by Kay L. Ling
Unable to keep quiet any longer Jordy said, “Yeah, like, please beam us up.”
Raenihel’s voice was tense. “I can’t get through yet.”
After what felt like minutes, Lana asked thickly, “Still no luck?” Raenihel opened his eyes. His frightened look was answer enough.
The energy field was probably weak enough—he was just too panicky to attune himself to the field. Inspiration struck. “Fialazza!”
The wisdom of her suggestion registered immediately. Raenihel pulled out the wineskin, opened it, drank deeply of the calming fluid, and then let the skin drop under his tunic. After a few seconds he gave her hand a confident squeeze. “Now!”
They stepped forward together. Lana almost laughed for joy as she felt the membrane give way. They stepped though into their familiar forest and Greg and Jordy cheered.
“Now to the Tree Home!” Raenihel called. She and the boys hurried after him. If they hadn’t been in such a hurry, she would have stopped and kissed the ground.
Raenihel disappeared inside the Tree Home, perhaps checking to see who was there, and then reached a hand out to pull his guests inside. Lana stepped through last and laughed at the boys’ comical expressions. Gawking with open mouths, they craned their necks to take in the Tree Home from top to bottom. Greg pointed at the root tables and chairs sprouting from the floor and whispered something to Jordy.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” she said. They flashed her a grin and nodded, then began whispering again as they looked over at the gnomes sitting around the “fire” of glowing stones.
She smiled. They were shocked and amazed, and who could blame them? That’s how she’d felt the first time, and she suspected she would always feel that way, no matter how many times she came here.
“Wait here a moment,” Raenihel said, excusing himself to speak with his clan.
There weren’t many gnomes here yet. That might be a problem, Lana realized. Any that came later might run into the breghlin.
Artham and Terrilem were part of the circle, along with a few males she didn’t know. Three females and two young girls sat on tree-root stools, working on hand-sewn garments.
Lana studied the tree for signs of decay. Despite the spreading blight, the Tree Home looked healthy and the air bore a crisp, fresh scent.
“Who would believe you could live inside a tree,” Greg said to her quietly as Raenihel spoke with the gnomes.
“It’s as strange as Shadow, but in a good way,” Jordy agreed.
Keeping her voice low she said, “One night I was stranded here in the park. I didn’t know it, but a group of breghlin were hunting me. Good thing a gnome found me and brought me here. If he hadn’t, I might have ended up like you.”
“Yeah, you were lucky,” Greg said. “We met a few people that got turned into rats and stuff. Most of them get eaten by pythanium sooner or later.”
“Thanks for bringing us back,” Jordy said. He stood a little taller and looked her squarely in the eye. “After what we did, most people would have left us there. We’ll make it up to you. I promise.”
Greg took a shaky breath and stared glumly at the floor. “I’m not looking forward to being a rat again.”
“Better a rat than dead,” Jordy reminded him.
“What a choice, huh?” Greg said bitterly. “Just you wait. Someday, I’ll get even with Sheamathan.”
“Good luck with that,” Jordy said.
Raenihel came back wearing a relieved smile. “Fewer complaints than I thought.” He took each boy by the arm. “Come. Have something to eat and drink. Then maybe you’d like to sleep.”
Lana followed. “Are more gnomes coming? Will they be safe?”
“Safe from the breghlin?”
“Yes.”
“If they Walk Like the Wind and stay inside the trees, they’ll be fine.”
While Raenihel was in a good mood she decided to ask another question. “Walking Like the Wind—how do you do that?”
“It takes the same focused, relaxed mind as crossing through the portal, but Walking Like the Wind isn’t something a human can learn to do. A gnome can take you by the hand and bring you along, but you’ll never be able to do it on your own. Nor can the woodspirit. The ability is unique to gnomes.” He stopped near the circle of glowing stones. “Join us. I’ll bring refreshments once you’re situated and I’ve made introductions.”
Lana sat immediately. The boys hesitated, but when Lana motioned for them to sit beside her, they overcame their shyness and sat down cross-legged with the group. Raenihel made introductions, the gnomes murmured polite greetings, and then Raenihel bustled off to get food.
