The two women were now at the shore of Lake Eghero. There was a large flat boulder half buried in
the sand of the shoreline where the two now seated themselves. The breeze they had felt earlier had died
away and the surface of the lake was now still.
The mirror surface of the lake was disrupted only by the activities of
the numerous waterfowl.
Dakra looked across the still water as she resumed her
tale. "Whatever Kewero's reason for
leaving you with us, I do know one thing.
Our lives have been fuller because of you. Thank you for being my daughter." Tears suddenly started to flow down her
cheeks and her voice cracked with emotion.
"I only hope we have given you what you’ll need to succeed in your
new life. I don't even know if I will
ever see you after you leave. Oh
Flindra, promise me you won't forget us!"
"I promise, Momma." She threw her arms around her mother and
buried her own tear-stained face against her shoulder. "I can't leave," Flindra finally
said in a sob-choked voice. "This
is my home."
"You must go.
You’re a princess, Flindra. Your
fate is not just yours – you have duties and responsibilities that go with your
rank. You no longer have the luxury of
living for just yourself. Take courage
and do what you must. Don't try and
escape your responsibilities to your people."
Flindra sobbed in answer.
"Little one, I don't want you to leave but I know in my
heart that you must. Fighting your fate
is only going to make things harder. We
must also remember we are alive to carry out the Will of the Spirit."
"How will I know what to do, where to go?"
Dakra drew back from Flindra's embrace and reached within an
inner pocket of her cloak. She took out
a small bundle and handed it to her.
"Kewero left this for you. I think it’s time for you to see what is
yours and perhaps it will help answer some of your questions. I'll go home.
When you are through, return to me and we'll talk some more."
Dakra rose and started to walk away but something made her
stop. She turned and said with a voice
hoarse with emotion, to the child who had been hers, and yet not, "I love
you, Flindra. I love you no matter what
the future holds. Always remember
that."
"I love you too, Momma."
Dakra then walked away, leaving her to search for any clues
to be found within the package.
Flindra looked at the bundle through tear-fogged eyes. It was a crudely made leather bag. The seams were stitched with a heavy leather
lace and the leather itself was stiff and cracked with age. She opened the bag and dropped its contents
in her lap. There were three leather
pouches of different sizes, all with drawstrings around the tops.
She opened the smaller of these bags and discovered an
unusual silver ring. The silver had
oxidized with age to such an extent that it was nearly black. The outstretched wings of a great bird,
possibly an eagle, formed the circle of the ring. An oddly shaped amethyst was held in place by
the beak and talons of the eagle.
Flindra looked into the depths of the gem and saw that it wasn’t
entirely clear. At the center of the
stone, there was an opaque shape that suggested something to her deepest
memories. She struggled to remember the
meaning of the shape, but the thought faded before she could grasp it. Flindra placed the ring on her finger. It fit on her finger as if it had been made
for her. It was odd for the band had
appeared larger when she first looked at it.
She shook her head in wonder.
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