Distractions

 

Sutton called for a halt to the vans when he recognized the oldest of the three men standing in the small green. A cross-path met the main road at a bend, creating an open space. The men were in casual conversation, standing off to the side making use of the pleasant clearing. Ayleah thought it would make for a delightful village square if there were more houses nearby. The land was flattish, and sun beat easily past the sparse canopy of spruce. Smaller evergreen bushes grew densely about the intersection, but looked to give way to enchanting glades down the side paths. Numerous downed logs crossed above the mossy undergrowth, supported by their columnal branches and even older fellings. A cycle of the woods perpetuated here faster than usual in the harsh climate and exposure: the mighty trees always reached up to the sky in blessing until they were cast back down to feed the earth once more. Ayleah felt a good balance here; suspended between the earth and sky on a rocky pinnacle. The ground was sturdy, flat and stable, and the stunted trees gave some comfort. There was a thrill behind the screen though: an awareness of the wild open into which this land thrust itself against the elements. There was power and mystery around and above, as well as softness and refuge among the mossy terrain. Such delicate plants grew among the folds of stone and wood. Ayleah was in wonder once again.

From the van parked at the small moss square, she looked out to the men Sutton had greeted. He seemed to know the oldest, who had a comfortable air about himself. One other Ayleah didn't recognize, but the third gave her a mild start. He was someone she had seen around the Sanctuary: a Plainfielder of muscular build. He worked in the city's landscaping division, she thought. Sutton didn't seem to know him though, and she wondered why he was all the way up here, chatting with the locals. Bellinda and Jaen had gotten out of the vehicles as well, so Ayleah figured she might as well go see what this was all about.

.

Jaen had not seen his uncle in some time, and was prepared for some sort of reprimand for his previous presumption and hot-headedness, news of which had undoubtedly reached the peak township by this point. Grive however, only met Jaen's upright and braced posture with a congenial smile. “Jaen, my boy! How are you- how was the journey?” He gave his nephew a warm handshake and a firm gaze; Grive was not one for hugging in public.

“Well enough, thanks uncle. It was really these new vans though, they handle great on the rocks.” Grive gave Bellinda a friendly grin. “You keeping this party in line Bellinda? These are your vans aren't they?” Bellinda stepped forward and shook his hand, returning the smile. “Yes sir. Your nephew is a fine captain.”

“Didn't think to find you standing by the roadside Grive,” said Sutton, “who are your friends here?” Grive indicated the man furthest from him. “This here's Isak. He runs the most successful farm in this township. Most of his property is actually right over there.” He pointed at the western side path, but swept his hand to indicate a large swath of the ridge. “I brought my new friend Heln down here today to see if Isak could assist in a little project we've been doing.”

Ayleah stepped out of the van and joined Atkins and Jaen's warrior friend a few paces behind the group. Atkins was leaning on the edge of an old stump and studying some delicate spore-like plants that were sprouting from the green carpet. The ranger was softly at attention, scanning the surrounding forest as if casually taking in the sights. Flor had not left the van, his head buried in a textbook. Kaeri though, was nowhere to be seen. It was proof to Ayleah of her suspicion that Kaeri did not actually travel with them. The hitchhiking had been only a means of meeting her.

The farmer had noticed her, and it brought Ayleah back out of her thoughts. He seemed not much older than her, actually. A young man well-established here at a prestigious township. Well-groomed and of clean style too. His gaze lingered just a half-second too long before he turned to the conversation again. Slightly flustered for no apparent reason, Ayleah turned the other way and asked Atkins about the plant she was studying.

.