Lana looked around the circle. Most of the gnomes were drinking steaming beverages from earthenware bowls, probably some type of tea or broth. They spoke in quiet voices, engrossed in conversation, either not sure what to say to their guests, or sensing that she and the boys were content just to listen.
She felt herself relax. Being inside the Tree Home was like being inside a cocoon. With her elbows propped on her crossed legs, she leaned toward the glowing stones and closed her eyes, letting the soothing, dry heat bake her face. She almost nodded off in a haze of contented exhaustion, lulled by low voices and laughter, the clink of pottery and the sound of the gnomes sipping their drinks.
Jordy’s voice roused her. “This may be our last real meal as humans,” he said gloomily. Greg sighed and nodded as Raenihel returned carrying a wooden tray with earthenware serving bowls. The bowls held dried meat, assorted greens, and vegetables. After serving Lana and the boys, Raenihel sat beside them. A female approached and handed them wooden spoons and goblets. When Lana saw the familiar red liquid she smiled.
The boys wasted no time cautiously tasting the food. Grunts of approval followed their first hesitant bites. After that, they shoveled food into their mouths so enthusiastically that she couldn’t keep from laughing. The gnomes cast furtive glances at the boys, no doubt amused, but continued their conversations.
Lana ate with greater dignity but just as much enjoyment. What was this meat? Some kind of bird? Squirrel? Whatever it was, it tasted remarkable. Way better than dried venison. Midway through the meal the boys finally remembered their drinks.
“Whoa!” Jordy exclaimed, grinning, after his first sip. “What is this stuff?”
Greg sampled his and said with a dopey smile, “Yeah, this is seriously awesome!”
“You’re drinking fialazza. A drink prized by the gnomes,” Raenihel said.
“No kidding, I can see why!” Jordy took another gulp.
Staring absently into her goblet, Lana thought about the first time she’d tasted fialazza, the unfamiliar but pleasant fruity flavor and the way it calmed her yet sharpened all her senses. She smiled and glanced at the boys. Now that she had grudgingly forgiven them, she actually enjoyed having them here. What good was a novel experience if you couldn’t share it with someone and talk about it later?
She watched the boys polish off their dinner and guzzle fialazza. They seemed—much as she hated to admit it—like younger brothers. Annoying younger brothers, but still. As a child, she had wished for a sister or brother closer to her age. Ed and Alex were more like uncles.
More gnomes arrived after dinner. They acknowledged Lana and the boys but made no attempt to start a conversation.
After dinner, Raenihel brought out three bedrolls. She drew Raenihel aside. “Last time I stayed overnight, I woke outside. I don’t remember how I got there.”
“It’s natural to fall into a very deep sleep here.” He gestured at the veins of dim light running through the tree walls. “The light has a calming effect, as does the fresh ozone air. You didn’t wake when we carried you outside. I don’t think you will this time, either.”
“The boys and I will still be safe? After you leave?”
“Yes. When you wake, the breghlin will be gone. And I think it’s only right that you should keep the Challenger’s knife for a while.”
She hadn’t thought about giving it ba
ck. She wanted to study it so she could put it to better use. “Thank you. I’ll keep it safe and learn all I can about it.” The fact that Raenihel had taken her to Shadow under false pretenses still disturbed her, but the knife had protected her, and Raenihel was right—she needed to see the dangers her world faced.
She took Raenihel’s arm. “I’m sorry we couldn’t rescue Gliaphon and the other gnomes.”
“The time will come. Your gem powers are growing stronger.”
She hoped he was right. This trip had brought out abilities she didn’t know she had. In her world, the knife’s powers would be weaker, but even so, she looked forward to seeing what it could do. “There’s so much I need to know, and I don’t have long. The blight is already destroying the forest.”
“I wish I had answers for you.”
“The Challenger told me where to learn more about him, and the knife, so that’s a start. When I learn anything useful, I promise I’ll come back.”
“Good. Pursue all knowledge, but pursue it with caution.” He gave her a fond smile. “Come now. It’s time to sleep.”
