The Legend of Valtera: Chapter 17
The air turned sweet, becoming lighter the higher they climbed. The trees, underbrush and unusual moisture in the air created a jungle-like atmosphere around them. Prea and Kael climbed up and over a small slick ridge and met the last line of trees standing before a beautiful waterfall that flowed over the rock above and down the mountain behind them.
It seemed they had made it; this place aligned with every clue in the poem. The elements converged here—there was an abundance of air, earth and water. The only one missing was fire, but Prea knew that if she was right, fire would be joining them soon enough.
Kael looked down at Prea, unimpressed. “Is this it? How do we know we’re in the right place?”
“I’m…not sure.” Prea took a deep breath and focused on her surroundings. There was something more here, different from what she normally felt, a tingle in the earth below her feet, a whistle in the wind. It was power, an echo of immense power. She was sure of it, she could feel it. Prea’s hand brushed up against a tree beside her and she jumped, surprised by the shock of energy she received. “I don’t think this is the exact place, but we’re definitely close. I can sense it. There’s a power here. Can’t you feel it?” Prea wondered given the amount of power she could sense. She looked up into his face and saw the disbelief there.
“No. I don’t feel anything. It’s just a forest.” Kael paused, reflecting. “What’s it like?”
That surprised her; not the disbelief, she was expecting that, it was the acceptance followed by curiosity. She always knew that he was here out of a sense of honor or adventure, not because he believed in the legend or the stone. Maybe he was starting to believe in her, if nothing else, Prea thought.
How to explain? They never discussed these topics with anyone outside the family. But he was with her, had traveled this far on very little information. She supposed he deserved a little bit of her secret, she would just have to phrase it right.
“It’s hard to explain. There’s a prickle in my toes and I can feel a tickle in the wind, a little chill that raises the hair off the back of my neck. And I just got a jolt of energy from that tree when I laid my hand on it.” She pointed to the tree beside her. “Like I said, I’d know it when I found it. Part of it was the poem and its clues; the rest was…intuition.” She stepped forward and squatted down, running her hands through the water. A shiver ran up her arm, coursing through her blood and flowing straight to her heart.
Kael watched Prea as she crouched by the river, her hair sparkling in the sun. An image came to him, a picture from a childhood school book. She looked like a wood nymph, surrounded by the forest and a waterfall, as she talked of tingles and power.
“Have you always felt it? Has it been like this your whole life?” He wanted to know more, his curiosity never quite quenched when it came to Prea.
She was glad to be facing away from him. The truth was yes, but she wasn’t ready to be that honest.
“I’ve always felt a pull, a connection to nature. But that could have been my upbringing and my mother’s teachings. Nature has been the one thing I’ve always believed in, my silent companion.”
“You seem to have a strong connection, to say the least.”
“Yes, it feels that way,” she said, knowing that he had only brushed the surface. Prea cupped her hands in the water and slowly rose to her feet, letting the water leak through her fingers and watching it fall back to the masses. Her face turned toward the sky as the last of the water trickled from her hands. The sun was still rising in the east and it would be a while before it would be in its overhead position. She stepped away from the river, dropping her pack lightly on the ground. “We can rest for a bit before we search some more. We have time. And we shouldn’t have to go far.”
Kael nodded and sat down just as Prea did. The moisture in the air left the ground cushioned like a pillow and their bodies relaxed beneath them. Prea’s legs burned from exertion; the mountain slope had steepened in the last couple of days, making the journey slower and more difficult. Her pack didn’t help the cause, forcing her two steps back for every step forward. It was a miracle they had gotten this far, at least a miracle for Prea. Kael was a healthy young man who traveled for a living; he was doing just fine under the circumstances.
“Have you thought about what you’re going to do when you get back and save your brother?” Kael asked quietly.
“Once he’s safe? No, I haven’t thought much about it.” She rummaged through her pack, digging out some food to eat. “I guess I’ll go back to teaching. I no longer know what normal is. Alvie will probably be grateful to give up the responsibility. And Carr’s still a boy; I have years left of parenting. So I’ll be there for my family and my friends and I’ll take it from there, I suppose.” Prea looked over at Kael. “What are your plans?”
