The Threshold Child (60 page)

 
“What is happening?” he
asked.

Her eyes turned to the sky, which was slowly being stained red.
“The Dream is changing.”

The forest surrounding them faded and swirled into a thick fog.
L’iam advanced to stand next to Adesina, looking very nervous. Adesina herself
was anxious. She had never experienced a Dream such as this.

Everything around them lost its color except for the crimson sky.
They found themselves standing in a gray field of dead grass, covered in dead
bodies.

L’iam gasped at the sight. “Where are we?”

She knelt down to examine the closest corpse. “This is the result
of a battle. See the armor and the wounds sustained?”

She looked around, searching for some sort of indication of where
they were.

It was L’iam, however, who said, “I think we are in the north.”

The young woman stood slowly. “What makes you say that?”

He pointed to a mountain range to the south. “Those are the peaks
we passed to enter Pevothem.”

L’iam’s eyes filled with tears as he surveyed the carnage around
him. “I do not understand. What has happened here?”

His companion was still staring thoughtfully at the mountains. “I
think we should be asking
when
we are, rather than where.”

“What?”

“Location rarely matters in Dreams,” explained Adesina. “Most of
the time it is symbolic rather than literal. We should be finding out
when
this
Dream is supposed to be portraying, rather than
where
.”

He raised his hands in a helpless gesture. “How are we to do
that?”

She hadn’t the faintest idea. She wished desperately that her
mother was with her. E’rian would know how to guide Adesina through a Dream
such as this.

“Ma’eve?”

Her guardian came trotting up over a small knoll. The sight of him
made her so happy that she could have laughed and cried at the same time.

“Ravi!”

He looked around the dismal scene with a solemn expression on his
face. “What is happening?”

She shook her head in dismay. “I do not know. How did you get
here?”

“I am here because you called me,” his eyes flickered to L’iam,
“and it appears I am not the only one you have pulled into your Dream.”

The winds were picking up, blowing her silver and black hair
across her face. She pushed it back impatiently. “We need to find a way to get
out of here.”

Black clouds billowed in the distance, drawing closer with every
burst of wind. Adesina stared at the crimson sky in apprehension. “I have never
intentionally broken from a Dream like this before. I do not know if I can.”

“I do not know if we should,” inserted Ravi. “All Dreams have a
purpose, and we do not yet know what this one serves.”

The inky clouds had settled over them and began raining scarlet
drops. Adesina held out a hand to catch the blood-like rain, staring at it in
horror.

She slowly turned in a circle, taking in the sight of destruction
and despair. A chilling sense of foreboding swept through her body, making her
shiver with fear.

“Something terrible is about to happen.”

Adesina, Ravi and L’iam all jerked from the Dream at the same
time. It had shown them nothing beyond the field of the dead, but that had been
more than enough to leave them feeling cold.

It was still several hours before dawn, but none of them could
sleep. They sat huddled around the embers of the fire discussing what they had seen.

“Is Pevothem in danger?” wondered L’iam in concern.

“Not necessarily,” said Ravi slowly. “The location could be
symbolic of the feeling of home or familiarity.”

“It may have been a manifestation of your greatest fear,” added
Adesina.

L’iam gave her a searching look. “You mean
your
greatest
fear. It was your Dream, after all.”

She stared at the glowing coals of the former fire. “Perhaps you
are right.”

Ravi’s brow furrowed, not entirely convinced. “It also may have
been a glimpse of the future, or a warning.”

L’iam shook his head in disbelief. “But you said that Pevothem was
in no danger!”

“I said that the Dream did not necessarily indicate that Pevothem
was in danger. It is still a possibility.”

He sighed wearily.

The young prince shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “How can one
know the difference between symbol and literal reality?”

Ravi gave a smile that was weighed down with his many years of
experience. “That is the trouble with Dreams. It is difficult to know for sure
until viewed in retrospect.”

“So, what do we do?” asked Adesina.

He shrugged slightly, his expression uneasy. “Go forward as we
have, keeping the Dream in mind, until we have more information. What else can
we do?”

Adesina knew he was right, but still wasn’t satisfied. She got to
her feet and brushed herself off. “I am going for a walk.”

Her guardian fixed her with a stern glance. “I would much rather
you stay near the camp.”

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Why? There are no robbers
or miscreants. No one comes near this forest.”

“That does not mean that it is without peril,” he insisted. “The
old
vyala
is strange, and it has
grown wild over the centuries.”

L’iam also got to his feet. “I will go with her,” he offered.

Ravi still wasn’t mollified, but the two walked off before he
could object any further.

She threw a sideways glance at L’iam as they retreated from the
glares of her guardian. “You know, he hates it when you do that.”

“Do what?”

“Take my side. Enable me to do what he does not want me to do.”

L’iam chuckled softly. “Well, he can hardly expect less of me.”

“Why?”

After a moment of hesitation, he simply replied, “Because he grew
up with me, and he knows what I am like.”

They fell silent as they moved away from the camp. The trees were like
black pillars in the cathedral of the forest, and the moonlight filtered
through the thick foliage in feeble streaks. The whispers grew louder, drifting
like a restless wind.

