When they exited the green room, she and Jeremiah fed Banner and Sunny the apples over the fence. The horses were ecstatic about the fruit. Sunny ate his share so quickly that Chalice thought he would choke. She could tell by their faces that the horses were content and much less tired. Their ears perked and their eyes brightened with energy as they galloped off, jumping and kicking.
“Look at them,” she said, smiling.
“They like it here,” Jeremiah replied. “We’ll have to take some food for them when we leave. There won’t be much to eat along the trail.”
Before they re-entered the apartments, Bunejab touched the white circle on the inside of the stable room and the light in the room slowly dimmed. After a minute or two, all they could see were shadows in a darkness slightly brightened by the faint glow of flickering sparkles on the dome. Then, Chalice understood. It simulated nighttime, so the horses could sleep.
Nice! she thought.
As soon as they were in the apartment, Quinta put Chalice to work cleaning the berries for dessert and cutting the vegetables that she placed into the casserole. Quinta had already removed the thawed fish and was preparing it, discarding the bones and removing the meat. She shredded it into fine layers that she arranged in the dish with the vegetables. There was cucumber, tomato, squash, peas and a selection of other legumes that Chalice didn’t recognize. All of it, Quinta seasoned with ginger and peppercorn, which according to her, aided in digestion. She had also brought cornmeal and milk made from the plants and legumes in the green room. Apparently, that was going into the dish as well.
“Jeremiah,” Chalice said and he looked up from the hearth where he was stacking wood for a fire.
“Yeah?”
“Have you ever seen tools like these?” Chalice held up one of the cutting knives. It was glossy and sharp and cut like a razor.
“No, not until we came here. Bunejab says they’re made out of a material found at the top of the mountain, formed during the time when the volcano was active. It’s perfect for cutting utensils because it keeps its shape so well and it never needs to be sharpened.”
“I believe it!” she said in amazement as she looked at the knife. They were excellent utensils. “What are you smiling at?” She had just noticed that he was snickering.
“You, in the kitchen,” he said wryly as he poured oil over the wood.
“Very funny! I can cook … well, as long as someone tells me what to do.” He grinned.
By the time Chalice and Quinta had the casserole in the oven, Bunejab and Jeremiah had a roaring fire going and four cups of Taluqua tea resting on the sitting room table. Chalice sat down next to Quinta on the settee and immediately reached for her cup.
“Can you ask Bunejab about the tea? I can pay for it if needed.”
“I already did. He gave us a small pouch of it, just enough, but not too much. They don’t give it out in large quantities to protect the villages.”
“Oh, I get it. To keep others out.”
“Exactly. He asked us to be careful with it and use it only when we need to ascend the mountain.”
“Alright.”
She felt a slight tug at her left shoulder where her broach was pinned to her riding dress. She looked down to find Quinta examining the broach intently.
“You like that?” Chalice asked and Quinta nodded. Her soft, dark eyes were wide with interest. Chalice brushed her fingers over the broach, undid it, and then pinned it on Quinta’s cloak. “There, it’s yours, for all you’ve done for us. It looks good on you.” She smiled and the little Chinuk squeaked and growled softly, content with her new piece of jewelry.
They talked for a while, the conversation eventually leading to the green room, a subject on which Jeremiah had many questions. He asked Bunejab about the river water and the irrigation system.
“You know, it’s very similar to one used on my family’s farm. I’m sure you’ve noticed that, too. Do you know how that can be?”
Chalice noticed Bunejab pause for a split second as something flashed in his eye, fast enough to not even be detected really, but she still saw it. Then, he answered.
“What did he say?” she asked.
“He says he doesn’t know, but he can show us where the water reaches our apartment.”
Chalice nodded. “Lead the way, Bunejab.”
