The old man nodded. “You are correct—but perhaps your father didn’t tell you the whole story. Let me tell you of some people who escaped its destruction. After the destruction of Cashmakil, the survivors wanted to rebuild, which they believed could be done if future generations could learn from the errors of Cashmakil.
“They worked on being one with nature. They were new to the environment, but that didn’t stop them from being part of it. Soon they were able to blend both mind power and technical knowledge into one discipline. They were able to fill the forest with beautiful sounds and music.”
This reminded Tenashar of the glass waterfall—and he could see a connection, a picture weaving intricate patterns. If Nainashari had this much power, he could easily deal with the Orbs. Perhaps he knew the Orbs’ secret, but perhaps he didn’t. Tenashar simply didn’t know if Nainashari was concerned about the Orbs.
“Creatures of many sorts were created to work along with the forest people,” Nainashari went on. “Many of the creatures were very beautiful—no, better—the word beautiful couldn’t come close to describing the poetry of these creatures.”
Nainashari’s words reminded Tenashar of the ruins and the guardians he had seen in the forest.
“In time, these forest dwellers realized other men might come to disturb their peace, but they knew violence toward others would only bring cycles of war as occurred during the age of cities. They devised stone guardians that could move and bring fear to those who came to do them harm. The energy that made the stone guardians move was known only to these people and has since been lost.
“Eventually, the home of the forest people was invaded by invaders with great skill with metals—it was said they worshiped the gods of metal—but the stone guardians grew to enormous size and intimidated the invaders.”
“I have heard stories of these men covered in metal,” said Tenashar.
“The warriors’ leaders ran off in confusion, followed by their soldiers, never to return. Word spread about the dangerous forest dwellers, and no one dared bother them. They got the reputation of being ghosts, gods, or demons.”
Tenashar now understood who the guardians were. “Are these people gone? Where have they departed to?”
Nainashari hung his head, staring listlessly at the ground. This time his face was covered in deep shadow as if to say Nothing is there. Everything is gone. Leaves fell around Nainashari, as if they were weeping with him. The light turned somber, and underground streams cried like children. Tenashar felt there was a strong bond between Nainashari and his cave home. In this mood of melancholy, Tenashar’s mind went to Jerry.
Nainashari broke the silence in a clear voice. “Have you forgotten your little friend Tansatei who gave you help and courage when others doubted you?”
“Oh, no! She hasn’t been absent from my thoughts for a moment. Don’t accuse me of thinking of another girl—there is only friendship between us. You should know that! I know you can read people’s minds.”
Pain gripped Tenashar; he wanted to see Tansatei again. When he slept, he always had her in many different dreams. In some, she came as a messenger, appearing as a wisp of air with a smile, as transparent as morning dew, while in others she sat beside him talking. In still others, sunset oranges and yellows formed her compassionate face. Tenashar spoke of his dreams and took comfort in the old man’s counsel.
Nainashari looked into the distance. He asked, “Do you know who I am?”
Tenashar spoke words that might have been considered flattery if they had not been sincere. “You’re a man of wisdom, like the wise woman Heitac, who taught me. My people would call you a shaman or a great teacher. I think perhaps you’re just a bit wiser than some of the teachers in my tribe.”
Nainashari admitted that he was a descendant of the Sileizan. Tenashar wasn’t surprised. Deep down he always suspected who his friend was, and the cave had proven it. Nainashari was clearly a man who was hundreds of years old.
Nainashari said the cave was not entirely of his own creation. Many hands over many generations had constructed the cave with skill and care. As they walked through the cave, not all things were lovely. A particularly strange odor came to Tenashar’s nose, something like rotting fish. He walked toward the smell and found piles of dark-colored rubbish, mounds of branches, leaves, old food, dead animals, and excrement. Nainashari explained that the smelly rubbish nourished the trees and plants. He called it fertilizer and said it was a very important process in making things grow—the dead feeding the living—and Tenashar once again saw a circle.
“Why are you alone?” he asked. “This place could hold many people—and you would not have to do all this work yourself.”
“Even here, among this beauty, people became bored and disillusioned with the lives they had built for themselves. Some tried to force others to do more work. Some factions took power for their own needs and tried to force others to grow more food for them. The people who planned the cave thought of themselves as the leaders, forgetting it was built to benefit the whole community.” He looked around at the lovely things but still appeared sad. “Even here, people fought and died. People drifted away. The tribe dwindled. But that was not unusual, for everything must change, everything must pass.”
Tenashar smiled. “You are like the cool waters and the glowing of the nightly moon. What you have taught me so far is that learning is the fragrance of flowers that bloom in the morning sun. Those words I have just said mean a lot. The cool waters mean your friendship has refreshed my spirit. And what you have taught me is like the moon guiding me out of ignorant darkness.”
Tenashar’s words made Nainashari smile and roar with laughter and happiness. In this special rapport, Tenashar and Nainashari talked about many things. They spoke of a library of accumulated knowledge, but Nainashari was outlining things in words and concepts Tenashar couldn’t fully comprehend. The old man told Tenashar he would be able to use the wisdom contained in such a place of knowledge for the good of all people. Tenashar continued to listen carefully to everything Nainashari told him; he believed he would understand it all in the course of time.
