The Tessellation Saga. Book Two. 'The One'

by D. J. Ridgway

  ‘Da, I think the s’periment worked,’ Gideon smiled as he leant forward to clear his mouth of bile. ‘I don’t ‘alf ‘ave an ‘eadache an’ me throat’s real sore, Jed ‘elp me ‘ome will yer,’ he said as he held out his arm to his brother. ‘I’ll try not ter throw up on yer,’ he added, trying to smile through the pain in his head, ‘though it smells as if yer threw up on yersel’ already’. Gideon grinned as he realised they were actually both as filthy as the other was and he took Jed’s arm. Jed felt humbled by the love surrounding him; he had tried to kill his best friend, his brother. I should ‘ave known ‘e were lying! He thought berating himself. Even as tired, cold and hungry as he was, even with the knowledge of his family’s desperate plight, he should have known Toby was lying.

  ‘It was this Gid,’ he said quietly as he handed Gideon Mayan’s stone, ‘Toby gave it ter me, ‘e said as ‘ow yer…rap… ‘ow yer killed ‘er. I knew she’d never ‘ave given it away.’ Silent tears fell once again down his face, Mayan seeing the stone placed her hand to her neck.

  ‘Toby took it from me Jed, it were ‘im who tried ter rape me after Jackie’s weddin’. I gave ‘im ‘is scar, I never told yer coz I didn’t wanna ‘urt yer but yesterday, yesterday ‘e did do it, he raped me… yesterday.’ Mayan said softly, taking the stone and wrapping her arms around her chest. ‘Tis my fault, all my fault,’ I should ‘ave said back then.’ She added quietly, her voice braking, she turned to Lemba and fell into her arms her shoulders shaking with silent tears.

  ‘Ner, love…’ began Gideon and stopped abruptly as another wave of dizziness came over him.

  ‘Get the boy to his grandfather’s, now,’ whispered Varan as Sonal silently described the fragile wooden doors holding back the power of Gideon’s mind. ‘Now…, go,’ he said again, a mixture of horror and wonder on his face.

  Gideon and young Jed walked off in the direction of the cottage, Jed holding his sick brother as best he could, Gideon stumbled and releasing Dotty, his father ran to support his other side. Arm in arm the trio walked, followed closely by Dotty, deep in thought with her arms folded across her chest. The two young girls each still in tears followed her arm in arm, guilt washed from one and relief from the other, a tangible blanket covering them. Varan and Sonal, both exhausted by the healing brought up the rear. Neither wanted to talk, not yet, the future is too big to think about, not without a cup of Mrs Green’s tea anyway, Varan thought and Sonal smiled hearing the thought even though it had not been directed at him.

  ‘Tea, yes,’ he said, ‘I could do with a cup of tea.’

  Rhoàld shivered with cold as he and a bruised Jayson watched the company move away, he closed his eyes and thought of Bastian.

  ‘I’m here,’ Bastian sang to him. ‘I’m always here,’ Rhoàld, taking Jayson’s arm walked slowly along behind the others, revelling in the love Bastian showed him and no longer cold, he smiled. ‘Soon,’ Bastian whispered.

  ‘Yes, my dearest, soon.’ Rhoàld replied following behind his friends.

  Chapter 17

  Gath Laughs

  ‘Such power…’ Gath whispered as he suddenly stopped his horse and stared into the ether, he watched the ebb and flow of magic at the roots.

  ‘His magic, my… my magic is strong, so much more than I ever expected. Oh Lydia, I knew you would be the one,’ he smiled drawing his gaze back to Darnel, studying him intently.

  ‘We will be leaving very soon, my dear,’ whispered Gath as he stroked his horse’s neck, he smiled at Darnel, not expecting a response. Darnel’s knees tightened into his horse’s flanks. ‘I must reach him soon, before his power kills him because it will, if he doesn’t gain control of it, it will. We have time yet though, time to find him and take him, Hollins should have him soon.’ Darnel’s horse snorted loudly, protesting at the pressure on its belly.

