Knights Journal 5

The Knight's Journal Part 5

The Prologue

In the land of Capucha near the hamlet of Dark Waters, the Maid sits alone in the room that has become her refuge staring out of the window at the world outside, a world no longer known to her. As she does her mind travels back in time over the recent past. 'Pain' and 'Loneliness' had once more entered her life, but she had spent the time with those companions learning to live again. The hand of 'Confusion' could be seen in all that had happened to her, 'Sorrow' and 'Desolation' had for a long time been her constant companions, but now 'Hope' walked with her and she knew that 'Love' was the person she would seek out once she departed from the world she had made for herself. As she sat there alone in her self imposed exile she gazed at the horizon as if looking for someone. "I wonder if my Knight will come to rescue me?" she mused smiling to herself. The question "Would I recognise him if he did?" then passed through her mind, bringing a feeling of discomfort to her heart.

She knew deep within that she wanted to re-enter that world once more, to enjoy life, but the thought of doing it alone now chilled her soul with dread.
Alone she had fought the devils of her mind during her time with 'Pain' and defeated them. From where she had found the strength she knew not, but find it she did, and knew that she was now a stronger person for the experiences that she had endured.

At that moment the warm rays of the sun burning through the departing morning mist entered her room and were reflected from the mirror that hung on the wall near to where she sat. A palette of rainbow colours danced around the room. "Colours that heal", she thought as a bemused look crossed her face. "I need to heal," she thought as the memories flooded back into her mind.
The mirror also reflected her image. She was tall, she was slim, she was intelligent, she was proud and at times very headstrong, and she was still attractive. The eyes staring back at her expressed the hurt that she still felt.

Many suitors had tried to woo her when in her youth but there was no one who had won her heart. No one had touched her soul, a pure soul filled with love and compassion, as she knew 'he' would. Sadly in those times 'Love' never came to her and caressed her cheek with the gossamer wing of 'Completion'. 'he' remained unknown to her.

One day when the Maid finally believing that 'he' would never enter her life, and weary of 'Loneliness' as her companion, agreed to give her hand in marriage to 'Affection'. Looking back in her mind she knew she had made a mistake, but that was all now in the past. 'Pain' would make sure that is where the memories stayed.

The Maid, unknown to her, was from the 'Special' tribe but those 'Protectors' who cared for and watched over her had hidden that knowledge from her. After many years in the wilderness she still believed that it was not yet time for her to take her rightful place as a protagonist in the drama upon the 'Stage of Life' which others now trod, but little did she know but that time was now approaching her at speed.

Throughout her life the Maid had guarded her 'Gifts', although she knew not from where they had come from, she could still identify them as 'Love', 'Fidelity' and 'Compassion'. Precious 'Gifts' that she knew were to be given to 'him', but being an impatient person all she could hope was that they would be given in this lifetime and not the next. Unknown to the Maid she possessed another 'Gift'. This 'Gift' was the most precious of all. It was the 'Gift' of 'Wonder', something she would give unknowingly to the 'true one', when the time was right.

Over the recent past the Maid had become increasingly aware of a voice. Words were being spoken to her and yet she knew not from where they came. At first she feared for her sanity, that she was losing her mind because of the anguish of the past, but the voice spoke to her soothingly and foretold things that were to happen. The voice was not hers, but the words were within her head. The voice sounded familiar but for the moment she could not remember where she had heard the voice before. After a short while the voices brought 'Comfort' to be by her side and all that which was prophesied came true. That had all now ceased, just as quickly as it had begun, but the final words that had been spoken still echoed in her head. They had said "He is finally coming, 'he' will be with you soon, but beware there will only be one chance". A tear began to flow down her cheek as she now remembered those words. "Could it be true?" She asked herself. "Could it now be time to finally be with 'him', or will I fail again to be happy?" As the thought started to fade like the early morning mist 'Fear' and 'Insecurity' once more entered her sanctuary, and she started to sob uncontrollably.

The story now continues…………

THE MAID

As 'Despair' looked on at the scene before him, the Maid suddenly heard a voice. "Go" it said, "You must go from this place and find 'him', if you stay here 'he' will not find you". The Maid cleared the acid like liquid from her eyes, swallowed hard, and sighed. "Yes, I must. It is time," she answered, knowing finally that the solution to her happiness lay in her own hands. At that moment an expression of determination crossed her face just as 'Resolve' took a step forward so as to be close by her side as she reached for her cape. An idea was beginning to germinate in her mind. "I will travel and search in the 'Villages of Love'. I will go from village to village seeking a sign of 'him'. I will not fail this time"
As 'Hope' joined her, the Maid departed from the confines of her solitary existence and commenced her journey. Although she knew in her wounded heart that 'Doubt' and 'Fear' would be following closely behind her, she vowed to herself not to fail in her new quest.

