Treespeaker (10 page)

His dreams were always vivid, but the one that came to him now was the most real he had ever experienced. He walked through the village at dusk. A sound he couldn’t identify made him turn and stroll towards Padhag Klen. As he got closer he could make out a figure kneeling amongst the roots. With horror he recognised his father. He was pounding the trunk with his fists, sobbing loudly and shouting at Arrakesh. Blood poured from his hands where he slammed them against the bark, but he kept pounding.

Dovan ran to him and took him by the shoulder, trying to comfort him, but when his father turned, he saw that his eyes were like those of a blind man, sightless and expressionless. The normal twinkling blue had turned dark, like bottomless pools. Tears coursed down his face, which was etched with pain, more pain than Dovan could bear.

Dovan stepped back, shocked by what he saw, but his father reached forward.

“Help me, Dovan.”

With a groan, his father collapsed to the ground. Before Dovan could bend to him, a column of wind roared through the forest. It picked his father up and whisked him away in a flurry of sand and leaves, as if he weighed nothing. Desperate now, Dovan began to shout. He called so frantically that it echoed through the night. He stopped as a twig behind him gave a loud snap. A black shadow lurked between the trees, swaying where it stood. Suddenly it lurched towards him. His body grew cold.

He awoke in a lather of sweat with the certain knowledge that this was no ordinary dream. Sleep didn’t come again that night.

Two nights later, Jakan, too, woke in a sweat. His body shook at the memory of his dream. He had been alone by Padhag Klen, when the sound of groaning came through the darkness. He looked up and saw, in the moonlight, the branches sagging, like someone about to faint. He watched in horror as the huge trunk twisted and bent and the whole tree fell towards him. Within seconds he was fighting for his life amongst entangling boughs, which crushed the breath out of him as they crashed to the forest floor. He awoke gasping for air.

“Jakan?” Jalena’s soft voice beside him brought him back to reality. “What is it?”

 “It’s nothing. Just a bad dream. Go back to sleep.”

As she shut her eyes, Jalena murmured something he didn’t hear. Soon her breaths became soft and rhythmic. Jakan lay back, but sleep evaded him. After the visions of the SpringSpeak, this dream troubled him. Was it a warning from Arrakesh of something about to happen? He thought of the shrivelling leaves and wondered if they were connected. His eyes shot open and he jerked up straight. Something was happening now, at this moment.

He threw back the covers and stumbled through the darkness to find his clothes. Jalena stirred, but this time didn’t wake.

Dressed at last, he found the lamp by the door and lit it. He took his cape and stepped out into the night, where the moon shone just as it had in his dream. It cast a clear light over the forest. Jakan decided not to take the lamp after all. He blew it out and left it beside the door. Then he set off through the night to Padhag Klen.

Jakan pulled his cape close about his shoulders against the cold air. He could hear the high trill of bats as they searched the darkness for insects and the rustle of other night animals rummaging for food. Rather than use the path, he stepped through the forest, being careful not to make a sound. He knew his way through this part of the forest blindfolded. If there was something wrong at Padhag Klen, he wanted to have the advantage of surprise. Any lookout would be watching the path.

Within sight of The Tree, he hid himself behind a large boulder and peered out. He couldn’t see or hear anything untoward. Everything looked normal in the moonlight. He berated himself as a fool, being spooked by dreams. Then a sound, the faintest tapping, came from the other side of Padhag Klen. He strained to see through the trees, trying to catch any movement, but whatever, or whoever, made the noise remained hidden from view.

Jakan edged sideways through the forest, so that he could approach the back of The Tree without being seen. Again, he took care not to make a sound, but in his haste failed to see the owl sitting on a low branch in front of him. With an indignant hoot, it reeled away into the blackness with a startling flurry of its huge wings. In an instant, a head appeared from the back of Padhag Klen. Jakan couldn’t see the face, but he knew who it was. The silhouette made that clear. No Arrakeshi would be that tall.

Jakan’s heartbeat quickened. He sprang from the forest into the clearing. “Beldror!”

The man under Padhag Klen didn’t reply, but ran into the forest. He tripped and dropped whatever he held, but soon recovered and vanished into the darkness. Jakan’s first instinct was to give chase, but he stopped. He had no doubt who it was that he’d seen, but he didn’t know what he’d been doing. It was more important right now that he find out. He crept to the back of The Tree, watching carefully for any sign of Beldror returning, but he could still hear the man’s footsteps crashing through the forest.

The moon cast a bright enough light for Jakan to see the heavily trodden ground behind Padhag Klen. Beldror had been here more than once. Jakan felt around on the ground where the man had tripped and found a bottle, a hollowed wooden tube and an awl. He moved back to The Tree and rubbed the trunk. His breath caught in his throat as his fingers dipped into holes drilled in various places amongst the rough bark. What had the Carlikan been up to?

Jakan shook the bottle. The stopper hung from a wire at the neck. The contents must have poured onto the ground, unless Beldror had emptied it before being disturbed. Jakan held it to his nose and recoiled from the smell that wafted from it. His eyes watered. He replaced the stopper and placed the things he’d found on the soft ground.  

He took a deep breath. He knew what he had to do. Eyes closed, he held both palms to the trunk of the tree, dreading what it would tell him, but at the same time knowing that he must be told. Maybe now the message would be clearer than the other day.

For a moment his mind went blank. Then slowly the mists began to swirl and he felt himself being drawn into the flow of Padhag Klen. To his horror he found himself back in his dream. This time he recognised the groaning as coming from The Tree itself. It reeled in pain; its sap coursed with the vile liquid Beldror had poured into it. This time it didn’t fall, but reached out to him in supplication as it had in his vision at the SpringSpeak.

Tell me what to do, Arrakesh
, he pleaded.

