by F M Andrews
He nodded and followed her to a reading table situated under a tall window. The bottom pain opaque, although he could see the grey sky through the clear pain at the top.
They sat down opposite each other. Myssan placed his hand on the table between them and Eva reached out once more to touch him. “Now, tell me why you chose me!” she demanded
Myssan found her intense stare quite unnerving. He was painfully aware of the impact his next words would make on her life. There simply was no alternative and no turning back now. Slowly and very carefully he outlined who he was, where he had come from and why he was there. Although she sat silent the whole time, a myriad of emotions raced, one after the other, across her face as his explanation unfolded. There was disbelief followed by concern that he might be crazy and at this point she nearly pulled her hand away but curiosity got the better of her, and she continued the contact.
When he eventually came to the end she leaned back in her seat, blew out a long breath and stared up at the sky for a long time. Myssan could scarcely breathe, so much depended on her reaction. Finally she brought her gaze back down to him and he could see that her beautiful eyes were swimming with tears. She reached down and pulled out a pendant that had been hidden beneath her knitted jersey and stared at it as if she had never seen it before. Quietly she said something in her own language. Myssan raised a questioning eyebrow and smiling apologetically she touched his hand once more. “My mother gave this to me when she died.” Heavy sadness coloured this statement. “She said her mother did the same. I never take it off, even when I dance. It is part of me.” The shard was truly stunning and Myssan could not take his eyes off it. It looked as if it was alive. Iridescent colours swirled deep within its heart and he could feel its pull so strongly that he had to fight to resist the urge to reach out and touch it.
The tears finally spilt over her lashes and rolled down her cheeks unheeded as she sat lost in thought. Myssan respectfully gave her silence and space although his heart was aching for her. He had always thought that this was just a figure of speech until this moment when he discovered that this pain can be as real and as tangible as any physical injury. She sniffed and went rummaging through her bag for a tissue. Wiping her eyes and nose she seemed to have come to a decision and she gently took his hand in between her two small, delicate ones and leaned forward, her sad smile tightened the band around his chest.
“You know life can be so ironic sometimes. If you had come six months ago I would have jumped at the chance for adventure but now I have finally been accepted into an amazing dance company and we are going to perform at The Sadler's Wells Theatre.” She looked at him meaningfully and he understood that this was something impressive. “Yet, despite that I am sure my conscience would probably have got the better of me and I would have come with you in the end; however, that was six months ago, before I was diagnosed with terminal cancer, before I knew that I was dying.”
Myssan reeled back shocked, but she continued on, taking away all hope. “I have a brain tumour. It is inoperable. I have been in remission for the last few months but last week I was told that it has returned with a vengeance, and that I may only have a few weeks left to live.”
Chapter Twenty
Lutex stumbled.
Limbo had terrified him. It had been dark and silent, two things he hated, but when he finally dropped out of the nothingness, he almost wished he could go straight back there. Shockingly he had been spat out to land on a very narrow rocky ledge high up on a sheer cliff face. Scrambling backwards away from the knee-buckling precipice he came hard up against a wall of rock behind him, it’s solid presence helping to calm his racing heart. He leaned back against it, closed his eyes and tried to catch his breath. A fierce wind roared up the cliff making his hair stand on end and buffering him as if he were no more substantial than a fallen leaf. His fingers desperately sought something to hold on to, something to anchor him. A tiny crack presented itself to his searching fingers and he clung to it for dear life.
Slowly he calmed himself and taking a cautious peek with one eye he reassessed his situation. The ledge he was standing on was wider than he had first thought, perhaps as wide as he was tall, but beyond it was only sky. He could not see the bottom, just a few clouds floating far below and some distant peaks. He swallowed and gingerly turned his head to one side. There was not much to see. The ledge continued on for a short distance before abruptly ending. A single tree had managed to take root here and, against the odds, had gallantly grown to quite a size before succumbing to a lightning strike. Its burnt carcass still remained, pointing accusingly at the sky.
