The Sage Seed Chronicles: The Unraveling (28 page)

Typical of the bizarre weather the realm had
been experiencing, the day dawned sunny and the temperature was
rising rapidly as the company ate breakfast. Tempo had had
difficulty making his morning rounds of checking for vesi because
of the muddy, slippery conditions. It seemed that those vesi that
did make it out through the night time piles of hailstones did find
boots. So though the food wasn’t plenty, it was predictable and
Tempo was happy with his breakfast. They got an early start hoping
to make Sherroton before lunch.

The ground was steaming under the intense sun
and the humidity was high as they rode into the lovely curved
valley that sheltered Sherroton. Mayor Cheroan was out on the steps
of the city to greet them as they arrived. Several of the troop
took care of the horses and got them into the city paddock as Gyan
retrieved the last box from Kennet’s wagon. Kennet, Rin, Nar and
Gast were going to restock the wagon and leave when they were
ready. Erin went over to him as Gyan was talking to the men. “Thank
you for coming with us, Kennet. You take care on the way back.
Having Wras on board will not be fun but since you are not going
through the pass travel will be relatively safe. You only need to
be concerned with freakish weather and quakes.” She gave him a
grin, then hugged him. “I understand that Lor is sending you a
welcoming committee that you may see around Wellyn.”

Kennet gave her a hearty slap on the back and
chuckled. “We’ll be careful. Back at you with that sentiment.
You’ll be crossing open country. Next time I see you you’ll have to
catch me up on your adventures. I’ll miss little Tempo also. Give
him my regard when you see him next. I saw him chasing a mouse into
the barn. May the ancients be with you on the completion of your
quest!”

Bast, Gyan, Drune and Erin followed Cheroan
into the dining room. They were going to eat and discuss things in
private. The mayor had arranged things to get them back on the
journey as soon as possible. The informal reception was scheduled
inside the rotunda in early afternoon and the meeting with the
citizens was to be just before supper.

The food was brought in then the doors
closed. A city security man was stationed outside the door. Cheroan
got right to the point. “Gyan, how are you doing on your
checklist?” Gyan finished his bite and answered with a question.
“Have you or your predecessors changed your city courtyard in any
way? You should have six posts in a perfect hexagon.”

“Well,” came the thoughtful answer, “I’m not
aware of a change. There are six posts and as soon as we finish
I’ll have it checked to see if they are standing in a hexagon.” he
smiled. “Now tell me what is behind the question.”

Gyan turned his palm up and gestured to Erin.
She put down her fork and looked at the mayor. “Gyan asked Drune
and I to help him in the library at Aerie. He had been searching it
for answers and hadn’t gotten lucky. The ancients had hid a trail
of bread crumbs, like the old children’s story. We managed to find
the trail. It seems that over the centuries we have lost
information that by itself wasn’t extremely critical but when
coupled with a drastic decline in the sage count really endangered
the realm. The henges, that’s what they are called, in front of
each founder city were placed there for a specific reason. They
frame a geomagnetic thin spot that helps the planet’s charge in
relation to the sun and the planets around us. The henges focus the
energy force. They need to be there and in that shape. We found
instructions, and the craftsmen of Kunscap made a special glow
stone apparatus that needs to be placed atop each correctly
positioned post. Then there is a unique disc to be buried at the
henge center, three feet down.” She picked up her fork again and
took another bite.

Cheroan’s eyebrows had gone up during her
explanation. “Hmm. Then I had better be sure that they are where
they need to be. I’ll check that as soon as we finish. I assume
that other cities have altered the pattern?”

Erin smiled and gestured with her palm to
Drune. Cheroan burst out laughing at the relay system. Drune took
up the story. “Every city but Kunscap. Yerra took down a post to
open up the space for gatherings. Morraton put in the fountain
where the water welled up. Since that wasn’t in the center of the
shape they changed the shape to make it so. Osily wanted to be
distinctively different from the other founder cities so they took
two down and formed the other four into a rectangle.” He paused
before he added. “That is why Gyan asked that first. The other
reason is because there is a time crunch and any changes that need
to be made must be completed before the total eclipse in seven days
time.”

Cheroan nodded and for a few minutes
processed the information while he ate. “If I recall my lessons
from my father, who used to be the city archivist, when we have a
total eclipse we get quakes. Good information for
preparedness.”

“Okay, Gyan. It’s your turn again. How are
you doing with your sage count?” The Great One gave a small smile.
“We have come from a low of nine up to thirteen. Which leads me to
the next thing you need to do. Do you have a lintel, perhaps by
your archival room, that has this carving on it?”

He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket
and handed it to the mayor.

“I believe that we do. How did you know?”

Gyan laughed. “It has been the one time that
the ancients have been predictable. No. Strike that comment. The
ancients have been very pattern oriented. More than you can
believe! But, as Erin indicated, they also didn’t want us to
stumble upon information easily. They probably feared some of it
would be possibly misused. Anyway, there is something we need in
our search for sages from that lintel. What we don’t use we will
return to you so it can be secreted away against another time of
need.”

“I can discreetly see to that when I go to
the archive after lunch. What do I do?” Gyan demonstrated. “Grasp
and turn counter clockwise. Remove what is inside then seal it up
again.”

Cheroan nodded. “Will do.”

He looked around at his guests and saw that
everyone had finished eating. “I’ll have my man who is outside the
door show you to your rooms. You have time to freshen up and change
your clothes. Anything that you want cleaned give to him. It will
be done by this evening. I’ll have someone relay that to the rest
of your company that’s staying. If someone will give him the list
of supplies you need that will also be taken care of. I know that
you need to be out of here at dawn tomorrow.” Cheroan stood up.
“I’ll see you in the rotunda in an hour.”

