The sun rose wonderfully, beautifully, magnificently over
the tiny valley village, the bright light creeping over the
vales and into the houses, calling people from their sleep.
Granted, since most of them were farmers, they already were
up and about; still, they watched the sunrise for a slow
moment, wonder in their heart, before setting back to work.
In her room at the edge of town, Sarai felt the sun stir
over her. She rolled over, trying to get away from the
golden rays, but they persisted, and finally she allowed her
eyes to open. Laying back in her pillow contentedly, she
spat at the golden light, "Thank you for disturbing one of
my FAVORITE dreams. Just what I need this morning."
The sun apparently didn't care what she said, for the rays
streamed upward still, golden light dancing among her
curtains and bedcovers and on the walls. "I know, I
know,"she continued, "you really don't care. You can't
care. You're the sun." She let loose a heavy sigh. Still,
I wish you DID care, because then I could find out what that
handsome boy's true feelings were....oh well."
She sluffed into her pillow, faintly considering getting
up, and then deciding not to. She knew that today she'd
have to bake double time, for there were some Survivors due
to pass through, and everyone would do their best to make
sure they were well-fed before they started for home again.
And the thought of working over that hot oven for hours on
end, sweating and feeling miserable, especially if Mam was
whipping up that heavy porridge again...well, it made her
want to spit at the sun.
"Sarai! SARAI!" came a shrieking voice. "Sun's up, time to
get up!"
Oh no, no, no, no, she thought, turning over and hiding
beneath the covers, trying to arrange herself like a sleeper
would. I am NOT getting up yet.
Still, Mam pounded into her room, shaking her. "Sarai,
Sarai!" she shrieked at her, though she was barely a foot
away. "SARAI, ITS TIME TO GET UP!"
When she barely stirred, the woman stood away, hands on her
hips. She could hear the gathering intake of air before Mam
launched into it again: "Sarai, I know you're awake. Come
on you lazy bag of bones, you've got work to do!"
Nothing.
"And there's a stupid message from that woman again, the
what's her face whose husband died in the war...well, she
wants you to come and see her right after breakfast!"
A little stirring. The heavy woman went around and yanked
the curtains open to put the full sunshine on the girl's
face. Now she stirred more, but didn't rise.
Finally, Mam had had enough. Her eyes narrowed at the
girl, and inside her mind she built up a thundercloud of
heavy emotions. Suddenly, with the deftness of an ox, she
struck at the girl.
"ARHG!" screamed Sarai, flying up from her bed, hand flying
swiftly to her head. "MAM!"
"That'll teach you not to try to stay late in bed," the
woman said gruffly. "Come on, get out of bed. There's
things to be done today."
Sarai nodded, wincing as she did. Her head pounded like a
drum beat on the inside of her skull, her eyes watered, and
the insides of her ears rang; still, she got up out of bed
and turned to the curtains to draw them shut so she could
dress. Mam smirked, and turned, walking out the door.
As soon as she did, Sarai fell to her knees, head
cushioning itself on the thick blankets. It's not fair, she
thought to herself, tears sopping the blanket, that I have
to be so...Gifted. Sensitive to people's emotions. What did
they call it? Empathy. I'm empathic, and Mam knows it.
Uses it against me everytime, she does.
"Sarai! You'd better be dressing!"
With a grunt, she hoisted herself off the bed, and turned
to dressing. She decided the light, simple shirt from the
merchant would do--especially over that oven!--and her blue
skirt, along with her softest pair of shoes. She'd be on
her feet all day, and Mam would whip her if she fell or
shirked or something like that. Mam always made excuses to
try and kill her.
She turned to shut the curtains, and caught the golden
light on one of the spare ornaments in the room. Joshua
Spring, a.k.a. Josh, her beloved brother. It was the one of
two pictures of him in the cottage, and the only one that
looked even close to his natural pose. The other had him
stiff and stern; this one had him as...well, just Josh, with
his curling light hair, and softly glowing blue eyes, shaded
just right. He'd done it for her out of his own scant
chalk, even though he knew that Mam despised his talent.
Wouldn't even let him Draw for a little extra, she thought,
disgusted, even though she KNEW we could use it. She
slipped into her clothes angrily, and then caught herself.
Conserve, collect, calm, she thought softly to herself. It
was the only thing she'd ever really learned from the young
man who'd come through, a man who supposedly had her talent.
Well, that and a little bit of refinement, but truly, that
was all.
She hurried downstairs, feeling much better. Her headache
had receeded as she put her mind to other tasks; mind shocks
usually disappeared if you didn't think about them. Already
at the table were Justin and the little brat, Amanda. The
young blond sneered at her before returning to her porridge,
and Sarai caught herself before she twisted that emotion.
