Legends of Cobalt

Leap of Faith

The moon had set, and the sun hadn't yet risen. The world bathed in the dark blue wash of twilight. The chill of the spring air pierced like a knife. I had been awake for nearly an hour. I had already gone through my katas, and now I sat on my knees in the centre of the small room waiting for Wyanet to wake. My hands sat folded in my lap. I took a deep breath through my nose, filling my lungs, then slowly let the air escape through my mouth.

A wave of darkness rushed over my tranquillity and I stood on the shore of a small lake close to where I spent my childhood. The air was hot and sticky. The sun-scorched flesh without mercy.

"I didn't expect to find you here," A voice as deep as the ocean and more beautiful than a harp said from the trees.

I didn't reply.

I stepped through the sand, almost losing my sandals. I placed my hand on the surface of the lake, sending ripples across its placid surface. The water was cool and begged me to dive into it face first. I looked up from the water. On the opposite side of the lake sat a tiger as white as snow with stripes the colour of blood. It had emerged from the forest and come down to the water's edge.

The tiger lowered his head and lapped at the water. He never took his eyes off of me. The ripples from the tiger's tongue met the ripples from my hand and tossed the surface of the lake. He beckoned me to him without speaking. I strode into the lake. Before long the water rose up to my chest. The mud on the lake bed sucked at my feet, begging me to stop.

The sun hid itself behind angry grey clouds. The lake surface before me had started to freeze over. The heavy warmth of the air was gone, and massive snowflakes drifted down. The vibrant summer foliage of the trees vanished, leaving only frigid skeletons in their place.

My mind screamed for me to go back. I pressed onward. The tiger grinned.

A blinding flash of light cut through the clouds, banishing the cold. "He is not yet ready to learn your truth!" A woman declared, her voice sweet like honey and comforting like a mother's embrace.

My head got pulled under the water, I gasped for air.

I opened my eyes. Wyanet stood in front of me with an empty water bowl in her hands. She had already bound her chest and braided her hair. Icy water ran down my face and dripped off my chin. It was still twilight but the horizon had started to glow with the threat of morning.

"We need to leave."

Wyanet set down the water bowl and tossed me a towel that I snatched out of the air.

"We're skipping our bill again?" I inquired.

Wyanet finished stuffing a rucksack, pulled on a simple white shirt and strapped on her leather breastplate. She looked at me and sighed. "Yes, but when we get paid, we are going to come back and settle our debt."

I pulled on my shirt and tightened my sash. "We'll need to avoid Ineni." Wyanet handed me my sword which I tucked into my sash and covered it with a black travelling cloak.

"How are we going to do that?"

I looked out the window to the muddy ground thirty feet below. "Are you afraid of heights?" I asked.

"No, why?" Wyanet replied.

I turned away from the window. "Do you trust me?"

Wyanet gave me a worried look, "Why do we not go out the front door?"

"Ineni is more than likely already awake and working in the taproom. This is the only way."

Several seconds passed every one of them excruciating. "I trust you."