I escaped the party by sneaking into the bathroom, I quickly engaged the lock and dropped down onto the toilet. I would wait in here a bit until Michael, would surely, become distracted with one of the willing girls rather than waiting for an unwilling partner. I never expected Michael to turn into Mr Grabby Hands, he had always seemed so laid back while we were working together on the project. A couple of beers and the lecherous, overbearing personality pops up. I looked up as the door handle rattled, “Beth” a slurred voice “Beth you in there?” A couple more rattles and I heard him stumble away.
I looked around the bathroom maybe I could arm myself with a spray can of deodorant. My eyes tracked across a really large mirror taking up most of one wall. “Vanity, thy name is man” floated through my head. It was a spectacular mirror and framed with beautifully carved and twisted wood. I am amazed I didn’t notice it the minute I walked into the room I love wood and finding its story and carving to out to share with the world. I got up off the toilet seat to get a closer look at this amazing piece of art.
Nose almost touching the wood I examined the intricate detail. It was almost as if I was looking into a new dimension, layer on layer of carvings of people, animals, birds and insects all busy with life. The carving had an energy that drew me in. My eyes read a story that was larger than life expressed in the carve frame of the mirror. One carving caught my eyes as it seemed to be moving through the whole of the carving I leaned closer trying to gather the entire story that was being told.
Suddenly I pitched forward, losing my balance I tumbled straight through the mirror. Alice going down the rabbit hole had noting on me as I very ungracefully landed face first in muddy grass and there wasn’t a helpful white rabbit to greet me or give me direction or even language. I had absolutely no idea where I was. Getting to my feet I looked around, I appeared to be a savannah, no building, and no people. There wasn’t even a sun, just grey overcast sky. Off in the distance to my left was a blob that could be trees.
I looked around where I had landed; there wasn’t even a landmark and no handy mirror to get back. I wasn’t sure I wanted to move from this spot as there must be some link here to the mirror. But I also didn’t feel very comfortable being out in the open like this. As if to punctuate my discomfit a low mournful howl rose in the distance. That decided me I did not want to be caught out here I would make my way to the distant blobs, hopefully it would be shelter.
After walking for an hour I came to the edge of the trees, I immediately had a sense of security, I always had an affinity to trees and in this strange place that still was the case. As I walked under their shelter I sensed a direction, something calling to me. I also had a sense of being watched; I remained alert hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever was watching me. Thirst and hunger was starting to dominate my thoughts. My mouth was parched, the alcohol I had earlier certainly hadn’t help in what was turning out to be a long trek. As my mind focused on my thirst I began to smell water. Like an animal on the dry desert I knew water was not too far away. It was all I could do not to charge off in the direction I smelt the water but I continued to be cautious as I had no idea where I could possibly be.
The water turned out to be a narrow stream. I gratefully dropped to my knees and started to drink. As I was bent over I felt pressure with a sharp point on the back of my neck, I turned my head and could see large feet and thick calves slightly to the side.
“GoddessmercyGoddessmercyGoddessmercy” frantically went through my head. The pressure eased off and I turned still on my knees. Behind me was a giant of a man clad in animal skins tunic and pants pointing a spear at me. I definitely was not at home, pre-industrial almost like settlers in a new land. I raised my hands by my head as he spoke. Another couple of people came into view from behind. A young man with hat looked to be a musical instrument in his hands and a severe looking older woman. The giant let out another string of words I couldn’t understand. My eyes darted between them and I shook my head “I don’t understand” I said.
The young man plucked at the strings on his instrument, something happened inside my head, a feeling, a sensation. The giant spoke again, I shook my head. The young man pulled out a flute and a ripple of sound flowed forth. Once again something happened inside my head; this time when the giant spoke I understood the question. “Are you the carver” he rumbled.
“Umm, I don’t think so.” I replied
What sort of question was that not who they are, not where I am, not what am I doing here but am I the carver? I opened my mouth to ask those questions when the woman spoke over top of me.
“Bring her.” She barked. “She is the only foreigner here and mulwolves are on the move we need to get back to the gate.
Now that sounded promising with a gate I might be able to get out of here. The giant reached down and with one hand lifted me to my feet and then slung me over his shoulder.
