* * *
They had already spent a 9-day in the area more setting up camp and getting a feel for the surrounding terrain. On the edges of this vast area it was hilly, and as they worked their way deeper into what they were now calling badlands they found sharp rises, cliffs, canyons cutting through plateaus, some areas heavy with trees, others with grass, and then like the desolation a few of what they saw was bare of any vegetation at all. It was a tortured broken land that one could easily get lost in. And when they first saw it they understood why their ancient ancestors had chosen this area. If an enemy were to attempt to follow them into these broken lands it was so very easy to spread out and disappear leaving the followers too many directions to go and by doing so weaken their own forces. The area had a raw rugged beauty about it that drew one in wanting to see what the next rise and valley would present. And this was a danger in itself – it would be easy to become lost, with the washes turning and twisting in multiple directions, branching off, and turning in on themselves. Many of these narrow canyons showed signs of heavy flooding, and because of their narrowness they also were in shadow a good part of the day. So using the suns as a way to determine direction, many times was impossible.
The area spoke of a rawness that said don’t attempt to tame us, we have always been here and will be long after you are no more. It was a land of many streams, a few rivers, and many waterfalls. Here caves abounded with some hillsides filled with them giving the appearance of villages in the hills. At no time did they find sign of any ever having been here, let alone living here. They found that they could hike all day running through a series of those small narrow canyons only to turn a corner and find themselves looking at a large meadow being fed by one of those many streams and see in the distance another waterfall. And the waterfalls were of infinite variety. Some fell from great heights while others were a series of falls, and still others broke and split and ran off the cliffs in different directions. Never were there two alike, but each unique to itself. In some areas they could find long dead cinder cones, proof of this area’s volcanic origin. Then close to a series of these cinder cones they found hot springs, and a series of geysers. Since this was the first time they had personally experienced geysers, even though they had read about them in the learning center, the view took their breath away leaving them in awe of what this world was showing them. Out of those hot springs ran small rivulets that created small streams, and as the water flowed, it left colored deposits on the soil adding further beauty to this hidden world.
Because of the remoteness of the area from any village or farmland, they kept their pack beast with them fearing that there could easily be some predator that would attack and kill it leaving them without a way to move their supplies. As they worked their way through the land they added to their maps, and while the maps in their mind were very incomplete, as the ones they were creating on parchment, slowly they were beginning to see and understand this place. A number of times as they had worked their way west they would find places where a particular canyon or valley that they were exploring would open into the desolation. Showing why this area had been chosen to organize those attacks on the hidden lairs. Yet, the prize eluded them. Time and time again they felt that they had been close, and studying the ancient rough map that they had in their possession, it looked right, or felt right, only to find that it wasn’t so.
As the Season of Green moved on into the Season of Heat they were beginning to have doubts that the entrance would ever be revealed to them. Both were sure that they had to have gone by it a number of times. Both remembered the words of that wild one who stated that he had been in the valley once, but when trying to find it again could never relocate it. And knowing what they did about this one, if he couldn’t return to it, then the entrance was well hidden and only circumstance and time of day would reveal it. Finally narrowing their search down to a specific area deep inside these badlands, they had set up camp after moving it from the hills just outside of the badlands. They had decided that they needed their working camp to be in the area that they were searching, and they had discovered enough meadowlands within to keep the pack beast fed. With a new site established, both were sitting watching the suns set over the cliffs off to their west, seeing the shadows grow and the light soften towards dusk, it had been another frustrating unsuccessful day. “Look, I don’t know about you,” Kal stated, “but I feel like we are so very close.”
She laughed and asked, “How do you mean that?” She reached out and put her arms around him and asked, “Do you mean like this?” At which point she kissed him, smiled and pulled back, and leaned forward before continuing in a little more serious tone. “Know what you really meant, but I just couldn’t help it. You just seemed so serious and your statement could have meant so many different things. But, I don’t have any answers. Just like when we were trying to find that old clan home, we’ve run into obstacles and part of those is the map that our ancestors provided. Again, like we discovered last time, there’s nothing consistent in what’s up or what’s down, or what direction is what. And some of the things they’ve used for landmarks have disappeared over time. Orientation is also hard to figure. Both of us have decided that if a tribe or clan were newly added that they would be given a map like this to lead them to the meeting place. But at the same time they left something out so that if the map fell into the hands of an enemy they couldn’t discover this meeting place and set up an ambush.”
“Yeah, and the problem that both of us are facing is that we can’t speak to any of them since they’ve been dead for such a very long time. So without that verbal key we’re banging our proverbial head against a wall.”
“True, true, at least we can say we’ve seen some very beautiful country, and seen sights that others haven’t. So if nothing else is to come of this we have that.”
He couldn’t help but smile. She always had a way of bringing out the good side of what they did, even if he hadn’t seen it at the time. “You are so right. This whole area is very beautiful, and because of its isolation very few come here. So it’s almost like we’re the first, even though we know better.”
