Chapter 37
Trees - Brina
I was awakened from my sleep once, late in the day, by a clap of thunder. Even though dense foliage above kept off a lot of the rain, I could still hear the constant pinging of the water on the roof of our home. It lulled me back to sleep. Hours later, I was awakened by the sounds of my family bustling about the house. I wanted to roll over in my hammock and just go back to sleep, but I couldn’t, because this was the eve of my departure. The thought hit me like a bolt of lightning. I would never wake up in this hammock in this house again. I tried not to think that thought. But try as I might, I could not make it fly away.
I would never wake up in my hammock in my house again.
We had all gotten up so early that the sun was still up. “I hope the rain helped you get a good day’s sleep,” Mama said, trying to put a positive spin on the weather as I walked into the kitchen and took my seat.
My seat. Papa had built that chair. So many little things. Who would sit there when I was gone? This was not good. I knew I had to quit torturing myself. I had to let go of the past and look forward to my future. Barque was going with me. I would get to ride in a great boat. I would see all kinds of places and things beyond my wildest dreams.
“I did sleep surprisingly well,” I answered my mama, as she handed me a slice of mesmeringa nut bread spread with raspberry jelly. Raspberry jelly was a delicacy since people had to venture to the ground to pick the berries. Mama saved it for special occasions.
“Yummy! Thank you!”
“I’ve wrapped up an extra loaf of the bread for your journey,” she said.
That was all Ceila needed to get started. “Where are you going, Brina?”
“On a great journey on a boat!” I answered for the umpteenth time.
“Will there be magpies there?” she asked, and I realized that I would probably be able to get some messages to my family by magpie.
“Yes, I will send you magpie messages!” I answered, and she started giggling with delight.
Everybody talked happily, which helped it seem like a normal meal. By the time we stepped outside, the rain had stopped, but a few drops of water still fell from the soaked branches. Before I knew it, Papa and Leifen were helping me load all of my goods in bags onto the ropeway. I would carry Eej with me. I had reluctantly allowed my papa’s wooden carvings and my mama’s bread to be placed on the pulley system, since the dive across the waterfall would be easier with less to carry. I walked around every room of the house one last time, engraving every detail in my mind.
“Let’s take a quick climb to the treetop,” Papa said to me, just before we were about to leave for the appointed meeting trees on the banks of the Alfon River. He motioned for me to go before him, and I looped around the staircase to the top. With Papa at my side, I silently gazed across the tops of the canopy. It was as if I was looking across puffy green clouds, far above the rest of the world. The grey clouds in the sky above were moving rapidly away. I was sorry I could not see the stars, since it was not dark, but we were leaving late in the daylight so that we would travel through the night.
“Any news of Baskrod?” I don’t know why I asked it. Obviously, Papa would have already told me if Baskrod had come.
“No, but when he arrives, I will let him know where you have gone.”
I just nodded my head.
“I love you Brina,” Papa said.
“I love you too, Papa.”
“Let us pray to the Creator, Adon, that Baskrod will be able to find you.”
I lifted my arms toward the sky with my palms uplifted as one might do to catch moonbeams when it is a bright night and Papa did the same, our glides draping toward the platform.
“Father above,” my papa began, “thank you for Brina. Wrap her in your glides and keep her safe, so she may flourish. Help Baskrod to find her. Lead her to her destiny.”
“Father above, Adon,” I echoed in my own way, “thank you for my wonderful family. Wrap them in your glides. May they always be blessed with the abundance of the mesmeringa. Lead them to their destinies.”
We paused in silence and then my papa hugged me before we had to return to the others for final preparations downstairs.
Before I knew it, the time had come. I took a last look around the big room in the only house I had lived in all my life. Then we went out onto the terrace. With my head held high, and with Glorna at my side, I launched myself into the air. My whole family, including little Ceila, glided through the forest with me toward the banks of the Alfon River. At each tree trunk stop, we made sure my supplies had arrived on the ropes and been sent on toward the river.
It was not often that I went as far west through the forest as the Alfon. The closer we got, the louder the noise, like millions of raindrops falling on the roof all at once. There would not be any speeches or music made on the edge of the waterfall, since nobody would have been able to hear the words over the sound.
I could see that the trees around us were already crowded with people. I started to look about for other people I knew who would be joining me on this journey, but I was distracted by the river. From my perch high in a tree on the hilltop, I observed the river as it calmly flowed toward me from around a bend, then streamed more rapidly the closer it came to the edge of the precipice. The water, clear as crystal just before it disappeared over a rounded edge, fell into a mist, down and down until it joined the churning wild white water in the valley far below. The height of the falls was equal to that of a grown mesmeringa and I was high above the top of the falls in my tree. When I looked at the river far below, I could see the water battering the rocks and the mist rising like smoke. In the distance below, the river rushed through the wooded banks and then made a sharp turn and disappeared among the trees, where I knew the Kalpok port lay. The view of the river, cutting its way through the forest that stretched to the horizon, filled me with awe, much like when I gazed far into the starry sky at night. Adon had created a world that was large and varied beyond my imagination. What wonders will I find on my journey?
