“She is learning well,” said the elderly Master in her usual faint and raspy voice. Rhuna looked at the woman’s wrinkled face and white hair, and once again attempted to guess her age. Once again it was impossible because the old woman’s bright and lively eyes contradicted her aged outer appearance.
“We will be leaving here soon, as you know,” Rhuna began as she kneeled down in front of Shandi and her teacher. “Will Shandi know which visions are past, present and future without the help of experienced Time Masters like you?”
The old woman’s eyes became serious and still as they focussed on Rhuna.
“No matter how advanced, a Time Dreamer such as your daughter can never be completely certain of a vision,” she said gravely.
“Never?” Rhuna felt surprise and slight betrayed. “But I thought…”
“Yes, most of the time she will know,” the Master said in a positive tone. “Yet you must not rely on them entirely because the visions are never complete.”
Rhuna thought about her own mental visions for a moment, and then nodded with understanding.
“The visions only show a brief moment, and you don’t know what happens before and after that one instant,” Rhuna explained, recalling her most recent confusing visions of the Black City.
“This is so,” the elderly Master said in a creaky voice as she slowly moved to stand up. Rhuna also raised herself from a kneeling position, but stopped abruptly when she looked down at Shandi. The young girl’s gaze had drifted into the infinite distance, and then her eyelids slowly closed. Rhuna held her breath as she watched the familiar signs of a vision in her daughter’s face. A gentle frown crossed Shandi’s face, and Rhuna felt a slight tremor of fear as she thought of her own disturbing visions of the Dark Master and his work.
Shandi’s frown melted away, and her eyes opened, focussed clearly on Rhuna.
“What did you see?” Rhuna asked urgently.
“Lozira crying.”
“Lozira? What happened?”
Shandi shrugged her shoulders and stood up as if dismissing the vision.
“But…”
“You must not be anxious,” creaked the old Master as a bony hand firmly gripped Rhuna’s wrist. “Let her express the visions in her own way, and do not show fear or concern.”
“But if she saw Lozira crying…”
“It is a normal part of life, and you cannot prevent moments of sadness or distress,” the wise old Master stated.
Rhuna realized that she must accept the Time Master’s wise instruction, and struggled to quieten her natural instinct to protect her children.
“Sometimes it’s not easy being a mother,” Rhuna said humbly.
“It is a great challenge,” the old woman said with a kind smile.
As night descended and the evening chores were finished, Rhuna and her family entered the sleeping area deep inside the mountain. Shandi announced that she would sleep with Kiana again, and took her grandmother’s hand as they stepped into the alcove that served as their sleeping area. Rhuna took Aradin’s hand as they walked a little further to their small niche.
“The Time Master told me not to get upset or afraid when Shandi has a vision that sounds bad,” she told Aradin.
“She’s right, but it’s hard sometimes,” Aradin said as he settled under the thick blanket.
“And sometimes I just worry about Shandi having these visions because I know how upsetting they were when I started getting mine,” Rhuna said as she also pulled the blanket over her. I just don’t want her to be as hurt as I was at times.”
“That’s why she’s being guided by the Time Master,” Aradin reminded her. “She seems to be learning quite well how to keep her visions at a distance.”
“At a distance,” Rhuna repeated sleepily as her head sank into the pillow. “That’s how she was today when she had a vision of Lozira crying.”
“A future vision?”
“I think so.”
Rhuna huddled closer to Aradin.
“I’m worried about Lozira. Her relationship with Goram.”
Aradin groaned softly into the dark silence.
“We always knew it would be difficult,” he whispered. “In fact, I’m surprised they’ve stayed together this long.”
“Really?” Rhuna was startled.
“He’s such a prickly personality – who can get along with him?”
“But he really loves Lozira,” Rhuna stated.
“Love isn’t always enough.”
Rhuna let Aradin’s last words linger for a moment.
“She wants to go back to our house in Cha’al and have a baby,” she whispered into the dark silence of their rocky mountain hole.