“Me?” Kael stared at the flowing water. “I’ve never spent much time on the eastern coast. And I’ve never been to the Bay of Aldin.”
“You want to come back with me?” Her mouth dropped. “Why?”
“I want to see this through. Make sure your family is safe and your brother is okay.” He saw her surprise. “Do you really find that so shocking? I’ve been with you for most of this journey. I’m going to see you home.”
Prea wasn’t sure how to take that declaration. She had always thought of this as a temporary companionship, nothing lasting. But now he was talking about coming home with her to check on her family and her brother. That was something more, something completely unexpected. Here was a man who had literally run into her in the woods and he was turning into someone she could depend on, rely on. A few weeks before, she had thought most of those people were dead. They had left her alone. But she wasn’t alone anymore.
As she sat here in the woods, a stirring started deep within her. It was a sensation she didn’t expect to feel again for a long time, if ever. But now that it was happening, she didn’t know what she should do about it. Should she accept it or reject it? It had been mere weeks since the man she loved was taken from her. What did this say about her? About the person she was?
“Well, before we can go back home, we first have to finish what we’ve started,” Prea replied softly, before she could feel anything else.
“What’s the next clue?” he asked. “How are we supposed to find this entrance? And where does it lead?”
“We are looking for the song of the stars, which we’ve yet to find. And we are looking for a place where the elements converge, which we’ve found.”
“We have earth, air and water…but where’s the fire?” Kael interrupted.
“The fire will come soon enough,” Prea responded vaguely. “Sometimes things don’t have to be so literal. Sometimes they’re symbolic.”
“What do you mean?” Kael wasn’t a very symbolic person, Prea could tell.
“The fire doesn’t need to be present here in the form of flames and smoke, it can be represented in other ways. The sun, for example. The next part of the poem states: While fire arises twice within a day, the entrance unveiled and on display. The sun and summer, midsummer especially, are associated with the element of fire. Just as noon and the full moon are symbols as well.”
Prea stood, stepping closer to the waterfall to get as far away from the surrounding trees as possible. She lifted her face to the sky, searching for the coming sun. She could start to feel the rays through the awning of branches to the east, but it wasn’t the best view. The trees were still too close together to see much above. This is what felt off about the space. They were close but there would never be an abundance of sunlight in this place.
“I believe we’re waiting for the sun to be directly overhead in the middle of the day when sunlight is strongest. That aligns with the first occurrence of fire.”
“What’s the second?”
“The full moon is tonight. When the moon reaches its apex tonight will be the second occurrence. We may have to wait until then for the entrance to be revealed.”
“So we’re looking for an entrance to a tunnel?” Kael pushed.
“That would be my best guess based on where we are, yes.”
Prea returned to her seat. They would have to wait for a sign, something to tell them where to go next. She leaned back against a tree nearby, feeling the heat and pulse of the tree’s energy against her back as she faced the waterfall, watching it spill over the edge, tumbling down against the rocks. The melody of the rushing and splashing water filled her ears and mind, sending her into a daze, just like the fire.
As the sun rose higher in the sky, Prea could feel the power magnifying around her. Even Kael noticed the change, looking around for some cause, some explanation for the shift. There was none; no visual changes. But he had noticed and that was something, progress perhaps. Maybe he would believe it now, Prea thought. Or maybe just believe in the possibility of it.
The sun was directly overhead when Prea heard the most exquisite harmony float down to her upon the air. Her head snapped up, so fast it was practically an invisible movement. Those tones, so pure and ethereal. That had to be the song of the stars. They had heard unusual birds on the journey, especially when they had begun their climb through the trees. There was a possibility that the other birds were the song of the stars, but it wasn’t clear. It could have been a coincidence and they were all just following the river.
But this sound was…otherworldly. This was the song of the stars.
She jumped up, blindingly fast. “We have to go higher,” she exclaimed suddenly.
“What do you mean?”
