Legacy

Gregory Kingsbury age twenty six and a recent graduate of Eastern European History with a Masters degree in it, decided to take a tour of one of the Eastern European  countries that fascinated him.  He decided that now was the time to do so while he was young and able, and before settling down to seek a Professorship in a college.  That was his best hope for a career considering what his Masters degree was in.

Gregory decided to tour the Balkan Mountains areas of Romania.  While Romania was in the modern world with large cities and airports, much of it more remote countryside was still very much like it was hundreds of years ago; with the quant picturesque villages and simple people.

Gregory had rented a jeep to help him negotiate the more rustic roads and paths off the main stream of travel areas, as this type of local would offer what he would enjoy the most.  It was mid summer and the weather was nice.  Gregory had gotten about as far as a jeep could get him into the more remote areas.  He immensely enjoyed the people and the ancient style of architecture as he went though village after village.  Now he was at a point where he would hike into the heavily wooded Balkan forests in the lower parts of the Balkan Mountain range.

About two days of hiking brought him to a beautiful, but fairly wide very fast flowing mountain stream.  Heavily wooded on both sides. But there was paths made by local residents that preferred a more isolated and tranquil lifestyle. One might call them Romanian Hillbillies for want of another term.  Gregory would occasional stumble onto one of their habitats.  He found them friendly and gracious.  Language was not a problem as he’d studied Romanian along with his other Eastern European History courses.

Gregory figured there was probably a bridge somewhere, but looking up and down the stream there was none in immediate sight.  Gregory judged the rock strewn stream to be about a hundred feet across and about knee deep.  He decided to simply wade across and found a long sturdy stick to help balance him self in the swift water.

Gregory was about a third of the way across when he heard like a puppy whimpering from the backside of a sloping rock.  He got closer and the whimpering became louder.  As he got to where he could see that side of the rock he saw what was whimpering.  It was what he thought to be a small puppy.

He figured that somewhere upstream the wee little creature was probably getting a drink and fell in, and then was carried by the swift water no telling how far and finally scrambling onto the rock in the middle of the stream.  Well Gregory being a bit of an old softy at heart, scooped the little fellow up and carried him safely to the side he was headed for, hoping it was the right side for the wee creature.

As fate sometimes can seem cruel, as a reward for his effort, Gregory slipped on a wet rock and twisted his ankle to the extreme.  A  painful sprain indeed, the kind that usually take about six weeks of careful coddling to heal.  Then to complicate matters, Gregory suddenly found himself staring into the close up face of a huge she Wolf.  Instant panic, Gregory figured he was a goner.  But much to his surprise the beast licked his face and hurried into the woods with the puppy scampering right behind her.

Gregory figured that puppy wasn’t a doggy after all but a Wolf pup and that was its mother who sensed Gregory was a helper not an enemy or food source.  That was a bit of relief, but the other problem at hand was he didn’t know the extent of his ankle injury.   Gregory tried to stand and got no where fast as the pain was too much and the stick wasn’t usable as a crutch. So there he lay wondering how long it would be before he starved or was eaten by a bear or whatever.

Then much to his surprise, the huge she Wolf was back.  That got Gregory’s attention, but not nearly as much as the young girl that followed shortly behind.  She said her name was Balkara Bronscho and her pet Wolf had come and got her to follow.  Gregory was certainly glad to see another human.  This one was as pretty as a picture even though her dress was worn and plain and she wore no makeup at all.  Gregory as you can see was injured but not blind.

Balkara was a petite five foot two inches, but not really big enough to carry or support Gregory.  She said my Wolf’s name is Wola, she likes you for some reason and will insure your safety while I fetch my father to help carry you.  And with that being said, Balkara turned and hurried off into the woods.  It was about an hour before she returned with her father.  He was a good size fellow.  He gave his name as being Dargo Bronscho.  He’d fashioned a drag litter to place me on while he harnessed the thing to himself.

So off they went through the woods to the Bronscho’s home.  It was about a kilometer and a half, partly uphill to our destination.

When we arrived I was warmly greeted by Ilka Bronscho, Dargos wife. It was a pleasant visage.  I saw a nice size garden with a goodly variety of vegetables.  Also a few happily clucking chickens fenced into keep them out of the garden and hungry critters away from them.  The house didn’t appear to be terribly large and it looked like it was built into the hillside.  Into the hillside turned out to be an understatement, because the back door to the well built cabin opened into a fairly sizable looking cave.

Gregory was told that cave was a big asset to them as it not only provided space, but great storage for a lot of things including squashes, apples, potatoes, that would help sustain through the sometimes harsh Balkan winters.  It was also a good place for the family to hole up during the winter as the temperature was about a constant sixty five degrees year around in the cave.

