Hey everyone, I'm quick with this new chapter so that's nice for you. By the way, I decided Abeke and Lenori have been helping Conor with his reading. I also have two things I want to say beforehand. First the nice one, after this I will make them read the other books as well. Yeah!
Second of all, I want to say something to someone. I'm not going to say who but I find this important enough to be mentioned. There are (unwritten) rules on about every fandom, we don't hate on each other. We remain appropriate since everyone can have their own opinions. And if you don't agree with someone else that's unfortunate for you but you don't hate on other people. So there is someone who commented on my previous chapter and said some not nice things to me and I want to let it be known that I disagree strongly with it. We can all choose for ourselves if we prefer Coneke or Shaneke and which character we hate and which we like.
Thank you.
Meilin strolled along wooden walkway through a mani- manicured garden,
Conor's reading wasn't fluent yet but it was improving every day. Abeke could't help the proud smile at it. He had been her project in a way. She had taught him how to read for while now, technically whenever there was peace in Erdas. Which had it fair share of interruptions of course.
a fragile parasol on her shoulder. She reacged a bridge over a brook between two ponds. Below, orname- mental carp swam in lazy circles, flashing their red, orange, yellowm and white scaled among the purple blossoms of the water lilies. Trees and shrubbery screened the house from view, but Meilin would have recognised any portion of her grandfather Xao's garden.
A slightly sad smile overtook Meilin's face, at multiple memories probably.
She had grown up roaming these pathways, enve- enveloped in the scent of these blossoms. Up ahead, a panda was coming her way. Meilin scrunched her brow.
'And I thought Conor was the only one with weird dreams,' Rollan said.
Besides fish in the ponds and the birds in the trees, animals had never been part of the garden. The panda came to her on the bridge and stood up on its hind legs. 'You miss Zhong,' the panda said in a rich female voice. Somehow, Meilin wasn't surprised to hear it speak.
'Her. To hear her speak,' Xue corrected. Meilin purposefully looked in another direction.
'Wouldn't it be cool if our animals could still talk,' Rollan broke through. 'I mean- ... wait it wouldn't be. Essix would probably screech at everything I do.'
The other laughed at Rollan's pained expression.
'Why should I miss it?'
Meilin sighed deeply and silently.
The panda off- offered no reply. Suddenly Meilin remembered. Lenori had taken her away from Zhong. While her father fought a terrible horde, Meilin had run away to the other side of the world - Amaya, the New Lands. How had she reached this garden? She hadn't. This was a dream.
'Yeah duh,' Rollan muttered.
Meilin regarded the panda curi- curiously. 'Are you Jhi?' The panda gave a nod.
'How do pandas nod?' Rollan inquired.
Meilin shook her head slightly, eyes pointed at the sky and gestured to Conor to continue reading.
'I'm sorry to be a disappointment to you.'
Lenori was listening intently, clearly rather interested in how Meilin's unnatural bond with Jhi had been. And how the terrible thing compared to a real bond.
'You're not...' Meilin began, but couldn't finish. 'We're at war. I'd hoped for an animal that could help me fight. I like you, but... my home, and my father, are in danger.' 'I want to like you too. Give me a chance and you may find I'm more useful than you suppose.'
At the use of the word useful everyone cringed a bit. That wasn't how the spirit animal bond was supposed to work.
'Lenori told me that you were known as a skillful healer. You were called Peacefinder and Healthbringer.' 'Among other things. Meilin, heed my words.
'Subtle change of subject,' Rollan commented.
You should get inside. This is no kind of weather for a stroll. Meilin peered up at the sky. The only clouds were distant, wispy, and white. The sun glared brightly. 'It doesn't look bad.' 'You don't want to be here,' the panda said.
'Okay, Jhi knows how to sound scary mysterious,' Rollan commented.
The warning made her feel uncertain and she felt a faint chill. Meilin looked around for danger.
'It's not always going to be standing in your viewpoint,' Xue muttered.
'Close your eyes,' Jhi insisted. 'Ignore this illu- illusion. Pay careful attention.' Meilin closed her eyes. Pay attention to what? A frosty sensation chilled her skin. Yes, now that she noticed, she felt very cold. And wet. She hugged herself, shivering. Meilin opened her eyes, but the garden was unchanged. The panda stared at her.
'Yes, she's very good at that,' Rollan agreed. 'Half of the time she's staring at me reproachfully.'
'I wonder why,' Kalani marked. Rollan rolled his eyes at her.
'I'm cold,' Meilin said. 'You don't want to be here,' Jhi repeated. Meilin turned and ran along the wooden walkway. The day remained pleasant around her, but her skin felt cold and wet. Thumping down the wooden walkway, she fol-lowed the turns that would lead to the door in the wall. Maybe if she could escape the garden, she could escape the dream.
I'm glad I'm no seer,' Rollan decided. Conor chuckled. 'What?' Rollan exclaimed. 'It wouldn't fit you anyway,' Conor told him. Rollan's expression wavered between grateful and blank. Finally he settled on. 'Whatever.'
The door came into view. Unsettled by the trange chill, Meilin kept watching for danger, but the garden remained tranquil. When she reached the door, she found it locked.
'Naturally,' Lenori muttered.
