Rhuna, Keeper of Wisdom: An Historic Fantasy Novel

By Barbara Underwood

In the distant past, when a utopian civilization built the pyramids and other megalithic structures using magical powers, a young girl named Rhuna learns the truth about her father and the enemy that caused his demise. The idyllic civilization in which she flourishes and finds love is threatened by this old nemesis, and only Rhuna possesses the special inherited skills to stop him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Jul 16, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499005363

Barbara Underwood

Barbara Underwood was born and raised in Sydney, Australia; the only child of German migrants who provided a rich and diverse childhood environment. Already in third grade she wrote a short children's book for a class project and realized that she was deeply satisfied with creating stories. In sixth grade, for another class project, her teacher was so impressed by the lengthy story she submitted, that he commented at the end "I see we are going to have another author".Over the years Barbara kept writing one thing or another, but only as a hobby while she pursued other interests and goals. In the 1990s, she completed a correspondence course in professional writing, doing it in her spare time after work. This led to having a few short stories published, but what she really wanted to do was write a proper novel.At this time, Barbara had travelled extensively and gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in subjects that held special appeal for her, namely ancient history, myths and legends (such as Atlantis, the builders of megaliths around the world), folklore (the belief that a god-like race gave mankind its technology), human psychology and the culture of other countries. What could be a better subject for her novels than to combine all these elements into one big adventure!

Book preview

Copyright © 2014 by Barbara Underwood.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2014909643

ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-4990-0541-7

                Softcover         978-1-4990-0539-4

                eBook              978-1-4990-0536-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 05/23/2014

Xlibris LLC

1-800-455-039

www.Xlibris.com.au

633580

CONTENTS

Part One (Tozar)

Part Two (Medíz)

Part Three (Atlán)

Part Four (Zitán)

Part Five (Xoratán)

Part Six (Gatherer Of Sage)

Part Seven (Chipka)

Part Eight (The Dark Master)

Dedicated to the late and great

THOR HEYERDAHL

whose work inspired the writing of this novel.

PART ONE

(Tozar)

R huna felt the cold air tingle on her bare arms. The gusts of wind tugged at her old baggy tunic and whipped her long hair as she climbed the lonely track on the grassy hillside. The ground still felt cool and dewy under her bare feet. She stopped and looked back, tasted the salty air and drank in the deep blue of the endless ocean. Then she looked down and saw the changed scenery in the valley plain below. Rhuna remembered the dark green treetops and shady tracks that she used to explore in the valley, but it was a scruffy bald patch now, like many other parts of the island.

She reached the top of the hill and looked around. From there, she could even see the horizon on the other side of the island. Many times she had sat on this little hill and explored the empty horizon around her, imagining incredible places and adventures far beyond the dark blue line.

She continued over the crest towards a secluded green area among rocky outcrops, and into the sanctuary of her secret garden, to her make-believe friends, the plants and rocks. It was an oasis of many different trees and plants where her imagination could run wild, and where she felt safely secluded, far away from the people in the valley.

But today felt different to Rhuna. For the first time in her life she felt afraid. She was afraid of what was happening on the treeless plains in the valleys below, and what was changing her world.

Rhuna found the large-leafed plants that shielded the entrance to the cave, scampered through the concealed rocky opening and slid down the short dark shaft. This was the one place no one had ever been able to find her, and where she always felt warm and safe. She let her breathing return to normal and her eyes adjust to the darkness. The familiar dank smell calmed her, and the gentle echo of her movements reassured her. Inside the cavern, sunshine filtered through several narrow slits in the rock ceiling, shining light into the middle of the cave. It had always been her own special place of make-believe and play.

Hello Cave, how are you today? The wind has told me bad news about more trees that are gone, and there are more giant stone men in the valley now, and I don’t know what I…

She took a step towards the light, then stopped abruptly. Suddenly, she was aware of a presence in the opposite darkness.

What do you do here? Rhuna felt the ripples of the deep, strong voice brush her face. Her body stiffened with fright.

I play here, she squeaked.

"You play here?" The booming voice sounded surprised and amused, and it embarrassed her.

Child, who is your father, that he allows you to wander around freely and play in these caves?

I don’t know, Rhuna stammered.

Which is it you do not know, Child? The name of your father, or why he allows you such reckless freedom? The voice had softened and felt like a warm caress on Rhuna’s petrified body.

