“Yes, Adopted by the Rain.”
“The cat is beautiful. Can I touch it?” She looked at the cat which seemed to know it was being discussed because its dark yellow eyes were wide and alert, focussed on Rhuna. Wisp of Lavender nodded and Rhuna slowly approached them. As she reached out to touch the cat’s head, it suddenly meowed and Rhuna quickly pulled back her hand.
“She is only greeting you. Stroke her head,” said Wisp of Lavender. Rhuna did so, very gently at first, and as the cat’s eyes slowly closed, she patted its whole head and neck. “She likes you,” said Wisp of Lavender. Rhuna felt herself smiling again.
“This has been an example of a formal discussion. Have you understood the procedure, Adopted by the Rain?”
Rhuna nodded.
“I cannot hear your answer,” said Solver of Riddles.
“I have understood,” said Rhuna.
“Very good.”
After the formal discussion, Solver of Riddles talked about Medíz and smaller nearby islands, how long they had been an Atlan colony and what kind of people had come to live in this community. Rhuna felt she was included as one of the new inhabitants. When he had finished, Solver of Riddles summed up his lesson in a few key sentences which the children repeated several times. After this there was a short break, and most children got up and moved around, talking to one another.
Rhuna stood up and walked across to Morning Glory. She was still sitting quietly, but smiled when Rhuna took a seat next to her.
“Do you know a lot about cats?” Rhuna asked the fair-haired girl.
“Yes. We have cats at home and my father always tells me a lot of things about them. What do you know about? My father says that everyone knows about something.”
Rhuna looked down to the floor and said she didn’t know anything.
“Yes you do!” the girl piped up. “You haven’t thought about it. What do you like? My father says that people know about the things they like most.”
Rhuna shrugged, then remembered her secret garden and that the days alone with the trees, plants and her cave had been the best times of her life. “I had my own special garden, with some big old trees, a cave and other things like that,” she said.
“There you are then! You know about Plant and Earth Harmony. My father says it’s important to know about that, too.”
Rhuna shook her head and said she didn’t know anything about Plant and Earth Harmony.
“Didn’t your father tell you about those things?” asked Morning Glory.
“I don’t have a father,” Rhuna replied.
“Oh.” said Morning Glory a little surprised. “You can learn it here at school then. You should ask Solver of Riddles about it so that you can go to those classes later.” she explained.
At that moment Solver of Riddles clapped his hands once and said that the informal discussion time was over. Rhuna went back to her original seat like the other children did.
The next lesson was about astronomy, and the children repeated the teacher’s main summary points about the importance of the sun, moon and stellar constellations. Rhuna thought of her visit to the Plasmos, and when Solver of Riddles asked if there were any comments or questions, Rhuna quickly stood up.
“I went to see the Plasmos yesterday!” she said, then sat down.
“How many other students have seen the Plasmos?” asked the teacher. Rhuna heard a child say “one”, then another said “two” and the next one said “three” until no one else spoke. “Nine other students have seen the Plasmos,” concluded Solver of Riddles. Before long you shall go on evening excursions to the Plasmos to measure and observe the things we are discussing in class,” he added. Rhuna was thrilled.
The final lesson was about the ocean and navigation. At one point, Solver of Riddles asked the class how many students had been on an ocean voyage. Rhuna immediately called out “one!” No one else spoke.
“Only one student in this class has experienced an ocean voyage, namely Adopted by the Rain.” said Solver of Riddles. “Perhaps Adopted by the Rain would like to tell the class about it?”
Rhuna stood up and began talking about the things she had observed on the ocean voyage and what Tozar had explained to her. She said she had looked into the water to see the currents but couldn’t see any, only dolphins and other fish and sea birds. She also talked about the big sail that was often moved about, the steering boards and also the oars that had to be used when the winds and currents had died.
“Very good,” said Solver of Riddles afterwards. Then he clapped once and said that it was time for practical work for the remainder of the day. Immediately, the children got up and walked to the wall opposite the windows where they each took something, then returned to their usual seat. Solver of Riddles approached Rhuna and she stood up.
“What manner of practical work do you prefer, Adopted by the Rain? Do you paint? Make jewellery, mould clay?” Rhuna shook her head. “I cannot hear your answer,” the teacher said.
“I can’t do anything like that,” she answered.
“Then you shall learn! Behold the handiwork of the other students. Choose a craft that appeals to you,” he said.
Rhuna looked at Morning Glory and asked the teacher if she could sit next to the fair-headed girl.
“Very well. Morning Glory is making a rug, no doubt for one of her family’s cats.”
“I want to know about cats,” interrupted Rhuna.
“You do?”
“And I want to know about Plant and Earth Harmony and go to the Plasmos at night to see the moon cycles,” she added.
Solver of Riddles smiled and laid his hand on her shoulder. “You may learn all these things as quickly as you are able to comprehend them,” he said.
When her class had finished for the day, she saw Tozar waiting for her in the hall, holding two umbrellas.
“Your facial expression reveals that you had a most successful day, Rhuna!” he said delighted.
“She is indeed an exceptional student!” said Solver of Riddles who had approached behind Rhuna. “I foresee that she shall progress quickly and expand into many areas of knowledge and practical skills.”
