"You think I'm a creator?" She shook her head. "I am as human as you are."
He paused for a moment, then shrugged. "At least you were sent by them."
If creators existed and one had sent her here, would he or she have explained it to her, or would they decide this was where she needed to be and send her plummeting through whatever she had fallen through to get her where they wanted her? She swallowed. "Tell me about how you got here."
"I was born here."
"Okay, tell me how your people got here." Had they, too felt as if the floor gave way beneath them and they were hurled through solid rock, only to land at the bottom of an unknown sea?
"Our history began on Solterre," he began.
Tem-aki felt her eyes widen in surprise to learn his people came from the same world hers had. "How long ago?"
"Summer Solstice is in ten days and that will mark the end of the thirteenth eighty-two-year cycle."
"So 1066 years."
"Since Draco Shakura and his followers came through the Star Bridge, yes." His eyes narrowed. "Are you testing me? It is well known that the end/beginning of a cycle is a particularly special time, but never have the creators sent an emissary before."
Again, he was back to the creator thing. Though Tem-aki's tongue itched to correct him, she also needed his help to find Larwin, and it seemed much more likely that he would do what she asked, if he continued to believe she was some sort of supernatural being. Though why something as powerful as a creator would need the help of a man, was a question she didn't think it was wise to ask. Tem-aki bit her tongue.
"We were forced to leave because the dragons, which we worshiped, had overpopulated Sanyima and this made it unstable."
Though she had never heard of Sanyima, the rest of his story sounded somewhat familiar. "And the ones who came here were dracos?" She went over to a big rock and sat down so she was looking out to sea.
"Our group was part of many faiths, but soon after coming through the magical portal, Shaka-uma, who you might call Khaleesi, followed." Cameron frowned. "When the other faiths tried to kill Shaka-uma and her mate, they fled and we followed."
"Your people followed dragons?" She asked, certain that she had misunderstood, but he nodded. Tem-aki was glad that she was already sitting down.
How many cultures, aside from Cameron's and Raine's didn't have the sense to run away from the toxic things? She could understand how Raine had become a dragon herder to harvest a resource, but she was still uncertain how their scientists had discovered that madrox had anything worth harvesting.
And now, Cameron was sitting next to her, looking and acting sensible, while telling her that his people had worshiped the things for over a millennium.
Tem-aki licked the salt from her lips and wondered what to say,
~o~
"If you believe that you can, it becomes possible," Larwin said, as he entered the kitchen. Though he looked sweaty and windblown, there was a bounce in his step. "Thunder and Raine believed we could build a boat to get to the coordinates, and we have."
"But you only began two days ago," Nimri said. While she was pleased that Larwin had apparently adopted one of her pet phrases, she wondered how they could have the project done so quickly. The first day all they had managed to do was make a plan and begin collecting things. Yesterday, they had assembled a floor over two old boats. And now the project was done?
Impossible.
Larwin nodded. "Once word got out about Tem-aki and the project, everyone pitched in. Last night, Reed and some others spent the entire night making the hulls water-tight and adding the mast, as well as a retractable keel and rudder." Nimri blinked rapidly and wondered what those things were. "This morning, when we got there, we could hardly believe how far they'd gotten. And if that wasn't great enough, a group from this side heard that Reed and some others had come over to help, so this side of the river decided they had to pitch in, too." He shook his head in wonder. "It was amazing! When I rounded the corner, the boat wasn't there. It was floating at the dock and a wall was being raised by one group and Raine was rigging Bryta's sail." He snagged an oatmeal-raisin cookie. Before popping it in his mouth, he added, "Now, all that needs doing is to load supplies, but somehow I suspect that might be done by morning, so we might be able to leave first thing."
"Nimri sat down with a thump. "Tomorrow?" She winced as she heard the tell-tale squeak of fear. "You leave tomorrow?"
