The Portals of Tartae- the Land With the Two Moons

by Marcia Soligo

  Olivia did her best to hear what was happening and began to walk away very slowly, constantly looking back. Alavro, who noticed Olivia’s maneuvers, slowed down and put his arms over her shoulders.

  “What do you think about this marvelous marble, Olivia? Don’t you think these columns are the most perfect?”

  Olivia nodded and frowned. Trevor looked at them and laughed at the far from subtle attempt Alavro was making to keep Olivia away from Cordella and Freya. He went on and on about all the kinds of marble available in Tartae and how people used them for decoration.

  “Is there any difference in your world?” he asked, waking Olivia up from her wonderings.

  “Er … I’m not sure …” answered Olivia with uncertainty in her voice. She had no idea what Alavro had been talking about for the last few minutes. Her mind was obviously elsewhere.

  They went to their bedrooms after going up the very cold marble stairs. Olivia took a quick shower and changed her clothes, putting on some clean jeans and a green sweatshirt. She was tempted to crawl into the bed, which seemed particularly comfortable, maybe because she had been sleeping in not-so-perfect conditions for the last few days. But she resisted and went downstairs to look for Freya and Cordella. She should try to hear any conversation they were having.

  Olivia walked silently and reached the main hall, which was already empty. She got closer to the fireplace and felt the warmth of the fire on her skin. She looked through the glass and stared at the garden. The trees were completely full of flowers again. There was no wind, and it all looked very peaceful.

  “You’ve always admired the Nefilas.” Freya broke the silence.

  “They are very beautiful, indeed. And amazing. But a bit strange,” answered Olivia, who was a little startled by Freya’s presence. She hadn’t heard steps approaching, and the woman appeared suddenly in the room.

  “Yes. I guess they are a bit strange. But who isn’t?” said Freya, her gaze lost in the flowers over the garden. Olivia only looked at her, not really sure of how to talk to Freya. “What do you remember about your travel here to Tartae?” asked the woman, her eyes now almost perforating Olivia’s.

  “We were walking and then we fell. There was only darkness for a while until we meet the ground.”

  “Was that all?”

  “Yes, that was it. Should it be more?” asked Olivia. Freya didn’t say anything in return, and her face didn’t change, not even a little bit, after Olivia’s answer. With her, there always seemed to be something between the lines. Something that she was holding back to her own gain. Olivia had this irritating feeling that Freya was only trying to get what she needed from Olivia and from this conversation. None of these questions were intended to help her memory. These tricky ways were making Olivia considerably annoyed. She wanted to make the woman talk and be honest, but that seemed to be something far from Freya’s ways.

  “I need some time alone with you and Trevor. I can’t measure the damages without having a moment with you both.”

  “That is simple enough. He’ll probably be coming down soon; we can start right now.” Olivia wanted to get over with it, to talk to Freya and know her verdict.

  “I tried to warn you,” said Freya. “I tried to communicate multiple times when you were still in your world.”

  “Was that you? The leaves?” Olivia was surprised, and Freya nodded.

  “For some reason that I don’t know enough about or because of things you wouldn’t want to hear about your people, certain things don’t matter as much in your world, such as the power of nature or someone’s dreams. This all could have been avoided. You two could still be safe in your world and come back here with your memories untouched. But you never paid attention to your path. Not the way you should.”

  “You knew what was going to happen?” Olivia couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t possible that Freya, one of the mighty Guardians, knew what was about to happen and didn’t do anything more than just send a message through some leaves.

  “I didn’t know exactly what was going to happen, but there was a black cloud hovering over the memories I had of you and Trevor. I knew something was about to happen. I knew you could get lost.”

  “Why didn’t you do anything?”

  “I warned you, Olivia.”

  “In a way no one could understand.”

  “It’s not my fault that you don’t pay attention to such things in your world. It’s not my doing that you lost your connection to nature. I tried to warn you.” Her tone was still the same. Calm and cold.

