Chapter Six, Reading 10

Flindra held the orb and noticed it was glowing with the same pulsating light as the rest of the cave. She stared into its depths and recognized the familiar pull on her mind. There was tremendous power here and she guessed this must be the addition of the power from the cave. Once again, she passed through the dizzying vortex of color and through the flash of white light.
She found herself standing at the foot of Dakra's bed and saw her mother resting soundly. Flindra greeted her knowing that her words could only be heard in the context of a dream.
"Hello Momma! I love you and I miss you terribly. I wanted to let you know that I have made it safely to Kewero. Thank you for all the warm clothing. It made my journey much easier." She paused to look around the room. It was the same as she remembered and that gave her comfort.
Flindra started to feel weak and the task of maintaining this contact had turned into a struggle. She guessed that her energies would retreat to the crystal cavern in moments. "I love you, Momma," she said hurriedly. "Tell Leudh, Brehwan and the boys that I love them, too."
Before she could continue, her mind was sucked through the colored lights and she was back in the cavern. The vertigo that usually disappeared when she broke contact with the crystal still gripped both her mind and body. Flindra sank to her knees and felt a wrenching feeling inside her body. Cold beads of sweat formed on her brow.
Kewero immediately kneeled beside her and embraced her to lend support. "You poor child. I should have warned you that this happens when you contact another through the crystal. Part of your life force leaves your body to establish the contact. Try to relax and slow your breathing. Everything will be all right in a bit." She could feel tremors passing through Flindra's body as she held her to anchor her to reality.
Flindra closed her eyes and forced herself to be calm for she had felt a moment of panic. The experience had left her feeling like a drowning victim who is called back to life. The pain was worth it, however, if she had given a moment of solace to her mother. She had earned it.