Days passed as I learned about the difficulties in raising four babies at the same time. As I healed and recovered, I came to appreciate Carob and his son, Antony even more because none of them wanted me out of their abode. I had thought about moving to another cavern system, but Carob dissuaded me.
“Don’t go yet, how are you going to raise the four of them when you can barely walk right now?” Carob inquired with a small smile.
“I’d miss you,” Antony chimed in. “I’d even miss the little ones. They kind of remind me of having younger siblings around.” He’d bitten his lip and flushed a little. “Uhm, our younger sister is training apprenticeship in the eighteenth academy down in a valley.” His eyebrows lifted as he spoke about the girl.
As he eyed me carefully, Carob smiled. “She’s working in certain domestic portions, but also training as an archivist.” He clearly had something on his mind that had nothing to do with me leaving.
“I’m proud for her.” I had begun drawing odd designs that remained abstract, stylized, and tended to scare the caravan elders. “I was good at that but better with colorful embroidery work.” Now I decided it didn’t matter and I’d darn well draw what I wanted. As I did it, I was able to identify and name objects that before escaped my attention.
“I can see that you’re very talented,” he stated. That’s when I saw Carob’s gaze rest on the partially-hidden drawings and then he grunted thoughtfully. “I think you can enjoy that hobby and gain independence through it now too.” He cast Antony a meaningful glance. “Go fetch the supplies your stepmother left behind, would you, Antony?”
Antony stared at him shocked and then he grinned. “Sure, with pleasure I’ll unearth the boxes.” The young man ran off for a second and came back with something in his hands.
Time to set them straight on a few subjects that they rarely addressed around me, I decided abruptly. Mainly because I didn’t want those two nice males avoiding mentioning names that would upset me, which it wouldn’t right now. “You can actually talk to me about her if you want.” I no longer cared that I had a younger sister. “I never knew my mother in all honesty. She and father disappeared when I was around two or three years of age.”
Carob cast me a measuring glance. “Which means what exactly?” He inclined his head. “She told me about you. She didn’t mention anything about your father.” he frowned thoughtfully. “I only met her when Antony was about ten years of age. We were together for about two years. She had Annalisa and died in the process.” He put his hands into pockets.
I blinked at him in surprise at the spare details. “I’m glad that Annalisa survived. I regret that it killed mother in the process.” All it meant was that I had another blood relative who hadn’t died because she wasn’t able to survive the birthing process. “I can see that you loved her very deeply.”
Antony returned to hear what I said about my mother and Carob’s deeply hidden sadness. He hesitated. “I also loved her for the short time that she was with us.” He looked at me somberly. “She kept track of you, Myra. She had contacts still in the caravan that she didn’t lose touch with even after she took off.”
Huh, that was news to me. “I don’t know how to feel about that to be honest.” I regarded them with mixed resentment and embarrassment. “As for my mother...” I had a younger sister, not something I’d expected. “I always knew when she had children and if they survived or not.” I hesitated and added. “I felt her death.” I lowered my gaze. “I think either she or the girl managed to block my knowing she survived the birthing process.”
Carob smiled slightly. “Regardless, she’s chosen to move out for the time being. It has to do with her choice of learning institutes.” He shrugged when I gazed at him in perplexity. “I personally find it a tad quiet here.”
A smile tugged at the younger man’s mouth before Antony grunted. “She’ll come back when a holiday approaches.” He looked at me quizzically. “We celebrate holidays that match the cycles’ changes,” he elaborated when I stared at him blankly.
“Oh.” I stared off into space. “Yeah, we celebrated cyclical changes through the rising and falling of moons.” I rubbed one eyebrow that itched. “Is there a way I can bathe? I miss being able to swim in shady streams or warmed springs by cliffsides.” I disliked feeling grubby and greasy which I most certainly did right then.
He nodded with a small smile. “So tell me what skills that you have, either basic, plain, or advanced.” Carob surprised me when handing a small box that dropped into my lap. “Go ahead and open it. It is something you may like or not.” His brows knitted into a perplexed frown. “I don’t know how to use any of that stuff,” he added with a faint smile.
