Shimmer

By B.J. Robertson

Well I can tell you that you people were the first and only ones to be brought here, and this world was terra formed about five hundred years ago. The earth population was introduced about three hundred years later, and up till now everything has rocked right along. Guess thats not the way of it now. Jen laughed and somehow there seemed more than humor in the laugh.

Areel was so preoccupied with this new information, she could hardly bring lunch to a conclusion fast enough, and still seem like she was fine and nothing significant had happened.

The girls both stood as if the lunch was concluded by mutual agreement. They put their trays in the slot marked for that purpose and left the room. Jen turned one way and Areel the other, heading straight for her room. Upon entering her room she sat down at the table. Then folding her hands in front of her she starred at the wall her body motionless, but her mind racing from thought to thought How could this be!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 19, 2012
• ISBN: 9781469168609

B.J. Robertson

Born in San Pedro California Now live on the south coast of Oregon in North Bend. Raised our six kids here. My Husband and I have been married for forty-four years. I was raised in 0Z and spent a good deal of my adult life in Pern. I find that I really like to write, my spelling has always been less than adequate so it was a surprise. I also love to sing in the college symphonic choir, act and sing in local plays at Little Theater on the Bay and paint and quilt. Add Red Hatters to that and it keeps me off the streets.

Book preview

1

Areel’s feet barley brushed the top leaves of the ground cover, pressing down just hard enough to keep moving swiftly across the last of the valley floor before reaching the trees.

It was almost like flying. She reached out her hand at the first tree and continued to elevate herself to the higher branches. Branch after branch as long as she could make contact with the leaves or needles she sailed from tree to tree, all the while climbing higher up the mountain.

It made her laugh to realize that she had called this tree walking since she was first shown how the Learners traveled long distances quickly without tiring.

As she continued up the mountain she remembered that first day. She was five years old at the time, the age when a Learner was shown and instructed in this travel technique.

Godrea, her teacher was Head Learner of Rondace. She had first tested Areel at age three and for the last years, since her fourth birthday, she worked with her every day.

The wind, Areel, has substance, just as your blood and bones do. Look at me and step up onto the wind. At the same time breathe in all that fresh air. Now believe.

That was the easy part, had not she just seen Godrea step on the wind. Areel figured that she was ever so much smaller so it should be easier. Godrea held out two little branches with leaves at the end.

Here child reach out your right hand as you step and now your left hand. The leaves will give you balance. Tree walking was how she thought of it then and to be truthful at twenty-four she still did.

She had left her home land far behind. Part of her mind so excited at a new life experience and part numb from the reality of the decision of striking out on her own for the first time. It was an honor, but still the unknown that awaited her was immense.

It was several hours into the night and the moon was almost at the full. The night air was the not quite cool of early summer. To facilitate her travels she had worn all the clothes he brought with her. The under garments of a light weight material, the over dress of soft light weight material, that was a gift from her mother. Her mother’s sister Zilbe had given her a dress, good strong material, and a rope belt that could be used for so many things. Her cup tied to the belt and her belt knife, also the carry sack. Her belt knife was a particularly precious item. Her Mother had given it to her the night before she left. Her Father had left it to the family when he died last winter. He had a bad fall and a tree limb had crushed him. He left Lorn, Areel’s mother with Areel who was twenty two at the time and twin baby girls. Areel was sorry to leave her mother with the work of two babies but, her mother had insisted, because of the great honor to Areel and to the family, to make this trip.

Over all was her serviceable full length cloak, soft and warm and a lovely shade of earth, not only did it keep her warm and dry but was her blanket by night. It also provided her with the ability to blend into the underbrush or tree top if necessary. It had been presented to her that last night as a badge of her calling.

Areel had been on the move since early in the day. She needed to go just a little farther before she could rest.

It had been over a month now since she last looked back down the mountain to the valley which had been home since her birth.

No, I can’t think of that. I must keep on and think only of the top of this mountain, and the next. I must find a safe place to sleep soon.

An owl ruffled its wings and hooted in a tree she had just used. Though this form of travel was not stressful, still she had been at it for hours this day. Just up ahead she saw a large fir tree. It was quite a bit taller than the other trees near it.

Ah, that looks like a fine place to spend the rest of this night. Areel swung up to the middle branches of the great tree. She was at least twenty feet above the ground. There were two branches about twelve inches apart, one above the other and another branch about eight inches in front of the lower of the two branches. It formed a lovely seat for her to sit on and lean back to sleep. There was another branch to lean forward and hold onto. She settled herself, wrapped her cloak around her and began to relax. The sweet soft breeze moving the branches, ever so softly, put her to sleep in no time.

A glint of sunlight struck Areel in the face. Opening her eyes she found herself looking into the shiny little eyes of a squirrel. He was busily looking for his morning meal.

Areel’s stomach began to complain with faint growls… Too bad, you will just have to wait until I can find something.

Gazing between the branches of the great tree that had served so well for her bed; she began to take in her surroundings. Areel was blessed, as were all her people, with a true sense of direction. Though she didn’t know where she was, she did know what direction she was traveling in.

I really need water before I need food, she said. She listened to the sound of her voice echoing amongst the trees, she listened to the sounds around her. There were the birds carrying on their little bits of conversation and the squirrel scolding her now. Then there was the sound of twigs breaking and as she looked down there was a mother dear and her little one. Now surly there must be water somewhere near. Try as she might she could hear no sound of water.

She had been on an easterly track for the last week and decided to continue on that way. There was still a lot of forest land ahead, so she kept to the trees, stopping every so often to listen.

