Chapter 7

Now that I had found out how to 'fly the Road' I was sorely disappointed when I didn't have my dream again that night or in the week running up to Christmas. I hid my disappointment by keeping busy doing other things.

Brenda invented a powerful snow-blower using scrap that she had reclaimed from my garage. Together we made the rounds of all my summer clients with an offer to keep their drive clear whenever there was fresh snow. We made a great team I thought - Brenda with her inventions, my truck and a little helping hand from the 'power' to make the jobs go that little bit faster.

The winter work helped bring in some extra money, which was a bonus with Christmas approaching and presents to buy. I was having trouble deciding what to buy my girl and I had even sunk so low as to ask her Mom for ideas!

"You decide, Sean. I'm sure so long as it's from the heart, Brenda will be delighted with it."

Huh? Fat lot of help that was! Maybe Mrs Thomas was getting into mother-in-law mode early? That was a worrying thought!

With only three days until Christmas I was still stumped and starting to really panic. Brenda didn't make things any easier as she smugly informed me that she had already bought my present.

I was lying on top of my bed trying to come up with a bright idea - any idea! - when I heard the voice inside my head. I knew by now that the voice was actually Charles, but I had fun keeping the two apart for some reason. Childish, perhaps, but it kept me happy!

"Youngling, why have you not returned? Have you forgotten already how to 'fly the Road'?" asked the voice.

"But I'm not sleeping," I replied automatically.

"Sean, were you sleeping when you flew up to the top of the Yew tree?"

Now that the voice asked the question I felt pretty damned stupid again! I was able to see the ley lines when I was awake, feel the power being absorbed into my body and of course I could fly. I don't know why I hadn't thought of being able to visit Charles without dreaming.

"But the last time I visited, I stayed for two years. Will that work again? If I'm awake when I fly the Road, won't I lose time in this 'other world'?" I asked.

My answer was the sound and this time also the feel of the voice laughing deeply.

"Between us, anything is possible Sean. Just close your eyes and 'fly the Road'. All you need to do is ensure that your resting body won't be in any danger while you're away. Your visits now are only to satisfy your training, and only seconds will pass in that other-world, while you are with me. Once your training is complete you can take one of the lesser roads to Gael. When that happens, everything will be in real time and then things will be as you expect them."

I did as he suggested and closed my eyes. I searched inside myself trying to find a way to connect with the road that I knew passed close to our house. At last I noticed the tap that I had used to turn off my 'feeding' from the Road when Grandma had worried I might explode.

I concentrated on turning the tap and immediately sensed a thin tendril of 'the power' snaking its way to me from the Road. I mentally connected with the little powerful streamer and willed myself to follow it to its source.

And then, suddenly, magically, I was there! Flying high above the Road. I couldn't mistake how much it stood out from the other, lesser, roads. As if to further re-assure me, six eagles swooped down from my left and squawked a greeting.

"Thank you for the welcome, my friends!" I called back to them.

I made a much better job of landing this time as I'd practised that during my two years with Charles and Grandma before. There was a placid looking pond below me, and curiosity made me land so that I could look at my reflection.

Yep, I was older than four years old. I guessed I was six ... the same age I had been when I left after my first visit. That somehow made sense, and I took to the air once more, focused now on reaching Grandma and Charles.

When I felt the pull from the Road urging me downwards, I resisted this time. Why bother walking the path, through the settlement and up the hillside? Why not just fly all the way to the cabin by the standing stones? So that's just what I did.

Charles was standing by the stone circle but Grandma was nowhere to be seen.

"Welcome back, youngling. It was stupid of me not to make sure of your knowledge before you left the last time. We will fix that now so you know how to reach me at all times. There is no harm done however, and it gave me cause to laugh - something you do a lot, Sean!"

I wasn't sure that making Charles laugh a lot was necessarily a good thing. He was at pains to remind me of how hard I had to work and how much there was to do. On second thoughts - he was too serious, so maybe it was good for him.

My lessons started at once. Charles led the way inside the stone circle and the feeling of security settled over me immediately. My teacher shouted to scatter the eagles that were still circling us. They squawked - I didn't dare tell Charles what they called him - and flew off to the West.