They spent the night in each other’s arms. It had been one of those romantic nights with the major moon rising giving the lands a magical feel leading them to being physical a couple of times. Finally satiated from their love making they both fell to sleep with a soft warm breeze coming off the desolation which lay to the west of them. The night was slowly cooling and later before the morning chill made them cover up; they remained on top of their sleep sacks with only a light covering to keep them warm. And with the morning both of them took a quick invigorating dip in pond that they had camped close to. Shivering from the cold water both headed back to the roaring fire that they had built before heading for that morning dip. Wrapping a drying cloth around themselves they absorbed the heat the fire was throwing out.
Finally they grabbed their clothes that had been placed close to the fire, dressed, enjoying the warmth of the clothing on their cool skin. Finally warm and with only their hair now wet, Kal walked out and away from their camp while today Jura had the kitchen duty and was fixing the morning meal. It had been a magical end to the day and a wonderful night last night. Still, they were no closer to solving this puzzle. And when he thought about it that way, it brought a smile to his face, since that wild one liked puzzles and had dropped in on them a number of times since that first visit so long ago. Well they surely had one here. Kal knew that they were close. This area where they were camping matched well an area on that primitive map that marked a gathering place that was close to the hidden entrance into the valley. He stood and watched as the suns began their daily rise above the canyon walls promising the heat that would be arriving soon. Yet right at this time the heat the suns produced felt great. About this time he heard Jura say that the food was on, and if he wanted it hot he’d better get over here. Turning around and smiling, even though, because he was between her and the suns, so she couldn’t
actually see him well, he said, “Yup, that’s how I like my food, and my female – hot.” This brought a laugh out of both of them as he came back to the fire and joined her.
Later, after the camp had been cleaned up, and the suns were up high enough to cast some deep shadows, they began to study the canyon walls that surrounded them. Seeing how the lay of the land truly was. Both sat on a small rise arm in arm, enjoying the peace and slight breezes that surrounded them at this very moment. It seemed that all was right with the world, and with them, as they reveled in each other’s company, not speaking, but enjoying the closeness, the quiet, and each other. What more could they ask for? Well, other than the shadows revealing the trail into the valley, but there was a warmth, a deep companionship here, and both realized that these forays into the wilds had made them ever so much closer, so much deeper in love with each other, leaving them with a deeper commitment and desire to be with the other. It was one of the important aspects of these searches that hadn’t originally been considered. They spent the time this way until midmorning talking about nothing and just holding each other.
Finally Kal said, “I think I could spend all day just doing this, and by the gods, why not. After all a down day now and then is nice and necessary, so let’s just take a leisurely stroll around this canyon and just idly look around, take it easy and not push anything today. This day, so far has been very nice. I feel the need just to be close to you today – can’t explain it, but it’s so.”
She smiled, even though it was one of those rare shy smiles. She’d been thinking the same thing actually. The last day or so she found herself being drawn closer to him, and last night had been wonderful, and now today it just seemed right to let it just continue. She looked into his eyes and said, “You’re not going to get me to argue. I feel very much the same way. So, I know what you said, but is there something specific?”
He smiled back at her and said, “No, not really. I know originally we were going to do some searches here, but it can wait. Just let the day become what it will. Although with last night being as good as it was, I think that if the day goes as well, I’d like to repeat it if we could.”
She laughed. “I thought as much. But you’re not going to get me to argue after all I agree with you, it was wonderful last night. Okay, we’ll take the day as it comes and then we’ll see.”
* * *
After a very relaxing day the day before both felt recharged and ready to tackle their task at hand. They really couldn’t remember the last time that they had taken a full day to just enjoy each other and block out the world. But time moves on, and it was now in the past. With the primitive map in hand they were comparing the landmarks on the map with the canyon they were presently in, and so far had been unsuccessful in making anything match once they got beyond the area that they had identified as the initial gathering area before heading into the valley. With no distances marked they could still easily be at least a day away or it could be here. But with all the growth of the trees and bushes nothing was easy. Yes there were a few trails through this stuff which allowed them to approach the canyon walls, but all of it was hard going. Where they had their camp was grasslands like where they came from, a rather large meadow, but as they approached the water flowing through this canyon, the trees became thick as did the bushes. And for whatever the reason, it seemed that these bushes were thickest at the canyon walls.
Another 9-day had passed without much success when, as the suns were setting they watched a shadow fall wrong across one of the faces of the cliff. It should have lain straight against the wall but instead dipped and disappeared showing that there had to be a crack or something else here that wasn’t normally visible to the eye. So with the fading light they quickly headed towards this illusion before darkness claimed it. And if that happened they weren’t sure that they could come back to this place and find it again. The wild one had stated that he had only found the entrance by following his intended target and after leaving had never been able to find his way back. So if one did not mark the entrance, the chances of finding it again were close to zero. Most surprising of all was the fact that the area they were heading to, was out in the open, not blocked by either trees or bushes. It was a spot that they had passed by, who knew how many times, giving it little thought. They had studied this face a number of times but have never seen anything to would lead them to believe that there was a way through. This wall appeared to be solid.