Finally the sound that she had been waiting for presented itself, a stream with lots of little cascades. It was the perfect kind of stream for drinking. She came down out of the trees to have a look. It was a lovely sight. The water came down the hill in leaps and bounds, over rocks, splashing and racing on to the next fall. She untied her cup and drank her fill. In the pool, the sun shone through the trees creating a lovely burst of color to her hair as she looked at her reflection. It seemed a fiery red gold. She could see the unruly curls that had worked their way loose from the leather that held them in place. As she was retying the leather thong her stomach growled, bringing her back to the present. Food would have to come next.

Areel’s aunt Zilbe had been the gatherer for the family. It had been Areel’s task to accompany her and to help Zilbe with the gathering. Areel had paid attention to the instruction of her aunt and had learned what could be eaten and where to look and most important when to look. It was a good time of year to gather. She had hoped she would be able to live off the land as she traveled. Soon there were enough plants located to placate her growling mid-section. She even managed a few things for later. Again she headed east. Night followed day. She continued on.

She planned to head out from home for about three months. Then to zigzag her way back as she kept cataloged in her mind all things of interest that she came across. Water sources and medicinal plants particularly, also types of animals found, grazing areas, mountains and valleys. It was her first survey and map travel for Rondace.

About a week and a half later she was in a forest where some hard woods grew. She heard people calling to each other. She climbed the heaviest leafed tree she could find and drew her cloak about herself. The sound of voices soon died away. Areel looked for a taller tree to get a better look around.

There, that one looks like the ideal tree. About thirty five feet up the tree had just the view she was looking for. That’s odd! It looks shimmery. What is that? Across the landscape about forty feet in front of Areel the atmosphere took on a distinctly odd look. Kind of a textured look, as if it was a picture made up of millions of dots of color that weren’t quite touching. Areel drew closer, taking one step at a time. The hair on the back of her neck and on her arms began to stand on end. She picked up a small limb about three feet long with leaves on the end of it. She held the branch out in front of her until she was close enough for the first six inches of the branch to look as though it was poking into the shimmer. She stopped there and started to pull the branch back toward her. It flared up and the end of the branch disappeared in a flash of light. The end of the branch was burned away.

Areel stepped back and picked up a small stone. She threw it at the simmering air. It went through and nothing happened. She got a longer branch and tried it again. The same thing happened. It went in but when she tried to pull it back out, the end of the branch flashed and was gone.

Areel retraced her steps to the large hard wood tree. It was in full leaf and would hide her and keep her safe while she rested and thought about all that had taken place.

Once up in the tree, on a comfortable safe seat of branches Areel ate the roots that were left from her earlier meal and thought about the Shimmer. It seemed to her that you could go into the shimmer but could not come out. What it was or why it was she had no idea. As she was watching it a small animal was wondering in that direction. It was looking for food, and nose to the ground, it never looked up and went right through the shimmer. It seemed to suffer no ill effect and continued on in a straight line until Areel could see it no longer. As the day was wearing on, Areel decided to keep to the tree and get a full night sleep.

At sun up Areel awoke refreshed but hungry. Leaving the tree she began to look around at the plant life. She looked to the East where the Shimmer was, but it was no longer there. How very odd, she said. How strange. Where did it go? Areel got another branch and began to go forward to where the Shimmer had been. She went forward about fifty feet. There was nothing.

She went back to the tall tree that she had used for a look out the day before. She climbed to the top and looked around in every direction. Everything looked perfectly normal in the North, South and East. But when she looked to the West about the top of the ridge of the next hill; there was an odd cast to the air. Areel decided to go back that way and see what it was.

She went through the trees until she was about twenty feet away, and again the hair on her neck and arms was all prickly.

Again she took a branch and walked toward the shimmer. The end of the branch just barely touched. Areel jerked the branch back. The end was burnt completely away. She picked up a stone and threw it at the shimmer. There was a great flash and the stone was no more. What had happened while she slept?

With the path closed to the West she had no choice but to keep on to the East.

Water was becoming important again. She must keep on. Areel took to the trees once again, hand after out stretched hand, she made her way to the top of the mountain and down and up three more mountain tops. As she crested the forth ridge she looked down into a valley, and she was not alone.

2

Down by a little stream a child was playing with a small grey furred animal. A girl somewhere around Areel’s age, was washing what appeared to be clothes in the stream, laying them on the bushes to dry in the warm sun. Areel looked with great interest at what the girl was wearing. The only thing Areel had that could even come close was the light weight dress she wore under her other things.

Wanting to look as much like others as possible, she removed her cloak and outer dress. She folded and rolled them in a neat package and tied it with one of her ties. Pulling up her light dress to a good length she fastened it there with her rope belt.

Not wanting to startle the girl she walked slowly out of the woods singing a quiet little tune. Both the child and the young girl stopped what they were doing, turned and looked at her. Areel smiled and looked as friendly as she could and said, Good morning. Could I get a drink of water? She held her cup out to them.

Who are you? said the girl. Where do you come from? No one is to go farther than this stream.

I was just walking in the woods, said Areel. It is such a lovely day. Do you always wash clothes in this stream?

You must know that this is the washing place.

I am not from here, said Areel. The girl looked shocked and confused… We are all from here.

Is there no one that is not from here? What is your name? My name is Areel.

My name is Conia. This is my brother Aukin.

What is this place called?

Why this is Amlin. All know its name. How is it possible that you do not?

Please, may I have some water? I have come a long way and have many questions. Conia gave her a drink where the water was clear. Handed it to her and sat down waiting for Areel to quench her thirst, and just maybe tell her who she was and where she could possibly be from, if not here.

After a few moments Areel set the cup aside and smiled an encouraging smile at Conia. "Are you sure that you have never heard of another that was not from