Chapter 14: Spirit Song

So we were four, and we were, for a while, dipped in chaos and coated in confusion. Sky Tirin was as a babe newly born, almost helpless in the face of her Transformation. Flare was lost in a sea of Sky Tirin, and River and I were awash in a world suddenly brimming with Light at the edges.

Margin Menidar was the anchor that kept us afloat. His voice was the one that kept those around us calm long enough for us to come back to some semblance of normalcy. For a while, four of us were at sea within ourselves and Margin Menidar, who we hardly knew, was our rudder and our helm, and the pilot of the ship that was us.

The one thing I managed to do after River and I broke our fusion was call Thistle Kerwin. Starlight needed him, and he came without hesitation. Starlight sat in the dust, staring at the ground and muttering to herself, her hands moving back and forth, her fingers moving in some strange dance, as if she was speaking with them.

"She is in the middle of a creative fugue." Thistle said. "A powerful one. When she comes out of it, she will write a new work, and I judge it is going to be one to rival anything that has ever been seen or heard."

Thistle took her to her room, and arranged her care. As her mentor, it was his place to stay and make sure she made it safely though the fugue.

This happened in the background of our attentions, though River and I were able to give it at least some due. Flare was far too busy keeping an eye on Sky. Her tendency to fade from sight was not, as we thought, exactly a visibility thing, or a physical thing either. It was something completely different. Something we were only able to piece together later.

As I did with the very rock and stone of Arbor, as River did with stream or sea, Sky was doing with the sky above, sinking into it and joining with the sky itself. It was only her sudden, strong bond to Flare that kept her returning to us at all.

While River and I kept in close mental contact with Flare and Sky at first, we were eventually able to comfortably keep all four of us in the here. All told it took perhaps three hours to get us all back to a normal mental state. It was hard. We kept bouncing off of each other, and each bounce seemed to reinforce the energy, not diminish it.

What energy? Good question. It was Light, Magic, Dream Stuff, thought, emotion, and only the Spirits knew what else, but it was something outside my experience and yet achingly familiar.

The experience thrust Flare into the world of the gifts and the world of the Light all in one step. Poor Sky was thrust into it all, Light, Magic, the Gifts, and our Spirit-spoken state, the special state that made us earth, sea, sun and sky, all wrapped up inside what was Obsidian, River, Flare and Sky, the prophesy, the Dragons, all of it in the space of a few minutes. Sky was our current enigma. We knew nothing about her, and Stardust was in no condition to tell us. We had to wait for Sky to tell us herself.

Margin, seeking a way to accommodate every contingency, began looking for a place for us. Thistle asked us to withdraw, away from Starlight, to ensure we did not contaminate the 'pure vision' that was currently affecting her. He also made it clear to Margin that the full resources of the Bard of the North,, the Bard of Beletara, the Wind of Arbor and the High Wizard were available to him, if needs be, to accomplish it.

With that information, and a renewed confidence, Margin got busy and leased us a villa and the island it sat on.

"Right now I think what you need most is some isolation, and some room to be yourselves, whatever that is now."

Something was released, when at last we became the four we were intended to be. Like a spark in tinder, it flared at first, burning hot and bright. I came to myself completely for the first time since its release when that something began to die down. River came back with me, and together we brought Flare and Sky, and waiting there for us were Dad and Aunt Serenity.

"We have to wonder at what this means Son." Dad said over a cup of Cintosara, during a quiet moment. River and Sky were with Aunt Serenity. "Your Aunt Serenity and I have some experience with the Dream World, with the Light and with Magic. What has been evoked in and around the four of you is difficult for us to fathom, and we're not sure there is anyone else in all the facets who could do a better job."

"The Dragons can and do have a more complete understanding." I said. "They are waiting for us to come to them, where they rest."

"I cannot see any of that." Dad said. "All aspects of that, of you, of any of this is completely closed to my Talent."

"So you are reduced to worrying, as any parent would?" Flare asked.

"Exactly." Dad answered.

"There is more here than I have mentioned." I said. "You know that there is something going on with Master Jo? The Spirits are moving him as well, and I suspect I know where, but I won't say anything more for now. It is a good thing, what he is experiencing. The Spirits though, through him, have let it be known that they have a part in this drama which we are playing out. It is not simply the Shar, or even the Shar and the Dragons. The Shar, the Dragons, and the Spirits all have a say in what will happen."

"And man." Flare said. "Man has a part in this, because in the end, it will be the four of us, four human souls, hearts and minds that will make the ultimate decision."

"What decision!" Dad yelled in frustration.

"Dad, Flare and I both have a good idea of what decision we will have to make, and you are right to feel frustrated. You know as well as I that no decision about what the Dragons will do will be made without deciding our own fate as well. We just will not discuss what that fate might be with you, or anyone else, for that matter."