Despite himself, Lutex grinned. At least he would have no trouble finding this spot again. That was, he thought ruefully, if he was ever able to actually leave here in the first place. He was running out of options. Slowly he turned his head to face in the other direction. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he saw that the ledge continued on in this direction. It was narrow and strewn with loose rocks but it offered him a chance to escape the precarious situation he was in now.
He was bone weary and longed for food and a safe place to curl up and sleep for a day or two. The first step required more courage than he had ever used before and it took a lifetime to convince his jelly-like legs to shuffle sideways. Then he had to force his fingers to let go and slide across the rock face until they reached another hold. This was going to take quite some time.
He crept down the ledge at a snail's pace, occasionally disturbing the odd rock that would careen off into space, bouncing off the cliff face as it went. Each step took all his concentration and willpower as the buffeting wind was making any move unpredictable. Thankfully the weather was fine and it was not unbearably cold but the large sun was definitely on the way down and Lutex doubted sincerely if he could survive a night exposed out here.
Fortunately the ledge was level. He was not sure how he would cope if it suddenly ascended, or worse, descended, yet he could see he was soon going to have to deal with a corner as the ledge junked[CL21] around a rocky outcrop, narrowing as it went, and blocking his view of the rest of the path. He was gaining a small amount of confidence, but this obstacle looked very scary. He gulped, staring. “Just get it over with and stop overthinking it,” he told himself. It was his mother's favourite saying and he could almost hear her voice in the wind. Step by cautious step he maneuvered around the obstruction, his eyes focusing on the ground and mind focusing on his hand holds. The wind swirled across the bluff, causing eddies that threatened to tug him off yet, amazingly, he eventually found himself past the bulge. Thankfully the ledge widened again and not ten paces away a sloping alpine meadow intersected the cliff.
He stopped to savour the moment and catch his breath. There was a small patch of rubble and scree to scramble over before he could reach the slope but that was easy compared with the ledge. “The mighty Lutex overcomes adversity once again!” he thought, smiling to himself as he gingerly continued to edge himself towards the relative safety of the inviting grassland. He could sense the shard as a dull background noise coming from somewhere down the mountain and he knew there was no need to pinpoint it exactly just yet.
By dusk he found himself in a high alpine meadow, thinking that it was time to prepare himself to settle down for the night. He had been surprised how like Feld this world appeared. The air was fresh and clear, and the plants, the sky and the amount of talent he could use here were also similar. The only thing that was markedly different was that there appeared to be no bird or animal life. It was strangely silent. Little midges performed their weird, vertical dance in the evening light, just like home, but that was the only sign of life he could see.
A loud noise from his rumbling tummy reminded him that he was starving and sent him rummaging in his pack until he found a travel biscuit in the shape of a dog, which he woofed. He washed it down with some water, unpacked his blanket and looked for a safe, warmish place to sleep.
Not once in his entire life had he ever been
alone. This was a completely new experience for him. Even though travelling with Hexrick had been strange at first, away from the hustle and bustle of his crowded family home, he had found himself enjoying the one on one relationship and tonight he found himself missing the gruff knight so much that his stomach hurt.
This was going to be tough. He took a shuddering breath and told himself that it was only twenty-two days and then he would be going home. All he had to do was complete his quest and survive. Strangely the thought of the quest perked him up and gave him something other than self-pity to focus on. Quietly he sat, closed his eyes, and concentrated on searching for the shard. Instantly he felt its presence. It was distant but its pull was unmistakable and he turned his face towards it, the last rays of sunset warming his eyelids. Tomorrow he would begin his journey to find it but tonight he needed sleep desperately. He discovered a sheltered spot next to a large boulder, rolled himself in his blanket and was asleep before the first stars appeared in the clear night sky overhead.
During the night he had huddled deep into his blanket, covering his head to stop the nip of frost biting at his nose and ears. After waking it took him a moment to remember where he was and another moment to pluck up enough courage to face the cold, new world that awaited him. Peeping wearily over the edge of his blanket he was greeted by a vista covered in a thin, white crisp coating of ice. It was beautiful as it sparkled in the early morning light. Sitting fully upright he gazed around, his breath hovering in misty clouds in front of him.