Curious, I opened the box and sat silently stunned. Embroidery threads, needles, and small patches of plain cloth. I glanced at him with bemusement. “I scared people when I created imagery and yet at the same time used it for some purpose. They always burned it before my very eyes telling me that my skills would lead to my death.” I hung my head. “I stopped sewing images after that. I concentrated on plain sewing after that.”
“Myra...” Carob waited patiently for me to meet his gaze. “I think you should do what you can to create artwork or simple patterns. Go with the simple and return to the ornate. Whether they’re frightening or not, I’m sure someone will like what you make.” He rose to his feet. “I have to return to the village, but let me know which of the tutors you’d like to talk to first.”
Ah, I would begin lessons then. I mulled over that and simply said, “I would enjoy learning the basics of reading, writing, and ciphering, at their pleasure.” I qualified knowing that the tutors often traveled great distances. I also had seen them shift into dragons in preparation for flight.
I had no interest in learning how to shift. I was too sore and my memory of such things had disappeared. Maybe when I was older and didn’t feel as if I abandoned my children, I would enjoy the freedom of flight, and not as an escape from death or torture.
Carob inclined his head. “That I can do with certainty and easily, Myra, and I hope you have a good morning that is productive as well.” His gaze strayed to the cloth and threads. Then he exited the room.
I gazed after him with a puzzled stare. For some reason they felt responsible for me. I found that amazing in retrospect. Most especially when I realized just how difficult they found the integration process of allowing me into their home.
* * * *
Carob came in one day while I staggered after getting to my feet. “Take it slowly,” he cautioned. “There’s no need to rush the recovery process.” A smile tugged at his mouth. “May I show you some strengthening exercises?” He approached me and then stopped a few feet away. He sat on a bench where I could watch his movements.
He began a series of exercises that demonstrated muscle building and sinew stretching so that I could then walk about with more ease than before. “Thank you.” I concentrated on how he did the various movements. I had no interest in wrenching anything out of place.
I slowly learned to walk again and to trust them enough to impart some of my tale, but not all. At their urging, I also continued my drawing since they believed it would encourage independence that I favored.
Later in the day, they returned with more complete skeins of colors when they found the most basic and primary had disintegrated from disuse. Not something Carob anticipated but was more than willing to bargain for more of the colors I requested.
Meanwhile, after giving me a hand with threading various needles with colors I selected, Antony smiled at me. “Just so you know there’s a reason for the threads. Start creating designs,” he urged me, and gave me some peace and quiet.
I had three hours and began working on a pattern that took most of the time. I also knew when the babies would begin their crying as well. Sure enough, when the first wail started, Carob joined me. I glanced at him and swallowed a sigh. I knew what his particular expression meant, it was time to name the children and I refused to put off the task any longer—besides I wanted the speculation ended.
“How are you and the babies?” Carob inquired of me. “I’ll rephrase, how you are doing with trying to decide on names for the babies, Myra?” His eyebrows rose when I shrugged and looked at the blank wall. “I take it that you’ve some notions but are frustrated by the process of elimination or simply trying to figure out the spelling?”
Bah, I forgot he can read thoughts if they aren’t guarded well. “All the above, though I think the children learn faster than I have right now.” I hesitated because I hadn’t yet decided on names. “The children are doing well for only a month and a few weeks old,” I informed him though I knew he checked them as well whenever he came in to help with the chores I hadn’t yet mastered.
Yes, knew I would have to choose four names soon, and didn’t like the sense of pressure looming over me. I did give him a considering stare. “I’ve a few ideas.” I admitted though I wasn’t very happy about the necessity. “Artemis, Ares, Selene and Samuel, are my first choices.” I shrugged, trying to hide my discomfiture because I still wasn’t sure how to pronounce their names much less write them correctly. “Do they require middle names?” I hadn’t wanted to go farther than that.
Carob shook his head with a small smile. “No, the children don’t need middle names. That is always optional.” He gave me a long look. “Were you given one?” He glanced at the markings on my arms and neck that hadn’t faded.
Huh—I hadn’t considered that something to think about and shook my head. “I don’t remember actually.” Then again, I don’t remember many pertinent details and I wanted them to shake loose quickly if I was to survive in this environment and fit in at that. “I’ve always known what my first name was but hadn’t learned what my surname was now that I think about it.” I shrugged in disgruntlement at the lack of knowledge.
