"If I could just still my mind, I could ask one of these trees the way home," he chuckled nervously. "Oh shut up, Charlie, you're going mad."
"No, that sounds like a good idea to me," said a voice.
"Who said that?" he said, jumping to his feet.
"You were just sitting on my exposed roots," said the voice.
"What? But I can't speak to trees," replied Charlie, looking around.
"Well, apparently you do and quite naturally," replied the tree.
"I'm sorry," said Charlie, turning around to face the tree. "It's just I'm new to this type of thing and I can't help feeling that I am just going bonkers."
"An understandable reaction, but I would point out that you are not entirely new to it, we were all amazed at your first attempt to talk to those seedlings yesterday."
"You heard about that?"
"Of course. The news of it was all over the valley last night. My young friend, your arrival here carries great importance and the fact that you can understand us so easily is clearly a message. You see, Charlie, nature has a language that is understood by every species. They all have their own dialects, but trees translate this myriad of information into a simplified language that everyone can understand. Humans can hear our language, but only if they clear their mind of fear by learning how to meditate. This valley is an easier place to learn the language, as there are no influences to interrupt its flow."
"Oh," said Charlie.
"You have stumbled into the area of the forest that is the elfin place of initiation. The young elves come here to learn the art of the natural language. The trees of this area do not have the fine appearance of our karri cousins, but we are powerful in the ways of magic. So it is most appropriate that you are here now, as you learn the ways of this place. We are the teachers of nature's language and I might say that you surprise me with the ease with which you are picking it up. You are a lot quicker than some of my young elfin students who find it hard to concentrate for more than a few moments."
"Don't the elves speak the language naturally?" asked Charlie.
"Mm, I can see why you would think so, but they have a dialect of their own. But like your language, the elfin one has drifted away from its origins. To hear what nature is saying, you must be in a state of listening and elves have to learn that as much as humans."
"So, when the young elves come here, how do they learn?"
"We talk to them much as I am with you. We recite the history of the valley and then see how much they can remember. It's simple, but effective," replied the tree.
"Mm, why don't you do the same with me as I'm here, then you can give me some directions back to Shamir's place. It'll be light by then anyway and easier for me to see, presuming you don't go on all day like Mr. Erickson," said Charlie, grimacing. "And before you ask, he's a teacher back home."
"Oh, well I shall be careful to give you the short version," shimmered the tree. "In the very beginning, there were virtually no trees here, just the river that falls over the great escarpment, down through the endless, lush grasslands and finally onto the sea in the East. A massive landslide formed a horseshoe-shaped depression that was two hundred metres lower than the grasslands. The U-shaped valley it created was surrounded on three sides by a great wall of rock and the river gushed over its edge in a vibrant waterfall. Even before they could create the magic to make it invisible, the valley was impossible to see until you were right on top of it. From every direction, the grasslands appeared to extend on beyond the horizon."
"I see," said Charlie nodding.
"It was the perfect location: it had unlimited water, it was North-facing and it was incredibly isolated. The group that arrived here consisted of the wizard Kasmir, Shamir, Gemma, and the seven elves led by Kanook. They built the cottage where you are now staying and, from there, began the work of creating the valley garden. They planted the majority of the saplings they had brought with them and used the rest as cuttings that they then propagated."
"So, were you here from the start?"
"Yes, I was, but I started my life here in the little greenhouse that they made from hand-blown glass. It's changed location once or twice, it's now in Shamir's cottage garden, I believe."
"Yes, that's right, I liked it there for some reason, I don't quite know why," said Charlie.
"Ah well, that is a very special place of magic my young friend. The whole valley is latent with the presence of natural magic, but if I had to pick a spot where it is strongest, Shamir's garden would be the place."
"Why's that?" asked Charlie, incredulously.
"Because he's there, of course. Don't be fooled by the age and gentleness of the wizard. Without Shamir's incredible strength of purpose and his extraordinary gift for natural magic, this sanctuary would never have come into being. Shamir took over the responsibility of the place at nineteen. His beloved Kasmir, who had been his mentor, died not that long after we arrived. He was devastated by his death and it meant that his sister, Gemma, was his only human support."