Tenashar had a thought that was difficult to admit to himself. He felt Nainashari was trying to convince him to take his place as the master of the cave. That was too much of a responsibility for him, especially since he already had a difficult enough task to fulfill.
“Once this journey is over, I will to return to my people and be with Tansatei. I will help build a new life for our people in a new place underground, and I will take my father’s place as leader of the Senetha,” said Tenashar with conviction.
“Some desires may never be satisfied. Accepting this is how we become strong, Tenashar.”
“Even if I fail, I will continue to try.”
Nainashari smiled and nodded his approval.
After some silence, Tenashar started to fall asleep, but Nainashari gave him a jolt with the touch of his hand. “Hey! Wake up! This is no time to dream!”
“How do you know about my dreams?” Tenashar asked.
With a laugh, Nainashari said, “You are on the first phase of the journey. You know I am able to read dreams. Don’t ask the same stupid questions as I tell you something about your origins.”
In an annoyed tone, Tenashar said that his father had already told him everything about his family.
“Your father told you everything? Hah! You have much to learn about that long-ago time. You and I have similar origins. We both descend from the great city of Cashmakil.”
Tenashar grew agitated. “How could that be? That’s impossible. I know where I come from.” His feelings grew dark, for he had been told that the ancient cities were evil and that nothing but suffering had come from them. He looked at Nainashari as if he had spoken a curse.
Nainashari shook his head. “Look at me and understand that not everything that came from the ancient cities was bad. Every time and every place has people full of both selfish and charitable thoughts. It doesn’t
matter where you are; nothing is totally evil or totally good. Thousands of moods, colors, and shades reside in all places.”
Nainashari had spoken those words with such seriousness that Tenashar realized his own feelings were petty. He understood what he had to accomplish in the future to secure survival for the Senetha and the other tribes of the plains and forests. He needed to find the answer to the problem of the Orbs. Cashmakil did not matter to him anymore.
chapter 19
Awakening from a Dream of Moonlight
Though Tenashar had made up his mind to forget about Cashmakil, Nainashari’s cave still held his attention. Tenashar sat quietly listening to the water and thinking about the Orbs. He didn’t want to return to the surface even though he knew it was past time to resume his journey. He wanted to live in the cave, which had its own way of making people feel comfortable. Reluctantly, Tenashar made up his mind to leave, something Nainashari of course sensed.
“It’s time for you to go back to the surface,” said Nainashari, “to be with your companions, who are probably waiting for your return. You want to stay with me, but your life is on the surface. You are welcome to visit anytime.”
“I’d forgotten my companions. They must be worried. I’m sure they’re looking for me.” Tenashar was upset by his forgetfulness and inconsiderate behavior. “When I first met you, they were searching for food and had been gone for a while. Maybe something held them up. The Mushroom, the Rock, and I don’t seem to think about A-amar and Una-sei anymore, but they are my guardians. Nainashari, you haven’t seen them, but they are both scary and wonderful to behold. How could I have neglected A-amar and Una-sei? They are my friends and companions.”
“Have you ever given thought to where these two funny companions came from?” asked Nainashari with laughter in his eyes.
“I wondered about that from the night I met them, but I just accepted them from the start. I don’t know why. But now that I think about it, it seems they could have come from this area. Could that be true?”
“Ask your companions where they came from,” said Nainashari.
Tenashar looked into Nainashari’s eyes as he gently retrieved the Mushroom and the Rock from his bag. He caressed his companions, and they woke up like two sleepy children, slowly glowing to life.
Questions about the Mushroom and the Rock flowed through Tenashar’s mind, and the answers flowed back like tides rolling in, all part of one great truth. It seemed they had been watching over him since he was a child—even while his mother was still living—which shocked him. He felt his father had known about the Rock and the Mushroom since his own childhood and had grown up knowing his son would make friends with them one day.
“Rock and Mushroom, I have always accepted you as friends. Where do you come from? I don’t even know what to call you. Do you have names?” Tenashar’s curiosity was tinged with regret at his own thoughtlessness.
“You already know of our origins and all that Nainashari said about the once-great cities and the skills the people had,” said the Mushroom forcefully.
“Tenashar! Give your thoughts to the many moments you have rested in this cave! You saw many things that were strange. Remember Tree Woman, Wajanie,” replied Rock with such force that it jolted Tenashar.
Tenashar and Nainashari looked at each other, startled, and exchanged nods of understanding about the Rock and the Mushroom. They realized they must have been created by the skilled hands of the people who had once resided in the cave or the forests.
What Tenashar didn’t know, and what Nainashari had not mentioned, was that Nainashari had once taught Sanashei the secrets of the forest people long ago, when he had lived above the ground with the Senetha.
“Now you know why we have come together.” Nainashari’s eyes twinkled.
“It’s time for me to depart this wonderful place. I hope to come back to learn all you will teach me and to partake of the skills and wisdom of this cave. What I have already learned, I promise to carry with me until the end of my days.”
