Immunity Shot

 

Ayleah ventured over to the spot a little ways down the bank where the older woman sat, purposefully apart from the group in the crook of a wood outcropping. Introductions among the rest of them had been completed, and Telon had broken off to converse with his scholarly friend. She knew they had much to tell each other and would probably be kept busy for a while. Riannath and her squad had been most accommodating, but Ayleah also felt out of place among the military personnel. She didn't know how she could be of help to their defensive preparations, so she strayed alone along the hard sandy hillock. The older woman had not introduced herself with the others, but had watched the two of them land with some interest. Ayleah knew there was something special about her, and was curious as to what kind of person she might be.

Vesti looked up as the young woman traveler approached. On the sand in front of her a small pile of some herbs and incense finished smoldering into ash. It was a sort of meditation of her own, and she indicated as such to the one who joined her. “Centering, and purification.” she said. “We are in a troubling time right now, and so must be vigilant about maintaining our spiritual immune systems.”

The younger woman came and sat on the wooden embankment next to her. “Oh,” she replied, “-forgive me for intruding. Only, I saw that you avoided the introductions earlier, and yet you seemed like someone I would like to meet.”

Vesti smiled a little. “I bet you do see many things. In company I go by the name Vesti, and I am not one to force my presence on others. If we are to meet, then it shall so be.”

“Ayleah Pine.” the other said, indicating herself. “And I've arrived here with my mentor because...it kind of just felt like the right thing to do.” There was a hint of a question in her statement, but she did not out-rightly push its answering. “...forgive me again,” she continued through the pause, “but are you...a woods-witch?”

Vesti smiled again, and gave a nod. “Yes, that is what many would call me, and not without good reason. Others might say a 'woman of wisdom', which to me is a little better on the ears, but who am I to tell them what to say.” Ayleah returned the lighthearted energy, and so she continued.

“In the end I'm no different in my abilities than your scholars with their robes and staves. The way in which we do differ is in how we gather our knowledge. If our abilities in turn diverge that is the reason why. They-” and here she gestured to the figures of Davai and Telon in the distance, “-seek wisdom from logic and theory, building their thoughts one upon another in towering constructions. I Work with the foundations. My wisdom comes from grubby experience with the real natural world. I guess you could say we both conduct experiments, but mine give more control over to the forces that underlie us all.”

The traveler girl, for her part, seemed fascinated, and she gave assent to the general characterization, though she did put in a good word for her mentor. “To Telon's credit, he is different from most scholars I've met. He's taught me quite a bit about the land, and often through hands-on experience. His regard for elemental energies has actually gotten him in trouble more than once.” She smiled, evidently remembering, but then a more troubled look crossed her face. She leaned forward towards her knees and looked at Vesti more directly. The witch could feel a very slight magnetic pull, even through her daily protection fields. “I met someone like you recently, but someone who had perhaps...less wisdom than her ambition could handle. She tried to entrap me and use my power against mine and other's wills.”

Vesti gave her a serious look. “It is true that while our code is moral, it does not bind us together as one. We who listen to the wild are bound to certain ethics, but we remain wild ourselves through the nature of our work. Some of us are to be rightly feared.” She drew herself up proudly now. “But you have my assurance Ms. Pine, that I am on your side and would never seek to entrap or harm you. I do live by a code of honor to harm none in my pursuit of magic. We have both been drawn here to help the Commandant, and the power of our group is now growing. Trust in our collective power; it will see us through the coming struggles.” Vesti bent low over the earth and blew away the small pile of ash, leaving a dark smudge on the hardened sand.

-

Ayleah stood up at the edge of the small woods, looking out across a vast field of short-clipped grain. Local cities harvested fields in this manner, and the open space made for easier traveling, but it also made it look like a desert: brown and exposed to the sky. The guards on duty had warned her not to stay too long, for they were expecting danger any day, and from any direction, but most likely from this field to the north. There had apparently been a coup or something at the local Imperium military fort, and the Commandant had been forced out along with her personal squad. The troops that held this riverbank, as well as a rearguard on the south shore, were those still loyal and trying to take back the fort for their leader who still legally held the title. They knew if Riannath could only get into the fort she would be able to re-enforce her command. There were protocols in place for defense that only she knew, and more loyal troops at the base, undoubtedly locked up at the moment. Ayleah had unintentionally placed herself on the front-line of a local military branch's conflict with the Imperium intelligentsia. She took in a deep breath, held it for a second, and then let it out long and slow. This was right though. Vesti was right, Riannath needed her power as well. This was the place she had been drawn to, and she had made it just in time. The thought and understanding of the situation had barely formed in her mind, when an explosion rocked the air around her. She swung around to see a section of trees away to her left engulf in flames as another rocket whooshed directly past and hit the grove somewhere off to her right. As she ran back toward the shoreline, everyone else seemed to be running too.

