Carson became interested in their discussion and watched the young ladies practice. He was always ready to learn anything new having to do with crystals. When Natalie finished the lesson, he reminded them about his family’s resources on crystals. He invited the young women to study from them as well.
Natalie and Caroline thanked him for the offer. Natalie said they would study his manuals when Caroline was ready. She placed the crystal and manual in her bag. Natalie then chose one of the Sojourner tools on the table and began describing how it worked. When Natalie finished explaining the uses for each tool, Caroline asked Carson if he would bring Catherine’s Sojourner tools from his vault so she and Natalie could study the guidebook and tools.
Carson went to the vault. He returned carrying a briefcase and a compass. He handed the two items to Caroline.
“Caroline, this compass came through my Hub mail. The inscription states that it belongs to you.”
Caroline placed the briefcase on the floor then gazed at the compass in her hand. On the reverse side was a Fleur-de-lis design. The inscription stated: To the heir of the Kingdom of Caperson. May you be blessed on your journey home. Caroline showed the compass to Natalie. After her friend inspected the tool, Caroline placed the compass in her backpack. Next Caroline opened the briefcase she inherited from Catherine. Both young ladies began studying the guidebook Dimitrios wrote to explain the uses for the tools. They took the tools out of the briefcase and matched each with Dimitrios’ findings.
Caroline said, “This is a lot to remember. I’ll need to continue reviewing what I’ve learned.”
Natalie promised that she would help review the lessons at a later date. Then Natalie said goodbye to everyone and left through the Passageway.
Caroline asked Carson if he would continue to store her tools in his vault. When he agreed, she closed the briefcase and Carson placed it in the vault. Carson returned to sit at his desk. He asked Charles and Caroline if they needed a break.
Caroline looked at Charles. “Only if you want. I’m fine.”
Charles suggested that since the afternoon was warm, they could walk to the stable and take a brief walk around the farm. Caroline agreed to accompany him.
“Why don’t you have Todd saddle up one of the animals for you?” asked Carson. Charles looked at Carson, and his grandfather smiled back.
Charles grinned and said to Caroline, “Let’s go.”
On the walk to the stable, Charles held Caroline’s hand. They discussed what Natalie taught her about the Sojourner tools. When they reached the stable, Todd walked over to them.
Charles greeted him, “Hi Todd. This is my girlfriend, Caroline. We’re here to take a brief ride around the farm. Would you please saddle up one of the creatures?”
Todd smiled and said, “Hello Caroline. It’s nice to meet you. You are in for a rare treat today.
“Charles, I’ll be back with the creature as soon as I can.”
When Todd walked out with the animal, Caroline gasped and said, “I rode one of these beautiful horses on Bridgeiro. Why is it here on your paw paw’s farm?”
Charles replied, “The creatures from the coronation were given to me as a gift from the queen. We thought these animals were horses at the coronation. Actually they are called clonsayee creatures. Each creature has special traits and they are all extremely fast. Let me show you something.” As Charles patted the clonsayee, he raised the mane to show Caroline the feathers.
“I’ll tell you more during our ride.” Charles mounted the clonsayee and held the reins. Todd helped Caroline as she mounted the clonsayee behind Charles.
Before Charles began their ride, he told Todd that he planned to take Caroline to various places around the farm. Todd opened the gate and Charles rode through. As the clonsayee began galloping, Caroline held tight to Charles. It was the perfect day for a ride.
Charles had their tour planned out. Earlier in the week he had overheard Paw Paw and Walter talking about the lookout point on the far side of the farm during their meeting. Charles knew that Gretchen often meditated there because the site was peaceful and looked out over the farm. Several weeks ago, she had discovered Native American arrowheads along a natural wall of stone nearby. She and Walter showed the arrowheads to Carson. They requested permission to dig for artifacts along the wall. Carson visited the area with Gretchen and Walter and approved their plans for the excavation site. It didn’t take long to make several discoveries of potsherds, tools, a small stone figurine and more arrowheads. Charles intended to ride in that direction. He wanted to find out if there were any new discoveries and how the project was developing.
The suspense of their destination was intriguing to Caroline. She kept questioning Charles about where they were headed. He told her to guess. She guessed the usual places around the farm. Charles gave a negative reply to each suggestion and told her to continue trying. Caroline looked around and realized they were in territory on the farm where she had never visited. She began creating wild imaginative adventures that they would be sharing.
Charles listened and finally said, “I’d say that you are definitely ready for a new adventure after hearing your possibilities. I don’t know if what I have planned can meet your expectations.”
“Wherever you are taking me, I’m sure will be interesting and fun.”
As they neared the lookout point, Caroline said, “I had no idea this magical place was on your grandparent’s property. You can see forever up here.”
When they reached the excavation site, the couple saw Gretchen, with her son and cousins, hard at work. One of the cousins pointed in their direction. Gretchen wiped her face and hands with a towel then walked over to greet them as they stopped under a tree and dismounted from the clonsayee.
Gretchen acted as if she intended to hug Charles, but instead said, “I don’t want to get you dirty.”
He hugged her with one arm and said, “I can’t pass on that invitation.