No answering vision came, but a whispering deep in his mind broke through to his consciousness.
Varyd
, it murmured.
Seek Varyd.

Jakan’s mind whirled.
But how? I can’t leave the forest.

The sound of voices coming up the hill startled him out of his meditation. His shout at Beldror must have awakened others in the village. With a frown, he stepped away from The Tree and waited. Within minutes a group appeared on the path, amongst them Grifad and Kelsha. They were half running and Grifad puffed hard. They stopped, obviously startled to see Jakan standing before Padhag Klen.

“Jakanash!” Grifad said, struggling to catch his breath. “Why are you here at this time of night? What were you shouting at?”

Jakan took a deep breath. He wanted to shake Grifad by his fat shoulders and roar at him. After all, was it not he who had insisted that Beldror be allowed to stay, who had totally disregarded his warnings? He knew, though, that losing his temper now would achieve nothing. He regarded Kelsha as he spoke, quietly but firmly.

“Beldror is poisoning Padhag Klen. I want him out of the village!”

Kelsha opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Grifad stepped forward. “What nonsense. You wake the whole village in the middle of the night for this? Go home and rest. You obviously need it.”

Jakan turned to Grifad, drawing his shoulders back. He stared long and hard at him, no emotion on his face, but his heart pounding. The light of Grifad’s lamp made him narrow his eyes.

“He’s poisoning The Tree.”

“You can’t make accusations against people without proof.”

Jakan held up the things he had found. “He left these. What other proof do you need?”

Grifad gave a light laugh. “Someone left them. Can you prove it was Beldror?”

“Was he at your cottage when you left?”

The Elder looked taken aback for a moment, but quickly recovered. “He is my guest. I don’t keep note of when he is or isn’t there. Anyway, I came out in a hurry.”

 “It was him. Have the Council meet me here tomorrow morning. I will show you what he’s been doing.” Jakan glanced at Kelsha who nodded.

Then he turned and strode away down the path, leaving the group of astonished villagers behind. A soft voice whispered as he walked.
Varyd. Seek Varyd.

****

Jalena’s cough woke Jakan the next morning.

“I’m fine!” she said in reply to his concerned frown. “It’s probably just a chill. A day in bed and I’ll be back to my old self.”

She shivered, though her forehead glistened with perspiration.

Jakan sat beside her on the bed and reached out a healer’s hand to give her some comfort. His dream of last night made him remember the visions of the SpringSpeak and he shuddered a little, instinctively pulling back for fear he might now sense some impending fate if he touched her.

“Jakan? What is it?”

He fought to pull himself together, to keep his face calm. He still hadn’t told her of the vision of the hawk at the SpringSpeak.

“Sorry.” He smiled. “You’re just so hot. I’ll make you a potion that will cool you.” He stood and moved to the door.

Jalena cast him a doubtful look. “I really am all right. It’s just a chill.”

He nodded with an assurance he didn’t feel and left the room, shutting his mind to the fears that bombarded him.
You’re over-reacting because she’s ill,
he thought.
Just persuade the Council to expel Beldror and we’ll all be safe.

No matter what he told himself, he found himself loath to leave her. He couldn’t shake the worry that pervaded his mind. Half an hour after the potion, he took her some bread and found her lying with her eyes shut. She looked up when he entered and smiled at him.

“I’m not particularly hungry,” she said, “but thanks anyway. The potion seems to have lessened the fever. I do feel better, just sleepy.”

He set the food on the floor beside her and sat down on the bed.

“I’ll send someone to postpone the meeting,’ he told her. ‘I can’t leave you like this.’

Jalena grabbed his hand and it was all he could do not to pull away. He clenched his jaw and worked to shut her being from his mind, to avoid the vibrations that might show him what he could not bear to see. Then another part of him let go.
For her sake, I must know,
he thought. He closed his eyes and let her illness work its way through him. It was gentle and held no horrors. It was, as she had said, a simple chill. Jakan sighed and relaxed.

“Jakan, tell me what’s wrong?” she said. “I’ve never seen you like this!”

“It’s nothing. I suppose since Dovan left, I’m just feeling more protective of what I have. I love you.”

“I know that.” She laughed and kissed his hand. “And I love you. Now go to your meeting!”

‘Are you sure you wouldn’t like me to stay?”

 ‘No, it’s important. They need to know what’s going on. You won’t be away long, and I really am all right.”

“I could get Megda…”

“Go! You have important things to do. Go and do them! Let me sleep!” She continued to hold his hand as he stood up, giving it a squeeze before releasing it. Then she waved her hand at him. “Go!”

He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. It was cool. Maybe she was right. He smiled his farewell and left the room.

A woven bag containing the items from under Padhag Klen hung on the hook by the door. He slung it over his shoulder and stepped out. The gentle breeze carried the heavy scent of the forest.

As he trod the path to the Padhag Klen, he tried to concentrate on the meeting ahead. He jumped as, head down, he almost walked into a figure coming the other way.

“Dovan!”

 His son looked a little embarrassed. They hadn’t spoken since the argument. Megda had told Jakan that she had advised a ‘cooling off’, so to see his son here now pleased him, for Dovan could be very stubborn. He had been prepared to wait many days before Dovan decided to talk.

“Father, I need to speak to you.” Urgency rang in his voice.

 “I’m on my way to a meeting of the Elders. Will it take long?”

Dovan still looked uncomfortable. “Yes, it may take some time. But it is important.”

Jakan squeezed the boy’s arm as he moved once again towards the path to The Tree. “Then I'll see you after the meeting.”

Dovan nodded, looking a little doubtful. He glanced in the direction of the cottage. “Is Mother in?”

“She is, but she has a chill. She’s sleeping at the moment. I’m sure she’ll be pleased to see you a little later.”