Sekali, "The Sister City"
Chapter 69
The day had come, and the people dispersed slowly, back to the business of their lives. The tables were cleared and washed, everyone aiding in the clean-up. The grounds were cleaned perfectly. After all was set in place and order, Sekali, Uther, Finyat and Aria were called to the council chambers of Ellianess, but not before they had taken as much time as they needed to rest and gain their strength.
Uther and Finyat silently cheered the message and launched a full fledged drinking contest, frowning at Sekali’s disapproval.
As they marched away happily, Sekali was left to himself to gaze up into the canopy of the forest above. The sky was beginning to lose the dark-blue night, giving way to an early morning filled with the life of a natural, undisturbed forest, filled with a people devoted to maintaining nature’s sensitive balance. He noticed they all did so as one, without conflict. It impressed him to see them live as he had, while serving The Watch for his people. Their awareness was impressive. They were a unified people.
As Sekali let his mind go into a sea of questions and impressions, he clearly heard the call of his name.
“Sekali.”
Sekali turned at Aria’s call and saw her standing by a boulder cut to serve as a natural table, the surface being highly polished to accommodate the most delicate of items and activities. Upon arriving, Sekali noticed many of these stone tables.
He spied a rolled parchment in her right hand, and at his approach she unrolled the parchment and secured the map the best she could by placing certain items from her person to each corner. He looked down as she smoothed the parchment gently with the flat of her hands. Sekali knelt opposite her, his eyes drawn to the four objects as he studied the map, taking in all he could. The items were completely foreign to him. Soon his attention was fully upon the map, the top was boldly labeled “The Northlands,” larger than any other writ upon it. As he scanned it, he noticed instantly it was not complete, but did mark the southern borders of the continent, the Mistshadow forest, and many other adjacent lands up to Utaemia Forest.
Once she knew she had Sekali’s full attention, she pointed to a location on the map. “Here. We will leave north, and a little east from here. There are mountains we will pass through.” She looked at Sekali sternly and continued, “Once again a cave journey. I am not fond of these seldom-visited caves. Before taking on the Guardianship of Utaemia, I used to enter into these caves. My friends and I would hunt within them and plunder what we could scavenge from those creatures and their lairs and abodes that lay within. I do not know these caverns well, as their passages I have only touched upon in my youth. The passing of ages has all but dimmed my memory of them.” Sekali nodded, fully understanding.
“Aria, this is where Finyat will be most skilled. This will be his assignment: to get us through safely.”
She nodded and looked over at Uther. “He knows the roots of mountains, I assume, for he is Kithrin, and they dwell within the earth, crafting mighty cities from massive and hidden mountains of solid stone.”
Sekali’s hope began to build. It seemed to him that, even though the weight of his future road was heavy, it was now much more manageable. Then his mind became predominantly set on the Veleighen they might encounter along the way.
“Aria, what of the Veleighen? Are we past the major threats?”
Aria grimaced, a cold look darkening her countenance at the mention of her enemy.
“Yes, you were able to get through the city. How? This is one thing that baffled me. Why did they let you through the Northern Gate?” She reflected aloud.
Slowly her eyes developed a worried expression. She slowly looked up into the darkest shadows of the trees nearby, as if she expected to see an enemy spying on them. She leaned forward slightly and placed her hands upon the map, fingers extended wide. Looking directly into Sekali’s eyes, she frowned.
“You were not let through Sekali, you were allowed to pass.” Aria straightened and pointed back toward Uther and Finyat.
“Go and rest as you can. When you three are ready, come to this rock. Be ready to travel. I will come to you.”
Sekali arose and nodded, watching Aria retrieve her personal effects, roll up the map, slide it back into its case and tie the end off with a leather sleeve. Then she departed without further communication.
Sekali walked over to his pack, retrieved his bedroll, and spread it out. As he lay down and settled in, exhaustion ever so slowly overtook him, and his mind became heavy as it was dragged into the world of sleep, a thing Sekali enjoyed immensely. He hadn’t had the opportunity to experience true sleep, until after the dream of Mabuhi fighting for him upon the deck of the Harbringer. As he drifted off, he felt the warmth of the fire that was merrily dancing and lulling him into slumber. Sekali closed his eyes, and then ever so slowly opened them and watched the intricate patterns the fire made; how graceful and generous a mere fire could actually be. As was the case in all his prior attempts to watch a fire burn, this time it did not throw Sekali into the past to a day he would give anything to forget. He wondered at this change, welcoming it without hesitation. It gave him hope. As he stared into the burning flame, his thoughts did not seize and force him to remember most dreadful things. Instead his thoughts reflected upon a certain druid; her emerald eyes and the delicate structure of her thin physique . . . especially the impressions of her speech and her mannerisms.
Slowly his eyes closed. Sekali fell into a peaceful slumber that eventually shifted to the Veleighen as they tracked and hunted for them all, mounted upon angry, black-scaled lizards.