Ariel's Charm

by Marnie Lester

  ‘Just close your eyes and think about what you feel. If you no longer want the sundae, simply decide that you want it gone.’

  Ariel closed her eyes and concentrated on how bad the rich chocolate sundae had made her feel; the slight feeling of nausea in her stomach made it easy for Ariel to focus on ridding herself of the ice cream sundae. The now familiar tingle ran through her and suddenly the weight of the glass dish was gone from her hand. Not quite believing what she felt, Ariel opened her eyes and looked down to see that her hands were now empty. At the same time she noticed that the queasy, sticky feeling was gone, too. She smiled at Reynaldo and waited for him to start talking.

  Chapter 13

  ‘There are things you need to know about Walhalla before we continue,’ Reynaldo said. ‘You will notice that time is different here.’

  Ariel wondered how this could be possible but then she noticed that the sun had risen until it was directly over their heads. She could feel its heat across her shoulders and back and yet the sensation was not unpleasant; not like the blazing summer sun in Carrolltown had been. Instead there was a lightness and sense of comfort to the feeling. It felt like being wrapped in a soft, warm blanket. Ariel looked up at the sun marvelling that the day had progressed so far when they had only been walking for a short time.

  ‘We do not measure time in minutes and hours, Ariel. We merely have day and night. As you can see the sun has risen to overhead much faster than in your former world. However, it will remain in the overhead position for much longer than you would expect. That is because time moves slower in Walhalla. Both days and nights are longer than you are familiar with.’ Reynaldo paused, trying to collect his thoughts. He wondered how much he should teach Ariel and what was best to let her learn for herself. ‘We also do not count months and years here. We merely have seasons. One of our seasons is equivalent to approximately six months as you have come to know them. This means in our world you are twenty six seasons. You are of course still a young girl, what we call a spalleen, not quite a child, not quite a woman,’ he said with a smile. ‘We simply measure time differently.

  Our seasons are also only divided into two, the time of growing, which is similar to your spring and summer and the time of rest; this is close to your fall and winter.’

  ‘As time is measured differently, so are concepts such as distance. Although we have only travelled a short distance in Walhalla, if you were to return to your world now, you would find yourself a long way from where you started. Our measurement units are speks, which equate to your inches. Then strays, which are slightly smaller than your miles.’ He hesitated for a moment, wondering how much of what he was saying was being absorbed. ‘Shortly, we will be arriving in the first of the three villages that we will pass through before reaching Golden City.’

  Ariel felt a tingle of anxiety; not knowing how to behave in front of Walhalla natives. Reynaldo’s stories of the manipulation Largo exercised on the locals added to her trepidation. Ariel remembered Reynaldo telling her how much she resembled her parents. What if she was recognised? She could not help wondering if these frightened, downtrodden people would feel compelled to report her presence to Largo.

  ‘I can guess what you are thinking.’ Reynaldo continued, ‘However it is impossible for me to gauge how you will be received by local people. For the moment we will pretend that you are my kin from far north Walhalla. As no-one in this area has ever met my sister, we should be able to get away with this small deception.’

  Ariel knew the subject that was most bothering her.

  ‘Will any of Largo’s people be in this village?’

  Reynaldo paused for such a long time that she began to wonder if he was holding something back from her.

  ‘I can only tell you that Largo orders regular patrols of the surrounding villages. He is determined to stop any possibility of rebellion. However, you will know these people on sight as they are very different from regular people in Walhalla.’

  ‘In what way are they different?’ Ariel asked, partly curious, partly anxious.

  ‘As I said to you, Largo, has recruited some of the most lawless and aggressive individuals in Walhalla. Believe me, his men are very different from the regular men and women of this land. Ariel, when I told you that there was danger for you here in Walhalla, I was very serious.’

  She waited for him to give her reassurance that his protection or her abilities will prevent anything bad happening. She began to feel more anxious when this reassurance did not come.

  ‘I want you to promise me something,’ he said finally.

