Gateway To Vallis, page 6
“You’re getting married again?” Quentilla had lost her last mate to a devastating lung virus that hit the caverns several cycles earlier. They had lost many that summer. Grafton loved their home inside the caves, but the dampness often led to breathing problems.
“Does that surprise you? Having shipped my only child off to training in Carrabon, I get a bit lonely.”
“Oy, I had forgotten that your daughter was blessed with the healing talent. She seemed a bit young for training. Couldn’t you train her here?”
“The best healer school in the world is in Carrabon. I wish that option had been available to me when I was her age. Lendral and I saved for years so she would have such an opportunity, and they don’t accept everybody. Ah, here’s your houseguest, Reuben, isn’t it?”
“Yes, he injured his ribs in an assault earlier.” Grafton introduced the healer to Reuben. Quentilla guided Reuben over to a wide ledge where he could lie flat while she looked him over.
Once she removed Reuben’s shirt, Grafton could see the bruising. The healer placed both her palms in the center of the worst of them and closed her eyes in concentration. When Reuben’s eyes bulged with shock, Grafton chuckled, knowing the healing touch was working.
“Mmm, an older injury which wasn’t quite healed was aggravated. I can start the mending process, but he’ll need to keep them wrapped for a week or two.”
“Do you need help?” Grafton could lend some strength to the healer, if necessary. She had just finished healing Yunis and might be short of reserves.
“No, I’m good,” Quentilla replied. “Hopefully, I’ll get some rest after this. My suitor will be here tomorrow evening, and I would like for you to read him to be sure of his intent.”
“As long as he knows, Tilly. I will not read anyone without permission, whether I owe you or not. It isn’t ethical.”
“I’m a healer, Graff, and my moral codes are stronger than most. I would never ask you to read someone without their knowledge. He will be aware, and if he refuses to consent, then I guess he has something to hide. I don’t need anyone like that in my life at this stage.” Graff nodded his acceptance. Tilly wasn’t that much older than him, but he understood her meaning. Why waste time on meaningless relationships—that was for the young ones. Once you found true love, you no longer wanted to waste time on anything less.
7
MAGICAL DISCOVERIES
I wonder what Sophia would think of all this. She would turn over every stone and explore around every corner. I try to write it all down, but in the back of my mind, I can hear her say, ‘What about this? What about that?’ I didn’t bring enough paper with me to explain all I have seen. Forgive me, Sophia.
- Reuben
Was magic real? Reuben had discounted any thoughts of magic beyond the portal. He believed if studied long enough, someone could come up with a scientific explanation for its existence. Now with Jonas mentioning Grafton’s reading talent, and his recent ‘healing,’ he was ready to accept it as real. The healer Tilly had placed her palm on his chest, and immediately he felt the heat beneath his skin and within seconds, the warmth intensified around the bones of his ribcage. She had her eyes closed and mumbled what seemed like a tune or mantra. Reuben didn’t know if it was a witch’s spell or if the verse she kept repeating just helped her concentrate on where her flows of heat spread. The pain was eased within moments, and when she lifted her head and opened her eyes, he could tell it had cost her something. Tilly had given a portion of herself away so she could fix whatever had been broken. How would he repay her for such an act of mercy?
Broom had not left his side the entire time, and she seemed elated with the results, babbling with a wide smile. Reuben had been so angry when the bandits attempted to grab Broom. Rage erupted and he felt transported back to the beating he had suffered at the hands of the bullies from school. He threw a solid punch at the closest of the ruffians, instinctively, in a red haze of violence. Never before had he felt such a force come over him. He believed it was due to someone he cared about being assaulted. Reuben hadn’t put up much of a fight when Rusty and his companion beat him. But if they had touched a hair on Sophia’s beautiful head, he knew things would have developed differently.
