The Soul Riders ~ The Circle of Aideen

Chapter Thirteen: Part Two

After the council meeting, Sasha and Lisa both returned to the Sleeping Widow. When Sasha and Stormchaser were making their way towards Jorvik Stables, they found Lisa playing some music on her guitar and Starshine was gently comforting a weary black colt with a blue snip on his nose and blue streaks in both his small mane and tail. His mother was nowhere to be found, so they led the colt back to Jorvik Stables and Lisa had named the young Starbreed Texas.
But Sasha and Stormchaser had met up with Lisa and Starshine at Jorvik Stable. Lisa was placing a saddle on Starshine's back when she arrived astride on Stormchaser. Sasha smiled at her friends, Lisa seemed to be fully recovered from her ordeal and Starshine seemed extra cuddly with Lisa.
"Hi Sasha!" Lisa greeted Sasha after she saw Sasha. "Now I'm ready to talk with the Sleeping Widow to be able to repay the debt I have to her after she helped me out of Pandoria."
"Do you want me to help you with your debt?" asked Sasha as the two of them both rode out of the stable together.
"You know that ancient tree better than I do at this point," Lisa agreed with a nod. "I have the feeling that I won't exactly get away with being given an easy task. I wonder what type of pay off the tree wants."
Lisa's eyes lit up with excitement and looked at Sasha, Starshine shifted restlessly. Sasha chuckled softly, she knew that expression all too well. Lisa and Starshine wanted to race towards the tree. Sasha felt Stormchaser shift restlessly and scraped the ground with his front hoof. He also wants to race them too, Sasha knew she doesn't like turning down a challenge.
"Last one to the Primeval Tree is a little piggy!" The two off them soon took off, but Sasha knew how the shortest paths towards the Forgotten Fields and Stormchaser has a strong memory of where each trail leads to. Sasha and Stormchaser were the perfect team. Her stallion's galloping was smooth and flowing as they went over the hill behind the Goldspur Farm's windmill and onto the trail that leads to the abandoned farm all the way to the Forgotten Fields.
Sasha lowered herself in jumping position as Stormchaser jumped over the stone wall and continued galloping towards the Sleeping Widow. She laughed as she realized that they had beaten Lisa and Starshine, they were both the fastest Soul Riders. Sasha felt Stormchaser come to a quick stop when they arrived to the Sleeping Widow. Sasha smiled as she watched as Lisa and Starshine had both arrived to the tree just as well. Lisa laughed and Starshine snorted from the earlier excitement of the race.
"That was fun! You did it! You won!" Lisa exclaimed, laughing and seemed a little flustered. "So I guess that means it's me who's the little piggy, hahaha! But little pigs are cute too, right?!"
The two girls both turned to look up at the Sleeping Widow. The tree seemed more alive now, but Sasha could still feel the heavy waves of grief and loneliness from the Sleeping Widow.
"Is she really still awake?" whispered Lisa uncertainly as she observed the tree. "Seems like she's sleeping. Maybe we can just get out of here, she's probably forgotten all about our favors and arrangements..." Lisa made Starshine step back from the tree. "C'mon and we'll head home. It's probably for the best."
"Hold it, Lisa." Sasha looked at the tree firmly and she remembered Fripp's warning about the Primeval Trees' rage. "Once a debt is made, it has to be fulfilled. Remember what Fripp had said. I'm going to see if I could wake her up."
"I guess it's worth a try," said Lisa, sounding doubtful.
Sasha placed a hand on the tree and summoned a bit of her magic to wake up the Sleeping Widow. The tree's branches started creaking and crackling from Sasha's touch. The tree sighed softly and started waking up.
"About time!" The Sleeping Widow exclaimed. "I wondered where you'd all got to..."
"We were at a druid meeting," explained Sasha.
"Oh!" Lisa yelped at the same time. "You're awake after all."
"My dear friend. I'm as awake as I can be." The Sleeping Widow started creaking her branches for a while.
"Firstly, I just want to repeat my thanks for helping me out of Pandoria's prison. Without your help and the help of Starshine and Sasha, I'd never have been able to leave." Lisa glanced at Sasha and she nodded for her friend to continue. "I'm here to repay my debt to you. I'm completely at your service. What could I possibly do to repay that which you did for me?"
