THE TIDES OF TIME

- Chapter 9 -

Jovan sat by the kindling in the fireplace after he helped Bojana clear the hearth of the old ashes, after they spoke about Jagoda's recovery. Whether he liked it or not, Jagoda's wound was healing. In a matter of days, she would be well enough to leave Bojana's hut. Jovan had to make a decision now about whether he would listen to his mind and stay with Bojana to help her around the hut, or whether he should go with his gut and leave with Jagoda.

"You like thinking, don't You?"Bojana asked softly, carrying the new wood for the fireplace in from the cold outside. 

"I am afraid that is one of my vices," Jovan replied as he watched the fire grow stronger.

"That is never a vice. It is a virtue not many own up to." She lowered the basket filled with wood and set it down on the floor beside the fireplace.

"Those are poetic words, Bojana. Reality is much different than the way You describe it." He looked up and narrowed his eyes when he saw that Bojana was smiling.

"Reality is what You make of it. Your reality a short time ago was much different from what it is today," Bojana replied. She found it easy to counter his responses which in turn made her realize that his thoughts were elsewhere.

"You should be a counselor." Jovan smiled back at Bojana.

"I am not sure who that is, but I am better off being myself," Bojana noted with confidence.

Jovan began to add wood to make the fire grow stronger and shook his head. "You are probably the only person aside from my Bojana who would be comfortable in her own skin."

"I am not the only one. Take Yourself, for example," Bojana pointed in his direction.

"There goes that sense of humor. I am far from being comfortable with who I am." Jovan said in one breath.

"I beg to differ," Bojana replied in a caring voice that Jovan was accustomed to. "The problem is, You refuse to accept who You are because You hide behind someone else's accusations."

"And who am I? A man who found himself in a different reality and time after being fired?" Jovan replied and then chuckled.

"No. You are a man who found his purpose in life but is afraid to own up to it." Bojana replied as she added a bit more wood to the fire.

Jovan felt a hint of uneasiness forming in his gut. "Would You care to point out to me what purpose that would entail? Because I certainly don't see it."

"Since You asked nicely... You found Yourself when and where You were needed the most," Bojana responded with sincerity. "Now, I will not defend Your friend who betrayed You. That misfortune falls solely upon his soul. But I will tell You that there is a reason why Fate listened to Your heart and why You became a Navy Seal. There is a reason why honor, valor, and righteousness matter to You the way they do. And there is a reason why You met Jagoda before You met her sisters."

"Jagoda has sisters?" He asked, intrigued.

"Yes, two of them. The three of them came into this world as triplets. Jagoda was the last one born. Since she was the smallest and most delicate of the three, her father felt most connected to her. He himself was born the last of his brothers. Jagoda always fought hard to prove she was not weaker than her two sisters in any way. She often failed, which in turn only motivated her more. Because of that, she gained her father's love and respect. Unfortunately, she also gained hatred from her sisters at the same time." Bojana paused, curious to see how Jovan would react.

"What happened to the mother?" Jovan asked before he gave it any thought.

"She passed away before the girls became young women. The father never remarried but chose to concentrate on his duties to his country. His name was Lala Şahin Pasha and he was a great man. Jagoda carries his legacy in her heart, unlike his other two daughters who only seek his throne for their own benefit."

Jovan grew a bit angry. "Personal gains are my pet peeve." Bojana did not have to suspect that her words had sparked a hint of temper in Jovan. She saw it clearly in his eyes.

"As they should. Pride mixed with ego have done a lot of damage throughout history," Bojana replied in a stern and serious voice.

"How did the father die?" Jovan asked, becoming more and more interested.

"They say that Lala Şahin Pasha died on the battlefield in 1389 near Kazanlak, just a few months ago. He was a brave warrior who was wounded conquering new lands to honor the Ottoman Empire in a campaign through Macedonia. But soon after his death, rumors began to circulate that someone from his inner circle had aided his end. Since there are three daughters but only one is being accused of his murder, many suspect the other two sisters are somehow behind their father's untimely death." Those words caused Bojana to pause again. Not because of the words' meaning, but because of Jovan's reaction to them.

Since his mind was already beginning to form a plan to remain by Jagoda's side, Jovan asked, "Do the other sisters resemble Jagoda?"

"Funny You should ask," Bojana replied with a grin.

"I do not find that question to be amusing." Jovan narrowed his eyes, almost offended.

"It is not the question that is amusing, but the answer. Jagoda and her two sisters are identical triplets. They look exactly alike." Bojana laughed as Jovan's eyes widened.

Jovan asked, "There are three of HER?!?" saying each word as slowly as he could.

Bojana's voice turned as cold as ice. "Never. Jagoda is one of a kind. The other two just look like her."

"Alright. Is there a way to tell them apart?" Jovan wanted to know as much about Jagoda as possible.

"There is. Jagoda has a single strand of golden blonde hair at the small of her neck. She inherited it from her father and the other two sisters do not possess this trait. And now she also carries the scar from the poisoned arrow that looks just like Your scar," said Bojana as she pointed to Jovan's right shoulder.

"Will the scar ever go away?" Jovan asked, rubbing at his right shoulder.

"I doubt that. It might have been possible if the arrow had not been poisoned. The poison burned off layers of the skin. The wound will heal for both of You, but the scar will never disappear. It will be a reminder of the connection You both share." Saying so, Bujana turned toward the fire just as Jagoda walked in from outside.

"How come You know so much about Jagoda and her past?" Jovan whispered to Bojana so that Jagoda would not hear them.

"I helped in raising her after the mother had passed, though her sisters refused my aid and ridiculed my lower status. Jagoda would always find refuge on my plot of land," Bojana whispered gently as she spread her arms wide in a welcoming gesture.

"That's why she came here. She was looking for Your help," Jovan replied and felt a familiar gut feeling. It was not just the sign of coming to terms with the path he realized he would accept. It was also a sign of understanding that those who came after Jagoda would return to ensure she did in fact pass on.

"Precisely." Bojana nodded.

Jovan grew worried. "It also means that the horseman who fled will return to avenge his two fellow horsemen that have fallen. Which also means they will come after You."

"I would not worry about that. I may be old, but my wisdom shows not only in the color of my hair," Bojana said. She smiled and moved a bit closer toward the hearth of the fireplace. Then she pressed a long flat nail that was sticking out on the inside of the fireplace. It opened a secret passageway in the floor of the hut.

"I'll be damned. Bojana, I do love You!" Jovan straightened up and directed his gaze toward Jagoda. "I guess there is only one thing left for us to do. We must prepare for what is coming."

"What is coming?" Jagoda only heard the end of the conversation. Confused, she asked.

"The fight for Your father's legacy. And I will be right there. By Your side. Whether they are ready for us or not," Jovan announced with a confident gleam in his eyes.

He uttered those words so matter-of-factly that Jagoda nodded without saying a word. The words were there, but she chose to keep them in her heart. Just like Bojana chose to keep hers to herself...