The Awakening

by Gary Alan Wassner

  “Today, Tamara has returned. But tomorrow she will leave once more. When she does, she will take the map with her, and we shall never see it again,” she said. Her words elicited a gasp from Rella and Violet and concerned sighs from some of the others. Bethany remained stone-faced and still, while Gretchen eyed Emmeline closely, scrutinizing the face of her dear friend. “She has been instructed by Oleander, and her destination she cannot reveal,” Emmeline continued. “Angeline will join her, and together they will carry out the behest of the Lalas and its Chosen,” she said, pausing in order to allow the Sisters to digest the news.

  No one spoke, as each of the women considered what this would mean to them individually, as well as to the Tower of Parth itself. They had all lived here and worked together as brethren, and they had always privately acknowledged their duty to protect the map. As young girls, it was impressed upon them that their responsibility was to safeguard this ancient scroll, and as mature women, their commitment to this commission only grew in intensity.

  A tear made its way slowly down Dahlia’s cheek. Bethany’s cold and grim expression turned into a scowl, marring the calm of her features. Rose looked like a frightened little girl, while Angeline, Rella and Jocasta seemed detached and contemplative still. Sevilla looked from one face to the next, seeking out the others’ opinions as revealed by their expressions, and Violet sat stick straight in her chair, though her white skin was turning redder by the minute. Courtney seemed to be holding back an excited smile, and Gretchen sat, erect and tall, her countenance serious and unwavering.

  Bethany was the first to break the silence.

  “It seems that you indeed have a new role, dear Sister, and I will not presume to question you about matters that you cannot reveal. You have my complete trust and support,” she said sternly. Bethany looked dangerously at the other maidens sitting around the table as if challenging them to defy her on this matter. She then returned her gaze to Tamara. “But what of the rest of us? Have you come back to Parth with the news that we so dearly long for? Has Oleander also indicated that our services are still needed? Has he given us a new imperative as well?” she asked Tamara.

  Tamara glanced briefly at Emmeline before speaking, and then nodded subtly, indicating that she was ready to take the floor. As she was about to rise, she distinctly felt something vibrate inside her shawl. She reached for it without drawing anyone’s attention, and she felt the warmth of the gift Oleander had given her as she folded her fingers around it. Her entire body felt energized suddenly, and she fought desperately to maintain her consciousness. Within seconds, she regained her composure and shed her momentary fatigue, now bolstered and ennobled like never before. She removed the small, nut-like object from her pocket and held it tightly in her closed palm. Tamara then placed both her hands on the table in front of her. Oleander’s present was pulsating slightly, as if alive. She could feel something other than heat emanating from it, and she grasped it securely, though she still kept it hidden from view.

  “Now that I have had a brief rest and I have freshened up, I can honestly say that it is wonderful to be back home, Sisters,” Tamara said, and a broad smile broke across her face. “I missed you all,” she continued. “Unfortunately though, as Emmeline just informed you, I must depart with the morning sun. And it is with great trepidation that I will take the map with me.”

  She paused in order to calm herself before speaking any further. She felt as if the energy of the Gem itself was inside her, fighting to get out. The events of the past days had finally caught up to her, and she felt an intense surge of emotion envelop her entire being. Her eyes filled with unbidden tears, as she gathered her thoughts.

  “A great evil has been let loose upon the land. It is our duty, Sisters, to combat it in any manner that we can. I have had the great misfortune of encountering it personally on my way to visit the Lalas.”

  Some of the Sisters gasped in response, but not an eye wavered from Tamara’s countenance.

  “For tiels, we have served the cause and protected the map from harm. Those days are over. You will never see it again,” she said to the hushed gathering. “We had thought that perhaps we protected it for someone. But in fact, I believe that we protected it from someone,” Tamara continued. “And that evil personage will be at the very gates of Parth if I do not act swiftly. We can no longer risk the safety of the Tower for the sake of this object, and I have been chosen to spirit it away,” she summarized. “I wish you could all come with me. The First knows how I would revel in your companionship. Alas, I must go with only one other, and Angeline has been generous enough to agree to accompany me.”

  The other Sisters nodded appreciatively, pleased with the choice. Tamara bowed her head and was silent for a moment. When she raised it again, her eyes sparkled brightly and she seemed to radiate power and strength.

  “I take with me the object that has solidified our Sisterhood for so long. Harken unto my words now, maidens of Parth, for Oleander has directed us afresh,” she spoke as if possessed. “Beneath the stones of this tower, yea in the very walls themselves, resides the power of the Lalas. Since time began, Parth has been infused with their essence, bathed in their spirit and imbued with their souls. We have not been immune to this conflux of power. It is in our very midst all the time, everywhere we turn. As Sisters of Parth, we committed ourselves to the Tower. We thus traveled infrequently as such a commitment required, and thereby we spent the vast majority of the days of our lives here. The proximity to this potency has given us unique and powerful qualities that we have been heretofore unaware of,” Tamara said to the captive crowd, astounded herself at her command of the language.

  Though always garrulous, she had never been particularly scholarly until this moment, and now the words came to her easily and naturally.