As he had promised, Charles' first subject for study was how I could contact him. We covered more detail of how I could 'fly the Road' and also how I could just speak to him in my head if I felt the need.

He had already told me that only a few seconds would pass in the Midwest despite how long I might stay on these visits. The explanation of how that could be the case, was something of a matter of faith.

"I know that you've heard of Australia in the other world, Sean. Have you learned anything about the indigenous people of that land?" asked Charles.

"I know that they're called Aboriginals," I replied.

"Yes. The Aboriginals have a way of connecting with another dimension, like the spirit world or a 'time without time'. They call it entering the dreamtime. Your visits to me are a bit like that. Everything that we are doing is actually taking place in a place I would call the 'everywhere'. It is supported by your subconscious, by the oldest parts of your brain and fuelled by the power that you draw from the Road. In this everywhere you can experience your past, your present and your future.

"I am your guide in this, but it is the power inside, your own connection with the everywhere, that makes it possible. You are close to the point where you will reach full maturity for a man of Gael. For people like you and me, the chemistry of that change makes many things possible, including these trips you are taking to complete your training.

"At some point you will need to really return to Gael. Return in the flesh I mean, not simply in the dreamtime. That is your destiny no matter how hard your Mother has tried to run away from it. When you do return time will pass normally here and in the other world.

"Now you can see why I am working you so hard! We have to make the most of this time we have been given. We need to exploit this suspension of time passing before your coming of age to make sure you're ready for what will surely come after it."

"And what will that be?" I asked Charles.

"There is much that you have to learn before I can tell you that, Sean. And even I do not know everything that the future holds for you. Some things cannot be seen."

Charles had done it again. He had teased me with the prospect of sharing my future, only to then tell me I had to study more first! This was one of the annoying habits he had that I'd described to Brenda. Thinking of Brenda reminded me of another question I had for Charles.

"Charles, is it possible for me to bring another person into my 'dreamtime'?"

He considered me carefully, obviously thinking hard about his answer to my question. I felt relieved that at least he hadn't simply laughed.

"To my knowledge that has never been done, youngling. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I don't think it can be done. Only our kind has this connection to the power of the Road. It has been our birthright for thousands of years, and we have striven to use it well. Yet who knows what abilities you have been born with, for are we not each, unique?" he finished.

Yep, and this was the other annoying habit Charles had! I'd asked a question and his answer just raised another three questions for me to consider. He was using that 'our kind' phrase again. What did he mean by 'birthright' and 'thousands of years', and why didn't he know what abilities I had been born with?

I remembered my lesson from my last visit and decided not to ask any more questions for a while.

"You said that I needed to make sure my body was in a safe place before I came here. But you also said that only a few seconds would pass in the other world. If only a few seconds will pass, why do I need to worry so much about where I might lie down when I come?"

"It takes less than a second to die, Sean. Whether from some accident, natural causes or at the hands of an enemy."

Of course I gulped at that. It was a sobering thought! Your own death and how easy and quick it could be. It was a thought that 'nearly eighteen-year-olds' don't naturally dwell on much.

"What happens if someone does find my body back there while I'm with you?" I asked.

"When they speak to you or touch you, you will awaken. Hopefully, alive, Sean. I cannot caution you strongly enough to only visit me here when your body will be safe!"

There was a lot of other stuff to do with security and even how to connect to the Road much faster that I won't waste time on here. Charles' lessons about the Road and contacting him were spread over a week and I'm sure no one wants to hear that level of detail!

Charles told me that on this trip, Grandma would be responsible for some of my lessons.

"Gwendolin will teach you all there is to know about the spiritual worship here on Gael. She is an adept of the màthraichean but she has studied all of the other gods and their worship too."

Grandma was delighted to see me again and decided that a feast should be held to honour my return. I found out now that Grandma had caused the awe and respect on the faces of the people in the settlement. She held an important position apparently and the villagers couldn't do enough to keep her happy.

It didn't take Grandma long before she had people running round doing her bidding. Men were sent out to hunt fresh meat and the women in the village began to gather fruits, berries and plants to cook with the meat.

Charles told me that I should go with the hunters as another part of my studies.

"You will begin to learn about Gael's creatures during this visit, Sean. I know already that you have a unique ability. You can speak with the eagles and understand what they are saying, but I suspect that you can do more than that. It is time to find out how your relationship with the animals affects your behaviour. Will you be able to hunt and kill in order to eat?"