The High Wizard of Arbor was not used to being spoken to in this way, and neither was Andrew Alan McKesson. But he took it. Not gladly, but he took it.

We were resolute in that determination, but I almost fell away from it when River and Sky returned. Aunt Serenity had taken them on a quick trip or two, and returned with Trunk, Alianna, Bane and Hobby Dambro from the Shadar, and Fox and Win from their honeymoon on Archipelago.

It was old home week, it seemed, in Beletara Bay.

== Trunk and Alianna's Story ==

The vision of pastoral perfection that appeared before us, when Alianna and I were jumped to the road in front of the Dambro cottage was just as I remembered it. We had Copper with us. 'Copper light glistens from the dew of the winter pine', that was our Yaru's name, but of course we called her Copper. The three of us were quickly greeted by the Dambro's two dogs, and finally by Bane Dambro himself.

"Welcome back, Trunk Gurmot. Why don't I see my Daughter with you?"

"River and Obsidian are facing increasing resistance in their quest, and felt that their was too much danger if we remained with them, so for now, they have asked us to come, with our friend Copper here, to watch over you."

"They fear that those who oppose them may seek to strike at them through us?"

"You see it exactly, yes."

"Well, come into the house, there's Cintosa on, and some morning meal left, if you're hungry. You can introduce Holly and I to the lovely young woman there with you."

As we walked towards the house, Bane glanced back at Copper.

"I'm not sure the beast there will fit through the door."

"That's quite all right." Copper said. "This beast will content herself with making an examination of the surrounding area, and letting the animals here get used to my presence."

"Spirits!" Bane spat, as Alianna and I laughed. "Not a beast then! My apologies, Copper. I meant no offense."

"No offense taken, sir." Copper said. "We Yaru usually stay in the Valley of the Wind, where we guard the High Wizard and the people who live in the valley with him."

"Trunk?" Holly said as we came through the door. "I thought I recognized you. Where's my daughter?"

"River and Sid are still on the road to Beletara." I answered. "Their quest continues, and they feared for our safety if we remained with them, and feared for your safety as well, and so have sent us here, along with our companion Copper, to safeguard you."

I introduced Alianna, and we sat sipping Cintosa while we caught the elder Dambros up on the recent events. They were both concerned to hear of the increasing levels of resistance we had been meeting, but seemed somewhat reassured to hear that Sid and River's Talents had more than expanded to meet the challenge.

We were given River's room, though her bed was not designed for two people. I spent the morning with Bane, building a new bedframe. Alianna spent an hour that evening telling me of her fascinating adventure in helping Holly open up, sew on an extension and re-stuff the mattress we would be sleeping on.

During midday meal, we discussed what our routine would be. Copper would be sleeping during the afternoon and early evening, and would patrol during the night. Alianna would shadow Holly and I would shadow Bane, as we had done this morning.

"What about trips to the market?" Bane asked.

"How often do you go?" I asked.

"every four or five days, normally." Bane answered.

"We'll have to make it a family trip each time." I said. "No more splitting up beyond the fence line."

"What about when I need to go cross-river to cut timber?" Bane said.

"You and I will go, and Alianna and Copper will both stay here to watch over Holly. How soon will you need to make a trip?"

"I should have gone today." Bane said.

"We can go tomorrow, if there's not something more pressing on the schedule." I offered.

"That will work fine." Bane said.

So we slipped into a comfortable routine, and Alianna and I became somewhat domesticated. For her, many of the things she did with Hobby were amazing and new. She had little exposure to the day to day life of the average Arborian. Spirits! I had little exposure to it either! Many of the things we did I would have had servants or staff to do for me back in Demira.

I found the details of finding, cutting and drying wood interesting, but it was the details of cutting and shaping the wood into functional pieces that I fell in love with. The planning, the careful calculation and the meticulous craftsmanship Bane Dambro brought to his work pulled me in, and when he began to show me the inner mysteries of making and applying stains, I was hooked.

A tenday after we arrived, I built my first piece. It was a simple footstool. It was plain and sturdy, and intended to do nothing more than give Alianna a leg up in reaching the top shelves in the pantry. I used a drawing with the cut dimensions that Bane had on hand, and I obsessed over it for a full day after it was done, looking for some last little thing I might have forgotten.

Alianna loved her little stool, and showed me later that night just how much. Not to be reciprocal, but it sort of worked out that way, the next day's morning meal was mostly Alianna's work. Alianna had been an indifferent cook back home on Meadow, and cooking there was much different than it was here. The Dambros had a wood-fired cook stove and oven, as most Arborians did, and cooking on one was subject to many more variables than cooking as she knew it. I certainly couldn't complain. The food was good, and it was served with love!

Copper had settled in as well, and most of the time we hardly knew she was there. That, in and of itself reminded me that of the three of us, she was the true professional here.

