On the fifth night of their stay, as they gathered around the large bonfire, Aydehn cleared his throat and said to Jaax, “I have received word today that there is a shipping barge coming through in two days’ time. It belongs to a cousin of mine who makes a living trading goods between Lidien and the cities of the Lake Islands.”
Jaax listened intently, the orange glow of the fire playing against his sharp features.
“It’s a rather sizeable barge and my cousin has written that the trade has been light this run. He always makes a stop here, for often times we have a few items to barter with and he is always glad to visit me and I him. But what I’m trying to say is would you be interested in hitching a ride for the remainder of your trip? The barge goes directly to Lidien from here.”
Jaax was already shaking his head. “No. It’s too risky. If trouble should arise we would be confined to one spot. A moving target, yes, but from what I know of freight ships they are very slow, especially on the Saem. Maneuvering past all the sandbars and islets would delay the trip considerably.”
“Yes, I understand,” Aydehn continued, fiddling with his shirt. “But you see the advantage would be your trail would end here. If the Crimson King hunts you this far, his men will not know where to go from here.”
Jaax actually looked like he was considering it but Jahrra couldn’t say for sure.
“A barge would never hold my weight,” he finally said.
Aydehn just grinned, the light of the fire glinting off his teeth. “Oh no, you are wrong my old friend. As long as you don’t thrash around in your sleep and you don’t pick up the habit of walking around the deck, then this boat should carry you well.”
“I’ll think about it,” Jaax finally growled. “But if we are to ride this barge then perhaps we should see the Tree tomorrow.”
Jahrra froze, halfway between taking a sip of her cider. A cold tingle slid down her spine and her stomach began to churn with nervousness. The Oak Tree.
“Yes of course, tomorrow morning then. We shall make our trek to the goddess’s most divine creation.”
That night, Jahrra found it very hard to fall asleep. She wished to see the Tree more than anything. After all, it was where she was found abandoned and new to the world all those years ago. But for that same reason she also dreaded it.
-Chapter Five-
The Oak of Ethoes
In the morning, Jahrra wasn’t surprised to find her stomach tied in knots. She had barely managed to fall asleep the night before as she tossed and turned, her mind turbulent with anxiety, nervousness, fear and even a little excitement. She was going to see the Oak of Ethoes today, the starting point of her tumultuous life. The dawn was gray, a color she had grown accustomed to in the early hours of this place, but it was much darker than usual for the sun had not yet risen.
Stretching and yawning she rolled over in her blanket only to find Jaax watching her from across the small campsite.
A heartbeat or two passed before he spoke, quietly, “Are you well?”
His question could have had many meanings but she knew what he was asking. She nodded, then sighed, then looked back up at him, hoping he read the truth in her eyes. The slight ducking of his head told her that he did.
He looked away, beyond the trees standing in front of their secluded niche. “It is natural to be nervous but I promise you it’s not nearly as bad as you think.”
Jahrra lifted herself up on one elbow. “So you’ve returned to the place of your, uh, hatching, after living a lie for most of your life?”
She tried not to sound sarcastic but she feared it came out that way. Jaax turned back towards her and she could barely make out the corners of a grin on his face.
“Not quite, but let’s just say I’ve had experience in such things.”
Jahrra blinked and dropped her head again. Another one of Jaax’s mysteries. But she didn’t have the energy to argue him into an explanation. Not that she could if she wanted to. They reclined in silence until the sound of the first risers in the village greeted their ears.
“Come,” Jaax said, rising and stretching his massive wings. “I’m sure there will be a great breakfast feast this morning and I wouldn’t be surprised if half the village joins us on our visit.”
Grumbling, Jahrra crawled out of her warm blankets and made herself ready for the day.
Swallowing her anxiety, Jahrra followed Aydehn and several of the other Resai who had opted to join them as they started out from the village’s center. Most of the women chose to stay behind to prepare the great feast for the evening, for it was to be Jahrra’s and Jaax’s last night in Crie, but all of Jahrra’s young friends insisted on going with them. Not surprisingly this helped ease Jahrra’s jitters substantially.
By midday, Jahrra, Jaax and their small retinue were traipsing up the rocky, oak-strewn hillside. Just as Jahrra’s legs began to burn and she was tempted to call for a break, the elves and their kin slowed to a halt. She’d been too busy staring at the ground as she climbed the steep incline that she hadn’t even bothered looking up for the past several minutes. At that moment, she happened to be leaning over, her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. She could sense Jaax just behind her, quiet and not even remotely winded. She resented that a little and mentally told herself that months of travel on the road wasn’t the same as keeping in shape with Yaraa and Viornen.
Finally, once she felt more restored, Jahrra straightened up, then gasped. She remembered the awe she felt towards the Apple Tree in Ehnnit Canyon but that was nothing compared to seeing the grand Tree that now stood before her. It was enormous, easily five times larger than the Apple. The trunk curved from the ground, spreading into a thousand limbs and a hundred thousand branches, the bright, new leaves of spring standing out against the older, darker ones beneath. The sunlight pouring through its canopy seemed gilded in magic and the great rent that tore up its center glared like a huge, black eye. Her nervousness, which had clung to her like a stubborn tick the entire morning, disappeared like a puff of smoke.
Jahrra swallowed hard and reached for her left wrist. Her bracelet was tingling again but she’d been too stunned to notice before now. She blinked several times and examined the great exposed roots that tumbled and pushed their way down and into the rocky hillside. Jahrra imagined these roots reached all the way to the core of the earth. Feeling an overwhelming sense of compulsion, she moved forward, climbing the few more steps up the trail to bring herself onto the small flattened area in front of the Oak.
“Young Drisihn,” Aydehn began sternly, her formal name slipping out of his mouth without a second thought. They had explained to her before they set off that morning that the Tree was infallibly sacred and that only those who had gone through the proper ceremonies were allowed within touching range of its precious bark. But he stopped his argument when Jaax shot him a fierce look.
“This is her birth right, Aydehn,” he growled. “If anyone has a right to approach the Tree, it is her.”
Jahrra hardly heard them for she was so fixated on entering the enchanted air surrounding this Tree that she had blocked out all other senses. It was as if the Oak was calling out to her, drawing her in.
Eventually, Jahrra found herself inside the hollow center of the great Tree. The crystal clear chiming of faint magic she knew only she could hear danced around her, imploring, encouraging her into the very center of the hollow Oak.