Chapter 9

Over the last several days Quaine has taken the time to teach all of us that are going how to saddle a horse and how to pack the pack animals. While pack animals have been used in the valley to haul in the crops and to help gather wood, no one was aware at how much the animals could carry as long as the packs are loaded properly and evenly. The Stable master provided us with all the packs that we will need, along with a strange looking stone. He tells me that as long as I have the stone with me that the horses and pack animals will not stray far from me when we make camp at night. In the morning when we are getting ready to break camp all I have to do is bring out the stone and rub it, and wherever the animals are they will come back to the camp to be loaded, harnessed, and saddled.

Quaine has chosen two young men from the village and three young people from the group that has been trying to organize the maps, clues, and crystals. They have been able to put them together, yet deciphering what the clues mean is up to me. The first one I am still pondering on. It seems that each clue might have two answers, and that each has to be answered be fore we move on to the next one. The first one is this: Guidance given, lessons learned, knowledge gained. I know that part of the answer to this one is Quaine, he is here to guide and protect me, I have no idea what the second answer could be.

"Don’t worry on the answer so much", purrs Samantha, "just let the puzzle set in your mind and when the time is right, the answer will be as plain as day."

"Thank you, I need to not worry so much. It looks like a beautiful morning to start our journey. I am glad that you will be traveling with me."

"There is no place else that I would want to be, than by your side."

Everyone is gathering in the stable yard, getting the animals ready, making sure that everything is stowed properly, and saying goodbye to their loved ones. Almost everyone is anxious to get going on this adventure. The only one of us that isn’t is Quaine, he has already been out in the world and knows what lies ahead for us. The first place that we will stop is in his home town, our first night out will be spent in his ancestral home. I have very vague recollection of what the world is like outside this valley. I’m sure that I will find that it is nothing like what little I remember. The world has moved on since the time that the sisters attacked me and tried to silence me forever.

"Now that we are all together, I would like to say something before we start on this journey. I know that all of you are excited about going on an adventure, I know I am, what happens may exceed what we expect to happen. Once we leave this valley, there will be no turning back, if anyone is having second thoughts, now is the time to say so. I do not know how long this journey will last, or what we will find. As I find out more about myself the house here will grow and expand, don’t worry as there will be nothing here that will hurt anything. Even though I leave the valley, no harm will come to anyone here. Between what Quaine and the Stable master have taught us over the last few days, I believe that we cannot be more ready for this journey, so let us begin."

The morning is bright and beautiful as we leave the valley. The excitement of the group is palpable, the tension outside the valley is getting worse, or maybe it’s just getting easier to feel because we are closer to the edge of the valley.

As we reach the rise in the pass between the valley and the rest of the world, storm clouds can be seen over the vast forest that encompasses the far side of the pass. The breeze on our backs is warm, yet there is a chill in the air that has nothing to do with the weather. We follow the narrow winding path for quite a ways, we finally come to a clearing. "Let’s stop here for lunch," I say.

Quiane and Samantha check the clearing for any possible danger. They find nothing, Aletha and a couple of others set out a cold lunch. Quiane shows the rest how to make sure the animals have enough water and that the grass in the clearing is good for them to eat, if not they will have to be fed some of the grain that we brought. All of us, except for Quaine, are feeling a little sore from riding for so long. Quiane then tells us, "The trail ahead is very quiet, and not used by anyone, to ease the pain of riding all day we can walk our animals until we get closer to the edge of this forest. We are not very far from my home, which is on the edge of a small town. We can rest for a little while longer, and still make it before sunset."

We are all glad that we can rest for a little while longer. First, though, we clean up after our lunch. Everyone takes advantage of the break, and lays down, the animals are all munching happily on the fresh grass.

While laying under the cool branches of a tree, I get the feeling that something that I have hidden is in this part of the forest. "Samantha," I ask, "will you come with me? I believe that I have hidden something here in this part of the forest."

"Of course I will accompany you," answers Samantha.

I let Quaine know that we are going into the forest, and why. He tells me to be careful, and not to wander to far. I tell him that I will be very careful. I get my bearings and we head off in the direction that this calling is the strongest. We walk through the forest, there a only a few different kinds of trees. Then I notice that there is one tree that is completely different, and shouldn’t really be a part of this forest.