I hit him in the back and tried to wriggle off his shoulder. “Let me down!” I yelled.
“Shut her up” ordered the woman.
I could see the young man behind me; he shook his head and raised his fingers across his lips. A universal signal for silence and I heard in the distance that mournful baying. After a short walk the woman came to a stop beside a enormous tree, the giant dropped me to my feet and the young man strummed his string instrument. The air around the tree quivered as I looked I could see carvings on the trunk, I leaned forward to get a better look. As it had in the bathroom one carving caught my eyes as it seemed to be moving through the whole of the carving again I wanted to gather the entire story that was being told.
With the tune being played a segment of the tree parted and I could see a winding path. The woman entered first, then the giant shoved me into the gap in the tree trunk, I stumbled through and he and the young man followed. Once the young man stepped into the tree gap he stopped strumming his instrument, I looked over my shoulder and saw the tree trunk become whole, in front of us still unrolled the winding path.
At this point my mind just wanted to take a holiday but it didn’t look like I had that luxury and no-one in this group seemed inclined to satisfy my curiosity, rectify my ignorance or even speak to me. My mind latched onto the similarity of the carving on the fame of the mirror, on the tree trunk and that they had asked if I was the carver. It seemed as if they needed someone to do some carving, I would be happy to do some for them if it would get me home.
After a period of time silently trekking along at a brisk pace the woman slowed down and it appeared that there was a concave barrier in front of her as if we were looking at the inside of a tree trunk. From behind music arose as the young man strummed his instrument, the tune was slightly different than that he had played earlier. Once again the barrier opened, I followed the woman as she stepped out, not waiting to be shoved by the giant. We appeared to be in a courtyard attached to an honest to goodness castle it was perfectly detailed right down to the men in armour on the walls. “Come.” The woman barked.
I just stood there next to the great tree in the courtyard, “Who are you people and why and why am I here? I demanded, I’d had enough of blindly following these people.
She spun around, eyes flashing her mouth opened and I expected to get blasted. Instead the young man stepped up next to me and raised his palm to the woman.
“Sigred stop, it is just that she ask, she is a foreigner and doesn’t know our ways and problems”
He turned to me put his hand to his heart and bowed. “Carver I am Rasile, Wizard Musician, this is Sigred, Captain of the Outarguard and Thombass of the Gigantes we are at Basalt Castle. We need you to carve the story link to release Prince Tyrsenos who has been trapped in the world story. If he is not released the blight will take the first people” He laid his hand on the giant tree. “Our world will die.”
I swear my eyes bugged out of my head. “What?” I uttered
Sigred, patience exhausted, grabbed my arm and marched me into the castle, straight to the throne room. “Sire, we have the carver” she stated interrupting the conversation between two older, distinguished men. Letting me go she bowed. Rasile and Thombass trailed us into the room. Behind the throne was the most immense tree trunk I had ever seen and it was carved in layers and layers of intricate carving. My feet automatically took me to the tree. Coming from the tree I could hear a faint humming, again one carving caught my eyes as it seemed to be moving through the whole. In the presence of the immense tree I wanted to read the story. I wanted to immerse myself in the tales that was being told and enacted every second on this great tree.
Nose almost touching the wood I examined the intricate detail. It was almost as if I was looking into another dimension. The energy of the carving drew me in. A loud throat clearing brought my attention back to the five people in the room and I realised I had not acknowledge the king who would be the most important person here. My eyes went to the two older men; I immediately dismissed the slightly portly man of the left as he reminded me so much of the accountants at home working on the project. I looked at the other man and narrowed my eyes, he looked suspiciously like the project leader at home albeit older.
Rasile again stepped into the breach, “My Leige, this is the only foreigner we found and judging by her response to the Elder she appears to be the Carver.”
The king looked at me. “What are you called” he asked
I squinted at him, head tilted to the side, “I’m Beth.” I replied. My suspicions started to arise this king looked a lot like Lusius Tarnin leader of the Treow Reforresting Project I had been working on back home.
“Why do you look like Lusius, my boss at home” I asked.
I heard several sharp intakes of breath. I guess I hadn’t been polite enough.
