The Uzan Crystal

by Lisa S. Buchholz

"It was then that Sebastyon stopped what he was doing. He couldn't remember what he was doing or where he was or even who he was. He turned to see a young woman standing by a carriage with a shocked look on her face. Then she looked at him with a blank expression. Gabrielle could not remember anything either. The winds continued to carry the powder through the forest and in the area that the powder touched, all became silent. As if the trees themselves could not remember how to grow. Gabrielle and Sebastyon were said to wander through the woods until they died of exhaustion or starvation. No one ever saw them again."

  "Unfortunately, I wasn't near this section of the woods when it happened or else I would have tried to help them. The forest, of course, having its own natural magic ended up creating a new magic when the powder scattered. From that point on, anyone who entered that section of the forest was lost forever. This is the section of the forest that we are in. It doesn't affect me since I'm kind of like a magic all in itself. Anyway, now it's your turn to tell me why you are here and don't leave out any details. I know when people are hiding things and I wouldn't be very happy." With that, she leaned back to listen to them.

  Angelina let Elise tell their tale. She began at the beginning and gave a short version of what they had been though. Kimber listened intently the entire time. Elise had thought about not trusting Kimber but was getting the feeling that she could. And besides, from what they'd been through, Madina knew they were coming anyway. Elise brought the story to a close.

  Kimber was impressed that they had been through so many exciting things. "I think that I'll journey with you," she began, "After all, I've been hanging around this forest for long enough. It's time to do something. Well, follow me and I'll lead you out then I'll get the rest of your companions." Kimber got up from Zeek and stretched. Zeek casually got up and immediately froze in a crouched position as he had caught sight of prey. It was only for a few seconds then he pounced off behind a tree and was lost from sight. Kimber waited until the girls had gathered their blankets and she flew a few feet in front of them, leading them out of the forest.

  They had only been walking for twenty minutes or so when Kimber led them out into the grassy fields. They couldn't believe it.

  "You know," Kimber said as she hovered in the air before them, "you were walking around in circles all day yesterday. You hardly left my sight and I was sitting in the same tree the whole time."

  "Why didn't you stop us sooner?" scolded Angelina. "Did you enjoy watching us suffer?"

  Kimber looked offended, "I didn't know if you could be trusted. The last person I helped, stuffed me in a bag and was heading off to sell me to some freak show. Luckily, Zeek rescued me. It's been a long time since I've helped anyone and I certainly didn't want to approach you when you had your full strength. I waited until you were a little weak and I knew that I could stay clear of you. I didn't do it because I wanted to, I had to."

  "I'm sorry," apologized the irritated princess, "I'm hungry and tired and I shouldn't have snapped at you. Would you please gather our companions? They certainly will not cause you any harm. Tell them that Angelina said for them to follow you. By the way, thank you."

  Kimber smiled and nodded her understanding then darted back into the forest. Elise and Angelina picked a spot not far from the forest's edge and they began to clear a space for a fire. They both gathered rocks and dead wood from the edge of the forest, being very careful not to step foot into the forest. After they had placed the rocks in a circle and arranged the wood to begin a fire, they began to look for berries, roots or whatever could be found to eat. They decided to wait until closer to dark to light the fire. They ate only a few berries and chewed on some redroot. There wasn't much there and they didn't know if any of their companions would still have their supplies with them.

  All they could do was wait.

  Chapter 39

  Companions Reunited

  "Why do you think," began Angelina, "that Kimber waited to help us. After all even if we meant her harm, what could we do? We didn't even know how to get out of the forest."

  "Well," Elise thought for a minute as she chewed on her redroot. "Maybe Kimber was wary of any person and had we been evil, we could have hurt or even killed her if we had wanted to. After what we've been through, I know I will find it hard to trust anyone we meet along the way."

  Lord Farley was the first one to emerge from the forest. Both girls ran up to him and hugged and kissed him. Angelina was so glad to see her uncle alive and well.

  Toward evening, Kimber came out leading five of their horses. The women were overjoyed to see that each one still retained its saddle and saddlebags. They pulled the saddle bags down and helped Lord Farley rub the horses down and then let them graze. Once the horses were taken care of, Lord Farley started the fire with the flint he had. Elise began mixing up dough and while it was rising near the fire, Koren and Pendrake were led out. Pendrake had three skinned rabbits with him.

  The girls were envious. They hadn't seen any animal and even if they had , they probably wouldn't have been able to catch it.

  It was well into the evening before the bread and rabbits were ready. By that time, Thaddious, Sir Matthew, Sir Taz, Sir Asen and Bishoff had been rescued by their new found friend.

  Kimber was tired and said that she would search again after she rested. She dropped down on one of the blankets near the fire and was fast asleep. Zeek appeared and sat guard over her, his large eyes glinting from the light of the fire.