The Sleeping Widow creaked for bit before she said, "I helped you out of your prison. Now I want you to help me out of mine. My wish is that you help me once again become a part of the contact network of the Primeval Trees and I'm certain you can help me." The Sleeping Widow creaked once again as she tried to gesture towards the other Primeval Tree at the other side of the water and back at the fields. "Humans took the lives of my kin with their barbaric deforestation. Such despicable treatment! I will never forgive them, even though they realized it was a hideous mistake. Traitors. Deceitful in soul and nature." The Sleeping Widow shuddered as if she has trouble containing her rage upon the humans of the past. "Well, well... As if it wasn't enough that I was left alone when the lives of my kin were torn down, I was also disconnected from our network. Because of all this death, the roots that connected me to my kin withered away and died, leaving me isolated from our community." Her branches creaked again as she gestured towards the Primeval Tree of Goldenhills Valley. "My roots may well reach all the way to Pandoria, but they don't reach as far as the next living Primeval Tree. My companion was the link between me and the next tree and was therefore my only connection to the network of roots that make it possible for us to communicate." The Sleeping Widow made a sorrowful creaking sound. "I haven't been in touch with my kind in centuries. I thought perhaps you might help in taking care of that, Lisa and Sasha."
Lisa looked surprisingly pale with shock and she seemed very uncertain and doubtful of doing such a task. But Sasha felt excited at the task that they were assigned to do, are they going to do the similar act as Aideen and her horse had done?
"Dearest ancient tree!" Lisa said, trying to be on the same side as Sasha's excitement. "It's a true honor to receive such a task. Do you have any, umm... Some kind of, err, suggestion as to how we might exactly go about it?"
"Ah, Lisa. I have a suggestion." Lisa relaxed slightly, but she remained doubtful as ever. "When Aideen came to the world, she healed the land and spread life over the dead cliffs. With her song, her music, and her light, you can ride over the bay and bring my roots back to life so that I might reconnect with the Primeval Tree at Scarecrow Hill."
"That sounds amazing!" exclaimed Sasha excitedly, unable to keep her excitement at bay anymore. The Sleeping Widow seemed to be laughing at the youngest Soul Rider's excitement. "Do we need to get a harp and in charge it with magic?"
"But it sounds a little difficult, doesn't it?" Lisa asked uncertainly.
"Difficult? No, no, my little friends. Aideen did it and so can you." The Sleeping Widow seemed to be looking towards Lisa as she scolded her. "You're not trying to wriggle out of our agreement, are you? You won't disappoint me? Like all the other treacherous humans have always done..."
"Of course not! Not all humans are deceitful in their soul and nature! We are definitely not petty traitors. But the legend of Aideen's ancient exploits is exactly that: Just a legend! How do we..." Lisa quickly fixed her slightly misunderstanding with the Sleeping Widow, but she still seemed nervous and uncertain.
"We have magic for a reason, Lisa." Sasha's eyes were bright with excitement. "Don't loose hope my friend."
"Listen to your friend here Lisa." The Sleeping Widow's branches seemed to be creaking towards them. "I don't know how you'll do it. Aideen could. You'll simply have to figure out how she did it. Now it's just a matter of a few roots; Aideen actually created life! I'm not asking for those kinds of miracles from you. How hard can it be?"
"You're not wrong my dear friend," agreed Sasha, her gaze brilliant with hope. "You have the magic of healing and nature. Mine is a combination of all Four Circles of magics. Including healing and nature."
"The way you two put it that way," Lisa said, her doubt fading. "It doesn't sound so difficult anymore."
"My roots need to reach right across the bay. You can see the Primeval Tree on Scarecrow Hill from here. So close, yet so, so far away. When my roots reach the other side, I'll be part of the network of Primeval Trees again." The Sleeping Widow seemed to be looking at Lisa pleadingly and hopefully. "You must help me!"
"We'll do our absolute best." Lisa's voice was filled hope and promise as she looked at the tree. "We promise to do everything in our power to help you."
"I know you're capable. Aideen was." The Sleeping Widow's voice was a weary whisper. "I've spoken now. It's up to you to get this done. The time for talking is over."
The Sleeping Widow soon fell silent and the two girls both looked at each other in confusion. But Sasha was feeling rather hopeful at doing the debt to the Primeval Tree, though Lisa still looked rather doubtful.
"Ride over water? Bring dead roots back to life? How's that going to work?" Lisa looked at Sasha worriedly. "This all sounds pretty tricky. I doubt it'll work out."