"You know I worked at Gemma's nursery, don't you?" asked Charlie.
"Yes, I had heard," sighed the tree.
"It's very funny, cosmically speaking," said Charlie grinning. The tree's leaves shook slightly, which Charlie took to be her laughter.
"The two of them were inseparable after Kasmir's death and, in the years that followed, Gemma flourished as a botanist here. Remember that the valley is about three and a half thousand hectares in size, so it was an enormous undertaking to develop and protect it. The old boy has plenty of magic in that bony body of his, I can tell you. His sister is gifted in the same way. I have watched her perform acts of healing that even the elves admired. However, you are leading me off the track. Now, what was it that I was saying?
"You were telling me about planting the first trees, but it really doesn't matter much, it's all new to me," said Charlie.
"Thank you, Charlie, yes, the planting. Well, each sapling was planted with a little scoop of elfin soil and nurtured in the loving way that elves have been practicing for aeons. The growth was phenomenal and, within a hundred years, the grand forest that you see now was already well-established."
"But how old is Shamir if he travelled here with the original party?"
"In human time, the valley was established in the sixteenth century. Which makes Shamir about four hundred-years-old, give or take a year or two. You see, Gemma and Shamir have been blessed with unusually long lives in order to complete a very special task. You and Marie are the start of a new chapter in that story and the proof of the existence of the valley is a new chapter in Earth's story."
"Ahh, no, leeches," interrupted Charlie, leeping off the ground, with three healthy black worms clinging to his feet. "Shit, shit, I hate them," he screeched, dancing around, as neat trickles of blood oozed from the wounds the little bloodsuckers had caused.
"Yes, the young elves seem to hate them as well, they don't live anywhere else you see," sighed the tree.
"I can see how they make you unpopular, they make me feel all creepy," said Charlie, dabbing away the blood with the sleeve of his shirt.
"You know, I think we might take that little interruption as a sign to stop the lesson. You've done remarkably well, but I think we shouldn't take it any further, don't you?"
"Yes, I'm cold and hungry to be honest. Shamir will be wondering where I am anyway," replied Charlie, shivering.
"I've already sent him word, but it's good you should think about him. He is a wise man, but having you here is stressful for him. Let's hope you can remember our language when you return to your land," said the tree.
"I hope so, it would make sense of the adventure, wouldn't it?" said Charlie, standing up and checking for any other unwanted hitchhikers.
"Yes, it would. Thank you for listening so attentively, maybe you could be tempted to visit me again," whispered the tree.
"Of course, I'll just remember to wear boots next time," answered Charlie, starting tentatively on a path heading East. "
This is the right one, isn't it?" he said, pausing for a moment.
"Yes Charlie, it is. Goodbye and may you be supported in your adventure," it replied.
"Thank you, I hope so. I have been up until now. Goodbye, beautiful tree," he said, bowing in a way he'd seen Shamir do before.
"Very good, you are learning our ways," whispered the tree, watching Charlie march off in the direction of home.
"He did well, didn't he," said Ayou, appearing from one of the trees upper branches.
"Yes, better than you, if memory serves me correctly," answered the tree.
"I'll report back to my father," said Ayou, giggling as she ran off.
Chapter 10
It was after nightfall when Marie finally woke up on the sofa. The house was completely dark, apart from the moonlight streaming in through the French doors. Marie just lay there, she could see the answer machine blinking madly in the corner of the room and she knew one of the messages would be from her mother. She had no idea what time it was, so she allowed the ignorance of this position to excuse her from any immediate action. Marie hoped it was late enough not to call, but she knew that it would only make things worse if she delayed her reply much longer. Having just forced herself to the point of action, the light went on behind her and she swung around to see Gemma wandering towards the back door. She popped her head over the top of the sofa to say hello and Gemma jumped slightly as she came into view.
