She almost felt guilty for trying to find a way to leave, yet at the same time, she felt guilty for staying with Bryon and Alena for so long with the two girls. She also thought it might be easier to take the girls across to Earth while they were still little. Most importantly, she wanted her own mother to be able to share in her experience of raising them. With her own maternal instinct operating in full force, she truly began to appreciate how hard her own mother must have worked in raising her three children without the help of the protective crystals.
She strolled to the market looking around the neighborhood as she went. Amanda was fascinated since this neighborhood could easily be transplanted onto Earth and be utterly unremarkable. Once she arrived at the market, she felt the same thing except for the odd varieties of foods available.
She kept her ears open for any opportunity to discover a way to go back to Earth. Once she had thought she had heard the term old soul, but by the time she turned around, she had no idea who had spoken it. Deciding it was useless; she purchased her supplies and began the journey home.
Amanda took this quiet time to look in on her daughters from a distance. She concentrated her thoughts through the colors of the crystals and found she was able to both see and hear everything happening around the twins. Satisfied because they were both still asleep and the household was in order, she decided to stop at the park and rest for a few minutes while enjoying the sun.
Amanda reflected on the time she had spent in Tuala. She had been there for just over nine months. She had arrived at the end of June, which they called Elul, and now it was the end of March, which the Tualans called Sivan. Amanda had not really noticed the changes of seasons due to the temperate climate.
She thought about her parents and what they must be going through believing her to be dead. She patted the pocket which contained Barla’s letter; she would be sure to bring closure to Barla’s family regarding her disappearance. She was so conscious of this responsibility she never left her room without Barla’s note.
What had begun as a warm, sunny day had turned cloudy. A chilly breeze and a sprinkle of rain brought Amanda’s thoughts back to her current reality. She collected her bags of groceries and started the short walk home at a brisk pace.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
After coming up empty-handed in his search for Jesisca in Cresdon, Petre gathered supplies to continue his trading business. Each time he entered the cabin he was forcibly reminded of his loss. More than once he looked through her clothes and tried to envision what she would look like wearing them.
He missed having her warm body beside him in bed at night. He missed having her smile at him across the table while they ate. He missed watching her sit on the bow of the water craft looking out over the water. Petre finally had to admit to himself he really did have feelings for Jesisca, even more than simple lust.
At every port he came to, he asked his usual contacts if they might have any information on Jesisca. Every time the answer was the same, nobody had seen her. Petre began to wonder if maybe she had been found and taken by an Elder. It would explain a lot of things.
After traveling along the coastline, he found himself back in the Port of Cresdon. He had won a shipment of telepod crystals which he would have to deliver personally to the distribution center in Kirma. Petre was looking forward to the change of scenery, and it would also give him a chance to ask more people if they had seen Jesisca.
Petre rented a transport telepod and loaded his cargo. The transport was so ill-kept, he was forced to travel quite some distance inland before he was able to effectively teleport into Kirma. Once there, he made immediate arrangements for the delivery and payment of his telepod crystals with the manager named Bryon.
“I’ve got a shipment of telepod crystals to be delivered to you,” Petre said to Bryon.
“Where did they come from?” Bryon asked suspiciously.
“I received them from Kenen at the Beewa quarry. He asked me to bring them to you specifically,” Petre replied assuredly, taking an immediate disliking to Bryon who seemed pompous and overly confident with his tall, muscular frame and rugged good looks.
“From Kenen, huh?” he questioned and then shrugged his shoulders. “How many crates did he send?”
“I’ve twenty-eight of them, each containing four crystals.”
“Let’s just check a couple boxes to see what the quality is like, shall we?” Bryon said as he opened the first box to inspect the goods for breakage. What he found was typical of Kenen’s products, mostly inferior quality. “I can give you one taj and five shills for each crate,” he said with finality.
He was sure Bryon had paid him less than his cargo was worth, but since he had actually won the cargo in a card game, it had not cost him anything except the transport rental, and he needed the money. With their business concluded, Petre was about to ask Bryon about Jesisca but was interrupted by another warehouse worker needing Bryon’s attention. He scowled at Bryon’s back as he left with the other worker. Then he turned to go to the office to get his payment.
He was greeted by a young woman whose green eyes and auburn hair were a striking combination. Petre looked down on her nameplate and smiled when he addressed the petite woman with his request, “Hi, Frasnia. Bryon just agreed to pay me forty-two taj for my twenty-eight crates of crystals. I assume you are the right person to issue payment.”
Frasnia took an immediate dislike to the disheveled man who stood in front of her. She definitely did not want him to see where she kept the key to her money box so she replied as nicely as she could, “Please take a seat over there and I’ll have your money in a few minutes.” She gestured to the seating as far from her as possible and hoped he would take the hint.
Petre smiled what he thought of as his sexy grin and said, “Are you busy after work?”
Frasnia tried to control her shiver of revulsion as she looked up at him and replied, “Yes, my boyfriend and I are going out to dinner. Please take a seat now.”
Petre complied with good grace and sat in the indicated chair.