Tozar beamed. Morning Glory stood nearby watching them, and as they turned to her she spoke in her high-pitched, twittering voice. “I would like to invite Adopted by the Rain to my home and see the cats,” she said.
“It shall be arranged in the coming days,” said Solver of Riddles approvingly. “In fact, Morning Glory may also progress to a higher class in the very near future,” he added. The girls smiled happily at each other.
Tozar and Rhuna walked back to the visitor’s inn under their umbrellas. It had rained constantly all day, and it was much more difficult to avoid puddles than it had been in the morning. Tozar told her that it was now the raining season in Medíz.
“Do you like cats?” she asked Tozar.
“Of course!”
Rhuna told him about the day’s lessons, about the cat and about Morning Glory and the rug she was making. She recited the summary points the class had repeated in the lessons and told him that she had described their ocean voyage.
“You acquired a vast amount of knowledge today, did you not?”
“Yes!” said Rhuna confidently.
“I predict that you shall learn twice and triple this amount each day from henceforth!” he said cheerfully. “This evening I shall teach you something in addition to today’s school lessons.”
During and after dinner, Rhuna told Mala Mahuni and Windy about her day at school. Windy said she also liked cats, and Mala Mahuni said that rug-making was very good practical work. Then Tozar guided her to another room at the far end of the large visitor’s building. This room was darker and had only one small window. Two candles stood on a stone platform at each side of a body of water. The basin had been scooped out of a large stone slab and polished very smooth. The clear still water reminded her of the mirror Windy had given her.
“This is the Gazing of the Waters room,”
whispered Tozar. “It is best to use it under very quiet and dark conditions.”
He reached for some small containers next to the candles and poured a small amount of reddish powder into his hand. He then began his instruction in a soft whisper.
“Use this red powder for common messages,” he began. “You must use the correct incantations, then immediately sprinkle the powder over the water. This process shall reveal any message someone wishes to present you. Behold.” He spoke several words in a foreign language, sprinkled the powder over the water and looked into the pool. Dark red clouds formed, then moved around in a swirl until the pool became an opaque white colour. Then it became translucent and an image appeared. Rhuna saw a bald man with a gray beard whose creased forehead gave him a very worried look. He began to speak.
“Harbinger of Solace, warm greetings and heartfelt sympathies! The High Council has been deeply distressed by recent events, however, we rejoice in your good health and fortune. We eagerly await your arrival in Atlán, although regret there shall be many long discussions to resolve these unpleasant issues. I have seen the girl you have taken into your care, and wish her speedy progress and a peaceful residency in Medíz. My family and I are well. Dew of the Morning has taken ill and is recovering under Dispenser of Good Will’s care. A safe and pleasant journey, Valued Companion.”
The image faded into darkness, and the pool of water returned to its original state. Tozar looked at Rhuna.
“Did he mean the things that happened at my home?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“But he said that he saw me.”
“By means of the Gazing of the Waters. There exist many incantations and powders to summon various information. It shall suffice for you to learn the simple procedure of summoning messages to communicate with me when I am in Atlán. I shall now teach you the incantation. You must articulate precisely and speak exactly as I. He then spoke each word clearly, let Rhuna repeat it several times, and then joined each word to the next until she could repeat the seven words with ease. The words sounded strange, but fell easily off her tongue.
“But how do I give you a message?” she asked afterwards.
“Very simply. Merely speak to me as if I were with you. It is better, should you choose a quiet place to do this, alone and without distraction. Then I shall be able to summon your messages as easily as you have just observed. Here,” he said, pulling out a shiny little container from within his robe. “This is the powder to use. Keep it in your bag of belongings, and ask Solver of Riddles to assist you.”
The tiny container felt hard and cool in her hand. “It is metal,” he added.
The next morning after breakfast, Tozar took Rhuna’s bag of belongings and carried it to school for her. They walked silently under their umbrellas, stepping on stones and avoiding puddles. He showed Rhuna another building at the far end of the school complex and told her that this was her new home. Tall and wide trees stood in a pleasant garden, and despite the incessant rain, many big red and orange flowers stood erect, as if proud to be seen and admired by passers-by. Inside, there were many small rooms, each with a large window, a bed and sitting cushions in many sizes and colours.
“You may adorn this room as you please,” said Tozar. “Perhaps a self-made rug for the floor or wall?” he said raising his eyebrows.
In that moment Rhuna burst into tears and flung her arms around Tozar’s waist. She cried unrestrained into his chest while his arms also embraced her. When her sobs had calmed, he kissed the side of her head.
“I have a special gift for you,” he said very softly. She stepped back as he reached into his robe and revealed a delicate pink and purple cloth. He unwrapped it carefully and showed her a gold necklace made of various sized chain links, each a different shape and fitting smoothly into the next link. The pendant was oval and looked like half a bird’s egg. It was a reddish colour, but gleamed like gold. “The pendant is orrichalcum, a rare red gold found only in Atlán. Both golds are pure and genuine, not transformed. It is a precious item. For you, Rhuna. Wear it when you visit me in Atlán.” She nodded and wiped her tears, then Tozar took a deep breath. “It is time for your class now.” She looked at him once more before she entered her classroom, and then he turned and walked away.