He led them back to the washroom, beyond the bedchambers where the sound of running water could be heard, and proceeded to show them how to use it. As soon as Chalice entered, she immediately turned to Jeremiah. The look he gave her in return told her that he knew, too. It was exactly like the washroom in his parents’ house, comprised of everything he had shown her the day before. The only difference was that this washroom was carved out of the rock, but there was definitely a connection. She knew it now. Bunejab was hiding something. She thought it best not to press him, though. They were, after all, in his care for the duration of their stay on the mountain. She communicated the thought to Jeremiah after Bunejab and Quinta had left the room to set the table for dinner.
“Yeah, I saw that, too,” Jeremiah said. “There is something he isn’t telling us. I’m sure we’ll learn what it is at some point. I trust him. Don’t you? He did save us after all. I don’t think he would have done that just to hand us back to the King.”
She nodded. She trusted the Chinuk, too. She reached up and brushed the back of her hand across his cheek. “You need to shave,” she said in a low voice. “Although, I like this rough look on you. It’s handsome.”
He gazed down at her, taking her hand in his. For a moment, he seemed to lose himself in her eyes, drowning in an ocean of blue. He looked so serious. His dark features paralyzed her and she couldn’t move. There was a flutter in her stomach as her heart beat so loudly she thought he might hear it. Then, he kissed her softly. She could have melted right there on the spot. Smiling, she licked her lips. He tasted like mint. A squeak from the door interrupted them. Chalice started, only to discover that it was Quinta telling them supper was ready.
“We better go,” Jeremiah whispered and Chalice followed him out the door.
Dinner was delicious. The herbs and spices Quinta had added to the casserole blended all the flavors together perfectly. The berries and sweet milk they had for dessert topped it all off. She had never tasted anything like it. As soon as they were finished, Chalice rose to clean, but before she could even lift a dish, she was halted by Jeremiah’s hand on her arm.
“Bunejab is going to clean up. Quinta wants us to change into different clothes so she can wash our laundry. That way we won’t have to do it along the road.”
“Oh, alright. Thank you, Quinta,” she said and the little Chinuk smiled warmly.
In their respective bedchambers, they quickly dressed in comfortable night clothes. They placed their dirty garments in a small sack and gave it to the two Chinuka before they left, saying goodnight and thanking them for the wonderful meal. With the door shutting behind her, Chalice yawned and stretched. She felt as though she were about to fall over, she was so tired.
“I just thought of something,” she said, taking a seat on the chair in front of the fire. “The farm. We left the animals caged when we escaped. They’ll die.”
“I thought about that, too,” he said, pulling the notebook out of his sack, with a quill and a small ink bottle. Then, he sat down in the chair next to her. “I asked Bunejab and he said that members of his village will go down to take care of them. So we don’t have to worry.” He opened the bottle, dipped the quill, and began scratching furiously in his notebook.
“You writing about them?” she asked, smiling inwardly to herself. She knew it would be the first thing he did after dinner.
Jeremiah lifted his head from his notebook and looked at her curiously. “Of course.”
Chalice sat back in the chair, basking in the warmth of the fire, with her feet up on the stone bench. Closing her eyes, she tried to get a firm handle on the events of the day, sorting mentally everything that had
happened and everything that she had learned. The Chinuka. How did they know so much? The wolves. What was it about that wolf? The green room. What was the connection between it and the Maehbeck farm? And, lastly, the glowing rock wall. How did it work? Her thoughts slowed and drifted to Grandma Naelli’s kitchen, to a memory of when she was little hiding in the kitchen cupboard. She had been playing a game of cache-cache with Papa while Grandma made dinner. She thought he would never find her in her clever hiding place.
“Chalice, supper is almost ready. Where’s Papa?” Grandma Naelli asked as she placed a decanter of wine on the dinner table.
“He’s upstairs,” Chalice replied, pulling open the cupboard door and squeezing inside.
“You two playing again?”
“Yep. He’ll never find me!”
Her grandmother shook her head, smiling. “Chalice, you always hide there and he always finds you.”
