We did not travel to the central meeting place of the Chajman, as I had expected; instead, we traveled past it, circling the village counter to the way I have traveled before. In spite of whatever new discoveries lay ahead, I could not help but feel conflicted. Every step took me closer to some new sight in Sik Nati, or perhaps beyond; I would meet kind and colorful characters, other Jelis perhaps. I would likely be welcomed, if my experiences thus far were any indication. And yet, Lapli’s request had brought memories of home foremost in my mind. For perhaps the first time since I left, I found myself longing; not to return, but for what I had believed it to be.
They watched me carefully,
but said nothing. I could feel Renkou’s peace washing over me, but it did not
penetrate as deep as I would have liked- or perhaps it was I who made it so.
They met my eyes and smiled before turning Their gaze elsewhere. We traveled
thus in silence, only the sounds of the village at play around us, along with
our own footfalls.
The route Renkou led us eventually split from the wide and open paths of the man village roads, diminishing to a narrower path that took us between the clusters of huts. We now traveled nearly shoulder to shoulder, and I could smell both the earthy scent of the bricks around us, along with Renkou’s own peculiar scent of sandalwood. Ordinarily, I would not have minded either; proximity to Renkou was quite comforting. Ordinarily. However, thus weighed by my thoughts, I found myself feeling trapped, as if Ngarobah had lifted itself and flew to secure me once more.
Along the ‘concealed’ routes I found no shortage of green; apparently, some manner of water had made its way inland toward the heart of the city, and it created an oasis, as though Sik Nati did not bolster enough life as it was. As such, our steps carried us over small earthen bridges that jumped the streams, past foliage, much of which bore fruit. After rounding one cluster, we came to a great big tree. Stout and shapely it stretched so tall as to surmount the surrounding huts. Its uppermost branches, alive with green, bathed the area in shade.
Gathered beneath the widespread branches, settled between and upon the thick, dark roots, the Vwa had gathered, along with others. They all stood as we approached.
“The Vwa, as you know them,” Renkou told me with a deep nod of Their head. I followed suit. Renkou lifted Their head then, speaking to the Chajman. “Riyoon, as you know her.”
They offered me an assortment of warm smiles, curiosity, and blank, hard stares. With them, four other Chajman. I knew not their names, but three of them I recognized; the Chaj-Soley, tall and thin and unreadable as with our previous encounter; the energetic Chaj-Le, her mischievous eyes betraying more wisdom than her stature suggested; the Chaj-Dlo stood between them, in more ways than one, watching me with Their warm, appraising gaze. Beside the three of them, a broad man of medium height who wore the colors of the Chaj-Peyi.
“Ke Zepoplen.” The Chaj-Peyi nodded to me.
“Ke Afliyan.” The Chaj-Dlo took my hands in Theirs with a warm smile.
“KeVanpete.” The Chaj-Le crept forward and nudged me, then danced away.
“Ke Latewoch.” The Chaj-Soley did not break his stance, nor his gaze, his words hard, firm, but not harsh.
“Ke Renkou, as you know us,” Renkou reminded me with a wink.
“Join us, Ke Renkou, Riyoon,” Rive-Gide welcomed us at last. “We have just gathered.”
I looked from him to the other Vwa, as well as the Ke who had come forward to greet us. They had all seemed rather comfortable before our arrival.
“Your head swims with thoughts, Trezo,” Renkou smiled. “One at a time.”
“Are you troubled?” Mete-Bèso asked. A touch of concern showed through her warmth.
“I am well,” I told them. Mostly the truth, though I knew I could not fool Renkou; The expressions of those who had gathered suggested I could not fool them either.
“There is the matter of your arrival,” Chofaj-Kontanple uttered, watching me carefully. "How is it that you came to us again?”
“Yes,” Mete-Bèso agreed. “Tell us what befell you before Ke Renkou found you.”
What had befallen me?
“It was dark,” I told them. Nightfall. “I had traveled beyond my village.”
“You departed from your home at night,” Flannen-Jantiyès mused, more to himself than to me, the question unspoken, but certainly clear on their faces.
“I did,” I said. “I went to wander. I had no destination in mind.”
“Just was well,” the VwaChajLe mused. “And where did your feet carry you?”
“Into a cloud,” I continued. “A fog. The sky had been clear before.”
The Vwa looked amongst themselves, but said nothing.
“There was a light, and then everything fell apart.”
“Fell apart?” Mete-Bèso asked.
“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “I lost sight of the sky, the grass… my body…” They seemed especially thoughtful now, if perhaps a bit shaken. “And then I remember awakening under Renkou’s watch.”
“Is that truly everything you can recall?” Chofaj-Kontanple asked me. “A darkness, a fog, a light?”
“I’m sorry,” I told him. Thinking back to that night, I had only focused upon such things when I had no choice but to face them. And really, what had come of it? A beautiful, welcoming village. People in tune with the very earth beneath them.
“Your spirit speaks of much the same,” Rive-Gide told me, rather sympathetically. “What of the land?”
Again, Mete-Bèso fixed me with that concerned gaze for a moment, and then nodded her agreement. “A brief touch of earth to earth, Peyi to Peyi. Do the spirits say the same?”
Rive-Gide and Renkou both nodded.
“A piece of spirit previously unknown,” Renkou replied.
“Now attached to our great Namn,” Rive-Gide finished.
“Clearly cause for further investigation,” Soutyen-Liy spoke finally. "Like precious water beneath the land, there is much we must uncover." The VwaChajDlo then looked to the others, and each among them nodded in turn.
“It is why we have gathered, after all,” Rive-Gide smiled at me.
“It is settled.” Chofaj-Kontanple gestured to the gathered Ke. “Ke Renkou, you shall lead the Ke to the circle where the newcomer was first discovered.”