During thee next few weeks Gregory learned much about the Bronscho’s.  They were thought of by the villagers as Wood Witches, something like a distant cousin to Gypsy’s but less mobile and more trustworthy. The term Wood Witch wasn’t derogatory at all since it was simply a local label applied to those skilled in natural medicines compounded from a wide assortment of plants found in the woods.

Dargo was the main compounder of the medicines and they covered a broad range of things.  Not to mention those that were simply used as spices to enhance food flavor.  And then there was the like Sassafras tea, except there was no such trees in Romania, but it was similar.  Dargos would market his compounds in the local village, a two day walk, but that helped pay for and provide things the woods could not.  Things like coffee, regular tea, sugar, and replacement clothing, and an n occasional new tool of some sort.

Gregory was treated like an honored guest, almost coddled.  He especially got a lot of attention from Balkara, a fact that did not go unnoticed by her father.  It seems like he was the first man Balkara had ever seen other than her father.  Gregory got the picture.  Her very observant father hadn’t missed how Gregory’s eyes lit up and his face developed  a smile every time Balkara came close.

Dargo’s also got the picture, he could tell a potential relationship was developing.  One day he asked Gregory bluntly what his age was and what his feelings toward his daughter was.

Gregory replied his age was twenty six and he wasn’t sure about his feelings.  Dargo said Balkara’s age was eighteen, and while that might be a bit of a stretch, not such a big one.  Dargo told Gregory that he had a good suspicion about what his daughters feelings were, and that if Gregory got to the point of figuring out what his were to let him know.

To say the least that was laying the cards on the table, but it was honest and Gregory was able to respect that. The weeks passed and Gregory was healing fairly well, probably wouldn’t need the crutch Dargo’s made him much longer.  Dargo had come to know Gregory as well as Gregory had come to know him as a person.  Dargos was not unhappy that Gregory was an educated man, he liked that.

It was now late Autumn and the leaves were falling.  Two things complicated life for Gregory at this point. One, while his ankle had healed to where he could get around somewhat without the crutch, a two day mountain trail hike was another matter.  The winter was fast approaching and Gregory had pretty well concluded in his own heart that he was indeed in love with Balkara.  It was decision time.  If he was going to have to stay through the winter then something’s had to be ascertained.

He told Dargo that he now knew his mind in regard to Balkara and would like Dargo’s permission to ask Balkara to marry him.  He added that if Dargo gave him permission he would do so, but if Balkara said no, then Dargo would somehow have to help Gregory get back down to the village where he’d left his jeep before the winter set in.

Dargo gave Gregory his permission and Gregory asked Balkara to marry him.  Her response was a most joyous yes.  That being taken care of, Dargo set off down the mountain to get the Priest from the village to come and perform the ceremony.  Much easier at this point than trying to get Gregory down the mountain.

Ilka, Balkaras mother  was of course also overjoyed, looking forward to some grandchildren.  The Priest was fetched and the ceremony preformed.  Attendance was simply the Priest and Balkaras parents.

At this point neither Gregory nor anyone else had given any consideration as to whether the happy couple would live on a long term basis, there or elsewhere.  There was a lot of room in the cave and dividing off a bit of it to give the couple privacy was easily done.  That worked out quite well as the happy couple was preoccupied with themselves.

About half way through the winter however, the thought of where to live permanently did cross Gregory’s mind.  That became a weighty problem on his mind.  Obviously Balkara had never been exposed to the outside world; the cultural shock might be devastating.  On the hand, Gregory’s other choice would be remaining there and learning the Wood Witch trade.  At one time that would have been out of the question, but now he was married and that changed outlook a bit.

Gregory took personal stock of the fact that he’d enjoyed ever minute of being there and hadn’t really missed the sophisticated big city life, so maybe a more tranquil life as a Wood Witch trainee, might be not a bad thing at all.

Gregory decided that would be the way it would be.  When he told Dargo and Ilka of his decision they cried and cried, because they too had been wondering about that.  Well Gregory turned out to be a good student a Dargo taught him well.  Another upside was that now there were to strong backs to haul product to the village and two strong backs to bring back more other stuff.

Dargo had always sold out all he could carry, so the demand for even more was good.  Everyone was very happy. After a few months Balkara announced she thought she was expecting.  That was great news for everyone.  Gregory started thinking about more space for an expanding family.