After following Grafton and Broom back to their section of the caves, he was given special treatment by the entire family. Grafton’s wife, Jazz, fixed an extra thick pallet on the floor close to the fire pit. Kora brought a plate of food and a mug of cider for him, then watched him closely as he ate. As soon as he picked up the last of his bread, she set his plate aside and motioned for him to stand. Once again, he had his dusty, dirty shirt removed and she wound a linen cloth around his midsection. Her movements were delicate around his injured ribs, and not once did he feel the pain he had expected. A few short minutes of magic and his ribs had improved more than all the time since he had left the hospital over a month ago.
When one of the boys clipped his side with the odd-shaped staff, Reuben had heard and felt the snap of the nearly healed rib. The pain was more intense than when he was first injured. On their way back, he had struggled to breathe and had begun to wonder if the rib had punctured his lungs. As Kora tied off the material, Reuben sucked in a lungful of air and let it out slowly—no pain at all. He smiled his thanks to Kora and the rest of the family, who had remained seated at the dinner table, watching them.
“Thanks for the help.” Reuben then added a phrase he heard several times from Broom. He believed it meant ‘sorry for being such a burden,’ or something similar.
Surprised faces looked back at him from the table, but they quickly morphed into chuckles and cheers. Reuben felt at home with this group of rowdy dwarves, possibly more comfortable than at the Harding manor where he had grown up. They had practically adopted him after his mother died, but Reuben had always felt like an outsider with them. Here, he felt acceptance and camaraderie.
After filling several journal pages documenting his day, Reuben had no problem falling asleep. He was warm, comfortable, and oddly content. He was a world away from everything he knew, but he truly believed this was where he should be.
The next morning when Reuben went into the common area for breakfast, he found Grafton at the table with the healer and an older, balding dwarf. Reuben found it odd that Grafton was holding the man’s hand while in discussion though Broom soon pulled him over to a different table and served him a heaping bowl of steaming oatmeal.
In the following days, his new family wouldn’t allow him to do any work. They let him write in his book, even ensuring he had light to see, but as far as helping with any chores, Jazz would point to his wrapped chest and shake her head. Reuben learned the words for ‘not yet,’ along with many more. Broom sat beside him when he wrote his musings. She loved looking through the pages, especially at some of the drawings. Grafton had added some sketches of his family, though mostly of Broom. Kora often insisted on tagging along whenever he went out to the latrine. She removed the wrapping every morning to check his bruises. He learned the words ‘looks much better,’ or at least, that was what he thought she meant.
On the fifth morning, Kora smiled and handed him his shirt—freshly laundered—without replacing the wrap. Her eyes sparkled mischievously as he did the buttons. “What? Do I have it inside out?” He looked down but saw nothing wrong with the shirt. She took hold of his hand and tugged him along behind her, through the bolt hole and out to the fresh air. It was still early in the day and cool in the mountain air. After guiding him to the stream, she produced a sliver of soap and a rag, then began to unbutton his shirt. Reuben had noticed his need for a bath but wasn’t prepared for help.
“Okay, Kora, I get the hint.” He tried to push her hands away. “I can wash without help.” Kora just giggled and resumed her task. Reuben didn’t know how to force her to go away. He didn’t want to be rude, but hadn’t bathed with a female witness since his mother washed him when he was a small boy.
“Ooh,” Kora crooned as she unfastened his trousers and began to pull them down. Kora was an unmarried female with three brothers and a father just inside that cave. Reuben was not attracted to her, but he was a normal sixteen-year-old boy with wild, passionate yearnings. The yearnings were for Sophia, but she was not here, and Kora was. Reuben turned his back to her as quickly as he could. The water in the stream was cold—so cold, all thoughts of passion would freeze. He quickly removed his boots and slipped the trousers off.
Reuben sat on a large boulder that jutted just above the water. He turned to reach for the soap and rag, but Kora had already taken them and began to wash his back. With her feet in the water, he glanced down to see if she had removed her shoes. Bare feet were attached to bare calves. She had hiked her skirts up and had the hem fastened into the waistband. Reuben turned to look forward once more. When she moved around to wash his arms and chest, he resolutely shut his eyes. Kora hummed a tune while she worked. She pulled his arms this way and that, and then stretched his chin up to wash his neck. Reuben relaxed into her ministrations until she reached the danger area.