Gatherpoint

 

It was usually a pleasant blank space, that place behind her eyelids she went in times of reflection. It was always just a soft uniform shade, muted of even any sense of color. This was an essential factor in the calm she found when closing her eyes. Sometimes there had been colors though, unbidden and swirling gently in her inner awareness. They came like purposeful daydreams: not wholly separate from a vivid imagining. It was as if they were the raw pigments of inner imagination, lying at the ready for a painter's ideation. Her meditation was not hindered by them, but sometimes she wondered at their meaning. She wondered if there was any reasoning to when they showed, or further, where they came from. Were they products of her own consciousness, arising due to circumstances around her life, or were they leaking in from something nearby, something that wanted her attention? She would ask that question of them, as she did this one. It was with the same calmness that she used when questioning the motives of her own passing thoughts: a compassionate and present 'What do you need from me?' 'Why are you here?'

The curious orange energy gave no answer, but almost seemed to...regard her momentarily before slowly fading into the distance. She resisted the urge to think about the experience, and slipped back into open meditative awareness. The goal of the practice was not to gain answers, but to garner clarity of present mind. It allowed her to see more broadly and clearly in the coming moments, training her neural networks to stay free of stress under any working conditions. If interesting findings came up during the meditation, they could be reviewed later in a moment of downtime.

The sound of the shoreline alert roused Riannath's consciousness up out of meditation. Her awareness returned to the physical world, but she attempted (as always) to let her mind stay in its state of soft open awareness. It was a secret weapon she had against her oppositions in life.

The Commandant arrived at her post above the river and quickly assessed the state of things. There was a rustle of preparation as the lookouts tracked a single military vessel approaching from upstream. It bore the markings of Andrus' crew, but had not made any signs of engagement. Perhaps it hadn't seen their encampment. It was taking a strangely casual course, drifting near to the shore almost absentmindedly. Riannath was conferring with those who had sighted it when the scholar Davai approached with sudden input on the situation. Upon hearing what he had to say, Riannath called for the boat to be hailed and brought to shore.

As their boat approached the steep muddy shoreline, the small greeting party on the bank above became clearer. The military group stood slightly back, blending in with the trees, but Ayleah could see the leader's gleaming helm and epaulets. Nearby on the high bank were some simple fortifications that seemed hastily made but bristled with threat. To her surprise, one member of the party was familiar. A bookish sort of man in brown scholar's robes stood next to the commander.

Telon, for his part, tried to contain any hint of his surprise at seeing Davai there on that riverbank. It was not that he doubted Davai's inclination to be at the right place at the right time, but rather that he was somewhat amused at the thought of the House-sage on such an adventure. Telon had been a bit of a thorn in Davai's side during their shared time at the Sanctuary, in no small part due to Telon's own adventurous ways. The rebellious nature of the blue-robed scholar fleeing intellectual persecution chafed against the upright morals of Davai's neatly-kept household of wisdom. Though they frequently had their differences of opinion, they had at least agreed on certain theoretical principles, freedom chiefly among them. It had all simmered into a sort of wonderful contentious friendship, and Telon looked forward to the dynamic returning.

They landed and a crew set about camouflaging their boat among the hanging grasses and scrub-brush as Telon and Ayleah were escorted up a narrow muddy lane into the camp. A small command post had been raised on the riverside embankment, protecting a sandy dell below the forest floor. Tall ancient trees sheltered them from the north, but little could be seen beyond the dell, and the air carried a slight tension. Davai introduced Telon to the Commandant, and Telon in turn introduced Ayleah to the group. Ayleah had met Davai already, also under somewhat contentious circumstances, but she couldn't tell if he remembered the encounter. The military leader stepped forward to shake her hand.

“Welcome, Ayleah Pine, to our camp. I cannot say this will be a safe place for you, but if you and your scholarly mentor have come to help our cause then I give thanks and will show all appreciation due. You are one of us now, and have our trust.”

