“You’re reading Beacon’s mind in order to figure out to cross the Divide?” Jaime said. “No wonder you do so well in school. Good call, Kassara. I think you’re right. That sounds exactly like an assignment he’d cook up.”
Sam thought about Kassara’s idea. “You mean internal conflicts? Where you think two different things, at the same time?”
Tahendra closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She breathed slowly and imagined crossing the divide.
“I fear my leadership will fail, or somehow I’m letting people down,” she said aloud. “So I hold back, and then I’m less effective. My divide is to give myself credit. Sohm said don’t trip over others. Lead them. He’s right. That’s my divide.”
Kassara spoke next.
“I’m stubborn when I know I’m right. I know you’re all smart and capable and have different perspectives. I’m impatient so I don’t always listen. I think that causes tensions and creates a divide.”
Jaime and Sam were quiet. They both thought to themselves, I’m stubborn too. They thought for a while.
Tahendra and Kassara looked more carefully at the divide, wondering how they might climb down and back up. Could they build a bridge?
Jaime spoke. “My divide is wanting more respect from others without giving it to myself first,” he said. “Deep inside, I wonder why I was chosen. I know I can do this, but I …” Looking up, he saw a huge eagle coming towards them from the clouds. It was the eagle who mind-spoke to Tahendra and told her to lead.
Sam’s eyes were closed. “I hate talking about my weaknesses,” he finally said. “It makes me feel stupid. I’ve got a ton of them, and this place challenges me. The Grizzled Queen made the Winds of Doom seem optimistic. She nearly did me in. I simply have to try something new.”
He opened his eyes and saw the eagle was flying toward him at that moment. “Very wise,” the eagle said and looked into Sam’s eyes. “Keep this knowledge and work towards making that shift. It has begun. That is how you close the divide within. As for this one, let me take you across. Please climb on my back.”
And with that, Larry the eagle took Sam across the divide while the others watched. As they crossed, Sam looked deep into the divide, into the chasm no one could cross alone, and he thought about how lucky he was to have his companions and this beautiful bird.
One by one the eagle carried each traveler across, giving them confirmation and affirmation that they were on the right path. He believed their quest would be a huge success as they shared their knowledge.
The four stood on the far side of the divide. They might make the Full Moon Ceremony, after all. All four wolf pups were waiting for them. They had taken Wolf Trails to get past the Divide. Kassara saw the boys’ packs on their wolves.
“Nice. You’re packed up,” she said. “I have no idea where any of my belongings are. I don’t really need them. I’m wearing Maureen’s clothing. Her shoes don’t quite fit, but they got me this far.”
The four stood on the far side of the plateau, looking at the treacherous lands they had to cross next. They stood on a surface made of tall crystal columns. The space between the crystal slabs were as deep as the Divide, sections of land barely close enough to run across. They needed to find a pathway through this maze.
Tahendra was filled to the brim with fear. She knew she had to treat this place like the floating stones in Beacon’s Village. It would be like jumping from stone to stone to crossing a river, but with the threat of death if you missed. The precarious trail appeared to go for miles, all the way to the Gabriella Passage. At least some of the columns were larger and took less finesse. The sun was descending to the horizon. She remembered Kelne’s words, nothing was what it seemed. The four wolf pups patiently waited for their people to lead.
Tah knew this was a time to use her intuition like she’d never used it before. All she heard was chatter in her mind. Which way won’t kill us? She knew better, and yet she was sinking into mental quicksand. She needed to move.
“I trust you to get us across. You’re amazing,” Sam said from behind her. “I’m pretty sure you’re meant to lead us here.”
She turned to face him; tears streaming down her face. Her sight was a blur. “I don't know if I can do this. It’s too hard. And everyone is counting on me,” she shouted. “This is terrifying.”
“Oh, um. It is hard, and that’s okay. I know you can do it. I will follow every single step. I promise. If you want, I’ll shut up.”
Tahendra wasn’t sure if she had the bandwidth to feel any more anxious. Kassara understood. She lightly touched her friend on the shoulder, “Together.”