"Whoa, I was wondering where you had got to. You and that sofa are becoming good friends," she said, without slowing her progress towards the door. "We'll talk in a minute, but right now, I have an urgent appointment to keep in the bathroom."
"Yes, thank you, I think I've got the idea," said Marie.
Gemma chuckled and disappeared out of the door, leaving Marie the perfect opportunity to call her mum. Initially, the answer machine clicked in, and Marie thought she'd missed her again, but then the polite machine voice stopped abruptly.
"Hello," said Jackie, trying to settle into telephone speak.
"Hi Mum," said Marie, as light heartedly as possible.
"Oh darling, I'm so pleased you've called, I was getting worried about you," said her mum, with instant kindness in her manner. "I spoke to Gemma two nights ago, but since then I've been caught up with this wretched conference. She told me all about Charlie's accident, I'm so sorry. Have you heard any more news?"
"No, not yet, no one seems to know very much. The doctors are just trying to keep him stable at the moment. I'm sorry I didn't get hold of you before."
"Don't give it a second thought, darling. I had to have my mobile turned off, so it was my fault. I only wanted to make sure you're okay."
"Thanks Mum, I am, Gemma is looking after me very well."
"That's good, I know you're in good hands with her. Now look darling, I'm supposed to be going to London for another conference this week. I had planned for you to stay with your father, as it's half term, and Neil will be away as well, but I won't go if you need me darling, I really mean it. If you want me to stay, I will," she said, slightly breathlessly, as she struggled with the position she was in.
"That's fine Mum, Gemma's being very kind to me and she's quite happy for me to stay for a while. To be honest, I'm enjoying the distraction of her amazing house and listening to her travel stories."
"I'm certain she's got a lifetime of interesting ones to tell," interrupted Jackie, laughing.
"You don't know the half of it Mum," chuckled Marie. "Anyway, it's just good not to think about Charlie all the time. But thanks, Mum, I know you would stay if I asked you to and that's all that matters. I'll phone Dad tomorrow and tell him what I'm up to, okay?"
"Thank you, darling," said her mum, with palpable relief in her voice. "Now, are you sure there's nothing I can.oh damn, can you hold a second, someone else is trying to call me." There were a few seconds of Chopin and then her mum's voice suddenly cut in.
"Sorry, darling, it's the firm, Now, as I was saying, are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes Mum, I'm sure, I'll call you on your mobile if I get frantic, okay?" she said, knowing how to soothe her mum's fears.
"Okay, darling, must fly. The MD's on the other line, love you, bye."
"Bye," said Marie, putting the phone down and slumping into a nearby chair. Gemma appeared through the back door with had her headphones on so loud, Marie could hear the music she was listening to.
"Well, that's a load off my mind," yelled Gemma, at the top of her voice.
"Thanks very much for keeping me informed, you're too kind," Marie screamed back to no avail. Gemma was off in the music and she swayed across the room to its beat, her dressing gown over her shoulder. When she appeared sometime later, Marie had cooked a fritatta and was happily having some in front of The Eastenders. By the time they'd eaten and the shocking revelations at the pub had been unearthed, they were both too tired to even bother cleaning up. Gemma staggered off to her bedroom with an autobiography of Prince Charles, leaving Marie watching Parkinson interviewing some minor celebrity. When she woke up in the morning, the TV was still on, although fortunately the Teletubbies were on mute. From under the comfort of her snug doona, she could see Gemma bobbing around outside in the courtyard doing her usual rounds, so while that took place, Marie slipped off to the shower to wake herself up.
"I wonder what today has in store for us," she thought, drying herself with a big fluffy towel. She didn't have to wait long for an answer. As she finished getting dressed, there was a quiet tap at the door.
"Good morning, are you in the mood for a bit of travel?" said Gemma.
"Maybe, but I'm not too keen on anymore hiking," said Marie, hesitantly.
"No, I'm talking about real travel, like say, a quick trip to France. I want to take you to the two places there that are an important part of my history. Are you game?"