Ayleah met the other woman's eyes as they shook hands. This was the person in the photo she had been asked about. Commandant Riannath Emberly had a presence that evoked respect, but not from age or even her formal status. She was not cold either, demanding a submission to her will. This was a commandant whose respect came from a sheer maturity and courage to be open in heart and mind. She had an immense clarity to her that shone like an unbreakable crystal, and Ayleah knew immediately that this was a person from whom she could learn a great deal.

On the other end of the encounter, Riannath considered the young woman before her. She was dressed as a simple traveler, but very well, with a curious eye for style and a scholarly fashion to her belting and arms. She had an unobtrusive presence, as if she might blend in well to a space, and yet none could forget seeing her. There was a presence about her, one that nagged at Riannath to remember what it meant. The young woman's eyes too, held a quiet command. It was a gaze that softened one's heart with the query 'Why not?' Why would you not give respect to this person who stands before you and who is no less deserving of it than yourself? It was an intoxicating sort of power, and it spoke of energies beyond the world of humans. The meeting thrilled Riannath inwardly, and she was glad to have gone into it with a refreshed state of mind.

Telon observed the meeting of Ayleah and Riannath, noting the mutual power they recognized in each other. This could be a prosperous group together, if they all continued the same direction. He was intrigued too by the older woman he had seen lurking by the edge of the camp. She had kept away from the introductions, but watched the entire encounter with interest. Telon guessed she was connected to Davai in some way. The woman was dressed simply, but her wear looked practically motley compared to the austere troops that mostly populated the camp. Telon suspected she was a woods-witch, and was eager to ask Davai how they knew each other.

Boats

 

Ayleah captained the small military boat, taking her turn at the helm. The current was strong, and they swept easily past the large desolate sandbars that raised lazy arms from the deep. These islands rarely supported any life she could see; the river was constantly reshaping them. Sometimes a larger boulder would poke from the bank or emerge from a shallower stretch, but the primary channel was easy to navigate. The sand islands and the high banks seemed lonely; a world sculpted by nature but too unstable to be really known. Across from her in the boat Telon sat at ease, gazing through the scenery around them at something more interesting that only he could see. It was a quiet moment, and one might observe two friends out for a pleasant day on the river. Ayleah however was quietly alert. She knew there was a purpose to her being here, even if she didn't yet know what it was.

She looked over at Telon to get his attention. “So what exactly happened back there?” she said when he met her gaze.

“I think” Telon responded with all casualness, “that everyone involved got what they needed out of the situation. I'm not sure if everyone knew what they needed at the time, but it worked out all the same.” He paused, making her doubt his surety, but continued reasoning it out. “We needed conveyance for the next leg of our journey, the Ravaels needed to cross the valley safely, and that commanding man at the checkpoint needed to know we were uninvolved in whatever his business is there. Assuming the siblings are well on their way, I'd say that all went rather smoothly.”

Ayleah was still confused. “But there's no way to know we weren't relevant to that military checkpoint. Telon, they weren't letting anybody through.”

“Think of it this way Ayleah. Did we truly have anything to hide? Because we didn't know if we were suspicious, we were able to enter the situation as a blank slate. We brought power with us rather than guilt, and so we were let through. I worried the Ravael brothers might complicate things, but it seems your power was enough to offset their natures in the mix.” he gave her a small smile that made his eyes twinkle slightly. “You did very well.”

Ayleah contemplated that for a second, wondering just how much she had been manipulating reality without realizing it and filing the rabbit-hole of a thought away for later. “But what about you?” she asked, adding a noticeable inquisitive tone. At times the scholar's languid, cryptic side could be irritating. “Where were you for that whole interaction? One moment you were there, sleeping in the seat, and the next you're gone and there's this great blue bag in your place!”

“Is that what I looked like?” Telon said, amused now. “Funny. I simply woke up to find you all off negotiating with the military folk. I overheard something about a boat and went down to the little dock they had. All I was thinking of was keeping out of anyone's way, and so I guess no one noticed me. Like I said though, good job getting us this boat.” He tapped the side of the sturdy vessel. “I don't know what you said or did to that commander, but it sure worked. In fact,” he added, “I think our little interaction back there was not for only our benefit. Something tells me there's a larger picture to this scene.”

Not entirely reassured, Ayleah thought to herself that she didn't know either. Whatever power she seemed to have existed on the edge of awareness, never giving her a clear picture or clues to its nature. She was also distracted by a growing sense that they were heading toward conflict, and not away. There was a cloudiness to the energy downriver that did not generate from the nearby urban metro areas. It was a bit frightening, allowing oneself to be swept along into such a cloud, but she knew it was where her power needed to go.