That was another thing to watch--the Act of Twisting. The
very same young man had described what that could do to a
person, hoping to disuade her from the new idea. She'd
stopped herself more often after she'd heard about it; it
was hard to restrain curiosity, especially with violent
images she could barely conjure.
She ate quickly, hoping to get away from Amanda and get
down to Sykes. She was sure that was who the message was
from, for the old woman had become her acquaintance as soon
as Josh had come to her for lessons, and a friend when she
learned she was Gifted. Sykes was one of very few Elders
who understood the Gifted; she also had a knack for making
the BEST tea. The wind caught her skirt in a sharp blast,
and she smiled for the first time this morning; she enjoyed
the winds blowing about her. It made her feel....free.
Upon entering Sykes house (without knocking--the old woman
DISDAINED knocking) she was surprised to see Aerin there.
The young woman was looking over the newest of the old one's
baskets, murmering to herself about warp and weft and
tightness. Sarai watched her, amused, before saying softly,
"Morning, Aerin."
The woman looked up quickly, and flashed her one of the
smiles that always seemed to illuminate her face. Aerin was
on of the Bright people, or those who Sarai could be around
with little trouble. Their thoughts, their emotions were
soft upon her sharpened senses, and nearly gone when she
shielded. Her friend was about her height, and the soft,
brown hair fell in thin strands to shortly past her
shoulders. Her brown eyes sparkled in a round face, and
her voice was cheery as she replied, "Good morning, Sarai!
Welcome to the day!"
Sarai smiled again, then pointed to the basket, asking,
"Looking to make a purchase for your Mam?"
"No, no," Aerin replied, voice bright. "I was just
examining the craft of it. Very nice--it'll make a good
carrier of mustard seed."
"Mustard seed?"
"The little seed that always spills through every crack,
and then comes up in a huge bush to split the planks, Sarai!
I heard ol' Scon is having troubles with one, serves him
right, the old coot." She turned away from the basket, and
Sarai caught a shifting glint in her hands, and smiled
again.
"Expecting trouble, Aerin?"
"No, never," she replied honestly.
"Yet you carry your stones."
Aerin's eyes glinted mysteriously, and she lowered her
voice. "Sykes told me to bring them, though she gave no
reason. Probably just to fire some pots, though."
"Probably." Aerin was also Gifted, a rare thing in such a
tiny village. She had the ability to pull the power from
stones, depending on their color and quality. It was a
wonderfully useful gift, unlike her empathy, which only led
people to stare at her.
As if it was willed that she not think dark thoughts, into
the room strode Sykes. The dimunitive, gray haired woman
nearly shown with the energy she had, the happiness inside
her. She wasn't a Bright person, though; she was twice as
opinionated as the next person, and sometimes her thoughts
were able to jam themselves past her shielding. She smiled
at the two girls, her hands white with clay dust, and said,
"Well, welcome Sarai! You're up early."
"It's baking day, Madam Sykes. Mam wants me on my feet for
as long as possible, especially with the rumors of Survivors
coming through," she reported honestly, hands twisting the
material of the dress for a moment.
"Ah, I see," the woman replied. "And don't call me Madam! I
don't take titles with friends."
"Yes, Sykes," replied Sarai. She could never get used to
that.
"Why have you summoned us, Sykes?" Aerin swiftly asked,
using the break to throw in her question.
"I'm sure it wasn't to admire your fine work," Sarai added.
Sykes smiled again, her eyes crinkling in happiness. "You
two are a fine boost to an old woman," she said, voice soft.
"I'm glad that I'll be able to take you two along."
"Along?" Sarai said, brow furrowing. "Are we to go
somewhere, Sykes?"
"Oh, how silly of me!" she burst out. "I forgot to mention
it to you." She, too, took a seat, arranging herself snugly
in the old oak chair. "I am going on a journey, and I want
to take you two with me."
Aerin looked surprised, and Sarai's mouth fell open. A
JOURNEY! they thought. AWAY FROM HERE?
"Yes," Sykes reported, eyes twinkling. "A journey away
from this tiny village."
The shock settled on them for moments, and then Aerin
asked, "Are we the only ones?"
"Goodness, child," Sykes started, but then a rapping came
at the door. "Be right back," she threw quickly, moving
spryly across the floor towards the door. When she
vanished, the two girls looked through the doorway, then
back to each other.
And fell over one another trying to hug. "I can't believe
it!" Sarai whispered. "A journey! Away from here!"
