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17. ELFEN
Save the Lake was a big one, almost as long as Shadow Meadow.
The going for Freegirl would be swifter by water than it had been by land. The boat Elfen built, the Mona Fidelity, sailed on a smooth gait, responding to the winds or the oars. The horses required food and rest, but the sailing vessel needed none of that—gliding eternally as it did. As being on land subjected one to meat-eating animals, travel by water was the safest and most preferred form of mobility.
The beginning was dull, but the world was glorious.
Elfen had not been on a journey of this magnitude and distance for over five years, and he was very apprehensive. Traveling was his life, but he knew snow would be coming to the northern regions in four months, and was feeling rushed—for rivers near the Lore Halls would be freezing soon.
He had explained to Freegirl if they didn’t reach the Lore Halls by October, they would make a winter camp below the snow line. When Freegirl’s face had gone into plummet mode, Elfen changed his words to suggest thirty to sixty miles could be gained daily—making it possible to actually cover six thousand miles in four months.
He did not mention obstacles, like calm winds not inviting the sails—or the Giants, the floating trees the size of small mountains, sharp limbs jutting from their sides, protruding forward like spears aimed at helpless, oncoming houseboats. Wood gathering, hunting, and rest periods would also slow their journey.
Children of the Glimpse did not usually rush or become anxious, or impatient. Therefore, Elfen knew, ideally, he should postpone the trip, but his unusual companion had a determination that was dauntless. Freegirl had affected him, for he, too, was tired of being stationary. And although he loved his friends at Save the Lake, Freegirl’s timing had been perfect, for Elfen was ready to go!
The girl was quiet and thoughtful. She kept thinking about Tyber, and how he had said he believed her. She needed someone to believe her, for she was having a hard time doing it herself.
After a million moments of very quiet sailing, Elfen pointed his arrow-shaped nose and exclaimed, “Look!”
Freegirl followed his gaze. A huge homeboat, relaxing on the lake, loomed before them. The water dwelling was over two stories high, and on its highest point, attached to the railing of the second-story balcony, was a rope swing. Several Children of all ages were flinging themselves into the air, and onto the water. Freegirl started laughing, for she had never seen a rope swing dangling from a balcony —everyone knew rope swings hung from trees—and momentarily forgot her personal burden. On the lower deck were musicians playing merrily.
Elfen called and waved to them, and they waved back, beckoning him to stop. Realizing the amazing journey he was about to traverse, he decided to accept their offer to visit, for he may never pass this way again.
“Hail!” called Elfen to the partying houseboat. “Oh! La! We are taking a long, unreal journey! The Little Trekker here wants to go to the Lore Halls!”
“The Lore Halls!” they repeated across the water, amazed. Freegirl smiled, but did not feel like socializing. Elfen ventured closer to the lively vessel.
“Come and jump off our rope swing and be dazzled!” they called to the unique pair of adventurers.
After a moment of friendly chat, the sailors continued north for the rivermouth—which would take days to reach across that ocean of a lake.
And the multitudes of moments passed. The strong dependable breeze so common to Save the Lake, began to whip and scramble, and move in many directions. Rough winds now created an obstacle for smooth sailing, so Elfen was forced to row instead of sail.
The Mona Fidelity, which had been nick-named “The Beast” by Elfen, was a unique houseboat. Not huge, it was about twenty-five feet long and ten feet wide, accommodating four people with ease. The stern had a square hole cut into the deck floor, where two benches were built, for rowers to sit and motor the very long oars. The oars passed through holes cut into the side of the vessel above the water level. The person in the square could not see the water, so mirrors had been placed in strategic areas, so the rowers could see the shoreline.
Descending into the square to sit on the oarbench, Freegirl helped the Rower of the Rivers operate the craft. It was possible for two people to row together—with one person sitting in front of the other.
After a small eternity of working the oars, they became too tired to continue against the gales, and concluded it better to anchor for the night.
The sun was almost setting when both sailors fell into sleep, curled upon cotton pads on the deck.
Almost everything was done outdoors, where the air was alive. Cooking, net-weaving, sail-repairing, socializing, and sleeping was all done on the deck—but occassionally Elfen chose to camp on the land. The cabin was for storage, waste products, and protection from the storms.
Freegirl awakened when it was still dark, as she sensed the boat moving. Elfen was up working the sails, for the winds were perfect again, and creating a lovely flow for the travelers.