  ‘The funny thing is Darnel, Gideon will have to come to me as there is no one left alive to teach him the control he needs because, and this is the ironic part, because I’ve already killed them all.’ He began to laugh, louder and louder as the madness took over and as the tears of mirth ran down his face, Darnel also cried, for himself, his little sister and the boy Gideon who Gath talked about constantly. Gideon is as dead as I be, he just don’t know it yet, Darnel thought as he let his silent tears fall.

  Chapter 18

  Tales Told of Slaves

  Mayan smiled at the two young men as they talked in low voices, her ear again catching the unfamiliar tones and inflections in Jed’s speech.

  ‘He’s changed Gran,’ she sighed.

  ‘No dear, tis the army, ‘e’s become more rounded tis all an’ e’s growing up, e’s still the same boy,’ she said matter of factly, as she handed Mayan another pile of clothing but she could not help but notice the dark circles under Jed’s eyes.

  ‘No, I’m first in line,’ stated Gideon calmly after he heard Jed’s tale for the umpteenth time, he watched Mayan as she helped his grandmother pack up their things. The memory of her lying pale and still with Toby forcing himself on her fragile body remained with him. ‘Fer all e’s dun, I’m gonna kill ‘im mesel’,’ he added, turning to his friend. Jed stared at Gideon, astonished at his friend’s calm acceptance of his own treacherous behaviour.

  ‘I tried to kill you Gid; I would ‘ave done.’ Jed replied, his feelings of shame and guilt edging every word. ‘I should ‘ave known you would never ‘ave ‘urt ‘er. I’ll make it up to yer though, I swear it,’ he vowed, placing his head in his hands.

  ‘Yer wouldn’t ‘ave killed me Jed, yer love me too much…’ Gideon replied with a grin as he punched his brother on the shoulder. ‘Besides, what brothers d’yer know that don’t fight now an’ again, an’ we ain’t ‘ome yet, iffen what the twins say is true I’m gonna be ill again ‘afore we get there an’ yer wouldn’t ‘urt a sick man would yer!’ Gideon laughed ruefully at the sudden expression of abject misery apparent on his brother’s face.

  ‘The village... ‘By the Journey’ Gid; Jackie…ma an’ da…’ quickly Jed began to explain about the villagers but Gideon stopped him.

  ‘We should all ‘ear about this I reckon,’ he said and called the company together. Again, the parlour took on the cramped feel it had had earlier in the day. Quickly and quietly Jed explained to the entire company about his parents and the villagers he had seen the day before, each of them in chains, each destined to be sold at the slave markets in Devilly. Sonal, hearing the news paled, seeing the truth of his vision of so long ago.

  ‘It’s been Toby all along then,’ said Jed, as he looked at Lemba. She nodded in agreement flashing her fingers fast.

  ‘What’s she saying Jed?’ Gid asked, trying to smile at the tiny girl and feeling his brother’s love for her.

  ‘She says Gath ordered Toby to get you, to do what he wanted with the village but to get you.’

  ‘What am I, who am I, that a man would do this ter so many people?’ Gideon asked quietly, a bell started ringing in the deep recesses of his mind. Someone has said that to me recently, who was it?, Gideon asked himself as another voice broke his thoughts.

  ‘I believe the answer to that question lays in Green Home Forest my boy,’ replied Sonal, Varan nodded his head in agreement. ‘We must go there as soon as possible, Gath will have felt us using magic in the woods and he will come. Mark my words he will come,’ he added solemnly.

  ‘I...I can’t go Gideon, please don’t make me…,’ Gideon’s grandmother pleaded, looking at her husband.

  ‘We can’t stay ‘ere love,’ he replied, unhappy at the obvious distress his wife was feeling. ‘We killed the king’s soldiers an’ iffen we don’t leave with the others…’ he began.

  ‘But not ter the Forest, yer knows ‘ow I feel about that forest…’ his wife interrupted.

  ‘Mrs Green,’ began Jayson suddenly, ‘we can go to Devilly, my mother’s sister lives there,’ he said, adding enthusiastically, ‘we’ll be able to see the villagers at the slave markets there too an’ be near enough t
o help them.’

  ‘NO...’ said Gideon’s father, rather more forcefully than he intended, ‘Jayse, yer’d give up me parents ter Gath, I know it, I’ll kill yer first…’ he said menacingly.