  She was surprised at the sudden seriousness in Reynaldo’s voice and expression. Part of her wondered what favour he would ask of her and if she would be able to keep it.

  ‘This is so important, Ariel,’ he continued. ‘It is vital that you reach Golden City unharmed. It will not take long for Largo to know or suspect that you have returned to Walhalla. Therefore, Ariel, you must not bring attention to yourself in any way while travelling here and if you feel in serious danger at any time, you must promise me that you will use the charm to leave Walhalla.’

  She stared in shock and for the first time since coming to Walhalla she wished that she was back in the orphanage.

  Chapter 14

  ‘You want me to leave?’ Ariel gasped. ‘But… I thought you wanted me to stay here.’

  Reynaldo hesitated.

  ‘I am hoping that you will want to stay here after what I have told you about your parents. However, I do not want to put your life at risk. If you are forced to make the leap, you will not need to stay in the other world for long before the danger you feel has passed. Your heart should tell you when it is safe to return.’

  ‘You told me that one of Largo’s people followed my parents,’ she continued. ‘Will they be able to follow me?’

  ‘I can’t answer that because I don’t know for certain, nobody really knows how your parents were killed. I can only hope that it would not happen to you.’

  Ariel thought over everything that Reynaldo had told her and then nodded.

  Reynaldo looked around.

  ‘We better keep moving. Ten Oaks is only a short distance away.’

  As the two fell into step again, Ariel felt a tremor of fear. It was difficult for her to judge the wisdom of continuing on this journey. Part of her wanted to flee to the familiarity of her world. Yet another part knew Reynaldo would not have gone to these extremes to find her unless she was needed in Walhalla. She thought back to the comment he had made that the future of this world depended on her. The idea of her saving a whole world terrified her. Yet this fear could not be used as an excuse for betraying her parents’ memory. For the first time in her young life she knew that no matter what happened she must be brave.

  A short time later Ariel began to see the first signs of a town. She noticed a scattering of small, triangular shaped houses. The houses appeared to be made of what looked like mud. A small triangular hole served as a window on two of the sides while an archway at the front was the only door. A coarse looking piece of cloth covered the doorway. The smallness and the appearance of squalor of these houses came as a shock to Ariel. While the building she had grown up in was less than comfortable, these cottages seemed unfit for human habitation. As she looked at one of the houses, the cloth was pulled aside and a man emerged from the house. He seemed huge to Ariel and was forced to almost bend in half to fit through the doorway. A shock of bright orange hair hung to his shoulders. Most of his face was covered by a beard of the same, fiery shade.

  She turned her head as Reynaldo spoke. ‘Greetings, Tobias.’

  The man simply nodded at Reynaldo, keeping his gaze on Ariel. Noticing his curiosity, Reynaldo gestured to Ariel.

  ‘My sister’s child, from North Alderidge; I am bringing her to the palace to serve as a maid.’

  The huge man nodded. Awestruck by his size, Ariel had to force herself to look away from him. As they walked further into the town, Ariel could feel his
eyes boring into her back. They continued on their way and were shortly in the centre of Ten Oaks. The village seemed like a ghost town with no sign of life on the streets. However, Ariel saw glimpses of faces in the house windows and knew that their presence was creating a stir. Reynaldo leaned close to Ariel.

  ‘This was once a thriving farming area. It was the main source of harrow grain. Harrow is our staple food here in Walhalla. But Largo’s rule has created famine and an air of fear in this once-happy village. The crops we saw growing are now owned by Largo. They will be harvested by his men. The residents of the area know that if there are any signs that they have removed any grain, they will be penalised severely. We have reason to believe that Largo has a huge storehouse of harrow which he rations to the locals. Their dependence on him for food has helped prevent any rebellion.’

  ‘Hunger can be used as a weapon,’ he added quietly, an expression of anger on his face.

  Ariel noticed that many of the houses had holes in their walls or roofs. The surrounding fields looked dry and untended. She felt the first stirrings of anger against the man who had plotted against her parents. His thirst for power had changed what was once a beautiful world into the sad, fear-filled place she was seeing. She began to wonder if she really had the ability to turn this situation around. Since Reynaldo had told her of her heritage Ariel felt the full weight of the responsibility that could one day be hers.