“I can’t imagine Goram being a father,” Aradin said after a while.
Rhuna thought about Shandi’s vision, wondering if Lozira’s tears would be over Goram and their difficult life together.
“You can’t prevent Lozira from being hurt,” Aradin added, as if knowing Rhuna’s thoughts. “It’s part of life.”
“I know,” Rhuna sighed, and then tried to fall asleep.
Rhuna awoke and immediately threw off her heavy blankets and bounced to her feet, eager to start the new day. She felt her way along the smooth rock walls in the dark until she reached the familiar basin and washing area, and then lit the candles on the shelf with the power of her mind. Suddenly, she could barely await the day all of them would leave the oppressive dark rooms hewn out of the mountainside.
“Just a few more days…” Aradin mumbled sleepily as he followed her into the washing area.
“I’m so excited about meeting the Atlans and then getting out of here!” Rhuna said as she quickly brushed her long hair and pulled on her thick outer garments. She waited in the outer corridor that linked the many doorless sleeping areas until Aradin emerged, ready to face a new day. He reached out for her hand and squeezed it affectionately as they walked towards the common areas and food preparation room.
Rhuna was surprised to see Damell and Kiana sitting silently at a low table preparing the dough for flat bread. She stopped a moment to contemplate the strange relationship between her parents who barely knew each other.
“It is early,” Damell whispered when he saw Rhuna and Aradin approach the table. “Yet I was unable to sleep any longer.”
“I don’t sleep much anyway,” Kiana added as she slapped the bread dough with the palm of her hand.
Rhuna began the monotonous routine of preparing the same simple food for the morning meal while her mind wandered in various directions far from the basic existence of the mountainside dwellers. She heard footsteps and the muted mutterings of various locals as they converged in the common rooms and began another day. Suddenly, the familiar sound of padded feet caught her attention and she spun around.
Master Lhom Tsu’s feet shuffled quickly towards them as Rhuna waited with great anticipation.
“The Atlans will arrive in the Valley of Flowers by the end of this day,” he announced with a fleeting smile.
“Where is this valley?” Aradin asked.
Lhom Tsu stepped forward and pointed out of the small window. The pale blue light had already spread quickly across the snowy mountain tops, casting deep purple shadows across the valleys.
“Behind that crest over there,” Lhom Tsu answered as Rhuna and Aradin peered out.
“Is there a connecting tunnel under that mountain range?” Damell asked.
“Yes,” confirmed Lhom Tsu. “They require a guide to bring them here,” he added, looking at Rhuna and then at Damell.
“We will go, of course!” Rhuna said excitedly.
“You require a guide,” Lhom Tsu repeated, his voice and demeanor calm and level, as always.
“But if there’s a connecting tunnel…” Aradin began.
“Our tunnels intersect and have many diverting paths,” Lhom Tsu explained. “Easy to get lost. One of the Masters will take you.”
Rhuna looked closely at Lhom Tsu as the rising sun
shed pale yellow light across his leathery face, revealing many fine lines around his eyes and mouth. Suddenly it seemed to her that Lhom Tsu had aged ten solar cycles in only a few lunar cycles.
“There are five,” said Lhom Tsu, returning Rhuna’s careful gaze.
“Five?” Rhuna asked, unsure what the ageing Master meant.
“Five Atlans approaching the Valley of Flowers,” Lhom Tsu confirmed.
Rhuna looked at Damell who returned her puzzled expression.
“Five? But there are only four representatives from Atlán,” Rhuna said.
“The fifth Atlan was already journeying in this land,” Lhom Tsu explained. “He attached himself to the body of Atlan representatives, wishing to assist them – assist you.”
“He was already in this land?” Damell repeated with deep surprise. “Not many Atlans journey through this land at the Top of the World.”
“No, indeed not,” agreed Lhom Tsu. “He has been learning in secret with one of our Masters…as you once did, also.”
Rhuna looked at Damell, recalling how he had spent many solar cycles in a secret place learning advanced skills from the Masters of Ancient Wisdom.