Heln was distracted. He had sensed the vans approaching before he saw them. It could have been their sound, or some movement in his periphery though. Just some sliding of color beyond a screen of branches. It was the wrong color though; the vans were a blueish-gray. Even the headlight covers were not bright enough at distance to account for that flash of orange. Furthermore nothing in the conversation could have generated it. Isak seemed a fine gentleman, relaxed and confident in his ways. He had a good rapport with Grive, though Heln could sense there was an underlying quiet tension there. If Isak had something to do with the orange-red elemental, then he surely would have known as soon as they met. The farmed forest around had only a pleasant placid quality to it. However, this group had now shown up on the road, and he was positive they were connected to his quest. The young man who was their leader seemed similar to Grive, if only in general bearing, and was soon revealed to be the premir's nephew. The others seemed normal enough, none even glinting with orange. One young woman though, who had exited a van but kept back a bit, intrigued him. She had an inquiring gaze that said she was more than just a part of this expedition. As soon as he looked at her though, he felt a sharp pain in his thigh. Assuming it was a biting bug, he quickly swatted at the spot and forgot what he had been thinking.

His leg assuaged, Heln noticed a bright rock at his feet. It was a burnt orange, with bands of a deeper color that shimmered as light caught its surface. It had an irregular rounded shape, as if it had been tumbled in a machine. He picked it up, examining the deep-reddish surface. The light made rainbows in those shimmering bands, refracting in blinding gleams across his vision. Heln turned the piece in his hands and held it up to ask the others if they knew what kind of rock it was. None of them recognized it. The nephew Jaen said it looked like some of the gemstones he had studied, but Grive said nothing like that could be found naturally up here. They had seemed surprised too at his abrupt change of topic, and quickly returned to their introductions and catching up between the nephew, his uncle, and their friends. Still intrigued, and slightly confused, Heln slipped the stone into his pocket, knowing he would study it more later.

Connected

 

Ayleah knew that Kaeri was peculiar, but also knew that Kaeri was not exactly human. This gave some leeway on their nature. It would not seem so strange to her if Kaeri appeared to shift their appearance with each interaction, or seemed to suddenly be in a place they hadn't been before. The two of them had only had a couple of conversations, but she had learned quite a bit from the hitchhiker. They had not had much opportunity for interaction on the road though. Ayleah figured Kaeri had been traveling with Bellinda, but didn't remember seeing them at either of the rest points. The alpine surroundings had been so enthralling that she probably just hadn't noticed their presence.

The two times Ayleah had spoken with Kaeri, their conversations had been deep and interesting, but to no definitive end. It seemed to Ayleah that this person had a deep-seated interest in her, but would not fully explain why. Kaeri looked to be younger than Ayleah, but felt much older somehow. They would ask her about things she had studied at the Sanctuary, especially around the topic of energy perception and manipulation. None of the lessons seemed new to the other, but Kaeri was nevertheless fully engaged. Ayleah told them what she had learned about tuning into the energies of land, working with natural forces in landscaping efforts, and procedures for consecrating or protecting a space. Kaeri reiterated that the scholars were misled in their understanding of natural energies. “For all their good intentions'” Kaeri had said, “they don't have the right grasp of how it really is. They see energy as a separate substance that imbues objects, places, or beings with a magical quality, when it's actually the underlying substrate that permeates all those things at all times.” The scholars' techniques, Kaeri said, were useful in manipulating energy, but could perhaps be more impactful if they acknowledged the true connectedness of reality.

This thought had begun to change the way Ayleah looked at the world. The understanding of connectedness was a sort of quiet seeping revelation. Energy had always seemed to her like overlaid currents of magic, flowing through the world and concentrating here and there. Now the world seemed to her to be a vibrating whole; a unified breathing of that energy into every corner and extremity. Places that felt more powerful were concentrations not of power, but of harmony.

They had stayed the night in comfortable accommodations at Abrahim, passing a lovely evening in company of some of the amiable locals. The next morning it was still cloudy, and they set off north along the ridge, leaving the open rock of the summit village. Almost as soon as they were back into the scruffy forest they began to descend. The road was a hardened lane of sparkly gravel between mossy spruce woods. They rolled down rocky ledges much like the ones on the ascent, though none proved very formidable. The drivers both seemed comfortable, letting the vans gain a bit of speed as they swept down each of the rocks. The load had been much reduced by now, and they were a vehicle less in the party. The third transport was empty now, and its crew were from the area, so they had stayed behind. The three of them were seasoned mountain-born, and were enjoying the hospitality of the summit village.

