The Sage Seed Chronicles: The Unraveling (2 page)

Her sobbing interrupted her narrative. After
a few minutes she pulled herself together and continued. “It was so
hard, both emotionally and physically but we did it by supporting
each other. Again, Mother insisted on filling in the grave with the
new shovel. After I had gathered stones to set as as a marker I
took the old shovel from the garden and helped her. The next day
Mother became violently ill and had a fever. In her delirium she
kept murmuring about the shovel being sticky. It didn’t make sense
to me until I realized that only Father and Mother had touched that
new shovel. Mother died the next morning.” Drawing a shaky breath
Erin continued. “I carefully checked the shovel and found a
slightly sticky substance, in places, on the wooden shaft where you
would grip. Not wanting to touch it, I carefully sniffed at the
sticky spots. I have never smelled it before but I will not forget
the odor. It had a subtly noxious, putrid sort of stench. I don’t
know why but I am sure that the sticky substance was purposely put
on the shovel handle to kill one or all of us.”

“I had prepared Mother’s body for burial. I
was going to bury her next to Father but I had a feeling that I
might be in danger. Since there were only the three of us I
couldn’t fake my own death because who would have buried me? I
decided to burn the shovel handle because I didn’t want to take the
chance that an innocent would come upon it and take it. Then there
would be more meaningless deaths. Hoping to buy some time, I came
to the conclusion that I needed to burn the cabin with my mother’s
body inside. I hated doing it. Mother would have understood, I
know, but it destroyed all that my parents had worked for. I kept
only a small mementos from each. A small copper disk enameled with
a leaf that Father wore around his neck on a thong. Mother had
removed it before we buried him. I also kept a jasper bead with a
feather etched on it that Mother always carried in her pocket. I
left their wedding rings with them.

I was careful to do it in such a way that the
windmill and the work shop didn’t burn. Father always stored a few
silk worms and some of Mother’s herbal ingredients and remedies in
the cold box. I also arranged a ‘natural’ hole in the fence so the
goats and chickens could get out to eat. That would give them a
fighting chance to live. Perhaps the “Seeker” would think my bones
were also in the ashes.”

Ree nodded in understanding and after a
moment she said quietly, “And you have your mother’s gift?”

Erin gave a small smile and quietly said, “I
believe you know the answer to that already. Mother’s gift was a
gentler ability. It passed to me upon her death but I didn’t fully
realize I had it until after the worst of the grieving eased. I had
burned the shovel and was sitting on the edge of the orchard
looking at Father’s grave when Keir flew down and perched in one of
the apple trees. I heard this unusual voice but I couldn’t see
where it was coming from. Finally Keir landed on my knee. The
sunlight clearly delineated every dusky feather! Such a beautiful
and surprising bird perched there looking at me! He settled his
wings comfortably on his back, and cocked his head to look into my
eyes. Then he said to me, “You need to leave here. Something feels
wrong. It is not safe!” 

Ree looked at them steadily. “Why do you
think you are being followed?”

Erin answered simply, “I sense someone
following or at least trying to complete a goal.There’s something
about the person that feels..” Erin paused and searched for the
right word before she finished, “malevolent.”

Keir added, “The deaths were not natural. In
her grief, Erin’s mother had talked to me as I watched her dig her
husband’s grave. She mentioned that he had been uneasy about
something in the town. I had heard Erin’s mother speak when she had
a fever and watched Erin study the shovel handle. I felt that a
person who was capable of that would check up on the result. Erin
was in danger if the person wanted to finish the job.”

Erin rubbed her cheek against the little
falcon. “Keir has been a comfort. It’s as if I still have a part of
Mother with me to have her gift. Mother always had a way with some
of the wildlife that lived around us. She never shared with me the
reason behind the affinity. I just assumed that it was because she
was such a gentle soul, the kind that Father needed to be close to
because of his gift, and that the birds and animals responded to
that.” 