---

Some miles down-river from Ayleah and Telon's course a similar boat lay docked alongshore. Anyone passing might never notice it, and that was just what Davai hoped as he looked down at his finished work. He was as proud of the grass camouflage net as he was of choosing this spot for their camp. Vesti's skill with the water had successfully foundered their pursuers, but Riannath had acquiesced to his scholarly knowledge of the land and continued the drive upriver until they found this wooded bank. It was [steep and sandy], but well-covered, and they had been living an uneasy peace for the last couple days. Riannath did not dare to hope they had broken through Andrus' deployment lines yet, and suspected a strong attack on their position. Despite him having the backing of the Imperium, she said there was little chance the acting-commander would bring very heavy firepower when they came. They would want her captured quietly, without any action that would elicit questions from the populace. In preparation they had begun building fortifications in the narrow band of woods along the riverbank. To the north lay an open plain, with excellent sight lines for defense. Riannath had insisted on setting up on the north bank of the river, saying she would rather defend the foothold than try and gain one later. The fort lay downriver on the north side, and she still intended to return and reclaim her command.

As the preparations continued, Davai looked from his camouflage job to the empty river. The wide murky water flowed by calmly, unbothered by their affairs. He regretted finding himself in this trap. He didn't want to be involved with a military conflict, but now his work had drawn him to this narrow refuge between deep water and open danger. He wanted to be back at the Sanctuary. Lucan may have returned, and there would surely be things to do there in response to everything that was going on. It was important he be there to help, but he couldn't leave now. He wasn't sure how he could help these people here, but he knew he had to stay and see them through to safety. At times he checked in with Vesti, privately wondering if she felt these things too. Wondering if she as a fellow mystic had the dual urge to return and tend one's own garden in the times to come but also to help those still finding their way. She always seemed more tied to the present anyway though. Her wisdom whenever he inquired was always to simply do the next thing, and prepare as best you can for any next thing that may come along after that. It was simpler for the river, Davai thought. It has never had a choice, and so cannot lament its course.

Andrus and Ayleah

 

When the identified vehicle arrived, the guards pulled it to the side and began their usual process of examining the vehicle and its contents. The passengers got out, reluctantly as they always did within sight of the guard-post. There were two brothers, one of which had produced papers and seemed to be having a surly conversation with the lead guardsman. The other kept a protective eye about the camp, staying close to the vehicle. His energy seemed to shelter the two young women they had with them, who Andrus supposed might be their sisters. They did look somewhat alike, but there was something strange about them. One of the sisters stood out weirdly to his awareness, as if she was sharper or more saturated than anything else in the scene about him. Before he had fully registered it, he was moving towards the group. He was not a person ignorant of how places and people could have energetic signatures, and this woman gave off an intriguing glow.

---

-

The hauler thumped softly across the long metal grating of the bridge deck. They drove out into open space, following and followed by military cruisers. To each side lay a great river, but it looked only like a postcard or image in a book, so far removed as it was from their senses in the vehicle. Ayleah was astonished by the bridge itself almost more than the vast view of the great Winniaska. It held its own weight with cables almost as thick as a person is tall, and those drooped with impossible grace as they reached the center of the span. As they moved across she could feel the tension around and below them as the bridge and cables took and supported their weight. It was a barely perceivable sense, but the immensity of it relative to her fragile life touched her at the core of her being. This was a transition, a true movement from one place to another, symbolized comically well by the energy transfer of a bridge. She wondered if that guard-captain could sense the bridge's energy; she wondered if he could sense her own.

---

“What is your relation to these people you are with?” Andrus asked the young woman when they were alone in the small boxy field office on the north side of the bridge.

“I-I'm their sister.” She managed, hopefully with a tone of curious innocence. Andrus took down the note, but now that she said it he did not believe it for a second. Nevertheless he let the lie slide and continued on: “Have you ever had contact with another member of the armed forces? Have you had any contact with someone who may have been a member of the armed forces in the past five moons?”

She paused minutely to think and then: “No, never.” she sounded more confident now.

Andrus held up a photo. “Have you ever met, or otherwise seen this person?”

Ayleah looked at the photo he held up of an adult woman older than herself, with short blond hair and a stiff-pressed collar. “No, I don't recognize her” she responded.

The man across the table stared at her. His eyes were an inscrutable gray, trained to betray nothing about the person inside. He had a physical build and energy that were different from the people she knew had grown up in the region. Faced with his foreign slippery energy, she refocused her own efforts at simply sliding by. She though about how small, barely visible, and not worth his time she was.