"Mais oui," said Marie, with a smile. "I might as well, I've come this far and no one is going to miss me this week. Where did you have in mind, but wait a sec, how will I pay for this, what about Charlie and what will I wear?"
"Whoa, calm down girl, it can all be worked out. To start with, you can do nothing for Charlie here other than to fret about him like everyone else and since Charlie isn't doing that, why should you? Secondly, I am wealthier than the Duke of Westminster and with much better access to cash, so forget about the money. Finally, I am thinking of taking you to Paris first, which should solve any clothing concerns you have. Then, we'll travel to Provence for a few days to the little village where I grew up. How's that for an outline?."
"I'll have to get my passport, but when do we leave?" asked Marie, excitedly.
"Ooh, in about three and a half hours," said Gemma, glancing at her watch.
"God, you're a tricky one. You've got it all organised already."
"Not really, I just woke up with a clear feeling that we were to travel somewhere today. As I walked passed the front door, I noticed a letter in yesterday's mail from the architect who has been overseeing the renovations to my house in St Germain, telling me that they are all complete and ready for my inspection. So, I phoned up British Airways just to check on the availability of tickets. The young man who answered the call was an old summer student of mine from the local agricultural college. He upgraded us to first class in order to secure the only two remaining seats on the afternoon shuttle. So, what do you think? Are we supposed to go?" said Gemma, with a laugh.
"So, how long do you think we'll be gone for?"
"Well, we might have a couple of days in Paris. Then we'll fly to Lyon and pick up a car from there to drive into the mountains. I think we'll need at least five or six days in total. Do you think that will be okay with your folks?"
"Yes, I'm sure they'll both be okay. Mum is busy all week and will just be envious, as she loves Paris, and dad will think it's 'cool' that I'm going," said Marie, mimicking Ian's voice. Within an hour, they were all organised and in a taxi, hurtling up the motorway towards Heathrow airport. Marie couldn't help n
oticing the calm, focused demeanour of her travelling companion and her considerably improved outfit, which looked distinctly 'designer-ish' to Marie.
"You seem to have changed, Gemma," she said in the end.
"Oh, when you've travelled as much as I have, the process becomes an intensely personal one. To me, travel is like a dance, which releases my dreams for a while," replied Gemma.
"Yes, I guess it does, although my experience of travel has so far been confined to a few trips to France and one to Italy. I know the freedom it brings, I just didn't think I was going to be experiencing it first-hand this holiday. But, then again, I didn't think I was going to fall in love, go astral travelling, or find out that there are people who live for hundreds of years either," she said, as they pulled up outside the terminal.
They had taken no more than a few steps towards the door when there was a shout from just behind them.
"Gemma, Gemma Granlin, is that really you?" came a booming male voice. Both of them swirled round to see who was shouting at them, only to spot a large, extremely well-dressed man of about fifty-five approaching them at great speed.
"Hello, Geoffrey," Gemma said, with kindness rising in her voice, as she got her measure of their assailant.
"My God, it is you," he said, grasping both of Gemma's hands to kiss them.
"Oh, Geoffrey, stop it," she chided. "Marie, this is Geoffrey Allbrush who was one of my students a good many years ago. Although I love him to death, he was not one of my brighter ones, if you know what I mean," she said, winking at Marie. "So, what are you up to now?" she said, before he had time to properly react.
"Oh well, I.well I'm Chancellor of the Exchequer with the present government," he said, with the wind thoroughly removed from his sails. Marie just laughed. "Oh, you're a crafty old one, Gemma," he said, gathering himself again.
"But what brings you out here?" he asked, as various dark-suited figures started to appear around him, looking worried at this unexpected delay in his schedule.
"Well, I'm off to Paris for a few days with my friend, Marie," said Gemma, with gentle weight behind her words. Geoffrey turned towards Marie and bowed slightly, but before he could say anything more, one of the hovering people in a smart black suit stepped in a bit closer.
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