Carob merely inclined his head. “I think for all intents and purposes, you should probably consider a new identity but continue using your first name.” His suggestion was mild and when I did actually bristle at the idea because I didn’t like it, he qualified. “At least that way it won’t become confusing lest we run into someone that you know from the past.”
I merely shook my head in disgruntlement. I knew they meant well but that offer didn’t mollify me in the least. I would simply think about it for now and let him know later what I thought of it.
Carob cast me a thoughtful glance. “At least consider the possibility.” Shadows darkened his gaze that made me realize he’d likely had a few regrets of his own he rarely shared. “There are times in the future when subterfuge is required.” He held my gaze steadily. “If not for your personal protection, Myra please take into consideration the need of it for others whom you have affection for.” He shrugged and let the subject lapse after his last warning of sorts.
Huh, he made sense about protecting of others though how a name change would help me, I didn’t quite understand. “I could use the surname of Frasier...” I winced as a blade of pain sliced through my gut. “Perhaps not, I think I’m reacting to some kind of memory the surname recalled.” I winced a little more as the pain eased away.
“We’ll leave it for now, I suppose.” Carob smiled slightly. “I don’t think that you should have to suffer through more agony simply because you don’t have a surname at this time.” He shrugged and we changed the subject to something else that would have better results.
Thus far, I hadn’t even concentrated on that type of thing though I knew I would have to eventually. Either that or my memory would return and give me clues about what I should know of my heritage. “I would have to think about something that I liked, honestly.” I regarded Carob somberly.
Carob hesitated, sighed, and then told me. “Just so you know...we’re taking a little trip down the river in a few days.” A smile tugged at his mouth. “You need to see where we trade and where the villagers are located.” His eyebrows lifted. “You’ll meet tutors there and I’m hopeful that one or two of them will come up here.”
My skin chilled. “I suppose I should tell you about a dream I had.” I looked at him uneasily because I could tell he hadn’t had anything untoward appear in his dreams, much less Antony. Maybe there were good tidings in this case especially since other incidents indicated massive amounts of efforts from singular individuals were required.
Carob cocked his head at me. “Go ahead and speak of it in case there’s something I might catch in the future,” he urged me.
I let my fingers twist and twine in nervous patterns. Better that than potentially ruin some artwork I’d let fall rather than finish while distracted. I disliked picking out finished stitches. Small remnants of color clung to the fabric where I didn’t quite catch sight until too late.
“I’m wondering now if I’m simply picking up subconscious hopes of my own.” In my case, the dreams simply displayed awareness of a future ambush or similar disquieting revelation of a weather aberration, at least that was my sense of what I’d glimpsed.
Curiosity brightened his eyes, and Carob shrugged. “Aye well, my specialty happens to come six months before a big event.”
* * * *
In all the time that she’d stayed with them so far, Carob reflected, this time Myra finally initiated a conversation. “Please do since it seems to disturb you so badly.” He didn’t like the sheen of sweat that glistened over her skin. What she’d seen had rattled her badly.
“All right, but I don’t suppose you saw something similar?” She had a somber air about her. “I find it strange that I do gain inklings but not enough that really helps me in ferreting specific details that’re useful.” She stopped rubbing her arms to throw her hands into the air in frustration.
Carob smiled at the manifestation of her agitation. “Not this time but that isn’t a bad thing, Myra, because it just means I haven’t come into range of when the event would happen.” Granted it was about dreams but that was better than some topics that could rise without warning. “My threshold is about four-six months generally when I begin gaining hints of a big change in my life arriving.” He gazed at Myra thoughtfully. At least she was willing to talk about her dreams with him and Antony occasionally.
“I hadn’t thought to find out if Antony had dreams or warnings,” Myra admitted abashed. “He was in it this time too.” Her brow creased in puzzlement. “I hadn’t recognized him because he’d grown so much...and apparently was in disguise.”
Now he had to convince her that it wasn’t a bad thing to share them with others similarly engaged. Carob stroked his jaw. While he hadn’t gained any prescient dreams lately, that didn’t mean anything. Besides he’d a feeling certain abilities suppressed in youth probably came back from blockage of some type. What happened to her had enacted unusual abilities reopening once more.