The military commander sighed, and looked away again. Grasping at straws like this was tiring. Riannath and her men were fugitives of the Imperium, why would they trust simple travelers with anything important? Andrus looked back at the young woman across from him. Her eyes held no trace of guilt or anger towards him. In fact she seemed strangely unguarded in his presence. He had no sense of her inner self, but reasoned that was likely because she had nothing complicated to hide. This woman was simply relaxed and assured of her innocence. He wondered why he had even taken an interest in them in the first place.

Out at the hauler, the guards had completed another search, further annoying Thom and Nate. The two brothers were now sat muttering about overreaching governments and the military complex across a slightly exasperated Meral. They stopped when Ayleah came back out of the low office building followed by Andrus. The acting-commander had a brief chat with a guardsman, who reported nothing suspicious about the vehicle or the other three siblings. Andrus looked to the little surly group, and suddenly had a thought to call for a boat. The young woman he had just been speaking with apparently had important business downriver and the Imperial forces would be glad to help her on her way.

The soldiers who went to ready the extra boat were loyal to their duty and were probably the least surprised at Andrus' order. Ayleah knew enough to trust when things seem to magically work out, and quickly made to gather her things and say goodbye to the Ravaels. Despite time being short, they were able to give her a proper send-off at the riverbank, and she was able to thank them profusely for all they had done for her. She knew they might never meet again, but held a quiet hope in her heart, as she did with all partings.

As she took command of the small military boat and motored it out into the wide river, she noticed a large blue duffel bag next to her. It was the same one that had been in the back seat of the hauler, but she had never seen it moved out or into the boat. “That's a pretty neat trick you pulled” she said, but the bag didn't address her back. Oh well she thought, I'll let him sleep a while longer. Maybe he can't wake up with anybody watching anyway. She occupied herself with the steering, watching the wooded muddy banks drift by.

---

When Andrus left the guard-post at the south end of the bridge, he took a few men with him to escort the hauler, and this necessitated a slight reorganization at the checkpoint. There also happened to be a change of shift at the time, and so for a few minutes there was much mobilization and movement of personnel. In the bustle, it may have been that a far corner of the blockade was less steadily watched. For at that moment a single individual emerged from the brush and slipped through, his light green cloak catching the sun like falling leaves as he stepped towards the west.

Act-CDR. Elgheny

 

Andrus Elgheny had never pictured these far-flung northern landscapes as the place he would serve the Imperium. There was too much rural land here; not enough of the order the metropolis enforced. At times he yearned for the storied walls and mega-cities of his home down south. Their stones held so much potency of will and governmental drive. The stones here held power too, but it was untamed and crude: its stories were not decent for his ears.

The people were similar to their environment as well. The local folk seemed mostly uncaring or even ignorant entirely of the workings and dealings above them. They considered Imperial concerns not relevant to the livelihood of their farms or craft shops. In their minds the quaint villages would go about just fine with or without the oversight of the Empire, and the presence of any kind of non-local law enforcement was met with annoyance or dirty looks. This despite all the good the Imperium did to ensure the continuity of that livelihood the villagers enjoyed. Anyone with proper sense could see that their bucolic pleasantries would collapse without Imperial systems behind the scenes. For many reasons Andrus had never developed a better relationship with the local folk, preferring to keep the populace at a good distance. In his figuring, his own job only required him to be in contact with the heads of the local forts and his liaisons back in the District. Any other fraternization was entirely optional.

Andrus' position was the official ambassador of the Imperium to Fort Ettan-Jhonson and the training grounds on the west flanks of the Green Mountains. In his assignment he was required to work with the local commanding officer, in this case a one Riannath Emberly. She was an excellent commander, though unfortunately strong-willed and too perceptive for his own purposes. It was actually her best qualities that had gotten her into trouble, Andrus reflected. She had always been less malleable than desired to the Imperium's requests, but he had usually been able to convince her of the wisdom of their council in the end. The fort was there to serve the interests of the Empire after all, not for its own sake or that of the locals. Lately though she had gotten obsessed with this notion of a mysterious change in the environment, giving credence to folktales and hearsay. Obviously he had not been able to dissuade her this time.

Andrus knew something was happening of course. He had perception himself enough to sense an ecological shifting of patterns. He also had orders though: an understanding from offices above his that such shifting of patterns were not his concern, and orders to make sure they were not the public's as well. No one would put much credit in rumors, but if an officer directed resources to investigating the situation...it could give power to the ideas and cause panic or worse. Andrus had tried to make Riannath understand this as well- to leave the stories as a hobby, but it seemed she could not be convinced to let it go. Maybe she had simply gone out on a longer patrol to clear her head, but he couldn't be sure of that. All he wanted to do was talk to her again, and to try to convince her more seriously.