Even as they approached the wall they couldn’t see the break in it and once they reached it, it still wasn’t obvious. No wonder this trail had never been found and thusly had been placed in the myth category. If there was no way into such a place, then the place probably did not exist, and if it did not exist it had to be myth. And it was now almost too dark to see so one of them stood at the point where the shadow had appeared and the other went quickly to gather what stones they could find to place a small cairn here to mark it so that in the morning when they would have the whole day ahead of them they could come back to the exact location and do a much better search. It would be awhile before the minor moons rose tonight, so with care they stumbled back to their camp full of energy and anticipation for what they would discover on the morrow. In a sense it was frustrating to both of them, but there was little they could do about it. Of course what was there could turn out to be just another dead end. There were breaks and cracks all through the walls of this canyon and most were just that. So the odds were that this would be the same. But, this couldn’t be answered at this time.
It was late before they could wind down enough to sleep, and with their expectations high they had a wonderful physical session that left both of them breathless. They lay in each other’s arms for quite a while afterwards, and slowly their breathing eased and both fell asleep until later when the chill of the night finally penetrated and they climbed into their sleep sacks, and fell immediately back to sleep. Both surely hoped that, with all the time they had spent in this broken rugged land, with the Season of Heat winding down, and the time of harvest was fast approaching, this was what they had been searching for. They were once again running out of time. One did not remain out here in the Season of Cold. It was obvious to them as they had explored the many canyons and valleys. There were signs of flash floods and high water everywhere. So it was an area to stay away from if one wanted to remain among the living.
The morning broke bright and cold. One of the signs that signaled the Season of Falling was approaching. The morning chill had a bite to it that made them want to stay close to their fire. Their breath was coming out in clouds, being quite visible in the morning light, before evaporating and disappearing completely. Looking over at Jura, Kal thought. She doesn’t look so good this morning – hope she’s not getting sick or something. “Is something wrong? You’re looking a little off this morning.”
She smiled at him even though it was a weak one. “Don’t think so, but my stomach seems a bit queasy this morning and these smells that usually seem to cheer me up almost make me sick just by smelling them.”
He saw a surprised look on her face and she got up rapidly and headed back behind their portable shelter and he heard her throw up, not once but several times. Yeah she definitely had caught something. This surely would put a damper on the day and what they had hoped to discover, but her health was so much more important to him than finding that entrance. He watched her as she came back around, appearing to be a little shaky, and sit back down. “That was unpleasant”, he said. No sooner had he said that that she was immediately back up and headed once more behind the portable shelter and he heard her heave again. Wow, whatever it is its nasty. “Are you all right?” He asked He heard a bit of mumbling but couldn’t make out what she said. Finally after a while she finally came back around and sat down once again, looking a bit white under her dark tan. “I guess we’ll just stay in camp today and see how this progresses with you. I’m not going to leave you by yourself when you’re obviously sick.” He could see that she
was about to protest, but he put up his hand to silence her, shaking his head he said. “Look, this can wait, you are what is important. Not some old trail or valley that will still be there long after you and I are gone. So don’t protest, we still have time … I just don’t want you getting any worse.”
This had come out of nowhere and was completely unexpected. She had felt great last night, and buoyed by their possible success yesterday it had even given her more energy, and she had to admit that last night they’d been as close as they ever had been, actually almost desperate for the need of each other. This had only happened a few times in their relationship and every time that it had happened in the past, they would look forward to those rare times when it would show once again. So, why now? What did she catch? Well, whatever it was she didn’t want it to be around very long, they had too much to do, and the seasons were winding down once again towards the time when they would have to abandon what they were doing. She watched, as Kal puttered around the camp, watching her as she tried to put on a happy face trying to look better than she felt. Inwardly she had to smile, because the concern that he showed was very genuine, and she had to admit that she appreciated it very much. With their research of the past she had become very knowledgeable of how life had been for females and it wasn’t pretty, nice, or anything that she could think that she’d want to live or do.
Yet, as the morning progressed her stomach began to settle down and she wasn’t feeling like she’d need to go behind their portable shelter and lose whatever was still there. Truthfully, with all she had done this morning there really couldn’t be much left. Sitting there she drank cold water and attempted a little of that bland travel bread that they had with them. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to put any food into her system, but felt that she needed to try. The last thing she really wanted to do was repeat her earlier episode. Gingerly she nibbled the bread, and drank a lot of water and found that she could keep it down. Then, to her surprise, she felt fine. So what was that all about anyway? “Kal, I think the worst is over, so why don’t we go over and at least look. It’s really not that far, and if I begin to feel bad again it’s a short distance back to here.”
A Taste of History Past Page 31