The Sea of Change

by Tina Engel

  I chuckled as I said, “That’s okay Rose, and I’m fine. I can make it to the bathroom all by myself.”

  I looked at Lily, as she lay on my bed, and said, “I like the look Lily. Let’s keep it this way. I still want to talk with you, and I will get more answers from you in this form.”

  Lily looked and me and just yawned, turned her back on me, and I presumed, shut her eyes to sleep. Rose had a disgusted look on her face as she shook her head.

  I got into the bathroom and into the shower, and oh, the warm water felt amazing. Every pore in my body was soaking this warmth in, and with Rose’s blood flowing through every part of my body, I was feeling stronger by the second.

  For a split second I heard Brett say, “Don’t fall now, I will be up there in a split second if you do.” I just smiled, knowing I was hearing him in my head, and I liked this new ability.

  I got out of the shower, got dressed in warm, clean clothes and put on my human glamour. I was a bit grumpy about having to do this; after all, we knew that we were all fey. Well, not all. I was the only one besides Brett and Adam who knew Jordan was fey.

  Before I left the room, Rose seemed a bit perturbed that she couldn’t come with me. She wanted to know what had happened down in the waters below. She asked why Jordan Davis was now even more negative and sour. She admitted that his negative energy was delicious, and she had never tasted this type of energy before.

  I reassured her that she didn’t need to know anything right now and I would fill her in on what I could later. As I promised Rose this, Lily rolled over and did that little coughing thing cats do when they are trying to get up a fur ball. I figured that was her way of getting into the conversation.

  I turned to Lily and said, “Yes Lily, I will tell her what I can, and you too.”

  Lily sat up and replied, “I have heard that before, I will tell you what I can! And it seemed to make a certain someone, upset.”

  I gave Lily a ‘whatever’ look and left the room, but as I stood outside the door to the mess hall, I wondered, was Lily correct. Was I now acting like Brett? She was right; I hated it when he would say that to me.

  I entered the dining room, and there at a table was Brett, Adam and Jordan. I was taken aback by Jordan being there. I walked over, and as I did, Brett got up and let me sit next to the wall where the porthole was. He knew I liked to be able to look out at the world, sometimes on the surface of the water and sometimes below. It all depended on the whims of the currents.

  Dinner was on the table, all ready, but I really wasn’t hungry. Brett pushed a steaming mug in front of me, but it wasn’t coffee. It was the concoction specially prepared just for me. How long I would have to drink this stuff, I didn’t know, but sure hoped I could be done with it soon.

  I looked at Jordan but he kept his face turned down, looking at the table as he ate. I then turned my gaze to Adam first and then Brett. They both had looks of patience and sympathy.

  Adam spoke first. “Emilee, Jordan decided that he should be the one to tell his story. If the council disagrees with you knowing about his crime and punishment, he wants to be the one to take the blame. Jordan doesn’t want us to feel the wrath of the elders.”

  I picked up my mug of nourishment, and observed Jordan Davis. This big strong man that I had believed had no heart and only duty on his mind, now looked like a broken man with such pain, deep inside, that it showed in his posture.

  I waited patiently, feeling Brett’s attempt at being patient also, but I knew that everyone at the table wanted Jordan to speak. I took a sip of my drink and shutting my eyes, I felt the liquid moving through my body and I could almost see it as it entered my blood stream. Patience and calmness was what I needed for myself and the other three at the table.

  When I opened my eyes, Jordan was looking right at me. His eyes where now a dark stormy blue, the way Brett’s would get when he was upset and anxious.

  “Please tell me your story, Jordan.” I said, in a quiet tone.

  “If anyone gets in trouble with the council, it will be me. I will carry this burden. I am the one that this journey is all about and you are a part of it. I feel that I need to know, otherwise you wouldn’t have shown me the true you for that short time. Please trust me. I am fed up with the elders or council or whatever you want to call them, and the fear everyone has, regarding them.”

  The three men looked at me with a little shock and concern on their faces, when I said this.

  Brett started to speak but I stopped him, saying, “No Brett, I will not cower to the elders. If I am the one who is to save this planet and all life forms on it, then maybe they need to bend a bit and let me grow as I see fit. I need to understand my new world, and Jordan’s story will help me understand another part.”

  Jordan’s hand was on the table and I reached over, putting mine over his. Our eyes connected and I could actually feel his pain. I wanted to pull away but didn’t.

  “It’s okay to speak. Please share with me, but only if you want to. I will never force anyone to share their stories.” I said.

  I kept my hand on his, and his distorted face softened some and he spoke. “It was a long time ago Princess, back when King Arthur was ruling; yes he was a real man and that is a story within itself. I lived on an island that humans call England.

  “I was one of those children who lived in an orphanage. Humans call them this also, only because a human stumbled into our realm a long time ago and into one of our orphanages. He survived the experience and created these homes for children in his dimension. Again, this is another story for a later time, perhaps.

  “I was a very outgoing youngster and wanted to please those who were raising me. I had heard of the elders and all of us kids knew that we were abandoned, lost from our families, or reborn from one who committed a severe crime against the elders. When the grownups weren’t around we would tease each other about who were the ones who committed a crime.

