* * *
Moonheart seemed more cheerful when he returned at sunrise. “Come with me,” he told Cara after she had eaten a breakfast of berries. “Finder and Belle will be waiting for us.”
“I’ll catch up with you later,” said Thomas. “I have a bit of business to do before I go. Don’t worry,” he added reassuringly when he saw the look on Cara’s face. “I’ll rejoin you. I promise.”
With the Squijum bouncing along beside them, they walked for a mile or so through the forest, crossing a stream, then climbing a rocky crest. On the other side of the crest stood Finder and Belle. They nodded and whickered a greeting as Cara and Moonheart strode up to them.
“Are you ready to go?” asked Moonheart.
“Certainly,” said Belle, while Finder simply nodded.
Cara was always amazed at how quickly a journey could begin here in Luster. At home there would have been a great deal of packing and fussing before such a major expedition could get under way.
Or would there? she wondered as a dim memory of a swift and sudden move made at midnight nudged its way into her mind. With a stab of longing she remembered a little house she had once loved: a house with a climbing tree in the backyard and a good friend next door, a house abandoned in the middle of the night, never to be seen again.
She had cried about that for a time, and then forced it from her mind.
But though she had forgotten it, she now realized she had never really let anyplace feel like home again. Home was someplace you could lose, someplace she did lose every year or so. Letting herself feel at home meant nothing more than setting herself up for another round of grief when it came time to leave.
She had liked the places they lived; some of them, at least. She had had happy moments in most of them.
But after the little house with the tree, none of them had ever been home again.
* * *
One thing that made it easy to set out quickly was that the unicorns carried nothing, and expected Cara to travel pretty much the same way. Since it was high summer and the land was laced by clear streams and rich with good things to eat, this was all right with her.
“What about Thomas?” she asked as they set out. “Should we wait for him?”
“He’ll find us,” said Moonheart. From the tone of his voice, Cara got the feeling that the very fact of Thomas accompanying them was an annoyance Moonheart didn’t want to think about.
Cara had spent enough time with the Tinker to know that Moonheart was probably right about Thomas finding them. The man had a knack for showing up in unexpected places. So she set aside her misgivings and made no objection to their setting out.
It was a curiously quiet beginning to their journey.
Well, what did you expect? she thought, chiding herself. Fanfares? A cheering crowd. These are unicorns; they do things differently. Besides, last night’s ceremony was our formal farewell.
They traveled in silence for a time — not only the silence that comes from not speaking, but the silence of unicorns on the move. The only sound at all was the rustle of leaves beneath Cara’s feet as she walked, and an occasional squawk from the Squijum. But the little creature seemed to understand that the unicorns wanted to move without sound for the time being, and so made an effort to restrain his chatter.
As Cara moved into the rhythm of the day, she noticed again how differently time seemed to pass in the wild. In the cities where she had lived it was frantic, divided into little chunks. Here, it seemed to roll on more smoothly.
When the sun was straight overhead they stopped in a shady glade to rest for a bit. Moonheart used his horn to freshen the water in a small pool, and Cara drank deeply, reveling in its clear, cool flavor. Finder pointed her toward a clump of berry bushes, a kind she had learned to call “sunberries.” The bright yellow fruits were small, with a bittersweet taste she had grown quite fond of.
As she was gathering the berries, Finder came to stand at her side. “I’ve heard many stories about your grandmother,” he said in his soft way. “I think she and I have a lot in common.”
Cara looked at him in surprise.
“We both like to explore,” said Finder, by way of explanation.
Cara had been wondering why someone who seemed so timid had been chosen for the expedition. “Do you explore a lot?” she asked.
“Oh, yes. Often I am the first unicorn to see a place. The unfinished” — Finder broke off, and a heavy silence hung between them for a second until he concluded — “the new places, places where no one has ever been before — they don’t bother me the way they do some of us.”
He stretched his neck forward and delicately nipped several sunberries from a thorny stem, his muzzle and beard startlingly white against the blue-green leaves. Then he nodded to her and turned to walk away. He whisked his tail as he went. It brushed her arm, feeling like silk as it slid across her skin.
When Cara rejoined the glory, Belle said quietly, “Someone is following us.”
“Any idea who it is?” asked Moonheart.
“Not even what,” said Belle. “Though I doubt delvers could travel that quietly.”
Cara looked for the Squijum, thinking perhaps he could go back to check for them, but the little creature was nowhere to be seen. “Perhaps it’s Thomas,” she said hopefully.
“Possible,” said Belle. “But not likely. He usually makes considerably more racket.”
“Keep watch as we travel,” ordered Moonheart.
Belle nodded but said nothing.
* * *
Their first night they stopped beside a small pond, where Finder showed Cara several things to eat, including a lumpy pod called skug, which grew on the roots of one of the water plants. Though the pod looked dreadful, once she had peeled it and washed it in the clear water of the pond, the blue interior proved to be crisp and sweet. She ate a half dozen or so of the pods and felt quite pleasantly full.
