The Broken Ones

Chapter 5:3 -Mountains

The fragrance of bacon and egg spread in the house and the seabirds cried from the rooftop. From a distance Soi could hear the waves crush into the cliff with roaring sound.
-Soi, are you up yet? Called his mother from the kitchen. -Your sisters are all up.
-Yes, yes, coming.
He threw one leg over the bed and opened his slanted eyes and let in the moring sun. He pushed his long black hair aside and yawned big. He stretched his back and then fell into the bed once again.
-Soi, are you ready? His father called up the stairs with a dark velvet voice.
-I'm up, I'm up!
Suddenly Soi was up and out of the bed in a second, he quickly dressed and flew down the stairs with a few steps and stopped in front of his father.
-I'm ready.
His father smiled widely.
-That's my boy, he said with a twinkle in his eye. -Let's go to the spring then.
Soi and his father walked the winding path up Spring Mountain with steady feet and a steady pace. Soi's were a bit anxious, this was the day he had been waiting for his whole life, but he corrected his steps after his father's pace. But it was as if he couldn't get there fast enough. Soi's father took each step with care and whistled on an old tune about Spring Island and all its mountains.
The spring on Spring Mountain had been there longer than anyone on Spring Island could remember. Probably before they had escaped the mainland to the island for 400 years ago. The Spring Guardians were founded the same year the spring was found and Soi's family had guarded the spring for several generations and now it was Soi's turn to be upheld the tradition. He was the youngest of five siblings and all his sisters were already guards. Soon he would carry the traditional armour which his father and sisters all wore. It was a blue armour to represent the spring's blue water and by the hip Soi would wear a blue leather scabbard and in it lay the sword which shone like silver in the sunlight. His mother had measured and sewn him the clothes he would wear to the ceremony, when the other guards would put the armour on him and present him the sword as a token of he being worthy the burden of guarding the Spring. It was a big responsibility and he had been nervous the last few weeks if he would manage it but his father and mother and all his sisters said he was ready.
Now he was climbing the mountain up to the spring, his hands were sweating of nervosity and his long black hair kept getting in his eyes. He should have braided it like his sisters did. Every morning by the breakfast table they braided each others hair and then put a ribbon around the head to hold back the hair. Soi loved his sisters, every one of them. From a young age Soi and his sisters had been trained to succeed their father and uncle. They had been trained in sword fighting, how to throw daggers, how to use bow and arrow and to fight with their bare hands. Soi, though the youngest, had quickly advanced and was soon beyond his sisters skill in fighting. But they were older so they had joined the Spring Guardians much sooner than him. The youngest sister had joined as a guard three years ago and now all the sisters worked all day and Soi was left alone to bide his time. It wasn't fun to be the best but not being able to join. But soon it was his turn. He just had to climb this mountain first.
Soi's family were one of four to guard the Spring and Spring Mountain, Soi's family guarded the north side of the mountain and the other families guarded the south, east and west side of Spring Mountain. During this year's ceremony Soi and two other boys and one girl would be introduced to the Spring Guardians. They would stand at the edge of the spring, looking out over the spring's blue water and be dressed in the blue armour by their parents. Then they would turn around and face the other guards. The apprentices would fall to their knees, put forth their hands and the sword with the blue scabbard would be placed in their open palms. And at last, one of the apprentices would be chosen as the Spring Saviour, the one who was trusted with the responsible of saving people with the use of the spring's water with healing powers. The one that would carry the burden of choosing who needed to be treated with spring water or not.
The selection of a saviour was only held roughly every 20th year. Many had thought that one of Soi's sisters would be chosen, that they would take over their father's burden, but none had so far and this year everyone suspected that the boy from the south would be chosen. Soi hoped it would be the south boy they chose, it was scary enough to be part of the Spring Guardians.
-Soi, his father called for his attention. -It looks like there's a heavy rain coming in over us, let's seek for a hide.