  At that point, she unclenched her fist and allowed the shell to fall onto the table. Without quite knowing why, she lifted her finger and drew continuous circles in the air before her, while the nut danced and bobbed in response. Suddenly, she felt her abdomen grow warm, and a very white light opened up somewhere within her head, just above her eyes. She closed them and concentrated upon Oleander’s token, focusing the light that she saw in her mind upon it.

  Emmeline gasped as a beam of pure energy burst from Tamara’s finger and caught the spinning nut in its grip. The many candles in the recesses of the walls flickered in response, turning the chamber into a theater of sparkling lights. The polished amber of the walls seemed to come alive, its natural beauty enhanced by the display. The Sisters sat stock still, staring at the spectacle before them. A vibration rippled throughout the room, and a low, humming sound could plainly be heard. Within seconds, the shell cracked open and a pale silver seed fell upon the table. Without knowing why, Tamara picked up the seed and held it up before her.

  “What I thought was our new purpose when I first returned to the Tower has now become merely a secondary one,” she said, mesmerized by her revelation. “We shall all learn the art of magic, the propensity for which lies dormant within each and every one of us, and the Tower itself shall henceforth be a school for those who have the talent,” she said to the others. “But, first and foremost, we shall be the guardians of a new tree,” she declared jubilantly.

  Emmeline looked at Tamara with surprise. The Sister had not mentioned this to her during their conversation, and the news was wonderful beyond belief. She was totally taken aback by the disclosure. The other maidens of Parth reacted in similar ways. Even Bethany, her stoic expression so much a part of her personality, was smiling from ear to ear. They had so many questions for Tamara, that as soon as Gretchen broke the ice and asked where they should plant this marvelous seed, the floodgates broke, and all at the same time, the members of this normally sedate and quiescent group began to speak as if each woman was the only one in the chamber.

  Emmeline lurched up and pounded her fist upon the wooden table.

  “Sisters. Sisters. We must have order here or no one will ever
be able to hear anything,” she exclaimed.

  They were all so excited that they had barely realized how loud they had become, and it took another few moments before the room no longer echoed with the animated voices of the Sisters. Emmeline had remained standing, clearly waiting for an opportunity to speak. When a tentative calm had once again settled upon the group, she first looked at Tamara to make certain that she did not wish to reveal anything more at the moment. Tamara nodded to her, acknowledging that she had said all she needed to for now, and feeling somewhat tired and drained, she looked forward to Emmeline taking the floor.

  “This is a wondrous day indeed,” she began, and she pulled her cloak around her shoulders thus displaying the sigil of Parth proudly. “We have been blessed with the safe return of dear Tamara,” she said, dipping her head in the other woman’s direction. “And now we learn that as we relinquish our most precious relic, we are charged with two new, and no less important duties.” Turning once more to Tamara, Emmeline spoke with the utmost sincerity. “We are so grateful to you Sister, for your endeavors. You have brought back to us at least as much as you will take with you when you depart.”

  “You are a most blessed Sister,” Dahlia said, grinning from ear to ear. “I had felt lost and abandoned, but now I am found once more.”

  “It is a new dawn for the Tower,” Rose said seriously. “I am faint for the thought.”

  “What a challenge. We shall all rise to the occasion. I cannot wait,” Jocasta pounded her fist into her palm.

  “Magic? What if we cannot control it? It seems so dangerous,” Sevilla blushed.

  “When do we begin? Who will instruct us?” Rella asked.

  “What about the seed? Must we not put it into the ground soon?” Violet inquired.

  “Sisters. Sisters,” Gretchen called for order. “We all have questions to ask, but I do not know if Tamara can answer every one of them for us. I suspect that we will need to learn some of these things for ourselves,” she said, glancing at Tamara’s pale countenance. “But Sister, since you will be leaving with the dawn, is there anything else you wish to inform us of now? We will not have another opportunity to meet like this,” Gretchen observed in her ever pragmatic way.

  “I have nothing more to reveal, Sister, and I am truly feeling a bit weary presently. Regardless, I am not the one to answer all the questions the Sisters are posing,” she replied to Gretchen. “I truly know no more about what we have just discussed than any of you do,” she said, addressing the group now. “I have my inclinations and feelings, and if you all concur, then we should consider them. I would like to see the seed planted as soon as possible as well, but it may be more prudent to delay the planting for a while after I leave,” she said, and a number of the maidens began to shake their heads in opposition, wishing Tamara to be present for this auspicious event.

  “It seems the right thing to do, and I cannot tell you why exactly. I will feel better when the silver seed is placed safely into the soft soil of Parth, but only after I am gone. The birth of a new tree will not go unnoticed by those who will welcome such a moment, but neither by those who will despise such a development. I would prefer being far away with the map before any attention is drawn to the Tower,” Tamara remarked, and the others then all understood her trepidation and concurred with her opinion. “As far as learning about your talents; I can only advise you to do so very carefully. Do not leap headlong into the unknown. You will need to structure your own guidelines when I am gone, and to create your own rules in this regard. You are at an advantage here, for I stumbled upon my abilities unwittingly, with neither time to hone them nor even to understand what was happening. I will need to learn about myself as I travel, as will Angeline,” Tamara nodded to the blonde haired maiden across the table from her. “I trust that you will all create the rubric that best befits this endeavor, within which you can all thrive in your pursuits. After all, Sisters, this daunting task suits the aptitudes of the Tower so very well,” she concluded proudly.

