I’d never considered a waterfall something to admire but this one before me was stunning. The wide flow that coursed over the top cliff ledge glistened and sparkled in the light of the sun. The azure-blue hue of the water appeared as though it contained innumerable precious stones. I gazed in wonder at the bow of colors hovering in midair around the falling liquid. I’d never seen anything like it before and didn’t know what was causing the colorful display.
The waterfall wasn’t the only source of noise. Birds filled the area, perched on every tree, flew above us, nestled in the grass at the water’s edge and the lake was filled with every type of fowl imaginable. The din of their chirping and calls to each other were startling. Everywhere I looked I saw birds but didn’t recognize a single one. The bright and varied plumage that filled my vision took my breath away. I was astounded and could do nothing but stare.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” asked Drue beside me.
I didn’t respond.
“They won’t hurt you. We call this place the bird sanctuary. We come here when we need to get away, absorb the beauty of nature and it never fails to provide a boost of peace.”
The sanctuary didn’t bring me any peace at all. The squawking was distracting, all the noise upsetting. I don’t think I’ve ever really had peace.
“We can move over to that spot there.” She pointed to the right.
I looked and saw a trimmed area of grass beneath the boughs of a massive tree. The expansive branches reached toward us and extended far in every direction. I’d never seen such a colossal tree. The branches were full of chirping fowl and flapping wings.
Drue led the way and I slowly followed. I tried to absorb the surreal view and I battled the anger that still brewed within my chest.
Stopping close to the immense trunk of the tree, Drue set down her basket. I turned back to the waterfall to get a better view. A group of strange looking birds were congregated in the shallow edge of the lake. I’d never seen such hues before, except here on this farrin during the morning light on the horizon.
“What do you call that color on those birds?” I asked.
Drue came to stand beside me and said, “Those are flamingos and their shade of color we call pink.” She pointed to the right where a bird with a long flowing tail walked slowly toward us. “That’s a very interesting bird. The colors in its tail are spectacular.”
The creature was strange but I didn’t really think the tail was that impressive except for its length.
“Just wait. Soon you’ll see what I mean.”
A group of odd, fowl walked clumsily toward the long-tailed bird and suddenly its tail began to shake and shimmy. Gradually it opened further and further until the most astounding colors fanned out in a half circle and framed the creature with a plethora of blues and greens so stunning that it took my breath away.
“We call it a peacock. This is the male and he is a spectacular specimen.”
I couldn’t disagree but I was too shocked to say anything.
Drue turned away and busied herself with her basket. Ignoring her, I was engrossed in the variety of creatures in this place. Looking at them made me hungry. I was tempted to take my throwing knife, end a life and cook myself some meat.
I withdrew my weapon and twirled it between my thumb and two fingers. I only needed one shot, my aim was exact and I rarely missed. To kill something would calm the raging storm I still felt in my gut.
Drue said, “Wait!”
I felt her gentle touch on my arm. Anger flared in my chest and I was tempted to thrust the knife into her heart. It was because of her stupid meeting that I felt so furious. What right did she have to stop me from releasing some of my pent-up frustration?
“I brought a big lunch for us. There’s no need to kill anything.” She pointed to the base of the tree.
I glanced over and noticed a blanket spread out on the grass. There was an open container of bread slices in one, unusual looking something in another, strange but large fruit beside it and a flask of some type of drink with glasses at the base.
The spread of food surprised me but I wasn’t ready to discard my knife quite yet.
“I’m sorry if today’s meeting was too much for you. I should have simply answered your questions from the safety of my home.”
I stared at her. No one had ever apologized to me before, except my mother when I questioned everything she had taught me over the years. She apologized for the disparity in our world, for not teaching me more thoroughly, for not explaining life sufficiently. She took the blame for my doubt and my cynicism. She had been too good for this awful world we inhabit.
“Please, come and sit. We’ll eat together.”
Drue walked back to the blanket and sat down. She watched me to see what I would do.
Turning back to the squawking birds in the lake, I wondered how these birds would taste after roasting on a spit over a fire. They would probably taste a whole lot better than any fowl on the other farrins. My curiosity would have to wait. Perhaps I’d have a chance to kill a few before my departure, bring some back with me to Akoni.
I slipped my knife back into my belt, joined Drue on the blanket and sat cross-legged across from her.
“Suma will join us soon.”
Staring at Drue, I asked, “Is she bringing a Noble One?”
Drue nodded. “She’ll land a good distance away and walk to meet us here.”
The information reassured me of my safety for the moment.
Soon I heard the crunching of shoes on a pathway farther into the forest growth. I turned my eyes in that direction and soon saw Suma’s flowing garb through the trees. She entered the clearing with a smile and hurried toward us. Her choice of clothing was a pair of wide pantaloons which ruffled in the slight breeze. The top she wore was tucked in at the waist but the expansive fabric flowed around her like water around the front of my canoe. Everything about her had a graceful flow; her hair, clothing and the way she walked. Although she looked soft and weak, I knew better than to disregard her strength.
