Kidu looked at the slip of paper in his hand that Timlan had slipped him earlier in the morning. He had been privately summoned by his Master Rengu. He had never been summoned directly by note before. Master Rengu usually spoke to him whenever he got around to speaking to him. He enjoyed such a freedom that other monks didn’t get with their own masters. 

Kidu and Timlan took the spiraling staircase that connected the Ministry Office to the school courtyard. From the stairs they went through another door exiting to an outdoor walkway.  Kidu stopped and leaned on the brick parapet, watching a pair students rushing to a late morning class. 

“You’ve gotten my message,” a voice came from behind. 

Kidu and Timlan turned to see Rengu walking behind them, holding his robes close to him to allow for a quicker shuffling of his feet. An acolyte in a small black cap trailed him. 

“Master Rengu,” Kidu bowed. “We were on our way to meet you.”

“Yes, I’m late to our meeting. You're very lucky, you know," Rengu said, gazing at the empty courtyard.  "With you coming from my house, and with me coming from Qizen's. You have a very direct lineage. You may think you have special privileges for you to make such  remarks to Minister Yozan.”

"I know I do not."

"You're a fool," said Rengu. "Of course you do, as much as I did when I was your age. And I let you get away with it as much as Father Qizen still lets me get away with it.  I am an old man.  I turn seventy-five this summer.  Qizen is almost ninety if you believe it.  Qizen never chose the path of being a Peer.  He wanted to be an Uncle beyond everything else.  So he's never been off these islands.  I was twenty-five when I became a Peer. Not as young as Mazi but that was quite young.  Then the Grey Herald came and whisked me off to the continent, in service to King Fionyn, the first king after the end of the Lanfryd dynasty.  Fionyn didn't understand the Peers, nor did he like us.  So he sent me to serve the Herald, to get us out of his court. I followed Menquist to the corners of the world."

"I don't know if I will ever be a Peer," Kidu said. "Just one test remaining, everyone says.  But you understand me, Master.  The Water Chapter—Spiritual Application...it's difficult to follow the book, though my mind means to."

Rengu watched the last of the students disappear into the classrooms.  "That is our way, for as long as anyone cares to remember.  The Water Chapter is a difficult exam, though that's not where most monks have problems.  Most struggle with the Fire Chapter and mastering the martial arts, but that was as easy for you as the History exam.  You want to officially represent Angshar in service to the King?  You have to pass that last exam and become a Peer."

"Why is there such a rush?  I'm five years younger than you when you passed the tests."

Rengu sighed.  "When Menquist arrives he will be looking to call Gordyn's banners.  Qizen will not easily grant SanKai support, but Menquist will not be looking to leave empty handed."

"You think he wants more than his allotted five?”

"There were five," Rengu said.  "Per the long standing agreement, the SanKai were to always provide five Knights of the Northern Houses to serve Kienne, one from each house. We have many fine Peers who could serve, but the Peer we choose must be from Angshar House.  Pengmou has previously served.  He could easily replace Mazi's seat, though age may have caught up with him.  Guren, now that would be a spectacle, to see our giant walk into the halls of Lanfrydhall to a room full of politicians with hanging jaws.  Of course there is always Naja."

"Naja!" exclaimed Kidu.  "She still has two exams left, including the martial arts exam!"

"Yes but do you doubt that she is soon ready?" Rengu asked.  "Can you imagine?  Our first female Peer in over two hundred years?  But it doesn't matter.  It's you Menquist wants, but since you're not a Peer you technically can't leave the island with him. To take you without you being a Peer would violate the agreement we have with the kingdom of Kienne.”

"Unless he gets us through the calling of the banners."

"Which Qizen likely won't answer."  Rengu continued walking toward the square tower at the end of the catwalk. "You're wondering why he wants you.  You're obviously the most capable among all of us, even if your title doesn't speak to it.  No," he said, waiting for Kidu to open the tower door, "there is something else.  He wants you precisely because you are not a Peer, or rather the reason why you are not a Peer."

“I don’t understand.”

“No, and if you did he wouldn’t want you,” Rengu said. “But now it’s time to explain why.”

They climbed the steps to Rengu's study.  Rengu pointed to a corner of the room and the acolyte placed the bags down.  Kidu opened the wooden slats on the windows and flooded the room with light.  Rengu lit a scented candle on his desk and retrieved a rolled map from a bin on his wall. He waived the acolyte away. 

“Both of you, come here,” Rengu said to Kidu and Timlan. He unfurled the calfskin map across the table.  "This is the map of the known world.  We've charted the continent from the Houses in the Scales down to Title Furs in Nathamaket. Most of the central lands are mapped. All of this large forest area in the west remains uncharted."

"The Sea of Ruin,” Kidu said.