She lay down. The tree’s dim, comforting glow made her sleepy. The woodsy, fresh smell reminded her of the air after a long, soaking rain. It was so soothing, so comfortable here. The floor wasn’t hard. The bedroll felt soft against her cheek. She drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.
* * *
Still curled up in her bedroll, Lana woke and opened her eyes to early morning sunlight. This time she wasn’t surprised. Her backpack lay a couple feet away and the boys were fast asleep nearby. She felt for her knife and gem pouch. Both were safe. Good. Sitting up, she yawned, stretched deeply, and looked sadly at the diseased forest. She could picture the way it looked before and it hurt to think that if she couldn’t find a way to stop the blight, those days might be gone forever. If the disease continued to spread, acres of valuable farmland would be next. In Shadow, healthy tillable land was rare. The gnomes raised crops where they could, and scavenged for edible wild plants. Would it come to that here? She certainly hoped not. There wasn’t enough food now to feed the world’s population.
The boys’ deep, rhythmic breathing finally claimed her wandering attention. She was tempted to sneak off and leave them without saying goodbye, but there they lay, sleeping so peacefully. No, she just couldn’t do it.
She crawled out of her bedroll and sat cross-legged, chin-in-hands, staring at the boys. Speaking of food, what would they eat today? It wouldn’t hurt them to go without a couple meals. By sunset, they’d turn back into rats, and rats ate a lot less than teenage boys. Was there such a thing as rat chow? Probably her smart phone was working again, now that she was home. She could run a search for “rat chow.”
She reached for her backpack and dragged it over. Her phone was in the bottom along with the dead flashlight. She fished them both out and tried the flashlight. It worked. Odd. The laws of nature obviously worked differently in each world. As soon as she touched the phone’s power button, the screen lit.
Rat chow, rat chow, hmmmm. Yep. It exists. Selecting the first link, she scanned the ingredient list: wheat, corn, alfalfa, peas, beans and oats. This variety encourages a rat’s natural foraging behavior. The textures keep continually growing teeth in trim. She pictured the rats’ sharp incisors. Yuck. How many ounces of chow per day did a normal-size rat eat? Giant rats like Jordy and Greg might eat pounds per day! Well, they had better be good foragers, because she couldn’t afford pounds of rat chow. The whole thing gave her a headache. Where would they live? How would she get food to them? It was strange looking at two sleeping teenage boys, planning how much rat chow to buy for them.
Following other links, she found an interesting article about rats verses mice. Mice, it said, were rarely as affectionate as rats. Rats were social animals. You should buy two and house them together. Already got a pair. The article recommended fresh fruits and vegetables and a few table scraps to supplement their store-bought seed and grain mixture. Skimming, her eyes fell on a paragraph that read, “A rat will play games with you and chase you from one end of the couch to the other.” Oh, great! Another reason not to take them home! Which characteristics, human or rat, would be dominant when they changed back? She was afraid to find out. Especially when she read the next part, “Rats love to sit with their human, cuddle, kiss, and nibble whatever you’re eating.” Lovely. Count me out! The urge to sneak off and abandon them was nearly overwhelming. She pictured herself buying a basket, putting the giant rats inside, and leaving them on a random doorstep with a note: Please take care of my boys. Their names are Greg and Jordy. They like to cuddle, kiss and nibble.
Her laughter woke the boys. Jordy sat up and rubbed his eyes. Greg rolled onto his stomach and looked up, mumbling sleepily, “What’s goin’ on? Where am I?”
Smothering more giggles, she stood and grabbed her backpack. “I’m heading out for the day. You’ll be okay till tonight, right?”
“Sure,” Greg said. “You’ll be back before sunset?”
“Yeah. I’m not sure what to do with you, but I’ll get you out of here before the park closes.”
Jordy looked around and said in a troubled voice, “Hey, what’s wrong with the trees?”
Last time the boys were here, the forest had been healthy. The change, even in a few weeks, was alarming. Lana shrugged into her backpack. “Sheamathan came through the portal and did this. She can access more of our world by making it diseased and lifeless like Shadow.”
“This is awful. Somebody has to stop her,” Jordy said.