"Far away, I hope," Aerin said dreamily, and Sarai threw
her a sharp glance. Despite their friendship, there was a
little jealously running between them, mostly on Sarai's
part. After all, she thought to herself, she's got every
man in Kreel after her, and yet she won't talk with them.
Despite... and then she quelched those thoughts. It wasn't
nice, nor prudent, for her to do such thinking. It could
lead to her wondering what Aerin would be like after a
Twisting, and that WASN'T who Sarai was.
I wonder where I picked up this violent streak, she thought
to herself. Probably by accident.
"Maybe to Redstones," Aerin said, still following her
dreams. "Or Black Rivers." Her eyes shone. "Perhaps even
the capital Bellcosi..."
"Why don't you throw in Cair Rael for good measure," Sarai
said, half teasing.
"Sarai, please," Aerin said. "You don't know how badly I
want to get out of here. I think...." and now her usually
soft brown eyes went fierce, "I think I will suffocate if I
don't!"
"Aerin," sighed Sarai. "I'm sure with..." but then she
stopped, for three sets of footsteps approached. As if
ashamed of their friendship, the two girls skittered back to
their places, and watched.
In stepped Sykes, looking cheery as usual. However, the
two that came with her were...unusual. They stood side by
side, a woman and a man, faces blank. The woman was a mite
taller than Aerin, with a green cloak that swirled around
her plain green dress, nearly hitting her ankles, which were
encased in the oddest looking black shoes, small and tight
around her feet. Her only adornment was a crown of
carefully embroidered gold leaves about her still-in-place
hood; the weirdest thing was the shadow her face was plunged
in. With the light in the room, one should've been able to
look deeply into her eyes, yet you could not. Her male
companion was no less different, though one could see his
face. He was a mite taller than the woman, wearing a cloak
of midnight blue, his hood pushed down to reveal a fierce
and...wild, grizzled face, short black hair on his head and
deep, deep blue eyes staring from his sockets. It was these
that at first caught the two girls, for blue eyes were
nearly unheard of, except in some stories, and no one put
much stock in those. Then came the fact that while the
woman at least bore a dagger, he bore no weapons; no
traveler in his right mind didn't carry weapons! Yet the way
that he stared at the two girls nearly wilted Aerin, and
Sarai felt a barrage of emotions smack her in the face when
she looked into his eyes; it nearly convinced them that he
wouldn't NEED weapons. He'd stare people off.
"Sarai, Aerin," Sykes said, voice still pleasant, "meet Lo
and Yin. They will be traveling with us."
"Salutations to you, Sarai, Aerin," said Yin (they assumed
the woman's name went with the woman). "It's a pleasure to
meet you."
"And you too, uh, Miss, uh, Lady Yin," Sarai replied, words
fumbling with uneasiness from her mouth.
"Greetings to you and Lo, Lady Yin," Aerin said, her words
somewhat more graceful.
The two traveler's exchanged glances, and Lyn said,
"Actually, its just Lyn, ladies. Or Yin, as this one here
addresses me." They could hear her smile beneath her cloak,
and she nudged her companion lightly.
"Greetings, ladies," Lo said. "And though MY true name is
Logan, this one here INSISTS on calling me Lo. It really
doesn't matter though what you call me, as long as it
doesn't insult my blood."
"We'll do our best to be courteous--or, at least, I will,"
Sarai replied, a small smile sprouting on her face. Aerin
threw her a look, but it was true that she sometimes let her
tongue get away with her. Not very often, though, and over
paltry stuff, like who was under the haystack last week, or
whose horse might be lame.
Again, they seemed to hear Yin...LYN...grin, and then Sykes
broke in, saying, "Now that you four are acquainted, why
don't you take your seats and I'll explain this journey."
They did so, Lyn arranging her dress, Lo still looking
stern, though some of his expression seemed to relax JUST a
mite, Aerin and Sarai nervously plucking at the fibers of
their skirts. A JOURNEY...FAR away!...WITH STRANGERS!!
kept running through her head, the refrain building the
nervousness within her. Sykes eyed them all, determining
when they were done picking at themselves, before saying
gently, "I've invited the four of you to go on a journey
with me, to a far away place. However, there are other
reasons besides the fact that," and here came a wide smile,
"I like all of you."
Other reasons? Sarai wondered. Could she...the stones?
She pursed her lips, trying to make the connection that
wouldn't come to her.
"First, WHY are we going," she rolled on. "After all,
there's just BEEN a war--why should we leave when the land's
in turmoil. Here's why--because we need to. This area is
too SMALL for the five of us. We need to spread out, see
the world a little bit, flex our muscles, before we come
back here to live and die."
