Ru'Di stepped from the hidden cave entrance in the knob atop Jo^Meo^Kee 719 years in the past only to find a steel armored horse and rider bearing down upon him with tremendous speed. The horse was frothing from the mouth from much labor and nearly trampled Ru'Di, thus almost ending his “Great Adventure” before it even began.
Ru'Di's shelter from harm was a large thicket of wild roses peppered by crown berries that he dove under with all the quickness and agility of a young Majdelene in his prime.
“Easy to see out of, hard to see in,” he observed.
At first, little caught his eye save for mockingbirds trying to talk a robin from its wiggly lunch. Then the slightest movement ahead caught his eye as he noticed a pair of Twillery's intent on none but each other's gaze. A bobtailed rabbit languished peacefully next to a moss-covered boulder the size of five or six human men. Hardly seen in modern times, but apparent to Ru'Di, and a plentiful site 700 years ago, a crested hawk floated effortlessly above seemingly aimless while in hunt of its lunch.
The vast rolling meadow held little promise of information in its fine lavish greenery, that is until near high tea time, when Ru'Di decided little more was to be gained in the rose thicket and stepped out.
“Sorry, little one.” Another armored rider called out as he steered his barreling horse to the side of Ru'Di, just missing him for the second time this day.
Ru'Di, looking back at his observation point, thought twice about returning, and then turned his eyes towards the quickly disappearing rider and horse. Both rider and horse had plenty of armor, just as the first had, only this rider and horse had a magnificent white flowing cloth flapping from them in the wind as they rode.
On the white cloth were three royal red, rock jawed lions printed boldly across the linen they wore. So too, the rider's shield.
Ru'Di, with the well-meaning words of the rider still in his ears, quickly regained his composure.
“ One odd shaped rider and one, I must admit, very fast horse are not enough to scare a Majdelene.” Ru'Di said aloud to no one save the critters about, who seemed to be more nervous and scurrying for cover once again.“Oh, my!” Ru'Di said as he leaped back to the safety of the rose thicket when he looked up to see a large dark mass of armored men bearing down on him in hot pursuit of the knight in white that had just past.
Immediately Ru'Di knew in his heart that the lone knight dressed in white with royal red, rock jawed lions was a good person and by the dingy looking ill-repair of the many riders now passing that they had to be evil and it would be most wise for a young Majdelene on his “Great Adventure” to make a wide berth of them.
As the dust from the galloping horses began to settle, Ru'Di, once more, ventured out onto the path.
“If that white robed rider was riding hard in that direction and if those evil riders were after him, that must be the direction I am to travel. An eye will be kept for those dark dressed riders return.” Ru'Di, with those thoughts in mind, started down the path that all the riders had gone.
The sun was now leaning to crest with angle as Ru'Di walked.
“Almost an entire day of my “Great Adventure” and all I have to show of it is more dust covering me. Sar'Ha would be amused, I am sure.”
“What was it that Ke'Mo had said was the reason that there was still war? “I had only taught them to kiss.” Taught whom Ru'Di wondered?
“Just how am I to find two pair of awkward lips and what do I teach them?”
Ru'Di began to wonder out loud as he walked, stirring up dust that was broken lose from the road by the hard hooves of the charging horses that startled him earlier.
And, he shed almost as much dust from his fur that he had gathered earlier in the clearing when Sar'Ha caught him playing. And, from the horses, too.
Ru'Di, after searching for several minutes to find where he had dropped the small round ball that Ke'Mo had given him some time back, found it and took aim with his crooked at the end stick and sent the small ball flying straight ahead with a loud “goff” sound.
Again Ru'Di took aim at the small ball and with an even mightier swing and “goff” sent sailing the object Sar'Ha had made fun of the day before.
Ru'Di began to let his thoughts drift from his “Great Adventure” to the softness he always felt inside when he thought of Sar'Ha.
As he came up to the small round ball once again and prepared to swing, he let out a gasp,
“Oh my! I could never teach humans “THAT!” I will fail my “Great Adventure”. Why,, I do not know,,, “THAT!”,,, After all, I am only a third stage Majdelene. Besides, one cannot teach,,, LOVE,,, one must feel it in their heart.”