“Honored to,” They said simply.
“Would you like to accompany them?” Soutyen-Liy asked me. “You might very well discover something for yourself.”
I did not reply to her, did not look at her, or any of them; all of them watched me, while I gazed beyond them to the tree under which we had gathered. I could feel warmth at the corners of my consciousness- Chaj-Namn comforts.
“If I must.”
The route Renkou led us eventually split from the wide and open paths of the man village roads, diminishing to a narrower path that took us between the clusters of huts. We now traveled nearly shoulder to shoulder, and I could smell both the earthy scent of the bricks around us, along with Renkou’s own peculiar scent of sandalwood. Ordinarily, I would not have minded either; proximity to Renkou was quite comforting. Ordinarily. However, thus weighed by my thoughts, I found myself feeling trapped, as if Ngarobah had lifted itself and flew to secure me once more.
Along the ‘concealed’ routes I found no shortage of green; apparently, some manner of water had made its way inland toward the heart of the city, and it created an oasis, as though Sik Nati did not bolster enough life as it was. As such, our steps carried us over small earthen bridges that jumped the streams, past foliage, much of which bore fruit. After rounding one cluster, we came to a great big tree. Stout and shapely it stretched so tall as to surmount the surrounding huts. Its uppermost branches, alive with green, bathed the area in shade.
Gathered beneath the widespread branches, settled between and upon the thick, dark roots, the Vwa had gathered, along with others. They all stood as we approached.
“The Vwa, as you know them,” Renkou told me with a deep nod of Their head. I followed suit. Renkou lifted Their head then, speaking to the Chajman. “Riyoon, as you know her.”
They offered me an assortment of warm smiles, curiosity, and blank, hard stares. With them, four other Chajman. I knew not their names, but three of them I recognized; the Chaj-Soley, tall and thin and unreadable as with our previous encounter; the energetic Chaj-Le, her mischievous eyes betraying more wisdom than her stature suggested; the Chaj-Dlo stood between them, in more ways than one, watching me with Their warm, appraising gaze. Beside the three of them, a broad man of medium height who wore the colors of the Chaj-Peyi.
“Ke Zepoplen.” The Chaj-Peyi nodded to me.
“Ke Afliyan.” The Chaj-Dlo took my hands in Theirs with a warm smile.
“KeVanpete.” The Chaj-Le crept forward and nudged me, then danced away.
“Ke Latewoch.” The Chaj-Soley did not break his stance, nor his gaze, his words hard, firm, but not harsh.
“Ke Renkou, as you know us,” Renkou reminded me with a wink.
“Join us, Ke Renkou, Riyoon,” Rive-Gide welcomed us at last. “We have just gathered.”
I looked from him to the other Vwa, as well as the Ke who had come forward to greet us. They had all seemed rather comfortable before our arrival.
“Your head swims with thoughts, Trezo,” Renkou smiled. “One at a time.”
“Are you troubled?” Mete-Bèso asked. A touch of concern showed through her warmth.
“I am well,” I told them. Mostly the truth, though I knew I could not fool Renkou; The expressions of those who had gathered suggested I could not fool them either.
“There is the matter of your arrival,” Chofaj-Kontanple uttered, watching me carefully. "How is it that you came to us again?”
“Yes,” Mete-Bèso agreed. “Tell us what befell you before Ke Renkou found you.”
What had befallen me?
“It was dark,” I told them. Nightfall. “I had traveled beyond my village.”
“You departed from your home at night,” Flannen-Jantiyès mused, more to himself than to me, the question unspoken, but certainly clear on their faces.
“I did,” I said. “I went to wander. I had no destination in mind.”
“Just was well,” the VwaChajLe mused. “And where did your feet carry you?”
“Into a cloud,” I continued. “A fog. The sky had been clear before.”
The Vwa looked amongst themselves, but said nothing.
“There was a light, and then everything fell apart.”
“Fell apart?” Mete-Bèso asked.
“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “I lost sight of the sky, the grass… my body…” They seemed especially thoughtful now, if perhaps a bit shaken. “And then I remember awakening under Renkou’s watch.”
“Is that truly everything you can recall?” Chofaj-Kontanple asked me. “A darkness, a fog, a light?”
“I’m sorry,” I told him. Thinking back to that night, I had only focused upon such things when I had no choice but to face them. And really, what had come of it? A beautiful, welcoming village. People in tune with the very earth beneath them.
“Your spirit speaks of much the same,” Rive-Gide told me, rather sympathetically. “What of the land?”
Again, Mete-Bèso fixed me with that concerned gaze for a moment, and then nodded her agreement. “A brief touch of earth to earth, Peyi to Peyi. Do the spirits say the same?”
Rive-Gide and Renkou both nodded.
“A piece of spirit previously unknown,” Renkou replied.
“Now attached to our great Namn,” Rive-Gide finished.
“Clearly cause for further investigation,” Soutyen-Liy spoke finally. "Like precious water beneath the land, there is much we must uncover." The VwaChajDlo then looked to the others, and each among them nodded in turn.
“It is why we have gathered, after all,” Rive-Gide smiled at me.
“It is settled.” Chofaj-Kontanple gestured to the gathered Ke. “Ke Renkou, you shall lead the Ke to the circle where the newcomer was first discovered.”
“Honored to,” They said simply.
“Would you like to accompany them?” Soutyen-Liy asked me. “You might very well discover something for yourself.”
I did not reply to her, did not look at her, or any of them; all of them watched me, while I gazed beyond them to the tree under which we had gathered. I could feel warmth at the corners of my consciousness- Chaj-Namn comforts.
“If I must.”
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