I don’t know his name, she whispered.

I see.

The mellowed voice slowly moved towards her, stepping into the light. Rhuna gasped and straightened with surprise as she recognized the white robe. She had seen the Masters wearing them, but she had never been so close to one before. She had always thought it was forbidden to talk to one of the Masters.

What is your name, Child? Do not fear to speak. Tell me your name. He came nearer and Rhuna noticed the light colour of his hair and beard, and it reminded her of the fine sand on the beach. Under the filtered rays of sunshine, Rhuna glimpsed his gentle, clear blue eyes, and her tensed body softened.

Rhuna.

Rhuna? Is this your only name, Child? The surprise in his voice made her lips quiver and tears well in her eyes. She had always been so painfully embarrassed about her simple and strange name.

Rhuna, he said softly after a moment’s silence.

Rhuna had never heard her name spoken that way. It sounded new and special to her.

Rhuna, you have suffered much due to the absence of a father. This is the reason you play alone in this cavern.

Rhuna nodded, startled that he knew so much about her.

Look at me now, Child, he said, lifting her chin with a gentle finger until the soft sunrays enveloped her face. She looked into his kind eyes and saw recognition flash across them, and then long contemplation.

You may call me Tozar, he said after a while.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

I must remain here for a time. Would I disturb your play? he said, brightening into a teasing smile.

Rhuna felt embarrassed.

"I don’t play anymore! Most girls my age already live with men!"

Indeed they do, the man replied quickly, still with a teasing twist of his lips. You, Child, are not like them, however. Your powers of imagination are far beyond normal. You have many things yet to discover, Rhuna.

Rhuna didn’t understand what the man meant, but his speech made her whole body tingle.

Tell me, Rhuna, he continued in a soft tone, do others come to this cave? To play?

Rhuna shook her head vigorously. No, this is my cave! she protested. No one else knows about it!

Very well, he said with a quick nod. Let it remain so. He stepped back into the darkness, and Rhuna found herself scurrying towards the cave’s small opening.

Rhuna’s legs wobbled unsteadily as she raced down the hill, her heart throbbing loudly in her chest. She was in tears at the thought of her secret place having been found and invaded by a Master who had spoken to her, and even touched her. She felt her life had suddenly changed completely, just as the treeless valley plains had forever changed the island’s scenery.

Down on level ground, running clumsily back to her home, she suddenly caught sight of them. A row of eight monstrous stone men, all the same shape and with the same face, staring blankly across the valley plain. They had appeared overnight, and no one in her village had ever seen them moving from the quarry to their standing place. Uncle Metti had told Rhuna that it would take all the men on the island to move just one of them, let alone to lift one of them onto their raised platforms. Her mother had simply told her that the stone monsters walked themselves, but Rhuna knew that wasn’t true because the stone men had no legs. They stood on their platforms from the navel up, long arms and hands alongside their narrow torso, thin lips pressed tightly together. On their pedestals, they towered above Rhuna at least five times her height. Now they had come to her side of the island, and for the first time she felt anger towards the invading stone giants.

Still shaken, Rhuna reached the small wooden hut that had always been her home, and ran behind it to find her mother. The brown-skinned woman was washing a blanket in the old wooden trough, her bushy black hair tied behind her head while she worked. Rhuna burst into feverish prattle about the man in a Master’s robe staying in her cave. Before she had finished, her mother began to laugh and shake her head.

You and your imagination, Rhuna!

Mama, it’s true, the Master spoke to me and even touched me! At this, her mother stopped laughing and briefly considered what could be true about Rhuna’s story.

"He touched you? How? Where?" she demanded. The horrified look on her mother’s face frightened Rhuna.

In the cave; he was in the cave, she gasped, fearing that she had done something terribly wrong. Her mother’s expression changed to annoyance as she returned to her work without another word.

Who was my father, and what was his name? Rhuna asked as she watched her mother continue to wash.

Why do you ask such stupid questions? snapped the mother, and began scrubbing the fabric much harder than necessary.

Don’t you believe what I told you, Mama? About the Master in my cave? she asked weakly. Her mother’s clenched jaws and heavy pounding on the washing answered Rhuna’s question, and she turned to walk away.

Rhuna had walked away like this many times when there was no answer to her questions about her father, but this time if felt different to her. Her life had suddenly changed that morning, and Rhuna knew that things would never be the same again.

