Rhuna, Keeper of Wisdom

by Barbara Underwood

  Rhuna agreed and sat down in the instruction room for a short session of Inside Focussing. It was the first time she had done it since the vision of the Dark Master came to her on the ship, and she feared what might happen if she received another vision, especially in the presence of her strict teacher. As she closed her eyes, she pushed aside the sounds and thoughts of the outside world, including the explosive exchange she had just witnessed between Tozar and her teacher, and she began to feel more at ease. She felt the mild vibration in her head, but no visions came to her. When she stood up, she was ready to summon whatever Seer of Worlds asked of her.

  The first summoning was relatively easy, being a standard invoking of a past incident using a newly-learnt incantation and a bluish powder. Then Seer of Worlds told Rhuna to try the same summon without powder. She succeeded and felt pleased with her progress, but Seer of Worlds called her successes mere child’s play and pressed her to continue to more difficult summons. When she had summoned and seen interesting images of the past, both near and distant, Seer of Worlds suddenly announced that the lesson was over.

  “One must not overstress the mental energies in this regard. The art of the Gazing of the Waters must be approached with delicacy and care. Do not practice these procedures at any time other than in my presence, and always rest well at night,” he directed. Rhuna said she would do so, and then left the rooms. When she had turned into a second hallway she saw Tozar rising from a seat and giving her a questioning look.

  “You didn’t leave the school after talking to Seer of Worlds?” she asked surprised.

  “Of course not. What transpired during the lesson?” he asked agitated.

  “It went well. We only practiced summoning historic episodes, and then he told me not to overdo it and to get enough rest at night. I’m sure he won’t push me too hard.”

  “He should not push you at all!” said Tozar sharply, then motioned her aside where they could talk more freely. “It is dangerous!” he continued in a loud whisper. “You receive visions merely by the practice of Inside Focussing! What unforeseeable consequences may result from heightening your powers and sensitivity?” Rhuna saw alarm in his eyes. “We shall arrange for another teacher to instruct you in the traditional ways of the Gazing of the Waters,” he said as he put his arm around her and led her out into the main hallway again. They walked silently until they had left the school building and were walking across the pleasant garden that surrounded the school.

  “I’d like to continue lessons with Seer of Worlds, for a while at least,” said Rhuna.

  “Despite the manner of things he spoke?”

  “He means well. You said so yourself. I’ll tell him if I feel uncomfortable with something, or else I’ll ask for another teacher,” she said.

  “You alone may persuade him from his obstinate course by declining to be his student,” agreed Tozar, then he stopped and turned to her. “I am at great unease with this matter,” he told Rhuna.

  “I know. But I feel more confident about my abilities already, and maybe it won’t do me any harm…”

  “Rhuna!” said Tozar and firmly gripped her upper arms. “Only two others have possessed the abilities you display: the first became the Dark Master and the second was your father who perished!”

  “But I won’t be like either of them!” insisted Rhuna.

  Tozar gave a sigh of helplessness and pulled her towards him. He gently pressed her head against his chest and Rhuna closed her eyes.

  “Maybe you’re being an over-protective new husband,” she said a little playfully.

  “You know nothing of the darkness that one brought into the world, nor of your father’s suffering.”

  “Then tell me,” said Rhuna, shutting her eyes more tightly.

  “No.”

  “Why not? To protect me?” she asked.

  “Of course.”

  “Good,” she said lifting her head to kiss his cheek. “Come along, Old Husband,” she said as she began to walk. Tozar tried to laugh, then took her hand.

  Seer of Worlds continued to direct Rhuna in summoning people and places in the past and present using several different incantations and methods of mental energy concentration. Rhuna soon found that the images appeared much faster once she had projected her mental energies on a particular place or person, and there was no need for her to use powder for any of the summoning. Seer of Worlds didn’t mention the Dark Master again, so Rhuna began to feel more at ease with the stern teacher, and under his guidance she became much more confident in her abilities.