“Not this time, Gramma. I tricked him. This time he thinks I’m upstairs.” she replied, peeking out from behind the cupboard door.
“Hmm, I have a feeling he knows exactly where you are,” Naelli responded knowingly. Chalice silently closed the cupboard door just as Papa entered the kitchen.
“Chalice? Chalice? Naelli, have you seen Chalice? She is supposed to be upstairs.” Suddenly the cupboard door flung open and …
“Chalice … hey … Chalice!” Feeling a nudge on her shoulder, she opened her eyes and drew in a deep breath. Jeremiah’s excited face skewed into focus.
“What’s up?” she asked groggily.
“Look at this!” He showed her the notebook he was holding. “When I began page three of my notes on the Chinuka, I found it!”
It was a note, hastily written, but still legible:
Your mother and I had to leave urgently. Took the corridor. We are setting out for the gate. The King’s men are here. They are gathering the villagers in town. Your brothers and friends are with them. Take care of the animals and send this message to
The note broke off. The last part of it was hard to decipher because the writing was so jumbled.
Chalice breathed a sigh of relief. “They’re alright, then. That’s good to know.”
“I knew Father would have left a note somehow. It was smart, actually. He must have written this just before they left, then put it back on my bookshelf right where it had been as if it hadn’t been touched. He knew that if I left, I would take it with me. My parents took the same escape route that we did.”
“That’s why their horses were gone. I wondered about that when you mentioned your family bred horses.”
He nodded and pointed to the note again. “There it is again, Chalice! Just like in the Delphaline. The gate. What is the gate? And who am I supposed to send this message to?”
She frowned in thought as she gazed into the fire. “I don’t know. Did your father ever mention a gate somewhere?”
She looked over at him and he shook his head.
“Is there someone your father would want you to contact in case of an emergency?”
“Yeah, but they all live in the village, so he couldn’t be talking about them.”
“Is there anyone you know who is close to your family who lives outside the Auramont Vale?”
“Just your grandparents. Maybe he wanted me to send the message to your grandfather.”
“That could be … but why? Why would he want that message sent to Papa? That doesn’t make sense. Is there anyone else you can think of?”
He shook his head again. “No.” Then, he paused as his eyes lit up. “Wait! Yes! There is an older man who used to visit us when I was young. My parents went on a search mission with him for the three years I stayed with you in Canton. They wouldn’t tell me what they were searching for, but it might be him. What do you think?”
She rubbed her temples and sighed. “I don’t know, Jeremiah. I don’t know about any of this. What we do know is that your mother and father are safe … and so are we, for the time being.” Slowly, she picked herself up from the chair. “I’m going to bed. Goodnight.” Putting her hand on his shoulder, she bent down to kiss him on the head. “I’m glad your parents are alright,” she whispered.
“Thanks, Chalice. Goodnight,” he said quietly and touched her hand, his head still bent into his notebook. She wasn’t sure if he was still intent on deciphering the message or if he was trying to hide the emotion on his face. From the angle of his shoulders, she guessed it was the latter.
If I had a note from Papa right now, I would be feeling the same way, she thought to herself.
Entering her bedchamber, she tried again in frustration to dim the light and yet could not get the vella to work. Finally, she decided she was too exhausted to deal with it and curled up in the fur blanket on the mattress. For a moment, she imagined that the light was dimming all by itself, slowly fading out, but she dismissed this as nonsense.
It was such a strange place, she thought. She couldn’t describe the feeling she had here. It was a complete sense of well-being, as if everything were right with the world. She knew this was utter nonsense, of course, because everything was not right. Everything was wrong, in fact, and yet here, something told her not to worry. She didn’t fear what was ahead. She had no sense of anxiety, no sense of dread. She had the courage to go on and the strength to continue no matter what confronted her. It was a power that didn’t come from her, but from something else, she was sure.