For the first time in her life, Rhuna couldn’t sleep that night. The long night passed with images of the giant stone men and questions about the Master in her cave. When panic grabbed her about a terrible wrong she might have done by speaking to him, she remembered the man’s gentle touch. She relived the soothing warmth his touch and soft speech had radiated, and all her fears ebbed away. Finally, she fell asleep at daybreak, lulled by the way the Master had spoken her name in the special way that she had never heard before.

The morning brightness hurt Rhuna’s weary eyes as she went on her way to Velisa’s home to trade some sweet potatoes. She walked on the well-trodden track along a field of knee-high grass and shrubs, then past boulders and over a small creek that meandered towards the vast blue ocean. She enjoyed the short walk in solitude with only the sound of the wind and waves to keep her company. She always lapsed into daydreaming when she walked along these tracks, imagining that the rocks, plants and even the creek had thoughts and feelings like her own. The magical spell of her daydream was broken all too soon when she stepped up from the little creek gully and saw the settlement of seven small cottages ahead. Some of the homes were only tent-like structures made out of light branches and other plant material to give shade and shelter, while talking and eating was done outside in the communal area in the middle of the tiny settlement.

The children of the small village had always teased Rhuna and laughed at her, saying that her awkward ways were due to her pale skin and having no father. Some had even teased that her father was a ghost, a Walking Dead. She ignored them once again as they jeered at her, and she walked towards the thin-walled hut in which her only friend, Velisa, sat and combed her silky long black hair. Rhuna stood and watched a while, admiring her friend’s dark skin and smooth, shiny hair.

Well, well! It’s Rhuna, come to fetch some sweet potatoes? asked Velisa’s mother as she appeared from behind a thin bark wall. The woman was round and heavy, and had short dark hairs on her upper lip. She always spoke brusquely to children, and Rhuna tried to be polite in order to avoid the big woman’s reproof.

Yes, please.

The woman stooped to pick up a basket already filled with many sweet potatoes, clods of earth still sticking to some of them.

Are we allowed to speak to the Masters? Rhuna blurted as the woman handed over the heavy basket.

Both mother and daughter looked shocked. Velisa’s large brown eyes showed a hint of fear.

What kind of a question is that? asked the mother angrily. Of all the things to ask! Why, you should be asking about which young men are available, how to tidy your hair and clothes, and…

No reason, really, said Rhuna, taking the basket and making to leave quickly.

Don’t you know, silly girl, shouted the mother, that there are dark masters trying to harm people like us with their unearthly powers? Didn’t your mother ever tell you about those things? And does she ever tell you about your father then, does she?

Rhuna felt her cheeks burning and her legs itching to run again. Thank you for the potatoes. My mother will bring the breadfruit, she prattled as she turned and fled the small hut.

When Rhuna had returned home and had finished the morning’s chores of cleaning and storing the sweet potatoes, she washed herself all over in the large wooden trough. She had carried the buckets of water from the nearby creek and taken one of her mother’s cakes of soap. It smelled of coconut and it lathered when she scrubbed hard. Her wet hair was full of tangles after its wash. She dressed in her other tunic, her naked body underneath tingling after the invigorating cold bath. Before leaving, she found one of her mother’s belts and tied it around her waist. It felt very uncomfortable, but her thoughts quickly returned to more disturbing matters. She strode up the hillside towards her secret garden and hiding place, feeling both thrilled and anxious about the man in the cave, and then she realized that she had not combed her hair. She hardly ever combed it, and she wondered why combing it today was suddenly so important.

Rhuna slid down the entrance shaft of her cave and saw the man standing in the middle of the lighted area facing her. She saw him more clearly in the stronger mid-morning rays. He looked tall and strong under the long robe, and Rhuna noticed the well-fitting garment’s side clasps and matching belt. It reflected the sunshine unnaturally, as if the robe’s material were not of this world.

M-master Tozar, she began nervously, am I allowed to speak to you?

What causes you to ask such a question, Child? Tozar responded.

My mother, people in the village, they… I’ve never seen anyone speak to a Master. And because people say bad things about them, I thought…

Ah, as I expected, said Tozar. He smiled at her and stepped closer, reaching out to lay his hands gently on her shoulders. There exists no law forbidding speech between anyone, he said firmly. His eyes left her face and lowered to her belt. Immediately, her hands moved and fidgeted with the tight strap around her body, and she felt her cheeks become hot.