He gave her a confused look. "Yes, I think we should be able to leave, tomorrow. So after dinner, we need to pack the things we'll need. Aside from bedding and at least one change of clothes, I think it would be wise to bring the skull and the staff. What do you think?"
"I think this sounds dangerous. And I'm not sure I want to go." Tears threatened to choke her. "I am also afraid not to go. Who will protect you, if I'm not there? But who will protect Mica if I leave him here?" A tear rolled down her cheek.
"Oh, honey!" Larwin said as he wrapped her in a hug. "I love you, too, but you don't need to choose between me and Mica. You both can come."
And have their entire family drown? Nightmare memories from her childhood, when her family had tried something similar – and lost – filled her mind. She cried harder. "I'm afraid."
"And you have every right to be." Larwin hugged her tight. "I am, too and I promise that if it looks too dangerous when we get to where the river becomes the ocean, I will turn back."
"Seriously? You promise?" She leaned back to look him in the eye.
Larwin solemnly nodded. "Cross my heart and hope-"
Nimri put her fingers over his mouth. "I don't know why you like that phrase, but please do not say it, especially when there is a very real possibility that you could drown."
He kissed her fingertips. "Bryta and Coral had begun packing the craft when I left. That's why I figure we can leave first thing in the morning."
"And you promise me that if I come and if it looks too dangerous when we get to the big water, we will come back." Larwin nodded. Nimri took a deep breath, then exhaled. "Okay, I will go to the big water before I decide." She wiped her eyes. "You really think it is safe to bring Mica?"
Larwin nodded. "Perhaps not if he was walking, and he could fall overboard, but this age, yes."
"If he was old enough to walk, he'd be old enough to know how to swim to shore, if the boat sank," Nimri said defensively. Her heart slammed against her ribs, as if it was a wild beast trying to break free of a trap.
"Rolf is not here to brew up a storm to attack us." He took her hand and traced her palm with his thumb. "What happened to your parents is past. Don't let it affect you."
"That is easy for you to say. You've had years and years of training that taught you how to handle all sorts of things." She sniffed.
"True, but I admit that I'm afraid of this. Guerreterre didn't have a lot of water, so while I love being able to swim, I'm also a little afraid, too."
"Seriously?" He nodded. Somehow, knowing she wasn't the only one with fears made it easier. "Fine, we'll protect each other."
"And we'll both protect Mica."
She wrapped her arms around him in a crushing hug. "If things go as well as Raine seems to think, we'll be able to rescue Tem-aki and that would be wonderful." Silently, she reminded herself to keep her thoughts positive. If I believe I can, it becomes possible. Surely, with the support of Larwin and Thunder, and the Staff of Power, they would be able to rescue Tem-aki, so she needed to begin thinking about how wonderful it would be for Larwin to have his sister nearby.
Chapter 24
Tem-aki and Cameron sat on the rock until the moon rose and the water began to lap against their toes. Cameron looked up at the sky, where stars were beginning to shine. "I think we missed evening meal." He stood up and stretched. "We'd better get back before anyone misses us, or starts rumors about where we've been and what we've been doing."
It took her a moment to understand that he was suggesting that the others might suspect they were having so
me sort of romantic liaison, instead of sitting on a rock, in view of anyone who wanted to look down at the beach. He hadn't held her hand as they told each other about their families and shared their beliefs, but now, he reached for her hand and helped steady her as they walked to the stairs. Then, he motioned her to go first.
Halfway up, it felt as if the entire stairway heaved and rolled. With a startled shriek, she dug her fingernails into the railing and held on tight. Behind her, Cameron was beseeching someone to protect them.
As suddenly as it began, the movement quit.
Heart slamming, Tem-aki turned to look down at Cameron. "I should have realized this island was seismically active."
"What?"
Forcing herself to relax her grip, she gestured to the distant cone-shaped mountain. "Volcanoes are generally found near fault lines, which are known to be unstable."