A while passed and Ayleah noted that they were still descending. She knew their course was only along the ridge-line to the next peak, but now wondered how far down the road would go before climbing again. From the valleys, this mountain had looked nearly flat along its multiple peaks, but being this intimately close with the terrain gave a better understanding of how varied it actually was. They were still on a high ridge though. Ayleah could tell that the level land here was barely the width of the peninsula of her home village. The difference was that here instead of a lake to either side there were steep forested slopes dropping away from sky. She could see they were now under the cloud layer, and sometimes a bit of color appeared in the blue through the spruce trunks: hints of far-off hills. It was just enough to remind the travelers of how high up they still were. The woods around were a mess of moss and fallen evergreens. New evergreens sprouted in the midst all fuzzy and fragrant. Insects and birds swerved and darted around, seemingly oblivious to the special nature of their land. The road dipped into wet glades where tiny trading squares battled for space with the mud, and homes dotted the sides of small knolls. They crossed over minor unmarked summits and around the sides of rocky knobs that poked up in an effort to maintain the ridge. Eventually one of these knolls proved larger than the rest, and they climbed again for a short while. When the road flattened, there was a burst of sunlight. The two vans had come around a corner of rock into a section of younger forest. The sky was more open here. All along the heights of this smaller summit trees had been felled, mostly by natural causes, and the shrubby newer growth brought an almost meadow-like feeling to the narrow high-elevation ridge. Ayleah breathed in the sunlight from her open window. The smells of the forest air and the closeness of the sky filled her head and warmed her heart. It felt good up here.

Plainsman

 

The people of the plains used to think they went on forever; that the world was nothing but endless seas of grass undulating beneath the heavens. Trees were still sparse in that region, only clustering more densely near cities or around the great rivers which cut into the land. Those western plains laid out as a tapestry of greens carved by rich waterways of all sizes. The sages of his homeland knew much of water and the subtle cradling slopes along which it traveled. The land was in symbiosis with the water, at its mercy, and in a dance that holds the balance for life. Its flows are complicated, yet can be understood enough to form a working friendship. Heln had fond memories of the places of his childhood, its endless meadows and playful placid creeks. It was a main reason for choosing to settle at the Sanctuary when he journeyed to the east. Its land reminded him a bit of his old home.

One can tell though the contrasts in places. While all lands share some basic earthly attributes, they differ from each other in their ambient quality. Teach one has its own uniqueness. Heln had learned to sharpen his perception in this respect as a youth. In his work, he was taught to be aware of his site and surroundings. Proper awareness included not just of the slope and how the water flows on the land, but of how the feeling of the land flows around oneself. He had never fully understood what that was supposed to mean, but different places certainly had different qualities of pull, motion, or rest. He could feel when a place was stable, or if it had motion, how one might best utilize that force.

Back west in the plains, questions of these overall feelings had seemed to be much more subtle. There was a general sense in all places on the land that they dwelt on a benevolent and quiet locale, and slopes were vast, softly rolling things. Areas studied by sages were carefully inspected and historical understandings were a matter of careful and deep study. That was a similarity at the Sanctuary. Heln delighted in his work out in the fields, helping to control the water systems. Work in such flat places required an understanding of subtlety, patience, and an embrace of the sun and sky. Mud, tall grass, and the hum of insects was a paradise for him, accentuated by the blue sky and the sweat of labor.

When he saw the horizon though, all was different. These were not the fields of his land; the soft rolling hills secure beneath his feet. These low-lying fields only compared to the river-plains out west. Back home there was a sharp separation: grand wooded bluffs raised rounded shoulders above the floodplain. Down there the land felt unsure, more claimed by the river than the sky. The forested slopes formed a wall that raised up the lands of Heln's childhood above the unpredictability of the great flow. They considered the entity which lifted them above chaos to be the real living land; the floodplain and river were in a symbolic and literal sense, further from the sun. Here though, the low flat fields were the only open space. Here in the east the plains gave way, often more quickly than Heln would have liked, to dense forest and steep slopes which seemed to have little to no space at their summit.

