The Children of Calm (8 page)

He picked up a pipe that had been lying on his desk and proceeded to light it. After a few deep draws, he started up again.

“Yes, that is much better. Sometimes a puff or so is all one needs. But moving on, what I wanted to say was this: as I am sure you all know, life has a way of revealing itself to us in unusual ways at inopportune times. And in those times it seems as though the world must stop for us so that we can allow ourselves the time to process, to hash out answers to questions for which we were not at all prepared. We feel the intrinsic need to make ourselves right, to bring ourselves back to equilibrium, before we can move on with our lives. But the sad truth is we are powerless to remove ourselves from this world, from this great gift of life that has been granted us.”

Tresten let out a forceful sigh and shuffled in his chair. Rylek knew he was not appreciating the lecture.

Surprisingly, Caenar apparently took the hint. “Well, I suppose what I am meaning to say is this: continue engaging yourselves in the world around you, and you will find those little details working themselves out.”

He paused and nodded at the children. “Now, presently moving along…I wanted to meet with you all regarding your birthday - namely, the ritual that we here in Calm refer to as The Finding. As I am sure you are aware, all who reach the age of fifteen in this village are legally adults. Or, that is, they become so once they return from their respective Findings. I cannot help but believe each of you has been considering where to go for your own Finding, but I humbly ask that you respect this old man’s wishes and consider what I have to say.”

He paused. Rylek felt he was expecting an answer, so he said, “Yes sir.”

“Thank you,” Caenar said. “I very strongly suggest you all travel together on your Findings to the north, in the hopes of beholding the vast wonder that is the sea.”

“Together?” Lana asked.

“It may seem odd, but yes,” he said.

“That’s where I was planning on going anyway,” Selenor said. “I’ve always wanted to see the ocean. It seems so lonely and ancient in a timeless way to me.” She paused for a moment. “And an ideal place to reflect on a few things.”

Caenar smiled. “It is agreed then?”

Rylek shrugged. “Seems good to me.”

Lana nodded in agreement.

Tresten, however, continued to look away from everything. He gave no vocal or physical reaction.

Caenar took Tresten’s silence as an affirmative. “Very well,” he said. “You children have no idea how pleased this makes me. I very humbly thank you for honoring this old fool’s request. Now, do any of you have anything you would like to ask of me?”

“Actually, I do, Elder Caenar,” Lana said. “If you don’t mind me asking, why do you want us all to go there together? I thought the point of The Finding was for each person to spend time in solitude to prove they can live on their own, and to learn to live in harmony with the natural world. It seems to me to be kind of difficult to prove we’re ready for adult life if we’re depending on each other to do everything. Isn’t the sign of an adult independence?”

“That, I am afraid, is a very complicated question that has no easy answer,” Caenar said. “You are partially correct: independence is indeed part of being an adult. However, it is in that independence that one discovers how dependent one is upon others – especially to be whole and complete as a person. We are not meant to live in isolation, but in community. As I am sure you have already discovered in your own lives, each person is gifted in their own unique way by having talents and strengths in certain fields of study or thought. However,
your
strengths may be
my
weaknesses, and
my
strengths
your
weaknesses. We sharpen each other, make each other better people, as community evolves and refines. The knowledge of survival you gain during your Finding will immensely benefit the community as a whole. We are all part of each other; our lives are intertwined in very intimate ways, feeding and nourishing each other as we continue to grow in maturity. Anything you learn about yourself during your Finding only makes all of us stronger. That, my children, is the purpose of The Finding.

“Now, as to why I ask that all four of you share the same Finding? I must confess I do not know where to begin. But this I will say: the four of you are incredibly special. Indeed, more special than I can possibly begin to describe. There are great things in store for you, and though I am able to see very little of the paths that are set before you, I do know that your destinies are forever intertwined with each other’s. Whatever else may possibly happen in this village, in this island nation, in this world, the four of you are fated to do something great. And from the little that I am able to foresee, the next step I believe all four of you must take is a journey north to the sea. You may call it a hunch, or a premonition, but I feel in my heart it is destined for you to venture north. Therein lies the next step of your life together. Now, are there any more questions?”