  Rhuna also resumed Inside Focussing regularly and received no further images. In her other classes she progressed well under the young teacher who introduced her to the related subjects of element transformation such as producing a small fire in a combustible matter with mere concentrated thought projection. She also learnt the theories of harnessing other energies to use with stonework, such as solar energy and the electro-magnetic forces of the earth and moon. After so much mental effort, Rhuna always enjoyed her music and language lessons which seemed like recreation after the demanding morning classes. She felt more content with her studies than ever before, and never tired of looking at the buildings and people of Atlán around her.

  When her lessons finished earlier, she took an audience seat at the High Council and observed the various procedures that took place there. Afterwards, Tozar often took her to various interesting places or to enjoy a delicious meal, where Rhuna met various people who Tozar had known a long time. Some of them, both men and women of various ages, wore the white Master’s robe, while others wore plain clothes. Everyone was involved in some kind of work, study or pastime, and Rhuna enjoyed the lively conversations she had with each one of them.

  At home, Rhuna started making some more clothes out of the fine textiles she had received as gifts, then tried some other handicrafts using small wooden and metal pieces that Tozar had shown her. She used the Gazing of the Waters room only to summon messages from Morning Glory, and Tozar occasionally received messages from various people in more distant areas. They rarely had visitors in their home, and Rhuna enjoyed their peaceful times together, especially in the evenings when she always looked forward to their bedtime intimacies.

  It was early one morning when the winter sun was slow to rise, that a messenger appeared at their door. He informed Tozar that a special and urgent discussion had been scheduled for the High Council concerning new events in the Zitán territory. Rhuna remembered the first High Council discussion she had heard, and that matters concerning Zitán were only mentioned a few times in passing since then. She asked Tozar what the new and urgent matters could be, but he didn’t know. Rhuna decided to attend the High Council later that day, after her usual lessons.

  When Rhuna arrived in the High Council that afternoon, she sensed a restlessness in the grand hall and wondered what issues had been brought up. She looked at Tozar in the central ring and he gave her his usual happy smile. A group of dark-headed people in one of the outer ring segments was huddled together in talks, and everyone waited for them to finish. Finally, one of them broke away from the group and entered the circular speaking court. He was small and rather dark in complexion, and he had no beard. He wore a simple tunic-style garment in a dirty green-brown colour, the same as the other men in his group wore. Rhuna wondered if these were the inhabitants of Zitán who had come to express their problems to the High Council.

  “I speak for my fellow elders over there,” began the man, pointing to his group, “and for the rest of our people. We’ve been driven from our original home and thought we’d found peace at last in the area you call Zitn, but now we’re once again being overrun by you people and there’s no other place for us to go!” He became agitated and Rhuna leaned forward as she hung on every word.

  “We just want to be left alone and keep doing as we’ve always done!” the man continued, making more vehement gestures with his arms and hands. “We’re asking, what gives you the right to just claim the l
and we already took for our home and then start doing everything your way. At first you said you’d only help us, but we’re not happy with the things you’re doing. All your ways are totally different from ours and we don’t want to lose our traditions and ways of life!”

  When he had paused a little while, a member from the inner circle stood up and said that this commentary was now open to discussion by all interested parties. At that, a woman in the audience sitting near Rhuna stood up and prepared to speak. The speaker in the circle went back to his group and sat down, and the woman waited for permission to speak. Rhuna saw that she wore a similar tunic as the man, and Rhuna assumed she was connected to the people in Zitán.

  “You may speak,” said another member of the inner circle.

  “I just want to say… that I know you think you’re doing the right thing, but we’ve got our own rulers who made laws for us, and we don’t want to make our ancestors angry by turning away from the laws they made long ago,” she said as she fumbled with the fabric of her clothes. “They’ll do us harm if we leave their ways!”

  Tozar stood up and Rhuna watched with bated breath. The woman sat down clumsily.

