Gardening

 

Their morning proceeded lazily, the night having been so very restful. Their host, an accommodating though slightly reserved woman named Angelica, provided the group with a simple breakfast in the communal hall. The food was so plentiful and fresh that it was clear there was a farm somewhere on this peak. Ayleah vaguely wondered where it was, and who tended the crops, as she could not recall seeing any signs of agriculture on their way into the old village. The day ahead promised answers though. It was sunny again, but lately the clear days were not quite as hot as had been expected. The weather in general had been wonderfully less humid, and Ayleah suspected it had to do with the mountain elevation. Feeling the sun on her skin in recent days, she had tried to remember the last time she had been uncomfortably hot outside. It had probably been as long ago as her time at Bartlett Falls, but she couldn't be sure.

Finishing breakfast, the Ravael siblings declared their intention to stay at the peak for the day. The attitude among the group was bright, reflective of the rest and the good weather. They figured it was a good chance to take a day off from their journey, and were excited at the idea of helping out with the garden chores. Angelica humbly but gladly welcomed the extra hands, and the whole of them spent the morning out at an herb garden, digging and planting the rows. The source of the food was quickly discovered: Angelica tended extensive vegetable gardens, utilizing the sprawl of former neighborhood back yards. The plots were small enough that a single person could reasonably keep them, but plenty large for hosting visitors. Ayleah's hands felt good getting back into soil, though the dirt here was not quite as nice as on the Little Abe farm. Telon too, had become accustomed to being hands-on in his studies of the land and appreciated the experience. As they worked together, the two of them were also able to talk a little, though Telon seemed guarded whenever their host was present.

“Ayleah, I am, truly sorry for any distress I may have caused by not keeping in contact. I should have told you at least about my mission, but I honestly, I thought I would be back much sooner. It was supposed to be just a fact-finding visit to the scholars at Abrahim, and then I would have returned straight back to the Sanctuary.

“Hm, funny, I wouldn't have learned much of anything if that were the case.”

“Why didn't you ever report? Have you been here the whole time?” Ayleah glanced around at the lush gardenscape and surrounding woods. She hadn't meant the question to be quite as sharp as it had sounded.

Telon passed over the energy easily enough. “Yes, for the most part I have been here, honing my skills in Landcraft, and learning what I can from the lady in white.” He glanced over towards Angelica, who was away for a moment gathering watering implements. Still, Telon kept his voice low.

“Angelica has a way of keeping herself isolated. She may seem welcoming, especially to us, but she is not to be fully trusted. I do not think she is welcoming to all, and she uses her own discernment in such matters. There is a power about this place, put there by her doing. I think she truly means it as a protection, but it also means we are all inside the bubble here. The isolation goes for anyone on this peak, and no standard communication can go out. The roads around are treacherous, as you probably saw, and locals shun this place out of superstition. It was only after working to increase my abilities, and through very deep concentration that I was able to reach out to you a few days ago.”

While he had been speaking, Ayleah had looked for the hostess in white as well. When she saw her, their eyes met for half an instant; she had been watching the two of them from across the planted clearing. Ayleah went back to her work as if nothing had happened. “How did you know I was at Lincoln Peak that day?”

Telon smiled, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. “Pure blind luck actually.” He took a drink of water and picked up the shovel again. “Well, I did have a dream. I usually don't put too much stock in them. I know you're supposed to; at least, Davai and the others back at the dome would always go on about how important dreams are. In the dream I saw you rising, like a bright little sun, over Mt. Abrahim. You were coming over the peak, striding, but also floating upwards, like a weird glowing balloon. You see, this is why I can never take them seriously, because it just sounds weird when you say them out loud.

“Anyway, I was meditating off away from the old village, as I like to do, when I thought maybe I'd try to contact you. With enough concentration in zero-point, I was able to just barely sense your energy. I couldn't tell where you were, or even if my efforts were having any effect. I'm glad enough of my intentions came through.” he stopped again and looked at her. “I'm glad you made here. There are things that I want, need to discuss with you.” His tone brightened instantly as he saw Angelica approach. “And I want to hear about your journeys! It seems you may have been in the mountains a while now looking for me, I'd love to know what you've gotten up to.”