“Another Atlan has followed my path…” Damell frowned. ”Not many Atlans even know of this place, these Masters…”
Rhuna’s attention turned to the familiar sweet chatter of her second daughter, and she smiled at Lozira who accompanied the young girl. Goram walked behind them, inattentive to Shandi’s prattle.
“Another Atlan has joined the four representatives from Atlán!” Rhuna announced excitedly, and repeated Lhom Tsu’s words about the Atlan already in this land.
“I wonder who he is!” Lozira said with intense curiosity.
“Harrumph!” Goram grunted. “One more self-righteous Atlan to endure!”
Rhuna smiled at Goram’s expression of distaste, overcoming the urge to defend the Atlans and argue uselessly with her daughter’s difficult husband. She smiled at Lozira, and then looked at her father. Damell continued to frown and be in deep thought, pondering the mysterious Atlan who had journeyed so far to learn from the Masters.
“We’ll meet them in the Valley of Flowers and show them the way back up here through the tunnels,” Aradin stated.
“Yes, let’s go!” Rhuna said eagerly.
“Go ahead – we shall await you here,” Goram grumbled.
Rhuna tightened the straps on her footwear and packed a few personal items for the long walk to the Valley of Flowers. Then she waited with Damell and Aradin in the common area until a young woman bounded out of an adjoining room.
“I am to guide you through the tunnels,” she said simply. Rhuna noticed that she looked like the other Masters of Ancient Wisdom with warm head coverings, and only a high soft voice revealed her femininity. “Take these lamps and follow me.
Rhuna followed the young female Master, with Aradin and Damell behind her, through the first section of even tunnel until they reached a widened area which was used as a rest stop. A large metal urn stood near several seating cushions to welcome weary travellers of the mountain tunnels.
“It’s amazing that the Masters made so many long tunnels under these mountains,” Aradin remarked as they sat down.
“Easier than walking over the mountains in snow and ice,” retorted their guide.
“Are you like the other Masters of Ancient Wisdom?” Aradin asked.
“Of course,” she answered with slight surprise.
“You can do all those things like heating your body when it’s cold, sitting still all day while your mind travels to other places…receiving messages on the wind…”
“And much more,” she answered with an enigmatic smile.
“You just seem different from Lhom Tsu,” Rhuna interjected, explaining her husband’s curiosity.
“He is the oldest, most experienced one among us, that is all,” the woman replied as she began to pour water from the urn into several earthen drinking vessels.
After a short rest period they continued their journey and came upon the first of several intersecting tunnels. Rhuna was surprised to see the merging of three passages, each with the same appearance as far as Rhuna could discern in the low lamp light.
The guide led them into the tunnel leading to the left, and soon Rhuna felt the ground begin to slope downwards.
“Going down now,” said their guide as they approached steep steps cut into the rock. “Use the rope.”
Rhuna looked up and saw a thick rope attached to one side of the tunnel wall to assist in taking the many steps. It reminded her of the dark passages underneath the great pyramid in Safu where she also used a guiding rope to find her way.
Rhuna’s legs felt weak and sore by the time they reached the next rest stop, and she sat down to massage her calves.
“Is it much farther?” Aradin asked as he also sat down with a groan.
“A while longer,” the guide answered as she removed a package from her rucksack. Rhuna was delighted to see that the Master had packed preserved sweet meats and balls of dried fruit mixed with seeds.
“A welcome treat,” Damell sighed with a wide grin.
Rhuna savoured the chewy and sweet snack, listening to the dull sound of their chewing and breathing in the heavy underground air. Occasionally, she had to force herself not to think of the weight of an entire mountain above them in order to prevent a strange attack of panic.
“The Valley of Flowers is beautiful at this time,” said the Master. Rhuna looked up and smiled, silently thanking her for the welcome words of distraction.
After another long descent into the silent underground world, they reached several intersecting passages where the ground beneath Rhuna’s feet no longer sloped downwards. She felt the pull of different muscles in her feet and legs, and hoped they would soon reach their destination.
