The gypsy smiled knowingly.
"Is it too late to change my mind?" I asked.
The gypsy gestured towards the small opening between the trees that I'd come through earlier.
"You can leave when ever you wish" he replied with a smile. "Just remember, if you leave you can never come back!"
"Why not?" I asked, startled.
He laughed.
"Tonight we leave this glade forever. We never return to a place we have been"
"And if I come with you?" I questioned.
"You will travel with us for the rest of your life, and bond with one of us as is traditional." He gave me a sly look.
"It sounds as if I'd be trading one type of slavery for another!" I replied annoyed. He looked at me queerly.
"None of us would ever enslave another being. It's only you gejal that feel the need for cruelty."
My temper flared then. "I am not one of them!" I spat out the word. The gypsy noticing my anger, laughed. "So the cats got claws, has she?" he asked, half-joking. I tried to calm myself.
"If you do not bond with one of us, the clan will never truly accept you. It's for your own good." He said, seeing my inner conflict. "I only try to help you. You can come with us tonight, or go back to your old life. It's up to you."
I thought back over my life. I remembered the sting of pain from all the beatings I'd been receiving ever since I was a kid. I remembered all the work I'd been forced to do and all the visits to the temple. Then I remembered all the stories of people who had run away to join the free tribes, the gypsies. I decided that despite what I had heard about the gypsies, they couldn't be as bad as what I'd come from.
The gypsy saw my decision on my face. "So, will you join us?" he asked. I looked at him trying to read his thoughts, but his face was inscrutable.
I replied, stalling. "Firstly, you must tell me if the rumours are true."
His eyes laughed. "Which rumours might this be?" he asked.
"The ones about the Menkal." I answered back.
He stared at me, the laughter gone. "Where did you hear about that?" he asked angrily.
I looked at him, surprised. "You mean they're true?" I asked amazement clear in my voice.
"Never mind that!" he said roughly. "Where did you hear about the Menkal?"
"I… I don't remember." I stammered scared. He grabbed my arms so tightly it brought tears to my eyes.
"WHERE DID YOU HEAR ABOUT IT!" he shouted.
"I don't remember! I'm sorry!" I said tears pouring down my face.
He looked down at me and noticed for the first time the tears. He let go of me and stepped back.
"I'm sorry," he said not looking at me. "We need to know who knows about the Menkal. I hadn't realised it the news had spread so far." He explained, shaking his head.
"What is it?" I whispered, still scared.
He looked at me and said calmingly. "You needn't worry, we would not use it on one of our own, and if you join us you would be one of us."
"And if I don't?" I asked, my voice shaking.
He replied, roughly. "You are our guest. We do not harm our guests."
He sat down on a log beside a fire. He gestured that I should do the same. I sat on the opposite side of the fire and stretched my hands in front of it. Warmth spread through my fingers. I hadn't realised how cold I was. I pulled my jacket tighter around me, and stared at the fire.
"So will you join us?" the gypsy asked for a second time. I looked up. He was watching me.
I thought about it. I thought, "Well, this has got to be better than before, and also, maybe I can find out about the Menkal." I stopped thinking suddenly, and looked up at the gypsy with amazement in my eyes. I closed my eyes and thought clearly.
"If you can explain this"
I opened my eyes. He was looking at me stunned.
He whispered, "so we find another, and so far from home."
I lowered my gaze. "I hoped you could help me find it."
"Find what?" he asked confused.
I didn't answer. After a minute of silence, he stood up, walked over to me and pulled me to my feet.
"Come with me" was all he said.
I followed him, walking like a sleepwalker. He led me out of the clearing, through the thickest part of trees.
A branch flung back and hit me in the leg. It stunned me out of my daze. I looked down and saw blood spring from the wound. I bent down and looked for something to cover it with. I remembered the scarf around my neck and wrapped it round my leg.
The gypsy looked back. "Quickly" he said. "We haven't got much time!"
I stumbled to my feet, and walked awkwardly towards him. He reached out and gently took my arm.
"Are you alright to walk?" he asked sympathetically.
"I'll be fine." I said, too proud to say otherwise.
He nodded, but didn't let go of my arm.
We walked through the trees and, after what seemed like ten minutes, we reached another clearing. It was bigger than the one we had come from. The whole space was filled with caravans. I gazed at them in amazement. The gypsy stood watching me.
"Not what you expected?" he asked, laughter clear in his voice.
I whispered my reply. "There's so many. I never thought there'd be so many!"
The gypsy replied smiling. "There are some things we don't let become rumours."
I looked at him under my eyelashes. "So you let things become rumours?" I said, provokingly.
He looked at me startled. "You see a lot. When did the people from gejal begin to see what is hidden."
I answered slightly annoyed. "As I told you before, I am not one of them. Anyway, shouldn't we be getting to whatever it is you brought me here for?"