  “May we learn more about the ancestors, their laws and reasons for their anger or causing harm,” he stated and sat down again.

  A man from the group in the outer circle area quickly stood up.

  “I’ll tell you all right!” he said loudly, and Rhuna shrunk back in surprise. “Our ancestors set up good land for us and gave us all the laws and traditions to hand down to each generation so we could keep living the same way, and if we don’t, they’ll come and punish us from their graves! It happened before when someone broke one of the family laws, so we don’t want to break any of our ancestors’ traditions, but you people are making us do that!” He shook his arm angrily at the people in the inner circle, and Rhuna’s heartbeat quickened.

  An Atlan woman in another outer circle segment stood up and waited for the angry man to sit.

  “My name is Listener of the Earth and I have studied the ways of many native inhabitants,” she began. Rhuna thought her voice sounded deep and authoritative. “Some of these people believe in the immortality of their ancestors and fear their reprisal if old traditions are not continued. Since this group of people in question has already been displaced, their attachment to their ancestors’ traditions is possibly more intense. Hence they hold on to their beliefs with greater tenacity in this instance when they feel threatened by us.” The woman sat down and Rhuna remembered her own people on the lonely island of Chinza who also felt threatened by the three Atlan Masters there.

  Before she knew it, Rhuna was on her feet. All eyes turned to her, and she quickly looked at Tozar whose mouth had opened in surprise.

  “I am Adopted by the Rain and I lived on the island of Chinza until my early adolescence. My relatives living there also felt threatened by the Atlan Masters who came to the island, and they even thought the Masters would harm them. I grew up believing that we weren’t allowed to speak to them, and some of my local elders became hostile towards the Atlans because they thought they were losing their homes and land.” Rhuna sat down again and let her heartbeat return to normal. She saw Tozar beaming at her.

  A Master sitting next to Tozar stood up. He had a long dark beard like Seer of Worlds, but his face was open and friendly.

  “This is a very important point, My Colleagues,” he began. Rhuna’s heart beat harder again when she heard that her comment was considered very important. “Let us not forget past examples of either mismanagement by us, nor the fear, suspicion and ignorance of the native inhabitants. Our presence in the territory of Zitán has already inflamed the wrath of the local people, and it is prudent that we proceed with great caution. I motion that all Atlan undertakings in the Zitán area be temporarily suspended until the completion of a thorough review of the situation, at which time the High Council will evaluate the outcome.”

  The man sat down and a woman from the inner circle said “First Agreement.”

  “Second Agreement,” said Tozar.

  A short time later, Tozar came out of the High Council building to find Rhuna waiting for him at the entrance way. He gave her a tight squeeze and a kiss on her cheek.

  “Did I say the right thing?” she asked him.

  “Yes! Yes, indeed,” he said still with a broad smile. “Most probably your contribution led to a correct and speedy conclusion. Attend the High Council more often and speak!” he said cheerfully.

  The following morning, Rhuna was still feeling elated after her important contribution at the High Council, and still had the Zitán issues on her mind when arriving for her lesson with Seer of Worlds. When she sat down to begin receiving further instructions about the intricacies of summoning the Gazing of the Waters, she found the right opportunity to interrupt her teacher.

  “Isn’t it also possible to summon information about a people and their problems, such as the Zitán matter that was discussed at the High Council yesterday?”

  Seer of Worlds nodded his head jerkily. “Of course it is possible! Such summoning under these circumstances however, would constitute an unnecessary intrusion into lives of others. Furthermore, since it is almost impossible to summon every detail of information on a certain matter, the information gained by summoning may lead to a prejudicial conclusion or grave misunderstanding. It is more beneficial for Atlans and other concerned peoples to discuss issues openly in the High Council.”

  Rhuna said she understood.