  ‘Forgive me Jed, but actually it’s a good idea,’ Rhoàld broke in, forestalling an angry Jed from further outbursts, he smiled apologetically at Gideon’s father, before adding, ‘Gath will never be able to find them, ask young Jed how long he spent trying to find Varan.’

  Rhoàld had become stronger over the short time spent in the cottage, he glowed with health and his mind at last felt his own. No longer could he feel Gath growing insidiously like a weed in his head. He had listened as both Varan and Sonal talked of the wood and had questioned Jayson intently on his experience in the barn. If, like Gideon, his blood appeared hidden from Gath by the wood of Green Home he knew as soon as he moved outside the influence of the cottage and grounds, Gath would be able to seek him once more but without the compulsion he could once convey. He fully intended to ask Varan how to shield the strange blood flowing through his veins, after all until now he had never known he had it, but for the moment and whilst he could, he would help these people with his own unique skills.

  Discussions lasted into the evening as one by one as possible solutions were explored and rejected, eventually it was decided that Dotty along with Gideon’s parents and Jayson would travel to Devilly to stay with Jayson’s aunt, her own home was still there and vacant in any case and it had shielded her before. She also knew people of the blood in Devilly who could help hide the family if the need arose and although she did not much warm to the idea of returning so soon, she could see the reasoning behind it, too large a party travelling to Green Home Village at this time would attract unwelcome attention. She smiled at Gideon’s father shyly and warmed as he smiled back. Gideon, along with the rest of the party would travel on to Green Home and to the forest. Young Jed, torn between the need to rescue his family from slavery and staying with Lemba decided on the latter, Rhoàld using diplomacy and tact made Jed realise his presence amongst the group going to Devilly would endanger them further. He was, after all a deserter from the Derovian Armed Forces and well known about town. There was also the suggestion that Gath could possibly use him to get to Gideon because of their shared blood.

  ‘We’ll watch out for your family as best we can Jed,’ said Dotty trying to ease his worry.

  ‘We’ll get ‘em back ‘ave no fear, them an’ the rest of the villagers an’ iffen we can’t then we’ll die trying,’ offered Gideon’s grandfather angrily, ‘Good King Gath has a lot ter answer fer,’ he added, looking at Lemba knowingly. Lemba blushed; Dotty had explained Lemba’s inability to speak the previous evening, when Gideon senior had mistakenly tried shouting at her thinking she was deaf.

  With the decisions made, the company began to drift off to bed, Gideon, struggling to stay awake finally succumbed to his weary body and was the first to say goodnight. As Dotty rose to follow the others, Varan stopped her.

  ‘Dotty…, would you have any objection to Lemba receiving back that which is rightfully hers?’ He asked. Dotty looked at Varan with a puzzled expression on her face.

  ‘I don’t understand,’ she replied and looking at Lemba she asked, ‘do I have something of yours Lem?’ Lemba looked as puzzled as her sister did, Varan smiled gently at the two women. ‘Lemba is going to be in great danger; Gath will almost certainly follow Gideon here and on to Green Home. Now might be a good time to return the gift you have held secure and safe since you were both children,’ he said. Dotty’s hands flew to her face.

  ‘Your magic Lems, he means your magic.’ She said, ‘of course she can have it back, what must I do?’

  Dotty sat on the sofa her hands holding Lemba’s own tightly. She remembered the night she had received the gift and Lemba’s tiny frame that was tortured with dreams.

  ‘Don’t be afraid, this was always yours Lemba.’ She said as she smiled at her beloved sister and kissed her cheek. The twins, Sonal and Varan held forearms above them, slowly Sonal began to sing, his usual singsong mumbling voice now obviously a thing of the past as he held his brother. His tune was sorrowful, yet a hint of hope could be heard like a blackbird singing just before the dawn or a child’s smile in the face of the rain. Varan’s voice joined in, calling the root of the magic to open to them. The tunes began to wax and wane like a silver moon and pulsed with power, Rhoàld, still sitting across the room watched in awe as he felt his blood begin to rush around his body, his breathing quickened and he began to ‘see’.