She realized just then that she hadn’t been imagining it. The light was dimming. It was almost full dark in her room now, except for the faint twinkle of light from the ceiling. Just like in the stable room, she thought and yawned. Then she suddenly remembered what day it was. Her birthday. She had forgotten. That’s right! I’m eighteen today, she thought.
“Happy birthday to me,” she said quietly to herself. She didn’t want to tell Jeremiah, so she decided to keep it to herself. She was supposed to have spent her birthday with her grandparents and the thought made her inordinately sad. A tear trickled across her temple as she closed her eyes, expecting to see the marble corridor again, except this night held dreams of neither corridor, nor glowing gem. This night held dreams of home.
Trouble in the High Pass
“Here, Tyke, throw it here!” Chalice shouted to Tycho as she strained and kicked to keep her head above the water. It was midsummer and they were playing a game of keep away with a small ball fashioned from bear hide that Papa had made for her. The water was cool and felt refreshing given the noonday sun that beat down upon them from directly above. It lit up the entire cove that was usually shaded by the surrounding maple trees.
A beautiful aquamarine color, the small cove formed a current that swirled in a delicate whirlpool created by the inflow of water from the Créonar. It was while fighting this current that she struggled for the ball. In the water, Jeremiah was too quick for her. Working his strong shoulder muscles, he slipped past her and seized the ball. She felt her head go under as she tried to block him, pulled down by a combination of his slipstream and the undercurrent.
Holding onto the ball, Jeremiah turned back to find her. A few moments passed and concern tightened his face. He plunged into the water. At that instant, however, she came up gulping for air, coughing and spluttering. He was right behind her.
“Ha! You’re it again, Chalice!” Kirna exclaimed.
“Dang it! I keep losing. This is so unfair!”
“What’s unfair about it?” Tycho asked.
“He’s bigger than I am.”
“He’s bigger than all of us!”
“Oh whatever!”
Jeremiah was still a little shaken from her disappearance under the water. “Why don’t we take a break?” he suggested.
“That’s a great idea! I’m starving!” Tycho said and set out toward the bank. He was the first one there. “Chalice, did your Grandma pack those sandwiches again?”
“Yup,” she replied, pulling herself out of the water. The wet soil squished between her toes as she
moved. Regardless of the slippery mud beneath her feet, she was happy to get her footing back. She was much better on land.
They sat down on the bank and she removed the tomato and cheese sandwiches from her pack that Grandma Naelli had handed her before they left that morning. “Have fun but be careful. I want you two back before dusk. And don’t dally home,” she had said as they scampered out the door to meet their friends. As Chalice reflected on Grandma Naelli’s instructions, she handed the sandwiches to the others and they ate hungrily.
That’s right, she thought. I didn’t finish my chores this morning. That’s why she wants us back early. She looked out into the sparkling cove and her thoughts returned to the water.
“I’m just a lousy swimmer. That’s all it is. I can’t keep my head above the water.”
“That’s no excuse to try and pull down my swim trunks!” Jeremiah retorted.
“Well, it’s the only way I can get the ball from you.”
“Cheater,” he grumbled under his breath. All the same, a slight smile perked his lips.
Tycho was sitting to her right; his dark brown eyes examined her shoulder as he ate. “You fure dat birfmark iv real?” he asked with a mouth full of food.
She smiled at him. “Yeah, it’s real. I know. It’s strange. It looks like a tattoo, but it’s not. Papa said I was born with it.”
“Hmm.” He crammed the last half of the sandwich into his chubby cheeks and stood. She was always amazed at how much food he could stuff into his mouth at once and still be able to chew. Tycho was unlike any of the other kids at school. He was shorter and darker than the rest and a little pudgy around the middle. He insisted that it was still baby fat he hadn’t grown out of yet.
Kirna, who had been sitting to his right, looked over at her with her emerald eyes that shone brilliantly in the sunlight and contrasted loudly with her raven black hair glistening with water.
The Raie'Chaelia (Legend of the Raie'Chaelia, Book One 1) Page 11