"Maybe we should check the retainments of the other Primeval Tree," suggested Sasha. "I remember seeing a huge tree stump a little by the beach on my way here."
Sasha rode Stormchaser down towards the northern beach with Lisa and Starshine trotting by their side, the tree stump was a little away from the Sleeping Widow. The birds was singing a little sadly when they approached the Sleeping Widow's late mate and some flowers surrounded the sad-looking tree stump.
"So, here's where the Primeval Tree used to stand proudly before it was sawn down centuries ago," Lisa said softly, her hazel eyes showed empathy and sympathy. "Around here is roughly were the Sleeping Widow's roots reach. We're going to make sure the roots grow out over the bay here and right across the beach at Goldenhills Valley on the other side."
Sasha looked across the bay, it was uncertain of how they were going to grow the roots to the other mainland at Goldenhills Valley. But Sasha usually sticks to her promises and is willing to live up to it.
"Let's ride down to the shore and take a closer look." Sasha made Stormchaser jumped down from the hill and onto the sand. Lisa and Starshine followed them as they walked towards the edge of the beach. Sasha frowned when she saw the roots of the Sleeping Widow were poking out of the sand underwater.
"See? Right down there, I can imagine how the roots would push outwards..." said Lisa as she took a look at the roots. "They're a few feet down below the water's surface, but it's here they reach and no farther. How's this ever going to work?" Lisa sighed and shook her head helplessly. "Can't we just pull some string across the bay and attach a couple of tin cans on either end? Easier to just talk on a tin can phone, right?"
"I don't think it works like that, Lisa," started Sasha as she looked between the roots and the other bay.
"Nah, sorry." Lisa rubbed the back of her neck. "Seriously though, it's pretty obvious we need help."
"Yup," said Sasha thoughtful. "I can make a harp and enchant with the Star Circle for you to play, while I can use the Light of Aideen to help us. Maybe that would work."
"Good idea Sasha," Lisa agreed excitedly. "We just need to find the right melody for it. But how do we walk across the water?"
"The harp can help," pointed out Sasha instinctively. "With the right melody, we will be able to walk across the water."
"Let's get to work then," Lisa said with a smile. "I'll help you with the harp."
⚡️🌙🌟⛅️
Once Sasha was done crafting a harp from the sturdy branch of an ancient oak tree from Doyle's Abbey and had received the string from her stables, she and Lisa had both met up at Valedale. Sasha and Stormchaser led Lisa and Starshine to where she had taken her "test" to be proven that she's also a Soul Rider. Sasha made Stormchaser walked towards the star stone. Sasha placed the harp at the foot of the stone and summoned the power of the Star Circle with a bit of Lisa's help. She felt a strange, vibrating warmth she had sensed from all those years ago after she met Stormchaser. The star carving radiated. She felt a flow building around her as though she was laying in a fast-flowing current. An energy rushed around her, she felt like she was listening to music and it healed her inner pain, she could almost touch it. It shimmered blue, pink, and purple. When Sasha was done, the harp seemed to be radiating in an aura of gold and silver.
"So, we've got the harp, but not the melody," Lisa explained. "I remember how to learn it though, since Elizabeth told me exactly how. One has to be high up in a place surrounded by the silence and stillness of daybreak. If you have a gentile and kind enough soul, you'll be able to hear Aideen's melody on the wind... One of the better places to hear the beautiful, mystic melody of Aideen is to embrace the dawn winds on top of the West Wall Cliff, but it's hard to get to."
"I heard of that place," said Sasha. "It's where one of the Primeval Trees is at. I think I remember me and Stormchaser both going up the path up to the Mountaineering Hut north of Firgrove."
The two of them both rode towards the northern Firgrove. They of them soon started climbing up the trek. Stormchaser snorted and tossed his head restlessly, Sasha chuckled and patted Stormchaser's neck as they followed Lisa and Starshine up the mountain. They were careful of not attracting any attention from wolves. A few stones had tumbled down as they continued the ride up the mountain.
As they both arrived to the top of the mountain, Sasha saw an Primeval Tree that has more life within it than the Sleeping Widow in a clearing and seemed to be protected by fairies. Their stallions had nimbly climbed the rocky areas outside of the tree and carefully dodged away from the thorny weeds. They soon finally arrived to a great cliff that gives them a beautiful view of Jorvik.
"Here it is!" exclaimed Lisa. "Isn't it beautiful?"
"Yeah, I never thought we'll be seeing this," Sasha breathed.