“I’m also about to meet others...not sure what the connection is to them though.” Myra’s brows crinkled as she replayed memories. “Someone named Roanoke—he’s full of hatred and malice toward me.” A sigh escaped her when she glanced at Carob apologetically. “Not friendly at all, and not because we’re strangers, I gain the impression he just doesn’t like me.”
Roanoke, he was a senior scout and patrolled along the highest cliffs. Good at disguise and other subtleties, was Roanoke, Carob recalled with amused, but very arrogant because no one else had managed to beat him at the various games of strategy each year. Perhaps she would show him up in some fashion or other.
“Maybe some of my former skill will return.” Myra shrugged. “That’s all I can think might’ve happened.” She spread her hands. “I’m hesitant to ask who I’ll meet on the journey you speak about in a few days.”
“Hmm, Roanoke’s a senior scout and patrol.” Carob watched her frown before shaking her head at a loss. “Don’t worry about it right now.” Fascinated, he gestured for her to speak. “Go ahead and talk about what has happened this time, Myra.” He hesitated and then added. “I’ve gained no indicating of potential trouble to come but that doesn’t mean something won’t happen.” He reassured Myra when she looked disheartened and alarmed at his revelation.
Myra rubbed her arms. “I think I’m receiving ill intent and not just toward me, but the children.” Her mouth thinned when she related something else that worried her. “I have a feeling we haven’t seen the last of my grandfather, but it’s not going to have any good ending this time.” Her mouth softened when she glanced at Carob nervously.
“I’m sure that there’s an explanation somewhere.” Carob wasn’t quite sure what to make of the information she gave him. However, it was obvious that she struggled with the interpretation of events. He scratched his head in contemplation of what Myra informed him. “Your grandfather has others he answers to as it happens.” He shrugged because he would look into the possibility of something going wrong in the weather below.
Myra wasn’t reassured with his wording but she told him more about what she remembered. “Then again, if he wasn’t totally against my father’s actions, I imagine he’s doing something subversive and I’m gaining the backwash of what’ll go down during a planned ambush I suppose.” An action denoting unconscious unease and definite nervousness, but she inhaled slowly, and gave him a small smile.
“I think we’re traveling down a flooded river, perhaps six years from now.” Myra frowned a little. “Artemis, Ares, Selene and Samuel are grown such that they’re proficient with paddles that help guide the raft.” She cocked her head. “Tapestries and bundles of cloth that I put patterns into are going to a factor for selling.”
Information churned inside his head, bits and pieces of information that made no sense in past conversations slowly condensed into a vague pattern. He didn’t quite have all the details and didn’t want to raise her paranoia to another level or douse hope that a future could occur for her without problems. Carob nodded. He remained silent waiting for her to finish.
“What I found strange about it is that people addressed me who I thought had died or hadn’t yet met.” Myra glanced at him. “The girl, Terilee had a spike-embedded collar around her neck. It looked as if it had grown into her skin.” Shivers wracked her body. “She said she was sold to another clan that would treat her better than the caravan had.”
Hmm, interesting, if he didn’t know any better someone sent her a message through a dream that would reawaken blocked memories. Carob waited a beat and then inquired. “Have more memories shaken loose that you know what happened the day that you took flight?” He studied her unhappy face.
“Yes, I believe that is what is happening and it’s frightening and worrisome.” Anger tightened her features and Myra’s hands fisted at her sides. “I knew that some of the caravan boys and elders sometimes lured women to certain areas where younglings weren’t allowed.”
Ouch, no wonder Myra wanted to leave that place. Carob suspected more to the story than what she admitted so far. It tied into what she’d told him when first arriving before induced amnesia turned off pathways to find the scenes and images of what she’d witnessed.
Pain shadowed her eyes when she cast him a sober glance. “I found out through an order given to me what happens to females brought in from outside the caravan.” Myra sighed quietly over what she’d seen and who the offenders were as well. “The hardest part I find about that tale...is I know she’d left the caravan about two full annual cycles before I reached age fourteen.” Myra spread her hands in puzzlement as she spoke.
Now there was a puzzle and a mystery one that clearly baffled Myra. As for him Carob frowned, chilled hearing the account. He had heard of caravans that entered the trafficking of people. Could the caravan that Myra came from have done something of the sort? He would have to investigate that more thoroughly.