  “As I grew, I became very curious about the elders. Back in my day we called them the elders, but as time went on, some started to call them “the council.” It seemed more authoritative. Some say the council started to call themselves this too. No one really knows. It doesn’t really matter I guess, but I still think of them as the elders.

  “I had decided when I was very young, that I wanted to meet them. I wondered if I was one who was reborn and I wanted to find out. The only way to do this, I believed, was to find where the elders lived and get them to trust me enough to give me the information I desired.

  “You see, I have had visions all of my life, and wanted desperately to know if they were just dreams or real memories of my past. I had heard that the elders lived in a large palace-like structure and they had guards to protect them, and who traveled the earth looking for those of our kind who broke the rules.

  “When I turned 18 and was considered an adult, (yes humans got this from us too), I went in search of the council. It wasn’t hard to find them. I got lucky and asked the right person. I had to travel over water to get to them, and it was a long journey.

  “When I arrived, it seemed they had known I was coming. I presented myself to them, explaining where I came from and my desire to work for them. I wanted to see the world and learn everything I could about our realm, and hopefully about the other dimensions that shared this planet.

  “I had to prove myself worthy in several ways. They needed to know what my beliefs were; my values and morals, loyalty and ability to follow rules unconditionally. I also had to prove that I could fight to the death if need be, but that was only a last resort. Killing another, be it fey or human, was only to be done if your life was in danger and there was no other way.

  “I proved to them that I would be a reliable and loyal guard, and after a few months, was hired on as a guard. I started at the bottom, tending to the livestock and working with the other guards. It took me many years to gain the elders’ full trust. I journeyed all over our realm, and then began to travel in the human dimension. I event
ually became the chief, the highest position of the guard regiment. I was proud of what I did and was content with my life.

  “I had no need to marry or have a family. I had no time for this. My life was all about tending to the elders’ needs. I became more than just the lead guard, I was their confidant also. They trusted me with knowledge that no one outside of the council ever knew.”

  Jordan stopped talking then and removed his hand from under mine. I had forgotten that I still had my hand on his. I realized also, that as he was telling his story, I could see it all. I was there when he was a child, growing up in the orphanage. I felt his wonder, shame, fear and desire to know the truth of his past. He strived to be the best in everything, schooling, outside activities and yes, fighting. I could feel the pride and honor that he felt during this time in his life with the elders. That was all he wanted in his life. He needed nothing more. I felt that he had no desire, anymore, to find out if he had a past life.

  Jordan got up from the table and left the dining room, entering the kitchen. I turned to look at Brett and he smiled slightly and shrugged his shoulders.

  Adam spoke then. “Give him a minute. This next part is the hardest.”

  Jordan came back a few minutes later with a pot of coffee. No one spoke as he poured us all a cup. We all picked up our cups and sipped, as if none of us knew exactly what else we should be doing while we waited for him to continue.

  Jordan put his cup down and I did the same. I asked him if I could please place my hand back on his. It helped me to understand his story. At first Jordan had a look of anger, but then of acceptance. He placed his hand down on the table and I gently placed mine on top.

  Quite a few minutes had passed, and I wondered if he had decided not to continue. I could feel his uncertainty; did he want to continue or not? I could feel a pain, deep down, that he was trying to hide and didn’t want it to resurface. He didn’t want to relive this pain again.

  Jordan looked up at me and our eyes connected. I smiled softly and he knew that he wasn’t alone. He continued then.

  “Elders always came to us when they were older and had lived their lives to the fullest. They were ready to take on the responsibilities of making sure that all followed the laws, keeping this planet surviving, until the day that the chosen one came. The elders consisted of male and female, and of every fey species.

  “Douglas, the great tree fey that you met, is one of them. He is one of the few who still lives away from the palace in his own home, and comes only when needed or during specific yearly gatherings. The rest live in the palace, year-round. They feel it is safer for them, and it really is. Those who choose to live outside of the elders’ palace walls are in constant danger. They must have constant protection.

  “She came to the council with her parents. They were very old, and we feared, would leave their fey bodies soon. They believed that she was to be an elder and they had protected her all of her life, keeping her away from all. Because of their decision to protect her from the world around her, she would be unable to survive when they died. She had no knowledge of the ways of the world.

  “She was considered a young adult fey, just over 100 years in human terms, and had very little experiences with life outside of her home and surrounding fields and gardens. Her parents were harvesting fey. Their livelihood was to grow and harvest lower fey forms of vegetables to sell in the market places. As you see princess, we eat some foods that humans eat, too.

  “They lived a simple life, not needing for much, and she was their only child. They were so afraid that the town’s people would be fearful of her abilities and strangeness. There are those who fear the dark ones and they don’t want any trouble. If the dark fey discovered the whereabouts of a young fey who would one day be an elder, the dark fey would try to destroy or take them, and destroy everyone around them, to keep it quiet.”