After lunch, they dispensed with the work and took the afternoon for relaxation. Ayleah looked forward to her promised chat and proper reunion with Telon. He intended to take her for a short tour of the Burnt Rock groves while they shared their findings and musings from each others travels. However, as they started out, Angelica insisted that she join, saying she wished to take the opportunity to get to know Telon's promising young apprentice. Her company was not opposed though, and the three of them had a satisfying enough time talking about Ayleah's travels to this point. They discussed the various woodland communities she had encountered along the way, and even speculated on the natures and relationships of various woodland energies.

Angelica found the combined energy of Ayleah and Telon delightful and stimulating. She greatly enjoyed having two such people of intellectual and energetic character at her inn: the type of philosophic conversation was missed when she was alone. Of note though was Ayleah's very brief account of the attack on her group at the trailhead by bandits. There was something about the story she could not put her finger on: something that was missing.

Ayleah had not shared the story of the mirror-trap, or anything of her experiences with Kae-ri. She was saving those for a moment alone with her mentor. Angelica had a friendly and open demeanor, but Telon was right, there was something about her that made her feel untrustworthy. There was definitely a feeling of mystery about the woman in white, and Ayleah noted that Telon never really shared anything in that conversation at all.

Reunion

 

A gigantic wall of stone, gray and weathered with unknown age, flung its shoulders high above the road. Disused after the fires, the old township's pulley systems had long rotted away. The cables and platforms lay deteriorated and reclaimed by nature. A small, handmade sign directed traffic instead onto a narrow climbing route that scaled the face of the granite summit cone. Just above a canopy of warm spruce trees lay the summitlands of Burnt Rock. They promised rest for the day, but also a reunion of lost friends.

Ayleah did consider Telon to be a friend, though their relationship had always been clearly one of student and teacher. Back at the Sanctuary he had been a source of comfort, always supporting her in her classwork and extracurricular studies. Understanding Landcraft required both in-class lecture time and practical field exercises, and he had been helpful at times in her learning. There had been others of her age in the classes, and she had been mostly friendly with her peers, but she always felt a separation from them. Most of them had come from a background in the cities, and had developed very different tastes and interests compared to her rural sensibilities. Telon however felt more similar to her than the others at the Sanctuary city. Though he had come from the Queen Cities, and was not a native of her own shores, Telon knew the energy of her people well. He understood the ways in which the rural lakeside people thought; what their land meant to them and how it influenced their life entire. He was a scholar, well read and wise for his relatively young age, but he was not of any order that appeared at the Sanctuary. The brown and green robes found his blue ones strange and, though there was never any ill-feeling, Telon had seemed as much if not more of an outcast than Ayleah herself.

When the blue-robed scholar had disappeared from the city and fields, Ayleah had lost her closest in-person confidant. It would have been at least reassuring if she had been told of his mission to Abrahim, but the head office of the Sanctuary had kept mysteriously quiet about the whole business. Ayleah wasn't fooled though: Davai's caginess in her presence was enough for her to suspect that he had been just as worried about Telon's lack of communication as she was.

Ironically in searching for her missing mentor, she had met others along the way who she could call friends as well. Whether or not they had a lasting place in her life, she could at least trust them for the time they had together. Sutton, Isak, the others at the farm, and Jaen. Jaen Bartlett, the rising son of a woodland royal line. She had been truthful with him that evening: there was an alternate universe in which Ayleah could see herself running off into these mountains with the young captain; staying and building a life among the peaks. It was not her path. Ayleah could not see the path in front of her, but she knew it was there, and could feel more and more each step of the way if it were under her feet.

The van jostled slightly, and a moment of tension passed through its occupants. Jaen had been driving today, giving a bit of a break to the lankier Ravael brother. The repulsar had been working well since the morning's repairs, but Jaen still preferred to guide it over the trickier bits of terrain himself.
Every once in a while he would pass advice to Nathan who sat beside him in the front.