Mountains, even small ones, had an air of deep mystery. They were not the life-giving arms of the river bluffs, but rather seemed like dormant gods. They lounged and rested on the landscape, slowly considering their domain. They grew moss and woods in their repose, stretching wild around their base and hiding secrets in their folds. The open fields of human striving seemed to cower at the feet of these mysterious giants. Even the flat-woods of the region had an ominous air, as many seemed only outposts from the main forest range. Heightening the intrigue, some of those dark hills grew so tall that their tops disappeared, regularly, into the clouds. Heln had heard of folk living on those far summits, but had a difficult time truly believing the stories. He could feel the natural power of those places from even down here in the valleys, and he could sense the intensity of their elements. How would it feel to actually set foot on those upper heights, and what would one find at the peak?

- - -

So far, Heln's experience of the mountains had become one of wonder. Traveling the steep ridgeline, he marveled at the hermit communities that burrowed their ways into the moss-covered slopes. They showed a level of hardiness hardly imagined by his perception of humans back in the plains. The alpine residents showed frugality and generosity in nearly paradoxical amounts, and seemed genuinely satisfied with their lot; as if they shared in some secret of the mountain. There was simply an amount of life up in the higher elevations for which Heln was not properly prepared. The forest and other natural features sheltered sprawling townships from the elements. The land too, was not nearly as bleak as it had seemed from a distance. Bright green mosses and rich reddish earth contrasted over stones which sparkled in the sunlight. Heln could see why scholars and other spiritual people held the place in high regard. It was almost as if the “real land” here constituted only a tiny percentage of the region. The river vales were wide and vastly more populated, but the real power was up on these high slopes.

Cultivation of his wonder did not stop with the observance of the land. Heln stopped for lunch at a village which clustered about a partially-open summit, and encountered the object of what he had thought would be a much longer quest. Fen Golbein, the so-named master of colors, wore a cloak of pale motley that well accented the whiteness of his hair. He was older, and not terribly fit, so Heln had little difficulty in catching up to his gait. The sage had greeted a villager who had called him by name. Seeing the dress and character of the indivdual, Heln realized his good fortune and knew he had to introduce himself. Fen proved an amiable fellow, and the two talked for some time.

Heln told Fen about his hallucinations of light, including the orange flashes. They discussed the meanings of the color orange, as well as any possible personal significance it might have to Heln. Fen was particularly interested in the claim that Heln's experiences had no perceived medical basis. They both trusted the opinions of the doctors at the Sanctuary in the matter, so Fen was curious about a potential spiritual etiology. The two agreed to meet again, and subsequently spent many days looking into what sources of information they could find on the mountain. Between scholarly study and experiments out in the spruce forest they began to learn more about the nature of the lights Heln was seeing. It seemed to be an entity with no clear origin from the external world. It had an earthly nature, but was foreign to both Heln and Fen. It seemed to be trying to communicate with Heln, but also gave off a teasing sort of energy. It would appear as subtle gleams on objects, or as a vague bodily shape for barely an instant before vanishing completely. Both the sage and the plainsman began to feel some frustration in their efforts.

Astronomy

 

All through the next day the cloud remained, covering the summit township in a light gray veil. Moisture collected on the extensive rock slabs, making travel between the outer homes and the central fort slightly treacherous, especially in the morning hours. Ayleah's business was inside in any case. Hearing nothing about Telon the previous night, she planned to visit the scholarly offices herself while the others in the group took care of the supply distribution and affairs with the Premir.

The few researchers dwelling at Abrahim who were officially credentialed held offices in an upper level of the central fort. Somewhat contentious and reserved, they presided over an astronomical observatory set high in the large rock wall. Theoretically it was a public service for the greater community of knowledge-seekers. While others could reserve times (for a fee) to use the observatory, it was an uncommon occurrence. Many of the outsider researchers prided themselves on not needing the fancy instruments of the “academy fellows”, and frosty attitudes prevailed.

