The shepherd laughed. ‘The Golden One can be a trickster. I am Ereven, the guardian of this site, as my father was before me and his father before him. My family has been here for many generations. Come with me. I will take you to the shrine where you may refresh yourselves with the holy waters.’
The shrine was hidden amid a thick grove of mature birches at the far end of the lake. As they walked towards it, Shan noticed that Merlan looked pale. Neither would he speak. Tayven too was silent, but his expression was rapt, as if he was contemplating some beatific thoughts. Taropat, as usual, seemed unaffected by what they’d experienced and talked to Ereven without reserve. ‘The guardians of Anterity and Oolarn seem almost unaware of their function, while you are clearly aware of yours,’ he said.
‘That is the nature of this site,’ Ereven said. ‘Awareness. The further you progress along your path, you will find the guardians to be more aware of their function. In some ways, Ninatala is the mid-point, the site of reflection and refreshment. Some say that Uspelter has that function, being the fourth of seven, but I don’t agree. The energies of the green lake can be capricious and deluding, whereas here at Ninatala all is clear and pure and holy.’
‘Do you get many people coming here on the quest?’ Shan asked.
Ereven shook his head. ‘Not many. And most who do come here seeking truth don’t know how to look for it. They want easy answers. I see them sprawling around the lakeside, stuffing themselves with food and wine, when any half-baked mystic knows you should fast on the quest. I never approach them, because they don’t even know the sites have physical guardians. They will learn little, if anything at all. It is clear you and your companions are true seekers, because the Golden One chose to appear to you. I have never seen that happen before to strangers.’
‘Do you see him often, then?’
‘Yes, usually as no more than a flash of gold among the trees. At the turn of each season, he takes a beast from my flock, but no more than that. It is a covenant between him and my family.’
The shrine was a small, single storey stone building with a flat roof of wooden beams and clumps of grass, too haphazard to be called thatch. Within, was a narrow bench before a plain cube altar, which was draped with an ancient golden cloth, embroidered with gold wire. Yellow candles burned upon the altar, but otherwise the place was unadorned. Even the floor was of packed dirt rather than flag-stones or boards. The group sat squashed together on the bench while Ereven spoke a few prayers. Then he took them outside again, to the back of the shrine where a spring came out of a rock, which had been fashioned into the face of a lion. A metal cup on a chain was attached to the stone. ‘Drink,’ Ereven told them. ‘Refresh yourselves.’
Taropat gestured for Merlan to drink first.
‘How far do you plan to travel today?’ Ereven asked.
‘I want to reach the fifth lake by tonight,’ Taropat said.
‘A hard schedule, but the best way,’ Ereven replied. ‘The fifth lake should be visited after dark, but many would end their journey here today, soak up the atmosphere.’ Ereven, of course, had no knowledge of the delay they’d already experienced.
‘We intend to push ourselves to the limit,’ Taropat said.
Ereven nodded, glancing at Merlan. ‘Well, I’ll leave you to your meditations. Take as much of the waters as you need, and make use of the shrine should you want to. I wish you luck upon your journey and may the blessings of the Golden One go with you.’
After Ereven had left, Merlan slumped down on the ground beside the spring. His skin looked waxy, slightly damp. Shan knelt beside him. ‘What’s the matter, Merlan? Is it the climb, the air, the lack of food?’
Merlan wiped sweat from his forehead. ‘I don’t know. I feel odd, that’s all. During the visualisation at the lake side, I felt as if my senses were heightened acutely. I could smell so intensely, it made me nauseous. Every sound hurt my ears. I could hear the grass and the trees growing. The feeling hasn’t left me.’
Tayven knelt on Merlan’s other side and touched his arm. ‘Me too,’ he said. ‘I am dizzy with it.’ He looked at Taropat. ‘This is the lesson of Ninatala. Heightened awareness. I can sense every person in the world, every creature, however small. I don’t think we need to perform a further meditation. The guardians came to us directly. We’ve got what we came for.’
‘I would agree,’ Taropat said. ‘How about you, Shan? What did you pick up?’
Shan shrugged awkwardly. ‘Well, nothing like that exactly. I just felt refreshed and strengthened. I still feel it.’