And with those words, “goffing” resumed.
“Goff”. Walk. “Goff”. Walk.
Ru'Di continued walking and “goffing” as he began to wonder, ever watchful for the dented armored and dirty riders, that is until he hit a bad shot with the crooked ended stick and the small ball landed at the base of a massive oak tree.
“Writers will write of their love for eons to come,” said a velvety voice that seemed to come from nowhere and from everywhere at once.
Ru'Di, startled, spun around on his furry, padded feet shouting, “Who said that? Where are you? Come out,,,” No more hiding for Ru'Di this day as his furry tummy heaved along with his brave chest with every breath.
The voice whispered again.
“To your loving touch, I promise to always be gentle. To your heart, will always be my love.”
Ru'Di's heart beat louder as he scurried about in circles, looking behind every tree, around every boulder, searching for the owner of such magnificent words.
“No great wine will be sweeter than when their lips meet to kiss. The names of Maggie and Michael will forever be the true definition of heart, love and true friendship.”
Ru'Di stopped, furry padded feet flat on the flora carpet of the forest and said, “All right now,,, voice that speaks but cannot be seen, in the name of all Majdelenes and the great and wise Ke'Mo, show yourself and we will discuss these fine words of yours over a smile and a handful of these sweet shankenberries.”
It took but the slightest of moments for Ru'Di's keen ears to hear the soft crying in the breeze, the shudder in the tree tops and feel the sadness that took over the forest like an instant fog does a sailor on the open sea.
“Why do you sob and why do you not answer my question? I would never make you sad on purpose. That would never be my intention. I only ask you to partake in a fine treat of shankenberries and talk with me. Show yourself and you will see that I, or any Majdelene is no threat to you.”
With that said, Ru'Di plopped down to the ground on his furry little “fuzzit” and waited for the voice he thought to be a female, to blend with a face and body he could see.
“ I am sorry I cried, Ru'Di. I am here,,, in the trees, lofted on each breeze, in every inch of the forest. When you see a swallow glide through the air, it is I that holds it up with my breath.”
“I see,,, you are God? That would explain why you know my name.”
“No, Ru'Di,,, I am not He. He is so much more than a voice or a breath of air, although He is all that, too.”
ÔWhy is it that you cried?” Ru'Di wondered out loud.
“I have not heard the name Ke'Mo for many long years. It saddens and delights me to hear his name once again.” The voice, now smiling and sounding of love, said from everywhere at once.
Ru'Di, to say the least, was surprised. “You know of the great and wisest of all Majdelenes, the great Ke'Mo? But, how is that so? He is from my time, even though he passed this way many hundreds of years ago? I,,, think?”
“Great and wisest of all Majdelenes? Ke'Mo? Ke'Mo?
“I find this hard to believe. He was never the one to lead, all he ever wanted to do was play in the morning sunlight.
“I see you have a small ball, like Ke'Mo carried many years. Hold it up so I can see it better,,, that's it,,, my, it is the same ball he played with, I would recognize that small round ball anywhere.
“And, remember, Ru'Di, those hundreds of years ago, they are today. It is you who have traveled.”
“ Yes, Ôtis true, you are correct. But, puzzle me no further, how is it that you know my name?”
“Yes, Ru'Di, I know your name and Ke'Mo. And, I know of your “Great Adventure”, too,” the voice in the breeze said.
Startled beyond belief, Ru'Di knew that even Ke'Mo, who knew everything, didn't know what his “Great Adventure” was except that he might die during it.
Noticing his expression, the voice in the breeze said, “I said I know of it, not that I know what your “Great Adventure” is,,, but, I do know.”
Ru'Di's eyes rolled, his breath became labored, a blush spread from his chin to his hairline and then over his entire body. Ru'Di began to swoon as if gravity itself were taking over his entire body and thoughts.
“Sit upon that moss covered rock, the one that is soft and I will tell you a story of two couples lips. One couples lips were awkward and one couples lips found true love.”