He looked towards the rear area of the cave and noticed just as it curved a bit there was a small passage way.  Not sure where it led, he came back and mentioned it to Balkara, thinking she might know.  She did not know, but said her father had told her that was a good place to stay out of.  Now in all innocence Gregory thought that Dargo probably thought it a bit hazardous and was simply protecting Balkara and Ilka.

Gregory also thought to himself, I’m a big boy and I’ll be careful, but I just have to see where it goes.  So Gregory

lit a torch and proceeded.  He thought that’s funny, it’s a bit narrow, but not hazardous at all.  The Gregory went around a corner and could see daylight.  He thought to himself, wow! Another entrance, or exit as the case maybe.

Gregory went on out and was amazed to see a beautiful lush well watered and timbered valley. A pretty little stream babbled along and went around the bend behind a slight hill.  Gregory said to himself, I’ll just see what’s around that bend then head back and ask Dargo what’s up.  That sounded like a plan.

Gregory rounded the bend and was taken back a step or two and almost lost his breath gasping at what he saw.  It looked like the fairy tale Tower that was inhabited by Rapunzel according to legend that is.  He wondered if there may have been substance to that fairy tale, as in most myths, there usually is a base for it.

Gregory of course had to get a closer look, and he did.  Unlike the Tower of Rapunzels story, this one had a door at the bottom.  So, sure enough Gregory had to go in.  Again he was left near speechless. Inside was very high tech, the walls were smooth and metallic and there were all sorts of instrumentation.  He went back out and looked at the tower,  it was stone of a medieval type of architecture.  Gregory was puzzled because those two textures were a contradiction to each other.

Gregory felt like he might have stepped in some doo doo so to speak and maybe unwittingly breeched a trust, he wasn’t sure which, maybe both.  He returned to talk to Dargo about what he’d seen.

Dargo was not happy, but he understood it had been done with innocence.  But now the cat was out of the bag so Dargo told Gregory to return to the tower with him and he would explain it all.

Dargo explained that it was his space ship.  That he was from  another planet in the outer reaches of our Milky Way Galaxy.  His home planet had a very old population with well advanced biotechnology.  Advanced to the point that work was no longer a necessity.  His people had everything but purpose.  In their boredom they had turned to every form of decadence imaginable.  That even didn’t  relieve their boredom, so they turned to warring on each other just to have something to do  that resembled purpose.  Populations were being decimated and the weapons being used so terrible they threatened the planets existence.  A few didn’t subscribe to all of that and were disgusted and fearful.  Dargo said his Grandfather and Grandmother and his father and mother and himself when he was only six years old boarded the spaceship and fled the planet to come to earth.  It was a long journey and he was twelve when they arrived and the ship sat down in that isolated valley.

Dargo said the name of the planet would be meaningless to me as it could no longer be viewed even with the strongest of telescopes as the terrible weapons were so used that the planet blew itself apart.  Dargo said his wife Ilka is one hundred percent pure earthling.  That then of course his daughter was obviously half earthling.  Dargo also said that obviously with time his bloodline would be so diluted that it would all but vanish.

Dargo then told me that from within the ship he was able to learn the languages of the earth and keep track of what was happening.  He said from the looks of it, within three centuries we could be going down the same disastrous path.  He hoped not. Dargo also explained that when he became aware of satellites photographing every inch of the earth that he’d better disguise the space ship.  He also said he had disabled it in case wrong hands ever discovered it.  He went on to tell Gregory that he would be shown how to re enable it and pilot it should it ever be a matter of no choice.

Dargo said should you have to flee earth in your lifetime, head for the largest moon orbiting your planet Jupiter.  Jupiter acts like a reflective mirror so even though it farther from the sun, life on its largest moon is sustainable.

Gregory asked Dargo how he alone managed to erect the stone tower masking the space ship.  Dargo replied that he’d used Lasers to cut the stone and mental Kinesis to place them.  Dargo said his people were biologically identical to earthlings, except for having the ability to move things with their minds.

He went on to say that his people weren’t always a people gone bad,  that thousands of years ago they came to earth to help mankind develop and were benevolent beings then.  It was their Kinesis abilities that built the pyramids and the Mayan temples and even Stonehenge.  They imparted much knowledge of astronomy to the ancients of the earth.

Well to say the least Gregory was awe stuck, but managed to take it all in and digest it.  Gregory accepted it all as fact and told Dagro that the secret was safe with him.  Gregory kept his word and not even Balkara found out.

Many years have now passed, Dagro and Ilka have passed on and Gregory and Balkara have three fine children.  Two of them have reached their teen years and are becoming excellent Wood Witches. Indeed it’s a different life than Gregory had ever thought he’d have, but it’s been a good one.