You have been troubled this past night and day, Rhuna. Come, sit and tell me your thoughts, he said as he guided her to the soft edge of the sun’s rays, towards several neatly-folded blankets on a raised area of the cave’s floor. Rhuna noticed that he had slept on this padding of blankets, and she wondered if he had taken her cave, her secret place, as his new home.

The trees are all gone and there’s a whole big row of stone men along the beach near my home, Rhuna began, grateful to be letting out her troubling thoughts. I don’t like them; they look so mean and strange. She turned to the man’s shadowed face and asked why all the trees were being taken away.

For the planetary and cosmic energy forces to be tapped and utilized more efficiently, replied Tozar. Then he smiled gently and explained further. You see, Child, this planet we live on, the sun, moon and stars all emit energies that give us life. Not only food and water. You know that the food plants come forth from the ground, nurtured by soil and water to grow, do you not?

Rhuna nodded eagerly, pleased to have understood the Master’s words for once. I know about growing food plants, about water, and even about the moon!

Very good, Child. And although we do not see them moving and growing, you know that it is the earth and sky that make them grow, do you not?

Rhuna nodded harder. Like Old Tree in my secret garden, Rhuna said positively. I know that the garden has been making Old Tree grow for many lifetimes already, even though I haven’t seen it grow.

Yes, yes, exactly like your garden, nodded Tozar and smiled at her again. Many other energies and forces prevail around us that we cannot see, however we may utilize them according to our requirements. Certain cosmic energies combine with those of this planet to produce various electro-magnetic forces that may be harnessed for various purposes. Many of these move in either circles, spirals or along certain lines according to the earth’s landscape. Rhuna watched Tozar’s profile as he spoke, and noticed the even features of his face. The large standing stones you have observed are positioned according to this science of harnessing cosmic and planetary energies for the purpose of vitalizing the soil, purifying the underground water table, invigorate plant and animal life, even to heal some ailments. There are many additional benefits, also. However, the trees interfere in the successful harnessing of these energies, therefore they are removed.

Is that why some of the stone men stand in big circles around one of the hills? Rhuna asked.

Yes! said Tozar brightly, and turned to smile at her. You are an intelligent girl.

Oh no, I’m not! Everyone says I’m stupid, because I’m… I’m .. pale and because I.. I don’t have a father…

Do they indeed? Tozar frowned. You are merely as yet uneducated, and that is a world removed from stupidity. You have the power of visualization, and this is a great strength.

But how do the stone men get there? They don’t have any legs so they can’t walk, said Rhuna, her curiosity now ablaze.

Tozar laughed and the sound reminded Rhuna of water gently cascading down the gully after rain. It is by use of the planet’s electro-magnetic forces, in conjunction with intermittent cosmic energies, and at times by the use of sonic vibrations to levitate. It requires considerable knowledge and skill to make the correct placements in order to balance the planetary and cosmic forces, he explained with enthusiasm.

Then Rhuna noticed that his manner changed abruptly. However, they are misusing their ability, he said gloomily. The image carved upon them shall lead to great misfortune… he trailed off in deep thought.

What does that mean? Rhuna asked, feeling a chill pass through her.

Tozar looked up quickly, awakening from his sombre thoughts, and forced a smile.

I agree with you, Child, what they do is wrong.

Before Rhuna could ask another question about the strange statues, Tozar quickly changed the subject.

Tell me, Rhuna, does your mother never talk about your father?

Rhuna shook her head hard. No, and when I ask, she just tells me to stop asking. It makes her angry when I ask those things.

Never a mention at all? asked Tozar with slight surprise.

Rhuna shook her head again. She doesn’t talk much anyway, she said sulkily.

This saddens me, said Tozar.

Does it? Why?

Not only are you deprived of a father, the woman who bore you is a reluctant mother, Tozar stated.

Rhuna had never thought about her situation in those terms, and she needed a moment to digest his unfamiliar words.

Tozar looked silently at the ground beneath his feet, and Rhuna did the same.

You’ve got things on your feet! she chirped.

My footwear. They provide comfort when walking long distances on stone, he said and smiled at her again.

Your clothes are strange, Rhuna said, touching the soft thick material.

It is a special fibre we make ourselves, he explained.

We make our clothes out of bark fibres but they don’t look like yours, she said, still admiring the foreign material. It felt like a sea sponge when she pressed it.