When he first contacted his liaison at the Imperium office with his concern, he was given full control of the fort until its commanding officer could be found and either reinstated or replaced. Thus empowered he had quietly mobilized forces and established search teams in the surrounding hills as well as a blockade in the narrow part of the Winniaska valley to the east. He had confidence in his choice of a front line: there was a likelihood that Riannath had fled to the Pellier Mounts, and a danger that she would return from the capitol region with reinforcements. These would come in the form of mage-scholars and government officials, both of which would seriously complicate the situation. He had to control the flow of information from the east. The captains of the mountain warfare training facility had remained loyal to the Empire, and were watching all points entering from the north. The metro area was secure, and there was nothing to worry about from the south. That broad rolling land of soft hills south of the Winniaska was dominated by small farms and backwater forests. Andrus thought little of defending from that direction, figuring any retreat south by the rebellious commander was as good as exile.

Acting-Commander Elgheny liked to be at the front line of his operation. He wanted to be on the scene should there be a sighting of Riannath or any of her rebel soldiers. However, the post by the river crossing had been somewhat boring so far. Not many folks traveled past this point, or even crossed the bridge, and those that did were mostly farmers who found the extra questioning bothersome. Occasionally there would be an unaccounted traveler who would have to submit to a search. They were shady folk, but harmless and disgruntled by his soldiers' presence. Even carrying nothing suspicious, these travelers were often turned around and pointed back the way they came. Andrus couldn't risk letting communication through of any kind.

They had established a fore-guard down at the small brookside village nearby, much to the vexation of the villagers. It was only a temporary imposition until they had a better lead on the missing commandant, but there were brief moments when Andrus wondered if their operation here was worthwhile. At very least it was an attractive site: the small command bastion perched on a high bank above the river. Deep reflective water swirled by below, and the shining suspension bridge arced gracefully across to rich forest on the other side. The view would have been inspiring even without the bustle of soldiers.

One day around mid-morning he received a chirp from the fore-guard that a hauler had arrived at the checkpoint. It seemed it was another set of long-trail-trippers, this time a set of siblings on their way north. They only relayed traveler details up to the main post if they had stopped a non-local, or if they had reason to suspect the person. Andrus called back to send the hauler up to the bridge. Most likely it would be uninteresting. Another case of ruining some traveler's day by telling them they would have to find another way into the northern mountains.

Riverlands

 

Ayleah stood on the open rock, watching the water below. It was entrancing, nearly hypnotic as it constantly swirled around the small point, reforming its direction. Because of the motion, she had to keep reminding herself that it was a river she watched, not a lake. She had never seen a river like this; even the waters of Bartlett's falls didn't have this weight of volume. The water here looked deep and mysterious. Mountain courses carried the secrets of squirrels and spruce, giggling in their delight for life. These currents seemed to know more of the human condition and the vastness of the world. Their jests were much more saturnine and meaningful.

Ayleah had been cautioned about rivers in her lessons from Telon. It had come up in a discussion about scrying. Gazing at a surface of water could be a useful form of centering meditation, and even divination, through proper practice. He had said though that one had to be careful when choosing a body of water for the technique though; it was easy to find oneself out of a comfortable depth. Rivers too, he said, were something to be aware of. They were fine for contemplation, but in settled meditation one might find the spirit getting carried away, or muddied with whatever energies are coming from upstream. This river before her now carried a great medley of feelings with its flow, and Ayleah did not want to connect too closely with its energy, no matter how awe-inspiring it might be.

The rock's name was Prurence, a holdover from some colonial time. It still hosted a small community: elderly houses clinging to a wooded hillside above the river. There was also a general store, where the Ravaels were procuring necessities for the next leg of their journey. Telon had gone with to judge the current tenor of the village. Ayleah however had felt drawn to the water, unused as she was to seeing a grand valley river. So this is the Winniaska, she thought, cutting its way through the mountains. It came from beyond the Pellier Mounts, from places she had only ever thought of in story. It flowed through massive dams and metropolitan areas before emptying into the inland sea. The sea she knew, and it was barely conceivable that these lively wizened waters could become one with that body of dreams. Standing on the rock watching the swirls, Ayleah felt the weight of that water's journey as it swelled and grew in its course. She felt its apprehension and its passionate drive, and knew they were the same as her own. The river was only a projection of her own path; her own journey through the course of her life. It seemed such a trite philosophical realization, but the meta-understanding was that many people had had the same thought. Not only did she have the responsibility of her own flow, she was forced to know that her path was nothing special. Each person has the same power to shape the world they see in the river before them. The thought made her happily calm, and she felt ready to face whatever awaited them in the valley.