"Yes, and beyond the straits to the north where stories are told of dragons, faeries and ancient beasts.  Children's stories.  But down south there is a land past the Purged Forest that we know exists but know very little about."

"Isnumur!” Timlan cried. 

"Yes," nodded Rengu. "What do you know of this place?"

"A country of jungle people?" Timlan asked, scratching his ear.

“Old enemies of the Arkromenyons,” Kidu said. “The Arkromenyons are the ones be proud and advanced ancient civilization that has turned to barbarians living in the Sea of Ruin. The Aredunians failed at settling there years ago.”

"We have gathered more information on the Isnumurti than the Ministers knows.  We share information with both the kingdom of Kienne and the Republic of Aredun. Mazi was working with both realms and had gone past the Purge and into Isnumur itself, and returned with..." Rengu's lips trembled and fought back tears. 

“What is it?”

Rengu brushed the question off with a wave of his hand. “He returned...with information about the Isnumurti, their people, their God and most importantly, information about the Sword.  That is what they call their army.  A massive force that has been built over the years for the purpose of crossing the Purged Forest and invading Aredun.  Should Aredun fall to the Isnumurti Sword, Kienne is next."

"Should the Father not know this?"

"Qizen isn't ignorant of this knowledge.  In a way he's hoping to use this to sever the ties with Kienne.  Our allegiance to Kienne goes back to King Longtooth, but we receive no aid from the Capital but yet we send Peers and scholars to run their libraries every year.  Qizen is more worried about Brandarm and his bandits.  The council knows this."

"The bandits are holed up in the bluffs.  We can starve them out."

"Sounds right, yet still they endure.  They're getting support from somewhere.  So you see it's a bit more complicated."

Kidu walked along the bookshelf, reading the spines of the old books.  He stopped at a book that had no spines but held together through small brass rings.  He inserted his small finger into one of the rings and pulled the book from the shelf. "I've read this many times, though probably not as much as you'd like."  Kidu looked at the worn cover.  "A New Discussion on Peace and Confrontation."

"When Mazi wrote that, I didn’t know what to expect," Rengu said. “He spent nearly a month in the Cloud Seat, visiting the Mirror everyday life Neil he finished this text. I was so impressed I changed our exams to include his writing. You've been told before that you are very similar to him.

“Can I see it?” Timlan asked. 

Kidu handed the book to the boy.  "So Master, I think this is where you tell me how you already know who the hermit is?"

Rengu looked out the window at the bare trees at the far end of the courtyard.  He eyed a lonely crow who seemed to be staring through the window back at him.  "The name did not seem familiar, but I believe I met him once, over twenty years ago.  The way you described his speech, and the mention of the Spring God gave away his origin.  Still it gnawed at me, who was he and how did he get here?  Then I recalled it.  Over twenty years ago, Mazi had come home from spending time living abroad, including a year in Isnumur.  Several returned with him, including an Isnumurti servant. What if this was the same man?  He was once tall, as you say, and he was about my age.  If the hermit is as old as you say, this might be the same man."

"An Isnumurti servant...hiding in the mountain for all these years?  I think we would have known."

"So why haven't we known?" Rengu pondered.  "You saw how Minister Yozan was unfit for this assignment, so you were right to reassign it to me. The mystery is now mine to solve.  The most devoted are often the most blind.  There’s a passage in Book of Five: Cast away singular devotion in favor of an open mind and heart willing, then ye shall hear the song of the cosmos for that is the singing voice of the Gods. Yes, that is why Menquist wants you.  You have the ability of the best among us but you lack the spiritual application of what the Five Gods teach us.  So you will have that open mind when most of us cannot."

"You're asking me to join Menquist because my belief is weak," Kidu said.  “I cannot serve when my own abilities are lacking.”

Rengu put his hand on Timlan’s shoulder. “Fetch me some tea, will you?”

Timlan bowed and left them alone. 

Rengu ran his fingers along a carved tusk displayed on his desk.  There was a scene etched that showed a man herding sheep.  "I do miss him, Mazi. He returned so infrequently these last several years.  I took him into our house as an infant, as I did you.  When Mazi was seven he passed his first exam.  I was so praised for teaching him but I could only push him so far before his stride was beyond my own pace.  He taught me as much as I taught him.  At fourteen he passed his Martial tests.  Fourteen, he had the martial skill of grown men!  What child has such ability?  I haven't forgotten that you passed your own Martial tests at sixteen.  Perhaps what I learned from him, I passed on to you.  You're joining Menquist because you need to finish what he and Mazi started.  Your belief isn't weak.  You are less bound by the dogma of the Book of Five. Question everything, even the Gods. With that open mind you're going to help me figure this mystery out, and the only way you're going to help me is by getting off this island."