Taropat smiled. ‘But that’s it! The warrior derives strength from the king.’
‘Yes,’ Shan said. ‘I feel him here, don’t you? He’s all around. He really exists somewhere.’ Within myself? he wondered silently.
The others contemplated his words in silence for some moments, then Tayven said, ‘I can’t believe how different the experience of the lakes is this time. We never met guardians before, but now I can see how it works.’ He sighed. ‘Although I hate to admit it, I suspect Almorante and I were like the visitors Ereven described.’
‘You should be grateful,’ Taropat said. ‘You are experiencing the lakes properly for the first time, as we are.’ He turned to his brother. ‘We should drink more of the water, then press on. Can you manage it, Merlan?’
‘Yes, but give me a few moments to rest.’
Shan and Tayven persuaded Taropat that they should wait half an hour or so, until some of Merlan’s strength had returned. Then, they began the long walk across the plain to the hills beyond. The slopes were thickly forested with deciduous trees, again mainly birch and oak. Streams made waterfalls amid the lush foliage and the air was filled with birdsong. The group espied a small silver-furred fox, which they followed upwards, believing it to be some kind of guide. To Shan, the woods seemed a place of great mystery, and mentioned to Taropat that they very similar in ambience to the Forest of Bree. Merlan said he felt much better there, more relaxed yet alert.
‘This is the essential landscape of the green ray, the colour of the heart,’ Taropat said. ‘As you rightly interpreted, Shan, it shares many qualities with my home in Bree.’
‘Then perhaps we should be on the alert for trickster elden,’ Tayven said, rather curtly.
Taropat gave him a sharp glance, but said nothing.
Uspelter was a deep pool, cupped by fern-laced rock faces. A waterfall crashed into its far end, gauzed with ephemeral rainbows. On either side of the falls, water had carved smooth channels in the stone, creating natural slides. A troupe of otters played fearlessly in the dappled sunlight, slithering down the stone into the lake. The group stood on the edge of the rock opposite the waterfall, looking down into the crystal clear depths. The sun seemed to reach even the darkest corners of the lake, creating a shifting underwater world. ‘This is the most beautiful place,’ Shan said. ‘It’s perfect. I can’t imagine how we could visualise the spiritual aspect. Surely, this is already it?’
‘Not all of it,’ Taropat said. ‘We should do the meditation and see what occurs.’
The group settled themselves on the rocks and drank from their flasks. Then Taropat led them into the visualisation. ‘Concentrate on the colour green. See the trees, plants and moss glowing with their own life force. Feel the power of the water as it crashes into the lake. Feel the joy of the creatures as they gambol in the foam.’
Shan breathed deeply, and it seemed to him that the air itself smelled green. He could have remained happily in that idyllic spot for ever. It was like an enchantment, lulling the senses, a fairy snare to steal time away from careless humans. He heard laughter, female laughter, and thought of the glimpses he had caught in Bree of strange forest women, who had led him on a dance among the trees.
When he opened his eyes and looked down, Shan saw a pale shape floating in the water like a star. It was a water woman, her dark hair spread out like tangled weed. She was looking up at them, paddling the water wit
h lazy arms and legs, unashamedly naked. Was she elden?
The others had opened their eyes and were also peering down at the girl, as if wondering whether she was about to disappear. Taropat stood up and waved to her, making no concessions to her modesty, whether she possessed it or not. She waved in return and turned onto her stomach to swim back across the lake towards the waterfall. Here, she emerged from her element amid some concealing ferns. Taropat began climbing down to the narrow shore and the others followed. ‘If this is the guardian, we are in luck,’ Merlan said lightly. ‘How about it, Shan?’
Shan laughed. ‘Beats the surly smith, the mad bird woman and the saintly shepherd!’
‘This is an aspect of Uspelter’s energy,’ Tayven said. ‘Be careful. She may not be what she seems.’
The girl had emerged from the ferns, clad in a diaphanous green shift dress that eddied around her slim pale ankles. With both hands, she wrung out her hair, which was twisted over one shoulder. ‘Good day to you, gentlemen,’ she said.