A smile touched her lips abruptly, and a glint sprang into
her eyes. "And then there's the WHY ME? question. Logan, I
suspect you have it partly figured out, but you don't know
where's these girls fit in. Or me, for that matter." She
paused, and the man seemed to nod. "Well, I'll tell you
why. It's because we're all Gifted."
A gasp escaped the girls--they couldn't help it. The Gifts
were so RARE! The fact that Aerin and Sarai both had them in
the same, small village was a shock in itself--but to know
that these others had them as well? It was just too odd!
"All of us, Mother Sykes?" Lyn questioned, her tone
careful. "What can these girls do? And YOU! I've never
seen you make sparks or darken the sky, or any such other
nonsense I hear about when people talk of the Gifts."
"That's because, dear, my Gift is my Sight. I am able to
see beyond the normal views, and it has served me well in my
lifetime," Sykes replied firmly. "As for these two...well,
that's why they're here. To demonstrate. Aerin, please,
show us your fire."
"In here, Sykes?" Aerin asked, her voice cautious.
"Just out of the stone, like you showed me the other day,"
she replied, gently urging the girl to reply. Sarai noticed
that the other two had put their heads together to whisper,
and she managed to only catch "fire from stone" (said in the
most unbelieving voice) before they separated.
Aerin reached into her bag of stones, extracting a bright
red stone, stripes of earth running through it's polished
surface. Still, it was clearly red tainted earth, and
therefore still mostly red; Aerin had stressed to her that
this was a good thing. She held it up in the palm of her
left hand, and gently blew on it, her eyes focusing solely
on the stone. A small, blue-orange flame lept from the
stone, and she backed away, still holding it in her hand.
The four of them all got a good look at it before she leaned
over and blew it out; quickly, she placed the stone in her
pouch and held up her hand. It wasn't even red.
"Could I see that stone, please?" Logan asked, and in reply
she re-fished it out and handed it to him. The two of them
examined it carefully, and then he handed it back, looking
suitably impressed.
"Now you, Sarai," Sykes said, nodding to indicate she
should speak to Lyn. Carefully, Sarai centered herself,
taking a deep breath, and found the darkness within.
Pushing slightly within her mind, she extended that darkness
to touch Lyn. She took another deep breath before pushing
along the message, ~Aren't you hot under your hood?~
Lyn blinked--she could feel it--and then replied with a
startling easiness, ~Why, I didn't realize it was still on.
Thank you, Sarai.~
Sarai blushed, withdrawing from her mind, and then focused
back on Lyn. She was removing her hood.
Underneath, more surprises waited. She had the ordinary
round cheeks and wide mouth; extraordinary, though, were her
hair and her eyes: eyes a pure silver, and auburn hair that
descended into black as it fell towards her ends. It was an
eerily beautiful combination, and one Sarai knew she'd NEVER
forget.
"Finally come out of your cave, eh?" Lo asked.
"Be quiet, Lo," she said, gently, smiling. Then, to
Sarai, she said, "Are you empathic or telepathic?"
"Actually, I was told I was an empath, but occasionally I
can do...the send," Sarai replied, voice unsure. She felt
as if by talking to Lyn, she was talking UP.
"It's called telepathy, Sarai," she said with a smile.
"But I suspect you're right--you are more of an empath than
a telepath." She adjusted the hood that now hung down the
back of her neck. "Thanks for reminding me to take that
off. I'm just so used to it being on. People tend to look
down on me 'cause I look funny." She ended with a
melancholy sigh, and Sarai realized that she and Lo really
weren't that much older than her and Aerin. How strange,
that they seem so...regal, she thought. Maybe that's their
Gift!
"It's our turn, I'd guess," Lo said, bringing her mind back
into focus. "Mother Sykes..."
"Just Sykes, please. We have a long journey in front of
us."
"All right, Sykes...do you want me to do it in here?" he
asked.
"Me as well, Sykes," Yin asked. "You know how I tend to
attract the wrong element." She cast a sidelong glance at
Lo, and his relaxed sterness seemed to crack as he assumed a
mocking face. She giggled in reply.
"I'm sure you two can do well. Logan, you first," Sykes
said.
"All right," he replied, standing. He took a deep breath,
and his eyes seemed to roll back into his head, and in NO
time at all, there was a small, white and red cat sitting on
the floor, looking up at them with wide, blue eyes. Then,
it reverted back to Logan, who opened his eyes, and smiled
for the first time at all of them. Sitting, he pronounced,
"My Gift is what's called Shifting, though its usually
limited to the small and medium sized creatures."