He started. "Yes of course. Follow me!" He said, leading me through the caravans until we reached one near the back, one not like the others. I studied it, interested. The door opened as we walked up to it, and a young man stepped out of the caravan. He beckoned to us, then turned around and walked back into the caravan. After a pause, I followed the gypsy in. The young man was sitting down on a chair on the opposite side of the caravan, facing us. The gypsy walked over to another chair to the side. I stood in the doorway, waiting. The man, who had watched the gypsy sit down, turned to look at me. He sat studying me, then turned back to the gypsy. I felt his mind reach out to the gypsy, and considered sending out a probe to find out what they were discussing. However, before I could make up my mind I felt the man's mind withdraw. He turned to me and said
"Why have ye come to join us? We canna help you."
I laughed. "You can help me, Matthew." I said, pausing to give effect, then continuing. "I need you to take me to Obernewtyn."
He gaped at me, then turned to the gypsy and said, "I thought you told her nothing!"
The gypsy replied annoyed. "You thought right, whatever she knows, it's not from me!"
Matthew turned back to me. "How did you know my name?" He asked. He paused, then said, "Obernewtyn is nought but a ruin, I don't see why ye'd wanna go there."
I replied amused. "So you think you can fob me off with lies?" I asked. Then said matter-of-factly. "I know your name because I had a true dream about you. You and my mission. If you refuse to take me to Obernewtyn, your Elspeth will die!"
----
"I don't know how I can help you," Matthew said. "If I could leave, don't you think I woulda already? The soldier guards patrol these areas regularly and they have even started counting us gypsies."
"Yes, but now is the time to do it. I have seen this. We will succeed if we go now." I said, then, looking at him curiously continued. "So you see yourself as a gyspy now?"
He stared at me for a second then seemed to make up his mind. "This is crazy! We'll never escape!" he said, ignoring my question.
"So you won't help?" I asked, panicking a little.
He grinned. "Its crazy, but I'll help."
----
Three weeks later. The sun was setting when Matthew turned to me. "Olwen, we must make camp before the sun sets. Tomorrow we will reach Obernewtyn!" I felt his excitement. I wondered what it would be like going for him to be going home after so long.
I nodded, then looked for a place to set up camp. We soon were settled in for the night, with a fire burning to keep us warm. Before long, we had fallen asleep.
I woke at dawn. The fire had long since gone out. I struggled up and lit the fire again.
Matthew woke up, slowly. Once awake, he drowsily watched me making breakfast. I handed him his breakfast then sat down and ate mine. We don't talk during the meal.
"We should get going if we want to get there before lunch." Matthew says, once we are both finished.
"Ok" I say, standing up to pack everything up.
A couple of hours later, I feel Matthew send out a probe towards Obernewtyn. Seeing the look on my face, he says, "Just warning them that we're coming. It'll only be a couple of minutes now." Sure enough, a minute later, I saw the castle.
Hundreds of people were standing out in front, waiting for us to come. Well, waiting for Matthew. A girl with long, straight black hair and a pale face comes towards us. I judge from Matthew's feelings, and the memory of my dream that it must be Elspeth.
They hug and then Elspeth turns to me.
"So you must be our latest recruit," she says. "I'm Elspeth." She held out her hand.
"I know," I reply. She looks startled.
Matthew laughs. "Olwen is an empath. She must have felt my reaction."
I grin. "It's nice to finally meet you." I say, shaking her hand.
She smiled, then turned to Matthew. "When I talked to you before, you said she was a farseeker."
He nods. "She is. But she's also a powerful empath."
I felt a bit uncomfortable being talked about, but just then, someone else came up to us. It was a tall young man, and I judged from Matthew's feelings that it was his good friend Dameon. He was greatly tanned, which was peculiar since it was winter. I puzzled over it for a second, then pushed it from my mind.
"Dameon!" Matthew exclaimed, before hugging him.
Dameon replied, "It's good to see you again, Matthew, and to know that you are well. He paused for a second before continuing with a smile. "And also to meet your friend." He said turning to me.
"Hello" I said. "It's nice to meet you too. Matthew's told me a lot about you." I looked around at everyone who had come to meet us, who had come up to us with Dameon. "About all of you."
I turned to Matthew, suddenly shy.
Dameon laughed. "You'll need to perfect that shield if you're going to stay here." He said.
Then a young man, with green eyes who had been standing with Elspeth, stepped forward. "I'm Rushton." He said to me. "You should both come inside" he continued, before turning to Matthew. "It's good to see you Matthew. We worried about you." Then turned back to me, and led me into the castle. Into obernewtyn. I smiled with happiness.
At last, I was somewhere that would be safe. I realised distantly that I had never found out about the gypsy's Menkal but then, I saw the room that had been prepared and forgot everything. I realised I was home…
The end