She could be no ordinary woman, Shan thought, because no ordinary woman could possibly feel so at ease in the presence of four strange men, who had just watched her swimming naked in the lake. She could be mad, or more than that. She could be elden.
‘Good day to you, my lady,’ Taropat said, bowing gallantly. ‘I and my companions are on the lakes quest. You must be an aspect of Uspelter made flesh.’
The girl laughed in a free and unselfconscious manner. ‘Perhaps I am. I am Niree, charmer for these waters.’
‘Are you the guardian?’ Shan asked.
Niree seemed startled. ‘Why should these waters need a human to guard them? The opposite is true. The waters protect us.’ She pointed behind her. ‘Spelt - my village - is over there. I am the charmer appointed by our clan mother to talk with the wyrd-folk here.’
‘A true fairy charmer,’ Taropat said.
Niree smiled. ‘That’s right. If you want to meet the guardians, that’s easy enough if you can be patient and still. They play here every day.’
‘Elden?’ asked Shan.
‘No, they are not guardians,’ Niree said. ‘The otter tribe are. They are hiding themselves now, because they don’t know you.’
‘Then we shall sit quietly and wait to make their acquaintance,’ Taropat said.
Niree laughed again and shook her wet hair. ‘That won’t work. You must enter the water, as they do, and play as they do. Once they realise you are not aggressive and stiff-minded, they will come forth.’ She sat down on a wide, sun-warmed rock. ‘Strip off your clothes and dive in. I’ll sit here and offer encouragement. The otter people know me and will be more inclined to trust you if I’m here.’
‘You display an inordinate amount of trust,’ Merlan said. ‘What would your clan mother think of you encouraging four male strangers to strip naked before you?’
Niree merely rolled her eyes. ‘It is part of my work to offer help to pilgrims. Am I supposed to be afraid of you? At Uspelter it is a mistake to rely upon physical strength. This is the lake of the heart, of love. No harm may be done here. Should anyone attempt it, the wyrd-folk would come out of the trees and rocks and take away their senses. The otter queen, Lileeka, would emerge from the falls and chase the wicked people away.’
It was obvious Niree believed in these protectors utterly, but Shan still thought she was reckless, if not a little stupid, to trust strangers so readily.
Taropat began to undress himself. ‘The otter queen, Lileeka,’ he said. ‘What form does she take?’
Niree hugged her knees, apparently not at all curious about the bodies being revealed before her. ‘She comes in many different forms. She is a nature goddess. Sometimes, she looks almost human. In the lake, you may ask questions of her and she may appear to you. But you have to offer a sacrifice.’
‘What boons does Lileeka like?’ Taropat said.
‘From men, the seed of life,’ Niree said, and waved a dismissive hand at their alarmed expressions. ‘Don’t worry. You won’t pollute the waters. This is the cauldron of fertility. Women bathe here at the blood time to ask Lileeka to help them conceive. Young men come here on the night before they take a woman in love. If Lileeka likes the gift, she grants great prowess to a man.’
‘What if she doesn’t?’ Shan couldn’t help asking.
Niree grinned. ‘The flower droops, of course. Come now, throw away your cares with your clothes. Don’t be shy. Taste the waters of love and freedom.’
The lake was exhilaratingly cold. Shan dived in and swam to the bottom. His skin was dappled with moving sunlight and small dark fishes darted around him. Waving weeds caressed his skin. He imagined he swam in the womb of the earth, where all creation takes place. Was this the lesson of Uspelter, to be reborn from fear and conflict?
Shan broke the surface and saw his companions floating beside him. Every one of them had an expression of incredulity on their faces. A place like this should not exist in such a cruel world. To find it was to have hope restored.
On the rock, Niree played with her hair and sang a wordless song in a clear high voice, staring up into the trees that surrounded the lake. Shan observed her minutely. He had never met such a serene and uninhibited woman, but then his experience of women was not great. Niree seemed to embody the essence of freedom. She must have sensed him looking at her for she shifted her gaze towards him and smiled. She waved, stood up and removed her dress, before diving gracefully into the water. Shan’s heart stilled.
