And in the distance was a column of smoke rising vertically into the air.
* * *
Avi steered the boat to catch the next incoming wave. The boat surfed the crest and propelled itself high onto the gently sloping beach.
Amid great cheers from those on shore, Casey and Sam threw out the securing lines. Ben caught one, and with help from others, they dragged the boat higher up the beach.
Casey was first off, dropping knee-deep in water to help the others off the boat. He felt his legs wobbling from the constant rise and fall of the boat’s motion and still felt himself swaying as he walked ashore. He helped Salli up the beach to drop her gently onto the soft dry sand.
‘I don’t ever want to go through that again!’ she said.
‘Give me the forests any day,’ agreed Casey.
‘I thought it was fun,’ said Kerri, coming to join them.
‘Fun!’ Casey and Salli repeated in unison.
‘Okay, exhilarating. I wouldn’t want to do it too often.’
After securing the boat, Ben came running over to them. ‘I am so glad to see you,’ he said. ‘The other three boats arrived yesterday, but they didn’t experience what you’ve just been through. It must be the change in wind direction.’
‘Is everyone safe?’ asked Lulu, standing beside them with wobbly knees, not quite able to walk in a straight line.
‘A few small cuts and bruises, nothing the Doc can’t deal with,’ said Ben. He put his arm around her, laughing. ‘You’ll be okay in a few hours, but it’ll take a while for your body to get used to being on dry land. Until then, you’ll have to stagger around like Frank!’
‘Did he bring Yellow Berry juice with him?’ Lulu asked in disbelief.
‘I’m afraid so. He’s been celebrating since we arrived,’ said Ben.
‘What’s he celebrating today?’ asked Sam with a grin.
‘Well, you’re not going to believe this,’ said Ben. ‘We’ve crossed the border!’
The chorus of ‘What?’ from everyone around sent Ben into fits of laughter.
‘It’s true!’ he said. ‘We’ve crossed without a Gateway stone. We’ve found a way through! The Lost People are no longer lost! They’ve been here a week and are feeling younger every day. Look at them, and it doesn’t affect us. The children don’t have to change to survive, we can live normally.’
‘You’re sure about this?’ shouted Sam, over the cheering, laughter and dancing that had erupted.
Ben pulled Sam close, slapping each other on the back. ‘As sure as I can be,’ he shouted.
‘Where’s that Yellow Berry juice?’ called Sam.
* * *
They moved further inland to where the first arrivals had started setting up a permanent camp. The fire was already going for them to dry off and the smell of freshly baking bread and roasting fish sent their appetites soaring.
While they sat recovering, Ben called for the two boats to be unloaded and dragged further up the beach, above the high water line. After they’d eaten and rested, Lulu was ready to call everyone together.
A great cheer arose when Lulu stepped into the centre of the Clan and the Lost people.
‘You’ve heard the news already, that this place is a world where we can live without a need to change what we are. We can live as men and women, knowing that our future is secure and age will not run away from us. Let’s build ourselves a future.’ Another great cheer rang out.
‘We’ve many things that we need to do. Casey, Dray, I want you to work together on our defences. We need our people trained in staff combat and capable of working together and supporting each other.’
They nodded in agreement. Casey moved over to Dray. Clasping him on the shoulder, he smiled as he said, ‘One people, one defence.’ Dray shook his hand warmly.
‘Ben, I want you to take care of our supplies. We need fishing boats sent out, we need the seed stored, we need to know what we have available to us from the land and where we can plant.’ Ben nodded his understanding.
‘Avi, we need to know what’s out there,’ she said pointing to the hills and mountains. ‘We need to know if we can reach the Northlands, to find the land of the Snow Bears. They know of an ocean, as we do now. There’s a very good chance there’s only one, and that could be it,’ she said, pointing to the dark blue sea stretching off to the horizon.
‘Their land must touch this water somewhere,’ she said. ‘Start sending people north along the coast. See what you can find.
‘And for us...’ she looked at the Clan and the Lost People gathered around her. ‘We can make a society here, a society of one people, with one common goal. So, first we need to build a life. We need to build a town.’
