by Avell Kro
“You put some kind of love-curse on her!” spat Rhuna, and Aradin placed his hand on her
arm in a calming gesture.
Beacon of the Night threw his head back in laughter. “In all honesty, my Friends, I had
never thought of such a thing…but what a splendid idea!” he said beaming.
“You are a philanderer!” Rhuna charged. “We have summoned visions of your philandering
life by means of the Gazing of the Waters,” she said as she began to tremble with emotion.
Beacon of the Night hooked his thumb into the top of his kilt as he ambled around the
room. “Naturally, you would inform yourselves of my past activities,” he said casually.
“Was it really so, that she was attracted to you first, for no reason at all?” Aradin asked
suspiciously.
“Why, is it so difficult to imagine?” asked Beacon of the Night as he stopped walking and
looked at them with a grin. “Am I such an unappealing man? Your summoned visions of my life
surely attest to the fact that I am attractive to women, do they not?”
“Then you took advantage of a young woman’s first experience with love,” Rhuna stated,
angry at the man’s laughter.
“Only for a brief moment, as I admitted,” answered Beacon of the Night. “While in
conversation with this delightful young woman, who has intelligence and maturity farin advance
of her peers, my feelings became sincere,” he said.
“You kissed her,” Rhuna said, shuddering at the memory of the visions she had summoned
by means of the Gazing of the Waters.
“Yes. And she kissed me. We kissed each other,” he stated casually. “That is not your worst
fear, however,” he said with a mischievous grin. “You are horrified by the mere thought that I
would force physical intimacy on her, are you not?”
Rhuna remained silent, swallowing hard as her body became rigid with strong emotions.
“You have not been tempted to do so?” Aradin challenged.
“Oh yes!” laughed Beacon of the Night. “Oh yes indeed! Such a desire is purely natural, yet I
have thus far managed to restrain myself.”
“So you admit that you are merely philandering with our daughter,” challenged Aradin.
“Not at all!Not at all, My Friends! Were it so, she would have been in my bed long before
already!” he said as his pace quickened. “The excessive restless energy that motivated such a
manner of behaviourin my youth has now been re-directed into other activities of a purely
ethereal nature, and such…philandering no longer appeals, nor satisfies my deepest innermost
needs,” he said in serious tone. “Furthermore, I have informed Lozira of my past activities, and
she is wel aware of my life’s course thus far.”
“You lie,” said Rhuna bluntly.
“Yes, sometimes.”
“She has very strong feelings for you,” Rhuna said with difficulty.
“Of this I am very well aware.”
“This is her first involvement after eighteen solar cycles of emotional security and
harmonious environment in Atlán where such philandering is unknown. Her pain would be severe
and long-lasting, damaging her emotional fiber and wellbeing…”
“This matter, also, has not escaped my comprehension,” Beacon of the Night said, standing
still and meeting Rhuna’s gaze without a blink.
“Were it so, as you wish to believe, Keeper of Wisdom, then I should not have restrained
myself, nor given respect and consideration for your daughter’s wellbeing,” he said, and continued
to pace again. “However, I value her happiness and emotional wellbeing above my own, and
therefore shall not act upon any personal desires until proper circumstances permit,” he said.
“There will never be proper circumstances!” Rhuna lashed out. “We know that you are the
leader of the Dark Master’s followers, and that you nearly caused Lozira’s death when you tried to
cause the Atlan fleet of ships to be wrecked in a giant storm!”
Beacon of the Night stopped in his tracks and raised his eyebrows in astonishment. Rhuna
felt a hot surge pulse through her body as she realized her mistake, and then heard Aradin’s sharp
intake of breath next to her.
“You know this?” Beacon of the Night snapped sharply as his eyes darted back and forth
between Rhuna and Aradin. “Very impressive!” he exclaimed after a moment of tense silence, and
then a broad smile spread across his face. “It appears I have under-estimated you once again.”
Rhuna remained silent, determined not to divulge any further secrets.
“May I ask how you come to know of this?”
“No,” Rhuna said, and snapped her mouth shut again.
“Our intention was to cause the ships to return to port,” Beacon of the Night said in a
defensive tone. “We abhor the taking of human life, and in fact, our quest is to improve life for
everyone,” he stated firmly, and then a flash of understanding illuminated his eyes.“You!” he uttered
breathlessly. “You caused the failure of our attempts to create a storm!” Beacon of the Night stared
at Rhuna wide-eyed for a moment, and then his face broke into a devious grin.
“Keeper of Wisdom! You have my deepest respect and admiration,” he said with an
elaborate bow. “We were not aware that our activities could be observed, much less influenced by
outside sources. We are humbled in your presence! Teach us your skills, Keeper of Wisdom!”
“No!” Rhuna stated adamantly.
