.

“OK, Eri, Meredith, go now, quickly. I have work to do now.”

I will never forget her face as I left, it looked in the flickering torchlight like a painting by one of those famous European masters. I swear I can still see every detail...

Kara led me through back ways until we found ourselves as a back gate to the town.She unlatched a door and nodded, I went through and found Walter and Path waiting there.

“Well, Eri, seems like you’ve gotten yourself in a boiling pot huh? I guess I have to rescue you again. Your ledger grows by the day kid.”

I laughed. “Walter, I think your math is off, this makes us about even I think.”

Walter huffed out of his nose.”Eri, you will always be in my debt I am afraid. Now, we have to get back to the bamboo forest quickly.” I nodded, not sure how that would happen. It had taken us 3 days walking to get here. Walter came in close, he put a paw on my shoulder.

“Eri, what we’re about to do you can never tell anyone about, ever, understood? If you do so help me I will find you and geld you, clear?” I nodded, stifling a laugh, he was so serious.

“Climb on.”

“What?” I wasn't sure I heard him correctly, and if I had, what he even meant.

Walter sighed. Path snorted and turned away. Walter looked at me with a faint look of pleading.

“Climb on me Eri. Sit on my shoulders.”

“What!” I actually took a step back.

“Don't make this any bigger than it is kid.”

“I didn’t think., I mean, I never even thought...”

“Well, plenty have, so if you ever tell anyone that you rode me, or any Lepus, I will come beat you to a pulp. Now get on, and hold on to my fur back under me head. Do not touch the ears!”

I climbed up as carefully as I could, but ended up making a pretty good mess of it. It was not an easy thing to do and I did it with as little grace as possible. I had ridden plenty of horses in my day, but this mount was very different. For one thing Walter’s shoulders were very broad, and without a saddle it was difficult to find a way to hold on.

Finally I was up.

“OK, I think I’m ready Walter.”

“Find the fold my neck and hold on to that.”

Walter grunted and we took off through the night.

I don't think there is anyone else who can say they travelled through the night for 5 hours on the back of  a six foot tall, 400 pound rabbit, but let me tell you, it was not comfortable. I think Walter did try to make it a smooth ride, but Rabbits are not built to stride like a horse, they push off with their rear legs and land on their front. Each time we would hit the ground with a thump. By the time the Bamboo forest was in sight I was sore from holding on tight and my head was pounding from the constant thuds of landing. But we did cover a 3 days walk in just a few hours. The lepus can cover great distances when they run.

We stopped behind a large rock outcropping, the same rock I had climbed to spy down on Walter and Charles originally. We rested with our backs against an overhang. We had a clear view of the pathway leading to the forest. I tried to stay awake to keep watch, Walter and Path fell asleep right away. But I too succumbed, overwhelmed with tiredness.

When I awoke it seemed like mid afternoon. I heard a far off rustling, it sounded like the thumping I had been subjected to and at first I thought I was still dreaming. But soon I could seen in the distance a large white shape quickly coming down the road. I nudged Walter.

By the time he was awake Meredith, , Karn’s “rabbit in waiting” had bounded into the clearing next to our rock. She was out of breath and visibly excited.

“Eri! You must go now, quickly, back to your home,” she squeaked.  “The king’s men left yesterday for here, it seems they were tipped off you might come here and they mean to seal off your escape.”

“Who would have even know I would come here?” I asked, but Walter gave a large snort.

“Smit, he is a devil even if he is a drunk.” Suddenly his ears went up, as did Path and Merediths,although I heard nothing.

“Men are coming. Quickly Eri, go.”

“Why don’t we fight them?”

“And then what Eri” Walter asked, but his body was already herding me to the field in front of the stream. “They send more men, they catch us eventually and kill us. If you go now you can come back when things have settled down.”

“But I want to help settle things. I want to work to make sure the Lepus are alright.”

“Not your battle Eri, remember?”

“But what will happen now? If that guy gets into power?”

“It’ll be years before he take the throne, and Karn will get her father to see his errors before that.” Walter stopped and put his paw on my shoulder, again.

“Eri, you cannot win this, not now. As long as you are here you are in danger o f being killed and, to be honest, in the way. Let us do what we can. We will come back for you, I promise. Karn promises, Heck even Jet does.”

“How long? I can’t wait for ever you know.”

“I know kid, but it may take a few months to settle the dust. Don’t worry, we’ll find you, just keep looking for a friendly rabbit.” Walter smiled and gave me a wink.

I gave him a hug, and Path, and even a surprised Meredith. Then I walked across the field, turned back to look for them, but they had already hopped away. I waded into the stream, and climbed up the other side. I pushed my way into the forest and within a few feet was lost again. I panicked a little, afraid I would not be able to find my way back, it was so thick. And just when I was sure I would not be able to actually return, I found myself stumbling out into the field at the bottom of the mountain. I was back at the foot of the mountain. I was back home, alone.

“Then what Pawpaw?”

“Then what? Nothing boy, the story is over, that’s then what.”

“No I mean, did the princess ever come back?”

Pawpaw looked at Riley for a moment, at first with anger but then sorrow.

“No. No! Of course not. It’s just a story boy! It never happened, it’s  a story. Weren’t no princess”

Riley was confused.” A story, like made up?”

“Yes, no, I don’t know. It’s been 75 years Riley. I don’t know, at this point I am pretty sure it is a story, just made up. A dream or something I read once and thought it happened to me. I don't know. And it don’t matter none does it?” He laughed and started to cough

“Even if it were true it’s been a long time and she never came back to her young lover did she? Pretty sad excuse for  a love story if you ask me. Boy meets a girl for a few days and they looses her and waited 75 goddamn years for her to show up. It never happened boy! Never, ever happened. Just a story, just a stupid story with giant rabbits. Lewis Carroll did it better anyway, now, go on.”

“But Paw Paw, we could try and go back, go through the bamboo!”

Boy, I tried that, for the longest time. I never could find my way back. I would get in there and get lost. I even waited by the forest, expecting to see Walter hop out. But that’s when I knew it was just my imagination. No six foot tall rabbit ever came out of those woods Riley, never has, never will.”

“What about the knife then? The one you gave me, that Karn gave you?”

“That? Best as I can recall it must have been my grandfather who gave it too me Riley. Sorry, but it is just a knife.”

“Not like any I ever saw.”

“What do you know boy. Now go on. I’m tired. Leave me alone. Too damn old to believe in fairy tales.”