Ayleah found the observatory scholars like-able enough, though they shared the same reserve she had found among some at the Sanctuary. She often found that those who held knowledge were easily corrupted by the power of deciding who else gets to have that knowledge. The astronomers told her that Telon had scheduled a meeting with them over a moon-cycle ago, but never kept the appointment. Though they had initially met the blue-cloaked scholar when he first arrived at the village.

“He was in need of food and rest, so we told him he would be welcome back to speak with us once he had gotten those things. He seemed on a mission of great importance though. And he seemed an honorable scholar, I would have liked to know what he wanted to talk about.”

Ayleah pressed the point, “Has anything been going on astronomically that he might have wanted your input on? There was a reason he was sent up here, of all places, for his research. If I could find anything out about what that was, maybe it would give me a clue to where he went.”

The scholar looked at the other two, then back to Ayleah. When he spoke it was with a measured tone. “We know there is a change occurring. We do not know the consequences yet, or the exact cause. There is something altering the perspective of our world, and we have yet to pinpoint the source. We know this source is something, perhaps in our Solia System, that was not present before, but again, we don't know what this presence is yet. That is to say, we have observed changes, but not observed anything new in the celestial equation. For certain there is no cause for concern at this time.”

Ayleah felt a sort of buzzing deep in her spine somewhere. “Telon must have had some information to share with you about your findings. Maybe your observations were going to complete some theory of his. The scholars at the Sanctuary must have noticed something too and talked about this among themselves.”

“Undoubtedly true. I wonder what they found out there in the valley.” the astronomer replied, almost wistfully, “I wish we could be of more help to you, but we have not seen your mentor since that morning. Our meeting was supposed to be at midday, but he never appeared in our offices. We looked around to see where he had gone, but it seemed he left the village by mid-afternoon. There are only two roads out of town, but we haven't heard of any sightings.”

Ayleah left the office with just as many questions as she had had upon entering, though now they were different ones. She was just organizing her thoughts when a younger-looking scholar beckoned her from around a corner in the hallway. Curious, she followed and the scholar spoke to her in a low voice.

“I may know something about what happened to your friend, but I have to be quick. Some of the others don't like mentioning all they really know.” They glanced around briefly before continuing. “There's been a strange Mystic woman around the village lately. She dresses in all white and doesn't seem to say much, but everyone gets a bit of a weird feeling around her. I don't know anything for sure, the whole thing might be accidental. Anyway, I and a couple of the others saw her meet with a man in a blue cloak near the edge of the village. He sure looked like the person you described; definitely a scholar of some sort. They were walking toward the north side of town, near where the meadows begin. Maybe she's still hanging around somewhere and would have more information for you.”

Ayleah thanked the young scholar wholeheartedly, and walked outside with purpose. The cloud cover had brightened, and some of the stones were not so wet as earlier in the day. She left the central square and ventured out to the northwest side of town, where the rock ledges of the village softened into long sloping meadows of scrub that slanted precipitously downhill.

The suburban hermit meadows here provided no additional leads however, and she became distracted by the unique flora of this alpine place. Jaen found her returning slowly along the open rock-ways having found no trace of the woman in white. He was interested to hear of her visit to the astronomers, but echoed her disappointment in not finding more of a lead. They ate from the picnic lunch Jaen had brought with him, and spent a fun afternoon exploring the open ledges and the soft ethereal alpine meadows. The cloud never fully lifted, but Ayleah felt the day was light enough.

Suspicion

 

It was after they had eaten, and lights about the lodging had dimmed for the evening. Flor confronted her alone in the corridor outside their rooms. The inn being one of the constructions tunneled directly into the greater wall, floor to ceiling was all of the same dark glinting stone. From the corner by his doorway he caught her attention. “Curious, aren't you?” he said. Ayleah gave a little start, and turned to face the shadowed technician.

He hadn't said it as an accusation of her behavior, but rather with the tone of one defining a rare specimen. She was somewhat taken aback by the question.

“What?” Ayleah said, pausing in the corridor.