I had been to Kalpok port in the valley a few times, where I had seen brave Gliders sail through the air from trees along the banks and land gracefully in boats, without having to go to the ground or into the water. It was still dangerous, even in the boats, because the giant cats could swim and of course, Gliders could not. Some courageous merchants or fisherman risked coming up the Alfon to exchange their goods for precious mesmeringa silk, but always with their bows at the ready. Whenever Baskrod visited, he wore a mask with a face on it on the back of his head. The cats were known to attack men from behind, so wearing a mask sometimes fooled them, but it was no guarantee. Although the cats preferred Gliders to Ground Dwellers, if they were hungry enough then they would also attack ground dwelling men.
Our pulley system was connected to a waterwheel along the Alfon. Brave construction workers had constructed a tri-cable system by flying ropes across the Alfon River from Kalpok above the waterfall to the trees in the valley on the far side. The cable would be used to transport our supplies across the Alfon to the land we must cross in order to reach the Vargar River. I looked across the Alfon River into the Vargarian Woods on the far side. I had never been to the far side. Today, two troops of archers would cross first and would help guide us safely through the forest. Then they would return through the Vargarian Woods to the Kalpok port alone. These men knew the far side because they had been helping to guard the workers who had constructed the transport.
We would not settle in the Vargarian Woods. It was too dangerous. From where I perched, it simply looked like an invitingly lush green forest which stretched as far as the eye could see. Periodically, a mesmeringa pushed up through the lesser trees to tower over them, like sentinels. But on the far side, not only did Gliders have to fear the ground because of the cats, but even if we stayed in the trees, we were not safe. To begin with, it was not a forest conducive to Glider living, since the lesser trees, unlike the mesmeringa
s, had closely formed branches interwoven in such a way as to block clear passage for gliders. Still, some Gliders would have ventured to live on the far side if it had not been for the tribes of killer lormonkeys.
I shuttered at the thought of the lormonkeys. They could not glide peacefully through the forest like us, because they had no glides. Instead, they used their powerful arms to swing on branches from tree to tree. I had seen one once in the distance at the edge of the forest. He was covered with dark fur and had a pale face. I only saw him for an instant and then he leaped away, stretching his long arms to brachiate from branch to branch and disappear into the trees. Even though we seldom saw them, we could never entirely forget they were there, since even in Kalpok, we could sometimes hear their distant crazed whooping.
Gliders who had ventured into the Vargarian Woods had brought back tales of troops made up of hundreds of wandering lormonkeys who singled out victims, surrounded them and then attacked with their long fangs. A bite to the jugular vein resulted in a quick death. Gliders bitten on their extremities had occasionally lived long enough to return to Kalpok. Horrible rumors had spread that in addition to the initial blood loss, they had suffered from pain, redness, and swelling that spread throughout their bodies along with a tingling sensation. They found it increasingly difficult to breathe, went into shock, and died within several hours of the bite. No part of our beloved mesmeringa trees provided an antidote, although a balm made from the roots could temporarily relieve some of the swelling. Strange as it may sound, there were reports from witnesses that lormonkeys licked their own arms before biting their victims.
Unfortunately we would have to cross the Vargarian Woods to reach the boat to begin our journey along the Vargar River. Our only other choice would have been to go north into the Cragyog Mountains, but then we would have to go above the tree line and walk along the rocky ground. The council had decided that a quick trip through trees filled with lormonkeys was safer than a slow journey across the unknown mountains. Preparing to enter those woods now, I was not so sure.
“You all ready for the trip?” Barque’s arrival on a branch near me distracted me from my fearful thoughts. He had to shout to be heard.
I looked across at him and felt relief. I was not travelling alone or with strangers. I would be among friends.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I yelled back, trying to be as cheerful as possible.
“Hello, Sir…Ma’am,” he nodded to my papa and mama, who were next to me.
“Good evening, Barque. We are so glad you will be travelling with Brina,” my papa said loudly, as my mama also greeted him warmly.
“I won’t let her out of my sight,” Barque said pleasantly, leaning close to my parents. I could see he was a little nervous. It was hard for him to leave Kalpok too.
“Thank you. We all feel so much better knowing you and Sir Garwin will be along,” Mama said.
After exchanging a few more words, Barque pointed out some trees to the north where families, including his, had been told to gather to watch the flight. One by one, I hugged my parents, my brother and my sisters and told them I loved them. Ceila was last, and she wouldn’t let go of me.
“I’ll send you a magpie as soon as we get to the boat,” I told her.
“Promise?” she said looking up at me.
“Promise.”
“Ready?” Barque said, preparing to leap and glide to the tree of departure.
“Ready. I love you all!” I said, and my family all called out that they loved me too.
Then Barque took off, and so did I. Once we landed on the tree chosen for our departure, I looked back at my family and saw them all gathered together waving at me. I waved back across what felt like a deep chasm, wanting to reach out and hold them close to me once more. Then I saw Papa direct Ceila to begin the climb up the trunk so they could glide to the trees designated for watching families.