The old woman bowed her head in thought. “I
suspected she had that ability. But you are wrong in assuming that
it passed to you upon her death. You have always had the potential
for it but the talent hadn’t matured. The suddenness of the tragedy
is what brought it to maturity. Her gift is different than what
your Father passed to you. His was indeed a legacy to an heir. Hers
was an awakening of a gift that was already part of your blood. You
were, probably, already coming into both gifts but weren’t aware of
it.” said Ree. “Your Father’s talent doesn't have to be
uncomfortable for you just because it was for him. You have
different personality traits, different strengths and weaknesses.
You will naturally meld those together. I suggest to you that you
are already learning to filter those “loud signals” as well as
stretching your range to ‘hear’ them.” She looked at Erin with her
eyebrows raised in question.

A look of dawning awareness crossed Erin’s
face as she realized the truth when she heard it. “How...?” then
she chuckled, “Mother used to call you the ‘Wise Woman’! I didn’t
realized that I have been doing that until you said it. But this
brings me back to the original problem. I don’t know why someone
would wish Father dead, or all of us for that matter. I only know
that I ‘feel’ that someone does and that they are looking for me
now!”

Keir spoke again. “I have family in the area
and they are keeping watch with me for anyone who appears to be
following.”

Ree stood and collected the dishes. “Tell me
what you have been thinking might have been the reason your parents
were killed.” she said quietly.

Erin shook her head. “I have thought a lot
about it and all that I can come up with is perhaps Father sensed
something about someone and they felt threatened by it. As far as I
know, no one knew he had a ‘gift’ but he was not fooled by people
when they tried to put on a false face. He could read people very
well. That was known. Maybe someone was aware that Father saw
through them and found them wanting in some way. Maybe they were
dishonest or had done something terrible and felt that he knew
something about them. That is the only thing I can come up with.”
She shrugged. “Someone felt that Father was a threat to them and
didn’t care who they hurt or killed as long as the threat was
eliminated. Perhaps they felt that Father knew more than he did or
had spoken to us about it. Then we would all be a
threat.” 

“I mentioned that Father didn’t like to go to
town. He would go if it was necessary and didn’t want to send one
of us. He felt the trip might not be safe for a lone woman. We
either went as a family or he went alone. Since Mother and I were
working in the garden and doing some late summer preserves, he took
the cloth bolts into town with his list of errands. When he came
back from town, he was very quiet. I didn’t pay close attention
because I had thought it was just being around people that made him
so. But he must have seen or sensed something. Then he fell
ill.”

Ree looked at Erin thoughtfully. “May I see
your hands?” she asked. Erin looked at her quizzically, but laid
her hands on the table palms up. Ree took a long time studying the
two hands. She would stroke certain lines and turn or twist the
hands gently to get better light on certain parts. She seemed
compare the two. Finally she spoke up. “Your left hand shows the
potential you were born with and what you are like inside. The
right hand shows the changes in your life. Some of them are what
you have learned and some are what has happened to you. The right
hand can also indicate the future but we have free will. What I was
looking for were indicators to see how I can help you. Basically,
what I am seeing is that you have the strength to overcome most
difficulties and dangers.” Ree looked at Erin for a long moment.
“Many people are controlled by fear. It clogs their wits. They
don’t think clearly or react well. You are afraid but you are not
handicapped by the fear. For you it heightens the senses. This is
good.” she said reassuringly.

“The gifts you have inherited are powerful
and will be a help to you. This is even more potent because no one
knows you have them. But I offer you,” she paused as if searching
for words, “tokens to take with you.” The wise woman got up from
the table and crossed the room to the shelves and cupboards under
the windows. She picked up a small basket and started collecting a
few items from the odd assortment sitting in the spill of sunshine
from the windows. Erin silently watched the old woman pause several
times in contemplation, before she finally nodded to herself and
returned back to the table. Ree set the basket on the table as she
sat down. “Erin, I have chosen several items that may be of use to
you. They do not look important, seeming simply to be keepsakes
that you might carry in your pockets.” Ree’s aged hands, showing
some swelling around a few joints, moved agilely as she gently
removed from the basket a series of objects that she placed one by
one in a line on the table.