Flor stepped closer. “I've been watching you. You're not...you don't, feel like anyone else I know, certainly not the others in the group, and we're all not too alike anyway. No, there's something different about you.” His eyes examined her shrewdly. “What are you really doing here?”

Ayleah felt the urge to step back slightly, but held her ground. “I'm trying-” and her words caught as she remembered her conversation with Kaeri. “-trying to find out what's going on.” and then, feeling a little defensive, “Same as you it seems.”

“I thought you had come with us to find your mentor. Wasn't he missing up here somewhere, or don't you remember your quest?”

“I do, and he is!” She didn't know why he was pressing her. “It's just...things seem more complicated now.” she was not upset, but rather becoming annoyed with his presumption. “You shouldn't be so quick to judge others Flor. Did you think I was some sort of evil agent that had infiltrated this community? I may be different than other people, but that's the nature of the world! There is no true normal when you look at things closely, the comparison of each thing to its ideal shows that there is no standard that exists. Whatever I am, I am on your side, and that is what is important.”

A look of concerned horror threatened to creep onto Flor's face. “what do you mean “whatever I am?” what do you think you are?”

Ayleah gave a soft laugh. “Human, Flor, human as far as I know. I think I just sense parts of the world more strongly than others do, and sometimes behave a little differently because of it. It looks like you do as well, since you were able to feel that about me.”

Flor relaxed his stance. “Well, I guess that's reassuring,” he said. “but I still don't trust these other parts of the world that seem to be coming out of the seams more often lately.” his voice lowered slightly, “To be honest I don't trust our hitchhiker. Have you noticed that every time Kaeri is nearby time seems to move differently? I have memories from the past couple days that feel like I was drugged at the time. That's not right, but that's not the only thing. During the whole business with the cliff and afterwards, I don't remember seeing them with us at all. Yet, here they are, walking around in the summit meadows.”

He paused, now accusatory again. “I saw you two from the apothecary window. You went over and talked with them for a while it seemed. You looked awfully friendly with them, what do you two talk about? How do you know this strange person?”

Ayleah paused, trying to stay confident. “Kaeri isn't...they're not- you don't need to worry about Kaeri. They're only trying to help me.” She had been about to finish that first sentence with 'not dangerous', but there was a part of her mind that knew it would've been a lie. Truthfully, Ayleah was a little scared of Kaeri, who seemed to represent boundless power.

Flor looked at her shrewdly again, but now with a touch of empathy. “It's obvious you're hiding things from all of us Ayleah, maybe even from yourself. I don't think you're an 'agent of evil' though. Just know now that you don't have to go this alone, the group supports you. For my part, you can trust me.”

“Thank you Flor, I appreciate that.”

With that they said their good-nights, and she continued on to her own room.

Peak

 

They reached the summit village, feeling grateful for the sight. The vans passed a large sign next to a gatehouse that was so covered in lichen that it looked nearly as old as the forest behind it. The rocks of the road began to level off and they found themselves entering a large clearing among the tiny stunted spruce. To the left there were no trees, and the expanse of rocky ground sloped downward in placid but steepening folds. Straight across there and beyond was only sky, filled with the murky gray of a cloud. The road diverged though, and they turned onto the right-hand lane. Here at the summit a sizable rock wall had been erected, and the road split to pass it on both sides. Windows poked from the holes high in the wall, and sigils were painted here and there to signify the varying dominions of trade guilds and religious groups. Rounding the next corner, Ayleah saw that the wall was really a circle, fortifying a small space on the summit of the mountain. Within lay a sheltered square, ringed with important-looking offices and various mystical businesses. Peak Abrahim was a flagship among the mountain communities, sprawling along the open west ledges and furrowing into the krummholz wherever it could. What had begun as a loose collection of spiritual seekers and mountain hermits had over time solidified into an open sky city of sorts, hugging the mountain's highest point. Other fledgling rural towns in the region looked to the success Abrahim had enjoyed, even considering its naturally harsh conditions. Only three peaks in the whole range were higher than Abrahim's summit, and few communities endured such exposure to the elements. The circle-wall was essential to the stability of the village, and the offices which remained established within had reached a very stately and respectable status.

