Defender of Mirago

Chapter 10

Rayble made his way down the crack, buildings on both sides. The rock face reached high above him, and the earth fell far below him. He felt as if he was in another world. Despite all the newness around him, he couldn't get his mind off of Kessa. She did like him. He would have to find a way to spend time with her without her father knowing. But how would he complete such a task when her people were forced to travel together, living their lives under the cubes?

As he continued walking the ledges of the narrow canyon, he came across a home that caught his interest. It was indented in the wall and strings of beads hung in the doorway. A song was being sung from within.

It was beautiful and reminded him of home, specifically of the girls who would sing at the fountains in Mirago. He would sometimes close his eyes there and imagine the older ones as his mother singing sweetly to him. He was sure his mother sang over him when he was an infant, but he was too young to remember. Now he heard a lullaby coming from within the rock wall.

As he brushed the beads with his hands and peeked inside, he could see that instead of the home going deep in the rock, it stretched long passed the doorway on both sides, parallel to the canyon. An elderly woman sat upon a rocking chair. She noticed Rayble but continued to sing as she was. It wasn't until Rayble pulled away that she spoke, "Come in young one, it's alright." Rayble apologized for snooping, but she continued to encourage him to come in with a motion of her hand.

He took a few steps toward her and then she violently held her hand up for him to stop. "No further!" It frightened Rayble and he froze, not fully putting the weight into his next step. She then held her hand to her mouth and coughed. "I have the sickness." Rayble relaxed and thought about his grandfather, Grozzy, and the other people in his town with the sickness. He wondered about its spread to Geran.

A woman came out from behind the rock. From Rayble's angle, he wasn't aware there were further rooms behind the rock face, but there must have been an opening on the side behind the wall. She delivered a bowl to the old lady. The old lady asked the woman, "Is this the healer?" The woman looked for a while then shook her head, "No, mother. Not the one from my dreams."

Rayble interjected, "You too have dreams of a man who can destroy sickness with a touch?"

"Too? You have the dreams as well?"

"No my grandfather does. I thought it may have been a symptom of the sickness."

"I have no sickness." Replied the woman. "But my mother does. We hope the healer will come. I'm sure it's more than just a dream."

"That's what my grandfather says."

The three talked until the sun began to set. Rayble said farewell and set his thoughts back on Kessa. He hadn't given up. He'd find a way to be with her. He thought maybe he'd wait for her father to fall asleep then he'd stay up all night talking with her, but then remembered that the Marians didn't sleep.

He was also exhausted, still sore from the previous day, and not yet caught up on his sleep. He decided he would go to bed earlier than normal and sleep on it. So, Rayble went to the nearest inn and paid for a night, informing the innkeeper to wake him if the Marians began to leave.

In the middle of the night, Rayble was awoken by loud winds. Fear crept inside his chest and pulsated his heart. He was sure the red clouds were right outside his door. Were the Marians in danger? What about Kessa? He couldn't fall back to sleep thinking of her being outside in the violent whips and slashes of the wind. He shuddered to imagine her being cut up by it, but also feared for himself.

You're a defender, Rayble reminded himself. He must find her, it was his obligation. He came to the door of the inn, a spare seed in hand, and looked out into the darkness. Market stalls stood still, and the Marians casually went about themselves.

What of the wind? Was he hearing things?

He stepped outside and looked above the walls of the canyon. Dark, quick-moving clouds blocked the sky and suffocated the stars. There it was, the red clouds, rampaging through the desert above, knocking rocks and blowing dust into the canyon, but having little effect by the time it got down to the town.

They were safe, still, Rayble looked for Kessa. She was easy to find, street lights lit up her red umbrella and her soft visage across the narrow canyon. Light debris collected on top of the umbrella as she stood quietly alone, not yet noticing Rayble. He did protect her. Not with a barrier from a seed, but with the gift he had given her.

A short, curved bridge was a stones throw away. Rayble crossed it and headed for Kessa but then stopped, remembering the unpleasantness of her father. He looked around for him but could not pick him out of the crowd of Marians that were spread throughout the canyon. He would talk to her only for a moment. The winds continued to roar above them. Before he took another step closer, their eyes met. She pulled her umbrella closer to her and smiled. As Rayble stepped towards her, she looked around then nodded for him to continue.

"Kessa."

"Rayble."

Rayble stopped a few feet from her, worried about the father discovering him.

"Come under, quick." She said.

He stepped underneath the red umbrella, close to her. He could feel her warmth emanate from her in the cold night. The two shared each other's presence for a while, without much talk, completely content. Sand cascaded around them, rocks bounced off the umbrella, the wind raged, and they were still.