  Chapter 15

  After passing through Ten Oaks, Ariel was lost in thought, her mind whirling with questions. Reynaldo watched her quietly, sensing her confusion. He knew that she would speak when she needed to.

  Towering conifer trees lined one side of the roadway. Reynaldo knew the area was deep forest and provided meat and fish for the starving locals. The fragrance of the trees was rich and spicy. There was a huge variety of trees including conifers only slightly different to the pine trees that Reynaldo had seen in America. There were other varieties including the much utilised cowl tree, with a heavy wood that yielded to the axe or the awl. The cowl trees were responsible for the spicy, almost peppery fragrance that dominated the air around them. Reynaldo inhaled deeply remembering that scent from his youth. The road produced small clouds of dust where their feet landed. Reynaldo watched these puffs of dust in silence, waiting for Ariel to speak.

  ‘Reynaldo,’ she began. ‘You told me that the charm can only be worn by my family.’ Not quite knowing how to phrase her next question, she hesitated.

  ‘I think I know what you want to know, Ariel. You are wondering how I made the leap and why I was sent to find you.’ He hesitated. ‘King Dariew was my half-brother.’

  ‘Does that make you my uncle?’ Ariel felt a sense of excitement at the idea that at last she had found a member of her family.

  ‘Some relationships that you are familiar with are not recognised here in Walhalla,’ he continued. ‘We do not have aunts, uncles or cousins here. Families are determined by immediate sharing of blood. Therefore we have parents and their offspring. This is why I was not the heir to the throne. Only male heirs can inherit a throne and Dariew was the son of King Rufus. My father was the first partner of your grandmother Queen Marissa. He died when I was very young. You were named after Queen Ariel the first and much loved wife of King Rufus, your grandfather.’

  Ariel tried to picture these people who until recently she had not known existed. No matter how she struggled with this new information, so many years of knowing nothing about her family made what Reynaldo was giving her difficult to understand. Finally drawing a deep breath, she spoke.

  ‘Reynaldo, can you tell me more about the Palladox Charm?’ She looked down momentarily when Reynaldo raised his eyebrows. ‘I am curious about how and why it was created?’

  Reynaldo continued walking, his head bent. How much of our history should and can I tell this girl, he wondered? Realising what was being asked of her, he decided the more she knew about Walhalla the better. He stopped walking and faced Ariel, noticing the confusion and anxiety on her young face. Looking around them he saw a familiar trail leading off to the side of the main road to Golden City. The trail wound into the dense foliage that was the great forest of Leminor. He remembered it as one of his favourite walking trails of his youth. From memory it led to a small copse in the forest. Finally making a decision he turned to Ariel.

  ‘I know that this has been hard for you to come to terms with. I have a suggestion if you wish. This trail leads to a forest clearing that your father and I camped in many times. Perhaps it would be a good place for me to answer all your questions and give you some time to adjust to your new home.’

  Ariel glanced at the forest path, a sense of uncertainty filling her at the sight of the dark, towering trees and dense foliage. She nodded at Reynaldo knowing that she was committed to wherever this journey took her. Reynaldo smiled reassuringly and took her hand in his. Turning, they started down the smaller trail. The air was much cooler due to the denser covering of foliage. The heady fragrances of pine, cowl and peat moss filled the air and stirred warm memories in Reynaldo of happy boyhood days spent here with Dariew. The narrow trail wound into the forest and Ariel looked around in fear wondering if any animals were watching them. Reynaldo must have sensed her thoughts for he gave her hand a squeeze.

  ‘Nothing will harm us here, Ariel. Your father and I used to come here as young men to hunt. This area is home to the marsh cariole. They are a quick and intelligent animal. They made excellent sport for two young men learning to hunt.’

  Nervously, Ariel glanced around wondering if a marsh cariole was a dangerous animal.

  He smiled at her quizzical expression.