“We’re close but we have to go higher. That sound has to be the song of the stars. Have you ever heard anything like it?” Prea asked excitedly. “And it’s coming from above us, higher up the mountain. The right spot must be above this waterfall, that’s why we can sense the power but it’s not quite right.”
Prea didn’t wait for a response. She grabbed her pack and ran away from the water and farther into the trees. They couldn’t go straight up the rock face; they would have to go around and up. With every step she took, Prea felt an additional surge of power telling her she was on the right track. Kael’s footsteps thudded along heavily behind her, but she barely noticed.
The river could no longer be seen from their position, and neither could the rock surrounding the falls. The land rose steeply on their right; it wouldn’t be easy, but it could be done. Prea hesitated for just a moment to catch her breath before she sprinted up the slope. Thirty feet up, the land finally leveled off slightly, a tiny path forming on her right. Listening for the rush and splash of water, Prea ran through the trees, Kael close on her heels. A glint could be seen in the distance; she hadn’t realized that they had gone that far around. Breaking through the last of the trees, she stopped abruptly, blinded for a moment and Kael paused behind her, barely avoiding a full on collision. Prea blinked a few times, before her eyes adjusted to the sudden influx of white light.
This was it. A rush of powerful wind flew past her, tousling her hair about her face. Actually it flew through her, signaling they had reached their destination. The entrance or pathway was here. Kael stepped out from behind her and appraised their new location. It wasn’t just a river and a waterfall.
On this level, a small cove had formed. Craggy rocks laced with emerald plant life rose up the mountain on the north side and another larger curtain of water poured over an edge high up that rock wall. The strong flow of water and the resulting splashes rippled the cove’s shining surface, spilling over the south edge and down to the river they had seen below. Here the space was wider and the sun shone down on them directly, turning the water into a shimmering mirror. The trees were farther from the edge, thick vegetation taking their place encircling the water. A rainbow assortment of flowers poked out of the greenery, adding an array of color to the scene.
Prea glimpsed something out of the corner of her eye. She lifted her head in time to see a small silver bird glistening in the light. It flitted through the air as fast as a hummingbird’s wings; there one second and gone the next.
“Did you see that?” Prea asked, pointing to where the bird had disappeared. “The bird. Did you see it?”
“No,” Kael said sadly. “I didn’t.”
“It was beautiful. Delicate…but strong somehow. And silver.”
“It was silver?” Kael asked, surprised. He had never heard of a bird or animal being described as silver. He shook his head. “I guess that fits though, doesn’t it? A bird that sings the song of the stars would be odd in any other color.”
Prea looked at him disapprovingly. “Don’t make fun. You can feel it now, can’t you? This is the place.”
“Yes, I can feel it. And even if I couldn’t, there’s still something about this place…”
“Like it’s too perfect or something,” Prea finished for him.
“Yes,” he said simply. They dropped their packs on the ground.
“We should look around while the sun’s still high,” Prea directed. Not sure what they were looking for, they went over every inch of their side of the cove including the neighboring trees. When they came up empty, Prea wasn’t defeated. The sun had fled across the sky, now hanging just above the trees on the western side of the cove. “We may have to wait for the moon.”
“Maybe.” He was doubting her again, and he was starting to wonder what Prea would do if this wasn’t true, if there was no secret entrance or pathway. Probably go over the mountain, Kael thought. He was taken aback when Prea began undressing next to him. “What are you doing?”
She stopped at her undergarments, throwing her clothes in a pile on top of her pack. “There’s still enough light. I’m going to swim across and check out the other side.”
“Go for it. I’m going to stay here.” He sat down right where he stood.
“Suit yourself,” Prea said before she dove into the freezing cove. Summer and the sun had not done much to warm the water. She broke the surface, coming up with teeth chattering. “Heaven and earth, it’s cold in here.”
“What did you expect?” Kael said smugly.
By the time she reached the other side her teeth had stopped chattering as her body quickly adapted to the cold temperature, but they started up again as soon as she pulled herself onto the opposite shore. She shivered and shook as she searched, listening to Kael’s unnecessary coaching from their home shore. Still she found nothing and her feet were sore from walking on the forest floor. She jumped back into the water and came up facing the waterfall. Prea treaded water as she contemplated the falling water. There could be something hidden there, she thought and swam towards the rock wall.