  Jordan paused for a moment. I not only saw the pain in his face, but felt it. He continued, “I called her Lena. She had golden hair, smooth, fair skin and a smile that could melt the coldest person’s heart. She was like a child in so many ways, due to her confinement but she had knowledge of the world, thanks to her parent’s teachings. She had abilities that she didn’t understand, and without the proper training, at times frightened herself and her parents, so her parents convinced her to stopped using them.

  “Yes, she was to be an elder one day in her future, but because her parents kept her locked away from the world, she could no longer stay out in the fey realm. They feared a neighbor or a stranger, passing by, might see Lena and in their curiosity, approach her and realize she was different. This was a very unique case, having a very young council person staying in the palace, but the elders had no choice.

  “Lena’s parents left and everyone suspected they wouldn’t make it back home. Her parents were content knowing that she was where she belonged and was finally safe. They would be able to go to Nirvana to spend the rest of eternity, in peace.

  “I was given the responsibility of getting Lena settled. She needed a room, a caretaker who was female, of course, and a teacher to help her understand and control her powers, or gifts, as the elder’s call it. I was to coordinate all of this and to make sure she was always tended to.

  “I take my jobs very seriously. Soon thought we were spending more and more time together. Lena was so innocent, yet so sophisticated and worldly at the same time. Her knowledge of the plants, animals, water and stars up above, was exceptional. She was in touch with everything around her. I had a need to spend time with her, be close to her, and was finding the smallest of excuses to see her.

  “I was the head of the guards and was always busy. I never shirked my responsibilities, but I had to see Lena every day. As time passed, we fell in love. We kept it a secret, not knowing if it was proper or not. We were together for several years.

  “Lena continued with her studies, learning about her abilities and how to control them. She could see bits and pieces of the future, be it minutes away, to years, she assumed. She knew things before they happened, and at times the things she saw frightened her, because she wasn’t able to see the future in full.

  “She could heal the injured; flowers, trees, birds, all small creatures and at times breathed life back into their broken bodies. There is a fine line between helping to heal an injury, and bringing back to life, something that is supposed to leave this world. Lena’s compassion for all life, created confusion and frustration for her, not understanding why she was to help some but not others.

  “While Lena tended to her studies, I did the council’s biddings, but we always found time to be together. It was in the middle of summer, an especially hot one at that, when we decided to plan a few days away from the palace. We had planned this little escape for months. You see, Lena had only been out in the world with other elders, and I always accompanied them with lots of guards. This time we wanted to be alone.

  “I had a house a few miles from the council’s palace, and would go there from time to time when the elder’s insisted that I take some time off. That was always a challenge for me, because I had nothing to do when I was there. This time I wanted to be there. I wanted to share it with Lena.

  “We convinced the elders that I was to take Lena to visit a city in which there was an old fey who she wanted to meet. This fey had knowledge that could help Lena in her studies. The elders agreed, of course. They trusted me with their lives.

  “We would be gone for one week, and all was set. It was easy leaving the palace. No one questioned this trip. We headed in the opposite direction of my home, towards the city that we were going to visit. It was supposed to be a full day’s ride there. We would spend 5 days, and then return on the seventh day.

  When we had traveled for half the day, we turned in the direction of my house and backtracked down a different path. It was dark when we entered the land that belonged to the elders, and we felt safe that no one was wise to what we were doing.

  “We spent three days together
, the best days of my long life. It was the end of that last day when everything went wrong. We had spent that day picnicking down by the lake, swimming, eating a wonderful lunch that Lena had made, and spending time talking, laughing and …. being together.

  “I was so enthralled with Lena and our time together that I was careless. As we got to the house, I scooped her up into my arms and as I carried her inside, I was unaware of another life form, just inside the door.

  “It was a shifter that had very special powers. It was able to blend into the wall, so when I shut the door, I didn’t see him. I should have been able to sense his presence, and would have, if I hadn’t been side-tracked with the euphoric feelings that I had every time Lena and I touched. I was such a fool.”

  Jordan pulled his hand out from under mine, then stood in a rage, and walked to the other side of the mess hall. None of us spoke, I believe, because we were all a bit fearful to do so. We all wanted to hear the end of this story, even though we feared it would end poorly. Of course, it would end tragically, otherwise Jordan wouldn’t be here now, condemned to be human for all eternity.

  I looked at Brett, and as our eyes met, I knew he was in my thoughts again. I had seen it all, every bit of Jordan’s story. The love he had for Lena was the same as the love I had for Brett. Brett knew this, and I was sure he felt the same for me. Brett had such a sad look on his face. Was it sadness for Jordan, or for us? Would this be the same fate that Brett would receive if something dreadful happened to me?

  Brett reached out and took my hand, squeezing it gently, and the vibration between us was so strong that I wanted to be in his arms as Jordan and Lena had been. I wanted to be alone with Brett, just as they had been, and I didn’t care about the consequences. I understood Jordan and Lena’s decision to do what they did, and I would do the same. Brett wanted to also, I knew, but he was stronger than I, for now.

  Jordan came back to the table, and that broke our deep connection. I felt a bit embarrassed, and looking down, I realized that my diamond was glowing. I picked it up, and looking at it, there inside was Kimberlite staring back at me.