Return to Blackberry Valley Chap 3 (uneditied work in progress)

Chapter Three

Walter began a monologue almost immediately as the group made their way down a narrow pathway into the woods. Riley had trouble keeping close enough to hear. Thankfully Jet and the other rabbits kept back a little to give him room.

“Well, there’s not much to tell, well, not all at once anyway. But I can try; I know you will have questions. ”

“Do they know we’re here?” asked Riley. Walter snorted. But before he could reply Eric turned and gave Riley a dark look. “Quiet Riley, let Walter tell the story.”

“It’s OK Eric. I guess Eric told you a few things eh cousin? No, I doubt anyone really knows Eric is back, but I can’t take chances. For a while, after you left Eric, the King’s men searched high and low for you. Of course they had to be quiet about it, seeing as King Kitsunamushee was not really King yet. Karn’s father still was king.

“King? He’s king now?” Eric said, Walter nodded.

“And of course the wedding took place.” He continued despite the look on Eric’s face. “Sorry Eric, but what did you think would happen? From what Mariam, Karn’s Lepus handmaid, told me Karn put up a fight with her father, but in the end she acquiesced. It was too important politically. And for a while that worked out pretty well from what we could tell. Then things fell apart. One day the King, the real king, Karn’s father, died.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” said Eric.

“We all were. But possibly none as sorry as Kitsunamushee. Although, at first I think he was pretty happy with himself.”

“Why?” Eric seemed to completely forgotten his own advice to Riley.

“Well, he did it after all.” Walter’s voice got lower, as if he were afraid someone would hear him. “He killed the king. Of course no real proof, Kitsunammushee was above suspicion, as they say, but Karn knew. Heck, everyone knew. The king was as healthy as an ox, drops dead one day out of the blue. Poison.”

“What did Karn do?” Riley asked, Eric shot him a dirty look, Riley mouthed “what?” at him.

“Well, what could she do? Under law Kitsunamushee was now king. But she was Queen now, as she reminded him. He must have said something, because that night, the very day the King died, Karn slipped out of the castle with just Mary and two trusted guards and fled up to Maybloosom. Later she told us she knew he would poison her next. Turns out that Karn hadn’t spent more than a minute alone with that madman. He made it know he had wanted to get rid of her and remarry. And once she fled he tried to get the whole marriage annulled. I guess he really did not get to know Karn well at all. In the end she agreed to an annulment, but in doing so reminded him that she was Queen by birth and that if the marriage was annulled, he would lose the crown. Well, as you can imagine, that did not go over well. He issued a decree, saying she had abandoned the kingdom, resigned her crown and had been banished to boot. All a lot of fiction, but it let him take control.”

“So that’s when Karn sent for me?” Eric asked. Walter gave a short laugh.

“Not exactly Eric. This was three years ago.”

“Oh. What the hell did she wait for then?”

“She was busy Eric, busy fighting Kitsunamushee for the crown then. Oh yes Eric, believe it.”

Eric began to laugh; Walter stopped and looked at him with concern.

“You ok Eric?”

“Oh yes! Of course she fought him, how could I have even asked that. I bet she was itching to fight wasn’t she?”

Walter smiled. “Yes, she didn’t even give him a month. A bunch of us went up north to see her, enough to form a small army.” Walter stopped; his eyes seemed to glaze over, as if he were remembering something especially pleasant. “Those were good days Eric. I am sorry you were not there then. After all we had good fighters and justice on our side…”

“What happened?”

“Well, things did not go well Eric, did they? Karn is a fighter, but she was not brought up to fight, as it were. Some mistakes were made, and as slimy as Kitsunamushee is, he knows how to fight. Things were even for a while, we’d win some, he’d win some, but over the last year or so the losses seem to be all in our column.”

The group was silent for a while as they continued to walk.

“So why come get me? Why now, why not earlier?”

“Well, I can’t really speak to why Karn waited Eric. She’d proud, you know, maybe she thought she could do this herself. As to why now, well, I guess, she thinks you can give us a boost.”

Eric was quiet for a while longer. Behind him Riley was ready to burst, he had a thousand questions, but he held his tongue.

Finally Eric said something, “How can I help really? I’m just one person.”

“Yes, I know. I am not sure, maybe you can give her renewed hope Eric.” Walter stopped for ao moment and looked at Eric. “She still pines for you, you know?”

Eric started to say something and then stopped. The whole group stood still, waiting.

“And there are the stories!” Jet piped up suddenly from behind them. Walter snorted.

“What stories.”

“Nothing Eric.” Walter looked back and gave Jet a look that said “shut up!”

“The stories Eric, of how good a shot you were. Of your bravery and on and on. You know, some good myths have grown up since you left.”

Walter groaned. “Shut up Jet! Great, just what we need, Eric with an even bigger head!” Jet let out a hearty laugh but Eric had a serious and surprised look on his face.

“Stories?”

“Yes Eric,” said Walter wearily, “Stories.  Seems as if people have it in your heads that you are a magician with the bow and that… wait a minute.” Walter stopped and looked at Eric, then at Riley and back to Eric.

“Where is your bow Eric?” Eric went beet red.

“Well, truth is, I forgot it. Heck Walter, it had been decades since I even picked one up…”

“What?” Walter said, cocking his head.

‘I mean, years, years since I picked it up. Look Walter, I was in a hurry.”

“Riley there seems to have brought his? You a good shot Riley?”

Riley smiled, “I think I am decent enough.”

“Good, anything is better than your cousin I suspect.”  Walter shot a wink at Eric. As they began to walk again Walter lowered his head and leaned towards Eric.

“Decades is it? You have your own story to tell me tonight mister!”