“What are you doing?” Kael yelled.
“I want to check the wall.” Prea ran her hands and feet over every piece of that wall, even skirting around the curtain of water to check directly behind. There was nothing. She continued her inspection of the rest of the wall before climbing out once more by Kael.
Prea quickly threw on her dry clothes, trying to warm herself up as fast as possible. The shaking wouldn’t stop, though, and Kael stood, moving towards her. He ran his hands up and down her arms trying to rub some warmth back into her body. He switched to her hands, clasping them within his own and bringing them to his mouth to blow warm breath over them, followed by holding them tight and rubbing them gently.
It wasn’t working; Prea was still shaking, teeth chattering away.
“Come here,” Kael ordered, pulling Prea close.
He wrapped his arms tightly around her, her hands on his chest, sandwiched between them. Kael stroked her back, up and down, up and down. His body radiated heat, as if the sun were within him, blazing from his very core. They stood there holding each other for a while before Prea felt warm and comfortable enough to pull away.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” He hadn’t let go of her completely; his hands still rested on her arms. He looked towards the sky where the sun had disappeared behind the distant trees. “We only have to wait a few more hours for night to come. The sun has begun to set.”
Darkness descended slowly over the clearing and cove, creating an eerie effect. The star bird began singing again, but it remained hidden high in the trees. Its song was filled with loneliness, as if it was calling to its starry brethren as night fell, wishing to join them in the sky once more. And Prea saw the truth in the bird’s song as a stream of images entered her mind. This one remained far from home, in exile, living in the mountains of this strange land. Its heavenly brothers and sisters had left long ago, returning to their home in the elysian land in the sky. But this star bird endured, year after year, singing its forlorn melody night after night, at the same time never losing hope that it would eventually be reunited with its celestial family.
The song was transcendently beautiful, equal parts lonely and hopeful, and it broke Prea’s heart. She closed her eyes, opening her heart and soul to the music. It was painful to feel it all at once: the loss, the grief, the unknown future and the uncertainty of life. The magnitude of it could drown her easily, if she let it. But the bird’s song hadn’t just brought the heartache, it tugged at something deep inside Prea, something she had forgotten.
The will to live.
She wanted to finish this mission and then see what else the universe had to offer. She would see her family again someday, until then though, they would want her to live, not just survive.
She felt a light touch on her forearm and opened her eyes to see Kael looking at her with worry in his stormy blue ones. “Prea, are you all right? You’re crying.”
Prea covered his hand tightly with her own for a moment. “Yes, I’m fine. Better than I have been in a while.”
Night had fallen and the glow of the moon could be seen through some of the trees. It wouldn’t be long now. Her anticipation could not be contained and she rose to watch the moon’s path between the stars. Kael mirrored Prea’s movements coming to rest beside her, his hand reaching out and clasping hers, their fingers lacing together. Her heart leapt in shock at the intimate gesture.
The moon performed its nightly routine, a friendly face and a beacon of hope in the darkness. They stood, hand in hand, watching and waiting patiently for something magical to happen. The moon broke past the treetops, finally casting its glow onto the cove’s surface. Prea’s heart began to race in excitement. She pulled her hand from his grasp and stepped toward the water’s edge, paying close attention to the moon’s reflection on the water’s surface. She looked up to the sky then back down again to the water. The reflection stretched out as the moon continued her own journey.
“Do you see anything?” Prea asked softly, not taking her eyes from the water.
“No.”
Prea took another step closer to the edge. The reflection was pointing towards the waterfall, or so it seemed. She stared at the water spilling over the edge above, plunging downward, splashing as it connected with the pool of water.
It never changed.
No matter where the moon was above them, the reflection never moved. It remained fixed on that plummeting wall of water.
“It’s the waterfall,” Prea whispered. She tore her shirt over her head and threw it to the ground, ripping her trousers off seconds later. Just as she had done earlier that day, she took a few steps and dove back into the midnight water.
