Chapter 4.9

Finding his center was no easy matter for Katashi and he therefore took longer than at his meditation than he normally would have.  The events of the last day had produced more excitement and drama than he had experienced in the last year.  By the time he came down from the ledge though calmness was once more his native air.

Jaala had moved an acceptable distance down the trail and had started a fire and was just preparing to cook their evening meal.  “Well my devout one,” he said with just a bit too much irreverence for Katashi’s liking, “What have the God’s revealed to you while you were up on the cliff?”  Studying Katashi and realizing that he had perhaps offended he rose and walked over to him and rested a hand on his shoulder.  “Understand young monk, I mean no disrespect.  The events of the last day are certainly extraordinary are they not?  I too struggle to retain my center and humor is the tool I often resort to.  Forgive me if I offended.”  He looked into Katashi’s eyes and saw that he was judged as being sincere so he continued smiling broadly.  “Let us first gather our strength with a good evening meal and good nights sleep.  In the morning we will discuss our next step.”  Then with a hand on the young monks shoulder, gently urging him forward, “Come I have prepared a simple but most delicious stew.  I am sure it will take your mind off of the destruction we have witnessed down the trail.”

Katashi let himself be led to an evening meal.  Jaala was right.  The stew was most delicious.  They ate with Jaala talking and Katashi listening, or rather appearing to listen.  Too much was happening too fast.  He considered his mission, doubly important with the unfortunate demise of his friend.  The thing was, Katashi had had a premonition when he and Jaala had stood over the body of the dead Highlander with the arrow in his throad that the destruction they had witnessed was most important.  His evening prayers and meditation had done nothing to remove the premonition.  There was no concern for what his traveling  companion might do on the following morning.  Indeed it may be a good thing if they parted company.  There was more going on with this one than what he could see and it was a complexity he would just as soon not deal with.  No, the thing Kitashi was concerned about was disobeying the command of his Master which he would do if he followed the trail of the Highlanders.  To obey his Master though felt wrong in a way that Katashi could not quite put into words.  He let Jaala clean up after their meal and retired to a troubled sleep.

~ by ridgewalker on June 15, 2008.