The young woman sat quietly near the rail and watched the black water slipping by her, glad to have such a competent captain, who had no fear of moving in the darkness.
For two days they traveled. Then Elfen finally asked Freegirl what he’d been curious to know.
“Why did you leave your family to travel alone?”
Her answer was evasive. She told him Mount Gold was slowly sinking into the ocean, and the elders of her tribe believed the golden dwellings would be drenched in waves, in less than a hundred years. Freegirl was going to the Lore Halls to ask the Images for help.
Elfen had a hard time believing her story. As she spoke, he eyed her curiously.
Sinking mountain, he pondered. Of course...it was possible the sea was rising at a rapid rate and few were aware of it, but mountains bulge from the planet’s interior and do not “sink”. Perhaps a mountain could crumble if there was a catastrophic quake.
But why would her people send an inexperienced child on a journey as perilous as this, to a land where only the strongest and most powerful are allowed to enter?
Nothing in her tale made sense. And Tyber had given away none of her mystery. The only other human who had heard of her strange materialization was Rainbow, and he was not present to speak and give the completely baffled Elfen a clue.
The Rower of the Rivers asked plainly, “Why did they send you?”
And Freegirl answered, just as plainly, “Why not?”
It was obvious to Elfen the conversation had no future, so he tried another approach. “So tell me about your family? What kind of people are they? They left you unattended?”
Freegirl became confused immediately. There was no answer, for she'd not been “left unattended”. She had experienced divine intervention, or something she could not claim, and was taken from her family.
This, of course, she would not discuss.
The girl from Mount Gold looked down at her feet. With the sailing vessel gliding sweetly across the lake she said, “I had an uncle named Ryner. Five years ago, he went on a sailing trip on the ocean. You know the Rule Winds?”
Elfen nodded. The Rule Winds occurred every year, a couple months in autumn, and ravaged the southern coast of Synpan—tormenting the Sea You. Sailors had to remain as far from the coastline as possible during these crucial months. It was assumed Ryner had been caught in the Rule Winds, for he never returned. He had kissed his daughter and wife goodbye, saying he would be back in one month, and hadn’t been seen since.
Elfen listened patiently to Freegirl’s distractive story, and then said, “What does Ryner’s account have to do with your journey, Freegirl?”
Freegirl laughed, for she knew the evasion of his inquiry was ridiculous. A person was perfectly capable of extracting an answer if they simply pursued the issue, as indeed, Elfen was doing. So she smiled wearily and said, “I may never return, Elfen. I may disappear from my family just like Ryner did.”
Despite the difficulty in clear communication, Freegirl made a great first mate when the winds changed, and Elfen needed a hand. The Rower of the Rivers always kept the Mona Fidelity near the proximity of the eastern shoreline, to his right, where Living Forest touched Save the Lake. If anything should suddenly damage the boat, getting to the bank was easier
On the third night, Freegirl was standing at the back of the boat when she saw something in the water. The image beckoned to her, a primal force that consumed her consciousness. Leaning over for a closer look, a sudden gasp and a splash could be heard—as Freegirl plunged recklessly into the deep water.
Unable to turn the boat quickly, Elfen ran to the stern, and dove in after her—his cork life-preserver did not have a long enough rope to reach her.
The water vessel sailed onward without them. Concerned the boat would hit something, like another houseboat, Elfen became anxious.
“Freegirl!” he bellowed out of his thick chest, as both of them splashed around in the water.
The dusk was dim and the water was warm.
“I’m here!” she called. He heard her swimming and breathing towards him.
“I thought you were sick by the groan you made. I thought you might be unconscious. We’ve got to get the boat before it hits something!”
They were strong swimmers, and raced after their runaway home—its sails full of air.
And then something very odd happened. The water around them started to bubble like a geyser. It momentarily stunned the swimmers but they did not falter. They were focused upon catching the boat.
The surface of the lake continued to churn wildly. Elfen finally got close to the Mona Fidelity and grabbed the life-preserver dragging in the water. Freegirl clasped his sturdy arm, and both of them climbed out of the bubbling froth. Breathing with care, they heaved their bodies back onto the watercraft.
Unexpectedly the wind died, but the vessel still bobbed—up and down, the turbulent lake. They owned nerves of apprehension, as they watched the mysterious bubbling surround them. An expelled noise sounded like many snakes hissing.
“My soul,” exclaimed Elfen. “What is happening? It sounds like Snake Lake!”
