The Judges Chronicles: The Silver Horn by Terdell Lee Johnson - HTML preview

Chapter 15: Making Amends

With the disappearance of the tigers, Tajir could not function as a great country as before. Brin moved his family out of the territory immediately and found a pleasant area to live in. Twenty years went by and Yohan grew up to be a well to do cat. As he grew up, he remembered the conversation he had with Lobin in the Runaway Village. Every time since that night when the unicorn arrived, Yohan‘s desire to seek out the Shavronites‘ God burned inside him. What stories were out there? What truth could be known? One day he decided to take Lobin‘s advice and go on a personal quest. He went to his parents to discuss the matter.

"Well, son," said Brin, " if that‘s what you want to do I won‘t stop you. How long will this take?"

"Don‘t know. I have a lot of searching to do. Something inside is drawing me to do this, I believe the Shavronites call it "The Spirit of God."

"Well, you‘re going to miss all your new nieces and nephews, your sister will give birth soon. And your mother will miss you too."

"I know, but I won‘t be gone forever. I‘ll wait until mom comes in to say good-bye. Hey, do you want to come with me?"

"I‘m too old and besides your mother will have a fit if I even mention it," said Brin.

"You go alone; you‘ll travel faster and safer without me."

The next morning Yohan said good-bye to his parents; and after a big breakfast, on which his mother insisted, he headed out into the world to seek out the knowledge of the Lord. He traveled to the land of the birds and they told him of how the great leader Tion and Astra stood against the unicorn‘s forces. They also told him of Glory and how he made a dead world new, and how it was a living parable of what he would do to any creature that believed in him. He traveled to country after country receiving new information about the Holy One. He wrote down everything he heard in a journal. During the nights he went over the pages, reading every word; pondering every story. He looked up to the heavens and knew that he was being led by this "Spirit of God."

After all his traveling, Yohan came to a sign post planted squarely at an intersection of a dirt road. The sign had three arrows. The first pointed him west to a country called Baldos, the second arrow pointed him back north from where he came, and the third arrow intrigued Yohan greatly. It was a name of a country that he had heard before.

"Shavron!" he said excitedly. " Well what do you know their back on the map! I‘ll surely hear plenty of the Holy One here."

The cat made his way to the country. The country gates, which were destroyed before, were completely restored. A host of guards were posted along the top of the gate; many of them were sleeping, daydreaming, or not doing there jobs at all. But one gatekeeper spotted the cat.

"Who goes there?"

"Just a traveler… a peaceful traveler." said Yohan.

"What is your business here?"

"I‘m on a personal quest. I just want to stay in your city for awhile, and then I‘ll be on my way."

"Well, I don‘t know. I‘m not sure that I should let you in. We are quite particular of who

we let come through. Let me check with the captain first."

The gatekeeper walked along the gate looking for the captain. He was sleeping soundly with his helmet resting comfortable on his snout. The large wolf was snoring and the gatekeeper was anxious in waking him up. After three attempts, the captain reluctantly rose to his feet.

"What do you want?" said the captain yawning.

"There is a traveler that wants permission to enter."

"Not another traveler," the wolf said rolling his eyes, " They say their peaceful and then within a day they cause some trouble and we have to throw them out. Come, let‘s see what he wants. All of you wake up," he yelled to all of his troops, "Look lively, you don‘t see me sleeping do you?"

At the gate, the wolf looked down at the cat.

"All right traveler, I have no time for the likes of you. Go about your way or there will be trouble."

"I don‘t believe it," Yohan said to himself, "Brute!Brute ! It‘s me, Yohan!" A great grin came over the wolf‘s face.

"Let him in, open the gates!"

The gates were presently opened. Brute met Yohan below.

"Well, well you‘re all grown up aren‘t you? It‘s good to see you again."

"It‘s good to see you too. A captain, I didn‘t know you had it in you."

"Yup," Brute said quite proud of himself, "Someone had to do the job. It‘s a job of high responsibility, and plus they give me all these pretty medals. How long will you be staying here?"

"A few days."

"My watch is over in about two hours. We can talk then."

"I‘ll hang around here until you‘re done." said Yohan.

After Brute‘s watch, he took Yohan to his home. He told him of how he came to Shavron ten years ago and how he became a captain. Brute had a wife and two sons. He and Yohan sat at a table discussing further happenings.

"So Shavron is on its way to becoming a great country again."

"By God‘s hand it will," Brute said pouring some water into his and Yohan‘s cup, "We are rebuilding the old cities one by one. It will take time, but God is with us."

"Have you heard from Sebastian or Sly lately?"

Brute took a sip from his cup before he spoke. His face was somber.

"What‘s wrong?"

"Sebastian lives near here, just down by the open fields. I‘ve seen him in town, but we don‘t speak. He is still is angry about the horn, by the way, what happened to it?" Yohan told him about the unicorn and the disappearance of the tigers.

"So the story is true." said Brute pensively.

"What about Sly?"

"It‘s been twenty years, Yohan. He‘s a very old wolf now. He‘s not doing well. The physicians have done all that they can, they give him a month at the most."

Yohan lowered his head.

"Can I see him?"

"Of course, seeing you may bring up his spirits," said Brute.

"We‘ll go in the morning."

"Does Sebastian know about this?"

"He would have if he would let me talk to him. That prideful wolf, he‘ll—"

Brute gripped his cup, spilling some of the contents on the table. Yohan thought it would do good to offer his help.

"I‘ll try to talk to him tomorrow."

The next day, Yohan went in search for Sebastian. He asked a few creatures about his exact whereabouts.

"Oh the wolf with the golden eye, he‘s a stinker if I ev