The first piece was a bracelet of intricately
knotted twine. The thick thread was smooth but old-looking; woven
into the pattern were five beads. Three of them were green stones
of various shades. One appeared to be copper with a slight blue
green patina and the center bead was a tawny gold. The second
object was a chestnut that was shiny from being handled. Ree next
set down a black stone with a complex pattern etched into the
surface. It resembled an old Celtic knot pattern that Erin had once
seen. A small crystal was next to be laid down. It was basically
clear but it had some gold colored lines inside of it, like thin
strands of thread. Beside it Ree placed another stone. This one was
smooth, without etching, dark green in color with red spots. Ree
then put down a plain gold band and last, a small sequoia tree cone
made of silver.

The old woman looked directly into Erin’s
eyes and said slowly, “You need to clear your mind. Then study the
objects before you. Concentrate on each item. Choose the three that
seem to be special to you. Those you will take with you so select
carefully.”

Erin looked a little confused but she thought
about the Ree’s words, turning them over in her mind, then nodded.
“May I pick them up to examine them?” she asked.

“Yes,” the wise woman replied, “Keir and I
will leave you alone, for a bit. I just need to get something from
outside.” She held out her arm. Keir carefully left Erin’s shoulder
and flew to Ree’s arm. Together they quietly left the young woman
to her task.

Erin absorbed the stillness of the cabin,
clearing her thoughts of everything but the objects in front of
her. She closed her eyes and settled into the peacefulness of Ree’s
home. It was so still that she could hear a bumblebee outside
bumping against the window. Then she opened her eyes and looked at
the objects Ree had chosen. As she studied them she also thought of
how to carry them without drawing undue attention to herself. If
these things had power for her she did not want any of them to
attract scrutiny. That had to be weighed into the choice. Erin
picked up the knotted bracelet. Other than the small beads it was
quite plain and old-looking. She examined the intricate knots and
each bead. She thought one of the beads could be jade and another
might be malachite. Then there was the aged copper one but she
wasn’t sure of the last two.

The chestnut was smooth and a deeply colored,
varying from rust to mahogany. It had been rubbed a lot by Ree and
had acquired a soft polished look. Other than being a lovely thing
to hold while you were thinking it didn’t seem special to Erin and
she set it aside. Picking up the black stone with the Celtic knot
she turned it over in her hand, studying it from different angles.
The etching could catch someone’s eye and that didn’t seem wise.
Even without that detraction, it held no meaning for her. The black
celtic stone joined the chestnut in the reject pile.

Erin picked up the crystal with the lines in
it. It would have been prettier if it had been completely clear.
The lines didn’t appear to be fractures but more like really thin,
straight, amber-colored hairs. It was interesting. She put it back
down and looked at the next piece, the smooth stone. This was
something you could hold and rub while you were thinking! The green
was a fairly deep, but it had those interesting red spots. They
didn’t rub off. She placed it back on the table and examined the
gold band. The circle didn’t seem to have any meaning for her. She
looked it over carefully and didn’t find any scratch or
inscription. It would definitely attract attention. It joined the
chestnut and the Celtic stone. She picked up the last item. It was
a a well made piece. She admired the workmanship of the silver
artifact. A craftsman had cast the sequoia cone with great
care.

Moving the four pieces, that had not been
eliminated, together, Erin cleared her mind of everything but those
items. Her eyes and mind traveled slowly over each piece. After a
while all but one started to resonate with her. She didn’t know why
but she had chosen her three. Moving the silver cone to the reject
pile she rose to go find Ree and Keir. 

As she moved away from the table, Ree with
Keir on her shoulder, came in the side door. She had orange pods
from the Chinese lantern plant in her hand and on seeing Erin, she
smiled. She laid her colorful bundle down on the counter and moved
to the girl’s side. “I assume you have decided. Lets see!” She
looked at the two groups and smiled. “You have chosen well, my
child.”