Tahendra closed her eyes facing the sun. Help me, she said to herself. I need strength. Being terrified is too hard. I can’t think!
She took a deep breath, slowly filling her lungs and took her time. Deliberately she exhaled. She did it again and yawned. When she got to the fourth breath, Tahendra looked across the three-dimensional puzzle before her. She saw pathways along the ridges that made sense. They were doable. She calmed down a little. Her intuition had stirred. She felt herself ready to be in motion as she stood atop the textured crystal surface that characterized this land. The tall crystal pillars could rock a little and it would be okay. One more deep breath. She opened her eyes and turned to look at Sam.
“Let’s go. Keep up if I go fast. There is more than one path.” With that, Tahendra got a running start and leaped a narrow section of the canyon. She landed on the far side and slipped, barely catching herself. The crystal pillar rocked beneath her, then stabilized again.
Sam waited until Tahendra was moving again. Then he followed her path. “Here goes...” he mumbled to himself. He landed the jump where Tahendra had slipped. His confidence grew. Sam was glad Tahendra led.
Behind him went Jaime and then Kassara. Both handled the uncertainty in their own way. It helped them calm down to follow her. The wolves stayed together and followed the travelers, silently keeping their charges in sight. No one spoke.
Ten minutes and a few close calls later, Tahendra felt the terror come back up in her mind. She found a place to stop with enough space for everyone. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep break before she completely psyched herself out.
Bring the self-doubt, she heard Beacon’s say aloud in her mind. It wants to come, but it cannot lead. A time will come when you must welcome it on the journey. She had the image of Beacon in her mind. Welcome self-doubt, she heard. Its job is to protect you. That’s okay. Thank it. Let it say its piece and send it off for a nap. Intuition is the only voice right now. Intuition must lead.
Thank you, Beacon, Tahendra thought.
She closed her eyes and paused for a moment to ground herself with a few deep breaths. When she opened them, she saw three possible pathways, lit in different colors. The blue one. The pink one and the yellow one. They intersected in the center. The blue one went closer to the mountains on the far left. After memorizing the light trails, she turned to Sam, who was waiting for her to move again. “What do you see?” she asked him.
“What do you mean?” He looked at the horizon.
“Does any path stand out for you?” Tahendra asked, trying to both include him and get confirmation.
“I like the look of those mountains over there,” he said.
“Thanks. Me too,” she replied. Blue, she thought to herself. They could regroup at the intersection of the trails. “If you can see it easily, take the blue path,” she said over her shoulder.
Tahendra ran fast across the crystal pillars trying to forget how far down the bottom was. A transparent blue light kept her going. She heard Beacon say. Having an imperfect plan is better than having no plan at all. Stay in motion and you’ll see pathways that cannot appear while you’re standing still.
Tahendra thanked Beacon as she continued following the blue light until the ground was firm underfoot. “We’re exactly where we’re supposed to be,” she heard herself announce. It’s just up the pass on the mountain.”
The four collected themselves and took their packs off just as a large earthquake hit. stones crumbled. Crystals in the land they just crossed shook and knocked into one another. Like champagne flutes, they clanked together and rang out with tones from the deepest baritone to the highest highs. Thin slabs of crystal rocked back and forth, then stabilized. Their hearts raced and they looked at each other in amazement, then put their packs back on and ran toward the Gabriella Passage as quickly as they could, hoping it would be safe from falling rock.
Tahendra remembered Kris’s journal. She understood his horror passing here. He changed when he arrived on the far side of this place. He was alone with the Winds of Doom out here. She couldn’t imagine that. In his journal drawings, she’d seen that he had changed.
Chapter 27
As they walked higher on the hill, they arrived at the colorful Gabriella Passage, filled with food and flowers in full bloom. Fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and grapes were plentiful on the vines. Peppers. Lettuce. A virtual salad and many foods they did not know awaited their hungry bellies.
They saw that boulders fell nearby during the earthquake, but the pass itself was clear and pristine. The Gabriella Passage was the final mountain pass before they arrived at the Full Moon Ceremony.