The view was stunning. The meadow sloped gently down towards a line of trees, clothed in dark green, and beyond that he could see a snow-capped range of rugged mountains marching purposely off into the distance. Slowly he uncurled his stiff legs, stood tall and stretched, groaning like an old man. Time for breakfast. Singing quietly in his head, he opened his pack and searched inside for some food. A strange noise made him quickly look up and he found himself staring straight into two large, blue eyes that were boring into him not a hand's breadth away. The biscuit fell to the ground as Lutex’s mouth gaped open and the bag slipped from his fingers. The eyes blinked once and instantly disappeared.
Lutex closed his mouth and looked around frantically. Had he imagined this? Was he suffering from some sort of hallucination? He had heard someone talk about mountain sickness before, was this what he had? He closed his eyes again, concentrating and shook his head. Strangely he could feel another presence close by. Cautiously, he peered through half open lids and caught a glimpse of a large, brown furry body sitting opposite him, head cocked to one side as it stared at him as if he were a curious object to be examined. The creature looked a bit like a very large cat but it had round ears and a huge, thick tail. It did not look dangerous but Lutex was sure the sharp claws he could see would cause a lot of damage if provoked.
Carefully Lutex raised his hand towards the beast and tried to project calming thoughts. The cat-like creature blinked again but other than that it did not move a muscle until it, once again, it disappeared. Lutex was not put off this time and slowly reached out to where he felt the animal was sitting. It must have been so sure of its invisibility that it did not move until Lutex was very close and then it only leaned away just out of reach. Lutex was not fooled and using his talent rather than his eyes, he lunged.
Contact was accompanied by a blast of images and thoughts from the animal, all overwhelmingly accompanied by a feeling of absolute surprise. For his part, Lutex bombarded the creature with calming, reassuring thoughts of friendliness and trustworthiness. Basically he just opened himself up for scrutiny hoping that his honest, good intentions would be enough to win it over. Very tentatively the animal sniffed Lutex’s outstretched hand. It was puzzled. This was beyond any experience it had ever had. If it didn’t want to be seen, all it had to do was to alter the observer’s mind so that they would not see him. It worked every time and it could not understand why this strange, gangly, furless creature could still see it.
Lutex let the cat-like thing sniff him all over and then gently lifted his hand to scratch it behind the ears. He could tell immediately that this was something the animal enjoyed as it leaned into his hand as if asking for more. It could sense Lutex’s good will and in no time it was rubbing itself all over the boy. The images Lutex was receiving told a story. This was a young animal who had recently left its home to find a place of its own in the world. He, yes it was a male, had left two brothers and his mother behind further up the mountain. He was quite lonely and missed his family but he was also enjoying the freedom of making his own decisions and keeping his own kills.
It was easy to hunt when your prey could not see you, but still, food was scarce and too many hunters in one area caused shortages. His main prey were small ground dwelling animals with short snouts and no tails. They were a tasty morsel and the cat’s favourite. Lutex was surprised by how lucid its thoughts were, it was almost as if it were deliberately telling its story, almost like a conversation.
Lutex couldn't resist stroking the wonderfully soft, thick fur and was rewarded with a loud purr. Very much like a cat, then, he thought but as his hand stilled a clear, unmistakable un-cat-like thought shot into his mind. “Don’t stop! Tubble likes that. Do it more.” This animal could communicate its thoughts. Lutex supposed it was only logical really, if it was used to manipulating others minds to make them think he was invisible, surely communication would be a simple task for it. Unfortunately for Lutex the fact that Tubble could mind talk suddenly presented him with a terrible dilemma. Growing up in a noisy, busy household he had never felt the need to talk. Everyone seemed to know what he wanted and it was easier to be in the background. He enjoyed observing rather than being the centre of attention. Consequently he had never bothered to talk, there was no need, and as he grew older, his silence became part of who he was. Now, the fact that this cat could mind talk forced him to reassess his position. Was he going to communicate or not?