“That was an exhilarating trip. Bionda was in a mood. She took me on quite the thrill ride.”
“Were you encouraging her?” Drue asked, a serious expression on her face.
“Maybe a little,” Suma responded with a broad smile. “It’s more enjoyable that way.”
“You take too many chances with the Noble Ones. You should be more cautious.”
“I’ve never fallen yet.”
“Make sure you don’t.” Concern flitted across Drue’s irises.
Suma sat on a corner of the blanket and looked at me. “What do you think of our bird sanctuary? Isn’t it the loveliest thing you’ve ever seen?”
“I suppose so.” To be honest I found the place overwhelming but didn’t want to admit it. Speaking the truth would make me appear feeble.
Drue passed the container of bread around and when I took one I realized that they were stacked in twos with some sort of thin meat tucked in between, green leaves and a glaze of some sort. I’d never eaten leaves before. I lifted the top piece of bread, removed the greenery and threw it to the grass.
Suma said, “The lettuce leaf actually tastes quite good with the meat and bread. I think you would enjoy it.”
“I don’t eat leaves.”
“Suit yourself.” Suma took one of the bread concoctions and took a big bite. She made a sound deep in her throat, one of complete enjoyment.
I wondered how anyone could enjoy eating leaves. I ate my food in three bites and lusted for more. Drue saw my eyes focused on the bread creations left in the container and passed it to me. I took a few more and decided to leave the green leaf sandwiched next to the meat. Taking a bite, I was surprised at the crunch and satisfaction the leaf gave me.
“It’s not bad, hey?” Suma asked.
“It’s tolerable,” I responded.
Drue smiled and pointed to the fruit. “Try one.”
Finishing my bread concoctions, I grabbed the closest piece of fruit to me and took a bite. Juice spilled from it and trailed down my dark, grey shirt. I ignored the spill at first because my taste buds exploded with the tart taste. The sensations in my mouth were both shocking and exhilarating.
I stared at the piece of fruit in my hand. We had nothing like it on any farrin that I knew anything about. I looked down to see what damage had been done to my shirt and only noticed a darker grey streak that ended at my pant waistline.
Drue said, “Don’t worry about your clothing. I have another set for you at my house.”
When I’d tried every type of food Drue had brought, feeling full and satisfied, I sat back and perused the scenery again.
Suma’s voice brought me back. “What did you think of today’s meeting?”
I looked at her and was unsure of what to say. “It was unusual.”
“You learned a lot about Tarmon.”
“Yes,” I said.
“So, what do you think?” Suma asked.
Anger filled my chest again and I felt for my knife. “It’s not fair. The difference is too great and I don’t understand.”
“Doesn’t it make you wonder why the leaders chose Casimer in the first place?”
“That was generations ago! Why make us suffer for what others chose?”
Drue said, “Some choices cannot be easily undone.”
“Can it be undone at all?” I asked, frustration still my greatest companion.
Drue nodded slowly. “That’s a very good question and the beginning of discovery.”
“Do you know the answer?” I asked.
“I know that Towsaj allowed you to come for a reason. There is always wisdom behind his decisions.”
“Why me? Why was I allowed to come?”
“You’re different from most. Towsaj saw that in you.”
“What makes me different?”
Drue gave a small smile, a slight turning at the corners. “What do you think makes you different from the others?”
There was only one answer that came and it had nothing to do with me at all. My birth was none of my doing and my parentage just happened upon me. I stared at Drue, unsure of whether I should respond.
“You know what it is, don’t you?”
I looked away, feeling suddenly claustrophobic despite being in such a spacious, beautiful and grand setting.
“Don’t be afraid to answer. Deep inside your soul, you know exactly what makes you different.”
“It has nothing to do with me!” I declared vehemently. “And I grew to hate her in the end!”
“And yet, she’s what makes you special.”
“My mother had her head in the clouds. And it’s what got her killed in the end.”
Drue’s forehead creased in doubt. “That’s not how I heard it.”
I simply stared at her, daring her to contradict me. On my farrin, such disrespect deserved a knife through the heart but I controlled the urge.
Drue said, “She was an amazing woman, one with a clear view of things.”
My heart began to beat crazily beneath my ribs. “How did you ever come to such a witless conclusion?”
Drue just smiled.
Suma said, “We’ve all heard of her. She’s quite the legend here on Tarmon.”
“How is that possible?” I asked. I was beginning to feel light headed.
Suma continued, “Quinn, one of the noble ones from Dwarkaa’s Domain, the wisest woman on Akoni Farrin. We’ve documented her life in the chronicles. She will always be remembered for her valiant stand.”