“Why do you feel we are destined for greatness?” Lana asked.

Caenar smiled. “Call it a gut feeling; I am never wrong about these things!”             

The children were silent as they thought over what he had said.

“Well then, if there is nothing else, allow me to say one more thing. When the time comes that the four of you leave on your Finding, you may or may not run into other people along the way – strangers, wanderers, sojourners. Trust no one. But an unlooked-for friend may be discovered if he or she blesses you in the name of The One. Not too many people outside of our village follow in the ways of The One anymore.” He looked down at his hands and played with a ring on one of his fingers. “Very well. I believe that is all I have for you at the present. Thank you for coming to see me, my children.” He stood up from his chair.

The children started to stand when he suddenly said, “No, no, forgetful me. There is one more thing. May I speak to you briefly, Rylek?”

Rylek sat back down in his chair as the other three left.

“Please close the door behind you,” Caenar told Tresten.

After he was alone with Rylek, Caenar walked over to the bookshelf and perused it. “There is something I have that I want you to read secretly before you leave on your Finding. It is very old and extremely valuable…” His voice trailed off. “Well, this is peculiar,” he said to himself. “It seems to be missing. Where could it be?”

“What is it, sir?”

“It is an old history book that I believe you need to read.”

Rylek was confused. “I don’t understand. I did well in my schoolings in History.”

“Oh yes, very well indeed.” Caenar smiled. “But you were not taught all you truly need to know. History has a way of concealing itself from the promise of eternal memory. The volume I am missing is known as the Green Book of Weshern: a precious jewel filled to the brim with the radiating light of truth. And now it is gone. I fear what may have happened…”

Caenar stopped and appeared to Rylek as though he were thinking hard on something.

“Is there anything you would like me to do?” Rylek asked.

“Hmmm, what is that?” Caenar looked like he had been snapped out of a dream. He shook his head. “No, son, I need some time to think. You may go now.”

As Rylek was walking towards the door, Caenar turned to face him. “Do not mention to the others anything I just discussed with you, Rylek. There are some things that only you are privileged to know for the time being.”

“Yes, sir,” Rylek said confusedly as he opened the door and passed into the main room.

***

The other three were waiting outside the front door to the Hall of Knowledge. Tresten was some distance from Lana and Selenor, his back to the building. When Rylek opened the front door, the girls looked up at him. “That was quick,” Lana said. “Is everything okay?”

“I think so,” Rylek said as he descended the stairs. “Whatever he had been wanting to say to me got interrupted by something unplanned, I guess.”

“Let me guess: all secretive stuff you’re not allowed to discuss with us, right?”

Rylek merely smiled.

“Just once,” Lana continued, “just once I’d like to know why I’m never privy to anything. I mean, does no one trust me or something?” She crossed her arms.

Selenor giggled. “I swear that you are no better than a child,” she said.

Lana sniffed. “Oh!…” she started. “Whatever. I need to run home really fast. I’m helping Aunt Penni make supper tonight, and I need to pick up a few things. Want to come with me?”

“Sure,” Selenor said. “Are you coming, Rylek?”

Rylek looked over at Tresten. Tresten was now sitting with his back against a tree, looking down the street towards the lake. He was playing with some blades of grass he had apparently torn from the ground.

Selenor followed Rylek’s gaze and then squeezed his hand. Fire shot up his arm. “Why don’t you join us later?” she said.

“Yeah, I think I will.”

Lana began to walk away from them. “Okay,” she said, “but be at Aunt Penni’s by five, alright? She said she has something special planned.”

“Yeah, sure,” Rylek said.

Selenor stayed behind for a minute. Rylek’s arm was still tingling. She looked at him and said, “Tresten’s not handling this very well. I can’t get him to talk to me. He’s…hiding himself again.”