With the man no longer hovering over her desk she typed a quick query on the patil to make sure the price quoted was actually true. Once she received confirmation, she began counting out the coins into a small cloth sack while she sat at her desk.
Petre made sure his fingers touched hers when he accepted the payment she personally brought to him across the office. He always appreciated a slender figure on a woman and hers was just about perfection. “It’s really too bad you’re not available,” he said with a final attempt.
“Have a nice day,” Frasnia replied curtly and turned around to walk back to her desk. She wanted to have her patil available if this disgusting man did not leave immediately. Thankfully it was not necessary as he left the office with a parting grin over his shoulder. She had been surprised to see the name listed on the invoice was that of Petre MacVeen since she knew how Bryon felt about the man. She had never actually met him before, but, since she had, she would be glad when he was once again out of town.
With his pockets full of money, Petre decided to go to the market to pick up some supplies which could only be found inland. He took his time wandering through the aisles of vendors. He was enjoying being treated with respect; the people here did not know his name or his reputation.
He spoke with the vendors casually, trying to glean any information about whether or not the Elders had found any old souls lately. People looked at him oddly and quickly shook their heads. Almost before the discussion had begun, it ended. Petre decided to get his items together and plan to head back to Cresdon before it got too much later.
He was making his last purchase of fresh fruit when he heard a voice which was oddly familiar. At first, he could not place where he had heard it, but then he caught a glimpse of a woman’s profile and hair and realized it had to be Jesisca. He could not believe his luck; it had to be her, even though she was heavier than he remembered.
Rushing the vendor to package hi
s items, he shoved money at the old man and hurried to catch up with the woman whom he could no longer see. Petre pushed rudely through the crowd of people and hopped up to try to see over them. She had to have gone this direction. He would find her and bring her back with him in his rented telepod. She would be his again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The dark clouds were gathering on the horizon, and Amanda wondered if they were going to have an electrical storm. The rain started to come down in earnest, so she quickened her pace to a trot. The first flash of lightning followed immediately by a boom of thunder hit just as Amanda reached the front door. She rushed into the house and shut the door solidly behind her, thankful for the safety from the storm.
Her body was shaking from the aftermath of her journey. Not only was she not as physically fit as she had once been, the storm had also rattled her to the core. She had not realized thunder and lightning actually scared her now. Before her accident with Nealand, she had always been fascinated by the raw power of nature at its most powerful.
To calm her nerves, Amanda checked on the twins on her way through the living room to the kitchen. They were both sleeping peacefully through the thunder and lightning raging overhead outside. Alena smiled at her as she deposited the parcels beside her on the kitchen counter. Amanda spoke first, “They didn’t have any taro root yet. They said it’s still too early in the season for it. They might get their first shipment next week.”
“I was afraid of that,” Alena replied. “I guess I’ll have to use the canned taro root for the foxl pie tonight instead. It’s always so much tastier when it’s fresh.”
Together they prepared dinner. They talked about the twins and about the weather. Alena told her this storm would not last, but Amanda believed she was mistaken. Having been outside in it, she thought it was going to be a monster of a storm.
However, as this was the first weather system of the season, it was short lived. After the initial downpour, the clouds blew through quickly, leaving only a drizzle of rain behind. Amanda was thankful for the storm’s brevity; she had dreaded the thought of one of the major electrical storms she had heard Bryon and Alena talk about throughout the winter season.
Another mesan went by and still the rainy season had yet to start. There was a palpable tension in the air as everyone seemed to anticipate its beginning. And still, nothing happened. Amanda was feeling even more anxious since Alena had adamantly refused to let her venture out to the market again, coming up with one excuse after another for her not to go.
Without informing Amanda, Bryon had told Alena about his encounter with Petre at the warehouse. Both of them were concerned Amanda’s trip to the market on the same day Bryon had bought the crystals had been noticed by Petre, and maybe he would hang around trying to find her. Several weeks went by before Bryon had word from one of his contacts about Petre being back on his regular trading route nowhere near Kirma or Cresdon.
Bryon suggested an outing with Amanda to help alleviate some of the tedium of everyday life. He suggested a short hike in the foothills of Cresdon. Seeing the expression of doubt on Amanda’s face, he quickly pointed out they could take a telepod ride to get there and back making it a short trip indeed.
Excited for the telepod ride, Amanda quickly agreed. She went into her room, changed into her working clothes, safely tucked Barla’s letter in her pants’ pocket, and donned her sturdiest walking shoes. She met Bryon, similarly dressed, in the kitchen where Alena was just handing Bryon a satchel containing their lunch.
“All set?” Bryon asked as Amanda appeared in the doorway.
“I think so. Do I need to bring anything special?”
“Nope. Alena was kind enough to pack us some snacks, and I already have our water bottles in the telepod. I think we’re ready. Goodbye, my love,” he said as he leaned down and kissed Alena soundly on the lips.
“You’ll know if the twins need you,” Alena said to Amanda as she hugged her quickly before she followed Bryon out the door to the waiting telepod.
“Thank you for watching them for me.”
“It’s my pleasure,” she answered and then shooed her out the door. “Go! Have fun!”
