by Toni Cox
Silas handed Aaron a large cloth. It was finely woven of a material similar to that of the tents. Silas showed him how to wrap it around his head. He felt a little silly wearing it, but then he noticed that everyone was doing the same. One of the young men, Aaron thought it was the same who had kissed Maia on that first day, was also covering her head and he had erected a kind of sunshade above her. The wolf was lying on the strangely floating stretcher with Maia, his head resting on her stomach. He did not seem to mind the young man tending the girl, but it gave Aaron a bitter taste at the back of his throat. Then the man gently wiped her face with a damp cloth and then kissed her on her forehead, then on both cheeks. Aaron’s hands balled into fists. Bitter jealousy gnawed at him. Could the man be her lover? Her husband? And, if he did not believe that the girl was, indeed, Lisa, then why was he feeling this way? Frowning he turned away and followed Silas into the fields.
The people and horses that had gone before them had trampled down the tall grass so it was easy to walk through but, to his left and right, the grass almost reached the height of his shoulders. They were walking two abreast and he found himself walking alongside Silas the entire way across the fields. The old man seemed undaunted by the long walk. His breath was even and his stride strong. Aaron wondered how he kept himself fit at such an age and why he was walking, instead of riding his horse, which was now being led by one of the uniformed men. Jasmin was on the horse again and Luke was talking to the young man who had kissed Maia. Aaron frowned at the thought and tried to examine where his feelings were coming from. He didn’t even know this girl, so why did it upset him so?
“You are a quiet man, Aaron,” Silas commented. “What troubles you? Can I help in any way?”
Aaron thought about his answer. What troubled him? The first thing that came to mind was his wife. She was his foremost concern. Then, however, he was stumped. He had never felt this free, this whole, ever before. It was something about this place. It made him feel good.
“I am worried about my wife. I cannot believe that she is not still in England. We have to find a way back home.”
Silas was quiet for a while before he answered. It was clear that this man had trouble coming to terms with the truth of it. Maybe it was time he was told everything they needed to know while they were here.
“Maia, the girl on the stretcher…” He pointed behind them and they both looked at the horse pulling the stretcher for a moment. “…she is not only Lord Longshadow’s daughter, but she is also a Prime Elemental.
“Prime Elemental?” Aaron asked.
“All Elves are born with some power over one of the elements. An Elemental is gifted with the power over two or three of the elements, these being Fire, Water, Earth and Wind. Maia, however, was born with the power over all four elements, as well as an extra, very special gift, making her one of the most powerful Elementals in existence, a Prime.”
Aaron’s mind was reeling. He had struggled with the concepts of Elves and Dwarfs and Gates that worked like wormholes and the mere fact that they were supposedly on another planet. Now this man talked about powers. If this all didn’t feel so real, he could have sworn he was dreaming.
“To master this power, the Prime Elemental has to go through a series of trials and test to establish if she is worthy to receive this gift. Maia has been my student for many years and this was her very last test. Once she wakes, we will hold a ceremony to officially recognise her as our Prime.”
Aaron was quiet. He didn’t know what to say, or how this related to his absent wife. Nothing was making any sense.
“We have been expecting her back for some time and were concerned that something might have happened to her. Jaik, the man walking with your son, has been riding patrol day and night, keeping watch for her.”
“Jaik,” Aaron forced the name out through his teeth. He didn’t know why the handsome man infuriated him so, or why it should bother him that Maia had a man in her life that cared so much for her.
“Yes, Jaik. He is our crown prince and Maia’s twin. He is also the Commander of our Guard, which is why so many warriors came with to see Maia home.”
The air whooshed out of Aaron as he realised what that meant. He was surprised by how much relief he felt.
“The very last test for a Prime Elemental is for her, or him, to spend two years away from home, on another planet, to learn the ways and lifestyles of people that lead a different life than we do here. Maia chose Earth. It is one of the harshest planets to live on, but what makes it really so difficult is the time difference.”
Aaron’s brow furrowed; Earth might not be beautiful any more, but it was their home and they had always managed all right. However, something else that Silas had said had caught his attention.
“What do you mean by time difference?”
“You see, Aaron, one year here on Elveron equals to roughly ten years on Earth. Times that by two and that makes it a twenty-year term for the Prime to be away. It is hard to be away from one’s family for such a length of time, but it is part of the test. Maia always wants to prove herself and she never takes the easy way out.”
“Twenty years? I met my wife twenty years ago.”
Silas raised one eyebrow and gave Aaron a significant look. Aaron stopped dead in his tracks, making the man behind him leading Silas’ horse almost walk into him. Aaron felt like he was going to faint as his brain made the connection. The realisation was almost something physical, as if some gears in his head had engaged with a click and were now finally turning.
Silas laid a hand on Aaron’s shoulder.