With sadness sweeping over me, I looked out across the waterfall. The smooth water rounded the tip and poured down, exploding into the river below. I tried to concentrate on the task before me. Brantan was already preparing to launch for the far side. The strongest archers were going first so that they could help protect the rest of us as we arrived. I did not see Sir Garwin, and I guessed that he had probably already crossed over.
First, Brantan moved his head from side to side trying to triangulate the distance to the far shore, then he took off gliding, falling through the mist to where I could no longer see him. The only way to judge the distance was to look across the top of the river before it fell, since the cloud of mist blocked our view of the other side. The river was so wide that we could not glide across it unless we started from atop a tree at the top of the waterfall. The steep angle allowed us to glide further. I had flown from one tree to another through low lying clouds before, but that had always been through familiar trees.
Supplies and even small children were being prepared for transport along the rope tram connected to another mesmeringa just south of where I stood. Children would ride in pods that were hung from the pulleys, while their mothers rode with them to steady the pods. I previously passed distance tests that made me qualify for the solo flight, but I could have chosen to ride. Barque too had chosen the flight of a lifetime, which would pass close to the waterfall into the mist to the far side.
As we waited, I watched the supplies and families being loaded onto the tram. The children had been raised as Gliders, so they did not seem afraid. One small boy started crying because he wanted something that had apparently not been packed, but his mother soon distracted him by pointing to birds soaring near the waterfall.
I was jolted from studying the others by the arrival of the cat rider riding in an enclosed rope chair which was stopped in preparation for his descent across the ravine. I had forgotten he existed. I wanted to hide behind the foliage, hoping that I would not be called upon to translate any questions he might have. I knew my papa had spoken to the council. Although they had assured him of my safety, they had also told him I would be required to interpret if needed. I watched as guards removed the cat rider’s blindfold. He looked out across the waterfall and the ravine, but did not show any fear as he came to the realization of what he was about to do. I knew almost nothing of the life he had led before coming to Kalpok, but I would be willing to bet he had never crossed a waterfall in the air dangling from a rope.
As I watched him, I realized that he seemed less interested in the powerful waterfall before him, or the majestic view of the valley, but was focused almost entirely on looking directly down to the ground far below his rope chair. I followed his gaze to a golden giant cat sitting on its haunches looking up at him.
Barque said something to me about the giant cat. He must have been watching me.
“What?” I asked loudly, the waterfall drowning out my voice.
“Don’t worry about that cat!” he repeated a little louder, and smiled gently at me.
I just nodded my head yes, letting him know I was fine, and smiled back at him.
However, after he looked away, I studied the scene some more, my curiosity getting the best of me. The cat did not take its eyes off the cat rider boy. With all the Gliders around, why was the cat focusing on him? Then the sun set for me. I realized the cat was not waiting for him to fall so it could eat him. Metlan was a cat rider. I became excited by my realization. That cat was his pet! I watched with interest as men moved the cat rider’s rope chair into position closer to the edge of river. The cat seemed agitated, got up, and began to pace, twitching its tail back and forth just below where Metlan dangled. The cat rider leaned over and tried to call to the cat, but I could not hear what he said.
At that point the chair swing was released to take Metlan across the ravine. Far below, the cat followed right up to the river’s edge. For a moment I thought it would leap into the waterfall. I held my breath. But the cat only stood still for a moment, then it began pacing up and down along the edge of the cliff as if looking
for a way to follow. Finally, the cat started south.
“I’ll be right back,” I said to Barque, but he was looking toward the waterfall.
I leapt from my branch and glided to several other trees further along the river, always keeping my eye on the cat. To my great surprise, a magpie swooped down toward the cat taunting it with bird calls. “Scoj cadom!” the bird called out and then flew away.
I was stunned. It must be the same magpie that had delivered the message the other day. It was saying the same words, which were not in our language. It was in the cat rider language. “Scoj cadom.” Take home, I translated for myself.
Expectantly, I continued to follow in the trees far above the cat as it journeyed southward along the cliff which gradually descended into the valley. Every now and then the animal stopped and paced back and forth looking out across the river. The cat followed the edge of the ravine until it reached a place where the riverbank was low. Then, it began pacing again, flicking its tail in the air. Finally, it stopped and stood facing the river. It seemed to have made up its mind. Leaping into the air, it landed in the rapidly churning river with a huge splash, and began to swim. I could not believe what I was seeing. The powerful beast was paddling its legs, holding its head above the water. A couple of times I saw the head go under, but each time it reappeared and the lion continued fighting the current.
I knew that lions ate Gliders. I had seen one kill my best friend. But I could not help but root for this determined creature. Mesmerized by its brave fight to reach the other shore, I did not stop watching the cat until it dragged itself out of the water and collapsed, exhausted on the bank on the far side. I had witnessed a huge testament of loyalty and I would not soon forget it.
I heard a distant whistle, calling my name. Putting my finger to my mouth, I whistled my reply: “Coming!”
Reluctantly, I turned to the north and headed back for the tree where I was to begin my journey. Barque would be fit to be tied, wondering what had happened to me.