Amanda practically skipped to the telepod in her excitement to get out of the house. Bryon had told her the area where they were going would have spectacular views of the coastline which she was eager to see. Not for the first time she wished she had a camera to be able to capture images for eternity. She reached the telepod door, stepped in quickly, and then fastened her seat harness with enthusiasm.
Amanda glanced at Bryon who was smiling at her readiness as he activated the control to shut the door. Then she saw him concentrate on fixing their coordinates in his mind. She stayed silent as she felt the telepod rise off of the ground. She anticipated the few moments of nothingness which would quickly be followed by the new surroundings of their destination.
The views were even better than Bryon had described. Before the telepod even settled down on ground Amanda’s face was plastered to the side window. “Wow,” was all she could manage to say to express the vastness of the terrain at sea level.
“Just wait,” Bryon said as he gathered their gear and went out the telepod door. “The view from the top of the mountain is even better.”
Amanda exited the telepod and glanced behind them at the mountain trail Bryon had indicated. It looks like a rather daunting day hike, she thought to herself.
“Let’s hurry,” Bryon said as he headed for the trail. “I’d like to get to the lookout point before those clouds settle further down on the mountainside obscuring our view.”
Bryon set a grueling pace on the trail which followed a seasonal stream. Amanda was soon panting for breath and hoping they would be able to take a short break so she could enjoy the sounds of nature and see if there were any wildlife around. Bryon took pity on her shortly thereafter; however, they only rested for a few minutes.
Amanda was just starting to wonder if they would ever reach their destination when they rounded the final corner and came to a broad plateau which looked out over the vista of shoreline. Bryon indicated they should sit on a couple of boulders, and Amanda watched as he spread out the contents of their lunch. It was a simple fare of shredded foxl sandwiches and mixed fruit salad. She ate with an appetite she did not know she still possessed.
Once her stomach was sated, she decided to look in on the twins to see how they were faring. Both little girls were being held by Alena and entertained by the three other children. Amanda smiled and returned her focus to her surroundings.
Bryon was smiling at her and asked, “How are Juila and Jena?”
“How’d you know I was checking on them?”
“I’ve seen the same expression on Alena’s face enough times to know when a mother’s checking on her children. What were they doing?”
“Alena was holding them while your children were taking turns entertaining them,” she answered with a smile on her face.
“She just adores babies. I’m afraid she’s catching the baby bug again, and I can feel another baby in my future within the next nine mesans or so!” Bryon’s attempt at looking pitifully put out failed miserably, and they both ended up laughing together.
They sat for a few more minutes in contemplative silence, enjoying the view of the horizon. Since they were no longer moving, Amanda could feel the coolness of the air high up on the mountain. She looked up and realized with a start that the clouds which had seemed so far above were now mere feet above their head. She could see them shifting in the wind, and she smelled rain.
Bryon saw her upturned face and looked at the clouds himself. “It looks as though the weather is letting us know it’s time to start heading back. Going downhill is better and worse at the same time. It’s certainly quicker, but it’s a lot easier to trip and fall, too!”
Amanda wished he had not mentioned anything about tripping since she was notorious for that very action. She reminded herself she was older now and had not tripped the enti
re day, and it had to count for something! She smiled inwardly, stood up, and brushed the grit from her trousers. She watched as Bryon meticulously gathered every last bit of debris before they began their return.
He stowed the items in his small backpack and said, “I think I got everything. You’d better take one last look before the clouds obscure everything and then we need to get going.”
Amanda did as told and looked out over the vista. She prepared a photo of it in her head to remember always. A few moments later she was following Bryon back down the steep trail.
As her intuition had indicated, it did start to rain; not the soft, happy rain, but hard sheets of rain. It seemed as though the rainy season had begun in earnest.
Amanda’s hair was quickly plastered to her head, and her clothes were becoming sodden and heavy. Her feet began skidding and sliding on the now muddy track they were following. She began to wish they had left much earlier to avoid this whole mess.
At first, Bryon was sure-footed on the trail in front of Amanda making her feel clumsier still. After five more minutes of rain saturating the soil, he, too, began to slip and slide as they descended the mountain. Each turn in the trail brought them closer to their destination, but they still had a long way to go and the steepest part was closest to the bottom.
They had just reached the steep straight stretch which would lead them to where they had parked the telepod when they felt a deep rumbling under their feet. At first, Amanda thought it was thunder, but one look at Bryon’s face disillusioned her of the idea. What she saw on his face was pure terror, and she did not know what had caused it.
“What’s happened?” Amanda asked urgently to Bryon as he started slipping and sliding to get off of the trail.
“I’ve seen the aftermath but never heard the beginning. If I’m not mistaken, the sound was the start of an avalanche!”
She did not need any more prompting. She would rather slide down the remainder of the trail on her rear than get caught in a muddy avalanche. Amanda did more falling in the next thirty feet than she had in the past ten years of her life, yet she did not care. She could see the end of the trail about three hundred yards in the distance. Hearing breaking noises behind her, she looked back, and saw a wall of mud, trees, rocks and debris fifty feet away and heading straight for them.
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