“The Prime undergoes a slight change when travelling to the chosen planet, so as to fit in with the local population. It is only possible for a Prime Elemental to do. The experience has to be as realistic as possible. She would have been the relative age as a Human, as she had been here, but then would have aged over the twenty years, like a Human does. As the term comes to an end, the body eventually becomes tired. It becomes unable to sustain the change and will get sick. There usually is a period of sickness and suffering, which is part of the test, before the Prime is able to return home. Once returned, the Prime will change back to his or her true form and will carry on with normal life.”
Silas gave Aaron another moment to comprehend what he had said. Then he carried on in a gentle voice.
“You see, Aaron, your Lisa is gone, and our Maia is back. I am very sorry for everything that you are going through right now and I wish I had some easier answers for you. I myself do not understand how you, and your children, got here, but I hope to learn more once Maia wakes up. And I promise to do everything in my power to find a way home for you.”
Aaron didn’t know what to say. Silas’ words kept replaying in his head. Was Maia his wife? Was she some kind of other being from another planet? A princess? An Elemental? Was she not human?
The others had all overtaken them and they were being left behind. He let Silas guide him along and they followed at a slow pace. His mind struggled to comprehend the information Silas had given him. How could any of this be possible? He felt numb. His feelings were muted by shock. Everything that had happened to them over the last few days was fantastical enough, but now this. Logically, it did not seem possible, but he could not deny what his eyes were seeing or his ears were hearing, nor what he felt deep down if he cared to admit it.
Had he lost his wife forever? Should he mourn her or be happy that she was finally back where she belonged? No, how could he be happy without Lisa? She was the love of his life. She was the only woman he had ever had an interest in. He had been in his mid-thirties already when they had met. All his friends had been married by then. But Lisa had stolen his heart and they had married within months of meeting. She had borne his children. She had been his life partner.
He felt like his life was shattering and thought he would fall to pieces. He trudged along after the others, not looking, nor caring, where he was going and just let Silas lead him on.
Silas was
quiet now, giving the man time to come to terms with the facts. He knew it was not going to be easy for Aaron and nothing he could say now would make it any easier for him.
Aaron was sitting in the cavernous room of the Hollow Tree, not talking to anyone. He vaguely noticed Jasmin trying to coax him to eat something, but he had no appetite. They had arrived here late during the afternoon and made camp.
Aaron didn’t remember the long walk through the fields, or the arrival at the large forest. The only thing he remembered was the pain. It was all he felt now. The others bustled about him, starting the fires, arranging the sleeping mats along the back wall of the large, interior cavern of the tree and then started their evening meal.
Maia had been brought in and was ensconced in one of the alcoves to the right. He now sat at the farthest point across from her, not wanting to look upon her beautiful, sleeping face. He felt betrayed, as if his entire life with Lisa had been a lie. If it weren’t for the children, he would believe it had all been a dream.
However, here they were, fussing over him with worry. They eventually gave up and left him to his moping. He saw them sitting around one of the fires now, talking to the handsome, young men who had brought them here. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, unaffected by their strange circumstances and his heartbreak.
Did they know? Had Silas told them? Did they care? The questions chased each other around Aaron’s head. They had had a good life back home. At least that’s what he had thought. It was only during the last couple of years that it had been difficult. Lisa’s illness had put a strain on their family, but they had managed. He had always been so convinced that Lisa had loved him.
Now he wondered if she had just been with him for the experience, like Silas had said. Well, I hope she got what she came for, he thought, letting the bitterness overwhelm him for a moment. Then he thought of all the pain and suffering that Lisa had endured because of her illness and he felt instantly guilty. Was she feeling better now? Was she still in pain? Silas had said that he didn’t know why she didn’t wake up. Maybe she had not gotten better, although she was home now. Maybe the cancer was still there and she was going to die after all. She would have died, had she stayed on Earth. The doctors had said that she only had weeks to live; that had been two weeks ago when she had her check up at the hospital. Maybe it was her time to go, but that didn’t mean he was ready to let her go. Would he be happy if she were to wake up healthy and could carry on living, even if it was without him? It was a question he could not answer.
He was still sitting there by the time everyone else had gone to bed. The fires had burned down low and it had gotten dark within the tree. The sound of people sleeping was lulling him to sleep. He leaned his head against the smooth inner bark of the tree and closed his eyes.
When she opened her eyes, it was dark, but not the stifling, oppressive darkness that had accompanied her nightmares. No, this was a warm dark, full of friendly sounds and textures. Maia listened. She could hear the soft sounds of people sleeping, someone mumbled in their sleep and the soft snores that were unmistakably her fathers.
Although confused about where she was and why, she felt immediately safe. She had been tense when she had woken up, but now, as she felt the Life Forces, the Eläm, of so many people close by, she felt herself relax. She tried to think back about what had happened to make sense of the situation she now found herself in. She was home, that was clear and she felt a knot of excitement form in her stomach.