She jiggl- jiggled the handle and leaned her shoulder against it, but the door refused to budge. Meilin paused. Goose bunps pimpl- pimpled her arms.
Rollan burst into a fit of giggles.
This was a dream. What if she imagined herself stronger than the door.
First Rollan's laughter increased then he abruptly stopped. 'I bet you actually are,' he told Meilin. She was watching him with a frowning expression, and nodded a little sourly.
Back- backing up a few steps, she lowered her shoulder and charged. The impact felt jarrin- jarringly real. As she stumbled back and fell to the ground, Meilin jolted awake, her eyes opening to a confusing scene. It was dark.
'Oh great,' Rollan commented.
Rain poured down on her soaked nightclothes.
'Even greater,' Rollan muttered sarcastically.
By the muted moonlight, Meilin could make out that she was on the roof
'Oh that's the worst situation,' Rollan finally added. 'In every dramatic story some evil guy is going to pop up now and try to kill you.'
of a tower bordered by battlements. This was Sunset Tower! But was was she doing up here in the middle of the nigth during a rainstorm?
'Good question,' Rollan agreed. Meilin dropped her head back against her chair, a hopeless expression on her face. The others looked on amused at their interaction.
Freezing and completely drenched, Meilin shakily arose. Before her stood a sturdy wooden door, slick from the rainfall. She tried the handle. It was locked. Her shoulder still ached from ramming it. This was the third time she had sleepwalked since summoning Jhi. There had never been a dream associated with the experience, but twice before she had woken up doing odd things in unusual places. This, however, was the strangest by far. Meilin tried the door again. It held fast. Would anyone hear her if she yelled? If she banged long enough?
'Rollan coming to your rescue,' Lishay suggested.
Meilin looked at her with a murder gaze while the rest of the room burst into laughter at that and at Rollan's happy expression. When everyone had calmed down, except Meilin probably, Conor started reading again.
Meilin had told Lenori about the sleepwalking. The Amayan had explained that people adapted to new bonds in all sorts of bizarre ways. Vivid nightmares were common. Mood swings. Panic attacks. Even rashes. All sorts of side effects had been observed. Develo- developing a pattern of sleepwalking was not terribly strange.
Suddenly everyone simultaneously remained silent. Meilin's expression darkened. Conor quickly read on but the strange moment of quiet remained in the air.
But this was ridiculous! Her teeth were chattering. She was in real danger from the cold. Meilin banged the door and yelled, but her efforts didn't make much noise.
'Rollan, now would have been a perfect moment,' Lishay told him.
Meilin looked a little grumpy. Then she spoke up suddenly. 'I don't so. Have you ever seen Rollan sleep? There's no getting him awake, not without dropping a cannonball next to him.'
'I knew you loved me,' Rollan said.
Abeke rolled her eyes, indicating to Conor to continue reading. This could of course go on forever if they didn't stop it.
The wind picked up, making her so cold that she whimpered. She stomped in place and flapped her arms,
Rollan was practically dying of laughter then. Meilin glared murderously at him but to no avail. He didn't even notice her. He did notice her when she stomped him. 'Jerk,' she muttered. 'I'll dump you in a hazel storm outside.'
'I already had that once!' Rollan exclaimed. 'And I got hit in the head!'
'Poor you,' Xue commented. 'We'll laugh at your ridiculous antics too.'
Thn she heard the latch unfasten, and the door opened.
Meilin glared murder at everyone so no one dared to make a joke about Rollan coming to her rescue anymore.
There was no light beyond the door.
'Oh dear,' Rollan muttered.
'Hello?' Meilin called out softly, hands balled into fists, hesitant to cross into the deeper darkness. The cold stinging raindrops continued their assault. A flash of lightning, the first since she had awoken, briefly illu- illuminated a black-and-white form. 'Jhi?' Meilin asked.
'And that is why it is better to sometimes rely on our spirit animals rather than men,' Lishay said. Meilin, Abeke and Kalani nodded in agreement. Xue chuckled.
Thunder boomed. The doorway was dark again. 'Is that you?' The panda gave no reply. Meilin felt stupid for expecting one.
Rollan first looked like he wanted to comment on it but chose against it. Instead, he decided with himself to stop commenting on everything Meilin had done.
Meilin stepped out of the rain, closed the door, then knelt down and hugged the panda. Jhi felt warm and perfect.
'I am warm and perfect too,' Rollan commented.
Meilin embraced her for a long time, sinking into her thick fur and enjoying her scent as never before.
Rollan wrinkled his nose on instinct.
'I was sleepwalking again,' Meilin whispered. 'I got myself into real trouble this time. Thanks for finding me.' The panda didn't responded, but Meilin felt like she understood.
An approving glance appeared in Lenori's eyes and when she met Meilin's they smiled at each other.
Meilin stood up, placing a hand against the nearest wall to help her feel her way in the dark. 'Let's get back to bed.'
Abeke sent Conor a broad smile as she raised her hand for a high five. He gave it to her and asked. 'Who wants to read next?'
'May I?' Meilin asked, holding out her hand. Conor handed the book to her and Meilin started.
So did you guys enjoy it? I hope you did and see you next time. Don't forget to review!