She grew nervous as darkness approached, reluctant to sleep for fear Beloved might try to contact her again. But finally the previous night’s lack of rest, combined with the exhaustion of the day’s journey, proved too much for her, and she nodded off.
The night passed with no repeat of her “dream” of Beloved, and Cara woke feeling both refreshed and enormously relieved.
* * *
Two days’ journeying brought the travelers to the edge of a river that the unicorns called “Diamond Drop.” It ran deep and swift, and Cara wondered aloud how they would cross it.
“About an hour upstream we’ll come to an easy ford,” said Finder, who was standing next to her. And indeed, when they had followed the river for three or four miles, they came to a place where it grew broad and shallow.
Cara thought about undressing before she started across, then decided against it. Even though she couldn’t think of any reason not to be naked in front of the unicorns, the idea made her uncomfortable. So she took off just her shoes, then waded in. After all, she told herself, it won’t take my clothes long to dry. And besides, they could use a good washing.
The water was crystal clear and, for the most part, no more than a foot or two deep. Cara noticed red fish, as long as her arm, swimming placidly about her feet as she splashed her way across.
When she had nearly reached the far bank, she found a quiet pool, deeper than the water surrounding it. She took advantage of the spot to swim around and clean her clothes a bit.
* * *
The day was warm, the sun bright, and it was not long before her clothing dried again. She felt better, and she certainly smelled better. But her long red hair was getting more and more tangled, and she began to think she might never get the knots out of it.
From the river they headed north. After a mile or so of thick forest, they came to a meadow where the waving grass stood nearly as high as Cara’s shoulder.
“Would you like to ride?” asked Finder.
“That would be nice,” said Cara gratefull
y. She tried to climb onto his back, but he was so big she had to twine her hands in his mane to pull herself up. He didn’t flinch.
She was delighted to be astride a unicorn again. Yet, to her surprise, it made her a little sad, as well. She realized she was missing Lightfoot.
As they started across the meadow, the Squijum gave a squeal of delight and went bounding into the grass, where he disappeared from sight. Cara heard him now and then, shouting, “Hotcha wowie! Bad bug. Wanna eat you!”
Finally his voice faded away altogether.
The meadow was thick with flowers of all shapes and colors, including a purple blossom that grew on a thick stalk and attracted clouds of insects. Their humming filled the air — as did the scent of the blossoms, which was a little like cinnamon. Cara found herself growing drowsy and had to fight to keep herself from falling forward on Finder’s back.
* * *
They found Thomas waiting on the far side of the meadow, leaning against his multi-colored cart and whistling casually. The Squijum sat placidly on his shoulder, munching on a biscuit.
“How did you get here?” cried Cara in delight.
The Tinker shrugged. “There are many paths to most places.”
“So you weren’t the one following us?” she asked.
The Tinker looked surprised. “I came by a completely different route.”
“I told you he wasn’t the one,” said Belle quietly.
“Let’s move on,” said Moonheart. “We have a lot of ground to cover today.”
Thomas picked up the handles of his wagon and fell into place beside the unicorns. The pots, pans, and tools hanging from the roof clattered noisily as he walked.
“Will you quiet that dratted thing down?” snapped Belle after they had gone about a quarter of a mile.
Thomas frowned, then shrugged and turned to the cart. “Shhh!” he hissed.
The pots rattled once, as if annoyed, then fell silent. After that the cart rolled along without a sound, no matter how rugged the terrain they were crossing.
As they traveled, Thomas hummed a melody that was oddly familiar to Cara. Yet she could not figure out where she had heard it before.
* * *
The sun was dipping low in the sky when they came to a rocky set of foothills. At the top of the first hill Cara spotted a house. It had a spiky look, caused by a least a dozen turrets and other things — structures she could not identify — sprouting from its roof.
It was startling to see a house here in Luster; in fact, it was the first building she had seen since she’d arrived.
“Who lives there?” she asked.
“M’Gama,” said a gravelly female voice. The words seemed to come from less than an arm’s length away.
Cara turned, but could see no one. “Who said that?” she asked nervously.
“I did,” snapped the voice. “And unless you have a good reason for being here, you had best turn around and go, before she turns you all into some very decorative rocks.”
4
The Geomancer
Cara put a nervous hand on Finder’s shoulder.
“Show yourself!” snapped Moonheart.
Belle moved into a fighting stance.
At the same time — and somewhat to Cara’s surprise — Finder said with a chuckle, “No need for such dramatics. Listen, whoever you are. We come to the Geomancer on the Queen’s business.”
“Can you prove that?” asked the voice suspiciously.
Moonheart nudged Cara. “Show her the amulet.”
Fumbling at the neck of her T-shirt, Cara drew forth the amulet that had carried her into Luster. Its crystal lid caught a ray of the setting sun. Coiled beneath the lid was a luminous strand of white hair.
“That’s one of the Queen’s Five!” said the voice in surprise.
“Now do you believe us?” asked Finder serenely.
“I suppose I must.” As the voice spoke these words, Cara saw some of the rocks beside her begin to shift and change. Within moments, she was staring down at a very small woman.