“Here,” said the Master as she stopped walking. Rhuna looked ahead of her and saw a dark wooden door in the light of the guide’s lamp. A black iron rod slid out of a hole in the rocky wall and allowed the guide to easily push open the portal and reveal a fresh new world beyond.
“Oh, how beautiful!” Rhuna breathed in fresh air as she stepped into a pleasant room with large open windows and furnished with cushions, urns and a table with food. She was instantly drawn to the green fields outside, and rushed to the window to soak in the refreshing colour.
“How good it is to see green grass again!” Aradin said with a happy laugh. “And look over there – those yellow and red flowers!”
Rhuna could barely believe the contrast between the abode of the Masters at the Top of the World and this lush, colourful valley.
“It’s like we’re in another world!” she exclaimed.
“A welcome sight indeed,” Damell remarked as he stepped through the doorway and looked at the sheltered porch.
Rhuna grabbed Aradin’s hand and followed her father outside where she heard the chirp of birds and buzz of insects.
“How I’ve missed all of this!” Rhuna exclaimed, taking a deep breath and letting the cool fresh air and beautiful sounds stimulate her dulled senses.
“We wait for them here,” their guide said, and then showed them the wash basin, sleeping area and other rooms of the comfortable wooden abode.
“Some tea would be nice,” Aradin commented when he saw a large metal urn and a cooking stove.
“Fresh food, also!” Damell said cheerfully.
The group prepared a warm meal of fresh vegetable soup in clear broth followed by steamed dumplings and steaming hot tea which they enjoyed on the porch with the glorious view. Rhuna felt she had been deprived of colours during their stay among rock, snow and ice. Her eyes could not move from the soothing green shades in front of her except to admire the mosaic of yellows and reds in a field nearby.
The field of green continued in a narrow strip between towering mountains as far as she could see, and her eyes scanned the distant horizon regularly in eager expectation of the Atlan travellers.
> “I see them!” Aradin called out, jolting Rhuna out of a doze. She had not realized that tiredness had overcome her for a brief moment, but it disappeared as soon as she recognized five figures walking across the green grass towards them.
Rhuna jumped to her feet and ran a few steps towards them until she realized they were still too far away. She shuffled her feet with impatience as they watched the forms slowly grow larger and develop in shape and colour. When she could distinguish the colours of their robes, she was able to recognize the woman whose green aura she had observed by means of The Infinite.
Finally, as the sun began its descent behind one of the tall peaks, Rhuna was able to discern the faces of the five Atlan travellers, and she accompanied Damell as he briskly walked forward to greet the leader of the group.
“My name is Protector of Remembrance,” said the Atlan man as he reached out his hand in the Atlan greeting of shaking hands.
“Mine is Avenger of Justice,” Damell said, using his formal Atlan name. Rhuna observed the stranger as the men smiled and shook hands in a warm and sincere greeting. His white beard belied the youthful, energetic voice and bounce in his step. His grip was warm and firm when Damell introduced her and she shook hands with Protector of Remembrance.
Rhuna introduced Aradin using only his Atlan formal name, Keeper of Justice, and then glanced past them to see the fifth and last member of the group standing at a distance behind the others. His hood and warm scarf still concealed most of his face, yet Rhuna felt she knew this mysterious stranger.
“Is it you, Keeper of Wisdom?” asked one of the other Atlans. Rhuna spun around, startled by the unfamiliar use of her formal Atlan name.
“Greeter of Friends!” Rhuna exclaimed with joyful surprise when she recognized the broad and friendly smile.
“Yes, it is I,” beamed the Atlan man whom Rhuna met in the snow-covered mountains near the City of Atlán when Lozira was still a child.
“At least ten solar cycles past,” Greeter of Friends agreed as they exchanged shared experiences from the past. “You transformed snow into a stone bridge to save the Gakkans during a very cold season,” he added, still smiling happily.
Rhuna- Black City Page 4