There are other methods of making garments. Perhaps I may show you one day, Tozar offered with a raised eyebrow. Rhuna nodded eagerly. In that moment, she felt happier than at any other time in her life, and all because of shoes and new clothes.

Later that day, as Rhuna replayed the morning’s conversation with Tozar in her mind, she approached the open area near the beach where food and various handicrafts were being traded. She recalled her mother’s instructions to collect any left-over foods, but first she wanted to look at clothes and see what they were made of. The toothless old woman had made three more woven bags out of large dried leaves, her husband had made seven new knife tools out of bones and shells, and many more pigs had been born since the last market. The only bark fibre garments she saw were for men, all in drab tan colours, one with a carefully painted fish design. Rhuna knew the man who made these patterns on clothes and other bark cloths because he often sat and talked with her Uncle Metti.

Rhuna looked around the bustling market area and caught sight of Velisa standing outside the gathering of traders, laughing with one of the older boys from along the east coast track.

Come here, Rhuna! called Velisa. Come meet my intended husband! Rhuna felt that the girl who stood before her had become a total stranger, and was no longer the girl she had known all her life. Her long hair was braided with colourful ribbons, and her dress had elaborate bird prints all over it. Even the way Velisa spoke and behaved in recent times had become foreign to Rhuna. She felt very small as she approached the couple.

I won’t be able to see you anymore once the marriage takes place, you know, Velisa said casually. Rhuna was puzzled for a moment. You don’t understand, do you? You’re such a strange girl, Rhuna – and such a child!

I want to tell you something, Velisa, she said quickly, dismissing her friend’s injurious words. She led Velisa aside so she could tell her what was pounding in her head and burning in her heart.

I’ve met a man! He was in my cave when I went there yesterday, and he talks in a really different way! Rhuna whispered excitedly to her old friend.

The girl’s eyes opened wide, then narrowed as she evaluated Rhuna’s words. What man? From which village? What was he doing in the cave? And why were you there, too? Suddenly, Rhuna’s childhood friend reminded her of her own mother.

I… he… he’s a Master and he’s got a white robe and.. and he’s staying in my cave, she stammered nervously.

Velisa’s expression changed from disbelief to anger. Why would he stay in your silly little cave? You’re talking rubbish, Rhuna! You’re jealous, aren’t you! Jealous of me being spoken for while you’re still a stupid child! She turned to walk away but Rhuna grabbed her arm.

No, Velisa, it’s true! His name’s Tozar and he told me all about the big stone men. He slept in my cave, on the old blankets I put there. Why don’t you believe me, Velisa? Her friend stopped and searched Rhuna’s face. Did I do something wrong? Are we allowed to speak to the Masters? Oh tell me, Velisa, please! Rhuna said desperately.

I don’t know… but I think we should tell the village elders right now – Come on! She dragged Rhuna through the group of people who stood around examining food and wares while loudly chattering and sharing local gossip.

Elder Tahufa! called Velisa. Rhuna wants to know if we’re allowed to speak to the Masters, she said to the man holding a large flat plate of woven leaves piled high with his bartered vegetables. Rhuna had often seen this big dark-haired man before, going into the water to catch fish with other burly dark men, but she had never spoken to him. Standing so close to him, Rhuna could see the murky brown colour of his eyes and smell the odour of old fish on his fleshy hands.

Oh? His face took on a very disturbed look. Why do you want to know? he asked and looked suspiciously at both girls.

Nervously, Rhuna told him about her meeting with Tozar, and watched the elder’s expression turn to intense agitation. Then he looked at Velisa.

It’s very good that you brought her to me, said the elder. This is a very serious matter! He led both girls to a fallen tree trunk seat and squatted in front of them.

You’ve seen some of the things these white ones do, haven’t you, Rhuna? he began, trying to stay calm. The things they talk about and what they do are works of the Dark Master! he spat. His eyes pierced Rhuna deeply. He had taken hold of her upper arm and his hand felt rough and hot on Rhuna’s skin.

But… but how do you know? Rhuna felt her face drain of blood.

"Because they can do things that we can’t, of course! And you do know who the Dark Master is, don’t you, Rhuna?" She saw the tiny red veins in the yellow-white of his eyes and felt his heavy, moist breath on her skin. He examined Rhuna’s face and then changed his tone.