Snake Lake was towards the east, in the middle of the continent of Synpan. It was an agitated lake with choppy currents and, as the name implies, was full of snakes. Very few ventured onto it, for the snakes did not like trespassers.
Elfen, however, had investigated it when he was in his teens, and after a short session afloat, he decided he’d had enough of the foaming, turbulent waters. The sounds of hissing and the turmoil of the lake had been too busy and noisy for him, so he carefully turned his craft around and rowed back to shore, never returning to Snake Lake again.
The snakes were not mean and rarely did they attack, but they were very hectic, and the surface of the water was frothy—from the long slithering creatures swarming every inch of the upper level.
Humans did not visit the area often. Photopia had many places, and not all of them were meant for people.
But Save the Lake was serene and peaceful. What took place that night when Freegirl fell into its fluids, unconsciously, was something that came to light many years later.
However, moments after it happened, she heard the voice quietly in her mind say, Beware of the safest places, and always expect the unexpected.
When Elfen asked her why she had jumped, she felt ridiculous, for she could not answer.
Traveling on Save the Lake was soothing and different for Freegirl, as her only boat knowledge was ocean canoeing. The surf under her canoe was nothing like the calm water under the boat now, and she thoroughly enjoyed the tranquil ride.
They passed occasional houseboats and waved. Once in awhile they would stop and ask the friendly dwellers things like. “How’s the fishing?” which they knew was ridiculous, because the fishing was always perfect.
Photopia was a globe of abundance and beautiful climate—excluding the north and south poles. Save the Lake represented some of the best territory upon the planet, in which a person could live. Gorgeous weather, tons of fresh fish, lots of game in the nearby forest, plenty of wood for building houseboats, enough naturally growing hemp to create sails, and the proximity of Shadow Meadow, where cotton fields were tended for clothing—and fruits and vegetables either grew wild or were cultivated. Save the Lake was a harmonious paradise, and Freegirl wondered if she would ever see this place again.
The soft winds held, and kept the Mona Fidelity sailing. Along the lake’s surface, Elfen and Freegirl inched. Slowly and without effort, the watercraft gained access to the northern rivermouth where, Save the Lake began.
As the passengers watched from the bow of the boat, they could see the incoming river. The speed at which they had traveled the passed four days was now becoming slowed. The delicate sound of singing breezes and relaxing water splashes changed.
Heard now was the urgent sound of water-currents rushing into the lake.
“The rivermouth!” Elfen exclaimed excitedly, as he pointed with his arrow-shaped nose, and jumped up and down. “The Whisper Waters!”
Freegirl thought the man’s exuberance was so funny, she chuckled.
The Rower of the Rivers was like a child. He was about Freegirl’s height. He had a round frame, though his body was firm. The sun did not tan Elfen’s skin so much as it gave it a dark red hue. His eyes were squinty and bright blue, like the light blue sky on a sunny day. He was always smiling, which made his round face and pudgy cheeks rosier. He had a sharp lean nose which pointed suddenly at the tip, and many a light-hearted joke was made—as to what Elfen’s nose could be pointing. He wore baggy cotton shorts, each pair a different color.
When Freegirl first saw Elfen, her immediate observation was of his many tattoos. There were trees, birds, fish, waterfalls, a bear, a lion, a wolf, and a woman, all in various colors of ink. She was reminded of her father who had one great fire-exploding volcano on his back. She acknowledged the difference between the two in one instant: her father was big and serious, and her new guide was small and funny.
From the start of the trip, the captain let her know he was a child of the funny face. Upon finishing his announcement, the Rower of the Rivers distorted his eyes, turned his lips into a crooked curve, and then bounced his head quickly on his left shoulder—while blinking his eyelids rapidly.
Elfen hollered, “Yee-hee! Yippee! Imaaagine it!” while he and his passenger climbed into the oarbench.
The captain loved to row. He stayed in front of Freegirl and put the oars into the water to help the wind’s push, for the closer they got to the rivermouth, the more resistance the boat endured.
With hard work, they drove the boat beyond the mouth of the Whisper Waters. The edges of the river’s banks widened, and the Mona Fidelity again sailed freely.
The river was wonderfully deep, enhancing great life beneath its surface, and making boat travel easy. At its widest point, the banks were a half mile across from each other, a relatively narrow river for Photopia.
Again, Elfen stayed near the treeline of Living Forest, to his right.
