Kamerrean

by Karen Binnie

  Chapter 23

  After braving the smart comments from Jez about my hair and the look of concern from Al’ice as Cooper set about hacking away at the tangles with a knife, I had sat in stunned silence at the results, I worried the new look would repel Al’ice but in the end Cooper had done a good job. Once assured there was no meat in the hearty broth I managed two bowlfuls, it had been a long day with little nourishment and the powers manifesting themselves within made me incredibly hungry.

  I tried to concentrate on anything but thoughts of dad, I’m not heartless but lying around grieving for days was not an option right now, the numbness of last year was still raw deep inside. Besides I really don’t think I can cope with the reality, there would be time for grief later on my return home, the longer I could prolong the better.

  I check my reflection in my compact mirror, my hair is now quite short, the layers neatly framing my face, it is a similar style to what mum had, I look even more like her now, I’m not happy about that! I lie back on the bed and mull over the dilemma of my hair, tomorrow I will find something to gel it with, anything to give it a more modern twist.

  We have all retired for the evening and closing my eyes I let the night take me to my dreams once again, hoping Al’ice will be in them.

  Cooper sat beside the river, the stars reflection danced across the rippled surface as she thought about the lies she told earlier and how they would come back to haunt her from Jol’s torment. She looked up and across the water, sensing she was being watched, she closed her eyes and scanned the area with her sensory vision, just creatures no invaders to their land, then why did she sense danger? To her left the ghostly footsteps came closer, it was only Dallon but he was alone, this was not good.

  “Cooper I have a message only for Tilly, are you alone?”

  “Yes, I am. The others have retired for the night, tell me Dallon, how is Tadge?”

  “I found him well but there is a complication.”

  “He did not harm Jol’s friend, Kate?”

  “No, she is not well, she travels the same path as I, I have asked Tadge to save her instead of me.”

  “Dallon, you cannot do this, what of Al’ice’s feelings?”

  “She is close to Jol, it is only right she is given the gift of life, Al’ice will understand, Jol will want this.”

  “She has already promised Al’ice, she will not go back on her word, unless you insist, but your mother, why would you ask such a thing?”

  Dallon felt a little daunted talking to his guardians cousin this way but he had to explain.

  “I feel it is the right thing to do, her life is more precious than mine, she has much more to lose……………..she is very pretty.”

  Cooper eyed the young boy closely, love could be such a torturous affliction even within a wandering soul such as his. So this was the complication but where was Tadge?

  “The message Dallon, what is it?”

  ‘Bishop to your castle, check.’

  ‘Wise choice, you have not lost your talent for the game.’

  I can see a chess board in front of me but the voices are alien, the bodies just shadows beside the game. The one who has just moved has indeed made a good choice. I think I know what the plan is and if it works? Two more moves and it will all be over. I have not played chess in such a long time, I wonder why I should dream of it now?

  The image fades and appears again as if rewound, I can see one of the players, it is Jez and his opponent is me.

  He is the one playing the master stroke and he has that annoying smirk on his face.

  “I didn’t know you could play?” I hear my voice asking him.

  “I am full of surprises” he replies and rises across the table, taking my face in his hands, he begins to kiss me.

  I start to reciprocate when the shock freezes me in time before I recoil from the image, it is all wrong, it should be Al’ice I am kissing. I wake in a hot sweat trying desperately to shake the image from my mind. I probe the darkness for Jez, how dare he! Has he planted the image, why would he do that? I cannot find his mind lingering in the shadows and realise it must have been all my own making but it just doesn’t make any sense.

  Lying on the bed, frightened of sleep and listening to the silence of the night, I feel more awake than ever and begin to worry about the gathering, I hate attention and the thought of being at the centre of it rattles my nerves. I must not dwell on it and try to distract myself swinging my legs off the bed. I’m pacing now, doing sums in my head, I reckon thinking of the mundane and boring could work but it doesn’t.

  The outside wall shimmers against the glow of the candle and catches my attention, it has done this before in my dreams. I retrace that dream and walk forward touching the wall, I’m not surprised as my hand moves through the liquid illusion.

  Outside I can see the image of Eldeen stood over by the still pool at the edge of the river, right by where I had bathed earlier, he was talking to someone but who? Curiosity takes over and I push the rest of my body effortlessly through the wall, quietly edging closer to see what is happening, my eyes are drawn to a face below the water.