Cameron stared up at her. "Volcanoes? Fault lines? Seismically active?" He shook his head. "I don't understand, but can we get off these stairs?"
"Of course." Tem-aki turned and hurried upward. "I should have remembered about the aftershocks."
"Aftershocks?"
When she got to the flagstone-covered patio, she rushed to a chair near the center of the open area. After all, an earthquake could destabilize things, so it was best to stay away from the railing overlooking the ocean as well as the sheer cliff-face above the depression Cameron's home was constructed in.
A moment later, GEA-4 came outside. "That was a four point six," she said in Cameron's language. She then focused on him. "How often do you get earthquakes?"
"Never," he said. GEA-4 tilted her head to the side. Cameron shifted his feet, then added, "Not since I was a child."
"Interesting," GEA-4 said.
"Earthquakes tend to occur in groups, as the ground makes large and small moves," Tem-aki said.
"You know about these things?" Cameron asked in surprise. "Never mind, of course you do."
"I am a geologist, which means I study of rocks," Tem-aki said, mixing words from her native speech in with Cameron's language. "Earthquakes happen when rocks move, so while earthquakes have never been a primary interest, they are part of my knowledge-base."
"When I was young, the ground shook several times over four or five days. Many of the mud-brick structures fell down, hurting the people inside."
"Were you injured?"
He shook his head. "We were out in our boat, fishing and didn't even realize anything horrible had happened until we got back to shore."
"Lucky for you."
"Not really. My father is a fisherman, and he goes out for days at a time."
"That's why you said your father was never around much."
Cameron nodded.
"Pressure in the earth can build up over a long time..." She felt her feet tremble and knew she was feeling an aftershock. "And right now, is a fine example of what I meant about how there is usually a series of earthquakes. The first one is usually a reaction to pressure – either increased pressure or decreased pressure – which causes some rocks to move."
"All earthquakes are a reaction to pressure," GEA-4 said. "But after the first, many consider the later ones to be reactions to the reaction. Another type of reaction is a tsunami."
"Right, I read about that," Tem-aki said.
"What is a sue-nom-eee?" Cameron asked.
"A tidal wave, which can be created when water displaces ground," GEA-4 said.
"So the second ones are always less," Cameron said.
"Not always, but usually," Tem-aki said.
"Too bad we don't know which area had changes."
"On the map, you called the epicenter Dragon Ridge," GEA-4 said.
"How could you know that?" Cameron said, then looked at the stars. "Never mind, I understand."
"Isn't that the area your group was working at, when we met?" Tem-aki asked. Cameron nodded. "Could anything they did have caused a pressure change?" She considered the fact that GEA-4 was the only one, who had come outside very suspicious.
"I don't know, but I intend to find out." With that, he turned and stalked inside.
~o~
Cameron tried to control his temper as he entered the sleeping room and realized that everyone was asleep in their hammocks.
How could they have slept through the earth moving?
Even as he wondered, he realized that if the hammocks could minimize the movement Sirocco made in a bad storm, and allow them to rest, the design would also allow undisturbed sleep if the land moved.
He stood in the doorway, wondering what to do. If there was another aftershock, did he want to sleep through it? Even if he tried to get into his hammock to sleep, after the evening he had just had, and the things he had learned, could he relax enough to sleep?
Learning that Larwin was Tem-aki's brother had made his heart leap in delight in much the same way as it had later leapt in dread when he felt the earth beneath his feet move.
Nolan quietly rose, put on his robe, approached him and then whispered, "Can't sleep?"
Cameron shook his head, then gestured for Nolan to accompany him back outside. Once there, they settled onto seats near the middle of the patio, where he had left Tem-aki and GEA-4. One glance assured him that they were now inside, looking into the glowing skull. Turning to Nolan, Cameron told him everything that Tem-aki had told him, then shared how afraid he had felt during the earthquake. He concluded by asking, "You were at Dragon Ridge. Do you think there is any possibility that something we did could have caused the earth to move?"