The township square was quiet today, dampened by the weather. Under a blanket of gray and surrounded by the cold stones, Ayleah's mind drifted from any sort of goal. Leaving the others to distribute cargo and do business with the town's Premir, she wandered through a small park on the side of the square. Places for sitting had been constructed around a circular area of the ground-rock that was strangely gold-colored. As Ayleah stepped onto it, she realized it was actually a large disc of metal set into the rock long ago. On its surface were scientific-looking markings and carved letters with the name of the peak and its elevation relative to the zero-point. The quaint public space marked the highest point on the mountain, but was immediately overshadowed by the constructed wall of rock next to it.

A set of stairs led from the park up to the top of the wall, and Ayleah climbed them, knowing the views would be limited anyway due to the clouds. Reaching the summit to find it languishing in the middle of a cloud had been somewhat disappointing; Ayleah reckoned the views on clear days down towards the river valleys must be spectacular. She was practicing the virtue of patience though, something she had learned in the meditation class back at the Sanctuary. In that class she found that experiences can happen on may different levels, all of which are a part of reality. Though the outside perception be clouded, the views of things nearer to oneself may be panoramic.

Blank gray and clinging mist where there should be a soaring and open reward for climbing is also a kind of zen lesson. The journey up the mountain had been enjoyable in its own ways, and so should not be dampened by one missed experience at the top. Each moment is its own moment, and two moments need not affect each other in a qualitative way. Just like in our three dimensions of space, we can learn more control over how points of time relate to each other.

In the moment of not seeing a view from the mountaintop, Ayleah knew she had a choice to re-examine the situation for its beautiful aspects. Oftentimes a person, place, or thing will have glorious and magical attributes which are not readily apparent from the natural casual perspective. If we cannot see the beautiful things of the world, we must engage in the act of shedding our perspectives and seeing those things with fresh eyes. The blankness of the cloud made her appreciate the meadows and tufty bushes on the rolling alpine terrain. Where gentle plants did not grow, there were sometimes sparkling puddles dispensed from the cloud. The village was all soft rocky hills and pleasant sandy lanes. It felt almost cozy, as if it were safe for once from the open sky.

The wind was a reminder though, of where she really was. Looking up, she could see streams of cloud moving fast over the mountain. Unseen, the wet air passed through town constantly with a rawness undimmed by any canopy of trees. Trees here cowered away from the wind, barely reaching the edge of the peak. Some that braved the ledges lay flat and grew mostly sideways all their life- all that the elements allowed. Ayleah shivered and tightened her coat. There was a rough staircase leading down the other side of the wall, and she began to descend thinking she would just walk back around on the outside street to re-enter the village center.

At the bottom of the stairs was what looked like another park. This one was less well-kept, but bore signs of use and appreciation nonetheless. It centered around a similar metal-paved area, and Ayleah looked for what it said, curious there should be another one so near. Its surface was older, with more marks of wear. Most of the numbers and engravings were the same, but where the other shinier one proclaimed “Abrahim”, this one named the summit “Pocock Hill”. Ayleah wondered if there was some significance to this, perhaps a local rift or change in government. When the old names of a place are removed, often they are forgotten entirely, only dredged up by some studious historian many decades later. If the new name has a narrower significance, or one shallower to meaning, that is a loss for the place. Here Ayleah noted the preservation of an old name, though it had been relegated to a space outside the walls of the central village.

Reflecting, she let her eyes wander over the rolling expansive landscape. From here the peak could be any height; just a bit of land among the rest. The fact that it was raised up so high, isolated and special, was a very complicated act of luck. Those who lived here seemed noticeably proud of their accomplishment, and each dwelling tucked under rock or moss or bush looked quainter and nicer than the last. Some were very basic, and the lifestyle here was certainly rustic, but the community was quiet and friendly to each other; everyone had their own reasons for being there, and could fairly easily choose their neighbors.