There were shouts and cheers of enthusiasm. They’d found a home.
* * *
Salli and Lulu sat beside the fire. The room was the start of what would be the meeting hall, where all could come to talk, to eat or to rest. The fire had burnt low, the coals giving off a warm orange glow to the room around them. Once their traditional tents had been erected for cover, the meeting hall had been the first place to be built as a permanent structure. Now, only Salli and Lulu sat there, with a golden bowl between them. The rose-coloured water gave off a fine white mist. Salli sprinkled a few grains of powdered root over the surface. It immediately began to bubble. She nodded to her daughter.
Lulu watched the liquid spin in the bowl, drawing her eyes down deeper, past the base of the bowl, spiralling ever downward through the space between her and Carter.
She looked in wonder, seeing Carter with Holly running through the deep snow. Carter stopped for a moment and looked around, as if looking for someone, or sensing something had changed. She could see Naz and Vin with them, climbing the steep face of the mountain ahead.
Lulu could hear his breaths. Deep and regular, finding their rhythm with the regular steps of his run and the heaving of his chest. She could see him and hear him. She felt that if she reached out, she could touch him. She could feel Carter was calm and at peace, his mind drifting away on its own cloud of imagination and dreams. Lulu watched as the images drifted through Carter’s mind. The swimming in the river, Kerri’s saying hello, he’s so happy she remembers his name. The images fade into memory of watching the stars, Kerri is laughing with him. Then the rain is pouring down. Kerri is swinging in his arms around and around. Lulu smiled at the peace and happiness that was going on in Carter’s mind.
It seems a shame to spoil it, she thought to herself.
Lulu concentrated on seeing Carter in her own mind, as her mother had shown her.
‘Carter,’ she called gently. There was a simmering over the surface of the liquid.
‘Carter,’ she called again. ‘It’s Lucinda.’
The liquid started to boil aggressively, the bubbles bursting from the bottom of the bowl and exploding on the surface.
‘We’re waiting for you, Carter, on the other side of the mountain. We’ll help you. Meet us in the pass. Run west, Carter. Trust the wind to bring you home.’
The bowl simmered gently, before coming to rest again, the surface flat and smooth. Salli placed a cloth over the bowl.
‘We don’t want to be seen.’ She smiled.
‘Do you think he heard me, Mom?’ asked Lulu.
‘Oh yes, he heard you. The only question is, will be trust what he hears?’
Lulu nodded her understanding.
‘Now we have to deal with Sonny,’ Salli said.
‘I think I’ve been trying to put that off. He’s such a young boy, and it’s not his fault. He’s not really responsible for the things his father did.’
‘No, he isn’t,’ said Salli. ‘But remember, he had the chance to tell you of the calling, but he didn’t trust you. Which means he’s not yet ready to be trusted himself.’
‘I know you’re right. I just feel bad about deceiving him,’ said Lulu.
‘As your father said, Sonny still has a part to play in this and we must do anythi
ng we can to save him from His corruption. But there is a battle coming in which he’ll play his part. For us or for Him is yet to be decided.’
* * *
Salli leant forward to lift the bowl. Holding it in both hands, she felt the slightest bubbling against the sides of the golden metal. She was shocked and quickly placed the bowl on the ground. She held her finger to her lips as a sign for Lulu to be quiet. Salli carefully removed the cloth that she’d placed over the top. The liquid was simmering gently on the surface, and once again a swirling vortex was spinning downward through the liquid. Salli caught her daughter’s eye. Lulu looked on, fascinated, but she saw fear and trepidation in her mother’s face. The voice came across the distance, smooth and calming. Sweet to listen to and soothing to fall into.
‘Holly, where are you my little bird?’
The voice turned almost pleading, desperately wanting Holly to answer.
‘Where are you my little bird? I’ve missed you so much.’
There was a burst of activity in the bowl, the bubbles rising violently to the surface.
‘Where is your Crystal?’ the voice asked again.