“I don’t know where we started off from, but the raft trip had gone longer than planned.” Myra’s expression turned abstracted. “Toward the end, once I was on the dock.” She stopped and shook her head. “I sound completely paranoid and insane.” She muttered.
Damn, she’d picked up some of his inadvertent flashes of thought and emotions. Carob thought quickly of how he could repair the damaging notions put into her head. “It doesn’t matter how you sound so much as the fact that you’re talking about what you saw.” He met her gaze levelly. “People have trouble believing my dreams especially when they come upon me six months in advance.”
Myra regarded him with troubling distance. She shrugged and flapped a hand listlessly and muttered. “I should probably return to the sewing so that I can finish a few projects.” Clearly, she didn’t want to talk about what happened anymore.
He wasn’t going to let her stop while she had more to talk about the subject. Meanwhile, he would do all that he could to prevent someone from causing more trouble for her. “Can you tell me more about the surroundings?” The flooded river didn’t surprise him overmuch. That type of activity happened yearly. However, if they traveled on a raft in the floods that meant they’d had to go farther out than normal.
Myra cast him another suspicious stare but nodded slowly. “The cliffs that we passed they had several shades of deep red, pink, sometimes purple, black, and orange.” She considered a moment. “We shot through several rapids and cataracts of varying levels and heights.” She smiled as if enjoying the memory.
Carob’s eyes widened. He knew exactly where they had gone. That truly was farther than anyone else had dared travel from the mountainous village stops. The fact that they’d traveled that far made him extremely wary of what would’ve caused that much flooding.
“Several side canyons that normally we’d stop at and trade, we couldn’t reach. They’d flooded badly and the people had fled deeper into the higher caverns.” Myra shook her head somberly. “We coasted over about seventy or more piles of rocks.” Then her smile faded. “However the trip was only supposed to take about four hours.” She shifted her weight as if remembering mild discomfort. “By any reckoning I’d guess we were on the rafts for about twelve or more hours.”
She’d had more warning than he bargained on when he heard her out. Carob rocked on his heels as he considered where her information came from. At last, he nodded in thought. “I’ll say this. Those farther canyons and caverns are very dangerous. Some of them are dead-ends with no way out.” His mouth thinned as he considered the implications. “I’ll have to check the almanacs and find out if we’re indeed on the verge of another bad flooding six-year season.”
Myra stared at him in surprise. “That can happen?” She looked relieved when he nodded.
Now it was his turn to tell her some tales of their existence so high in the mountain range. How else could the other villagers go about their lives if they couldn’t tell what the weather patterns were going to go next?
“Weather is always unpredictable around here, Myra.” Carob gave her a wry smile. “That is why we’re self-sufficient but willing to trade goods for services that we can’t provide out here.” He shrugged wryly reflecting that the dragons would love what else he would reveal. “We also make a point of having scouts and patrols.”
Myra grinned. “Don’t want to have the weather surprise, you hmm?” She cocked her head at him. “I can see that easily enough.” She shifted her weight again and began walking around carefully.
He didn’t mind her stretching her legs while he talked. Carob knew she was getting restless because of the restrictions placed on her ability to accomplish anything right now. “Every once in a while some idiot bands of brigands or outlaws attempt to overrun our caverns and villages.”
Myra nodded thoughtfully. “This is a good place strategy-wise if making a last stand.” she stared off into space. “Then again, it’s likely that someone would also hide treasure or portable wealth that someone else willing to guard it would sacrifice luxury to guard.” She gave him a piercing glance. “That strikes me as something you would do.”
Hmm, she avoided talking about supernatural creatures still. At some point, she would have to acknowledge them as entities that existed. “You’d be right.” Carob reflected she was too intelligent by half. He would have to watch his wording.
“I’ve told you all that I can remember,” Myra let him know with some discomfort. “I should let you go while you have some peace and quiet.”
“Nah, we can make some plans,” Carob told her because he knew that Antony would appear with some plans of what they should do while in town. He called Antony into the room and they chatted amicably about what to do. Then they left Myra alone so that she could work on her projects, while they went to work on researching weather patterns.