"It’s a good thing you’ve told us about this. We have to know where this white-skinned devil is so we can protect our people, protect you. And your mother. You understand, don’t you, Rhuna? She didn’t understand, but nodded anyway. So tell me exactly where he is now!"

I… I don’t really know, she stammered. The elder’s harsh words were whizzing around in her head, and all she could think about was his hot clasp on her upper arm holding her firmly in her seat.

She said he was in a cave! interrupted Velisa.

A cave? Which one? There are hundreds of caves on this island – which one, Rhuna? he asked angrily as he gave her a small shake with his heavy hand.

I can’t remember… I got lost, I… . I was just.. playing and then he was there…

Playing? You got lost? This is the strange girl from outside your village, isn’t it? he asked Velisa and then released his grip on Rhuna’s arm. I don’t think we’ll get any more out of her then, but it’s enough! Now we know there’s another one of them hiding somewhere… that’s good, that’s good, he muttered to himself as he hurried away.

Velisa also said something about returning to her intended husband, and left Rhuna sitting on the dead tree feeling dazed and confused. She felt betrayed by Velisa. She realized she had lost her friend and she felt more outcast than ever before in her short life.

Before going home with the few leftover root and leaf vegetables she had gathered after the market, Rhuna decided to visit Uncle Metti. She remembered how he always used to let her play with his curly black hair, and he talked to her when others ignored her. She wondered whether her uncle would tell her about the Masters, and whether she had done anything wrong.

You’ve come at meal time, Rhuna, Fahuna Metti said when she appeared at the door of the large hut in the nearby village. But what’s this? Look at you! he stepped back to take in a fuller view of his peculiar niece. What have you done to yourself, girl? You look so… womanly. Ah! The belt! Well, well, well, he smiled and turned to his guests inside who also smiled. Rhuna blushed and was too embarrassed to ask what they were smiling about.

Get yourself some food and sit down with us, Rhuna, Uncle Metti said. I think you’re old enough now. She folded a piece of clean-scraped bark and topped it with marinated fish meat and fire-roasted yams. It felt like a special privilege, and Rhuna was thrilled to be included in the adult gathering, but a shower of dread spilled over her when she realized what Uncle Metti and his friends had been talking about.

It’s happening already, she heard her uncle say, and who knows when more of those Masters will arrive.

Maybe we should just leave well enough alone, said one of the guests timidly. He sat behind the others at the far wall of the hut.

Fahuna Metti grunted and shook his head vigorously.

It’s gone far enough and it’s time for more action! exploded Rhuna’s uncle. They think they can do anything they like with this land, and if we let them go any further, there’s no knowing what they’ll do next! Didn’t you see the new row of statues along the way to your home, Pukai Fua? They’re popping up all over the place, and our trees and gardens get torn down if they’re in the way. Are we going to stand for this?

We’re all with you, Fahuna Metti, but it’s… well, it’s the things they can do; it worries us. said one of the men sitting closest to Rhuna’s uncle.

What they can do! What they can do! scoffed Fahuna Metti. Do you still think they’re some kind of gods? They’re just humans like us, only their skin’s a different colour…"

And they have beards! interjected Rhuna, her eyes wide and anxious.

Yes, they have beards, said Uncle Metti looking around at Rhuna in surprise.

But they’re still people who drink water and eat food like we do, who get sick, who bleed and who… die, he trailed off abruptly.

Fahuna Metti… began one of the men with a dark look in his eyes. They both looked at Rhuna suddenly, and she felt her cheeks warming again. She wondered if she was expected to say something again.

Uncle Metti, I’ve seen one of the Masters, up on my hill!

Oh? Have you really? His eyebrows sprung up, then folded into a frown. What was he doing there? Making another one of those grizzly statues?

Nnno, said Rhuna nervously, suddenly unsure of what she should say. He was just… just standing there talking.

Talking? With who?

Me, she answered softly.

You talked with this white man, did you, Rhuna? asked Uncle Metti sharply. About what? What did he say?

Ahm, ah..

Well?

Nothing.

Nothing? He talked to you and said nothing, is that it? Oh Rhuna, no wonder your mother’s a nervous wreck! Rhuna felt relieved to see the brush of his hand signal the end of that conversation, and she sat back and began to eat, her eyes observing each man’s face as he spoke.