“We came to discover how the dig is coming along.”
Gretchen motioned in the direction of the site. “It’s absolutely amazing. Come and take a look at the treasures we’ve uncovered.”
As they followed, Gretchen told them the background story. “I’ve come to this location for years to meditate. I’ve always felt drawn to this particular place. I thought it was because of the view but after the major thunderstorm that occurred two weeks ago, I discovered a few arrowheads near this natural wall.” She showed the couple where she found the artifacts. “I took the arrowheads to Walter, and we took them to your grandfather. He encouraged us to excavate the site for other artifacts. I’ve been coming and going, depending on my work schedule, to help the boys.”
When they reached the dig, everyone said hello and was introduced. Gretchen’s son and cousins then turned back to the dig and continued to work.
Gretchen said to Caroline, “My brother is the tribe’s chief. He’s coming to visit today. He’s interested in the artifacts that we have discovered.”
Charles began telling Caroline about Gretchen’s brother. “When I was a toddler, her brother would go on walks with me. He told me many of their tribal legends.”
Gretchen added, “Only the people of our tribe know the stories that he told Charles. Charles is one of us and even has a tribal name.”
Caroline was curious. “What is his name?”
“Soaring Eagle.”
“I like it. That is a good strong name. I wonder what my name would be?”
Charles said, “If we are here when he visits, maybe he will give you a special name.”
Gretchen pointed out the artifacts that had been discovered. She was showing them a piece of broken pottery when her brother drove up in his truck. Gretchen waved.
Her brother called out, “Soaring Eagle. It’s good to see you.” He joined them. “Hello, Gretchen.”
Charles said, “Good afternoon, Brave Bear. This is my friend, Caroline.”
“Hello, Caroline. Charles has brought you t
o a beautiful area of the farm. When I stand here, I feel at peace as if this was once a sacred place. I have visited caves in the area and have seen drawings on the walls of the caverns that show an area much like this lookout point.”
One of the cousins at the dig site called out to Brave Bear, “Chief Brave Bear, we have found something that I believe could be very important. Will you come and help us unearth the item?”
Brave Bear excused himself. He went over to the dig and joined his relatives. He began to work alongside the others.
Charles, Caroline and Gretchen took a few minutes to look at the arrowheads, broken pottery and tools that had recently been uncovered. As Charles and Caroline examined the artifacts, they could hear Brave Bear tell about his excavating experiences at other sites. Gretchen, Charles and Caroline put the artifacts back and walked nearer to the site to watch the workers’ progress.
Brave Bear paused and said to the workers, “There is no doubt in my mind that your find is very significant.” He continued to work. After a several minutes, he held a large stone sculpture in his hands. He carefully brushed the soil off of the piece. After Brave Bear inspected the artifact, the others in the group also examined it. Next Brave Bear took the piece to Gretchen. He handed it to her and used the towel she gave him to wipe his hands. Gretchen, Charles and Caroline each held the sculpture and looked at it briefly.
Brave Bear asked Gretchen, “Do you think Mr. Jones would allow more of us to come and dig?” Gretchen looked at Charles.
Charles shrugged. “I believe he would allow it, since he gave you permission to dig already.”
Brave Bear said, “Gretchen, I’d like to take Walter with me to discuss this with Mr. Jones.” Gretchen pointed in the direction that he would find Walter working.
Before he left the group, Gretchen asked if Caroline could receive a tribal name. Brave Bear solemnly studied Caroline’s face. He noticed her polished fingernails then placed his hand on her head and said, “I believe your name should be Painted Leopard.” Charles and Gretchen agreed it was a fitting name.
Gretchen walked with her brother back to his truck. They stood for a short time and talked. When she returned, she said, “The stone sculpture was a great find. There is more to this place than I originally thought. Brave Bear thinks it is a mystery to be solved.”
Charles asked, “Would you like us to help?”
She declined the offer, saying, “I need to stop now. It is time for me to return to work.”
Charles and Caroline thanked Gretchen for showing them the site and the artifacts. The couple walked over to the tree and mounted the clonsayee.
Gretchen followed and stroked the creature’s neck. She softly whispered to it. Then she looked at Charles and said, “These are the most beautiful animals I believe I have ever seen.” He agreed. She waved as they left, heading in another direction. There was something else Charles wanted Caroline to see before they headed back to the stables. They cantered in that direction. Along the way, they talked about random thoughts. Caroline talked about the kingdom and her ideas of what the future might hold. She told Charles that Virgil was hopeful that the kingdom would one day return to its former glory days as a destination of interest. Charles shared his thoughts on the training he was receiving. They continued to share their hopes and fears of going to college, and about what the future would hold for them.
After riding across the farm, they came to an opening of a cave. Charles told her the history behind the discovery. The entrance was found under mysterious circumstances. It was the reason his great grandfather had originally purchased the acreage. Charles told Caroline that he used to go spelunking with Pete in the caves during the summer months. He described the unusual Native American markings along the walls deep inside the cavern and the layout of the cave itself. He told her that other members of the family had been inside exploring, but as far as he knew, no one had reached an end to the tunnels.