  The face in the water has a dusky complexion with wide eyes and flowing silky black hair that swims gently about her angular face, she is beautiful. Eldeen and the woman are deep in conversation, his appearance has changed, he is young and a very handsome young man at that! It is clear they are totally wrapped up in one another.

  “I have failed my love, only one I could save, I have placed him from harm’s way, the cave will be his sanctuary for now while he recovers. I need to alert others to his whereabouts as I can do no more.”

  “Do not trouble so, Venur my love you have done more than we hoped.”

  “You can be sure Jannes Ore Luisenn is ready?”

  “She must be, for time is running out, the deadline with the Ferimiah approaches.”

  The calming yet almost echoey voice replies, “and so does she, remember the amulet, it is time.”

  The face smiles, as it fades among the ripples of the water and the old man Eldeen turns to greet the footsteps behind him.

  There is a glint in his eye as he steps forward to greet me.

  “You cannot sleep child?”

  I’m still in a sense of wonder at what I’ve witnessed and shake my head devoid of speech.

  He beckons me closer, out of respect I bow my head and he places something over my neck.

  “The triquetra gives powerful and spiritual protection to the wearer, every beginning comes from an end and every end is a new beginning, infinitely. Wear it well Julianne.”

  I look into his kind eyes, the first time he has addressed me as Julianne, I wonder at the significance of this as I look down at my neck. He has given me a symbol suspended on a silver chain. It is quite small and made up of three interlocking loops, beautiful in its simplicity, I recognise it as the trinity knot of celtic design, overwhelmed by his present I whisper thank you and kiss him on the cheek.

  I believe he is embarrassed at my show of affection as he coughs nervously, gathering his great staff as he motions towards the cottage.

  “Come along now, you must sleep.”

  What the! What did she think she was doing? Jez woke up, troubled by his dreams, he had reached out for Jol with his mind but she had erected those damn barriers again, he could not reach her. He had never played chess, had no idea of the rules or even the names of the pieces, the dream had made no sense, yet his feelings for Jol had surprised him, the sensual kiss awakening a fire in his soul he did not know even existed until she pulled away, rejecting him as the image blurred. He lay propped up on his elbow staring into the last remaining embers of the fire, confused by his feelings and now awake it all seemed so unreal.

  The latch on the door moved and he lay back closing his eyes, he listened as Jol said goodnight and returned to her room, closing the door behind her, where had she been he wondered and with whom?

  The answer came
to him in an instant as the weary Eldeen sat down beside him.

  “So young Jerimiah, you cannot sleep either?”

  There was no point pretending, Jez opened his eyes, Eldeen looked very old tonight and just as troubled as he was.

  “What’s on your mind?” Jez asked him.

  “The gathering is an important day for us all Jerimiah, this time is much anticipated, many more of our people are sick and do not usually travel but Jannes Ore Luisenn is here and they will come.”

  “I don’t think she’s ready, I mean you heard what happened after she healed my tattoo, you can’t expect her to heal all those people?”

  “I echo your concerns, we must be gentle with Jol, she will know when she is ready, but our people wish to meet her, the expectation is high, they will be patient, they will still come.”

  Eldeen rose to his feet and shuffled over to his curtain, he stopped and turned to Jez.

  “The book Jerimiah, I will return it in the morning, you cannot begin to know how much it has been of a comfort to me but I sense, there is something else which troubles you?”

  He did not want to harry the old man with his false emotions, Jez had to think quickly with his reply.

  “Tell me, how did you know that Jol had twisted her ankle and that is why I could not stand?”

  Eldeen nodded as he contemplated his answer, what he said now could change future events, whether for better or worse he did not know, he would need to be candid with the truth.

  “Instinct Jerimiah, instinct. At my age it lies deep, I have lived many years to perfect it, now you must sleep also, it will be a long day for you tomorrow.”

  He pulled the curtain behind him as he retired, Jez wondered what he meant, every day had been long since he came here, how could tomorrow get any worse?

  Eldeen could not sleep either, he sat on the edge of his bed and contemplated the day ahead, he should sleep as he needed all the energy he could muster for the coming events but he could not. Worry racked his brain, worry for the future of his people, worry for Jol's future and who it would be that joined her, Al’ice? He sensed their love was already deeper than any he had known, more so than his love for Venur? Was that possible? But Venur was his soul mate, their unique connection so great they were destined to be together forever through life and death. Al’ice was not Jol’s soul mate, could their love overcome such adversity and stand the test of time he wondered.

