by Megg Jensen
“There’s only one week,” Johna argued.
“Yes,” I said. I grabbed Johna’s hand and Mark’s hand in my free hand. “That means we have seven full days to make a plan. Where do we start?”
Chapter Fourteen
For the first time since leaving Tania’s cottage, I ventured out into the world in daylight. The sun shone brightly in the clear sky, giving me chance to view the town without worrying about visions intruding. Mark and I were on our way to visit his contact with the Sons of Silence. I was more than a little nervous, but I couldn’t relate the stories of heartless thugs to Mark and I hoped his friend proved the rumors wrong too.
I resisted the urge to scratch my head under the wig. Having avoided using it in Johna’s cottage, I was having a tough time getting used to the rough netting on my head. The warm weather didn’t help either. Rather than beads of sweat, the tickles reminded me of tiny bugs scrambling around underneath the wig.
I followed Mark closely, not wanting to lose him. Though the town was small, I didn’t know my way around nor did I feel confident enough to ask anyone for help. One look at my eyes followed by a tug to my hair would reveal my identity. I gazed at the people as they walked by, noting the sadness in their faces. No wonder they’d be willing to turn me in to Kandek for the return of their loved ones. I couldn’t blame them. I couldn’t hate them.
As Mark stopped at a doorway and knocked, a lone cloud drifted into view. Before I could tear my eyes away, I saw Ivy wearing embroidered clothes and sitting in an over-stuffed chair. She looked angry as she ripped the leaves off of a flower in her hand.
I could see the whole room was filled with flowers, but Ivy wasn’t happy.
“This is for you,” a little girl said, interrupting my vision and handing me a flower. “I love your hair and I thought it would look beautiful in it.”
“Thank you,” I said, pushing the stem into my hair just above my ear. “What’s your name?”
“Sara,” she said, smiling. “Are you here to see my new baby sister?”
I looked up at Mark, not quite sure what to say.
“We’re here to talk to your dad. Is he around?” Mark asked.
“Sure, follow me.”
I smiled at the carefree little girl skipping through her cottage. All children should be able to smile and play like this. I never had, there hadn’t been time. Even as a young child, I was forced into chores and duties nearly all of my waking hours. Granted, they were easier tasks when I was little, but I couldn’t remember one day where I bounced around smiling.
As we followed Sara through the cottage and out the back door, I spied a man brushing a horse in the stables. He seemed content enough, but the way he carried himself reminded me of older slaves. Years of hard labor showed in the body, along with a resigned slouch to the shoulders. As he heard his daughter and turned to see us, I saw a huge smile break up his shaggy beard. I smiled back, glad to see that not every part of him was feeling beaten down.
“Mark! What can I do for you?” he asked, shooting a side glance at me. The two shook hands.
“I want to introduce you to my friend, Reychel. She’s someone I think you’ll want to meet,” said Mark
“Sara, why don’t you go back in the house and help your ma with your baby sister. She’ll be needing a good, strong girl like you.”
“Okay, Da.” Sara skipped back into the house.
“Hi, Reychel. I’m Roctor,” he said, holding out a hand.
“Roc!” I knew I had recognized his voice. “You’re the man who was asking Johna about your baby before she was born a couple months ago. Congratulations, by the way.”
“I don’t remember seeing anyone there that day,” he said, looking from me to Mark. “But, I think we ought to talk elsewhere. Follow me.”
We followed Roc into the stables. To the back of a tall wall of stacked hay, was a door hidden behind hanging dirty horse blankets. We stepped into a tiny room no bigger than a double-wide outhouse. Roc closed the door behind us and lit a candle.
I looked around at the tiny table surrounded by short stools. On the opposite end, I saw the wall was made of mortared logs. Clever. The opposite side must be where Roc stored his firewood. No one would even suspect the tiny room hidden in the stable.
“I don’t have a lot of time,” he said, settling down on a stool. He motioned for us to sit down. “I hate to be blunt in front of a lady, but who is she and why did you bring her here?”