“Now, remember to take it easy on that right side when coming down off a root ledge like this. If the landing zone isn't flat, that differential could knock it out of place again if you come down too hard.” Nathan, for his part, took the advice in stride and gave tips in equal measure back at Jaen, who had very little experience driving such a large capacity vehicle. “Watch your side clearance there! This ledge is barely wide enough for us. You gotta keep real precise with the tracking.”

The ledge angled up a sheer side of rough gneiss, narrowing until the way forward was no more than a goat path. When it seemed like they could not proceed any further, the road turned and entered an old tunnelway. As they passed through, they could see deep cracks in the rock, but all was stable, and the way was well-cleared. The passage led straight, steeply uphill, and brought them out to the open summit. Behind them the elephantine rock swelled casually under a crystal blue sky.

The van began to pass through the remnants of the burned-out village, and pulled up in a square where a few of the homes had been restored. Before the largest of the renovated houses stood a sign proclaiming food and lodging. About the entire mountain peak it seemed there was no sign of human life, but the yards and gardens around this square were thriving and definitely tended by someone. The inn had a cozy feeling to it, serenely beautiful and quaint in its presentation and décor. All about the late afternoon scene was a welcome relaxation. The Ravaels were thinking of the evening meal, and hoping that the food here would be of good quality. The extensive rock-fenced gardens behind the inn and around the village promised as such at least. Ayleah was thinking of dinner as well, but she had another goal in mind first. When she entered the house she scanned it right away for any signs of her mentor. They had knocked and been greeted immediately at the door by the innkeeper, a pleasant woman wearing flowing white clothing. She had welcomed them warmly, saying that guests had been rare lately and she was happy to provide them with cottages for the night. Jaen extended his courtesies along with the others, but remained wary: he knew what was on Ayleah's mind.

Meral and Nathan had just gone back outside to park the van and unload, when a door opened from a porch on the other side of the building. Ayleah had matured over the many moons since leaving her home, but still could not help but let out an exclamation when she saw the blue of the newcomer's cloak. Telon looked only momentarily bemused as he saw her across the room, and then smiled with a look that clearly said: 'Good. Now we can begin.'

Warning Signs

 

That next morning had not, in fact, turned out to be an easy one for the group. By the time they had finally left Birch Glen and were properly on the road it was well into the day and they were less two of their party. Fen had awakened most of them bright and early with muttered exclamations and an irritated air of packing. Apparently he had only just found that his companion was gone. The Plainfielder had departed sometime in the night, seemingly without wanting to be seen. Fen had heard Heln stir much earlier, but thought at the time that he was just getting up for a morning meditation. Once the color-master had risen himself and saw Heln's belongings missing, he became alarmed and was determined to set out after the Plainfielder at once. It was likely Heln was on foot, and Fen knew if he left before breakfast, he had a chance of catching up. He said this while packing, and with an apologetic eye to Thomas who, himself up early as usual, was beginning food preparations for the group. Though the evidence was scarce, Fen asserted that Heln had headed downhill, and off the mountain. The master seemed so sure of this fact, and was in a sour mood, so no one thought it prudent to ask him how he knew.

Ayleah and Jaen were both less concerned about Heln. His disappearance was odd, but they both knew enough of him to figure he was capable on his own. They also figured, though they did not vocally share this fact, that he must have had a good reason for his actions. There was no sign about the rooms of a struggle, and the bed he had been in the previous night was neatly made. He had been acting a little differently the past day or two, more reserved than usual. Perhaps he simple had some business he didn't want or need them to know about. Perhaps he had some business in which he didn't want Fen involved.

She had a strange sensation. It was almost as if she knew why he had left, but couldn't quite piece the strands of story together. They lay about her consciousness like errant threads, each containing a snapshot of information: a scene that lent some meaning to the whole. She could remember a dream from two or three nights ago. Heln had been standing with trees behind him, in a glade or something. She couldn't remember what had happened in the dream, but what stuck with her was the image of the dark Plainfielder wearing these eyeglasses made of pure light. The frames tingled with a sort of bright fire, gently lacing its way up and around...was it more or less of a dream than she thought? The vision shimmered and faded in her mind as she tried to grasp it. Ayleah rubbed her eyes and went back to what she was doing, trying to put the matter out of her head.

