‘Lord Albian set up the quest,’ thought Sam. ‘Now that is interesting. Tor never referred to him as a Lord or that he set up the quest. Does he know or did he just neglect to mention it?’ She made a mental note to ask him about it if she ever saw him again. Out loud she asked, “Why did he stipulate two people per team, with one remaining behind?”
Hanbert looked slightly embarrassed. “That was at our request I am afraid. We did not want to be invaded by hordes of strangers, but wanted the chance to hear about the outside world. It seemed the ideal solution. It also gives us the opportunity to teach the one who remains behind more about us. There is too much to explain in just one a day.”
Sam looked around. “Where the children are for instance?”
Hanbert smiled. “The building to your right is the school house. The children take lessons there most days and eat their meals together. We all take it in turns to teach them reading, writing and basic sums. We actually do all of the work by rota, though the cooking and cleaning is mainly done by the women and the fishing and building mostly by the men.”
“What do you do with those who don’t pull their weight?”
Hanbert looked confused. “I do not understand.”
“Surely not everyone does their fair share of the work,” Sam continued.
The frown did not leave the shaten’s face. “Of course they do. Only those who are too young, too old, or with child do not participate, though sometimes it is hard to make them take it easy. We work together as a team to get everything done and everything is shared equally.”
“What about the sick?” Sam persisted
“Sickness does not exist here in Yallend. Drinking from the fountain cured all of our sick upon our arrival and has prevented all illnesses since.” Sam was about to tell him he must be delusional when Hurst cried out.
“What is it?” she asked, concerned. When Hurst turned to look at her there were tears in his eyes.
“I can see,” he said, his voice full of wonder.
Chapter 20
“I told you the fountain cured all sickness,” Hanbert explained once Hurst had calmed down enough to listen. “When our people first arrived here, none of them were intact. They were malnourished and dehydrated, some were lame, others burning up with fever, but just one drink from that fountain and all showed immediate signs of improvement. None of the shaten have died from illness ever since.”
“My blindness was not an illness,” Hurst interrupted.
“It is not just illness the fountain cures. Just last week my nephew had an accident while building his house. His arm was badly crushed. If not for the fountain, we would have had to amputate and he may well have died of gangrene, blood poisoning or blood loss. Instead we lay him in the fountain and allowed him to consume nothing but the water it provided. The next morning his arm was completely back to normal. The only evidence of his accident was a slight scar running down his forearm, though that is almost impossible to see now unless you are looking for it.”
Sam was sceptical, but she kept her doubts to herself. Ever since she had been a young child she had needed to see evidence; very rarely did she believe what she was told without asking for proof. This was no exception, though she felt it would be rude of her to voice her opinion.
Hurst, too, looked doubtful. “May I be excused?” he asked. “It has been many years since I was able to see anything with my eyes. I would like to look once again upon the beauty of nature. I wish to spend some time down by the lake.”
As he walked away, Sam rose. “I’ll go with him,” she said. “Just in case his sight is temporary and he needs someone to guide him back.”
“There is no need,” Hanbert informed her. “Experience has shown us that he will be fine until tomorrow. Depending on what caused the blindness, drinking the water may result in a permanent cure in just a few days, or a longer period may be required.”
Sam, nevertheless, accompanied Hurst to the lake; she wanted to talk to him without being overheard by any of the shaten. It took them a while to walk to the lake shore as Hurst persistently stopped to look around, constantly exclaiming how wonderful everything looked. Though she understood and even empathised, Sam couldn’t help feeling irritated by the delay. She wanted to discuss developments with Salabine and voice her concerns to both the dragon and Hurst. She felt like leaving him and running ahead, but she distrusted the shaten and did not want to leave him unattended in case his eyesight failed again.
When they eventually reached the lake, Sam called to Salabine. The dragon immediately poked her head out of the water and swam toward the shore. As soon as he laid eyes on her, Hurst lost his ability to speak. By the time she was close enough to liaise with the humans without them having to shout, Hurst had recovered enough to speak to the dragon. Tears were making trails down his cheeks as he told her, “Your beauty takes my breath away. If my sight has not been permanently restored and never can be, I will still always be grateful to the shaten for allowing me to see such a majestic creature.”
“I like him,” Salabine informed Sam, her jaws opening slightly in a wide grin. Sam and Hurst spent the next hour filling the dragon in on all that had happened since they had been unceremoniously dropped into the water. Salabine had to remain partly submerged, as there was no clearing big enough to accommodate her and she did not wish to knock down any of the surrounding trees, but she didn’t seem to mind. She lay down with her front legs stretched out in front of her and rested her head on them.
“I don’t know why, but I distrust them,” Sam said once Salabine had been brought up to date. “Something I can’t quite put my finger on seems wrong and I don’t believe the story about the fountain saving a completely crushed arm.”