His first, gut instinct was to stay silent; after all, he was so unpractised at talking, but then again he was all alone here in a strange world, and having someone to answer questions might just be the difference between success and death. He gathered himself mentally and sat up straighter. This should not be so difficult he thought but it was like shattering the ice on a pond. Making the first crack took a huge effort but, hopefully, it would be easier from then on. Stealing himself, gritting his teeth he formed a shaky sentence and thought, “Would Tubble like a scratch under his chin as well?” Not the most auspicious first sentence, he smiled to himself, but it was a beginning. The ice was broken.
“Hmm, not know. Like to try.” Came the reply. Lutex complied and the rumbling purr grew louder. “Tubble like!”
Lutex shivered. “I am cold.” He thought to Tubble and immediately there was an image of Tubble and his family all sleeping in one big huddle and a lovely feeling of warmth and security accompanied it. Tubble moved closer and leaned into Lutex who put his arms around the big cat and buried his face in his fur. Unannounced, a wave of homesickness washed over Lutex and he gave into it knowing that he was now in a safe place to be able to do this.
Tubble watched Lutex’s images of home and family and even gruff old Hexrick parade past, not making any comment until Lutex had cried himself out of tears and then quietly thought, “Family nice. We family now.” Tubble purred as he licked Lutex’s tears with his very rough tongue. Hugging the cat tighter, a lump came to his throat at the sudden, unexpected kindness.
Slowly the sun rose over the distant peaks sending long shafts of probing light towards the spot where the cat and his boy sat. Eventually Lutex could wait no longer and much as it pained him to do so he had to say goodbye to Tubble. He had a mission to complete and time was ticking on.
“I have to go now, Tubble, but I hope I will see you when I pass through this way again.”
“Tubble come too.” The cat replied immediately, standing and stretching luxuriously.
“No, I am sorry, but I can’t ask you
to come, it might be dangerous and I have no idea where I might be going or what might happen,” Lutex thought sadly.
“Tubble come too. Tubble like adventure!” was all the reply he received.
Lutex smiled. He was grateful, but he just hoped that he was not going to regret this. The last thing he wanted was for someone else to suffer because of him; however, he could see that Tubble had made up his mind and there would be no changing it. Besides, Lutex thought, let’s be real about this, there was no way he could prevent an invisible cat following him, even if he wanted to.
“Come on, then. I will explain everything as we go.”
Tubble raced off in excitement before suddenly stopping and turning back to face Lutex. “Tubble not know where we are going.”
Lutex gasped, this cat was full of surprises, Not only could he mind talk, he had just proven that he could do so without having to touch Lutex. He obviously had enough talent to project his thoughts over distance.
Lutex grinned. “That makes two of us, but I do know we have to go in that direction,” he thought, pointing down the slope and away from the rising sun.
“Then we go,” Tubble answered, bounding through the long grass, his tail dancing behind him.
It was a beautiful day, “late summer”, Tubble had informed him, with only one or two fluffy, white clouds hanging around the higher peaks. The colours of this world were vibrant. Lutex gazed at the aquamarine blues of the sky, the luscious greens of the grass and distant trees and the vivid white snow caps. The wild flowers in the alpine meadow reminded him of a rainbow. The hum of insects was loud but there was still no sign of any birds. Lutex projected an image of one to Tubble and the only response he received was a blank look.
As they grew closer to the line of trees Lutex could see that they were quite different from the trees in Feld. First of all the trunks and branches were green and looked soft, almost like skin. The leaves were large and all were turned to face the sun. Large seed pods, about as big as Lutex’s clenched fist, dangled sparsely from the ends of one or two branches. A few pods had already opened but many looked as if they would burst in any moment. “The seeding has started. Lots more today I think,” Tubble’s thoughts sounded delighted as he sat under a tree, waiting for Lutex to catch up.