“It wasn’t a valiant stand!” I yelled. “She died because Ngangi put her on the front line of a useless battle, one that we easily won. She didn’t have to die.”
Drue leaned forward, “That’s not what she’s remembered for, Xiomara.”
I couldn’t respond. Visions of her journals came back to me and I choked back the sobs that threatened. The names I’d called her at the end came back to mock me.
“The things she wrote about and the images she drew were very real to her. She saw more than anyone gave her credit for.” Drue’s eyes were piercing, unraveling my carefully guarded heart.
“How? When? She never left Akoni Farrin. I don’t remember her ever going anywhere except to war.”
“She didn’t have to. Towsaj went to her.”
I leapt to my feet and stalked off toward the edge of the lake, where the thundering waterfall disturbed the far side, causing ripples to shuffle their way to where I stood. The information was too much and my heart too broken to accept it.
I sensed Drue coming up on my right but I didn’t acknowledge her.
She waited a few minutes before saying, “Towsaj appeared to Quinn in dreams. He led her through much of Tarmon while she slept. The things she wrote about and the creatures she drew were things she saw. They are real.”
“I grew to believe she was crazy.”
“Your clan members rejected her and yet she was the only one who knew the truth.”
“Why did she risk so much?” I turned to face Drue then. I wanted to watch her eyes as she spoke. “She risked chasing away every eligible male. After my father was killed, no one else wanted her. She risked my hatred, the clan’s rejection and being labeled a lunatic. Why?”
“Because she knew that what she was seeing and experiencing was real. She understood the great significance for the generations that would follow her.”
“What generations? I’m her only offspring and I have no children.” I felt empty with the admission.
“Not yet,” Drue said.
I stared at her, not knowing how to respond. Finally I said, “All I’m good at is killing and warring.”
“You haven’t tried anything else.” Drue smiled at me as though she knew something I didn’t. “Your mother did what she did because of you. She saw something in you, a spark of life that was missing in the other clan members. She had hope that things could be changed.”
“Nothing has changed!” I said with vehemence.
Drue simply said, “Not yet.”
“Don’t give me empty hope! I can’t bear it! I’m going back there, back to where death is a constant.”
“Death is a constant everywhere, Xiomara. But I’m speaking of life, living fully while there is breath in our lungs. That’s what your mother saw in her dreams. She saw life that was worth living.”
I felt so torn and didn’t know how to fix it. What Drue was saying was enticing but I also knew how dangerous it was. She was dabbling with my view of the world, my future and I wasn’t convinced it needed changing. How was I to reconcile this place with my world, her words with my reality?
From the corner of my eye I noticed a soft fluttering above my head and turned to look. A butterfly, large and beautiful, was winging its way toward me. The blue in its wings outlined in bold black was stunning. Gradually it lowered and slowly settled on my shoulder.
I stared at the delicate creature and remembered a drawing my mother had done of just such a one in her journal. She’d placed a name beneath the sketch – Ulysses. On Akoni we have one type of winged creature of this sort, it is a musty brown and its wings are small and unimpressive. I’ve seen only a handful in my lifetime. They struggle to survive on our rugged land mass.
As I watched the butterfly gently fan its wings back and forth, the movements mesmerized me. There was more action in the air above the lake and I turned to look. A whole swarm of butterflies, all of the same coloring, were headed our way. They landed on the grass at my feet, on my clothing, on Drue and clung to the branches of the massive tree above my head. The sight was unbelievable! I suddenly found it hard to breath.
“Your mother sketched this creature in her book, didn’t she?”
I nodded numbly, unable to take my eyes off of the beautiful insects.
“And you also know the name of it,” she said plainly.
I nodded again.
Drue said, “They’ll believe you, Xiomara. They’ll know you’ve been here, seen things they haven’t. They will believe.”
“The clan might.” I could imagine in my mind the accolades and the reverence every man and woman would afford me. They would begin to worship me and I’d be given a new name, one befitting a warrior who braved the trip to Tarmon and survived. But I also knew how our leader would respond. “When Ngangi finds out what I’ve seen, what I’ve learned, he’ll kill me. The clan will honor and esteem me but he won’t be able to tolerate it. His jealousy will prevail.”
“We have ways of dealing with men like him.”
I turned sharply to face her and the butterfly left my shoulder. “What do you mean?”
“All that I can reveal to you is that it’s time for change.”
Suma came to join us then. She said, “That’s enough of all this clan talk. I’d like to take Xiomara for a ride on the Noble One.” She met my eyes and said, “That is, if you’re brave enough.”
I couldn’t ignore the challenge. Her dare sounded like something Tilly would say, brash, bold and audacious. I was tempted to smile but pushed it down. Although fear rose from the pit of my stomach to my throat, I disregarded it and nodded.