“I understand your concern, but I shook hands with many of our hosts and not one appeared to be hiding anything. If they are lying to us, they are the first people to have found a way to hide it from me. The emotions they emit are full of warmth and friendship and their thoughts are full of questions about us and what is happening in the outside world. They are particularly curious about you Sam.”
“I’m not doubting your ability, Hurst, but something is making me uneasy. Where, for example, is the member of the first team to arrive here who was forced to remain behind? Is he, or she, being held prisoner somewhere?”
“If you wish to know anything, you only have to ask and we will answer to the best of our abilities. We have nothing to hide.”
Sam swung around in surprise and found herself looking at one of the shaten; the figure within the tightly wrapped clothing suggested it was a young woman, but the face remained covered, leaving some room for doubt.
“You shouldn’t sneak up on people,” Sam snapped at her.
“My apologies. I did not intend to startle you. Spending our entire lives in the desert has taught us the ability to walk on sand silently. My name is Kirren. I have been sent to check that nothing is amiss.” Her voice was soft and light and Sam thought she could detect a trace of amusement as she spoke.
“I find it hard to fully trust someone when they constantly have their face covered.”
“Calm yourself,” Hurst said soothingly to Sam. “You need to remember that these people are not used to visitors and probably do not realise that some of their customs may seem strange to us.”
“We do not mean to hide anything from you.” Kirren carefully unwound the cloth from her head as she spoke, revealing a young, pretty face with a shy smile. The family resemblance to Hanbert was unmistakable. “He is my older brother,” she confirmed when Sam enquired about the relationship. She then proceeded to answer the questions that Sam had already posed, in a calm composed manner, not the least bit insulted by Sam’s abruptness.
“We keep our faces covered because of the sand. Wind storms are not uncommon and even the slightest breeze can pick up the sand and throw it around, without any warning. Our clothing is designed to keep sand away from our skin as much as possible. Having to regularly wash the sand ou
t of your eyes and mouth soon teaches you to keep yourself covered at all times.”
Sam nodded her understanding. She could see the logic behind this explanation, but it did not mean there were no other, more sinister, reasons they wanted to hide their expressions when speaking.
“You asked about our other visitor,” Kirren continued. “Brin spends most of his time in the schoolhouse. He has a lot of knowledge that we do not possess and the children have really taken to him. You are more than welcome to converse with him about us and our treatment of him whenever you wish, if it will help allay your suspicions.”
“Please do not misunderstand us, my dear,” Hurst addressed Kirren, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. “It is not that we distrust your people or their intentions, but our group, especially Sam, has been through a lot and trust has to be earned, as does respect.”
Kirren looked thoughtful, as though this was a new concept to her. “That must work both ways then,” she stated. “I overheard Sam telling her history to my brother, but what of you Hurst. Will you tell me your story? How did you become blind, for example?”
Hurst smiled ruefully then settled down on the sand, looking out across the lake. The two ladies made themselves comfortable beside him as he began his tale. Even Salabine appeared to be listening.
“I was not born blind,” he began, “though I do not remember the world being as beautiful as it is here. I lived in a village, close to the mountains. My father was a blacksmith and my mother a dress maker. Being the youngest of five, and the only boy, I tended to get spoilt. From the moment I was strong enough to lift a hammer, my father started teaching me his trade and my mother always gave me the best cut of meat or the biggest slice of pie. My sisters did not mind though, there was no jealousy or resentment. I was only six years old when I caught karem fever. My family were devastated; nobody in my village had ever heard of anyone surviving. In desperation, my father trekked into the mountains in search of the witch. She had a fearful reputation and the villagers were terrified of her, though I have no idea what she did to cause this. Many tried to convince my father to stay by my side instead of going on a fool’s quest, stating that my mother would be better off losing just a son instead of a husband as well, but he would not listen to them. It took him two days to find the witch’s cottage, by which time he was exhausted as he had not stopped to rest for more than a few minutes at a time.”
“The witch turned out to be nothing more than a lonely old woman who was able to perform magic. She listened to my father’s tale while feeding him rabbit stew, with a restorative mixed in to renew his strength. As soon as he had eaten his fill, she packed a small bag from her medicine cupboard and accompanied him on the journey back to the village. I was barely breathing when they arrived. The witch took one look at me then sent my sisters out to pick a large quantity of some special berry that she described carefully to them. She did not really need the berries, she just wanted them out of the way while she explained to my parents that there was only one cure that she knew of for karem fever in its advanced stages, but it had nasty side effects. They were given the choice; watch me die or take away my sight.”
He paused to take a deep breath before continuing. “Neither of my parents gave it any thought. What importance was my sight compared to my life? My mother boiled water into which the witch poured various ingredients from her bag while she recited an incantation. By the time it had cooled enough for them to pour it down my throat, my sisters had returned with their arms full of berries. They were instructed to assist my mother in baking a pie, again to distract them. When I had fully recovered, my father told me about the screams I emitted that evening while the medicine was working its way through me. He said that if he never heard a human being make that noise again he would die a happy man. Thankfully I have no memory at all of my illness or my cure. All I can remember is going to sleep one night and waking up what felt like the next morning completely blind.”