  “However,” continued her teacher more intensely, “there were occasions when I was requested to use my expertise to summon certain information in a matter similar to the Zitán issue. The Gazing of the Waters should be used when all other methods fail to find a resolve.” Then his expression changed and his eyes pierced Rhuna. “For the purpose of instruction, Adopted by the Rain, attempt to summon information about the Zitán issue,” he said standing up and raising his arm in the direction of the dark room.

  “What information exactly?”

  “The Summoner must decide,” replied her teacher.

  Rhuna felt she was being put to the test, so she quickly gathered her thoughts about what Seer of Worlds had taught her, and what she knew about Zitán. When she was ready, she stood in front of the basin and closed her eyes to concentrate. She spoke one of the incantations for specific information filtering that Seer of Worlds had taught her, then focussed her thoughts on the reason the Zitán inhabitants had to leave their original home.

  The water swirled in pink-purplish shades, and slight nausea passed over Rhuna as the push-pull sensation intensified for a moment. Then the waters cleared from their white opaqueness, and Seer of Worlds stooped over her to watch the emerging image.

  The Gazing of the Waters showed a large group of people huddled in a tent and screaming with fear. Rhuna recognized the Zitán inhabitants by their drab-coloured clothes and medium complexion, but she couldn’t understand what they were crying out. Some of them held the entrance to the tent shut, and others clung tightly to each other as they trembled or whimpered from fear.

  “What were they so afraid of?” wondered Rhuna when the image had faded.

  “Hm,” said Seer of Worlds, still stooped behind her. “Attempt to summon the answer.”

  Rhuna did so, this time focussing her thoughts on what the people inside the tent were afraid of. When an image appeared again, it showed only a barren landscape with an unevenly worked field, as if abandoned after tilling the soil. The image faded and the water returned to normal.

  “Curious,” remarked Seer of Worlds and stepped back from behind Rhuna.

  “It didn’t work. It didn’t give me the answer I summoned,” she said.

  “The Gazing of the Waters always answers precisely, however the Summoner must correctly interpret the information presented.” He led Rhuna out to the instruction room to sit down. “Re-examine the entire matter carefully; the knowledge already possessed, the precise manner of your s
ummon, and the image received. Begin with the exact answer the Waters presented.”

  Rhuna thought about the empty field in the image. “If the Gazing of the Waters is right, then those people were afraid of a field of broken soil,” she said.

  “The people fear what this field of soil represents to them,” corrected her teacher.

  “What would it represent to them?” Rhuna wondered. “Poor soil that won’t yield any food? And that’s why they left there, because they couldn’t grow any food?”

  “It is the first natural assumption,” nodded Seer of Worlds. “However, we perceived that the object of their fear was outside the tent, perhaps threatening to enter it.”

  Rhuna agreed and remembered the first vision. “Maybe they were afraid of some wild animals that roamed on that open field,” she said.

  “Another logical assumption, however the Gazing of the Waters would present an image of the wild beast in answer to this summon.” He looked at her with penetrating eyes. “Gather the information already gained about these people. You attended the High Council when…”

  “Oh!” said Rhuna. “They’re afraid their dead ancestors would harm them if they disobeyed their traditions!”

  “Aha!” said Seer of Worlds with a satisfied nod and clap of the hands.

  “Their ancestors are buried in that field!” said Rhuna, excited about this discovery. “Did you know this, Esteemed Teacher?”

  “I knew not. You yourself made the correct conclusion.”

  “I wouldn’t have without your help,” said Rhuna.

  “A teacher provides appropriate guidance only,” he corrected sternly. “I am well pleased, Adopted by the Rain.”

  That evening, Rhuna excitedly described the morning’s lesson to Tozar as they relaxed on floor cushions.

  “He’s really a good teacher,” she added.

  “He is the best teacher; however had I known of his ambitious motivations to…” Tozar broke off and looked at Rhuna. “An opportunity has arisen for several members of the High Council and Low Council to journey to Zitán and evaluate the situation. Would you enjoy accompanying me on such a mission, or would you miss your lessons?”