  They all finished eating and gathered around the fire with their blankets. As Angelina lay there watching the fire, she glanced over at Zeek. He had laid down himself and he looked as if he was sleeping but his ears perked up and his eyes opened like slits at the rustle of the men seeing to the horses and getting themselves comfortable for the night. He was a very pretty cat. At least that's what Angelina guessed he was. He was larger than any cat she had ever seen, his fur now looked almost silver with grayish black stripes running across his back. He wasn't like a normal cat, in that he looked at you with human intelligence in his eyes. She drifted off to sleep.

  When they awoke the next morning, Kimber and her companion were nowhere to be found. Sometime during the night she must have led the other horses out because they were standing near the ones that were tied. The dishes from the night before were cleaned and stacked and the fire had been stoked back up.

  Everyone one got up and started to get things ready for breakfast. There was still bread left over from the night before and cheese was brought out as well as some dried meat. Elise mixed up a pot of oats and honey. Kimber appeared leading out the last members of the group as breakfast was being prepared. Angelina noticed that her outfit now was pale yellow and she had on matching shoes. Kimber flew over and seated herself on a rock near the fire. She pulled out a brush, from where Angelina was unable to tell, and began brushing her hair. When she was finished, the brush disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Kimber's hair still looked ruffled but Angelina was not going to mention that to their new companion.

  "Would you happen to know who cleaned the dishes and got the fire going again this morning?" Angelina asked of Kimber.

  Kimber shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

  "Well, thank you if you did," Angelina said with a smile.

  The other members of the group all thanked Kimber for her help. They all owed her a debt of gratitude.

  Zeek was nowhere to be seen until everyone had begun to eat their breakfast. He pounced as if catching prey and landed quietly next to Kimber. She didn't even flinch and continued to eat her cheese and bread.

  "Kimber," asked Sir Asen, "would Zeek like to have some of what we're eating?"

  She giggled at that. "Zeek pretty much takes care of himself. But thank you for offering."

  They got an early start and rode until late afternoon. They had agreed to try to make up time. They stopped near an area where there was a nice field and a few trees. They ate bread, cheese and dried meat. They all sat down to relax for a shor
t time before getting back on the road. However, since everyone had not slept well except for the previous night and the sun was warm, they all drifted off to sleep. Sir Taz was almost asleep and jerked himself awake. He was about to rouse the rest of the group but decided that another day wasted wouldn't really matter. Anyway, they all deserved a good rest. Sir Taz then pulled out a few blankets and laid them around. He gently woke them and told them to use the blanket to lie on, which would be more comfortable and to go back to sleep. He told each person that they would camp there for the night and not to worry about it. He then tied the horses to a rope he had strung between two trees and removed their bits so they could graze. When he finished removing their saddles and getting things organized, he spread out his blanket and was asleep in minutes. He knew that most of the men were light sleepers and if danger approached, one of them would surely wake up.

  It was well into evening when Pendrake woke. He noticed that everyone else was still sleeping so he gathered firewood and made a fire. Roused by the crackle and snap of the fire, slowly one by one, they all got up. They all felt much more refreshed. It was something that they needed.

  Chapter 40

  Family and Friends

  They continued on their journey the next morning. It took them another six days to reach the city of Schoval where Angelina's sister lived. They were greeted with much fanfare and had the most wonderful quarters to stay in while they were there. It was the best place they had stayed at since Cardel so long ago.

  Amberlynn was thrilled to see them and announced that she was expecting.

  "I'm so happy for you," Angelina said as she congratulated her sister and gave her a hug.

  "You will be staying for awhile, won't you?" asked Amberlynn.

  "We can only visit for a few days," Angelina explained. She saw the hurt look in her sister's eyes. "If there is some place private we can go, I can explain the reason."

  Amberlynn led the two women up a large staircase to the second floor and down a long hall to the far end. They entered through one of the two massive doors and Amberlynn closed the door behind them. "This is our private chamber. Jarrett's father had it magically sealed from prying eyes and ears many years ago. Please sit down," she led them over to large plush chairs of the sitting room. "I've asked that your companions receive hot bathes, food, drink and their own rooms. I'll have baths ready for the both of you as well after we're done talking. I've asked for a tray to be brought up so that we can talk and eat. They should be here any moment."

  As if on cue, the servants brought in platters of thinly sliced meat, cheeses, bread and fruit as well as olives and peppers. Jugs of cool lemon aid were brought in as well.

  Angelina liked the castle that her sister lived in. It was large, bright and airy.

  Once the servants left, they began to eat and Angelina explained the reason behind their journey and briefly explained what they had been through.

  "If all goes as planned I will journey home to Noachiam as soon as I have obtained the article I am searching for," explained Angelina. "But I promise to come back and visit soon and I will stay for as long as you like."

  "Well, I can't ask for anymore than that," conceded Amberlynn. "It's a shame that you must leave again so soon. I will have all of your supplies refilled and your money as well."