“Ah, I can finish.” Reuben took the rag from her with a slight jerk. Kora didn’t want to let go, but he firmly pulled it away. She giggled and splashed water at him. “Hey, that wasn’t nice.” He wiped the water from his eyes and looked at her. She wore a saucy grin and stood with her hands on her hips. “Ah, wanna turn around?” His hands hid his groin area, and her gaze was drawn there. She licked her lips flirtatiously, which gave Reuben a twinge of something . . . He needed to finish getting washed and put his clothes back on before he truly embarrassed himself.
Kora did not turn away, and Reuben tried to ignore her as he sloshed as much cold water as possible on his growing erection. Once he scrubbed the area, he wiped down his legs and stepped from the stream without so much as a glance at Kora. There was a small blanket next to his discarded clothes, which he used to dry off, and then quickly dressed. He heard Kora approach but didn’t turn until he fastened the final button on his shirt. She still had a sparkle in her eyes and a knowing grin. Reuben barely acknowledged her before moving back toward the cave entrance.
When they entered the gathering room, Grafton and his brother, Kimos, were sitting at the table. Grafton took one look at Reuben’s face and turned to Kora and spoke. Kimos burst out laughing and Grafton smiled. When Reuben glanced over at Kora, he noted a disgruntled look. Maybe Graff and Kimos admonished her for trying to bathe him—at least they didn’t seem angry with him for allowing it. If he knew more about their way of life and the family dynamic, he would feel better. He didn’t want to make any mistakes that would alienate his new friends.
For the next couple of days, Reuben was allowed to go with Kimos and help clean out air holes. With Reuben’s longer arm span, he could reach more of the debris, which accumulated from the outdoors. Reuben lost count of the number of dead bats, but they also dislodged a few live ones. He could hear screeches throughout the warren of caves when they flew away.
The only remaining physical discomfort Reuben had was with the situation involving Kora. She still flirted with him every day, and Reuben believed she wanted more than what he was willing to give. The males would glance knowingly between them, though none seemed upset at such a possibility. Reuben felt if he ever let his guard down and took Kora up on her offer, they would not be thrilled, and they would probably kick him out or worse. This issue with Kora followed Reuben into his dreams. Though his dreams held images of Sophia, her face would often fade and begin to resemble that of Kora.
The day before the ten-day week was up, Jonas sent a messenger to Graff that his uncle’s ship, Temperance, had arrived in Doobert, and he was going to meet with him. “We go early,” Grafton said as he showed the note to Reuben.
With butterflies in his belly, he quickly stuffed his notebook and some extra clothes into his backpack. Grafton spoke with his family before they left, and Reuben sensed they were to meet them at the festival. He could tell Broom was disappointed not to be going with them, but Graff seemed to emphasize she only needed to wait one day longer.
8
REVELATIONS
Meeting people who speak the same language in such a foreign setting is unnerving. They look similar to the folks back home, but they have an odd accent and their choice of words is often weird. Their clothing is made from different materials than I am used to. The styles seem outlandish to me, but I’m becoming accustomed to them.
- Reuben
Jonas met them outside the foundry, excitement brimming in his eyes. “I can’t wait for you to meet with Uncle Joe. He can answer many of your questions.”
“I’m excited as well. I have a list of questions ready for him. Is he here?”
“Here? No. He will stay near his ship. We go there.” They followed Jonas to the edge of the village, where the western mountain range stood. They were not as high or dense as the sections the dwarves had made their homes in, and Reuben noticed a well-traveled path that didn’t appear too steep to climb.
“On the other side, you will see the bay. Doobert is a big city, much . . . ah . . . many people.” The path led through a pass between the mountains. Reuben was so occupied with watching where he walked that he was surprised when he glanced up to see his first view of the large port city.