“That would be because Lusius is my son” he replied
Well that explains the carving on the mirror. I had a feeling that I had taken a prat fall when I went through that mirror. I wondered if Lusius knew I would be coming here or if he was to bring someone through and I was just an accident as we had only spoken to each other a couple of times, I really didn’t think he would even know me. I had notice he spent a lot of his time with Fiona.
“What is it you want me to do? I asked,
“My elder son Tyrsenos is trapped in the Elders story we need a Carver to rewrite this portion of the story to give him an exit point. That is what you need to do.”
I looked directly into the King’s eyes. “I can carve but I don’t know that I have the skill to do what you have asked. I have never done anything like this before” I responded
“Rasile will assist, you are capable or you would not have been able to enter the Elder’s embrace.” He looked at the man beside him “Cigma arrange for food and a room.” He turned back to me. “Eat, sleep and begin after you have rested.”
He left the room followed by Cigma, Sigred and Thombass. Rasile remained with me. “I have no idea where to start.” I said. “How can you possibly put a responsibility like this into a stranger’s hands” I felt like I was whining but this was way out of my depth.
“You physically could not have come through if you did not have the power to engage with the Elder. You are already drawn to the Elder who will assist you to make the correct carvings. The Elder does not want Tysenos inside the story but cannot release him without the aid of a Carver.”
“Well how the Hell did he get in there in the first place.”
“Tysenos, loved unwisely. When he awoke to his lover’s duplicity she had coerced the castle Carver to entrap him and then killed the Carver before escaping with a ancient artefact.”
Of course he did the stupid thing and of course she did evil thing, what else could have happened and I’m stuck with dealing with it without a clue. Damn Michael and his grabby hands. I almost fell upon the meal when it arrived I was starving and was thankful for a soft bed.
I awoke, with my eyes still closed I thought I had a amazing dream but unfortunately on opening my eyes I had to accept that it wasn’t all my imagination. Rasile collected me and took me back to the throne room with the tree, a selection of excellent carving tools were spread on the table. At the doors of the throne room stood two giants I recognised Thombass from the previous day. I looked at Rasile. “So what do I need to do?”
“Choose your tools and then connect with the Elder, you won’t have any problem with that as you started the connection yesterday. A soon as you touch the Elder you will be guided.”
I picked up a chisel and mallet and moved over to the tree. My eyes immediately went to the moving portion of the carving. I reached out with one hand to the area. When my hand connected with the carving I entered into another world. Immensity filled my mind I heard many voices, a susurration of sound, soft murmuring. A knowing wrap my thoughts and my hands began the task to working the story. The Elder of First People was a gentle support; the story flowed through me into my hand and back into the elder. My eyes did not see what I was carving as my mind was buoyed up by the First Peoples. Hours went by and finally I felt a tiny grit like irritation move out of the story and flow smoothed out. When I finally saw with my eyes and the murmur in my head ceased I saw in front of me a whole landscape of carving. I tore my eyes away from the carving’s I had done.
The throne room was filled with people watching me, beside the King stood a younger man who looked like the King and like his brother Lusius. It looked like I had rescued the fair Prince. The chisel and mallet fell from my tired hands.
The King beckoned to me. I pushed my weary body to walked over to his throne. He looked directly at me. “Carver, Beth you have my gratitude in releasing my son you have done me a great service. Is there any boon I can offer you.
“Can you get me home. I asked. My eyes cut over towards Rasile, then back to the King.
“The Elder can get you home but please avail yourself of our hospitality tonight and you will be home tomorrow.”
The next morning Rasile again collected me from my room. As we walked towards the throne room he reached for my hand. “You could stay” he invited.
“It is not the right time for me to stay. The elder indicated it would be dangerous for me to continue to be here.” I replied. “But I could maybe come back.”
“I would like that” he said.
When I entered the throne room Thombass was guarding the door. “Nice to have met you.” His eyes met mine and he grunted in response. I went over to King and Prince Tyrsenos. “I guess I will be going now” I said
“Safe journeying until we meet again” the King replied. Prince Tyrsenos nodded to me.
I went over to the immense tree and placed my palms against the carvings and spun around to look at my face in the mirror.