They all got up from the table. Cheroan
opened the door and was gone. As the rest of the group left the
room they looked at the guard. Erin gave him a quizzical look. “Are
you any relation to Terk?”

He gave her a big smile. “I’m his older
brother, Mos. I got a letter from him last week. He says he’s happy
where he is and speaks highly of all of you. I am pleased to meet
you and to be of help while you are here. Let me show you where
your rooms are. He led them up the staircase and around to the
right. There was a basket waiting by the wall. “I’ll wait right
here and you can bring me what you want washed.”

Everybody was back out in the hall within a
very short period of time and deposited their clothes into the
basket. Mos left them with a cheery wave and they made their way
into the rotunda. Erin, with the rest trailing in her wake, went
down the inner lane to Bas’s shop and Holm’s establishment next
door. She gave a big smile to Bas as she went by, knowing that
would get an instant reaction because she hadn’t stopped. He came
barreling out of his shop to follow her and practically ran into
Gyan and Drune. As she stepped into Holm’s shop she threw a cheeky
grin at Bas. She could hear Gyan and Drune greeting Bas, the only
sage in Sherroton.

Her attention was totally focused on Holm.
She saw Vaca, his cree friend, nearby. ‘Vaca, how is he doing?’

‘He is fully recovered,’ said the bird. ‘At
first they were concerned because of his age. They thought his
heart might have been damaged. They don’t think so anymore.’ She
walked over to the jeweler and grasped both of his hands. “It is
good to see you so hale and hearty! I have thought about you a lot.
I saw your nephew Terk about a week ago and just met another,
Mos.”

Holm’s eyes lit up, upon seeing her. They
twinkled when he spoke. “Weren’t you a boy when I saw you
last?”

Erin laughed. “It was my disguise.”

Holm was still holding on to her hands. “I
never thanked you for my life. The healers were great but you were
there right away and knew what had happened. You came back with
your charming skunk friend and mixed that poultice. I would have
been one of their victims if it hadn’t been for you. What brings
you here?”

Erin looked over her shoulder at the men
talking in the hall. “I’m traveling with the Great One. He is
whirling through the realm trying to put some things in place to
help stabilize the realm. It is an honor to travel with him. Will
you be in the rotunda? There is to be a reception in a few minutes.
The larger gathering outside will be this evening. I need to go but
I had to see you.”

Holm patted her hand as he released it. “I’ll
be there young lady!”

She scooted out and joined the men. They had
just turned to go to the reception. Bas raised his eyebrow and Gyan
laughed. “She has your number, Bas. You rose to the bait so well
you almost knocked us off our feet barreling after her. She just
gave you back some of your own mischief.”

Drune laughed. “Holm is more important. Get
over it!”

Bas’s eyes twinkled as he spoke very quietly.
“I thought I at least deserved a hello, being a fellow sage and
all.”

Erin gave him a wink. “Hello. But really, I
just wanted to make sure Holm was well. I knew you were.”

They emerged into the rotunda. Erin split off
to circulate. Drune went with Gyan and received the small bag that
Cesler passed to them. He slipped it into his pocket then he
disappeared into the crowd. Bas started chatting with other
shopkeepers. Mayor Cesler’s voice projected out over the crowd as
he introduced the Great One and the mission he was on. He briefly
told the people that there would be some work outside in the court
yard in the next day or so as the city did their part to help the
realm become balanced again. Then he reminded them that the public
meeting would be just before supper, outside. He pulled back and
allowed the people to chat and circulate while they waited a chance
to meet the leader of the realm. Erin could see the security team.
Some were blending as they would tonight but others were near
Gyan.

She drifted about the room. Her ‘door’ was
open and the pendant was on. The feeling she was getting was
festive, excitement, interest and trust. She hoped that held as so
many of their stops had a hostile, negative feel. There were people
coming and going. A young woman ushered in a group of youngsters to
sing a few new teaching songs for the Great One. They had been
working on it very hard for the last few days since the news of the
Great One’s message had reached them. She said quietly, “The
children call this the Question Song.” The room became silent as
the children focused on her face and the music she was making on
her lap harp. The rotunda filled with the sweet voices of the
children and with the melody.

How can we think that people caused the
rain,

The quakes and the strong winds that
blew?

How can we blame others for being
different,

While looking for witches brew?

How many times must we say with a sigh,

That children’s stories are not true?

We are all part of the fabric that is the
realm.

We are all part of the realm.

How can we blame a skunk for spraying,

When you are threatening his life?

An owl is only an owl,

Who eats bugs and vesi and mice.

How can we kill the birds and animals that
help,

They should be our friends for life.

We are all part of the fabric that is the
realm.

We are all part of the realm.

Honor the plans of the ancients.

The guilds and laws make sense.

How can we question what has worked for
years?

Lawlessness is an offense.

How can we think that we know better,

At culture and guild's expense?

We are all part of the fabric that is the
realm.

We are all part of the realm.

We are all part of the fabric that is the
realm.

We are all part of the realm.

There was clapping but the children stayed
focused on their minstrel. She smiled then held up two fingers.
They nodded and she placed her fingers again on the harp and
started to play.

Everything was made for a reason.

Everything you see.

The skunks and the birds have a purpose.

They are our friends indeed.

The bugs and the vesi and the mice,

All bother us no end.

But the skunks and the birds they eat those
things,

So our gardens we can tend.

Now when the applause happened people in the
crowd were watching to see if there was to be more. One more time
the young woman raised her hand. This time with three fingers. She
strummed the harp and the children started to softly sing open
vowels in tune with the melody and the young woman sang the words
in a lovely alto.

The Ancients brought us to the Realm,

Put things in place for us.

If we but follow laws they set,

We will not cause a fuss.

The Ancients brought us to the
Realm,

Knew what could happen if

Some people in the Realm, you see,