The Heir of King Meldh, Chapter VI, Reading 6

Flindra looked at it tenderly before she used it to hold her hair back from her face.

Kewero smiled.  "Turn around, Flindra, I want to see you."

With a blush, she turned around slowly.

"Well, you look much more like a princess now.  You have a regal bearing, which suits you well.  While you are here, you will dress like a princess.  You need to practice being one so you won't feel so lost when you do take your destined place."

"Thank you for letting me wear this gown - it is very beautiful."

"My dear, I'm not letting you wear anything.  The dress is yours.  Your mother left it for you.  Let me show you your bedchamber and then I will teach you how to contact Dakra.  Come."

They returned to the main part of the cave and then walked down another of the many outlets radiating from this chamber.  They passed several small openings before Kewero halted before one.  "This will be your room while you are here.  You will need the crystal sphere, leave everything else."

Flindra hurriedly left her belongings just beyond the entrance to her room.  They continued down the path and entered a series of switchbacks and so they dropped rapidly in elevation.  They followed the track until it widened to the entrance of a large cavern.  Kewero pulled her to a stop just within the entrance.

Flindra drew a surprised and awed breath at the astounding view.  She was standing in a large cave that was covered with crystals.  The gems glowed with an internal light, which pulsated in a slow, regular rhythm.  Looking closer, she realized her first assessment was wrong - the cave was not covered with crystals.  It was made of the crystalline material!  Even the floor of the cavern consisted of the translucent and glowing crystals.

Kewero spoke in a soft and reverent voice.  "This is the womb of the cavern and of our world.  This is where the Spirit envisioned our world and created its reality.  Here, we are surrounded by the Spirit.  We are in the seed around which Spirit began to order the primordial chaos.  Our world is the reality He lent to this portion of the chaos.

"I don't really understand."

Kewero released a spontaneous laugh.  "Don't worry about that too much, little one.  The Spirit is far beyond our level of understanding.  One can only really understand the Spirit with the faith of the heart.  It is a wisdom of faith and not a knowing or comprehension."

"Oh."

"The power we see and feel here lingers from the Presence.  Your crystal orb is a small piece of this place and is attuned to the lingering power of the Spirit.  It is safe to speak of all things here for the Ansu cannot see or hear into this sacred place.  We will hold our discussions here.

"But back to our task of contacting Dakra.  This chamber is the nexus of life in our world.  It is a simple matter for life to contact life here.  Dakra will receive your message when her mind has relaxed and is sleeping.  In time, you will be able to use your crystal orb to accomplish this task.  For now, the crystals around you will amplify the directions of your mind.

"Concentrate on the sphere.  Concentrate and think through the orb to your home.  Try to remember the details of the cottage, the smells, and the sounds.  The crystal will accommodate your desire - your life force will touch with that of Dakra's.  Give her knowledge of your safe arrival here.  That should give her solace.  You need not mention the attack on your life.  That would cause her to worry overmuch."

"You're right about that."

The Heir of King Meldh, Chapter VI, Reading 5

"To hide you both from your enemies."

"Who were they?  I don't even know their names," she confessed with a catch in her voice.

"Bherek and Andha were the Baron and Baroness of Surwel."

Flindra dropped her eyes to hide her sorrow.  "I'd hoped that I'd be able to find them someday and learn to know them."

"I didn't mean to make you so sad, child.  Understand that your parents loved you very deeply and that they wouldn't have given you away if your safety hadn't required it."

"That helps."

The soap against her scalp was starting to itch.  "I guess I need to rinse," she explained as she took a deep breath and sank beneath the surface of the pool.

"Take your time, little one.  I've waited a millennium for you.  A few more minutes will not make a difference," Kewero said to herself while Flindra was under the water.

Flindra's hair was in her eyes when she reemerged.  She wiped it away with the back of her hand.

"This bath is so wonderful, Kewero.  Thank you for suggesting it."

"My pleasure, child."

"I won't be too much longer."

"Take your time."

She continued with her bath, giving special attention to her hands and fingernails as she washed.  When she was finished she rinsed herself and stood up.  Kewero handed her a towel, which she had brought along with the clothing.  Flindra took it, dried herself, and then wrapped the towel around her hair.

Kewero stood and held out a dress for inspection.  "Is this to your liking?"