I did a little hunting, something Bane was not accomplished at, and the game I brought in made for memories of River, and long conversations about her childhood, her Transformation and the difficulties that arose out of it. Far different stories than those Sid had to tell, growing up in the Valley of the Wind, where such things were much more easily accepted.

We had gone on a picnic to the Dambro picnic spot, and I saw again the spot by the river, under the tree where River marked the 'beginning of the adventure', as she called it. Sitting there in the warm sun with Alianna in my arms and Hobby and Bane nearby, I was suddenly aware of someone coming towards us from down the hill. I squinted in the sun, and used a little of the gift. It was a man in a wide brimmed, floppy hat, leading a donkey with one hand and carrying a long, slender cane pole in the other.

"Company." I called out, wondering why the dogs hadn't reacted. It suddenly occurred to me that Copper hadn't reacted either.

"Copper?" I asked.

"He's a friend. No need to get excited." She answered back, rolling lazily in the sun where she was stretched out. She rose and ambled down to meet the approaching figure. As she turned and moved to walk beside him, I realized who it was.

"Master Jo!" I called.

"Greetings, children." He called to Alianna and I as he stopped in front of us.

"Mister and Missus Dambro, this is Master Jo, a mentor and friend to Sid, River, Alianna and I." I said by way of introduction. Bane had scrambled to his feet and offered a hand.

"I'm not quite up to handshakes anymore," Master Jo said, fading out slightly, as if in explanation. "but greetings to you both. A pleasure to meet you. It pleases me to see that Copper has kept you safe."

Of course Copper knew Master Jo, it occurred to me, inwardly slapping myself in the forehead. They had both spent many years together in the valley!

"I have news for you all." Master Jo said. "A few days ago I spoke the vows for Obsidian and River. They are wed, and wish you to know of their happiness."

We rejoiced at the news, and there were hugs and slaps on the back exchanged, accompanied by the excited babble that one could expect to follow such an announcement.

"More importantly, I can tell you that they have removed the opponent who had been leading the opposition, and they gained their third member in doing so. The oppositions forces are routed and too uncoordinated to offer much harm to them."

This is far better news, to my mind than the news of the vows, but it also spoke of the fate of a friend.

"Fox?" I asked.

"Safely out of the way, and happy with where he is, at the moment. He too is now wed, and enjoying a... honeymoon? I think its called?"

The news, both pieces of it, were welcome, and unfortunately, Master Jo's visit far too brief. We continued in our routines. I made some efforts to make things somewhat unpredictable, but the milk buckets would be full when they were full, and on those days, we had to go to market. I was able to convince Bane to cut as much wood as he could process, and we gathered it in a single trip. The gifts were new to me, but I found these kind of mundane uses for them satisfying.

Each morning, Alianna and I meditated, followed by a stick lesson. I was not the teacher that Sid was, but thanks to his influence, and through him, Master Jo's, I had a clear understanding of the techniques and the principles. Alianna, for her part was a conscientious student, and being something of an athlete to begin with, quick to pick up the physical side of it. As with most of those born from the sons and daughters of the Legion of Light, she had received self-defense training, beginning as a child, and continuing until recently. She brought that into our lessons, and soon I was as much student as I was teacher.

We never saw a single suspicious person or act the entire time we were with the Dambros. They were too far from the focus of those opposed to Sid and River's quest, or else the counterattack and disposition of Fox Aligos had been even more effective than we could have hoped. We worked and we played, and we kept a watchful eye out, until one day, River herself came walking up the road to the cottage, four people with her. I recognized Fox immediately, and was surprised to see Sid's Aunt Midnight, the one they called Ren. The rest of their group consisted of two women I didn't recognize.

River and her parents had a joyful reunion, and Fox and I had a slightly more subdued one. He had recently been trying to kill me, after all. He seemed happier, and more at peace with things than I would have expected, but when he introduced me to his wife Wintersun it made more sense. She was short, with dark hair, cropped short, and bright brown eyes, a soft brown that was almost golden.

The other woman was introduced to us as Sky. Some effort seemed to go into avoiding talking about her, so I went with the flow, figuring I'd hear what I needed to know eventually.

When all the reunion excitement had died down a little, Hobby Dambro thought to ask at last. "River, what are you all doing here? We thought you were dangerous to be around?"

"The efforts of those who had been opposing us are currently at a standstill." River said. "We are in Beletara, and have a safe haven there, thanks to the protection of the Wizard's Guild and Princess Redstone."

"At a standstill because our most powerful weapon turned out to be the third person they had been looking for to add to their quest." Fox said. "He and Sid demolished the citadel where our forces were marshaled, and destroyed several fortunes worth of supplies and equipment, not to mention a thousand year old castle and the mountaintop it had been built on."

"They found the Sun then?" Alianna asked.

"Yes." Wintersun said. "My brother Flare."

"I am Sky, the fourth." Sky added. "Now that we are four, we must find our way to the isle of Cedar Sands. Even now the search for the information we need to do that continues."