“We don’t know how yet.” An awkward silence fell. “Well, I’ve got to get going. See you later.”
Greg and Jordy looked at her with long faces and she felt guilty leaving them. Maybe she could find them something to eat, first. She usually kept a few beef sticks in her glove compartment. And over by the stump where she’d buried the weird stone, she’d seen a tree loaded with apples. The stone! I was going to take pictures of it.
“Come on. Walk me to my car. I usually have some beef sticks in my glove compartment.”
Jordy brightened. Greg said, “Thanks. We can see more of the forest on the way. How long has it been like this?”
“Not long. A couple weeks.” She looked down. “Bring your bedrolls. Better not leave them here.”
Scooping them up, they loped after her. She headed toward Parking Area D, taking the shortest route. Hiking in gloomy silence, they examined the diseased shrubs, trees, and withered brown grass along the way.
Near the parking lot, she pointed to the apple tree. “Grab a few apples. I’m going to dig up a stone I hid. I’m pretty sure it’s from Shadow. I’ve never seen one like it.”
“Why’d you hide it?” Jordy asked.
“I couldn’t take it home, and I didn’t want anyone else to see it.” Should she be telling them any of this? What harm could it do? “From what I’ve seen, you can’t take anything from Shadow outside the Amulet. If you do, it disappears when you cross into the Fair Lands.”
“Where does it go?” Jordy asked.
She shrugged. “No idea.”
“Huh. Weird,” Greg said.
“I’m going to take pictures of the stone and do some research at home.”
By the time Greg and Jordy had picked a few apples, she’d unearthed the stone. They met her by the tree stump. As she held up her prize specimen, the heat began to drain from her palms.
Greg took one look at the stone. “Hey, that’s alamaria!”
She blinked. “You know what it is?”
“Sure.”
“You’re right—it’s from Shadow,” Jordy said. “How’d it get here?”
She turned the stone over in her hands. Iridescent silver flecks twinkled in its depths. It was so beautiful. Her fascinated smile turned to a look of alarm when Greg said in a troubled voice, “You know the gnome slave camps? Well, this is what they’re mining.”
Chapter 22
Lana almost dropped the stone. She looked at
it with a troubled frown. “Why does Sheamathan want alamaria?”
“Yeah, and why does she need a lot of it?” Jordy asked.
“Good point.” Lana held the stone out. “Does alamaria come out of the ground just like this? Or is it embedded in rock strata?”
“You mean—do miners chop it out of other rocks?” Greg asked.
“Yes, exactly.”
“We’ve been to the cliffs above the mines. I’ve seen alamaria on the ground and it looks just like this,” Greg said. “The stones get hauled away on a cart. A few always fall off.”
“So they’re alluvial,” she said.
“Huh?”
“Alluvial. You know, worn smooth by rivers and streams and eventually buried in silt.” Her hands were becoming numb and cold. “I have to set this down and get some pictures before my hands are completely numb.” She set the stone on the ground.
“Numb?” Jordy repeated, looking confused.
She gave him an impatient look. “You’ve never touched alamaria?”
“Sure, what about it?”
“It makes your hands go numb.”
“It does? Felt like a normal rock to me.”
“Maybe ‘cause we were rats,” Greg suggested with a shrug.
She shook her head. “Why would that matter?”
“Duuno, just a thought,” Greg said.
“OK if we touch your stone?” Jordy asked.
“Sure. Go ahead.”
He and Jordy took turns holding it. Greg said, “You’re right. My hands get numb right away.”
“But how does it do that?” Jordy asked.
Lana frowned. “That’s what I hope to find out.”
Greg said gloomily, “Well, it didn’t feel like this before, so if it feels different to rats we’ll know tonight.” He put it on the ground.
“Right,” Jordy said, folding his arms and giving her a dark look. “You can experiment on us. Rats are good for that.”
Oh no! Here come the rat jokes again! “Maybe you won’t turn back. Maybe Sheamathan’s power can’t get to you here.”
“Don’t get our hopes up,” Jordy said. “I bet her spell is like the timer on a bomb. It hits zero and we turn back into rats.”