"This is the tree that has been calling me to it," I say. "Just what is it about this tree that I need to know? What do I need to do?" I walk slowly around the tree, trying to see what secret this tree holds. After the third time around the tree, the tree itself begins to glow from the inside.
Symbols begin to shine even brighter on the trunk of the tree. These symbols are ancient, even older than the writing on the maps, older than what the clues are written in. The branches begin to rustle, one by one a single branch comes towards me. Each branch is of a different kind of tree or bush, something I hadn’t noticed before, I hold out my hands to receive what the branches have to give me. Each branch gives me a stick that is about four inches long, with a sharp ridge that runs the length of the stick, on the edge of the ridge is carved a symbol. The symbols are simple lines that are either on one side or the other of the ridge, or run through the ridge, and even at an angle. No stick has more than five lines on it. One end of each stick is cut at an angle, I believe that it indicates that is the top. I have twenty sticks, each with a different symbol on it. The last branch gives me a bag woven from leaves and small twigs, it is the right size to hold the sticks. The tree then speaks to me, "You have back what was given to me to hold. These sticks will help you to remember what you have locked away. They are the key to great knowledge." With that the tree grows still, the glow is gone, and is now silent.

"Well Samantha," I say, "it seems I have the second part of the clue. These will have to be studied when we get to our first stop tonight. Let’s get back to the clearing." We walk back to the clearing where everyone is waiting and ready to get moving again.

We are on our way again with Quaine leading us to his home at the edge of a small town. I still feel the edge of a memory that doesn’t want to make itself known floating at the edge of my mind. Hopefully these sticks will help me to bring that to light.

Chapter 8

There is a sense of anticipation and foreboding in the air this morning. Aleatha and the others are already up and working on the maps, journals, and crystals. They have been able to match some of the clues to the maps along with even fewer of the crystals. It seems that when they have the correct clue with the correct map then, and only then, does the crystal start to glow. This wasn’t possible for the sisters because only I could find the first crystal, and I had safe guarded that knowledge so that they couldn’t find the right one on accident. "Aleatha, it looks like you have been able to match quite a few of the clues to the different maps."

"Thank you, you will have to leave the room though. Whenever you come in here, or even close to the door, all the crystals glow. When that happens we have no idea which map goes to which crystal."

"I’m sorry. I will leave you all to your work then. I will go get some leather bindings to put each map, clue, and crystal in for our journey. I would like you to join me in this journey. I don’t know how long we will be gone from this valley. All I do know is that there is something or someone out there waiting for me. There is strife and tension beyond the walls of this valley."

"I will gladly join you on your journey. I will have to prepare my medicines and herbs for a long trip. Hopefully I will be able to replace what is used along the way, maybe even find new medicines as well. I will work on getting all the maps together first though. When will we be leaving?"

"We will leave in a few days time. Quaine is getting together a few others that will help us along the way." I think that I will go and check out the stables, see if there is anything that can be used for the maps and see what there is in the way of bags for other things that will need to come with us. Maybe there will be other pack animals as well.

Walking into the stables I notice that there are lot of stalls. Several large stalls for horses, smaller stalls for pack animals and all of them with fresh hay in them. The stable is full of light and the smell of fresh hay. I notice about half way down the main corridor that there is a man throwing new hay into one of the stalls. He looks up and sees me, and quickly comes to me.

"I am sorry ma’am," he says with a bow, "I did not see you enter. I am trying to get the stables ready for you, and I still have a lot to get done. They are not as clean as I would like them to be."

"I think you have done a wonderful job. What shall I call you?"

"You do not remember your old stablemaster?"

"There are a lot of things that I don’t remember yet. When these stables reappeared, did you also reappear? If so, then you are not human."

"You are right, I did disappear then reappear with these stables, and I am not human, neither am I animal. May I ask, where is your horse?"

"He is down in the village, Quaine is checking him over thoroughly. I am sure once he is done that Starling will be here. Are there any pack animals here? What about the packs that go with them?"

"Yes, both are here. The animals are in the stalls on the next row, and all the packs, bags, and tack are in the tack room at the far end. I think you will find everything that you need. If not, let me know and I will make sure that you will have it."

"Thank you Stablemaster. I will let you get back to your work. I am sure that Quaine will want to look over the animals, there are some bindings and packs that I will need. If I cannot find what I am looking for, then I will certainly ask you to find them for me."

"As you wish, Ma’am." He bows, then goes back to work. This time though, I hear him singing, his voice is strong and deep and very soothing.