“Reychel is the Prophet,” Mark said, pausing to let the words sink in. Roc stared at me with keen eyes. I had a feeling that little escaped him and he was so much more than just a normal blacksmith. “She’s also Kandek’s missing slave.”
“I had heard about that,” Roc said. “He says he’s going to let the petty criminals go if she turns herself in. But you say she’s the Prophet. How do you know?”
“She can read clouds, like the prophecy states. Johna and I saw her do it.”
“How long have you known about her?” Roc asked.
“I met her a couple months ago,” Mark said. “But we didn’t know she was the Prophet until yesterday.”
“I didn’t know myself,” I interjected. I didn’t like being talked about as if I wasn’t sitting at the table with them. “I was told I had the potential for a gift, but I never had any idea what it might be.”
“How can that be?” Roc asked, stroking his messy beard. “You should have known when you looked at the cloudy sky. It can’t be hard to miss.”
“I was Kandek’s slave since I was a baby. We think he knew about my gift because all these years I was never allowed outside unless he was with me and we were always alone.”
Roc’s eyes narrowed and bore into mine. Didn’t he believe me? Maybe I didn’t fit the hopes he’d had his whole life. Would I fit in to anyone’s idea of a great prophet? I wasn’t even sure I believed it myself.
“I would relax upon seeing the sky and he would ask me to tell stories,” I continued. “For years I believed I had a knack at storytelling. He made me believe I had a good imagination.”
Roc’s staring did not cease. I wanted to squirm on the stool but I had a feeling that convincing him would take more than just telling the truth. I needed to show my strength.
“I know it seems hard to believe, but it’s all true. I’ve been hiding at Johna’s house for the last couple of months since I was rescued by a gifted couple.”
“You aren’t the same girl I saw behind the counter when I came to get herbs from Johna a month or so ago,” Roc said. “Who was she?”
“That’s my best friend Ivy. She and I escaped Kandek’s house with the help of the same woman, who sent us to live and train with Johna.”
“Where’s Ivy now and does she know about you?” he asked. “Is she going to be a problem?”
“Ivy left,” Mark said. “She moved on already. And no, we don’t think she knows about Reychel’s gift.”
I stared at Roc just as hard as he stared at me. There was no backing down now, too much had been revealed, and too much was at stake. I would make him believe my sincerity. He dropped his eyes to his folded hands on the table. With a sigh he ran his fingers through his hair. Roc looked at me again, his hair now as wild as his beard. His lips parted in a smile.
“Well, it’s lovely to meet you, Prophet,” Roc said with a smile and a nod of his head. He took my hand in his, but he didn’t shake it. He held it gently, almost as if he was afraid of me, or unsure of how to treat me.
I blushed. I still was not used to being called the Prophet. It was hard, especially since I wasn’t convinced I was the one they were waiting for. But I pulled myself together, knowing if I didn’t have confidence in myself no one else would trust me.
“It’s wonderful to meet you too, Roc. Mark said some lovely things about you last night. He told me that you’re leading the Sons of Silence here. Do you think there’s some way you can help us?” His approval meant so much to me. How could I fulfill this supposed destiny i
f people didn’t believe in me?
“Reychel wants to turn herself in to Kandek.” Mark put his hand over mine. “She wants to protect the petty criminals in his custody.”
“We can’t let the Prophet turn herself in,” Roc said. Mark’s hand on mine did not go unnoticed, as Roc’s eyes flickered down quickly. “Not when we’ve just found her.”
“That’s almost exactly what Johna said,” I said.
“Of course, Johna. I knew there was something off about her. Well, off in a good way.” Roc smiled. “She’s gifted, I suppose.”
“Yes, she is,” Mark said.
“Now that doesn’t surprise me,” he said. “I think there are probably more gifted people out there than anyone realizes. If we were free, people wouldn’t hide it anymore.”