“When did we eat last?” Sam said. “Dinner with Everyone? Was that days ago? I don’t even remember,” He grabbed a huge handful of grapes and savored the sweet juice. They all happily stuffed fruit in their mouths as quickly as they could.
“It’s been a while,” Kassara replied. “I was tied to that stone forever, but I did sleep. What about you guys? Did you work all night?”
“That Bog. The Grizzled Queen. She kept eating. She yelled,” Sam said. “I felt like my dad was about to beat me. He wasn’t even there. I think I saw the world through the eyes of my terrified six-year-old self or something. Her voice did something to my insides. I didn’t even think I had a choice. It was crazy. Thank goodness Maureen snapped me out of it. When I saw Maureen there, I was mad at how she treated you Kassara. I didn’t trust her. I think being angry helped me snap out of it a little. I came to my senses and remembered Kelne warning us to stay cynical of those who would disrupt our plans. Jeez, I could still be building the garden Jaime drew. It was bigger than two city parks. It was ridiculous, Jaime.”
“It’s true. Sorry,” Jaime said. “I felt like Mom was ranting on about how lazy and stupid I was again. Beacon talked about hiding in plain sight. That’s what I did. Concentrated and looked busy. Focused on my drawing. I completely forgot we needed out. Sorry.”
Jaime looked across the Gabriella Passage. “I remember one night when I was with Uncle Kris. He was fast asleep and called out in his dreams. “Gabriella, Gabriella … The passage of eagles. Hmm.... That’s what he called the Gabriella Passage. He used to talk in his sleep. I always thought the Gabriella was a person—a woman that Uncle Kris missed dearly.”
Jaime took Kris’s journal out of his pack and opened it.
“This is what he wrote,” Jaime said. “‘She’s a beautiful passage in the cliffs. A lowland valley of beauty and grace. Not easy to find. Extremely hard to leave. The passages of the Gabriella are enchanted. Filled with food. They provide time for the traveler to catch their breath. Time passes slower there. She was there too. The greatest love of my life.’”
“Do you see them? The eagles?” Tahendra said as she was scanning the region and hiked up into the saddle of the Gabriella Pass. Her hands were full of strawberries and blueberries.
Kassara caught a melon that fell off the vine and split into six pieces, seeded and ready to eat. She picked up a slice and looked closely at the boulders across the main path. As she ate the sweetest fruit she’d ever had, she grabbed her Moon Catcher from around her neck and held it, looking at the large boulder. Light surrounded the stone. She didn’t understand, but there was a definite connection between her holding the Moon Catcher and that stone on the ground.
“Tah, look,” she said. “I don’t understand. This stone. Do you see anything here that might be important?”
Tahendra looked closely at the stone. She gently touched the stone and her own Moon Catcher. She noticed an almost halo-like quality to the stone. Suddenly they both heard Sohm’s voice in their heads.
“Please. It’s urgent. The Divide, there is a break there that must be repaired immediately. It cannot wait.”
“What can we do?” she asked.
“I need both of you to return. We need the green stone immediately. A meridian was damaged in the earthquake. I don’t know how to lead you, but I do know you can make it together. Kassara knows how the stone feels in the hand and mind. Tahendra, you know these lands in your bones. It does not matter you have forgotten. I trust you to find the way. Call for Ivy and Marty. I trust you.” Sohm’s presence vanished.
Tahendra and Kassara looked at each other. Where would they find the green stone? They needed to find the others before they gathered to the Full Moon Ceremony. Tahendra retraced her steps to find the solution.
“At dinner I told Sylvia about the meridians that had been damaged and outlined Sohm’s map, although he thinks about space differently than we do. She said she’d contact the Ancient Wolf to find out more. Can we get a hold of Sylvia?”
“I saw her not that long ago,” Kassara said. “When I first left the Wolf Trail, I went to a valley filled with clouds. Sylvia and Jasmine were both there. They had something urgent to do first. I stayed to meet up with you near the Divide.”
“Cup of tea?” Jaime said. A comfortable stone seating area once again sprung from the earth and appeared out of thin air.
