“She’s like you, playing with powers that she hardly understands. In the Institute, children identified with the power to be pilots are recruited early and train for years before being given a ship. Not only do you have to learn how to commune with a ship like the Raven, you need to learn how to control the telepathic pathways this portal is giving you. Even I don’t know the limit to your abilities.”
“I don’t want this, Fromer.”
“You don’t have a choice Amy. Luckily, you have a teacher and that evil woman does not.”
After what seems like days in this weird dream, I awake to Theo’s even breathing. From the look of the sky, I’ve been asleep for no more than an hour.
I wrap myself in Theo’s large shirt and head outside. The constellation of the archer is low in the sky, reminding me of Bets for some reason. I climb the stairs and stare at the lake. After Fromer’s tutelage in my extended dream, the lake is no longer chaotic to me, but organized. I can see pathways swirling in the currents. I can hear voices drifting in the wind.
“There you are. And there’s my shirt.” Theo’s standing next to me, shirtless and looking cold.
“Sorry. I’ve no idea how long I’ve been standing here.”
“It’s nearly dawn.” He peers at my face. “Dear gods. That bastard really went to town on you. If he touches you again, he’s dead.”
“I think Etch has the first rights,” I laugh, hurting my mouth.
As if on cue, the Fuerst appears in the sky, landing in the same spot. Theo clucks. “Etch and Wenn are back. I wonder what they did?”
“It’s probably best not to ask.”
At dawn, a bell rings in the town square. Sleepy villagers assemble in the moist, morning cold. Wenn stands on a platform, dressed in his finest clothes. Etch is absent, but I suspect he’s watching remotely.
Bets and Minns join Theo and I in the back of the crowd. “What’s Wenn up to?” Bets murmurs.
Wenns puffs up. “People of Yellow Stone. As you know, we have important visitors. They are here to purge the evil amassing at the lake’s edge and allow us to take back our land and water.”
The crowd begins chattering. We receive curious glances. An old woman asks, “Where’s the one that looks like Fromer? Is he here to save us?”
Wenn nods. “His name is Etch. He is very old and wise. He’s traveled through the sky and will help us.”
“What happened to the other ship? The one with Captain Leo?”
“The Captain will return with more items to trade. Our relationship with the ones called the Institute remains strong. In a fortnight, we will attack the ones camped on the west shore. We have another guest, who is of great importance. She is the keeper. She’s come to banish the fog and its illness from our world.” He points at me and the entire crowd turns, staring at me and my bruised face. What must they think of the tiny beaten woman wrapped in a worn blanket? “Amy Marksman, please come forward.”
I look at Theo, who’s dumbstruck. He opens his eyes wide, sighs, and motions me forward. I shuffle forward, all faces following me. I find myself standing next to the man who beat me only a few hours earlier.
“Amy, what do you have to say to us?”
I’m back around the fire in the village, with the teacher forcing me to address the crowd about the season’s harvest. My throat seizes and I want to run. How is it that I can stand down a demon from another world but fear a crowd of townspeople?
My voice cracks. “I am Amy, a garden tender. I know who is tormenting you and she seeks to destroy all of us.” I lift my arms. “All of this. Everything we hold dear and love, she reviles. The god Fromer, who you all revere, is my friend and teacher. He tells me that I am the one who will deliver us from this evil thing. I also will keep the lake from ever hurting anyone again. The portal within the deep waters will serve us for peace and prosperity, not harm. I cannot do this alone, however. I ask you to join me — help me — to save this place and our very souls.”
The crowd is silent. One person claps and then another. Within moments, the square fills with clapping, shouts, and laughter. I’m apparently the only one in the group that feels like crying.
Over the next few days, Wenn retreats into the shadows, while Etch, Theo, Minns, Bets, and
I are eagerly embraced by the villagers. The town sheriff, a short, gruff fellow named Ricard, has given us his full attention and access to his best troops. He stares at me constantly, as if he’s trying to determine what magic I possess or whether I’m a complete fraud. I’m completely ordinary — not like Etch or Fromer. What miracles can they expect from me?
At night, Fromer continues to give me lessons in my dreams. I can possess many grubs at once. Thresh indeed has no idea that I can step into her mind, although Fromer assures me that this will not last much longer. To my relief, he shows me that Thresh is unable to occupy me in the same way, because I have long learned to close my mind to outside influence. I’m quite proud of my stubborn streak and delighted to find that it translates to my telepathy.
The lake fascinates me. The more I study it, the more I see patterns and connections. I’ve discovered where the fog emerges and catch glimpses of the eyeless, lifeless ones beyond the portal. They are indeed like the grubs and other creatures wandering around Thresh’s camp. Their home in the void has no light nor warmth. Life confuses them and fills them with rage. They will do anything to suffocate it, stamp it out like the last few embers of a fire. Somehow, the travel of the pilot’s ships through the non-place called infraspace has disturbed them. Most importantly, they want revenge.
I want Fromer to show me how to close the door to these beings. About this, he is annoyingly coy. I wonder whether he’s as unsure about this tactic as I am. He provides one clue — I will need help from the other side of the portal to accomplish this task. Who will be providing the assistance is anyone’s guess.
Bets and Minns have become Ricard’s lieutenants, teaching him how to use some of the simpler weapons from the arsenals in the Fuerst and Raven. We’ve debated the wisdom of distributing this technology to the villagers. But to have a chance against the enormous creatures wandering Thresh’s camp, we have no choice. In private, Etch has warned us that the Institute and FRT forces will be back soon and we’ll need the ability to defend ourselves from them as well.
The fighters in the village are well trained and eager to learn. Most barely remember a time when the horrific creatures didn’t roam their land, taking their family and friends. The recent arrival of Thresh has incensed them — they’ve been looking for a leader to concentrate their frustration and fear. We’re giving them hope and purpose.
Ricard and I have become good friends, much to my relief. He is a few years older than me and moved to Yellow Stone when he was very young. His hometown, east of the mountains, was destroyed by raiders — just ordinary evil people — no monsters or corpses. His father was killed in the attack. His mother and aunt escaped and managed to make it up the mountain with him to Yellow Stone. He quickly rose as a leader in the village, being well known for his ability to fight the strange beings appearing on the lake’s shores. When Wenn, father, and Fromer arrived, he welcomed them. His wise judgment solidified his standing with the people. He apparently views me similarly and is helping elevate my standing with the villagers.
Ricard, Bets, and Minns have begun training our troops. While they fight imaginary monsters that will too soon be real, Etch has been giving me flying lessons in the Raven. The ship has given its soul to me. I’ve found that tending it is as satisfying and rewarding as caring for the gardens back home. I use the ship’s synthesizers to replace worn parts and renew the interior. I spend hours sitting in the pilot’s chair exploring the ship’s intricate systems, discovering new abilities and ways to reach out beyond myself. The ship is more than a means of transportation. It’s a place for self-exploration and meditation.