“And that freedom is what we’re here for. I can’t stand the thought of letting those men languish in prison if there is a way to free them. They did so little wrong. They were only trying to provide for their families,” I said, leaning forward. “We have to find a way for me to surrender and then escape Kandek. I think once he has me back, I’ll be no better than a prisoner.”
“How long do we have?” Roc asked.
“It’s six days until his wedding,” Mark said. “The deal expires then. Reychel has had visions of people massing together to hunt her down. We need to plan, but we also need to keep Reychel safe.”
“That can easily be done. I have use of a maid in my house since my wife is busy taking care of the children. Reychel’s safer here with me to protect her than at Johna’s house,” Roc said. “Unless Johna can shoot fireballs from her hands or something.”
We all laughed.
“Hardly,” Mark said. “She can read minds.”
“Useful, but not much good in a battle,” Roc answered.
Chapter Fifteen
When Mark and I arrived back at Johna’s to collect my few possessions, we were surprised to find the cottage door locked.
“I didn’t even know she had a lock on the door,” Mark said, jiggling the handle.
I reached around him and knocked.
“It’s a common way to get someone’s attention when a door is locked rather than yanking on the knob,” I said with a wink.
The door opened just enough for us to see Johna’s right eye peeking through a crack.
“Is it just the two of you?” she whispered.
“Yes,” I whispered back, intrigued by all the secrecy.
“Go around to the back door,” Johna whispered. “It’s unlocked.”
I shrugged as Mark followed me around to the back door. We opened it and were whisked inside by a few sets of reaching arms.
“Close it, quickly,” I heard a man say. I gasped in fear. I’d never seen so many people crowded into the cottage before and most of them were angry-looking men. I felt Mark’s arms encircled my waist.
“Johna,” he yelled, craning his neck and peering through the masses. “Are you okay? Where are you?”
“Stop yelling, child, I’m right here.”
Johna pushed through the crowd, jostling elbows and even stepping hard on one man’s foot. He responded with a grunt, but Johna ignored him.
“I told you I had to consult with the council,” she said. “They’re all here. All eleven of them.”
The scene lost its menacing atmosphere once I realized they were friends and not enemies. And only eleven people? They took up so much space in her little cottage! I wriggled out of Mark’s protective embrace, giving him a little smile.
“Reychel,” a familiar voice said, “I didn’t know when I’d see you again!”
“Tania,” I exclaimed, looking for and then focusing in on the face of my friend who was hidden among all the men. “I’m so happy to see you too.”
We hugged and as I stepped back, I pulled off my wig. It was irritating me so much and I couldn’t bear to wear it any longer. If everyone here was in the council, then they all knew my story. I was safe among them.
“It’s beautiful,” Tania said, giving my hair a little ruffle.
“Thanks,” I answered with a smile. I wondered how many of them had been slaves before. I knew about Tania, but she couldn’t be the only one.
“How did everyone get here so quickly?” Mark asked. “We only left a couple of hours ago. You can’t all live in this town.”
“We don’t,” the man whose toe Johna had squashed stepped forward. “I am Nemison, head of the council. Johna called us here and we came.”
“How did that work?” I asked, amazed at the new things I learned every day.
“Not part of the council, don’t need to know,” answered a gruff voice from the back.
“Don’t be so grumpy Gerrold,” Johna said. She turned to me. “It’s a simple thing with the proper magic and tools.”
“Just like the cloak,” Tania whispered in my ear.
“We’re here to talk about her?” Gerrold whined, his parrot nose wrinkling up as his eyes narrowed. “She’s just a child. What can she do?”
“How do we know she’s truly the Prophet?” a voice from the crowd asked. A few others mumbled in agreement.
“She should be tested,” Nemison said. “Did you test her, Johna?”
“Yes,” Mark interjected. “Reychel showed us that she could read the clouds.”
“Who are you?” Nemison asked, finally taking note of Mark’s presence.