The weather was ever as vicious and swift as the dangerous mountains. As his father had pointed out the rain came flushing down the mountain with a strong force. The sky hung heavy grey and black and suddenly there was a lightning and thunder. It was close. Soi and his father had hidden in one of the many small shelters that the Guardians had built together on the mountain. Another lighting and following thunder hit nearby. The rain came down so heavy that the two couldn't see more than a few steps away from the shelter. Soi squeezed his eyes, wasn't there someone out there in the storm?
-Father, Soi tugged his father's sleeve and pointed at the figure in the grey rain.
-By all mountains, his father said. -Why would anyone...
The father and his son saw the figure fall in the mud and the strong stream taking the person with it.
-Soi, stay here. Soi's father put the sword and the little dark bottle containing the sacred spring water in Soi's hands.
-Don't loose these, alright, he said before he marched into the rain and disappeared in the storm.
Soi did as he was told and waited and waited and waited. But his father didn't return and the storm didn't calm down. The wind bit the edges of the shelter and roared in the sky and the rain hit hard on the ground and the mountain was like a waterfall. Soi thought he might stay in the shelter for the rest of his life but as suddenly as it had started the rain stopped. Soi had forgotten all about the ceremony, his thoughts centered about his father.
He stepped outside of the safety of the shelter and watched the sky with weary eyes, but it looked blue and fine for the moment so he decided to find his father. He tied the scabbard around his waist and put the little bottle in his pocket and he began his search. He went to the other shelters to see if they had taken their rescue there but they weren't in any of the shelters. As the hours went by Soi wandered more aimlessly, feeling more and more sad and gloomy about ever finding his father.
Suddenly he stood before a cliff, watching over the wild ocean surrounding their little island. Soi's feet had brought him there by themselves. He begun to whistle the tune his father had whistled just that morning and he heard a weak voice from beneath.
-Help...
Soi leaned forward to see who had spoken and found his father lying on a shelf right beneath the edge of the cliff. He was badly wounded and his breathing was heavy and irregular.
-Father! Wait, I'll help you! Lie still!
Soi lied down on the ground and stretched out his hand for his father to reach. But it was too far. He stretched a little more but he still couldn't reach his father's outstretched hand. All the worry he had built up in his chest trickled down his cheeks as tears.
-I can't reach you, he said with weak voice. -I can't reach you, father.
-It's alright Soi, it's alright.
-No! No, you need me and I can't help you.
-It's alright, the others with lift me up. Right now, boy, I just need you.
Soi's father coughed and some blood came up through his mouth. Soi's eye widened with scare.
-Father, wait here, I'll get the others, he spoke quickly.
-Soi! his father called him and Soi looked anxious into his father's eyes. -Stay here, my son, stay here with me. The others can't help me now. You'll have to show them this place later, but now, you'll stay here with me, my son.
-But the water.
-These wounds are too bad to be treated with just a few drops of the water and I'll die before I reach the spring. My time has come, son.
The tears run down Soi's cheek like the rain had flowed down the mountain during the storm.
-No, he whispered.
-Listen to me now, boy. You'll have to take over the family after me, make sure that they are fine and safe...
-No!
-Yes, you'll have to. Take care of all your sisters and your dear mother. And Soi, take over after me as the Saviour.
-I can't do it!
-Son, you can. Here, take me bracelet, it will help you and protect you.
Soi's father threw the blue leather bracelet up in the air and Soi caught it.
-Father, he cried.
-I love you, son. You and your sisters and your mother, all of our family. I love you dear Soi. Now go and tell the others were I am.
For the second time that day, Soi did as he was told and wandered up the mountain while his tears run down his cheeks. When he reached the spring and saw its blue beauty, he could do nothing but cry. He fell to his knees with the scabbard and his father's bracelet in his hands, and he cried.
The funeral was held the next day and preceding it was Soi's ceremony to become a Spring Guardian and the next Spring Saviour. Instead of getting a new sword he inherited his father’s together with the blue scabbard and he kept the little bottle with spring water. Around his wrist hang the blue bracelet.

To be continued...
By J.L.Frick