Ru'Di baglurrburred and slowly realized that this soft voice may hold the key to his “Great Adventure” and that mayhaps paying attention would be wise.
Ru'Di sat upon the soft moss covered rock and looked around trying to put some kind of body to the voice as he had never been communicated with, without someone he could see.
“Many years ago, long before this time you are now in, two young Majdelenes from two different Majdelene villages met by chance. The male Majdelene was playing in the woods and was covered in dust and he had shankenberry stains all about him.
“A sight to see, you can imagine. Though, I suppose you have always been so neat as to never eat shankenberries too fast and drip their sweet juice on you nor, have you ever been so careless as to allow yourself to collect gobs of dust while you played?”
Ru'Di, looking down at his feet in embarrassment, slowly raised his eyes upward. “This “voice” knows everything indeed,” he thought.
“ The girl Majdelene was looking for special herbs for her Mother and Grandmother to use for their dinner and it was a special dinner because it was the Majdelene girl's Father's birthday. She and her Father were very close.”
“Does that mean that her Father is now singing with the voices on J'o^MeoKee^?” Ru'Di asked politely.
“He is now, yes.
“ As I looked a little closer at this mud covered and shankenberry stained Majdelene I saw that he was “third stage” and my impression of just a boy Majdelene quickly turned. Why, if you looked past the mess, he wasn't bad looking. For a mess, that is. Well, maybe only a female Majdelene in “third stage” could see the beauty of a “mud pie”. That is all it took,,, one good look and I fell head over heals in true love forever. When he saw me, his first word was “burp” and what a laugh we had. He was so regal looking standing there, if one looked past,,,” and the voice sighed in happiness
“I could see the Majdelene behind all the dirt and juice.
“Later, Ke'Mo told me that I was his true love the moment he saw me and I had quit laughing. We would have been husband and wife, (Ru'Di gasped, the voice in the breeze ignored him and continued) had it not been for mankind's folly.
Yes, I am a Majdelene too, only while on our “Great Adventures” I chose to help Ke'Mo live rather than help a human.”
Ru'Di looked perplexed. Ru'Di had never heard of a Majdelene helping a Majdelene instead of a human on a “Great Adventure”.
“But let me finish,,, now, where was I, oh yes,,,
“It was on this very path that you walk when that great white horse came galloping along. Upon this beautiful steed sat a knight with white cloth draped around his suit of armor. On this white cloth were three grand red lions upon his chest and shield.
“With this knight sat a beautiful maiden in waiting with hair of chestnut brown and ruby lips that could do nothing but smile when she gazed upon her brave and ever so handsome knight.
“A maiden so fair that the young, handsome knight did proclaim aloud wherever he rode that this woman did pocess his love and as a matter of fact, he said, was true love walking upon the earth.”
A happy sigh escaped her voice for a moment.
“As I was saying, together they rode this very path in true love as only the young can do. See yonder path where it forks to both the left and right, where the tall chestnut tree stands? There is where Ke'Mo first proclaimed his true love for me and it was during those beautiful words that the young lovers, upon the handsome steed, came upon us and almost ran us down while they gazed deeply in each other's eyes.
“If it had not been for that beautiful white horse, and only he paying attention, things might be different, today.
“It was the young, handsome knight who, when he looked down and saw Ke'Mo and I, said laughingly to his fair love,
“What have we here? Why, two creatures the likes I have never seen in these woods before. What magic brings you here? Old Merlin must be sleeping while he works to dream the likes of you?”
The soft voice in the breeze continued, “Ke'Mo, I think, was a little bit perturbed and you know by now that my true love, the one you call the great & wise Ke'Mo, can be a little exasperating to say the least.”
“Exsaspur-whating” Ru'Di thought to himself. This was a new word that would take some time to understand. Ru'Di thought of Ke'Mo as mysterious, or grumpy, or crotchety, yes, but “flasber-whating” would take a while to understand, for certain.
As the sun kept dipping closer to the horizon with the first pangs of night beginning to stir, the beautiful, soft voice in the breeze kept on, seemingly oblivious to Ru'Di's distracted face.