"It's beautiful," she announced and reached out to touch the beautiful green gown.  The dress was made from a material that was both soft and smooth.  The undergarments were made of similar material as the dress but were snow white.  There was a pair of matching slippers on the stack of underthings.

"What are they made of?"

"Silk."

"I've never touched silk before.  It's wonderful."

Kewero helped Flindra dress and she relished the softness of the cloth against her skin.  The green gown was the finest she had ever worn.  It made her feel pampered.

"I don't have a belt for you so you'll have to use your old one."

"That's fine."

Flindra used her own leather belt to gather the dress in around her waist.  The knife hanging from the belt was the sole ornament for the dress, which was somehow fitting for the circumstances.  She left her other daggers on top of her clothes.

She then brushed her hair to remove any lingering tangles.  She fished the golden hair comb from her saddlebag and held it out for Kewero to see.

"Was this my mother's?"

"The comb is a gift from Queen Kwenth."

"Queen Kwenth was King Meldh's wife, wasn't she?"

"Yes.  Queen Kwenth knew about the struggles you are destined to face.  The comb is a small gift to warm your heart in times of trouble.  It is a mother's gift to her distant offspring."

The Heir of King Meldh, Chapter VI, Reading 4

Flindra removed her clothes and folded them neatly on top of her saddlebags, which were near the edge of the pool.  She placed her daggers on top of the pile so they would be within easy reach.  She did this out of habit and not because of any current threat.

She eased her chilled and tired body into the water.  Her toes tingled as the steaming water eased out the lingering cold.  In the warmth, she could almost forget her frozen journey here.  It was quiet and she relished the absence of the incessant howl of the wind, which had been her constant companion for the last two days.  The water soothed her soul as well as her muscles.  She relaxed in the warmth and became more than a little sleepy. 

To wake up, she got out of the water and reached in one of her saddlebags to retrieve a stiff hairbrush and a bar of Dakra's homemade soap.  She returned to the water and unbraided her hair.  The loose curls floated on the water and coiled about her.  It took her a while to brush the tangles out for she didn't want to pull too hard on her damp hair.  When Flindra could slip the brush effortlessly through her hair, she rubbed the soap in until she had a rich lather.  She then worked the lather next to her scalp and rubbed vigorously.

The scent of the soap brought back vivid memories of her mother and her home.  Her Momma had scented the soap with juniper berries and sage.  This combination had always been Flindra's favorite.  Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of the love and kindness she had always known.

"I hope you don't miss me too much," Flindra said aloud.  She had become used to talking to herself during the long journey north.

"What did you say, my dear?" Kewero asked as she returned to the pool with a stack of clothes in her arms.

Flindra blushed with embarrassment.  "I was only talking to myself," she explained sheepishly.

"Don't be embarrassed, Flindra.  I've been alone for so many years that the only ears I've had to talk to have been my own.  Now tell me what concerns you enough to talk to yourself about it."

"I'm worried about my family, especially Momma."

"Dakra is a good woman, strong and capable.  The Spirit chose well when He selected her to be your mother.  She will miss you and will worry about you - mothers always do, you know.  We can help her though.  I will teach you how to use your crystal to give a message to her dreams."

"I can do that?" she asked in surprise.

"That and much more.  It takes a great deal of energy to establish the contact, so perhaps it would be better for you to wait until after you've rested."

"I would like to do it now, if I may.  I would like to tell her that I've made it to you safely.  Perhaps that will ease her worries."

Kewero smiled in understanding.  "I'll show you how when you are finished with your bath.  Do you mind if I keep you company?  It's nice to hear your voice."

"I don't mind at all, Kewero."

The old woman smiled as she sat on a rock at the side of the pool.

Flindra could tell that Kewero was lonely and she took pity on her.  She had learned since leaving home that loneliness was a hard burden to bear.  It made her feel a little better about imposing on Kewero's hospitality to know that she had some need for her.  Friendship would be a nice exchange for the old woman's knowledge.

"You look much like your mother," Kewero noted.  "You have your father's height and there is a little of him in your chin."

"Did you know my parents well?"

She nodded sadly.  "Yes, I looked after your mother in the same way I've seen to your care.  She was a fosterling just as you were."

Flindra looked sad.  "Why?"