“…taking no heed…”

“Far from the heart…”

“…unseen…”

“…letting uncertainty guide…”

“Darkness battles Light…”

“…in the confines of the soul…”

“Wandering child…”

Adesina shook her head. “These voices are unnerving.”

He nodded his agreement. “Yes, they can be.”

“I do not understand why they are so audible out here, but I could
hardly hear them in the camp.”

L’iam pursed his lips thoughtfully. “I think it is because the
spirits respect an area in which we choose to reside. When we come out here, we
are in their land and must meet them on their terms.”

Adesina looked around the forest, wondering what the spirits would
look like if they were visible. A thought came to her as she was considering
the possibilities.

“What would happen if I were to connect with my
vyala
while in this forest?”

He glanced at her and raised his eyebrows. “I do not know. Only
the Rashad know anything about the old
vyala
.
Only they would know how it would react with the new
vyala
.”

She gave him a mischievous smile. “Should I try?”

It was clear that he was much more apprehensive than she was. “I
do not know if that is a good idea, Adesina.”

She waved aside his concerns and turned to face the heart of the
forest. She reached down inside of herself and gently beckoned her
vyala
to awaken. It heeded her call,
filling her with warmth and power, and lighting her vision with a glow.

It seemed to her that the entire forest jolted in surprise at the
appearance of her
vyala
. As Ravi had
said, it had indeed become wild over the centuries, and it viewed her tamed
vyala
with curiosity.

Adesina was bewildered by the myriad of life that was only visible
through her new eyes. It was not merely that the trees, rocks, bushes and
streams had a life force of their own. They were all sentient beings, with a
deeper intelligence than humankind could imagine.

The whispering spirits were also now visible to her. They were
white, glowing beings of all shapes and sizes, wandering among the trees like
lost children. Adesina recognized the forms of the “mythical” creatures that
Ravi had told her inhabited the old world.

They crowded around her, speaking in voices that were no longer
whispers.

“Sister!”

“Have the Serraf come at last?”

“Nay, nay, this child is not a Serraf. Canst thou not see that she
is among the human children yonder?”

“Why, then, does she bear the Life that has fled from the outside
world?”

“Yea, thou art in the right to question her origins.”

Hush.

Adesina looked around, trying to find the source of this last
voice. It was deep and ringing, yet gentle; powerful, yet silent.

Regard her mind, and see the confusion
there.

It finally struck her that this was the voice of the forest. She
stared at the trees in wonder, sensing that it was almost like a parent figure
to all of these wandering spirits.

From whom did you inherit your Life,
child?

It took Adesina a moment to find her voice. “The L’avan are the
children of the Serraf.”

L’iam looked at her in concern, unaware to whom she was speaking.
“Adesina?”

She held out her hand to him, inviting him to join her in this
other world. After a moment’s hesitation, he took it.

One of the small spirits, no taller than Adesina’s hip, pointed to
L’iam. “Look! Another!”

Tell us of these L’avan.

She looked to her companion for help. It took him a moment to
grasp the situation, but once he did, he hurried to offer an explanation. “Our
forefathers wed the Serraf, and we are their descendants. That is how we bear
the same gifts.”

Remember all you know, and we shall hear
your thoughts as well.

Adesina didn’t know as much about L’avan history as L’iam did, so
she left the remembering up to him. She stood quietly while he held his silent
communication with the spirit of the forest.

We see. We see all that has passed since
we fled from the outside world.

“Everything?” asked L’iam.

Yes. Through your memories and the
memories of your people.

Adesina frowned. “How is that possible?”

All beings are connected—past, present,
and future. We see where you have come from, and where you are headed. We see
what will happen when you arrive at your destination.

The two L’avan exchanged glances. “You can see what is going to
happen?”

Yes.

She gave a grim smile. “I do not suppose you can tell us.”

No.

In spite of anticipating the answer, she still felt disappointed.

Nevertheless, as the children of our
sisters, we will grant you a boon.

“A boon?”

Yes. You will come this way again. When
you do, we will aid you in your return home.

L’iam frowned. “How can you do that?”

It is not needful for you to know all
things at this time. Trust us, and know that we will care for the children of
our sisters.

L’iam’s voice was sincere with gratitude. “Thank you.”

Go now. Dawn approaches.

The two L’avan let go of their
vyala
,
sharply fading back into the regular world. The voices of the spirits returned
to disembodied whispers, and the woods were once again silent.

They turned to see Ravi standing behind them, his expression
stunned.

Adesina looked at him in concern. “Ravi?”

His golden eyes were filled with disbelief. “The forest spoke to
you.”

“Is that unusual?” ask L’iam. “I mean, even for those with
vyala
?”

“It has been unheard of since the days of the old world.”

A surprised silence followed this assertion.

Finally, Adesina asked, “What does it mean?”

He shook his head. “I do not know. The world is changing, and I
believe this age is coming to a close.”

They slowly made their way back towards the camp. “The boon we
have been offered…?” began L’iam.

“Yes,” said Ravi, “I am wondering about that as well.”