“Then may I suggest that you attend our next gathering tomorrow at sunset?” he suddenly
said in a bright, cheerful manner. “Attendance at our gathering shall provide all the information
you seek in order to know exactly what we are doing, and for which purpose. Bring Lozira, and
any others whom you have told about my clandestine activities,” he said.
Rhuna felt stunned, and then looked at Aradin whose face had paled and contorted with
fear and apprehension.
“You are trying to subvert us, using Lozira to force me to compromise my position and
stand against you!” Rhuna said, trying to hide her trembling.
“Your manner of thinking appeals to me!” said Beacon of the Night with a flash of white
teeth. “Yet my intentions are entirely of a congenial, co-operative nature. Come as guests to
observe and learn about our ways in order to establish whether we are your enemies or allies.”
“There is no doubt that you are our enemy, since your allegiance is with the Dark Master!”
said Aradin shakily.
“The Dark Master and his followers corrupt and degrade everything that is good,” Rhuna
said. The difference between us is like night and day – and The Dark One even chose a black robe
to show his opposition to the white Atlan Master’s robe!”
“This minor detail is true,” said Beacon of the Night. “Your other conclusions are not
correct, however. Do you not agree that one must embark upona proper and thorough
investigation into all aspects of a matter before making such a severe accusation?”
“We will come to your gathering,” Rhuna said decisively.
“Good, good!Thereafter, may we discuss your acquired knowledge, ideals and quest – which
I suspect are not as divergent from ours as you may believe. And above all, on a purely personal,
selfish level,” he said slowly in a different tone, “…I wish Lozira to gain a full understanding of the
perso
n I am, so that she may decide. It has been weighing heavily on my mind,keeping this part of
my life secret from her. It is time for everything to be revealed.”
“Very well then,” said Aradin, preparing to leave the house.
“Should she decide to continue our involvement, however, then you cannot prevent it,”
Beacon of the Night said sternly. “I, for my part, shall not terminate our relationship on your
request, no matter how persuasive your attempts…or would you injure or even kill me, too?”
“That was not my intention!” Rhuna exclaimed.
“Exactly! Exactly as it was not my intention to harm or take a life, yet at times it happens
nevertheless,” he said, his pacing more agitated again.
“Summon the visions, or whichever means you have used to acquire knowledge of my
secret activities, to ascertain that I am telling the truth. And if, by any means, you are able to
confirm the genuineness of my feelings for your daughter, then do so,” he said raising his hands in
surrender.
“Be present at the corner of the Red Lion by the setting of the sun tomorrow,” Beacon of
the Night said as he escorted them to the door. “Wear a head and face covering, that you may not
be recognized,” he said to Rhuna in a stern whisper as she brushed past him.
“Don’t say another word!” Aradin hissed as they stepped onto the road and walked home
with a brisk pace. Despite Lozira’s anxious expression when they entered their home, Rhuna
rushed past her and into the special room where Aradin promptly threw the switch to activate the
protective field.
“Oh, what have I done, Aradin? Have I put us and The Observers in danger? I wasn’t
thinking – those words just came out!” Rhuna wailed, feeling deflated and unworthy of The
Observers, having so carelessly revealed their secret in a moment of intense emotion.
“Let’s think this through carefully,” Aradin said as he paced around the small room. “We
didn’t reveal that there is a group of us, so I believe there’s no immediate danger to The Observers
– but we will be under much closerscrutiny from them now as they try to find out how we know
what they are doing.”
Rhuna’s skin prickled at the thought of being so closely observed by the Dark Ones.
“In fact, in view of that, perhaps we shouldn’t even contact them right away or else Beacon
of the Night will surmise that they are our colleagues,” Aradin continued as his pace quickened.
“Maybe I shouldn’t go see my father either, if they are going to watch us so closely,” Rhuna
said solemnly, and Aradin agreed with a firm nod.
“Let’s go about everything as usual,” he said decisively.
“Maybe I could observe what Beacon of the Night does, just with my mental summoning
skil ,” Rhuna suggested.
“Good,” said Aradin taking a deep breath. “And now you need to tel Lozira,” he said as he
opened the door and ushered Lozira into the special room. Rhuna moved the switch as soon as
Aradin stepped out, and then released a painful sigh.
“Lozira, I couldn’t tell you before…oh, this is like a nightmare!” Rhuna began.
“What’s wrong?” Lozira asked breathless with anxiety.
“Beacon of the Night is the leader of the Dark Ones! He is the Dark Master’s apprentice!”
Lozira looked at her mother wide-eyed and speechless.
“That’s why I told you not to see him!”
“Oh,” Lozira said faintly.
“But now I’ve made a terrible mistake. I got so upset talking to him that I told him we know
about the things he and the other followers of the Dark Master have been doing…”
“You told him about The Observers?” Lozira said, still dazed.
“No. But I said enough in just one outburst, and now everything has changed! And it’s all
my fault!”
“What will happen now?” asked Lozira in a shaky voice. Rhuna shook her head and said
she did not know.