“Tea service,” Kassara chimed in.
The four travelers sat at the table with plates of food and four cups of tea. It was a perfect picnic. From the ridge of the Gabriella Passage, views spread before them in every direction. The passage itself was filled to the brim with foods and flowers. At the bottom of the hill stretched before them were the crystallized pillars of the lands they’d just crossed in one direction, and in the other, clouds were gathering to create the Moonbridge.
“How are we going to deal with this? Where is the broken meridian and where do I find the green stone?” Kassara asked.
“Kelne. Please. We need your help,” Sam yelled, hoping it worked. “Please.” Nothing.
“The wolves. They have been wonderful messengers,” Kassara suddenly said aloud. “Shantini, please, I need your help.”
Shantini ran to Kassara immediately and sat quietly by her.
“We need to know exactly where the meridian is that broke by the Divide during the earthquake. We also need to know about this.” She made an image in her mind of the green stone. “Can you see this? It’s urgent that we find someone who can help us now.”
With that, Shantini was off, running like the wind, into a Wolf Trail.
“Hang in there, Sohm,” Tahendra said. “Thank you for alerting us. We will help.”
“I am holding her. Thank you,” he replied.
“We’ll go meet up with Beacon and Kelne and let them know what’s going on. See you soon. I hope it’s fast,” Jaime said. Sam nodded.
Chapter 28
Shantini returned with Sylvia and Walenda.
“We need to know where the meridian is that broke during that large earthquake,” Tahendra said. It’s urgent.”
And there’s a green stone that Sohm has requested. He said it will soothe the Shaman Moon and help her heal,” Kassara said.
“Marty got your message. He gave me the stone, Sylvia said. “My Ancient Wolf gave me a map of the meridians near the Divide. They’re cryptic to follow because they are from a wolf’s memory. Can I help you to read them?
“Please.
“That’s the stone,” Kassara said. “I also used pink and yellow crystals in a jar. That soothed the burn from the Blue Montis when Tahendra was sick. Sohm also liked that.”
“I have them,” Sylvia said. “I will take you to the meridians
,” Sylvia said. “Through the Ancient Wolf Trails. Not the way you came. It may feel like we’ve left Kalendra and moved into the ancient time. Are you ready for this?”
Tahendra and Kassara nodded. They’d go with Sylvia, ready or not.
“Are there any shamans who have healed the meridian points? I’d appreciate some help. If not, we will do what we know,” Kassara said.
“I hope to meet a skilled healer,” Sylvia said. “Would you like that?”
“Please,” Kassara said. “We’re ready. As soon as you are.”
“Okay,” Sylvia said.
Sylvia, Jetson and Shantini led, and Kassara and Tahendra followed. “We’ll be at the Full Moon Ceremony as soon as possible,” Tahendra said. “Let them know where we’ve gone.”
Through a large, dark Wolf Trail, Shantini and Jetson, led the way. They arrived in a new world. Deep underground they were in a glass maze of lavender and yellow that guided them through the Ancient Wolf Trails deep in the earth. Bright yellow light in the center of the pathway was surrounded by a reddish tone. In the distance were dark mazes where few details could be seen. Sylvia continued down the passageway following the light. Kassara felt like she knew this place. Sylvia led with confidence, and Tahendra followed. They stayed close.
They came to an opening, and Kassara signaled the rescue crew to stop. She linked hands with her companions. They arrived at an intersection and corridors opened in six directions forming a star pattern. As they held hands, the space filled with light and color intensified. But they could see the six-sided meridian was cracked at the bottom, blocking the energy.
The three examined the meridian. Shantini whimpered as if something was bothering her. Her soft whimpering then turned to excitement. As they turned around, the four women saw an Ancient Wolf bringing Ivy into the space. Ivy was dressed in white wizard robes. In her hands were ceremonial tools that were beautifully engraved with Kalendrian drawings. Images were carved into her staff and tools, including the sun swirl design that the girls found in the cave near Beacon’s.
Magic Invitation: Kalendra Chronicles Book One Page 14