Her search continued through the 'Season of Hope and Planting' and the 'Season of Warmth and Growth' but without success. As the Maid entered the 'Season of Cold, Death and Re-birth' her spirits were low. 'Doubt' again stood by her side and his arrival had caused 'Resolve' to begin his exit from the search.
However an unseen force had opened the door for 'Determination' to enter the scene and although still some way from her side, his influence was starting to be felt by the Maid. "One last try" said the Maid to herself with a look of despondency on her face. "One last try" she sighed out loud as 'Sorrow's' cold touch sent a shiver down her spine causing 'Emptiness' to again make his presence known deep within her heart.

As the words faded in her mind she noticed that she had entered a 'Village' whose existence had previously been unknown to her. It did not show up on any man-produced map, and yet here it was. "How odd" she thought as she slowly continued to enter. To her surprise there were a great many people there as she looked around at her new environment. "Perhaps I will find him after all ", she hoped as she looked around at the many, many faces that passed her by. Suddenly she stopped as if hitting an unseen barrier. Her eyes grew large, her heart began to pound and her breathing became very erratic as she found herself staring at a mark left by someone on a nearby post. It was a story about a Knight. Although there weren't many words and they appeared written in a strange way, they took her mind over a period of time in the author's life that would take a thousand pages to describe, but here there was only one. "How very strange" she thought as a feeling of warmth and knowledge came over her. As her now moist eyes left the written words, she felt her heart suddenly stop beating. There was a likeness of the author alongside the words and she couldn't understand why she felt she 'knew' him. "But that's silly" she smiled to herself. "I have never been here before, nor have I met this person, and yet I do 'know' him". Once more she looked at the proud face. This time not only a sensation of 'knowing' crossed her mind, but she also started to feel the pain that was etched deep within the Knight's heart. A feeling she knew so very well and all to her cost. "Is this the one?" she asked out loud but to no one. "I must find out, I MUST".
Some of the onlookers who had gathered around her seemed startled by her outburst.
As she drew closer to the mark to seek a clue as to his identity and whereabouts, a sudden feeling of happiness surged through her body as 'Joy' put the hand of 'Comfort' upon her shoulder.
Removing a pen from her person she looked for something to write upon. 'Resolve' who now stood by her side again, passed paper to her and the Maid began with trembling hands to write to the Knight.

THE KNIGHT

The River of Life, upon which the brave one travelled, still flowed slowly through the seasons following his visit to the 'Hall'. It was to be a time in the life of the Knight of calm and learning. During this time the Knight immersed himself into his communing, not only with the 'Protectors' in the Spirit realm, but also with his own spirit. He began to learn why things had happened in his life and how they had moulded him into the person he was today, a better person, he believed. Those people who had entered and then left his life he considered now to be like milestones on his journey, and like milestones they represented not the distance he had travelled from the beginning of his journey, but rather the distance from his journey's end.

The Knight looked on as his children played together making gleeful noises as only children can. All was at peace in his world and the time to finish his healing was almost upon him. He gazes above at the pale blue sky of the 'Season of Warmth and Growth' and feeling the welcome rays of the sun on his body he thanks God for the beauty of the day and his many blessings, two of who were calling out to him and waving. The Knight waves to them and as he watches them play, goes back into his mind to once more read his 'Journal'.

Since his departure from his beloved 'Hall' the Knight had in the company of his children travelled beyond the shores of his homeland to a land far away. It was there in that world, so very different from that of his own, that he had met many new people, some of who became friends, but the elusive one wasn't to be amongst them. "Still", he reasoned, "I have my companions the 'Protectors' with me always, so I am never alone" and with that simple thought the Knight made what was to be one of the biggest decisions of his life……he finally ceased his search for 'her'.

This was to be the final stage in his recovery and the beginning of his re-entry into the world that he had left all that time so long ago. This was the time to complete his healing and what better medicinal potion could he receive, than the laughter and love from his 'Angels'.
He had missed them so very much, and whilst he was doing battle with the 'Forces of Darkness', those beautiful 'Angels' who he loved beyond life itself, were constantly in his mind. "Yes" he thought, "they were the reason I could not and should not have failed in my battles. They were the reason to continue to live". He let's out a sigh as he looks back in his mind to the time of 'Completeness'. A time when 'Unity' stood alongside of him, a time of a different world. A world the brave one now doubted he would ever inhabit again.

That evening as his children slept safe in their beds, the Knight looked up at the stars in the sky and noticed that the moon was almost full again. It had been a new moon when they had arrived at their destination many days before and soon they would have to return to their own world to begin again the lives they now led. 'Regret' briefly stood at his side, but the Knight bid him leave and continued to look towards the heavens alone.