Charles seemed to think this was going to be a trial for me. I was less worried. Eating meat had never been a problem and I was at least intelligent enough to know where meat came from. Eating meat had never made me feel guilty in the past. That knowledge made me feel that hunting animals wouldn't be too difficult. It turned out that I was both right and wrong!

The village was home to perhaps just over a hundred people - men, women and children. The hunting party I joined was made up of eight of the youngest and fittest in the village. They complained bitterly when they found out I was going with them. The hunt was no place for a six-year-old boy, even if he was training with Charles. It only took a word from Grandma to change their minds, though.

I should spend some time describing what the hunters (and other villagers for that matter) wore and what they used for weapons. Clothing was made from sewn together hides for the most part. The men wore shirts, rough breeches and had some kind of moccasins for their feet. Some had additional hide on their moccasins that made them into soft boots.

The women's clothing was either hide or the same rough cloth that Grandma's robes were made from - although the colour for the villagers was brown rather than green.

Weapons came in the shape of spears, swords and daggers. For the hunters it was largely spears and sharp daggers. I already knew that the people of Gael were masters in metalworking from the dishes, cups and eating utensils that I had used in my time here. The use of metal extended to their weapons too and the blades of the spears and daggers looked wickedly sharp.

I soon noticed that spears came in three main sizes. One was long with a relatively short blade. I later discovered that it was designed mostly for use on horseback (or for fighting people who were on horseback).

The second version was shorter and had a longer, slightly wider, blade. This was referred to by the hunters, as the stabbing spear. I would very quickly witness how skilled they were in using the spear to gralloch their kills.

The final spear was midway in size between the other two and it was a throwing spear. The blade was much smaller and the length of the spear was tapered towards the butt to give it perfect balance for throwing.

Just as dawn was breaking, the leader of the party led the way out of the village. We were on horseback and the hunters made it clear they expected to travel fast. There had been a slight delay when I'd indicated the horse I wanted to ride.

"No one can ride Mòr Dubh. He will let no one near him," I was told.

Instead a much smaller beast was identified for me. Some of the hunters watched me closely as I mounted, no doubt curious about my riding skill (or lack of it). What they saw must have satisfied them that I would at least manage to stay on the horse's back.

A brisk ride brought us to a small watering hole on the edge of a forest. There were tracks leading to and from the water's edge, indicating that game drank here. The leader of the hunting party signalled for us all to dismount and one of the hunters was singled out to look after the horses.

The rest of us spread out and began to enter the forest line abreast. The leader - he told me his name was Erik - insisted that I remain close to him. There is a lot of skill involved in moving through a forest without making any noise. Successful hunting depends on having that kind of skill, so you can get close enough to your prey to make the kill.

I believe Erik wanted me close by so that he could monitor the amount of noise I was making. Now, that was almost as bad as laying down a challenge and I wasn't going to let him have his fun at my expense!

Ok, I admit it. I cheated and used the power. By focusing, I could look as if I was walking normally, but my feet were not actually touching the ground at any point. The result was that I was the quietest of all of the party by far! Imagine Erik's surprise, a six-year-old with better stalking skills than his!

We came across a small glade after about ten minutes. The sunlight through the trees created a dappled effect on the grass and acted as perfect camouflage for several small deer.

I sensed the deer before any of the hunters picked them up. It was then that I learned my first lesson about my attitude to hunting. The deer were a mother and one youngster. I could hear her gentling the baby and cautioning it to remain constantly alert for danger. I knew immediately that I couldn't stand by and let the hunters kill them.

"Run Momma deer! Run and keep your lovely daughter safe! Away with you at once or the hunters' steel will surely spill your heart's blood!"

The words were all thought inside my head, but somehow I knew the deer would hear and understand my warning.

It worked. The first the hunters knew of the pair was when they saw the little white tails vanishing deeper into the forest. Erik looked up and down the line with real anger. He believed that someone must have made a noise to spook the deer, and he wasn't happy. I hid my smile and continued walking.

Twenty minutes later we came across another deer, a buck this time. My senses didn't pick him up as early as I had the others. There was something different about this fella as well - it was like he had no personality inside.