For some moments, Niree did not resurface. Shan glanced at his friends, but they seemed oblivious. He did not fear for Niree, for she was clearly a water creature, but where had she gone? Then he felt cool hands upon his legs and Niree slithered up his body. She was like an otter, sleek and supple. With a low throaty purr, she put her hands upon his shoulders and kissed his mouth. Shan just found the wits to respond when she pulled away from him. ‘You looked so beautiful in the water,’ she said. ‘I had to join you.’ The moment was stillness itself. Shan could hear music in the spray of the falls, hear it in the rainbow light. This was magic.
Niree called to Shan’s companions. ‘What are you doing, floating about? Play, all of you! Be young. Be free. Go into the falls, climb the rocks, slide down the water chutes.’ She splashed water over Merlan. ‘Are you so dour?’
Merlan’s arms slammed down against the surface. ‘No!’
Niree yelped in pleasure. ‘That’s it. Play.’
‘First down the chute, then,’ Tayven said and began to swim towards the falls.
Taropat lingered behind, his expression thoughtful. ‘Yes, this playfulness is obviously the way to invoke the spirit of the place. We should perform these ritual actions in the correct way.’
Niree snorted. ‘You are mad. Don’t think. Just enjoy yourself. When you’re drunk on the pleasure of it, make your sacrifice.’
Shan had a feeling Taropat would find it hard to enjoy himself spontaneously in such a manner, especially as Tayven was there.
‘He wears armour over his heart,’ Niree said as Taropat swam away. ‘But the waters may heal him.’
‘I hope so,’ Shan said. ‘He is my mentor, a great man, but he’s suffered much hurt and he knows how to inflict it too.’
‘A perfectly balanced, wise and sane man could not experience the lakes properly,’ Niree said. ‘If he already knew every lesson, what could be gained from coming here?’ She smiled and pulled away from him, back paddling towards the falls. ‘Come, have fun with me.’
This was true intoxication. Shan lost all sense of time, as he played in the waters. One by one, the otter tribe reappeared, and Shan found himself sliding down a smooth rock channel to the lake surrounded by their wet bodies. The otters carried him beneath the surface, weaving around him. He felt he might swoon away. The weeds fluttered slowly around him, drawing him down. Then Niree was pressed against his body. She took his face in her hands and kissed him languorously, wrapping her legs around his waist, aro
using him instantly. She guided him into her and they hung, pulsing, in the light filled water. Shan no longer felt he needed to breathe air. He could survive beneath the water forever, surrounded by the veil of Niree’s hair, enclosed by her body. Still joined, she led them upwards, and their heads broke the surface. Shan took in a lungful of air and it tasted like the rarest of wines. Blearily, he saw Merlan pleasuring himself nearby, lying on his back in the water, while over by the falls, showered in spray and light, Taropat held Tayven in his embrace. This must be a fairy enchantment: heady, sensuous, far removed from the ascetic purity of Ninatala. ‘Now,’ Niree breathed, and squeezed Shan hard. Pleasure cascaded through his body and he saw, just for a moment, an immense female figure suspended in the water before them, her arms outstretched. She was part otter, part human, her teeth sharp in her mouth, which grinned in delight. ‘See, it is Lileeka,’ Niree murmured, close to his ear. ‘She blesses us.’
A great stillness descended over the lake. Shan floated in the water with Niree beside him, both staring up at the clear sky through the overhanging trees. Shan felt as if his heart must burst with emotion. He felt like weeping and laughing hysterically.
Niree reached for his hand and murmured, ‘Uspelter is the home of sensuous abandon. Here, you may relearn how to be free like a child and to experience feeling without fear.’
‘You are the priestess of these waters,’ Shan said. ‘A witch, a nymph. Have we spent a thousand years here? Has the world moved on without us?’
She laughed softly. ‘No, don’t be fearful. You should know I don’t become this intimate with everyone who comes here. But then most of them are wrinkled old men and pious women, who take it too seriously. I can sometimes teach them to play, but rarely how to love. That they must learn for themselves.’ She ran a hand over Shan’s chest. ‘You, however, are a scarcity. I could not let such a tasty morsel pass through my domain without knowing him this way.’
Shan hesitated, then couldn’t resist asking, ‘Do you have a lover, Niree?’