“Oh, that is clever,” said Thomas appreciatively.
The newly revealed dwarf had a high brow and deep-set eyes. She wore a tunic of brown cloth. Her skin was also dusky brown. In one hand she clutched a short spear. Her head reached barely to Cara’s waist.
“Follow me,” said the dwarf, once she was totally visible. “I will take you to M’Gama.” Without another word, she started up the hill, her stubby legs moving so fast that Cara and Thomas were hard put to keep up with her.
The three unicorns, of course, climbed the hill with no problem. As for the Squijum, he raced forward and wove in and out between the woman’s feet until she uttered a burst of angry words and jabbed at him with her spear. He squawked in alarm and scurried back to clamber onto Cara’s shoulder. Cara hadn’t been able to make out the dwarf’s exact words, but she thought she had heard “snack” somewhere among them.
* * *
Cara was panting when they reached the top of the hill. But though she had to stand with her hand pressed against her side, she was delighted with the house they had come to. From below she had assumed it was built of wood. Now she could see that it was made — all four stories of it — from earth and stone. In fact, from the way the sides merged into the rocky terrain behind it, from up close the dwelling seemed almost to have grown right out of the hilltop.
Each level of the house was somewhat smaller than the one below, making it look like a stony wedding cake, though not nearly so regular. The main entrance was formed by two tall stones, about four feet apart, with a third placed flat across their tops. The door, also made of stone, stood open.
The dwarf led the way into the house, which was cool and dark inside. Stepping in, Cara felt as if she had entered the hill itself.
Most of the first room was taken up by a stone table on which were scattered bits of earth and rock of all sorts — everything from clots of mud to sparkling gems the size of acorns. A variety of branches, some freshly cut, others long dry, stood in a tall, slender pot at one side of the table.
“M’Gama!” cried the dwarf. “We have visitors!”
“Bring them up,” replied a voice from somewhere above them.
The dwarf sighed. “Follow me,” she said. Then she darted through a door at the back of the room.
Cara wondered how the unicorns felt about being inside — about climbing stairs. But they crossed the room with no comment, their hooves tinkling like silver chimes on the stone floor.
As they passed through the next door Cara saw a room that looked like a kitchen to her left. She didn’t have time to study it because the dwarf was urging them up the stairs. These were made of stone as well, the steps being wide and broad. It took a moment for Cara to realize that they were carved directly into the side of the hill.
The first flight of stairs brought them back into the open, onto a kind of terrace. Remembering how each level of the house was smaller than the one below it, Cara realized they must be standing on the roof of the room they had first entered. The terrace was about ten feet wide, with a stone wall at its edge that reached just to her knees. The Squijum immediately leapt onto the wall and began racing back and forth along it.
Beyond the wall Cara could see the valley they had just traversed. The land rolled on, beautiful and wild, most of it covered with forest. She felt a pang of love for Luster’s unspoiled beauty, and ached again at the thought of leaving it.
A gentle nudge from Finder brought her back to the moment, and she realized the unicorns had started up the next level of stairs. Though made of stone like the first level, these were on the outside of the house. They led to another terrace, from which the view was even better.
“Pretty!” said the Squijum happily.
They continued climbing.
“Stairs,” muttered Belle. “What a stupid idea!”
The final set of steps ended on top of the house. The roof was w
ide and flat. Open to the valley on one side, it merged directly into the hill on the other. From it sprouted several poles and narrow towers that were topped by a variety of whirling arrangements that made Cara think of tiny windmills.
In the center of the roof stood a remarkable-looking woman. Dressed in a flowing robe dyed in deep shades of red, purple, and green, she stood well over six feet tall. The way her hair was piled above her head added several inches to that already considerable height. Her smooth, gleaming skin was nearly jet-black. She had high cheekbones, full lips, and a broad nose. She was astonishingly beautiful — which was somewhat surprising to Cara, who had vaguely been expecting some wizened crone.
“Welcome to my home,” said the woman. Her voice was rich and deep. “I am M’Gama, the Geomancer.” She gestured toward the dwarf who had escorted them up the stairs. “And this is Flensa. She guards me well.”
Cara noticed that while M’Gama’s left hand was covered with rings — four or five to each finger — her right hand was bare.
“Guards you from what?” asked Belle.
“From intrusion. From disturbance. From things that would distract me from my study and my work.” She closed her eyes for a moment and added, “And from delvers, of course.”
“Yike!” yelped the Squijum, leaping onto Cara’s leg and climbing to her shoulder. “Delvers bad. Much not good hotcha phooey!”
“Precisely,” said M’Gama, smiling ever so slightly.
“But why would the delvers want to bother you?” asked Cara.
“Because they are earth-creatures. I do not mean,” she clarified quickly, “Earth as in the world from which you and I — and the unicorns, for that matter — originally came. I mean creatures of the soil and stone that make up the world. As my magic is earth-magic, there are many things I have which the delvers would like to possess. Tools. Spells. Knowledge. Things I would rather they not take from me. Now, what is it that brings you to my home?”
Song of the Wanderer Page 3