"All we did was clear the paths, rake the leaves and pile dead branches for the bonfire." Nolan stretched his neck, causing it to crack and pop. "We didn't take any fireworks and even if we had, I don't see how they could make enough of a bang to be felt here."
"That's what I figured, too."
"So what are you really worried about? That it might have shaken down more deadfall or something?"
"Actually, I hadn't thought about that, but obviously, that could have happened." It was difficult to admit, but keeping his worries inside would be even worse. Cameron cleared his throat. "It's the unknown."
"That is always difficult," Nolan agreed. "In fact, it wouldn't surprise me to find out it was everyone's greatest fear."
"Seriously?"
Nolan nodded. "It is a major reason why I refused to accept the blue cowl."
"You would have made a better high draco than me."
"I don't think so."
"I do."
"That is only because you are having doubts and your thoughts are scattered."
"Are they?"
Nolan snorted. "You are trying to organize the Solstice Ceremony, yet; you have idiots like Varlet to worry about and if that isn't bad enough, you are constantly told by some that the old ways should be ignored. They don't realize that profit and possessions aren't particularly valuable things."
"True. If I'd thought about it, I would have passed on the cowl, too."
"Varlet was third in line."
"Why do you think I accepted?"
Nolan leaned back and crossed his ankles. "If he'd been second, I would have accepted, too. I can't see anyone besides one of us having the faith or temperament to be draco. Can you?"
Cameron shook his head.
"For the sake of the order, I'm glad you accepted." Nolan cleared his throat. "I'm just hoping that the choice is as good for you, as an individual, as it is for the rest of us."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Nolan gave the window where Tem-aki was leaning close to the skull a pointed look. "I know your thoughts and concerns are scattered, but when you told me who Larwin was to her, your entire demeanor changed. It is possible that the creators sent them to aid all of us, but have you ever thought that she only came here for you?"
If he hadn't already been seated, he would have needed to sit down. Could Nolan be correct? If she was here for him, it explained why she felt 'family' was more important than most anything
else. And, it could explain why she seemed to know quite a bit about dragons, yet did not seem to completely understand his obligations as the sect's leader. Strange, though, that she seemed to view reverence for the bringers of fire and fertility as a curious thing to venerate.
Did the creators want him to have a family other than the order?
His fingers touched his palm as he remembered how right it felt to hold her hand.
Nolan might have something with this idea. He would think on this some more, but not now. Now, they needed to decide what to do about GEA-4's prediction that the earthquake's center was at or near Dragon Ridge. "I think we need to send someone to Dragon Ridge to make sure that it didn't damage the area."
"Anyone in particular?" Nolan asked.
"Anyone other than Varlet, Malin or Dirk," Cameron whispered, worried that one of them might take the opportunity to create problems – assuming the earthquake's cause hadn't been the result of something they had done. He hated to think that about anyone, particularly someone within the order, but that trio kept offering veiled proof that they wanted to undermine the brotherhood.
Nolan nodded in understanding. "Better to keep an eye on them."
~o~
As Larwin helped her aboard the boat, Nimri felt as if a frantic ball of beating wings was in her stomach. But, when she realized that the golden bamboo mat beneath her feet felt as stable as the dock, most of her anxiety vanished. Next, Larwin handed her Mica's basket, then the staff of power and then the summoning skull, which was packed in a carry-basket like Mica. After she put them in the shelter of the structure on the back portion of the strange boat, he directed her to sit on a swing-chair near the long stick, which he had called 'tiller'. Larwin seemed excited about the tall, straight pine trunk, which he called 'mast' and the long horizontal piece attached to it, which he called 'boom'. What interested Nimri about the boom was that the sheets she and Bryta had sewn together were tied to it along with a woven rope, which appeared to come from the top of the mast.
Fire Island: Book 3 of The Chatterre Trilody (Chatterre Trilogy) Page 18