Jaen had behaved admirably that day, considering her rejection of him the previous evening. Still, he kept their interactions somewhat cordial and brief. Ayleah knew he just needed some time to feel and adjust his emotions, so she accepted this state of affairs. It did make her feel a little lonely though; the two male Ravaels were getting along so well with Jaen, and Meral was nice, but comparatively shy and not a very talkative travel companion. Now that the curiosity of Heln and Master Golbein had left the group, Ayleah was back to her own world. She looked forward to finally reuniting with Telon again. There was so much for them to talk about. A breeze picked up, rustling the canopy over their heads.

Ayleah's thoughts meandered back to Jaen, thinking that though she had turned down the future he offered, another would be lucky to take it up. It was partially thanks to him that they were moving at all. After breakfast Nathan had been inspecting the van only to find the back right repulsar wouldn't activate. It had been acting up for a while, but had held together until now. They were about to try and source a mechanic from the village, a dubious proposal, when Jaen stepped in with his expertise. He had experience with repulsar technology enough to be a hero when it counted in the wilderness.

Despite their usefulness, repulsars were still less popular than good old wheels in the more remote rural areas. The technology had more ways it could break down, and there were fewer people out here who knew how it worked. Those who did usually charged exorbitant fees to tourists who needed their services passing through. Folks like Jaen and his uncle Grive (and Isak too) who had more knowledge than greed were essential for sustaining the mobile infrastructure of these communities.

When they stopped for a rest Ayleah went off to talk with some of the local woods-people. The van had pulled over near a small farmers market in a high broad gap where the road crossed from one side of the mountains to the other. Speaking with one of the vendors, Ayleah asked how much farther it was to Burnt Rock. “Oh, ayuh, yer stayin' with Angelica are you? Not much further now, just uphill north from here.” The woodsman had a tone to his voice that intrigued Ayleah, and she took the bait: “I'm meeting a friend at Burnt Rock. Who is this Angelica?”

“Oh, well I guess you should know- that peak up there is all hers. She set up a while back in the ruined township and runs a sort of country inn. Seems nice enough, but the funny thing is nobody else's been back to settle above the ledge. Some folks say that she's the one that set the place on fire way back, but I know that can't be true. She's far too young and too...mild-mannered for that. It's just the, well, the energy up there. Nothing wrong with it, but it's maybe a little spooky. People say they see things that aren't really there: clouds of mist and mischievous sprites that lead them astray. Again, not saying there's anything terribly bad or evil about the place,” the woodsman rushed to conclude, in case he had been worrying this young woman, “Angelica's a fine host, just a bit of a strange character. Go and meet your friend, and be well, but maybe keep your wits close at hand when you get up to the peak.” I always do, thought Ayleah as she walked away. As she returned to the van, a cloud passed in front of the sun and a stronger gust of wind rustled the trees.

Looking out of the window while they rumbled along, an unusual movement caught her eye. The road had traversed along the side of the mountains all day, at first on the west and then on the east. To one direction the land sloped and folded, rising in hummocks and ever higher hills. On the other side it fell away, sometimes gently, sometimes steeply, but always angling farther and farther down into the green. In the distance on the downhill side the upper canopy of the trees eventually reached their eye-level. The road here near constantly gave a view out into the wide forest, and at the points where it crested above some ledge, the sight was quite wonderful. Mossy boulders appeared here and there among micro-forests of ferns and winding farm tracks. What caught her eye though was something falling. It was large, about the size of a dinner table, but very thin and without legs. Despite its size, it fell gently, swaying to and fro with the forest wind. As it turned Ayleah realized it was a leaf, curled and yellowed as if by some sickness. The contrast of its color with the green of the woods was stunning, but Ayleah felt a note of alarm in the back of her mind. The leaf was light enough in its dried state: it wouldn't harm anything when it hit the ground, unless someone happened to be standing in that exact spot. What concerned her intuition was the cause, she had never known leaves to change color in this way except in times of terrible blight or drought. The yellow-brown of a dried leaf was usually a warning signal in nature. Of all the times for the color-master to have left...