  Until he had been cut with Gath’s knife, he had not realised that his blood was any different from anyone else’s, although he had always felt gifted in that he could usually reason with people to do exactly what he wanted them to do, apart from with Gath that is, he thought as he tried to rationalise what was happening. As the music filled the air, he watched as everyone in the room began to emanate a golden light, an aura softly glowing and pulsing with the song. The song continued and some of the lights began to change, fascinated, he held his hand before his face and compared the glow from his own body to that of the others and eventually he realised their various auras were different. From Sonal and Varan who glowed like the sun in a clear blue sky to Jed and his father, whose auras were faint and coloured in an entirely different way but all were shining and pulsing like a second skin, young Jed’s being different again. Lemba was the exception, her body remained, as it always was, beautiful and silent and he wondered absently how Gideon’s aura would look. The radiant lights looked fragile and yet beautiful, every colour of the rainbow shimmered and pulsed as they were teased from within by the melodious song. The lights shimmered and danced as they twirled and spun, all moving in accord, the song seemed to go on and on as the twins sang. Suddenly a second light seemed to rise from Dotty as she added her voice to the song, stepping up the quality of the harmonies. Her voice lifted the lights, and the pattern of the dancing changed. What had been slow and gentle suddenly became faster and more focused, another voice, a voice Rhoàld recognised, Bastian, he thought and smiled as his beloved began to sing in the ether, changing the chords of the music once more, a depth unheard for a very long time.

  Colours spun and split as the music weaved and glided, intertwining and separating as the individual notes blended and encouraged the ambient sounds to change pitch and character. The tones changed from whispering caresses to angry demands as Rhoàld’s blood flowed faster and faster, suddenly, he found himself joining in with the song, his deep bass voice joining as one with perfect harmony in a song he knew he had never heard in his life before and in a language, he did not understand. As they sang, the room itself began to glow, power unheard of burst through the doors filling the house and grounds with light and music.

  Gideon lying fast asleep in his bed above the lounge saw the song in his dreams, he heard the music and felt the notes that were missing and unconsciously he hummed the accompaniment.

  Downstairs, Dotty’s second light glowed stronger and suddenly broke from her body, finally free it rushed around the room creating new sounds for the song, new patterns for the dance.

  Lemba, hearing only the beautiful music felt empty, the rapturous faces of the people she had grown to love all around her filled her with envy, she closed her eyes to hide her thoughts. She wanted to see what they saw, feel as they did, to be loved as they were. Silent tears ran down her face as the beautiful music called to her very soul. Suddenly she gasped as the lights surrounded her body forcing her to open her eyes in wonder and as if a curtain had lifted, she saw the lights and the colours as they swirled around her enveloping her like a beautiful but diaphanous shroud.

  The song drew to a crescendo as the lights intensified again as they drew closer and closer, suddenly they disappeared and she sighed, knowing she would never see the like again. Her skin began to itch as her blood pounded in her ears, her heart beat to the song as her blood raced around her body and at last she ‘saw’ the others ar
ound her as if for the first time. Their own lights swirled and played in ever decreasing circles as if exhausted, why, she thought when she was so full of energy and wanted to sing, to shout her joy from the rooftops. Why does everyone not feel as I do? Her heart beat to its own song and her body tingled, she had never felt that something in her was missing but now, somehow now, she felt complete, as her stub of tongue began to itch and tingle she released Dotty’s arms and opened her eyes wider in shock. She had had no feeling in her tongue since Gath had so roughly cut it out when she was but a child, she put her hand up to her mouth hoping… but no; the stub was still just that, the rough end of a useless piece of dead flesh in her mouth. Her eyes watered in disappointment and hastily she blinked her tears away. Jed, she thought as she saw him watching her as intently as a mother would a child making its first steps. Jed was standing across the room and as she looked at him, she could feel the love he was offering her, his need to protect her and her heart warmed sadly at the sight of his worn face and the growing dark circles under his eyes. She saw his shame and guilt at his actions toward his brother and his worry for his family.

  ‘I love you,’ his fingers told the tale.

  ‘I love you too, always and all ways,’ she flashed back as she rose to meet him. His arms closed around her and her life was complete.

  Chapter 19

  Gath Leaves Devilly

  Gath rode with his entourage out of the city, the city of Devilly that had been his home for so very, very long. Now, today I am beginning my journey home, he thought, after so many years trapped with no magic on a planet where life spans are counted in moments.