She did not remember coming through the Gate, nor coming here. Here, she had established in the meantime, was the Hollow Tree. It had been used for centuries as a stop-over lodge for travellers. The tree was thousands of years old and so cavernous on the inside that it could hold up to one hundred men. It was always stocked with provisions and sleeping rolls and once, many years ago when she was going through her rebellious phase, she had lived here for a fortnight before her father had dragged her home. As punishment, she had to re-stock all the provisions she had used up, including gathering the grains from the fields, drying the fruits and vegetables and even curing the meat. She would never forget how long it had taken her to produce the amount of product she had so thoughtlessly consumed in such a short time. It was a lesson well learned, and that was how she knew she was on one of the cots that rested against the northern wall of the tree, with the opening to her left.
She glanced towards the entrance and was just able to see its outline. She thought that it must be very early, maybe an hour before sunrise. How had she gotten here? She did not remember. Vaguely, she recalled a wet and grey place, broken stones placed all around her and her body feeling so weak that she thought she might collapse. She closed her eyes again, just for a moment, and focused her attention on the last details she remembered.
Almost instantly, her eyes snapped opened again in shock. They had been there! She could clearly see their faces in her mind’s eye as they were racing towards her. Jasmin’s outstretched hand, the shout frozen on Aaron’s lips, the pleading look in Luke’s eyes.
She shuddered and for the first time realised how sore she was. Her body felt stiff, her muscles ached. She was so thirsty. How long had she been here? She sat up slowly, groaning softly as her body protested. She felt dizzy, too. Carefully, she swung her legs over the side of the cot and her bare feet encountered something furry. Wolf immediately sat up and proceeded to lick her feet vigorously. She giggled. Of course he was here. Oh, how she had missed him. She grabbed the scuff of his neck and pulled him close, burying her face in his thick fur. He smelled like the forest, damp earth and pine needles and that musty smell that was so uniquely his.
“Come, Wolf,” she whispered. “Let us get out of here. If I don’t relieve myself soon, I think I will have an accident.”
Wolf did not need to be asked twice. Silently he jumped over the nearest sleeping form and was out of the entrance before Maia had risen off the bed. Cursing her stiff muscles, she made her way across to the entrance, trying to be as quiet as possible. Outside, she stopped for a moment and breathed in the clear and pleasantly cool morning air. It felt so good to be home. Then, without any further thought, she made her way down to the river. Once her business was done, she knelt down by the water and drank. The water was cool and very satisfying. Wolf was beside her, drinking somewhat more noisily. Somewhere to her right, an owl hooted, its nightly hunt at an end.
On an impulse, she decided that she might as well wash while she was here and before anyone else woke up. She began to undress, wondering about her strange clothes. Why was she still wearing the suit? She remembered that it was a standard clothing item on Earth. It was specifically designed to provide the body with oxygen and even had breathing tubes that could be pulled over the mouth when one went outside.
Here, on Elveron, it was useless. Why had she not taken it off? She tried to remember arriving here, her family greeting her, moving to the tree, but she did not remember any of it. Frustrated, she shook her head, and then cursed herself as a stab of pain shot through her head. Maybe her energy levels had been so low when she had summoned the Gate on Earth, that she had gotten the arrival wrong. Maybe she had hit her head.
Wondering about it now would not help her though, so she pushed the thoughts aside for the moment. She would ask Silas and her father later about what had happened. Now naked, she stepped into the gently flowing stream. The water was cool and she was soon covered in goose bumps. It felt invigorating and she waded further in until the water reached her hip. The river was not very wide at this point and she was now at its deepest point. Wolf was still standing on the bank, looking after her. Although he didn’t mind the water, he did not seem inclined to follow her in. Maia noticed his left ear moving to the side periodically. Ah, she thought, that is why he does not want to come in.
“Off you go then, Wolf, go catch it.”
She made the fetch motion with her arm as she said it and Wolf darted off after whatever it was that he had heard. Now alone, she dunked her head und
er water and wet her hair. Then she swam a couple of strokes up river, before letting herself drift back. She did that a few times, swimming up, then drifting down again. It loosened her stiff and sore muscles and she started to feel better. While she swam, the light strengthened. She could now clearly make out the forest around her. The banks of the river were dominated by ferns, the rocks were covered by moss and a great willow tree trailed its drooping branches into the water. She could clearly feel the bright specs of Eläm emanating from the swarm of tiny fish that swam beneath her. It felt great to be home.
Although she had not been completely aware of her real life while she was on Earth, she had always felt like something was missing. She had not been aware of what that was until she became sick; only then did the memories of home start returning and only then did she realise what she had to do. She remembered when the time came and she had said her good-byes to her family; it had been agony to watch the sadness on their faces. She felt a tear roll down her cheek at the memory. Then she had left and she had thought that it was all finally over and then they had been there…all three. She remembered their horrified expressions on their faces as she had felt the energy take her. What had they made of her sudden disappearance right in front of their eyes? Were they sad and frightened?
Suddenly, she did not feel like swimming any more. She felt angry with herself and guilty; she should have been more careful. They were not supposed to have witnessed that. They might even have gotten hurt if they had been caught in the energy. That was why she had said good-bye to them the day before. She just wanted to slip away and make it as easy for them as possible. Now she would have to live with their pain on her conscience for the rest of her life. Silas would also be disappointed with her. He might even fail her on this last test and not accept her as Prime.