Hurst went silent, his tale complete. To Sam though, it did not feel complete. “So what happened next? When did you get your ability to read people’s minds?”
Hurst sighed. “An unexpected side effect of the cure, though I am still not sure if it is a blessing or a curse. Once I got over the shock of no longer being able to see, and believe me I cried myself to sleep many a night for a few months, I realised that I could sense things when I touched people. At first it scared me, but eventually I plucked up the courage to ask the witch about it. She stayed living with my family for a few days in case a second dose of the medicine was needed and ended up never leaving. She became almost like a grandmother to the children of the household. She was not able to help me as she had never heard of this happening before, but she did manage to persuade me to talk to my family.
“My sisters thought it was great and from then on made sure that all potential boyfriends were introduced to me so I could inform them of the young men’s real intentions. Outwardly my parents were happy for me, but deep down they were worried. I could feel their fear whenever I touched them, though it took a few years for me to uncover the source of that fear.”
“Somehow word of my ability spread. Wives started to approach me to see if I could find out if their husbands were being unfaithful and vice versa. Eventually everyone began to avoid me, or at least to avoid all physical contact with me. A simple handshake became taboo, except for my family. During the warmer months the usual travellers and traders came to the village, but they started taking news of my abilities with them.
“Eventually the local Lord got to hear about me and he instantly thought of ways I could be put to use. One day a group of soldiers came knocking on the door, demanding I accompany them back to the castle. My mother, of course, refused, so they pushed her aside and arrested me. My father was at a neighbour’s house so my mother and sisters ran screaming for help down the street. I may have been shunned by most of the villagers, but as soon as they heard what had happened they came to my rescue. With the help of the witch, who by then had been accepted by everyone and had become the village healer, they managed to release me from the soldiers and send them empty handed back to the Lord.”
“Everyone knew that there would be real trouble after that, so a meeting was called in the village hall. For the first time in village history, everyone attended, women and children included. The debate went on for many hours until it was obvious there was only one option; I had to leave the village. I was initially sent to an Aunt who lived in a nearby town. I was passed from person to person, town to town, whenever my safety was in question until I ended up in Remeny.
“Tor’s grandfather came across me and took me under his wing, so to speak. He took me on as his advisor and treated me with complete honesty and courtesy. I was provided with a very decent income, somewhere to live, a housekeeper who also took care of the cooking and even my own serving boy to act as my eyes whenever I left my cottage. All I had to do in return was shake hands with all of his visitors and report back to him anything I thought he should know. Not once did he ask me to find out anything and he never questioned what I told him. If I did not tell him anything about a visitor, then he accepted that I knew nothing he needed to know about. He even took me on his travels to other countries.”
He looked at Sam. “Most of the stories I told you on our journey here are true; not all, but most. When the King died, his son, Tor’s father, kept me on. So, that is how I met Tor and ended up helping him on his quest.”
“What happened to your family and the rest of the villagers?” Sam asked. “Did the Lord take revenge on them for spiriting you away?”
Hurst laughed. It was the first time Sam had heard him laugh so heartily and she liked the sound. “No,” he informed her. “The leaders of my village were very wise. When the Lord turned up with half his army, they simply denied everything. When questioned, my parents said they had only daughters and the Lord could find no villager who would corroborate the soldiers’ story. They made out that the soldiers
had never been to the village before. With the help of a tonic the witch brewed up and slipped into the Lord’s wine, he took the villagers word over the soldiers and left the village in peace.
“Once I was settled in Remeny I sent word to my family and they have visited me a few times. All of my sisters married and had children, but not one of them would allow their husbands to cross my doorstep without shaking my hand. They all knew about my mind reading abilities and I am pleased to say that not one of them hesitated. My nieces and nephews come to see me sometimes, with their offspring. It feels good to know that I may actually be able to see them next time.”
“Thank you for telling me your tale,” Kirren said. “May I ask one more favour?”
“Of course. What can I do for you?”
“May I talk to your dragon? I have read a lot about them and have seen many flying past in the sky, but I have never actually met one before.” She spoke quickly, as though rushing to get all of the words out before she lost her nerve, then looked down into her lap, her face flushed with embarrassment.
She was rewarded by a deep laugh from Salabine. “I do not belong to anyone,” she chortled. “You need not ask permission to speak with me.”
Kirren was delighted and immediately started asking questions, firing the next one off as soon as the first had been answered. She became so caught up in her conversation she did not notice Hurst and Sam leave the lake.
They made their way back to the central square without any trouble and went in search of Hanbert. They found him inside one of the buildings near the fountain where he was organising somewhere for them to sleep for the night. They were shown to a room containing two neatly made up beds and promised answers to any questions they still had in the morning. Though quite early, the day’s exploits had taken their toll on Hurst and Sam so they both lay on the beds and were instantly asleep.
The Guide Page 26