But they’ve helped us with growing new kinds of food and they’ve never done us any harm, not really, said the man in the back of the room.

They eat their own foreign foods all right, but we’re like their pigs, only getting the scraps! said Fahuna Metti angrily. "Don’t you see what’s at stake here? Just because they were here first doesn’t mean they have the right to rule the place! And no, Pukai Fua, there’s not enough room for them and us!" The man spoken to hid behind his plate of food, giving up any more attempts to talk in this round.

What gives them the right to rule over us and think they’re better than we are? We’re Zao, we have our own ways of doing things! continued Fahuna Metti passionately. How dare they expect us to turn our backs on our own people and just do whatever they say! It’s outrageous! I’ve said so from the start and I say so now: we have to take a stand for our people, we have the right! We have the responsibility to those before and those who’ll come after us to keep our ways intact and uncorrupted by the Atlans! His hands were balled in tight fists, shaking threateningly.

Rhuna felt icy cold water trickling down her spine.

Does that mean we’re not allowed to talk to them, Uncle Metti? she asked.

What? Fahuna Metti blinked and lowered his shaking fists, took a breath and said in a quieter voice, No, it doesn’t mean that exactly, Rhuna. But… it would be better if you didn’t speak to any of them, understand? Rhuna nodded obediently.

The following morning, Rhuna made her way up the hill and to the cave’s concealed entrance. She stopped first and looked around to make sure no one had followed her to her secret place. She slipped into the familiar darkness of the cave and looked around. She heard a movement from the area where the blankets lay, and then saw Tozar moving towards her to stand in the stream of sunlight.

Elder Tahufa and Uncle Metti told me I shouldn’t be talking to you, but…

But? You have come and you are here, talking to me. Why is it so, Child? His eyes had a playful sparkle, and once again she lost the apprehension she had felt on her way up the hillside. You did not believe their words?

"They said you’re a dark master,

Reviews for Rhuna, Keeper of Wisdom

[angeleya-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Well, if you like instructionals, you'll love this book.

Rhuna is 14, and not quite like the Zao people she's lived with all her life. Then she meets a Master - one of the foreigners who she's seen on the island - and is astounded by what he can do. Unsure if she's breaking some rule, she asks her people about the masters, and finds that her people are resentful of the light-skinned intruders, and their anger turns on Rhuna. She escapes the island with the master she met (Tozar) and begins her life anew in Atlan society where amazing things can happen with the right and enough thought if you possess the ability. Rhuna has that ability, and the more she learns, the more power she finds. The story follows Rhuna as she transitions from child to woman and finds he place in Atlan society, all while the threat of the Dark Master's return threatens the peace and prosperity the Atlans have worked so long to achieve.

As exciting as the premise is, the story lacked the kind of conflict that could have made it interesting. Rhuna is basically perfect, and she excels at everything she does. In fact, she's better than everyone else, but she's never haughty. Instead, she's the picture of perfection, not only in her studies, but also in every area of human interaction. She constantly goes to her husband for advice and comfort, and seems to have few ideas of her own. There are a few times she does step outside the "comfort zone", but always with her husband's or teacher's permission. It was kind of boring reading about this meek, submissive, perfect, powerful beyond imagination woman. There just wasn't that much about her that was interesting.

Rhuna spends the majority of the book learning. We learn all about building and harnessing thought energies and summoning and such. (Personal aside: the author uses learnt, a spelling I've never seen as an American, and since Rhuna learnt about everything there is to learn, it became a bit irritating.) What little conflict is introduced is quickly and easily resolved (Every. Single. Time.), and the conflict is few and far between.

Her interaction with Tozar takes on a slightly creepy edge from the very beginning, and it becomes apparent that they'll end up together. He's much older than her, and when they first meet, she's 14, so that was weird. Then, when they do get married, his fatherly role continues, and though the creepiness subsides, it still seems like a very wrong match.

All that being said, the writing itself isn't the worst I've seen, and the Atlan society is kind of interesting. Only complaints there is the author doesn't have chapters (there are parts, but some are very long), and the scene breaks are hard to spot because they're only separated by a blank line, which makes finding a stopping place difficult. Also, the paragraph first line indents are way too big for my reader.

So yeah, if you like instructionals, you'll love this book. You can learn all about the Atlan society and what and how they can do it. If you're looking for a sweeping story to take you to a far away world rife with intrigue and conflict, find another book.