As I walk towards the tack room I can hear the pack animals moving around quietly, and softly calling to each other. The tack room is large and has several bridles, lead ropes, packs, bags, a few saddles, blankets, and what must be my saddle. It is off by itself with the blankets, bridle, and reins. They are not fancy, just well used, and there are runes on the saddle itself. The entire room smells of well cared for leather. Upon looking around further I find Shelving that has all the necessities of taking care of horses, mules, and the equipment that goes with them, including the exact type of bindings that I was looking for. Hanging on the wall next to the shelves are the packs that will hold the bound maps perfectly. I also find a bag that I think Aleatha will be able to put all of the medicines and herbs in that she wants to take.

After gathering the bindings, pack, and bag that we will need right now, I walk towards the entrance, and there, coming in is Starling all by himself. He puts his head down close to mine so that we touch foreheads. "Go with the Stablemaster Starling, he will take care of you and get you ready for the long journey we are going on." Off he goes to the stall that has been prepared for him.

I meet Samantha on the path back to the house. "I was wondering where you were. I hadn’t seen you or felt you all morning."

"I was over with Quaine checking on the horses, then talking to the villagers, he is trying to find a few that will be able to handle being on a long journey and that are not easily frightened by strange animals or people. He has only been able to find a couple of young men that will be suitable."

"Then we may have to find more in the next town outside this valley. There are several pack animals here in the stable along with all the gear that we might need. Quaine should talk to the people here at the house. The ones that have been going over the maps and journals seem to be of strong character. The only one that I will insist on taking is Aleatha, the rest I will leave to Quaine to decide upon."

Aleatha comes running out of the house to meet us. "When you left earlier the crystals arranged themselves on the maps that they belong to, then started glowing brighter in a pattern. We have been trying to recreate the crystals finding the maps that they go to without much success, until you got closer tot he house, then they floated over to the maps that each one goes to. Now they are glowing in a pattern again."

"How fascinating. Describe the pattern to me."

"It starts in the next map that we are going to then each one in turn in a counter-clockwise spiral. How did you make them do that?"

"I didn’t know that I had. All I did was ask myself which path should we follow on our travels. I believe we have our answer. Here are the bindings and pack for the maps and crystals. Mark each of the bindings with the order that we are to travel. This bag is for the herbs and medicines that you want to take. If it isn’t big enough or you need another one let me know and I will get another for you."

"Thank you very much. I will make sure that the maps are packed in the correct order. We have been able to put the clues with almost half of the maps, we will have the rest done before we leave."

"Good work, the last of the maps can be packed when the clues are placed with them. I don’t want to leave this valley without having all the clues, crystals, and maps matched up. We may not have the time to do that once we are traveling."

Quaine has ridden up during the last part of the conversation. "That is a wise choice M’lady. Only one map should be out at time while we are traveling. I have found two young men that are fit for traveling with us. I understand that there are seven others here at the house that I should talk to as well. Are there any that you want to take?"

"Yes the one that was just out here talking to us. Her name is Aleatha, she will be traveling with us as my healer, and she keeps me strong. Two of the ones in the house have been studying the maps; the other four have been going through the sister’s journals. They have been trading off on the journals so that they are not just reading the words of only one of the sisters. I will leave it up to you to decide which, if any, of these people will be coming with us."

"Thank you, M’lady. May my horse find shelter in your stables?"

"Of course, the Stablemaster will be happy to take care of him. You will also find several pack animals along with all the gear needed for a long journey. After you talk to the people in the house you can talk with the Stablemaster. He will help you choose which animals will be needed. I suspect that all of them will be more than ready for a long trip. Even the horses will be better for the time they will be in his care."

"By your leave, M’lady, I will go talk to the people in the house and then go talk to the Stablemaster."

"Of course. If you are hungry stop in the kitchen, the cook will give you something to eat." With that Quaine follows after Aleatha into the house, his horse finds his way into the stables and into the care of the Stablemaster. "Well, Samantha, the day has started off good. Nothing untoward has happened yet. Though I can feel the tension, and apprehension coming from outside this valley. This journey is going to be one filled with new discoveries. There will be new friends and new enemies. All of it necessary to reach my goal, whatever that goal may be."

"Then you are ready to make this journey. I am glad to hear it. Of course, I’ll be joining you."

"I’m glad that you are coming with me." Again there is that half-remembered memory at the back of my mind, I know that at some point I will remember whatever it is. Part of this journey will lead me to that memory.