“Wow, it is huge!” There were dozens of ships in port, the smaller ones hitched to docks while larger ones were anchored farther from the shoreline. “How will we find him?” He hoped Jonas could locate the ship, though they all looked about the same to Reuben.
“I see him already.” Jonas pointed to the far north of the bay. “He owns that mooring.” They still had some distance to travel as Reuben looked down the slope leading into the bustling port. Jonas was waving his arms toward the ship, but Reuben didn’t think anyone could see them yet.
About halfway down the incline, two youths ran up to them. “Jonas! Jonas!” they yelled. Reuben looked them over. The girl seemed to be about ten, with long, curly blond hair. The older boy was probably twelve or thirteen, with brown hair and eyes. Both had deeply tanned skin, similar in coloring to Jonas. Reuben believed they spent a large amount of time in the sun.
“Look at how high you are.”
“Tall, you mean. We’ve grown taller. Who are your friends?” the boy asked.
“Tall, yes, I remember. This is Reuben, and his dwarf companion, Graff. Reuben speaks only Welly and has questions for your da. Where is uncle?”
“Come, he’s at the tavern for supper. We’ll show you.” The boy turned to Reuben. “How did you come to be here and not speak the language? Are you from the old world?”
“The old world? Is your family from there? Indiana?” Reuben had such hope that he would find someone else from his world. There must have been others, otherwise, how could they speak English?
“Not us,” the young girl said, “but Grandfather came from the old world. Da will tell you.” The girl spoke with an odd accent, though definitely English. She skipped ahead of them to the porch of the tavern. “Here we are.”
Once inside, Reuben blinked away the dimness of the interior. He could smell mold and mildew, along with a host of other unpleasant odors—sweat, spoiled food, and urine, to name a few. “Da, we found Jonas, and he’s brought someone to meet you.”
“Jonas, lad, it’s good to see you again. I’ve got packages from your grandparents, along with several missives. How are you doing here?” The big man hugged Jonas in greeting before glancing at Reuben and Graff.
“Uncle Joe, I’m doing well. Got a promotion at the foundry. Mother is happy.” Jonas stepped aside to indicate his companions. “My friend from the cave, Graff.” He pointed at Grafton, then nudged Reuben closer. “And this here is Reuben. He only speaks Welly and has questions."
“Only Welly, but not from Wellington?” He looked Reuben up and down with curiosity.
“That’s right, sir. From what your daughter said, I’m from the old world.” Reuben hoped he used the terms correctly.
“Come, sit down.” He indicated to the seat next to him before turning back to his nephew. “Jonas, the children will take you to your aunt. She has your package and letters.” Jonas excused himself and left with the two children. Joe spoke to Graff in his language, and they all sat down. The server stopped over with refreshments. Reuben believed the tankards contained ale, though it was darker and thicker than what he was accustomed to at Grafton’s.
“When did you come over, Reuben? Must have been recent if you still don’t know the Pax language.” Joe leaned back in his seat and seemed to study Reuben.
“Pax? Is that what it’s called?” Reuben asked. “I’ve been with Graff for nearly a month . . . though I guess we don’t have months here.”
“I recall my father using that term now and then. Even though they managed to promote their language among the locals, the months and shorter weeks never went over well. You’ll get used to it after a few years.”
“I don’t plan on staying that long. If I keep track of the days, I’ll know when I can return to Indiana.” That statement gained a look of disbelief from Joe.
“Really? Do you know how to return? My family would be most interested in learning this. Some have dreamed of returning for decades. My uncle Cal still speaks of all the crops he could be growing.”
“I’m certain I can return. I have studied the gateway for years before I decided to use it. It has to do with moon phases—a partial eclipse, to be more precise. I’ve noted the double moons here and have watched their cycles. I’ve also kept track of the number of days. I’ll know within a few days when the phenomenon will occur.”
“Pheno . . .? Oh, the event. Though my father and uncles taught us Welly, we don’t have all the words, you understand? But we should be quite able to converse, yes? Now, what can I tell you?”
