Chapter Two: The Adventure Begins

... Calmando sets out

Calmando looked up at the darkening sky.  He knew the rains would come and there was no shelter for him to run to, not in the vast expanse of the Desert of Medero.  It was strange how the rains would choose this time of the year to fall on the arid land.  Both Falcon Eye and his assistant, Laoakan, had assured him that the dark clouds were not due for several months but the grey sky above him and the sudden cold wind that whipped his coat both foretold a heavy storm.

Perhaps he should have gone home to his father’s farm first, then he would have headed east, away from this wasteland; but the thought of once more bidding his family good-bye tore at the young man’s heart.  His father had not approved of his son’s decision to join Falcon Eye’s school and he had not bothered hiding his disappointment on the day Calmando left three years ago.  To come home only to leave again would have just caused more bitterness.

The wind was blowing stronger now and the farmer’s son could smell the coming rain.  He looked up to see if there was a small cave in the cliffs above him where he could shelter from the storm, when a huge bolt of lightning struck the rocks above him.  Calmando fell to the ground, as fist sized pieces of stone and rubble fell around him.  He waited, sure that the next huge rock would fall on him.  Finally, it turned quiet and Calmando was just starting to get up when the rains at last came down.  It was a fierce deluge, the large drops quickly drenched the dry sands around him and turned the ground under his feet into a slippery sludge.     

Calmando clutched at his coat and tried not to fall under the heavy rains.  The lightning and thunder had started up again, and the thought that this journey of his would end prematurely with his death in the Medero flashed through his head, when another large rock landed at his feet.  Calmando instinctively drew back and looked up.  He blinked, then rubbed his wet sleeve across his eyes.  There on the cliff wall above him, just where the lightning bolt had struck, was a hole!  It looked wide enough for him to get through and away from the storm.  The young man did not think twice; he grabbed at the rocks, slipping at times, but pulling himself up and up until finally he reached the ledge where the hole was; he squeezed himself in, away from the lightning and thunder and rain.

Inside, Calmando leant against the rock wall and was squeezing the wetness from his clothes when he realized that the hole was deeper and larger than he had thought.  He peered into the darkness and decided to make his way inside.  He had walked some twenty paces when a grumpy voice suddenly called out.

“Well, you’ve come at last.  You certainly took your time getting here. Come in!”

The farmer’s son peered into the darkness.  Surely he had only imagined the invitation.  He took two steps inside then stopped.  There was the faint smell of smoke from inside the hole, and something else…something that made his mouth water and his belly rumble…the fragrance of meat stew!

“Hurry up, hurry up,” the voice commanded, “this pot’s been ready since this morning and I hate eating cold stew.”

Calmando swallowed and walked into the darkness.

 

 

 

“Well, don’t stand there gawking, sit down and help me plate up,” the hermit ordered Calmando.  “I’ve been waiting for you since last night, you know,’ he added, handing the young man a wooden bowl and a ladle.

Calmando took them from the hermit, then knelt beside the big pot.  After the bowl was filled with the fragrant stew, the hermit took it and gave the young man a second bowl.

“Fill this up to the brim,” the old man said, “this is yours and seeing as how wet and tired you are, I’m sure you’ll not have any trouble finishing off the lot.”

Calmando and the hermit ate in silence.  Now and again, the farmer’s son would glance at his host and wonder how this old and not very friendly creature knew he was coming.  Was he a friend of the master, Falcon Eye, and had his teacher sent this hermit word of his journey?  Calmando shook his head a little at the thought of the grumpy hermit and his old master being acquaintances.

“We go a long way back, Falcon Eye and me,” the hermit suddenly said, “we used to hunt in Green Forest, but that was many years ago when we were both young and more than a little foolish.”  The old man chuckled, then handed his bowl to Calmando.

“Here, wash up when you’re done eating.  There’s a bucket of water over there,” he gestured to the far end of the cave, “waiting for you has tired me out.  Wake me when the storm is over and then, maybe, I’ll answer all those questions in your head,” he added, waving and pointing a thin finger at Calmando’s face.

 

 

 

A gentle rapping at his study door awakened Falcon Eye.  He blinked, then glanced out the window; he had fallen asleep and it was barely mid-day!