“He is a friend.” Johna stepped between Mark and Nemison. He was old, but I sensed something dangerous in him. I wasn’t sure if Mark’s skill with a blade would save him in that battle. “That is all you need to know now.”
Johna patted Mark gently on the shoulder, probably trying to keep him calm.
“No, Nemison. I did not test Reychel. I assumed you would want that privilege in front of the entire council,” Johna said.
“Come here, Reychel,” Nemison said. “Sit down on this chair here in front of me so we can begin.”
I looked around at the unfamiliar faces in the cottage and settled on Tania’s soothing smile. She nodded at me, giving me the confidence boost I needed to walk over to Nemison.
I sat in front of him, my hands on my lap.
“How does this work?” I asked, but before anyone could answer, Nemison’s hands were on my face, his fingertips on my temples and eyelids. His thumbs met on the space between my eyebrows and his smallest fingers rested on my jawbone. My mind went silent.
In my head I could feel Nemison’s probing thoughts. He touched me with his mind in a way that relaxed me. I no longer cared that my mind was being entered by another person. In fact, I was eager to show him where the root of my gift laid quietly sleeping. A light touch pushed on my gift and it responded by flashing pictures of every story I had ever told.
Instead of feeling violated, I felt powerful, as if my true gift was finally coming alive, aware. I knew I could believe in myself. I wasn’t just a slave girl, stuck in my master’s castle for the rest of my life. Now I had choices, and I chose to help my people.
My eyes lazily opened and I saw Mark watching me. Concern flashed from his eyes, but the smile that spread across my face caused him to relax. My heart fluttered as he returned the smile.
“Reychel,” Nemison said, his arms crossed in front of him. I hadn’t even realized his hands were no longer on my face. “I never thought I’d say this in my lifetime. But, welcome Prophet of the Clouds. We’ve been waiting a long time to meet you.”
The room erupted in excited conversation. Tania waved her arms around wildly as she told the person next to her that she knew I was special from the moment she laid eyes on me. The gruff Gerrold shook his head as he listened to the man next to him go on about prophecy.
Johna just stood to the side and smiled at me. But there was something on her face I couldn’t place. Was it worry? Or was it confusion? I didn’t know, but I did know that for the first time in my life, I could feel my gift. I understood why the light found in the eyes was called spark, but I could now
feel that same spark inside myself. But was I the one they were waiting for? I knew I was gifted and my talent showed itself each time I gazed at the clouds, but I didn’t feel like a prophet.
“Are you okay?” Mark asked, kneeling down next to my chair. “When he touched your face, your eyes rolled into the back of your head and your body jerked.”
“Really?” I asked. “I don’t remember that.”
“It was a little creepy.”
“Sounds like it,” I said. “But I’m fine. He probed my mind and found my gift. Anyone who trusts him won’t doubt me.”
“You’re acting like he offered you a cup of milk, you drank it and it was good,” Mark said.
“Sorry if I’m making it seem so simple, but it was,” I giggled. “I can’t really explain it. I guess it’s one of those things you just have to experience to understand.”
“If that’s true, then I’m fine not knowing. I’ve spent so many years hiding my gift that I can’t stand the thought of anyone seeing in my mind, much less probing it,” he said.
“I don’t blame you,” I said, placing my hand on his.
He looked at me in surprise and I smiled as I laced my fingers with his. I wasn’t sure I could believe that I was the one everyone had been waiting for. Me? The Prophet just because of the luck of my gift?
“Well, if she is who Nemison says she is, what do we do now?” Gerrold asked.
“She must come with me. She needs training,” Nemison said. He turned to Johna. “What does she know?”
“Practically nothing,” Johna said.
“She must be taught now,” he said. “You’ll come with me today.”
Chapter Sixteen
“I can’t,” I said, standing up and letting go of Mark’s hand. “I have prisoners to rescue from Kandek.”
“Not while the Prophet stands in front of me like an uneducated ninny,” Nemison said. “No, my girl, you have too much to learn. There is too much resting on you. Their fate is of no concern to us.”