Upon the Whisper Waters, Freegirl felt the journey had begun. There were no houseboats to look at, and no people to visit.
This was the time Freegirl understood the true meaning of loneliness. Though she had always felt alone with her unbelievable feelings of doom, she had wonderful friends and family for distraction.
When she was on the trail with Tyber, she had the horses for company—as well as other people they saw along the way. Shadow Meadow was vast and wide, and distant cottages could be seen in many directions. And upon the lake, there had been plenty of houseboats, full of families.
Now all that could be seen was a long line of tall, tall trees marking either side of the river. And although Elfen had a great personality, confinement upon the boat became a burden for the young girl—used to her mountain home, the winds upon the mountaintop, the beaches beneath its girth, the wide open sea, and the great valley beyond the mountain’s base. She loved its endless space and ran through it every day.
But upon the river, when she wanted to run, she had to wait until it was time to take a break—and the boat was anchored. And then she had the trees to avoid while running, as finding open space was a rare thing.
She had never realized the importance of having emptiness around her, until she was without it—enclosed as she was between trees, stuck on a boat, and sailing a long, continuous river.
"I’m going twister crazy!” she hollered one afternoon, a week into the forest. “I can’t handle these trees enclosing me any more!” Suddenly she dove off the side of the boat and disappeared.
Elfen was stunned. Children of the Glimpse were usually so patient. What could be bothering her? The serenity of the river and the protection of the big trees were magical to most people.
Freegirl spurted underwater as long as her breath would hold, hoping to release the tension of feeling like a prisoner. When she was ready for air, she burst through the surface of the water next to the boat, and sucked in the radiant oxygen.
“There you are,” said Elfen kindly. “Look at it this way.” He spoke to her while she floated and treaded water. “We have two more weeks of Living Forest, then we will be entering the so-called haunted Re-Legion, which is going to not only surround us, like the trees do, but it will completely block out the sky and the sun, Freegirl. Consider the tall trees a preliminary to a bigger test coming. If you feel cramped, lie on your back and stare into the endless blue. That should help free you.”
“The ‘endless blue’ is blocked, right and left by all these trees,” she answered, in a woeful tone.
Indeed the pines and evergreens of the forest were giants. Some of them could reach half a mile into the air, and as long as wind or lightening did not tear them down, they could grow for centuries.
Elfen helped her into the boat and fetched her dry clothing—soft pastel cottons given to her by Shasta.
Freegirl was much calmer now she’d had a strong swim. “I’m sorry,” she said. “But I want to get to the Lore Halls so desperately I’m losing sleep. I can’t imagine waiting and traveling four months on a boat.” She lowered her head with much sadness.
Sorry? Desperate? Unable to wait? Elfen was getting more puzzled, as he continued witnessing his passenger’s behavior, but he refrained from making comments about her choice of words and frame of mind. Instead, he thoughtfully explained to her. “You are eighteen years old now. It did not take that long to pass did it? Four months? That is nothing! You are going to see many, many things on this journey. You will learn so much, this time is going to fly like a humming bird. One day, you will look back and realize how tiny those months were in comparison to your life. Be patient, Freegirl. You have only just begun.”
Elfen chose to anchor the Mona Fidelity earlier than usual. This time, instead of sleeping on the vessel, he suggested they camp under the trees.
Elfen knew Freegirl needed foot-time upon the soil to settle her nerves. And although she was tired of looking at trees, Elfen knew the trees were just what she needed.
“There is much power and time, in the life of a tree; and it has something to tell you.”
The two travelers walked through the forest looking for the perfect spot, not far from the shore. It was dusk and neither sailor was tired. Elfen told Freegirl she should camp at the base of an ancient redwood. “Walk through the forest, child, and listen to the woods. When you find a tree that feels the most motherly, sit next to Her and listen. Put your bag under Her branches and Dream. You will feel better in the morning.”
Freegirl was unfamiliar with giant pines. There were many scattered trees near her home, but no thick forests. And these trees were enormous. The grandmother trees, which topped at 2500 feet in the air, had bases two hundred feet in diameter. Huge enveloping trees, spreading for hundreds of miles, were quite foreign to Freegirl.
Camping within a forest without open space, was unpleasantly crowded, but the child of Mount Gold had no choice except to comply—after all, Elfen was the captain, and she did as the captain told her, respectfully.
As she moseyed through the giants, her mind was silent, listening for a mother tree.
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