Gallel's Heir

Chapter 4: Encounters

Rosiness filled the expanse and Dylin felt warm, whole. Loved.

Den Ubal's crystal appeared, with a woman's face inside it. The woman had wide cheekbones, large almond eyes, and light brown hair. Dylin had never seen hair that pale, like the color of aged honey. A man's stubby, muscled hand held the ball, but Dylin saw nothing of his face or body. "If you want Hope and Love to be found and saved," the woman said, "find the Ball of Lights and Truths in the heart of Gallel, and all will be well."

"What does den Ubal have to do with all this?" said Dylin. The woman, the hand, and the ball disappeared.

A soft knock woke her. Bright light angled through her lacy windows. The clock on the mantle said it was early afternoon. "Come in." Her chest hurt when she mumbled it.

She dozed, and images of den Ubal touched her with gentle caresses.

A servant, Merase, stood above her with a tray, which she placed on a stand at Dylin's bedside. "Good day, my Lady," she said.

"Hello." Dylin took several deep breaths before attempting to sit up, then fell back again. She hadn't slept long enough for her wari to return. Breakfast, mason root, scalwax, and a little mint milk should give her enough strength to get by, at least to read in the library.

"Are you ready for breakfast, my Lady?" said Merase.

"Yes, thank you."

Merase raised a concerned brow as she set the tray on the table. "You don't look well."

"I'm not too bad at all." Dizzily, she sat up and Merase placed a thick pillow behind her. "Breakfast smells good though I guess it's past time for lunch. I'll feel better after eating." The servant set the tray onto her lap. Dylin sipped hot spiced milk. "Thank you."

Merase curtsied and departed.

"Lianna!" Dylin called with as much energy as she could. "Come here, please." She called three times before barefoot Lianna appeared at her bedside. At least she wore a dress rather than pajamas. Probably Merase had helped her. "You're old enough that you can come when I call the first time."

"I had to finish the page I was reading."

"Will you raise the fire, warm my poultice? Start some water boiling, and hand me my sack. I need some scalwax. What's scalwax for?"

"It's to make you pretend to be stronger when you're not," said Lianna. "And you drink it."

"That's one way to look at it, I suppose," Dylin muttered. "It gives me energy and numbs my pain, so I can do what needs to be done." If only Lianna would show an awareness of wari, then Dylin would have someone to heal her. Sometimes children showed the awareness at an older age than Lianna's, but Dylin had given up hope that Lianna had the healing gift. "Eat. We're going to the library."

"I already had lunch."

"Will you get me my things, then?"

Lianna did so, and Dylin sprinkled scalwax into her mint milk. The concoction tasted bitter and made her dizzy, but gave her strength. She dressed.

On their way down the obscure stairs to her rooms, Dylin paused on a landing at the statue of Lady Anath. The statue was done in Salandor marble, pale pink with flecks and swirls of blue and gray. The statue, half again as tall as a man, stood out well against a dark tapestry that hung to the tiled floor in folds. Anath, patron Ancestor of Galia, stood with one upturned hand raised, holding her palm-sized sphere as though she gazed through it. Why did Dylin dream about that sphere? It came as a small shock to realize the pale-haired woman from the dream was Anath. "I am the same woman," murmured Dylin. "Same as what woman?"