---

They drove along the edge of a great meadow, near the river through sandy woodlands. Nathan drove slowly and steadily, watching for any signs of trouble. He hoped the riverside road was usually this calm. Nate and his brother had agreed to ferry their two potentially suspicious passengers across the river only through a sense of moral good in the cause. They both had fervent belief in the freedom of one to travel where they will, and had not yet uncovered anything ill-willed about the scholar Telon or his apprentice Ayleah. Still, they were protective of their sister Meral, and wished to get back soon to the more relaxed trip they had originally planned. Nathan glanced back at the passengers and saw with some puzzlement that Telon had fallen asleep, his blue hood pulled across his face.

---

The village had been quite nice, and in friendlier times probably would be again. It spanned a shallow creek that coursed rapidly between upraised forest banks. Movable wooden bridges crossed the running waters, taking advantage of bare rock islands here and there. At present though these were either pulled in, or shattered among the eddies. The crossing was closed, and barricaded at the far side by men with black shields and ray-walls. Immediately upon entering the shuttered town, their hauler was escorted to a checkpoint along a side road. Thomas and Nate looked at each other, bracing for whatever alibi they might need to reach for, if any.

The guard came around to the driver's cab and Nathan handed over his proof of ownership.

“Just passing through on a sightseeing trip with my family.” he said. “We're bound north into the hills.”

The guard gave a cursory look at the passengers, but the brother and two young sisters didn't seem suspicious, and the large blue duffel bag next to them gave proof they were on a trip. No scholarly dissidents here. It did seem strange to him that the driver had used the phrase “his family” to describe just himself and his siblings. Nevertheless he handed the papers back and stepped away from the vehicle. “Move along to the next checkpoint. You'll talk to Andrus at the bridge.” he said as he waved them through.

---

At the bridge the guards looked more formidable. They flanked the long-distance roadway as well as the entrance to the high suspension river crossing, effectively sealing off any travel to the rest of the valley from this point. A command post perched on the edge of the riverbank, flying high a flag with hands reaching for a star-field, green on black. Traffic was being directed to a checkpoint near the command post before being either allowed through one way or the other, or being turned back. It seemed like most were being turned back.

As they approached their turn in line, a guard noticed their hauler and waved them over to the side.

“We've had an order to give heavy-haulers like yours an extra search. You'll have to step out of the vehicle.” Reluctantly, Nathan parked the van and the four of them stepped out of the passenger compartment. Ayleah and Meral kept close together, and Thom spoke with the guards while Nate kept an eye on their surroundings. The military personnel seemed preoccupied enough with the doings of the checkpoint; they were not the only ones getting searched. Once the guards had had a look in the back of the hauler they would surely see the little group had nothing to hide and would let them go. There was something nagging at the back of his mind though, something he felt was missing...

-Nathan's worry was forgotten when he noticed one of the military men stand out from the rest. The commander stood at the entrance of some sort of operations center, watching their search. He was tall and thin, with a serious manner and a number of decorations to his armor to prove it. The leader's air was almost casual though. He watched them with a faint curiosity, unbothered by the militant business around him. As Nate watched in turn, the commander began to come toward them, clearly more deeply interested in the proceedings.

Thom had just been explaining the nature of their wilderness vacation trip and the reasons why a set of siblings might want to undertake such an endeavor, when they were interrupted by the chief of the operation in his flashy armor.

“This hauler is to be escorted to my field office across the bridge immediately.” he ordered of the guards standing with Thom. “I wish to speak with one of these travelers. Leave all their belongings with them and follow my transport.” He glanced at Ayleah before walking away, leaving them all slightly stunned.