Nainashari nodded in approval. “Make sure you honor those words throughout your life and not let them become empty vessels.”
Not quite understanding what Nainashari was saying, Tenashar said farewell. He didn’t know when he would be able to come back to this marvelous underground cave. As he walked his last step from the cave, Tenashar came out under a moon shining at full brilliance and a night sky scattered with stars that pulsated with intensity. It seemed to Tenashar as if the moon and stars were talking to each other. He searched for A-amar and Una-sei but didn’t see them.
“What happened to them? Where are they? I wonder if I can wait for them.”
Tenashar began to realize that the time he had spent in the cave might not be the same as time outside—it could have been longer or shorter than it seemed. It seemed to him that only a night and a day, or perhaps less, had gone by.
Tenashar opened his bag and asked the Rock and the Mushroom what had passed. They said that many years had gone by.
He could not understand why time in the cave was different from the outside world; many questions crossed his mind. It’s just a cave, right? Or is it a portal into another time? Does Nainashari really exist? He may have been an illusion.
The Rock and the Mushroom replied only that the people of the forest had the skill of changing the flow of time. In near panic, Tenashar realized he had to get back to his own time.
chapter 20
Exploring the Path to a Strange World
Tenashar could see that while he had been in the cave, grass had flourished where the ground had been bare, and saplings had grown into large trees. Time had indeed passed. The question he kept asking himself was how he was going to get back to his own time. He thought of A-amar and Una-sei. What happened to them? Did they come back? How long did they wait for me? Perhaps after many days and months they left to look for me. Should I search for them? Tenashar even considered going back to his village to find out what had happened while he had been gone. His indecision pained him.
Just as he was about to ask Nainashari for help, someone was at his side. For just a second, he thought it might be Tansatei or Nainashari, but he looked in surprise to see Etutsha. “What are you doing here? I thought you went home,” said Tenashar with a strange look in his eyes.
Etutsha didn’t show physical marks of aging because of the spheres that held different time periods around Nainashari’s forest and cave. One sphere could be years in time, others were years past, but once they emerged from a particular sphere, they would return to their time.
Etutsha stood straight, showing respect. “I decided to return and follow you, because I became very ashamed of myself for treating you as I had. I realized you were brave to seek a way to help our people. I shouldn’t have been thinking those things about you.” Etutsha’s voice rang with sincerity. “Tenashar I—I don’t expect you to have any good feeling toward me, but is it possible for me to help you? For a long time after leaving you, I shivered in fear and crouched near a rock like a baby. In petrified terror, I remembered how I ridiculed you—calling you a coward, and I was ashamed. I think I never knew real fear before then.
I finally had to move. Eventually, I walked a distance away from the place of the hanging metal disks and masks. I traveled for days trying to find you, and I came across twisted metal and other ruins, which made me even more fearful.”
Etutsha could not hide the relief he felt in Tenashar’s presence, and Tenashar was not surprised at the fear Etutsha had felt in the ruins. He comforted the young warrior. “I’ve come to understand why you are here, Etutsha. I believe years have passed by. However, you have to understand something is strange about this place. I feared that enough time had passed that none of the people we knew in our village is alive anymore. Their places have been taken by another generation.”
Tenashar tried to hold back tears. Etutsha put his arms around Tenashar to comfort him. Tenashar looked in amazement at the person who had once give
n him a lot of trouble, and smiled, returning an even warmer friendly embrace. They had no idea what would happen. Tenashar thought they should return to the cave and seek Nainashari’s advice on what they could do to reverse this unnatural event.
In the cave, Tenashar called out to Nainashari, but no one answered. He thought that was odd, because he had left just a few minutes earlier. As they descended deeper, Tenashar saw the same things he had seen before, but all were worn out and falling apart from what looked like the passage of time. He called out to his friend, getting more worried as time went on. He even began to wonder if Nainashari had been a dream.
“What next?” asked Etutsha in an agitated voice.
“I don’t know what to do.” Tenashar spoke slowly, trying not to let his worry sound in his voice. “I think we must walk on. Perhaps A-amar and Una-sei are gone—they may have thought I was dead and returned to the village. Though many years have passed, we must still find answers as to why the Orbs are destroying the land. I had so much faith in Nainashari, but now he is either gone, or maybe he was only a dream.”
Tenashar had such a sad feeling. He closed his eyes and called to Rock in his bag, mind to mind. This was something he had rarely tried. He mentally searched and found the Rock’s thoughts: Nainashari has always had a plan to find out what the Orbs truly are and force them to leave this world. You must live for a while in a different time to learn what has to be done. Everything will change around you. At first, nothing may seem right. The sky will turn from red to green and back again, and the environment may start to stretch and condense.
Once Tenashar heard these words from the Rock, he felt it was wise not to go anywhere. Nainashari returned. He looked at Etutsha and Tenashar and said, “It is not an accident that Etutsha has come to your side.” All this time, Etutsha stared at Nainashari, finally understanding who he was.
With a pleading gaze, Tenashar asked Nainashari what happened to the world. Nainashari gave him no reply.
A Journey of a Thousand Seasons Book 1 (Journey Series) Page 10