Charles rode the clonsayee nearer to the entrance. Although the opening was large enough to enter, the clonsayee hesitated. Charles turned to glance at Caroline and said, “We really can’t explore today anyway because we don’t have the gear needed. We should tell Paw Paw or Nana before we spend time looking in the caves. I guess this is a good time to head back.” Caroline looked at her watch and agreed.
Charles decided to take the trail back to the stable. The trail went through the forest, and the couple was able to spot various creatures. Charles began pondering the discovery of the stone statue that was unearthed at the dig site. He remembered that two years earlier he had seen an image of the same statue depicted on the cave’s wall. He wondered if Paw Paw would be willing to explore further into the caves, past the juncture where a huge column was formed by stalactites and stalagmites meeting. Charles began retelling some of the legends Paw Paw had told him and Pete about the caves, as they continued to ride. The legends told about mysterious occurrences that had taken place in the caves many years ago.
When they returned to the stable, Todd greeted them and helped Caroline dismount. After Charles dismounted, Todd took the clonsayee inside to water and care for it. The couple held hands as they walked back to the office.
**********
While the young adults were gone, Airabelle said, “I am very pleased that Natalie and Caroline are working so well together. Caroline’s journey brought them even closer.”
Carson asked, “What do you think of Natalie figuring out the codes in Catherine Caperson’s journals?”
Airasten flapped his wings and said, “I’m amazed she was able to decipher so many of the codes and figure so many of the puzzles out. We were fortunate to have Dimitrios’ help when she encountered problems with several of the codes. His extensive background in cryptography was certainly useful.”
Airabelle said, “It is astonishing to me that Catherine had so much knowledge about using codes in her writing, and that she was able to create such intricate journals.”
Carson said, “When Caroline is ready, we will search for more of the missing pieces to the puzzle. I’m curious to know what has been locked away all these years.
“Watching Natalie and Caroline read the guidebook explaining Catherine’s tools was exciting. With luck and hard work Caroline may be able to discover more uses for the tools. It will take time for her to get comfortable learning about what she’s inherited.”
Charles and Caroline walked in the office. Charles asked, “What have you three been up to since we were gone?”
Carson said, “We were discussing all of the Sojourner tools Caroline will learn to use. It’s going to take her some time to become acquainted with each one. She also needs more practice using her crystal.”
Charles smiled at Caroline. “Well, let’s roll up our sleeves and get busy learning more about crystals.”
Carson agreed. “That’s a logical place to begin.”
Carson took his crystal out of his pocket and set it on his desk. Charles went to get his crystal. Carson began his course on, Crystal Training 202, demonstrating more of what a Sojourner can do with a crystal. Caroline picked up her crystal and the three worked with the crystals together. After several lessons, Carson asked Charles to return their crystals to the vault.
Then Carson said, “You’ve worn Sojourner glasses before, but we haven’t explained their uses in depth.”
Charles put his glasses on for her. They were swirling with iridescent blue colors. “Glasses don’t usually do this when a Sojourner puts them on. For some reason these are unique.”
She said, “I like them on you.” Charles gave her an incredulous look.
Carson explained more details about how Sojourner glasses were useful.
Chapter 80
Joseph worked into the early morning hours before deciding it was time to stop. He frowned at the papers on the desk then stood and walked to the bedroom. Once he crawled under the covers, he fell sound asleep. He had nightmares of everything going wrong. In his dreams he saw Dolores leaving
him, which resulted in losing his family fortune to Sterling. When Joseph woke the next morning, he was soaking wet with sweat. He swore to himself that the nightmare wasn’t about to happen as long as he had one breath in him. He climbed out of bed and stripped off the sheets, putting them in the washer. He thought: When she gets home, she can deal with the laundry. He took a hot shower and prepared for the day that was already getting away from him. He went into his office to put the journals he’d been using for research back on the shelves. He gathered the things he needed then secured his home office. Joseph walked out the kitchen door to head for the law firm.
He drove his sports car fast, revving up the engine when he could. Joseph had the radio’s volume blaring as he turned into the parking lot with tires squealing. He saw that his father was just getting out of his car.
Donovan shot a look at Joseph showing he was not impressed. Joseph’s father continued to walk toward the office. Before going inside, he turned to give his son another look of disapproval.
Joseph received a jolt of pleasure out of that look. He was in a good mood and didn’t really care what his father thought. He took off his sunglasses and threw them in the passenger seat. He sang a recent song in his head as he walked through the door to the firm and into his office.
He was closing his office door just as he heard Seymore’s voice say, “Joseph, wait.” Joseph opened the door a crack. Seymore came around the half wall as Joseph opened the door wider.
Seymore said, “I left you messages. The man called again this morning about the, I believe he said, clerk.”
Joseph thanked him and was just about to close his door again when Donovan growled, “What was that I heard? A clerk? Joseph, come in here right now! What are you up to?”
Joseph sighed and clenched his jaw. He intentionally didn’t look at Seymore. He went straight into his father’s office and closed the door. That was the end of Joseph’s good mood for the day.
Return of the Clonsayee Page 39