‘I have it now, like I was promised. I have it.’ Holly’s voice sounded strong, but also angry.
‘I’m so happy for you, Holly, you will find happiness at last. Where are you going to take it?’
There was another violent explosion of bubbles, the surface of the liquid boiling over the rim. An image flashed through the vortex, a fleeting glimpse, only for a moment. The sun setting over the high peaks, and Carter running ahead towards the setting sun.
There was a hint of happiness in the voice. ‘Why, Holly, why aren’t you going south? Why aren’t you going home to your mother and father? They’re waiting for you, Holly, they’re so sad without their little bird in their nest.’
Lulu and Salli’s eyes opened wide with shock as the liquid exploded from the bowl around them. Salli threw the cloth over the bowl before letting out a deep breath.
‘What just happened there?’ Lulu gasped.
‘That was Holly fighting back. She understands what he’s doing to her and is trying to break the connection. I think she just succeeded.’
‘Holly is getting so strong,’ said Lulu.
‘She’s still fighting. And she’s bringing the Crystal west.’
‘The time is coming when we are going to have to confront him, and the only thing that’s going to stop him is having the Crystal and the book to control it.’
‘But you said it was too dangerous without the other two books,’ said Lulu.
‘That’s something we’re going to have to risk if we’re going to finish this.’
‘We’d better deal with Sonny, before he gets a calling too,’ Lulu said to her mother.
* * *
Carter charged through the snow, the rhythm of his leaps in time with his breathing. He was floating on air, the effort of his run only bringing him euphoria. He was in mid-leap when it happened. Almost like a knock on top of the head. He looked back, sure that someone had called his name. What felt like another bang to the top of his head and he missed his footing, crashing headlong into the snow. Holly, following closely behind in his tracks, jumped over him, so as not to crash into him. Naz and Vin pulled up to a stop just ahead.
‘Carter, what’s wrong?’ said Holly.
He lay there a moment, his eyes tightly closed, his head spinning.
‘Did he hit something, Holly?’ asked Vin.
‘Not that I saw. He just collapsed headfirst.’
‘Have you any of that moss left, Vin?’ asked Naz.
‘I’ve some here,’ he said, struggling to get some out of the sack of supplies he carried.
‘I’m okay, I don’t need it,’ said Carter, shaking his head and getting to his feet.
‘What happened?’ asked Naz.
Carter looked at them in turn. ‘I’m not sure you’re going to believe this,’ he said, unsure himself whether to say what really happened.
‘Believe what?’ asked Vin urgently.
‘I heard Lulu. She called my name.’
‘Lulu? As in Lucinda, Princess Lucinda, one day to be queen of the South Lands and River Plains?’ asked Vin, shocked.
‘I know this is hard to believe, but I heard her, plain as day, like I’m hearing you now.’
‘I believe you, Carter,’ said Holly.
‘You do?’
‘Sure,’ Holly said, ‘Lulu’s doing it to you, like He’s doing it to me when He puts all these bad ideas in my head. I don’t mean to do it. I don’t want to hurt anyone. Sometimes I just can’t stop myself.’
‘I know, Holly,’ said Carter.
‘Why do you think she was calling your name?’ asked Vin.
‘She was telling me to go west.’
‘West! That can’t be right. We need to go south, to the border.
‘She told me they’re waiting for us on the other side of the mountain. They’ll help us, and we must meet them in the pass.’
‘There’re no passes to the south,’ said Naz.
‘No, she said to go west.’
‘Do you believe it?’ asked Naz.
‘I believe it,’ said Holly. ‘He does it to me all the time.’
‘Do you believe it, Vin?’ asked Naz.
‘I don’t know what to believe anymore. This time last year, I was happy at home making pies...’
‘And good pies they were, Vin,’ interrupted Naz.
‘Good, Naz? They were the best!’ said Vin indignantly.
‘You’re right there, Naz. They were the best. But never mind about that. What about these voices in his ‘ead?’ Naz said.
‘Well, if Holly gets them, and now Carter gets them, maybe it’s in their makeup, like how he’s made.’