Rylek brought himself to look into her eyes. They were so large, and the silver flecks shone brightly in the sun. “I’ll do what I can,” he said.

“I know you will,” she said, smiling. “And that’s why you’re my hero.” She took his hand again and gave it another squeeze, then hurried along to walk with Lana.

Rylek stood, watching her leave. The world had paused, and there was an exceedingly high amount of light. He could hear the blood rushing in his ears. Somehow his heart was pounding in his throat and his stomach.

Hero
.

She pulled her hair back into a ponytail, and he watched it bounce in eternal slow motion as she walked away.

Hero
.

He kept rubbing his fingers on the hand she had squeezed in an attempt to drive her essence into his skin.

Snap out of it, Hero!

The world began moving in real time again, and he remembered Tresten sitting under the tree. Smiling, and with a slight bounce in his step, Rylek made his way over to him. It looked like Tresten had not moved since Rylek last looked at him. He sat next to him and did not say anything. Tresten did not offer any conversation either.

They sat in silence for nearly an hour as the occasional person walked by them. It was quiet in this part of the village during this time of year since school was not in session. The Hall of Knowledge was usually bustling with the noises and activities of children, but no other person entered while Rylek and Tresten sat quietly under the tree.

The village bell announced another hour had passed. Still they sat in silence as a few children began to play nearby. Rylek smiled as he watched them chase each other around in circles and laugh riotously as they got dizzy. He then found himself envying their innocence and naivety. It did not seem like it was that long ago since it was he and Tresten running up and down the streets without a care. Now he felt heavy and tired. He could only imagine how Tresten must have been feeling.

With his thoughts back on Tresten, Rylek turned to look at him. He was staring in the direction of the boys, but Rylek did not think he was watching them. Tresten was lost in the realm of his own thoughts, slowly processing what Celek had told him and Selenor. Rylek knew to leave him be until he was ready to talk. His presence was all Tresten needed for the time.

The bell rang out again: four o’clock. Rylek was stretched out on his back, looking up into the branches of the tree. The children had left sometime earlier, and he was thankful they had not bothered Tresten and him. The sun was going down, and the air was growing cooler. The only sound to be heard was the branches swaying in the breeze. Tresten had not moved his body since Rylek joined him. He sat as still as a stone sentinel, casting a protective watch down the street towards the lake. Rylek, on the other hand, was getting sore. He was ready to stand.

To keep his mind off his discomfort, he thought back to their tenth birthday. Lana and Selenor had slept over at his parents’ house while he and Tresten had stayed at Penephoni’s. The boys had agreed to sneak out in the middle of the night for their very first time. Rylek smiled as he remembered that they had needed their collective strength just to open the window in Tresten’s room. What a thrill it had been to run around the streets in the shadows, dodging old Ronas as he was on duty that night patrolling the village! They had eventually made their way through the western side of Calm, past the cemetery (which neither had wanted to admit made them feel a little uneasy), and up to The Balcony. It had been a long and hard climb up the hills, as it was a dark night and the sliver of Nevarra was veiled behind clouds. After carving their names into a large rock that jutted out from the cliff, they finally settled on their stomachs by The Balcony’s edge looking down over Calm. It was a long drop off the side, easily more than one hundred and fifty yards, but the air was still, and the boys had known no fear of heights. They had felt comfortable wrapped up in warm blankets, sometimes talking excitedly about how mischievous they felt, other times lying contentedly in each other’s silence. The clouds parted not long after they had arrived, and much to their surprise Pelanna had risen above the eastern range of mountains, bathing her nearly-full light into the valley. The boys had laughed out of sheer delight. One by one the stars came out, and soon a myriad was twinkling against the black canvas of night. Lake Calm had been set aglow with the reflected starlight, and the entire valley seemed to be shimmering. The contrast between the shadows and light had been so sharp that Rylek felt he could slice his finger if he had dared to trace the outline of the peaks to the north. It was in that moment that he had somehow felt exhilaration and peace simultaneously.