  "Money isn't necessary sister. But I will take you up on having our supplies refilled."

  Conversation drifted to other areas and the women sat for hours talking.

  Before they knew it, it was time to continue the journey. Everyone thanked their hosts and left the city of Schoval before the sun rose above them.

  Pendrake had traveled these lands before and had a friend that lived not too far from the city. They decided to stop there first to find out if they had any ideas about where to look for Madina.

  Pendrake's friends were Yarral and Danesa and their seven children. Pendrake explained that they had a large farm and a large farmhouse with plenty of room.

  When they arrived at the farm, there were children of all ages working around the house, in the fields and in the barn taking care of their chores. It was early and the group had only been traveling a few hours.

  "Pendrake!" hollered Yarral as he hurried over to see his old friend. Pendrake had barely gotten down from his horse when Yarral pulled him into a bear hug. Yarral was a large burly man with thick black hair which was tied back with a leather strap. He had on light tan pants and a thin short sleeved shirt. He looked as if he had been working out in the fields because of the sweat and dust on his face. He released Pendrake just long enough for his wife to give him a welcoming hug.

  "Oh, Pendrake," Danesa said with delight as she hugged him. "It's so good to see you." When she stepped away he noticed that she looked to be five or six months along with child.

  Pendrake smiled at that. Yarral was always insisting that they have a large family.

  Danesa yelled for Alexa, Arriann and Lex who were her three oldest children and had them take the horses. Kyle, Phillip and Dray brought the saddle bags into the house and hung them over two stands.

  Yarral looked around at the guests that had just come and he looked as if he was searching for someone. "Pendrake, is Merk not with you?" he inquired with a questioning look. Merk and Pendrake were practically inseparable and he was wondering why Merk wasn't there with them.

  Pendrake glanced down at the ground for a moment before he met Yarral's gaze. "I'm sorry to have to tell you," he sighed before continuing "but during our journey Merk was killed."

  Yarral was taken aback by the news of something so unexpected. He threw his arm around Pendrake's shoulder and offered his condolences.

  Danesa also offered her condolences as she wiped her eyes with her apron. Merk was also a good friend of their's as well. She had other guests to attend to and would put off her grieving until she and her husband could have time alone. "Please come in and tell us what happened." Danesa invited everyone in and they were seated at a large wooden table. She insisted that they at least have a cool drink of ale to quench their thirst. Arriann and Alexa served them. Her youngest, Samantha, was sitting in a swing that hung from the ceiling. She was quiet and watched the group with fascination.

  As they were sitting there relaxing, Angelina noted how large and airy their house seemed, not drafty at all, but with the feeling of openness about it. She had never visited a farm where the main house was so large. She had been to one farm where there were twelve children and the whole house wasn't much bigger than the dining area where they were now. There were a number of windows to the front and back of the room and they were open providing a cool breeze. There was a large fireplace and cooking area on the outside wall to the right of the door they entered and a large stack of wood inside as well. On the opposite wall were two doorways and in between the doorways was a large counter and a number of shelves above and below it. She could see that they were packed with food items and dishes and pots. In the center of the counter was a basin for washing up.

  After Pendrake and Yarral caught up on things and the group was introduced, Danesa had all of her children meet them. Just as Danesa finished introducing the children, Kimber flew out of one of the supply bags.

  She flew over to Angelina and lightly stood on her shoulder. She held a bit of Angelina's hair to steady herself and brushed off her pale green tunic as if to smooth it. She had on matching leggings and slippers.

  "Mother look!," cried Alexa in excitement pointing to Kimber.

  All of the other children began talking at once, all excited to actually see a live fairy.

  Kimber loved children. She lifted off of Angelina's shoulder and landed on Alexa's shoulder and whispered something in her ear, too quietly for any of the adults to hear.

  "Mother, is it alright if Kimber keeps us company while we do our chores?" she asked with a wide grin.

  "Yes, I don't see a problem with that," responded Danesa, giving Alexa a questioning look.

  Alexa pretended not to
notice the look her mother gave her as she and the rest of the children went back to their chores.

  Danesa led the group through the doorway near the counter. They entered a large sitting area. There were dark colored throw rugs on the floor and comfortable looking chairs and couches arranged around the room. There was another large fireplace against the far wall and one doorway on either side. These halls led back to the sleeping chambers. The hall was wide enough for three men to walk abreast. The first room was larger than the rest and Angelina guessed that it was Yarral and Danesa's room. Then there were six more smaller bedrooms further down the hall. The hall ended at a door which led onto a large back porch. Danesa explained that the six rooms were her children's bedrooms and she had wanted to show us the layout of the house before taking them to their rooms. They turned and walked down another hall and when the hall turned again, they were in a hall much like the first one and there were doors to their right which led into more bedrooms.

  Angelina looked out the back door and saw a large porch and then the open fields where the crops stretched along the land.