"Then we're only waiting for daybreak." Lisa looked at Sasha with a smile. "We'll sit here and eat some snacks while we wait."
As they waited for daybreak, Sasha heard something foreign and beautiful on the wind. By her expression, Lisa was hearing it too. The stallions' ears both pricked at the sound of the beautiful music. It sounded beautifully foreign and familiar at the same time. Things of life, the rush of the wind passing through a field of grass, a gorgeous sunrise with golden clouds had started peaking through the sky, birds singing in a beautiful forest, wild and tamed horses in the fields.
"Wow, her song was so beautiful," whispered Lisa. "Now I've learned the melody, we're all done here."
The two Soul Riders and their horses were climbing down the mountain. They soon broke into a gallop as they both headed back towards the Forgotten Fields. The two of them soon came to the beach that had roots of the Sleeping Widow.
"Let's give this melody a go, shine the light from the fragment and then ride over the water to the beach just below Scarecrow Hill. Sounds simple, right?" Lisa rambled nervously, but excitedly at the same time.
Sasha placed her hand over her necklace and the stone soon started glowing. Lisa started playing her harp as Starshine walked onto the water. To Sasha amazement, Starshine was standing on top of the water and was completely dry. Sasha made Stormchaser join Lisa and Starshine. As Lisa rode Starshine, she continued playing the harp. While Sasha rode close behind Starshine, she continued shining her Aideen Fragment with silvery golden light and the roots from the Sleeping Widow grew after them. Sasha was smiling as soon as they finally reached the beach below Scarecrow Hill. Stormchaser gave a slight rear after he placed his hooves on solid ground.
"Woah." Lisa looked at the roots in amazement, which was slightly poking out of the water. "What have we done?! Seems like it actually worked! I'm speechless. I never thought it could happen... I think we've performed a miracle!"
"We did it!" cheered Sasha as she lifted her fist and Stormchaser reared with a joyful neigh.
"It's not every day we get to make a miracle happen." Lisa and Sasha both smiled at each other. "Now we should ride off to the Sleeping Widow and make sure everything is in order and that she feels we've paid our debt to her."
Sasha let Stormchaser break into a wild gallop towards the Riding Arena, she remembers that there was a shortcut through the shallow part of the stream. Sasha whooped and laughed after she realized that she and Stormchaser were being followed by Lisa and Starshine. They soon arrived to the Sleeping Widow and stood next to the ancient tree.
"Greetings my little kittens," said the Sleeping Widow, her voice filled with such joy that it had brought tears to Sasha and Lisa's eyes. "You've done incredible deeds and have fully repaid your debt to me with the tasks I asked for. I now have re-established contact with my kinsmen and my life now has a new meaning. All thanks to you!" The Sleeping Widow soon creaked her branches, but Sasha noticed that her branches had started sprout some leaves on her branches. "Thank you my beauties. Go in peace."
After a moment, Lisa bursted out laughing joyfully and her eyes shone with joy and amazement. Starshine soon broke into a gallop and Sasha raced after them, she could hear Lisa's laughter on the wind. Sasha and Stormchaser both met up with Lisa and Starshine from the top of a hill with a rune stone.
"Fantastic!" whooped Lisa. "Now we've restored the balance! There I was thinking we'd never do it. Luckily I was wrong!" Lisa shook her head with amazement again and beamed at Sasha. "Thank you Sasha for all the help! I've told Alex what we've accomplished today. Thanks to you Sasha and Linda, we managed to get that request from the Primeval Tree all fixed up!" Lisa sighed with smile and looked at the horizon and Sasha joined her side. "Without you guys, I'd have been full of doubt. I wouldn't have been able to do what we did on my own. It's such a relief to have you around, and it's even nicer to no longer be indebted to the Primeval Tree. You're all such true friends! It's an amazing feeling to be back with you all." But Lisa frowned and looked at Sasha worriedly. "The adventure is over. For now... We'll see what happens here next; it doesn't seem as though Alex, Linda, the druids, or scoutmasters have spotted any increased activity from Dark Core yet. But they're probably just waiting for the right time... We'll have to stay on the lookout!"
"Agree." Sasha nodded understandingly. "We must be ready for anything that comes at us. But first, we must figure out a way of rescuing Justin and Anne."
"Let's rest up at Wolf Hall Inn," said Lisa. "Then we could meet up with the others about rescuing Justin."