‘Where do you get all this stuff from, Vin?’
‘I read a lot of books, Naz.’
‘So, are you coming west with us?’ asked Carter.
‘What, just like that? Just because some voice in your ‘ead tells you to?’ said Naz.
‘It wasn’t “some voice,” Naz. It was Lulu. I know her. I know her voice and she was calling me to come home.’
‘Home is south, Carter,’ said Vin.
‘What if they’ve gone west?’ Carter said.
‘What if we go west and there’s no one there, and there’s no way through the pass, and we can’t find the border, and we can’t get through, and the apes come up behind us and block us in the pass, and then we have a big fight and then someone gets hurt, and we don’t have enough moss?’
‘Yer, we get the point, Vin. So, you don’t want to go?’
‘Well, it’s not that I don’t want to go. I was just asking, “what if?” is all,’ said Vin.
‘I’m asking you to trust me, guys. I know it was Lulu, and she was calling me west. She’ll be there.’
‘Well, did she say anything else, besides run in the wrong direction?’ asked Naz.
‘She said, “Trust the wind to bring you home.”’
Naz and Vin looked at each other. ‘Do you think he banged his ‘ead when he fell over?’
‘Likely. Let me put some moss on you. You’ll feel better when the voices stop,’ said Vin.
‘No. I’m okay, honest. It was Lulu and she was giving me a message.’
‘Well, if someone’s gonna go putting voices in yer ‘ead, you’d expect ‘um to make sense. What does that mean, “Trust the wind”? The only ones who’re gonna get you home is me and Vin. Why didn’t she say, “Trust Naz and Vin to bring you ‘ome”?’
‘Maybe she knows something we don’t?’
‘He’s got a point, Naz. She’s pretty sharp, Lulu. And she did stand up to that thieving, rotten Duma, who started all this.’
‘Yer, you’re right there, and she is a princess. That counts for something. There’s not many of them around.’
‘She’s the only one, Naz.’
‘Yer, that’s what I meant. That settles it, we better listen to th
e voice in Carter’s ‘ead and hope it is a princess.’
‘Hmmm,’ said Vin. ‘And trust the wind. I’d feel much happier if she’d said “Trust Naz and Vin” though.’
‘I don’t think it was anything personal, guys,’ said Carter.
‘Next time she starts talking to you, will you ask her to get the pies ready?’ said Naz.
‘So which way’s west, Naz? The wind’s stopped.’
‘Over there,’ he said, pointing. ‘See, the sun’ll be up soon over there, so we need to go in the opposite direction. Are you fed up with carrying that Crystal yet, Holly? Can I carry it for you?’
‘I’m okay, thank you, Naz. I’m stronger than I look,’ she said.
‘So let’s find this pass.’
* * *
Salli stood over him blowing on the smouldering herbs. The sharp odour of the smoke drifted across Sonny’s face. With a twitch of his nose and a deep intake of breath, his eyes fluttered open.
‘Hello, Sonny,’ said Lulu. ‘You’ve been asleep so long, we wondered if you’d ever wake up.’
‘You must be hungry,’ said Salli, offering a bowl of soup to him.
He sat up on the bed, taking the bowl. ‘Smells delicious. But when did we get back?’
‘We’re not back yet. We’re still there, but we’ll be leaving soon. We need to get back to the Southlands or we’ll all age very badly,’ said Lulu. ‘Are you well enough for the journey?’
‘I think so, but why are you here, Lulu?’
‘Well,’ said Lulu, looking at her mother, ‘we need to see where’s the best place to defend our border with the Southern Plains. It’s not suitable here. There are too many passes to guard. We need a place where there’s a narrow gap. I’m told there’s one further to the east, so we’ll be moving there later today. Will you be ready?’
‘I’m sure I will. I have to get moving too?’
‘Moving, are you going somewhere?’
‘No, no... I meant I need to help with the boat.’
‘Oh yes, I see,’ said Lulu.
‘Well, you drink your soup, we’ll see you later.’
Lost Lands (CHANGING TIMES Book 2) Page 22