Rhuna found it difficult to concentrate on the day’s first lesson, but the thought of soon using the Gazing of the Waters to see Tozar again made her feel better. She brightened up when Solver of Riddles began speaking about gold.
“With skill and practice, a qualified Master may transform an element into the appropriate stone or metal. These are the transformed metals or stones. Once an element has been transformed, it cannot be transformed into another, only reverted to its original element. We shall study these elements and the forms into which they may be transformed, one category at a time. There are twenty-one such categories,” said Solver of Riddles. When he paused and asked if anyone had a question or comment, Rhuna promptly stood up.
“What about orrichalchum?” she asked.
“Ah, that is the twenty-first category, and only two rare elements transform into orrichalcum. Genuine orrichalcum is extremely difficult to find, therefore it is the rarest and most highly-prized of all metals, and it is the trademark of the Atlan Empire.” explained Solver of Riddles.
Rhuna listened carefully to the remainder of the lesson, and eagerly repeated the teacher’s summary points. During the informal discussion break, Morning Glory came to her and asked if Tozar was her uncle.
“You used his family name instead of Harbinger of Solace,” she told Rhuna. “If he isn’t your uncle, then he must know your father or mother,” she explained. Rhuna shrugged and then told Morning Glory that Tozar was leaving that morning to return to Atlán, but that she could use the Gazing of the Waters to talk to him later.
In the following days, Rhuna received a large open-mesh canvas and wool dyed in red, blue, yellow and brown colours to make a rug. She learnt that the wool came from the hairs of animals from other faraway lands, and that some of them had been brought to Medíz by the Atlans. She also learnt that many other useful and pretty things were made of different kinds of wool. Solver of Riddles gave her a small white cotton cloth on which a design of squares, triangles and diamonds was drawn in dark paint. He showed her how to count the mesh squares of her canvas to copy the design on the small cloth, while Morning Glory suggested which colours to use for each shape. Then both girls worked together joyfully on their rugs in the afternoon’s practical work lesson.
When the rain stopped, the children went outside to play ball games. In the evenings, Rhuna ate in a large dining hall with the teachers and other students who lived at the school. She often saw Guardian of Knowledge there, and his dark eyes always followed her around the dining hall. She was afraid of him and she hoped he would stay away from her.
A few days after Tozar had left, Rhuna sat on her bed before turning down her torch light, and spoke a message to him. She told him that she already missed him, and that Morning Glory had asked if he were her uncle or a friend of her father. Then she told him more about her favourite lessons and her visit to Morning Glory’s home to see her family’s many cats in all different colours and personalities.
Not long after, Solver of Riddles led Rhuna and Morning Glory to a different classroom of older children, and every second day he called them to other lessons in the afternoons, cutting short their practical work period. Instead, Rhuna worked on her rug at night before going to bed, and together with Morning Glory she enjoyed the special late afternoon classes. These lessons discussed Plant and Earth Harmony, chemistry and animals. On other afternoons, she walked to Windy’s home near the school and watched her mix various herbal and flower essences with some earth minerals to make soaps and oils.
One afternoon, Solver of Riddles took Rhuna aside after class and told her that he wanted to show her something.
“There is a special presentation by visitors and some older students,” he explained. “
Let us walk to the Presentation Hall so that you may observe and learn. Perhaps you shall desire to study yet another subject.”
The Presentation Hall was one of the buildings in the communal center she had seen on her arrival, and Rhuna was thrilled to have a closer look at the gold-plated roofs and side panels. The solid wooden house was built on a stone foundation of three tiers. She noticed that this foundation was like the first row of big blocks she had seen at the building site with Tozar. Inside the building, she sat on a cushion next to her teacher, and as the audience settled in their seats, Solver of Riddles leaned over and whispered to her. “The first performer is a student not much older than you. She is a skilled player of the vuda, a musical instrument to accompany the recital of ballads. Her reputation is growing quickly in the entire Empire, and no doubt she shall soon embark on a major voyage, playing and singing about the Atlan traditions. She has composed them herself. Listen, she tells the story of Medíz in times gone by.”
Rhuna saw a tall and slender young woman with dark yellow hair taking a seat in the middle of a raised platform. The audience sat in circular rows around this platform and instantly became silent when the girl raised her instrument. Rhuna could see that the avocado-shaped instrument was made of wood, and that it was hollow inside. The young player’s fingers began to pluck the five strings, and Rhuna was instantly mesmerized. She had never heard such a beautiful sound. She thought of dew drops and crystal beads falling into a pond as the clear sounds reached her ears and vibrated deep within her. Then the young woman began to sing in a clear, pure voice:
“In days gone by, on an island so far away,
men and women struggled to see each new day.
The soil was poor and their feet were bare,
fish meat and roots were their only fare.”
Rhuna’s back stiffened as she recognized this description, and for the first time since she had arrived in Medíz, she thought of her old home and wondered what her mother and Uncle Metti were doing. The song continued:
Rhuna, Keeper of Wisdom Page 8