  ‘Carioles are similar to your earth deer, a gentle wood-land creature hunted both for their meat and their pelts.’ Reynaldo smiled to himself as his mind brought up images of two young men pursuing the quick and intelligent carioles. Mostly he remembered Dariew’s shouts of triumph when his arrow found its target. His half-brother had been one of the finest archers in Walhalla’s history. Both young men had competed in archery tournaments during their adolescent years yet Reynaldo had found himself a poor comparison to the skill of Dariew. His love of his half-brother prevented any feelings of jealousy of his skill. The time for jealousy of his brother was yet to come. Shaking his head slightly he brought his mind back to the present.

  Ariel felt that she should be disturbed by the idea of her father and Reynaldo killing animals but she knew she was now in an environment where hunting was a means of survival.

  At that moment they came into a clearing, a broad almost perfectly circular open space, where the brilliant Walhalla sun lit up the scene. Birdsong could be heard coming from the trees and Ariel stood for a moment drinking in the beauty of the clearing. A scattering of lush, fern-like plants formed a pale green halo at ground level, while the massive trunks of old towering trees stood straight as they reached for the red sun. She turned to Reynaldo with a wide smile and, for reasons she could not explain, she felt truly comfortable for the first time since arriving in Walhalla. Reynaldo returned her smile, understanding that feeling of bliss the forest had always bestowed on him when he was a boy.

  ‘I thought we might make camp and stay here a day or so, and I can tell you everything you want and need to know.’

  A short time later Reynaldo had built a fire and he helped Ariel collect fruit and nuts for a meal. A small stream flowed nearby and provided them with fresh water. Its chuckling sound as it tumbled over small rocks added to the serenity. Although the fruits were unfamiliar to Ariel she could not help but think they looked delicious with different coloured and textured skins. Hesitating for only a moment she picked up a pale yellow fruit that looked a little like a picture that Ariel had seen of an avocado; a similar shape with the same slightly rough skin. Biting into it, Ariel was surprised at the smooth creamy texture that, for some reason, made her think of cheese. After eating they settled back and gazed at the flickering fire. Ariel noticed the sunlight beginning to dim around
them and realised that the Walhalla evening was descending upon them. She leaned back against a smooth-barked log that lay a short distance from the fire. Looking at Reynaldo she waited for him to speak.

  ‘Ariel, I cannot, in the short time that we have, give you a detailed explanation of Walhalla’s history. It is an ancient land, a land that has seen times of conflict and of peace and prosperity.’ He hesitated. ‘There was a dark time many ages ago, a time when the magical beings of our world were needed to right a great wrong.’

  Ariel frowned in confusion … the magical beings?

  Reynaldo continued. ‘They are the creators of our world, Ariel.’

  ‘Are?’ Ariel repeated. ‘Does that mean that they are still here in Walhalla?’ So many questions ran through her mind as she considered this possibility. If there were powerful beings here why did they allow the world they had created to be threatened?

  Reynaldo shook his head. ‘I cannot answer that question, Ariel. I only know that the people of Walhalla have not felt their presence for many seasons.’

  ‘Very little is known about where they came from origi-nally. They are known as the Keepers of the Gift.’

  He hesitated for a moment, studying Ariel’s face and then continued.

  ‘The Keepers ruled the land for many generations then they stepped aside to allow man to rule. They selected Walhalla’s first king, King Ordian: he was a great man who helped Walhalla grow into the world it is today.’

  Ariel wondered for a moment if this king was from her family and then shook her head, he must be, she thought, or how else could I be a princess?

  A short time after King Ordian rose to the throne, the Keepers of the Gift presented the Palladox Charm to the new king. They then withdrew, making sure that we understood they would have no further part in our fate. It was only much later and through necessity that the charm’s enchantments and abilities were discovered. The legend of the charm is an enormous part of our culture; it is believed by many that the charm was forged in the fires of our god Pallagrin. Ariel, Pallagrin was the creator god of the Keepers of the Gift. These powerful and remarkable beings also bent a knee to Pallagrin.’