To the east, the trees closed in a bit more, forming small groves that hid meadows of lichen. Off in one of these meadows some distance from the wall Ayleah saw the orange-red eyes again. Kaeri must have also skipped the meeting with the Premir, and had gone for a stroll as well. They waved, and Ayleah walked over.

Rocks

 

Flor had never been up this high before either. He, Ayleah, and Atkins had bonded somewhat as the youngest members of the party, though among them Atkins had more experience in the mountains. She never held it over them, but she knew more about the clefts and crags of these rocky woods than most people of comparable age. She was also a capable scout, but had decided on this excursion to stick with the job of navigator. Raik was more than happy to tag along with his hover-bike and be their lookout.

Taking advantage of the break and good spirits at the top of the cliff, Atkins went over some charts with Jaen and Sutton, while Bellinda and the others checked over the vehicles again.

Ayleah and Flor wandered to the edge of the road and looked through the thin fence of spruce. They were now on a real outcrop of the mountain, and the land dropped precipitously beyond the line of trees. Blue sky showed through the lower branches. It was cooler up here too, with a raw wind penetrating the thin tree cover. It whipped and whistled around the steep rocky slopes. They both felt a thrill to think of how far they must be above the river valleys. All those verdant green lands were somewhere below; out there in that blue. From a low rounded boulder they could see only the edge of the slope. Some tips of trees fell away into a vast open expanse. Any other sight was still shrouded by the tangled lower branches of the evergreens.

The road here was narrow, with barely enough room for vehicles to pull off to the side. The group figured they should keep going while they were still making good time to the summit.

Flor hung back momentarily when Ayleah returned to the vans. There was something about her. Something he couldn't put words to, but it was there. She seemed special in some way, almost like when one enters a clearing in the woods and wonders why no one seems to know about it. The clearing is such a perfect spot for whatever leisure led you to the woods, but there is no sign labeling it as a feature, or marking of it on a map. It was not attraction he felt for this girl, but rather a worried curiosity. There could be something about her that was affecting their journey. Flor, being a technically-minded sort, looked for the influences of things and the mechanics of their activity. He saw Ayleah as a potential for chaos; uncontrollability in the system. That in itself was fine, but his worry was that there was something else, dark and sinister, behind her mechanics. He kept his eye on Ayleah when they got back in the vans. She seemed engrossed in her journal, writing a new entry. The more Flor studied her, the more she seemed like just a normal young woman with a sense of curiosity and adventure, no more.

The vehicles thumped softly up the road away from the dark chasm of the switchback ledge, but the mountain did not relent. Though none of the remaining ledges seemed quite as dangerous, the drivers were nevertheless given challenge enough. They ascended the sides of massive boulders and long tumbled fields of smaller ones flanked by incredibly steep woodland slopes. The dwellings were fewer now, true hermit shelters built into mossy cliffsides. A narrow band of sky above their path grew wider and wider as the trees became stunted and twisted from the constant winds. The rocks began to dominate more than anything else though, vast surfaces cleaned of dirt and moss by weather. They were light gray and banded through with bits of silver or whole stripes that would sparkle in the sun. Sometimes the group would pass near a whole side of a cliff gleaming as the sunlight pierced through clear pristine quartz. All along the giant rocks were dotted and colonized with hardy lichens, giving greenish hues to the rugged granite. Where repulsars or wheels had crushed the surface, the path sparkled with mica and crystal. It was hard, even for the older members of the party, to take the beauty of the high mountains for granted.

They were climbing one of the massive banded rocks, one where the vans had little choice of route but straight up the steep rough surface. As they slowly ascended, the gap of sky above them won its battle with the trees, the stunted spruce retreating to crevices in between the cliffs. It would have allowed the fullness of sun onto the wide granite surface, if there had been sun in the sky. Though it was a clear enough day, they had climbed now right into a dry cool fog. Clouds often lingered about the mountain peaks, Ayleah remembered now, wondering again at where she was.

Just above their way and to the left stood a round boulder at least sixty foot high from its base. It was natural and rough, but looked almost round enough to have been carved, and was comprised of pure white marble. Sutton turned to Jaen in the front of the first van. “Almost there.” he said with a grin.