“So…how do you feel now?” Rhuna asked, observing the changes in Lozira’s face as she
struggled to comprehend the latest revelations.
“I want to talk to him about it,” she said after a while. “Ask him to tell me what he does, and
why.”
“That’s exactly what he suggested,” said Rhuna. “He wants us to attend their gathering
tomorrow night so that you can see what kind of person he really is.”
“He said that?”
“Yes. And then you can tell him you won’t see him anymore!” Rhuna said firmly.
Lozira’s face scrunched into a rebellious pout. “I want to talk to him about everything
first!” she insisted.
“But surely you don’t want to be involved with someone who is working with the Dark
Master!” Rhuna said sharply.
“But I love him!” Lozira said defiantly.
“How can you love someone like that? Like the Dark Master himself?” Rhuna argued.
“That is the way it is!” Lozira shouted, and stomped towards the door. Rhuna groaned with
exasperation, and then quickly told her about their decision to continue as normal while being
under close scrutiny by the Dark Ones.“Be especially careful what you say when we are not in this
room!” Rhuna reminded Lozira before she pulled the switch at the door.
“Sooner or later someone will summon a vision of what I said,” said Rhuna when Aradin
had re-entered the special room and switched the lever.
“Most probably Tozar, if he’s watching us so closely,” agreed Aradin.
Rhuna suggested that she summon a mental vision of Beacon of the Night to observe his
most recent actions. Moving into her Inside Focussing position, she concentrated her attention on
Beacon of the Night and his activities since she and Aradin left his house.
In an instant, visions began appearing in her mind, and she recognized the room in which
they hadspoken earlier. Beacon of the Night stood still, looking out the large window onto the
garden, and then began to pace back and forth in front of the window, as he had done while she
and Aradin were there. Rhuna felt frustrated that nothing of significance appeared in her visions,
so she made a renewed attempt at summoning visions of the man’s activity.
“He is doing the same as we are,” remarked Aradin when she had described her visions to
him. “Let us keep observing him closely, in case he contacts the other Dark Ones stealthily, in a
way we don’t expect.”
Rhuna barely slept that night, and drifted from one disturbing dream to another before
awakening at daybreak. Her comfortable home was full of tension as the family gathered around
the eating table for the morning meal, and Faleesh gave her a questioning look as she brought the
food.
“Melody of the Dawn has been seeing someone we don’t approve of,” Rhuna whispered in
Faleesh’s ear as she helped the older woman bring dishes of food to the table.
“Aah,” Faleesh said knowingly. “A man.” She nodded her simple understanding of the
situation, and continued preparing the eating table with a wistful smile on her face.
The family ate in uncomfortable silence until Shandi began to name the food items in front
of her. Grateful for the distraction, Rhuna announced that she had many things to do at home
today. “You’re staying home with us,” she told Lozira, who responded with a glowering look.
“Stay home with me!” Shandi said
excitedly, and Rhuna felt the heavy tension in the room
dissipate instantly. Lozira looked at her little sister and smiled happily, and Aradin let out a silent
sigh of relief.
After finishing some daily chores, and when Shandi was asleep in the adjoining room,
Rhuna felt it was the right time to broach the subject of drinking intoxicating beverages with
Lozira. She entered the wash room where Lozira had been washing some of her new clothes and
told her that she had seen her drinking the fermented barley beverage.
“It felt good,” Lozira responded bluntly.
“But you know that it’s against Atlan principles, and back in Atlán you would never have
considered partaking,” Rhuna objected.
“That was then,” Lozira answered in the same blunt manner as she continued washing one
of her dresses.
Rhuna touched her daughter’s arm to get her full attention. “What is different here, now?”
she asked, suddenly afraid of what the answer might be.
“Everything!” Lozira spat, suddenly flushed with anger. When Rhuna waited silently for an
explanation, Lozira sighed and shrugged her shoulders.
“I think Atlan principles are too strict!” she said forcefully. “All the things Tozar said and did
made me see clearly that it’s not right, even though they keep saying it is.”
“Your father was particularly strict with you because of me,” Rhuna stated firmly. “You
mustn’t judge Atlan principles based on how Tozar treated you in recent times.”
Lozira thought about Rhuna’s words for a moment, and then shrugged. “Besides, Aradin
drinks those beverages at meal time, and I saw other Atlans in the building where they make and
distribute it,” see countered.
Rhuna nodded and said she knew about the more relaxed attitude towards intoxicating
beverages in Safu, but that this was not the point.
“What worries me is that you so easily lowered your Atlan standards,” Rhuna said. “And it’s
because of him, isn’t it!”
Lozira’s face flushed red again as she pulled away from her mother. “He did not force me to
do it!” she retorted angrily. “I wanted to try it! I want to be with him! What he is or does makes
no difference to me!” she shot at Rhuna, throwing the washsoap to the floor and leaving the room