The girls openly gawcked; even Sykes seemed a little
amazed. Lyn smiled at them all, then confided in
conspiratorial tones, "Even I still get shivers when I see
it." She stood up then, shrugging aside her cloak to reveal
more of her hunter green dress--which, Sarai noted, was shot
through with more gold and some gray--and lower her face.
Her eyes still open, hair trailing in wisps down her face,
she murmured,
Her eyes grew shiny, silverly bright, and suddenly a loud
flapping of wings sounded in the room, and a blue-gray
falcon darted in, perching on her upraised arm. The claws
that dug in didn't seem to hurt her, and she brought the
bird close, murmuring to it. Suddenly, she again commanded,
this time,
The bird flew off, yet her eyes still glowed the same
bright silver, so bright it seemed her hair was suffused
with the glow as well. Then, as quickly as it had gone, the
bird returned, a flowed gently clutched in its beak. She
took it, then waved her hand, sending it away. The silver
glow that had posessed her eyes receded, and she slumped
suddenly. Lo was at her side in an instant, but she waved
him away as she did the falcon, and sat down. Twirling the
flower, she said softly, "I haven't done that in awhile. My
apologies for my almost faint." She tossed the flower to
Sarai, who gently caught the bloom, then rubbed at the
falcon marks on her arm. "If you haven't noticed, I'm a
Caller, of most anything and everything. I can talk to
animals, and some plants, too, but I haven't really refined
that side effect of my gift."
"That was amazing," Sarai said.
"I take it you don't hunt, then," Aerin said quickly.
She smiled wistfully. "Actually, I do hunt. Well, I used
to--but this brute here," she tapped Lo, "usually does it
for the two of us, now. Still, I can use a stave or a bow
or a dagger as well as anyone in my family."
"I love to hunt," Sarai said, her tone soft. She and Josh
used to go all the time, before Mam got angry all the time
and stopped them; still, whenever she got a chance, she took
out her bow and brought home something small.
"And she's good, too," Aerin chimed in. "She can hit
anything in her range."
"Well, not exactly," Sarai said, faint blush on her cheek.
"Exactly," Aerin asserted firmly.
"Well, enough chatter about our strengths," Sykes suddenly
interrupted. "I'm sure you'd all like to know just WHERE
we're going, right?"
The four of them nodded eagerly, or in their own eager
fashion in Lo's case.
"Well, it just so happens," Sykes said, "that we are going
to Rainbow Falls."
Silence filled the room as their mouths dropped to the
floor. "Rain...Rainbow Falls?" Sarai finally stammered out.
"You're joking, right?"
Sykes smiled a soft smile, and shook her head. "Not in the
slightest," she replied.
"But why?" Lo asked, his voice lifting for the first time
from its dark rumble. "That's a long ways away."
"Well, frankly, because we deserve it," Sykes replied,
standing. She moved herself to address the whole group,
unintentionally taking on an air of a teacher. "There's
just been a war on, and now we have to deal with this whole
messy after business. The Survivors coming through like
major heros, when they probably only saw a hint of battle--
perhaps from a distance. Those with the real scars are at
home, not like THIS bunch of phonies." She nodded to Sarai.
"And we have to treat them like royal guests. Well, I'm
sick of it. I want to get out of this town."
"So what about us?" Aerin asked cautiously. "Why are you
taking..."
"Child, listen for a moment," Sykes said softly. "There is
something all of us have in common, besides our Gifts."
When a pause didn't bring forth any volunteers on what this
might be, she said softly, "We've all lost someone to this
war."
That brought more than a pause. It was true; Aerin had
lost two cousins--Sarai her brother. Although they didn't
know it, Lyn's family had taken some hits, and Lo's brother
had gone off to be a hero, and come back a crippled, near
vegetable. In a way, it was all too much to bear, but they
pushed it under the surface, where it lay simmering,
festering, eating away at them.
"You're right, Sykes," Sarai whispered as the pain flooded
her once again. "We do need to get away...from the
memories....the past." Her voice faded into a low sound.
"Yes, child, we do." Her eyes, which had grown misty--
probably thinking of her husband--hardened once more. "Now,
I've taken enough of your time--run along home."
"But Sykes," Aerin started, but she stopped on receiving a
warning look from the woman.
"Go home," she repeated. "I will talk with your parents
later."
"Should we leave as well, Sykes?" Lyn asked quietly.
"No...no...you two have traveled before, am I right?"
They nodded.
"Then I'll need you here. We have a lot of things to plan
out, and very little time to do it."
Sarai and Aerin both rose, their skirts rustling, when
suddenly Sarai stopped and turned. "Sykes," she tenatively
called out.
"Yes?"
She took a breath, and her hazel eyes steadied. "Thank
you," she whispered, then turned and ran out of the house.
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