  Venur’s sweet voice interrupted his thoughts.

  “Sleep my love, tomorrow is a big day for you, do not worry so for the young ones, they will find their true paths, sleep my love, sleep.”

  In the village at the home of Aijin, Al’ice watched over young Dallon’s body, as soon as he had returned with Jol he visited his old friend’s wife. She appeared gaunt and tired, the grief eating at her as he tried and failed to get her to take nourishment, she had been beautiful once, that beauty had slowly been taken with the death of her husband and now her son. The hope was still there in her eyes a flicker glowing gently within, he only hoped Tadge would accommodate his request especially now he had Jol’s blessing. Al’ice had promised to return and stay until morning, to watch over Dallon’s body whilst the woman finally succumbed to the much needed sleep, her dreams and her nightmares.

  He longed to be with his angel but promised Eldeen, his duty outweighed his desires. After tomorrow had passed it would either be time for much celebration or grief, the thought of losing Jol forever tore him apart, only Eldeen’s assurances kept his hope alive. It was to be a long and sleepless night for Al’ice, tormented by his feelings and fears for the future.

  Wow! A precious gift from the great Eldeen, I lie back on my bed and admire its simplicity in the gentle glow from the candle. I love it and for some reason, I don’t know why but it’s perfect.

  I began to appreciate celtic knot work design after finding an old book on the ancient art when I visited Scotland with Dad, it seems like such a long time ago now. Losing myself in those intricate drawings helped to ease the tension of our trip as we both ignored the real reason we were travelling. Dad would discuss the rare books he had found whilst asking if anything had caught my interest, I barely had time to explain before the whiskey became too much for him. I would listen to his heavy snores in the armchair whilst practising the art of those intricate designs, the trinity knot had been my first successful attempt. Looking back on those times I suppose we were both healing in our own way, Dad drowning his sorrows whilst I found a different focus.

  Unlike the others, sleep does not take long to overwhelm me, lost once again in the black void as my body gains much needed rest. If only I could stay here, lost in the darkness but it seems no matter how hard I try, the visions always find their way into my sanctuary.

  The ghostly image of Dallon wanders across from the left of the void, bringing with him the colours of my next vision. I watch as he wanders through the emerging trees, their canopy almost blocking the bright sunlight which filters through, dappling the forest floor. He is in Kamerrean, I recognise the burgundy colouring of the bark as it shimmers against his ghostly image. Where is he going? Perhaps Tadge is even closer than we thought, oh how I long to see him, the image of my grandfather, I have so many questions.

  Dallon forges on until at last he enters a clearing through the trees, it looks as if something has tore a chunk from the forest and in its wake the floor is covered in liquid mercury, well that’s what it looks like! He is kneeling now, at the edge and digging with his hands as the floor wobbles like a jelly as he tears at its edge and lifts a strange plant in his hands. I realise it’s a flower of some kind with a flat silver head, like a piece of silver foil has been impaled on its stem. As he lifts the plant the head shrivelles to a crumbling mess, falling to the ground as delicate ash but Dallon looks pleased, smiling as he turns to face someone watching from the trees, I follow his gaze and there under the canopy is Cooper.

  “What are they doing?” asks Jez as he enters my mind.

  “It’s just a dream” I reply without thinking.

  “I don’t think it is” he answers.

  “Jez, how long have you been there?” I have come to my senses, determined to demand an explanation over the chess game, but he has already left, lost from my mind once again.

  The angel had finished her shift and as she had done each night so far and she now sat beside the bed.

  Reaching behind his head to check the lump, as she had suspected it had now gone, she spoke softly,

  “Oh Jerimiah, I see now what is happening, you are reliving the past to bring you back to the present. There is much to see yet son, we shall be here for awhile, I have convinced the doctors that you are worth it as your young friend opposite receives the same treatment I must be sure that he does not awaken and gain strength before you, just remember not to reveal the truth yet son, you are not ready."

  Jez knew that his angel of the night wanted to protect him, but from what? He had found it difficult earlier when the male nurse or was it a Doctor, had come to check him over, trying not to respond when he had stuck the needle in him.