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?"

The Heir of King Meldh, Chapter VI, Reading 3

The old woman laughed.  "The short answer is that we passed through a gap in the fabric of life to arrive here.  We are now in one of the places inhabited by the Spirit when He created our world.  Words cannot accurately portray this place, but an analogy might help you understand.  This is the seed pod where our world began within the consciousness of the Spirit."

Flindra looked terribly confused.

Kewero smiled.  "There will be time enough for you to understand and to master the knowledge you need to fight your enemies.  There is no point in rushing your lessons."

"As you wish, Kewero."  She smiled and realized her face was chapped from the cold and was slightly windburn.

"You may put your horse in there," Kewero said as she pointed toward an opening of a smaller cave.  "When you are through, come back here and then I will see to your needs."

Flindra led Deru into the smaller cave.  Her nose gave her evidence that this small cave had sheltered horses before.  It was spotlessly clean, but there was a lingering scent of horses.  It was a pleasant odor and reminded her of the barn back home.  Fresh hay had already been placed in a recess in the wall.  There was fresh water pooling around a spring in a natural basin towards the back of the cave.  The overflow from the spring trickled down a crack and disappeared behind the cave wall.  This kept the floor from becoming wet.

She slipped the bridle off so Deru could start eating the hay.  Then she removed the saddle and placed the tack on a wooden rack several feet above the floor.  She left her bow, quiver of arrows, hatchet, and bedroll under the rack.  While the horse stood contentedly and ate, she brushed him to remove the sweat and dirt lingering in his coat.  When she was through, she sighed and leaned against him.

"We made it, Deru," she whispered while she slipped her hand beneath his mane and patted his neck.  "I feel like I've been traveling for an eternity.  It seems so long ago that I left home."

Deru turned and looked at her.  His mouth was full of hay, which he rubbed against her face as he tried to nuzzle her.  Flindra couldn't help but laugh.  He smelled her face and hair and then returned to his hay.

She gave him a parting pat and stood back.  With another sigh - this one more tired than the first - she picked up her saddlebags and went out to Kewero.

"Are you warming up, my dear?" Kewero asked when she saw Flindra approach.

"My toes are still a bit cold, but I'll be fine."

"I suspect that you're being too stoic and aren't quite telling me the truth, Flindra.  You still look cold, but I'll fix that.  Follow me."

Kewero led her through a winding passage in the cave complex.  As they walked, Flindra could sense the air around her was getting warmer.  They finally stood before a pool of water.  Steam was rising from the surface.  She grinned happily for nothing could be better than a hot bath after being cold for so long.

"Take off your clothes and bathe.  I will find you something clean to wear," Kewero said and left Flindra alone.

The Heir of King Meldh, Chapter VI, Reading 2

Beyond a turn in the valley, they came to a small, circular, tent-like dwelling.  It was made of heavy hides supported by an interior frame.  Flindra knew a moment of disappointment.  She had hoped that Kewero would reside in a more substantial dwelling - one the wind couldn't blow through.

"This is a yurt," Kewero explained.  "It is a typical dwelling of the nomads in these parts."

"I never realized people lived here in the Northern Reaches."

"The Ainaz have existed here since before the time of the Ancient Ones.  They are hunters.  They subsist on the herds of reindeer and the bounty of the sea.  Most of the time they are concentrated along the coast or in sheltered valleys."

Flindra shook her head.  "I've never heard of them."

"The Ainaz are a withdrawn people and have little contact with outsiders except for the few traders who venture this far north.  One generally doesn't see them unless they want to be seen.  They have finally come to accept me.  I trade with them sometimes.  Most recently, I acquired food for your horse from them."

They had reached the yurt and Flindra started to dismount.

"Stay in your saddle, Flindra," Kewero ordered softly.  "We aren't through with our journey yet."

Her brow wrinkled with a question but she kept quiet.

Kewero tossed back the flap to the yurt and pulled the little, black horse inside.  She closed the entrance and laced the hide in place.  Finished, she once more took hold of the reins.  "Drop your shield Flindra.  You don't need it now and it makes it harder for me to open the door."

She immediately complied and willed Rigga's power nimbus to fade.  She asked in a puzzled voice, "what door?"

"Metaphorically speaking, my dear.  Now hush."

Kewero closed her eyes and became perfectly still.  Her face lost all expression as she concentrated.  Suddenly, a shimmering zone appeared before them in the center of the tent.  She led Deru through the tremulous light.

Flindra experienced a momentary jolt as they passed through the shimmer.  It was as if she had briefly touched the consciousness of life - everything that was alive, had lived, or would live.  Then they were through and the sensation was only a memory.

They were in a vast chamber of an immense cave.  There were numerous openings radiating out from this central chamber.  A sourceless light radiating about them lent a hue of soft gold to the cave.  Colors were warm and inviting.

Flindra dismounted and turned around to see where they had come from but saw nothing except the continuation of the cave.  "How?  Where are we?" she stammered as she looked back at Kewero.