  “I think I owe you a thank you, then. It’s all in the past now. There’s no use to imagine what could have happened if we had understood your message. No one wants to revert this more than Trevor and I. We are the most affected in all of this. Lars probably thinks we are still trained warriors when we don’t know how to fight. We don’t even have a connection to the Portals anymore.”

  Olivia was firm in her answer. She wasn’t happy to see someone saying bluntly that everything could have been avoided. It was not her fault or Trevor’s that they didn’t ‘read the signs.’ You should never blame the victim, and that’s what they were. They were victims of Lars, of Ourivio, of the Portals …

  Kirk and Bran came loudly downstairs. Soon after, Maino showed up and invited everyone to the dining room, where they all sat and waited for the rest of the group.

  The dinner was weird. They barely talked, and every single conversation someone started died quicker than a solar eclipse. After they were finished, Freya asked Trevor and Olivia to follow her. And with a nod to Cordella, as if she were asking for permission, she got up. They walked to another, much smaller room. There was a round bright red rug in the middle of the room, and in the corners, trees were painted on the walls. The room seemed to try to recreate a forest, but just like everything else in Freya’s house, it was quite cold and unsettling.

  “Olivia, Trevor, I need you to relax,” said Freya, sitting on the floor.

  “I firmly doubt that is possible. May I sit?” Trevor looked disturbed by this whole situation. He was thinking about what kind of test Freya would be making and if it would be something he would like to be a part of.

  Freya nodded, and Olivia and Trevor sat down.

  “I just need you two to be calm. I want to feel your energy. That is the only way I can learn about our possibilities.”

  Both of them tried to keep their nerves under control. Minutes went by without a word. Freya had her eyes closed, and she swung her body lightly from time to time. At some point, she got up and walked around Olivia and Trevor. Round and round, multiple times, until they got a little dizzy. Olivia and Trevor looked at each other without knowing exactly what to do or how to behave.

  Freya sat down again and opened her eyes.

  “There’s nothing I can do.” She said it bluntly and got up.

  Olivia and Trevor were paralyzed for a moment, still recovering from the strange trance they were in. The solemn atmosphere was abruptly broken by words they didn’t want to hear. How were they supposed to do anything if they were going to stay like this? With no memory whatsoever? With no recollection of what they had learned?

  Freya was now walking in the direction of the wide wooden door when Olivia yelled, “WHAT DO YOU MEAN? How can you come to that conclusion like that?”

  “I think you should give it another try, Freya. I’m much calmer now that I know you’ll only shake your body and walk around us.” Trevor was extremely serious.

  “What is done is done,” said Freya, looking at both of them and opening the door. She seemed to not care at all about what they were feeling. “You two got lost on the way.” She left the room.

  Olivia and Trevor followed Freya, arguing strongly with her.

  “How can you give up so easily? Don’t you understand that we are exposed to things that we don’t know? Don’t you see that like this, we are an easy target? Our chances are next to none like this … WE-NEED-TO-REMEMBER!” Olivia was doing her best to convin
ce Freya and using all the arguments she could think of. Freya walked a little ahead of Olivia, not even looking in the girl’s direction.

  As they got closer to the main hall, the voices grew louder and more annoyed, and Cordella, Alavro, and Bran came out to see what was happening.

  “For crying out loud! What happened?” asked Cordella.

  “Freya says she can’t do anything,” answered Olivia. Freya looked deeply at Cordella, who continued:

  “You two need to calm down now! Freya, may I have a minute with you, please?”

  Cordella and Freya left the room, and Alavro patted Olivia’s and Trevor’s backs.

  “Calm down … Being upset will not help a thing.” Alavro sounded very paternal. His voice had no alteration whatsoever; it sounded calm and kind, as though nothing completely crushing was happening. It almost seemed that they were not doomed.

  “How can you say something like that, Alavro? She shook her body a little bit and then she proceeded to say that there was no way! She didn’t even care to give us a decent explanation! We need to know why there’s no way! I need to know if I agree with that!” Trevor paced from one side to the other, not hiding his anger.

