The hunting party came back, and to the astonishment of the people, the chief was wounded again.
Bravin was seen making the way clear for the horse carrying Jamis and Thorne.
Needless to say, there was not going to be a royal wedding taking place any time soon... According to the nurses, it would take at least a month for the chief to fully recover.
The pain Thorne felt in his heart seemed more than that he felt from the heavy stomping he had taken from the horse.
He ordered that the horse be killed by spearing and the meat eaten raw by the hunting party who he commanded to be locked in the prison for leaving him. The horse meat would be their only meal until he was healed.
While Thorne was recovering again, the rulership fell to Baris. But the people loved Janice and respected her, so it was she they listened to. And she in turn listened to Jamis.
So it was that Jamis and Janice were running the city of Thorne, improving it greatly and bettering the lives of everyone within the short time they were in charge.
***
Thorne recovered to a reality where the people respected Jamis like it was he who was chief Thorne owed the man his very life. But he was provoked at the sight of him and the sweet way people called his name. He had begun to love the man before the last planned wedding. But after the events of the hunting incident, Thorne couldn't help but have animosity towards him... He was an intelligent man and sensed something very odd about the way that beat had attacked. Everything seemed off from the way the boar disappeared to the way the bear had strategically come for him. And he had had plenty of time to ruminate on that thought while on his sick bed.
How come the boar vanished? And where did that bear come from? Why did it not attack the boar if it was coming from the same direction? The boar would have been easier prey than they.
And most importantly, what was it about Jamis that made the bear run away so frightened when it stood unflinching against Bravin's brandished sword?
Thorne was starting to have a lot of questions about this mysterious man who arrived and stole the hearts of the people.
Also, he noted that the circumstances surrounding his twice cancelled wedding seemed to point though somewhat undecidedly towards the appearance of Jamis. He was determined to figure out what exactly was happening.
Margriel on the other hand could read the situation well, and knew that his time wasting tactics would soon come to an end. He couldn't play tricks forever and would soon come to face direct adversity.
He had to let Janice know the truth, and soon.
In the meantime, it was only he who knew he had summoned both the bear and the misdirecting boar.
He made up his mind. He set out to meet with Janice.
But as he was shutting the door to the fancy hut given to him by Thorne, he saw two guards approaching him.
They had their hands on the butts of their swords, a show of seriousness.
"The chief summons you, Jamis" one of them proclaimed.
Started at their approach, he answered,
"Why do you come to me with swords and dark intent?"
"The chief summons you and we are authorized to force you if you refuse to come to us on your own accord" the soldier answered. He was the mouthpiece for this particular mission.
With a smug look on his face, he answered.
"Okay... I will come with you" and he followed them silently to the Great House.
Thorne was seated on his high chair when they arrived.
"Welcome, my man!", Thorne called out when he saw Jamis, smiling as though all was well.
Margriel scoffed.
"You had to send out these jokers after me, chief?"
"Ha ha ha" Thorne laughed with a sinister wickedness hidden behind it.
"Is it now a crime to summon my left hand to me? My great musician!"
"No, it is not, chief", Margriel answered.
"But why am I here?" He asked.
Thorne paused and studied his face before proceeding.
"It is simple, my man. You have been very instrumental to Thorne ever since you showed up... From your relationship to my bride, to your masterful skill at handling the harp. And now you have saved me and Bravin my mighty warrior!"
He smiled.
"And is this a problem, chief?" Margriel asked.
"No, no, no... It is not. Quite the contrary, Jamis." Thorne answered...
"But you see, the thing is... I've gathered information from those who knew you before my men and I came to this island and you disappeared... Or ran away, was it?"
He paused for effect with a smirk on his face.
"They say that you were a different man... Timid. Scared even... I mean, you ran away when you heard that I was coming"
He continued.
"And now you are the brave chaser of bears. Saviour of Thorne's life!"
Now he looked into Jamis' eyes intrusively.
"Something is amiss, Jamis"
Margriel was expecting this inquisition at some point, but he was still a bit caught off guard now that it was finally happening... But he was prepared anyway.
"Oh, chief! So I became better. So what?"
He looked back at Thorne with a load of convincing false confidence.
"I had a tough time in the wilderness when I chose to run from you. I had to become tougher to survive. And by the time I had gone through that ordeal, I decided to come back... To be with my people... To be with my sisters. What have I done wrong, chief?"
Thorne had no answer yet. And so Margriel continued.
"My love for my sister was extended to you once I knew you were her intended husband. And ever since then I have done everything in my power to serve you."
"What more do you want from me, chief?"
Thorne heard all this and gave a sly smile in return. If this fresh faced boy thought he was smart, he was cunning as well and Jamis was just about to find out just how much.
"Oh Jamis, Jamis, Jamis." He said.
"I thank you so very much for your relentless service towards me and my beautiful island" he said, smiling mischievously.
"Yet there is one more thing I want you to do for me"
Margriel smiled confidently but was puzzled in his mind as to what the request could be. He could read the mischief on Thorne's face.
"What is that, chief?" He asked
Thorne rubbed his palms together.
"This wilderness you went into and came out unscathed... This same place where no one goes into and returns alive, but you came out with music." He laughed and faced Baris who laughed too.
"I want you to go in there with some of my men. I want you to show them how to survive. Then I can really say I have conquered this island"
Margriel had not anticipated this move.
"What?" He exclaimed.
"What do you mean go into the wilderness? You very well know that no one escapes it, and it is only God who can save anyone from it... Is there no other way, chief?" He pled.
"No, Jamis. This is it... You will spend a day there and come back" he said, satisfied with himself.
"You will go in there with a group of my top fighters... And if they survive, I am sure they will come out better and improved. Like you" he said, chuckling and looking at Baris who laughed in return.
"This is for the good of the city, don't you see?"
Margriel paused a moment. He nearly rwched for his sword to end the entire charade... But if he killed them and revealed himself now, what would Janice think of him?
There was only one clewr choice here.
"Okay" he answered. "I will do it."
"Yesss!" Thorne burst out cheerily. "That's my man"
"I have picked out seven of my best to go with you. You leave tomorrow."
As Margriel turned to go, Thorne added, " You are about to become the bravest man in the city of Thorne, Jamis. The bravest!"
Somehow that did not sound like praise to Margriel. It sounded like a snare. He couldn't quite tell exactly what it was. But he knew something sinister was brewing. He had to be on guard.
He was very strong even in human form. Buy human form was still human form... Mortal. He had to take the utmost care.
First, he had to see Janice. He had been on the way to her at the house of Bravin and Juliet before the rude summoning of from the chief... Now he had even more pressing need to discuss with her.
On his way there, he wondered how exactly he would reveal his true identity to her.
He played the conversation in his head.
"I am Margriel, monitoring angel who was placed in charge of watching over the vast lands from Wasis to the Bargij and beyond. I saw your village in distress but could do nothing because I wasn't given authority to. Then I saw you praying one day and was instantly drawn to you and your plight. I came to the Earth and took the form of your brother so I could get close to you and help you get out of your predicament."
No, no he thought. It all sounded pathetic. It was the truth, but a woman as devout as Janice would know that angels are not allowed to have emotional attachments to the daughters of men... When he saw her, he would know what to say, he thought.