The soft voice in the breeze told of two young lovers on horseback and how, when all the fuss had quieted and the handsome knight and his true love quit giggling, Ke'Mo urged them to kiss, thinking this was his good deed. When they finally did, their love was that of a man and a woman, forever.
Long into the night, the beautiful, soft voice in the breeze talked and Ru'Di soon realized that he was to search out these same two lovers, and as it was to be, to Ru'Di, finalize what Ke'Mo had only started with a temporary helping hand.
“Oh, beautiful and soft voice in the breeze,,,” when finally the early sun started to peak over the east horizon and Ru'Di sensed this beautiful voice's story was near end, he asked, “What became of you and the great & wise Ke'Mo? Did you not kiss? How did you end up here in the breeze and how did Ke'Mo end up in my time?”
“Patience Ôtis not a virtue my little one, patience is the path to true happiness,” she answered.
“When the two lovers rode off down the right fork of the path, where the chestnut grows, I saw a large number of horses carrying men who meant to do the young riders harm Quickly and before the group of riders in pursuit noticed us, I sent Ke'Mo off to gather shankenberries for our meal. The horses and dark riders stopped in front of me and asked which direction the young lovers had gone. As you know, a Majdelene cannot tell a lie, but, I knew in telling them the truth that they would not believe me, so I stood defiantly in the middle in the path of the left fork and told them that those that they seek rode off to the right.
“Then what happened?” Ru'Di asked in anticipation, because the only thing a Majdelene liked more than helping someone, or in Ru'Di's case, rolling around in the dust on a sunlit morning, was a wonderful story with a happy ending.
“The dark armored riders urged their horses on angrily down the left path and I was trampled, thus sparing Ke'Mo and the young lovers.”
Rudi was beside himself and deeply disturbed. He knew that all creatures could die, but he had never heard of a Majdelene perishing.
“You are right, young Ru'Di, I died. At least my body did. In choosing to help Ke'Mo, who had chosen a temporary solution to helping the young lovers, I lost my right to become a real bear.
“This is why my spirit shall always remain in these woods, alive, forever.”
Ru'Di was sad. The soft voice in the breeze had so much love in it and truly she had done a great and noble deed, not only for Ke'Mo but for the young lovers as well. It wasn't right, her being just a voice, for certainly saving the young lover's lives was a greater deed than Ke'Mo's teaching them to kiss.
Once again the soft, beautiful voice in the breeze read his mind and answered:
“Remember, Ru'Di, a Majdelene can only help the same human once and a fortnight must pass before another Majdelene can help the same human.
“I only helped Ke'Mo, not the humans.
“Now, it is daylight once again and you must hurry. Your “Great Adventure” begins and ends with this day. You have much to do to save all that is good from evil, for today,,, and, always.”
“Oh, beautiful and soft voice in the breeze, like Ke'Mo, you are great and wise. What is it that I must do to achieve my “Great Adventure?” Ru'Di asked, and hoping for an answer he would understand.
“Ke'Mo has already told you. I will tell you the same. Ru'Di, you are gentle, kind and friendly. In that lies your answer.”
“I do not understand,” Ru'Di said, puzzled.
“You will, my child. You will understand and when your time comes, the answer will show itself and you will become the bear of your wish.
“Might I ask what bear you have chosen? Surely you have chosen to be a large and strong bear, considering the importance of your “Great Adventure?”
Ru'Di did not hesitate in answering, even though he knew his choice to be odd for a Majdelene.
“I have chosen to be one child's teddy bear, to always be by his or her side and to aid with love and friendship his or her tiny soul.”
“Ru'Di,,, what a remarkable choice. You just answered that which you seek in your “Great Adventure”. We all know that if you ask any child, they will tell you that their teddy bear is real and their best friend.”
As the sun began to warm the morning air, the soft and beautiful voice in the breeze began to grow distant, but Ru'Di heard her clearly,
“My name is So'Ng. Please tell Ke'Mo,,, that I still love him all these great many years.”
Ru'Di started down the path, along the fork to the right, where the white dressed knight had ridden the day before.