  The moon had slowly risen in the sky as night fell over Parth, and by the time Tamara had ended her discourse, its welcome light bathed the table from one end to the other. Gretchen stood up and called for quiet once again, for in their excitement, virtually all the Sisters had begun to talk, either to one another, or simply to themselves.

  “We have so little time left with our Sister here,” she said, pointing to Tamara. “Perhaps we should allow her to prepare for her journey?” she asked, reminding them all of the task that she would soon be confronting. “Violet? Dahlia? Would you two see to the provisions?” she asked. Turning to Tamara, she continued. “How many days do you think you will be gone?”

  “I am not certain, Sister. But we will need to take with us as much as we possibly can carry. It will not be a short journey,” she replied, revealing as little as she could.

  “We will gladly make the preparations,” Violet responded, signaling to Dahlia to join her in the kitchens as she spoke.

  “Hector will need to be groomed and re-shod,” Gretchen commented. “If he is to carry you without injury, he too must be readied.”

  “I will take care of that,” Sevilla stated timidly, her head bowed and shrouded.

  “Is there anything else we can do for you Sister, to ease you on your travels?” Gretchen inquired.

  “Pray for us, my friends. That is all,” she said solemnly.

  “You will be in our hearts every moment of every day that you are gone,” Emmeline replied.

  Bethany cleared her throat, and it was obvious to the entire group that she had something to say. When she gained the attention of the Sisters, she stood up slowly.

  “You have given us purpose once again Sister, and what you have told us will immeasurably ease the blow to the Tower when you depart with the map. Your achievement is beyond measure,” she bowed her head to Tamara.

  Tamara’’s white cheeks reddened, unaccustomed to such praise from this, the eldest and most serious Sister in the Tower.

  “The meaning of the words written in the Tomes seems always to become clear with time,” she continued as she slid the heavy book forward and opened it near to the passage she read earlier. “But there is one section I would like to read this evening.”

  Bethany bent over and leaned her face close to the ancient text.

  “‘What was will ne’er be so again.

  Yesterday; a faded and forgotten old friend.

  We cannot capture the moment,

  it slips so easily away,

  We cannot touch tomorrow,

  Until it becomes today.

  Yet, a hope can inspire…

  a reason to live on.

  Some kindling for the fire

  of a blazing new dawn.

  If the Tower should cut

  what threads remain fast,

  and accept that its present

  has given way to the past,

  Then it can assemble

  the Chosen at last,

  for the magic is already stirring.

  What was once the meaning,

  is no longer; alas,

  That ship is adrift,

  forlorn and downcast,

  But a new day is coming,

  its warriors amassed,

  And the magic is steadily growing.”

  Bethany closed the cover of the volume and placed her folded hands protectively on top of it. The Sisters all remained silent for a while, thinking about the words they had just heard. Emmeline was the first to speak, and she did so guardedly.

  “There is much hope for us in these words, Sister,” she addressed Bethany. “I do not fear the mention of magic now, as I had before tonight,” she said.

  “Yea, neither do I,” Gretchen concurred. “We have much to be grateful for in these changing times.”

  “So much of what Oleander told me coincides with that passage,” Tamara said. “But, I wonder,” she continued with a worried expression upon her face. “Are Angeline and I doomed to sail upon that sh
ip which is ‘adrift’? Are we destined to wander into the future, ‘forlorn and downcast’?” she asked with her eyes now open wide as she stared quizzically at the friends she would soon be leaving.

  “This passage is not referring to people,” Bethany replied, as if the question was merely a scholarly one and not one rife with emotion. “It is the map which we are abandoning, not you two,” she continued. “It is the ‘ship of meaning’ that is cast adrift, our commitment to the scroll. Where you take it, we will never know. So from that perspective, we symbolically cut the thread that bound it to us the moment we agreed to allow you to depart from here with it in your possession,” she explained pedantically. “Furthermore, we have been so sad of late, thinking that Parth had ceased to be relevant. Were we not forlorn, Sisters?” she asked, though no answer was necessary.

  “Bethany’s analysis makes sense, as usual,” Gretchen declared. “There is no cause for you to feel estranged from what we will be attempting in your absence,” she said to both Tamara and Angeline. “After all Tamara, you discovered your talent before any of us even thought about the possibility. Even after you leave here tomorrow, you will share in the development of our strength,” she reassured them. “What we ‘assemble’ here in Parth, will be present still when you return, Sister,” Gretchen said hopefully.

  “Do not be sad, Sister,” Emmeline spoke. “I have tremendous confidence in you. You would never allow yourself to be overwhelmed by negative emotions. You are not so constituted,” she said with conviction. “It is your very strength that deemed you so suitable for this task, and I am certain that Oleander recognized that as well. The Lalas do not entrust their matters to people who are weak of heart.”

  “And, they do not send good souls on journeys that they cannot return from,” Gretchen added.