Ksinsydan, West Province
Tamara shaded her eyes against the bright afternoon sun. She avidly stared about at the area. Mistress Belena had called it the Niit Grasslands. In Kimaapallon, Tamara and her family had lived near a forest. Since she and Mistress Belena had been traveling for the last ten days, the scenery had changed from trees to nothing but grass for miles and miles. It was strange, but she liked the change of view. She had always wanted to travel with her Father and see such sights. To be able to do it now made her very happy.
"Tamara, do you hear it?"
She closed her eyes and tried to "listen" as she had been taught by Mistress Belena. The trick was to not focus on any one thing so that she could be aware of all living things. It was harder than it sounded. She diligently practiced, but even she admitted she was a long way from mastering that particular skill.
"No, Mistress Belena, I don't hear it. I'm sorry."
"No need to apologize. You should keep working to master this technique. It will save your life one day."
"Yes, Mistress."
"Now, we are almost to Ksinsydan. Please stay close to me and do not speak. I need to purchase a few items, and then we shall continue on toward Dessavah where we shall stay for the winter."
"Is Dessavah a city?"
"Yes, and it's larger than Kimaapallon. The Lord of that city is a just man and an ally to Elemental Seekers. We will be quite safe there."
They lapsed into silence and remained that way for the next few hours. When Ksinsydan came into sight, Mistress Belena stopped her horse. Tamara halted beside her.
"Remember, do not leave my side and no talking. There will be those who will try to get you to do both. Do not be tempted by them. No matter what you see and hear."
Tamara glanced askew at her teacher. Just what did that final warning mean?
"Let's go." Mistress Belena's mount broke into a trot.
Puzzled, Tamara kneed her horse into a light canter and followed after her Mistress.
As they got closer to the town, Tamara frowned. The earth, which had been happy and joyful, felt sad and lonely. Confused, she glanced over at her teacher and noticed her grim expression. Was something wrong with the place they were going? She hoped not. Any time the earth was sad, it made her heart hurt.
They stopped at the gates and, after a discussion with the guards, were allowed to pass through.
The market was full of people, but the noise from them sounded strained. A feeling of unease stole through her, and Tamara fidgeted in the saddle, causing her horse to prance a little before settling down. A market should be exciting and lively, not tense. She kept her head lowered to avoid catching anyone's eye as she continued following her teacher.
Finally, Mistress Belena halted and dismounted in front of a rather plain inn. Tamara did the same and patted her mare's nose. The action soothed her somewhat. She felt only contentment from her mount, and that helped to calm her.
"Hie, Innkeeper. Two travelers seek lodging," Mistress Belena called loudly and moved toward the fence that surrounded the inn.
The door opened, and a short, stout man emerged, squinting as he left the doorway and hurried to meet them.
"Honored Mistress, you have returned!"
Tamara stood slightly behind Belena and stared with unfriendly eyes at the man. The ground beneath her feet did not like the loud man. Actually, dislike did not begin to give voice to how the earth felt about the innkeeper. She was confused and decided to find out for herself what the problem was.
The overly loud man led them inside and to a small but clean room. Once the door was closed, Tamara turned to Mistress Belena.
"There is something wrong here."
"You noticed it? Good. That is the first important thing about being an Elemental Seeker. The power of observation. You must always be aware of your surroundings and mindful of people's behavior toward you and the land on which they live. The inhabitants may pretend that everything is fine, but the land never lies."
"I understand. What are we going to do about it?"
"We will investigate the cause tomorrow. For now, we shall rest. It will require much energy, but in the end, I think the earth shall thank us for our efforts."
Tamara smiled. As long as the earth was happy, she would be too. Satisfied with the plan, she remained quiet for the rest of the evening and went to bed early, determined to do her best and not disappoint her teacher.
***
"Well, this is new," Tamara mused as she studied her new location. She was no longer in bed but in an empty field. "Is this a dream?"
There was no answer, not that she was expecting one. This had to be a dream. She had been in bed and knew, with certainty, that she had not woken up and left from there. So where was she? Keeping calm, she began to walk. Maybe she would meet someone who could help her.
She had only gone a few steps when the ground bucked beneath her feet and sent her flying backwards. She landed hard on her butt, and a yelp escaped her lips.
"Who dares defile the sacred ground of earth?"
Defile? What? Angry at the unseen speaker for accusing her of causing harm, Tamara scrambled to her feet and planted her hands on her hips.
"No one has defiled anything! You should make sure of what you speak before hurling such insults!"
The ground rumbled and she barely kept her footing.
"You dare to argue with me, puny human?"
She straightened and glared at the empty air before her. "Yes, I dare."
"Interesting. For such bravery, I must come up with a suitable punishment."
Punishment? She had to be hearing things. She felt her anger rise. This was no longer funny.
"You shall do no such thing. Besides, all you do is talk. You don't even show yourself. Only cowards do that."
"Coward, am I?"
She stiffened at the suddenly soft, menacing tone. She changed her stance and got ready for whatever might be coming. Not that she could do much, but she would try.
A loud whistling filled the air, and she leaped sideways, narrowly escaping the giant vine that whipped about like a snake. It curled back on itself and came at her again. She jumped and this time landed to the left of the seeking vine that was rapidly turning into a tentacle. She could not let herself be caught. She'd spotted the thorns and was positive they held poison. She had to avoid getting pricked. Three more times she dodged the vines' attacks.
Her luck ran out on the fourth time as her feet tangled with the lower half of the tentacle, sending her sprawling. She tried to roll and get back up, but the vine was faster as it latched onto her leg. Tamara screamed and, in desperation, reached for the life in the earth like Mistress Belena had taught her.
The response was immediate as the ground behind her erupted, sending clumps of dirt raining down on her and the vine. She flung her head up and grinned. Above her was a blue-colored vine.
Earthchild,Keeperoflife,yousummonedme?
"Yes, please, help me!"
Itshallbeasyoucommand.
The blue vine went rigid before crashing downward, smashing into the vine holding her. Freed at last, she scooted back and stood, moving away from the fighting vines. She watched the deadly dance and tangling of the vines until, with a thunderous crack, her rescuer shattered the enemy. They both watched as the losing vine went black and turned to ash. A gust of wind blew the ash into the air and away into the bright, sunny sky.
"Amazing." She turned to the blue vine as it lowered itself to her level. She stroked the underside of it and was delighted to hear something close to a purr coming from the vine. "Thank you, kind earth, for the help."
Remember,weoftheeartharealwayswithyou.Callonusintimesofneedandtimesofsorrow,aswellastimesofjoyandofsuffering.
"I won't forget."
Now,sleep,Earthchild.
She smiled as smaller blue vines rose from the ground and began wrapping around her. She wasn't afraid. The feeling was peaceful as she closed her eyes and sank into their kind embrace.
***
Belena sat beside Tamara's bed and smiled. She had searched a long time for one such as her apprentice. Time after time, she had been disappointed. This time would be different. She felt the power and the kindness of her apprentice. She would need both to be a great Elemental Seeker.
Her young charge stirred, and Belena schooled her expression to one of politeness. "Good morn, Apprentice."
Tamara yawned and jerked upright. "Mistress Belena?"
"You will be fine. The dream is meant to instruct. Remember the lesson well and hold it close to your heart. When in trouble, it will bring comfort and protection."
"Yes, Mistress Belena."
"Let's get breakfast and back on the road." She rose and held out her hand. Tamara's warm hand slid into hers, and together they headed downstairs for breakfast.