“Tired and foolish old man,” he thought to himself.  He heard the soft tapping again, rose from his chair and made his way to the door.

As soon as he opened it, Mariquita burst into the room.

“Oh, master, is it true?  Has Calmando gone away?  He told me yesterday that he would still be here for the harvest, but everyone has said that he left early this morning.”

“Yes, my child, he has.  Only last night, we were talking about the good harvest he was expecting, but early this morning, before dawn, he came to me and asked to leave.  I gave him my blessings and then he… left,” Falcon Eye said, looking intently at the young girl’s dainty features.  “Are you upset at his leaving, Mariquita?”

The mayoress’ daughter looked down at the smooth wooden floor.

“Not at his leaving, master,” she said softly, “we all knew it was time for him to begin his journey and learn about life.  I’m just…sad that he did not say good-bye.  I thought he could have at least done so…to his friends.”

Falcon Eye smiled at her then placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“You, Calmando and Lemuel were great friends, I know.  You came here to my school at the same time, shared many experiences " both happy and sad.  But you know, my dear, the most difficult good-byes are to the ones we love most.”

Mariquita looked at the old teacher and smiled.  He was right, of course.  If Calmando had said good-bye to her and Lemuel, she would have cried and Lemuel, too, for that matter.  The governor’s nephew was an only child and had looked up to Calmando.  The farmer’s son had been like an older brother to him; all the students in the school had loved him like an older brother!  Except her, for in the last year, Mariquita knew that she loved the farmer’s son far more than she could a brother.

“You’re right, master.  I was thinking only of myself.  Please forgive me for intruding on you.”  She curtsied then and left.

Falcon Eye watched her go and sighed.  His three most beloved students had grown up very quickly in the past month.  He stepped out of his study and made his way to the huge dining hall where the evening meals were served.  Because the students under his care had tasks to do as well as lessons to learn, they could not all eat together during the day.  It was only during the evening meal could they gather in the dining hall, eat and talk together like a family; a very, very large family.

“Have you seen Master Laoakan?”  he asked a student who was passing by.

“No, master, but I think he might be in the stables at this time.  He’s been grooming the new stallion a lot these days,” the student answered.

“Yes, he has,” Falcon Eye said, under his breath, “so much so that he’s been neglecting his other duties.”

He reached the stables and went inside.  It was quite dark inside the old building, but he could see the portly figure of his assistant, Laoakan, bucket in hand, entering the last stall.  The old teacher was about to call out when he heard his assistant sneer.

“Listen, I’ve put up with him for far too long.  I’ve done my end of the bargain, now go do yours!”

A muffled shriek and the sound of water spilling followed.  Falcon Eye called out.

“Laoakan, are you alright?”  What’s happening?  Who is in there with you?”

A second passed before he heard Laoakan answer.

“Nothing to worry about, Falcon Eye, just the bucket tipping over.”  The assistant came out of the stall, and it was clear, even to the old teacher’s eyes, that Laoakan was very angry.

“Who were you scolding in the stall, Laoakan?”

“Oh, I wasn’t talking to anyone in particular, Falcon Eye.  It was the stallion, he kept nudging me while I was brushing his coat,” the assistant’s smile did not quite reach his eyes, Falcon Eye noticed; but Laoakan had been with him for far too long and now was not the time to harbor any doubts about his loyalty.

“He’s a little uneasy this morning,” Laoakan continued, “maybe because Calmando didn’t leave enough hay for him last night before he left.”

“I thought that horse was your sole responsibility, Laoakan.  You made that clear enough when you brought him here.”

“What?  Oh yes, yes, of course.  I do take care of him most of the time.  But last night…well Calmando had so many questions and by the time we finished talking, my …ah…arthritis was acting up and it was past my bedtime, so I asked him if he wouldn’t mind laying out the hay.  I’m not as young as I used to be, Falcon Eye.  You understand,” Laoakan was now rubbing his shoulder.

“Both of us are not getting any younger, Laoakan.  But do remember this: everyone here has his specific chores and you shouldn’t impose on any of the students.  Now finish up with your horse over there and come into the main building.  I need to discuss something with you.”  Falcon Eye turned and walked out of the stables.

“Of course, master,” the assistant answered politely, but his eyes were deep pools of evil.