  “This is Freya, and it’s not going to be you two who are going to change her ways.” Alavro was firm. “Now, you two better calm down already. I will fetch some allandrio tea for you.”

  Alavro left the room, looking for Maino. Soon after, Olivia said, “I’m not feeling very well. Trev, please … help me get to my room.”

  “I can help you, Olie.” Bran promptly stood up, but Olivia quickly said:

  “Thank you, Bran. But stay here and wait for your father … let him know we went to our rooms.” Olivia squeezed Trevor’s arm discreetly, hinting that he should let her lead him.

  They walked together slowly until they got to the stairs.

  “Trev, we need to hear what Cordella and Freya are discussing.” Trevor agreed, and they both marched silently in the same direction the witches had headed minutes before.

  They got to a small room that served as the pathway to some kind of greenhouse, where Cordella and Freya were talking. Olivia and Trevor hid between some of the furniture, under a side table that was big enough for both of them and next to an armchair that created a sort of nook. With almost no lights coming into this windowless room, they were able to successfully hide in the shadows. In the room, they could hear Cordella and Freya perfectly, and apparently, the heated mood of the conversation made them both forget about the possibility of being heard by the others.

  “Cordella, there’s nothing else I could say.”

  “The way we stand now, Freya, if you choose not to doing anything, you are against us. I understand that you, in your deep knowledge, must know what is to come. That you, in your incredible sensibility, must feel that everything is about to change.” Cordella’s voice was sad and hopeless. Olivia believed that she had lost hope in Freya, in her capability to commit to the quest.

  Olivia and Trevor looked at each other.

  “I have always protected the Key. I did my best to bring their memories back.”

  “Although they say otherwise.”

  “They got lost, Cordella.”

  “The Clan was never about giving up. It’s the life of two children at stake.”

  “I have always kept my word. But I was never willing to go to the field. Never. And I trust that my reasons can still be preserved.”

  “At least something will be preserved, then. Lucky you, Freya. I’m sorry I came here to disturb your quiet manor with our visit. I am also sorry for the precious time that I lost.” Cordella stayed there for some time, probably still hoping that Freya would have a change of heart.

  “Cordella!” exclaimed Freya, stopping Cordella from leaving the room. “They won’t remember. It’s a lost cause.”

  Cordella turned to Freya and said firmly, “Don’t you dare abstain and say it’s a lost cause.”

  The witch left the room fast and decisively. Olivia and Trevor were paralyzed, as if being very still would make them invisible. Freya left the greenhouse through the garden, not using the small room as her pathway back to the house. Olivia and Trevor moved out of their hiding spot carefully, checking back on Freya the whole time, trying to avoid any surprises in case she decided to come back from her walk in the garden.

  They sneaked back to their rooms in complete silence, and before Olivia entered her bedroom, Trevor asked, “So, what did you think?”

  Olivia’s eyes were lost. She had no idea how to answer Trevor or how to digest everything that had happened in the last hour. She stared at the hallway wall for some time, as though it could help her figure something out.

  “Why do you think Freya doesn’t want to be a part of it?” said Olivia after a while. “I think she is scared of something.”

  “It doesn’t matter what it is. I think she is a coward, Olie. The world is ending, and she is here, in this mansion ... just watching everything fall apart. I must tell you, I have been very scared. But I’m here and I will fight …”

  “She also knew that something would happen to us. She told me that she tried to warn us while we were still in Leve.”

  “What do you mean? When did she say that?” Trevor’s eyes were as big as the two moons in Tartae’s sky.

  “We talked for a short while before everyone came down for dinner. She told me that she tried to warn us and that she had done her part.”

  “But we didn’t get any message …”

  “Apparently, the fact that we didn’t get any of her subtle messages is all our fault. She said that our people forgot how to seek meaning in the important things in life, and she cannot take responsibility for that.” Trevor rolled his eyes. “But I must be honest with you, Trev. When we were still in Leve, I noticed some things were out of place. About two days before we fell into the Portal, I noticed that the leaves were behaving peculiarly. Maybe I should have talked about that with you, maybe I should have had paid more attention. But at the time, I just thought that I was going mad or seeing things that were not there.”