Descending

 

Most of my thoughts today were spent in contemplation of these wonderful mountains: their rocks and woods. I've spent a good deal of time up here among the high places, and I think I'm all-around the better for it. These mountains have such amazing energy, emanating from the earth in all places. Equally charming are the open granite ledges and the mossy glens. All elements are intense, from the kiss of a closer sun to the depth of mud in a hidden pool. Sometimes I only realize I've gotten used to it when another incredible aspect reveals itself to overwhelm me. I know that soon we'll leave the mountains and head into the grand river valley. Who knows what sort of adventures I'll find myself in there, and if I will ever return to these high places again? Does anyone know the last time that they are at a place, especially one that is cherished? How do you say goodbye as if it isn't the last time, knowing very well that it might be? Today I worked with my own energy and the connection it's formed naturally with that of the mountains. I've separated from places before, but not quite on this scale. I didn't think of it when we ascended to Battell because I knew I wasn't coming to the mountains to stay. At the time though, I didn't know what was up here.

Tomorrow we will begin our proper descent into the Winniaska Valley. There is a particularly difficult ledge coming up that the Ravaels wanted to tackle in the morning light. I thoroughly enjoyed my last full day in the mountain energy - we passed by small settlements along the top of a wide rocky ridge. In many places the road was open to the sun, and everyone we passed had an air of pleasant livelihood. Late in the afternoon we came upon a beautiful Brotherhood Temple, and the group agreed when I suggested we stop. I was able to take a moment to enter the temple and pay my proper respects to the land I've been living and working with for the past few moons. I gave thanks for what lessons and powers it brought me, and left it with a blessing for its continued prosperity as my energy now departs.

––

The group descended the steep root-bound ledge safely and with surprising ease. It seemed a dubious and scary route down at first, but Ayleah at least was buoyed by her previous experiences. The woods around the ledge were dark and deep, but it was not the type of trees that was making her uncomfortable. It was a strange impending feeling, like they were descending into a pit of darkness with no clear way out. They could not turn back, the only way led onward to the river, but she could not shake the feeling of dull warning. At first she thought it was simply the change in energy from mountain to valley, and that she was unused to its nature. It had taken a couple of days to get used to the difference in air and general ambiance when she had first ascended the mountains: living on different land meant being supported by different energy. There had been a dramatic shift in that ambient energy between the top and the bottom of the “Bannister” ledge, but when she did not seem to be acclimating fast enough afterwards, Ayleah knew something was off. The almost painful and uncertain darkness lay ahead, not as an aspect of the land, but as something that had settled in the valley, lying in wait for them. She had felt, and even befriended, dark energies in the mountain groves. They were soft and loving presences though, full of understanding, while this one blocked and threatened.

Thinking of their situationally-innocent traveling companions, she brought up the matter to Telon as they rode.

“If I can sense these sorts of energies coming up in my future, better than most I mean, then what should I be doing about them? I mean, should I be doing anything about them? Is it better to try and actively shape the story, or should I just be as aware as possible and try to react to things as they come?”

Telon gave it a small-moment, then responded thoughtfully. “And should you write the story ahead of time, what will you do to affect those energies of the future? Can any of us really do more than react?-and thus learn to react in the best way and and the best time possible? As you learn to separate your past, present, and future, you gain the space necessary to accept what you are given, and react in a proper fashion.”

They stopped the van at a small hamlet perched at an overlook to the north. Through a window of interestingly-yellowed-green they could see across a deep fertile vale with glimpses of the river far below. Fairly nearby across the way another mountainside rose its wooded slopes with pale leaves, but in the narrow gap between there was a flat land that girdled the river with open fields and lush with growth of its own. To look at the scene, there was no hint of danger. Ayleah sat and meditated on the feeling she had had. It was still there, looming from the valley below. Outwardly, all seemed quiet. Only the occasional twitter of a bird or far-off wood chop broke the peaceful air, but to her there was another sound. A sort of thrumming, and clash of shouts came up to her awareness, and she had to ask if any of the others had heard. They hadn't, but Telon looked understanding and grave.

The two of them shared their trepidation with the rest of the group, and further their suspicion that some unknown trouble lay in wait for them at the base of the mountain. Telon reminded them that he was not the warrior-type that might be able to protect them in a fight, but reassured them nonetheless: “There are ways we have of not being easily seen, and of moving swiftly on foot if necessary. Between Ayleah and myself we will do our very best to ensure your safe passage to the other side of the valley.”

To Ayleah specifically he said: “Be on your guard and stay in open awareness. The shaping of our story here and now is to avoid conflict as much as possible in the coming days.”

As they started the van and got moving again, Telon had one more thing to say, this time to himself. Isn't this how it always seems to work, he thought. Pressing matters end up being the only true way, forcing us to test and learn our lessons. I hope my trust in my understanding is allowing me to make the right moves here. With any luck I'll get through this with flying colors.