HOME

Following his return to his homeland the Knight's life took on new meanings. He no longer allowed 'Loneliness' or 'Sadness' to be his constant companions, but instead banished them to the furthest regions of his world. 'Faith' and her brother ' Belief' were to be seen many times by his side, just as 'Trust' and 'Hope' were. As time passes and the seasons change his new companion 'Peace' weaves her spell.

It is during this time with 'Peace' that the Knight enters the 'Season of Holly', a time the Knight would have expected to return to his home to exile himself until the next season, as if in hibernation. To be alone and have little contact with the outside world, a world of jollity and companionship that the Knight no longer knew……… but this time it was not to be.

THE MESSAGE

The Knight awakes and looks out of his window at the grey light of day, a cold unwelcoming gloom, yet strangely the observer feels nothing but warmth. Looking across the room his eyes once more alight on the calendar and in his mind he acknowledges the 4th anniversary of the beginning of his battles and the quest for 'her'. His mind travels back in time over all those years. Years fighting dragons and demons, some of whom were cleverly disguised as friends until their true purpose was discovered. As 'Despair' and his companions were no longer welcome in his home, 'Pain' and 'Regret' no longer called to visit him either. The injuries from his battles were now all but healed.
At that moment he arises and crosses the room to investigate a noise that seems to have come from the direction of the door. As he opens the entrance to his world he observes that a message has been attached to the large structure that forbade entry to all.

As he reaches to retrieve the communication he notes with surprise that it had been sent to him from one of the 'Villages of Love' that such a long time before he had frequented. Opening the message he starts to read what a so obviously delicate hand had written.
The writer begins by introducing herself. She tells the Knight that she lives in a land close to his own, and relates to the by now intrigued reader, the story of how she had found the words about him that he had left so long ago in the 'Village of Love' which she had visited one day whilst in the company of 'Sorrow'. How in that place she had fleetingly met 'Hope' as she had read his words. She continues, saying that she had found the Knight's words not only profound, but also very easy to understand. She had read about his sorrow and his pain and yet others who had read what he had written there could not understand his words. As she had stood reading that day others in the 'Village' had approached her and asked what the words meant. It was as if the Knight had written in an unknown language, but the writer found the words easy to read and also as with his likeness, somehow very familiar. The writer ended by saying "Perhaps one day we may meet", and closed the communication by signing with the letter 'M'.

The Knight folds the message and deciding to respond picks up pen and paper, and begins to write.
He thanks the woman for writing to him and asks of her questions that would tell him if she was from the tribe he sought. It had been so very long since he had started his quest to find someone from the 'Special' tribe that he was convinced that they were all extinct, or that perhaps it was a legend and that he was doomed to walk this earth alone until it was time for him to go 'Home'. The questions he posed were in a form of code which depending on the answer would tell him if the Maid was indeed possibly the one he sought. The 'Special' one.

Suddenly things happened in such a rapid succession that the Knight felt as if he had been caught up in a whirlwind. In the second message from the Maid, a story was told about her life and how she had given her hand in marriage many years before but had departed from that union for reasons she cared not to now remember or discuss, and that she now lived alone. She told how 'Sorrow' and 'Desolation' had been her companions in the recent past. She wrote of her decision with the help of 'Resolve' to seek 'him' out, and how her search had led her to the very 'Village' where the Knight had once such a long time before left his mark.
Tears started to flow down the face of the brave one as he cast his mind back over the years. "My God that was so long ago. Look where life has led me since" he thought as he remembered all the pain and anguish.
Reading between the lines he realised that this person was indeed a special woman, "But is she from the 'Special' tribe?" he wondered. The answer to that question was soon to be with him.

THE INN

The Knight answered her message, which was quickly followed by a final one from the Maid that had directed him to a wayside inn, in front of whose door he now stood.

As he looks around nervously at the people leaving and entering the inn that the communication had brought him to, he feels 'Excitement' bring it's energy to him as 'Trepidation' and 'Bewilderment' both stand at his side smiling serenely.
"Is 'she' inside?" he asks himself. "Have my wanderings finally come to an end?" A feeling of elation surges through his body as with a deep breath he turns the door handle of the inn and enters.
As he crosses the threshold and stares into the brightly lit room before him, he hears the words of a familiar song familiar playing in the background ……

" So now, I'm glad I didn't know the way it all would end, the way it all would go. How our lives are better left to chance, I could have missed the pain, but I would have had to miss ……..The Dance".
And he softly closes the door behind him.

'Wonder' who observes the Knight's entry, draws closer to the Maid waiting to be introduced.

Outside, snow begins to lightly fall covering the ground like a carpet of diamonds in the crisp night air, as the 'Protectors' who now look down at the scene,

…….…………...................................Smile.

THE END ?

Home

The Music Playing Is Called: "The Dance"