  “Don’t blame yourself, Olie. How would you, in your right mind, think that the leaves were writing you a message? She should have put more effort into it.”

  Olivia sighed. She felt part of the blame. She could have been more careful, she could have taken better care of her friend.

  “I think we should go to bed before someone sees us,” said Olivia, looking around. Just the thought of seeing Freya’s face made her stomach turn.

  Trevor agreed and left to his room, walking slowly through the dark hallway. Olivia took a deep breath and went inside her room, closing the door slowly behind her.

  That night, Olivia dreamed of a man acting suspiciously, a forest drying up completely and turning to dust. As she woke from each nightmare, she thought that maybe the allandrio tea should become part of her bedtime routine.

  CHAPTER TEN

  The Strage Castle

  At the first ray of sunlight, Cordella woke up and called all the others. Maino was still setting up the breakfast table when Cordella told him that the group wouldn’t be staying any longer. The tension was almost palpable, and Cordella’s face was one big frown.

  The group gathered by the entrance door, waiting for the hostess to say their goodbyes. Walking down the hall slowly, Freya finally appeared, wearing a long white robe adorned with green and golden embroidery. The fabric was light as a breeze, and it shifted graciously with each step she took.

  “I was hoping you would stay for a farewell breakfast,” she said, getting closer to the group.

  “We have a long way ahead of us, Freya. And a great deal to do. You know better than anyone else that we can’t afford losing any kind of time.” Cordella’s voice was dry and urgent. “Nevertheless, we appreciate your hospitality and your time. And I still hope to see you soon … doing what’s right.”

  Freya nodded and smiled. Everyone said their farewells and went out the door.

&nb
sp; Outside, the horses were waiting for them, and the weather was rather odd. The enormous amount of clouds in the sky and the cold wind that was gusting incessantly made the fresh morning look like late afternoon. And every time the wind blew, something crawled inside Olivia’s body. And she wasn’t the only one noticing the heavy energy. The first thing Cordella and Freya did as they left the house was study the sky and exchange a scared look. Something was definitely out of place.

  Everyone climbed onto their horses and waved goodbye once more. The Flowers’ Manor was left behind, and even from afar, Olivia could still see Freya next to the door. Observing.

  Freya’s behavior was completely indecipherable to Olivia. She tried to warn Olivia, communicating through worlds. She seemed worried, and she was still there, observing them from a distance. Her eyes locked on the group. She stood there looking at Olivia as if she was about to say something or do something. However, her actions had been nothing but disappointment during the last day. Freya didn’t seem to put a lot of effort into helping Olivia and Trevor, and she didn’t even seem to care that much.

  But now there she was. And even though the Flowers’ Manor was getting more and more distant, far enough that not even a scream would be heard, there was still a connection between their hearts. And it was a disconcerting feeling.

  “And off we go to Strage,” sighed Bran, interrupting Olivia’s thoughts and easing the odd sensation she had in her heart.

  It wasn’t a long journey from the Flowers’ Manor to Strage Castle, if they managed to keep a fast pace. Cordella explained as soon as they journeyed away from Freya’s home. If everything went according to plan, they would arrive at Strage Castle the next morning. Cordella wanted to get there as quickly as possible, and for that reason, they didn’t plan a lot of stops. The pace was now the fastest they had galloped.

  There was something different about the group now. It was possible to feel that some hope was lost. They didn’t talk much and barely looked at each other. And once more, Olivia and Trevor had an unsettling feeling that they had done something wrong. They kept thinking and thinking about what they could possibly do to recover their memory. And they were both trying. They kept searching for a spark that could unlock their memories. More often than not, they felt that Tartae was asking too much of them, but at the same time, they were certain that they could help somehow. As if they were bound to be there.