Kriki's Gift, Chapter XXIX, Reading 4

Kewero was also part of the joining for she'd taken her place in the crystal cave and was intimately aware of their efforts for their connection caused a visible rhythm in the pulsating lights in the cave.  The rhythm amplified her perception of the network, but she didn't join in with the chorus of power.  She needed to see more than just the activities of the Valkea.  There were other sources of evil in the world, and she needed to keep a close watch on them too.  Vetlok had tried to draw upon the powers of the evil seed during his battle with Flindra and it was possible the Valkea might try to link with others to increase her powers.  Kewero waited in watchful attentiveness so she could alert the Champions to any other danger.

Leitho sensed the psychic joining of the Champions as well as Kewero's attentive overview of the entire situation, but he remained more detached than any of them.  Sannhet filtered his discernment of the Spirit's pulse so it wasn't as sharp and he had the distinct impression that he needed to remain somewhat distant so he could be a contact to the soldiers around him.  The Champions were closely focused on the Valkea; Kewero was one step further away so she could see the activities of more than the Darkness beneath Muluk's Pass.  He was one layer more distant yet and would be aware of the human scale of this battle.  Thus, they were all ready to act in their assigned positions as soon as the Valkea surfaced.

Kriki's Gift, Chapter XXIX, Reading 3

Flindra sat on a couch in the anteroom with her feet propped up on a stool and had a warm lap rug thrown over her legs.  Luta and Anthela were with her to keep the fire going and to see to her needs, but she was no longer aware of their presence.  She held the White loosely in her hand and the lids of her eyes were half-closed, reflecting her state of profound relaxation.  She'd been very successful tapping into the mysterious energies emanating from the Spirit that resonated through the entirety of His Creation.  She had started thinking of this energy signature as the Spirit's Pulse, which is how all the others now referred to it.

She waited with her mind stilled so she could spot any change that would betray the Valkea's presence.  Flindra felt very much as if she were staring at the smooth surface of a reflecting pool, just waiting for a ripple to alert her that something was moving within the depths, something now concealed by the glassy facade.

Kalmar and Gegen were present on the edges of her field of awareness and she was pleased.  It had been difficult for them to reach this state of relaxation and deep awareness.  They were both men of decisive action and resolute energy and initially they had found it challenging to sink into such a state of passive inactivity.  Their unrelenting desire to succeed had eventually carried them into this meditative state so they were now all joined together in an awareness of the Spirit's Pulse.  Their crystals acted synergistically to strengthen this link so although they were separated by space they were effectively one.  They were three hunters patiently waiting for the quarry to come into their field of view so they could spring into action.

Kriki's Gift, Chapter XXIX, Reading 2

During the first hour of the ride, she glimpsed the presence of their troops only twice and understood how Lieutenant Benlof had expressed surprise at seeing how well hidden these men were.  She knew that there were hundreds of men in position to battle the Valkea's forces.  General Ghesor was brilliant to be able to disperse his men so skillfully.  It gave her a deep sense of security to know that the general and so many soldiers were hiding beyond observation and just waiting to spring into action.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, the low hanging clouds peeled away from the peaks revealing the new snow glinting with dazzling beauty in the sunlight.  Occasionally, the weight of snow on a tree branch would bend the limb too steeply and the snow would fall in a crash of powder that sparkled in the air like a shower of rainbow dust.  She remembered that as a child she would look at a snow covered landscape and could imagine that the sparkles in the snow were in reality an infinite assortment of delicious sweets.  Once, when she was very young, she had tasted an especially beautiful icicle and had welded her tongue to the frozen treat.  She smiled at the comforting silliness of her childhood memories.  She left her mind focused on other pleasant memories of her childhood for it gave her a sense of peace and comfort.

Kriki's Gift, Chapter XXIX, Reading 1

Carra soon discovered that Badger had a joyful bounce to his walk, which made him feel almost as if he were floating.  She had expected the warhorse to have plodding gates because of his pronounced musculature, but he was anything but heavy beneath the saddle.  His lilting steps punctuated the rhythm of her chant - as if the horse was joining her in the meditative power of Flindra's prayer.  She grew fond of this big, chestnut gelding as she settled into the comforting rhythm of the chant.

"Spirit around me, Spirit within me, Spirit protect me, Spirit direct me."

The Queen's chant eased her tension and touched her mind with a sense of peace.  This simple prayer was such a heartening example of Flindra's abiding faith in the goodness and love of the Divine.  She smiled as she imagined her Queen using these words to combat fear in the days she served with the Rangers.  It made her feel as close as a sister to her for Carra was entering into an adventure fraught with peril.  She only hoped she would conduct herself with similar courage to what her Queen had evinced during her service in Kalmyk's troop.

Carra suspected that many of the men around her were silently repeating the chant too, but the prayer didn't seem to dull the sharp edge of their attentive scan of the surrounding landscape.  Their expressions were focused and intent and their bodies translated the tension to their mounts so many of the horses strained at their bits and walked with exaggerated movements.  It was a very different picture from the relaxed ride from Leidz to the Pass Gate just a few days before.