Break- K'veer

And as he did, a man stepped from within that glistening whiteness, seeming for a moment almost to be a part of it; a tall unearthly figure with a large forehead and a strong, straight nose, over the bridge of which were strapped a pair of glasses identical to Atrus's own. A white cloak flapped out behind the stranger, giving him the appearance of some great mythical king. Book of Atrus

Just as Gehn had appeared suddenly at the Cleft bringing Atrus down to D'ni to teach him, so my own Teacher suddenly appeared. My Teacher inspired no fear unlike what Atrus felt towards Gehn. He left no painful words to linger in the Cleft forever; he did not pressure; he did not fight...he only was.

And through that- all he needed to be.

--

Part 4- The Volcano

She hadn't expected to find it. Picking up the envelope, Yeesha studied the handwriting. It was her father's- she was certain of it. The letter had been stuck between her mattress and the stone wall where it must have slipped.

When had he been here?

Breaking open the seal she searched for a date, but couldn't find one. He must have left it when she was with the Wind People but she hadn't noticed any signs of anyone having been in the Cleft during her absence.

Then again, Father is very careful...

Yeesha sat down on the bed and turned the letter over in her hand. She wanted to savor the moment- it had been so long since any contact with her parents. It wasn't till now that she realized just how fully she missed them.

Turning the paper around once more, she finally started reading.

Our dearest Yeesha,

Last night your mother had a dream...

We know that some futures are not cast, by writer or Maker, but the dream tells that D'ni will grow again someday. New seekers of D'ni will flow in from the desert feeling called to something they do not understand.

But the dream also tells of a desert bird with the power to weave this new D'ni's future. We fear such power - it changes people.

Yeesha, our desert bird, your search seems to take you further and further from us. I hope that what you find, will bring you closer.

-Your father, Atrus

Smiling faintly, Yeesha pressed the letter to her lips. Her dear father; her dear, dear father. She should have known that he would check on her at some point to ensure she was safe.

But, what did the letter mean?

Now puzzled, Yeesha read the note again, trying to understand what the dream was supposed to tell her. New seekers from the desert...others would come to D'ni? But who? And why would she be the one to lead them?

Or is it really me?

Staring at the letter one more time, she gently set it down on a small table then stood up. Standing in the doorframe, she gazed out at the inside of the Cleft, now darkening in the failing light of the sun.

There was more green growing along the walls then when she first came. She had worked hard, just as Anna had, to grow food and had taken advantage of the small crooks and crannies that Anna had carved out or expanded upon. Yeesha had also added some of her own nature carvings to the walls as well as reshaping the dulling ones done by Anna.

Maybe it was time for her to leave. The years had ticked by faster then she had realized and there was family and friends who she missed more then anything and must be anxious to see her themselves.

A single ray of light cut down across the top of Cleft; flashing brilliantly one moment then vanishing the next.

Maybe it was time to leave. Maybe her path would be revealed to her elsewhere.

Maybe...

Nodding her head slowly, Yeesha turned back to the room. She would go home tomorrow.

--

In the blistering heat of the late afternoon sun, faint wisps of sulfurous steam rose from tiny fumaroles in the volcano's mouth, coiling like a dancer's veils in that shadowy dark beneath the edge before they vanished in the intense glare above. Book of Atrus

Adjusting the pack on her back to a more comfortable position between her shoulder blades, Yeesha glanced upwards for just a moment. The sun was bright and left spots in her vision when she looked away. Yeesha had meant to leave earlier but packing and closing up the various rooms in the Cleft had taken longer then anticipated.

It's not like I'm on a schedule though, she thought as she slung one foot into the basin.

She had to be very careful here, just as her father had always said. There was no true way to predict what the ground was going to be like when you put your full weight upon it. It might seem fine one moment and become deadly the next.

Yeesha dug her booted toes into the ground to make a new foothold. Tinny rocks spilled down into the volcano as she dug her foot in deeper, making certain that she would not slip.

Her progress was slow. Normally, if she was just exploring or checking on her experiments, she would have had a rope attached to her waist, ensuring that she would not fall too far if the rocks crumbled without warning. This time though, because she was not coming back up, she hadn't the safety rope about her waist.

If Father caught me doing this he would be furious, came the rueful thought.

Maybe it was because of that thought that inadvertently caused Yeesha to slow her pace. Otherwise she could have been down into the center of the basin within a matter of moments. Instead it took her close to twenty minutes.

She could feel the beads of sweat forming on her brow beneath her protective head covering, which shielded her from the acute glare of the sun. Reaching up a hand she was about to wipe them away when she paused. Her hand was covered in dirt and silt from her climb down. Yeesha studied her hand for a moment then shrugged and completed her movement.

Now it was only a matter of finding the tunnel among the various vents. It shouldn't be too hard but it was some time since she had looked for the tunnel leading home.

Yeesha walked forward carefully picking her way among the lava rocks. The mist swirled around her, obscuring her view but she wasn't worried about it- she was used to it enough now to not let it bother her.

It was a cave. Or a tunnel of some kind. Book of Atrus

Smiling as she spotted it, Yeesha scrambled over a few more rocks before finally enter the cool, dark of the tunnel. She then stood for a moment enjoying the soft breeze against her face. Then, once she was feeling refreshed, Yeesha reached into her bag for a firemarble and, tapping it till it came to life, held it aloft to stare about the enclosed space.

Where it is?

She knew it was a frivolous thing to do, searching for the D'ni word carved into the tunnel's entrance. But for some unknown reason, she always had to find it and run her hands along the deep groves of the elegant letters.

Just then, the bright light of the firemarble caught the edge of what she was looking for- seeping into the edges of the carving before reflecting on and away from it. Moving forward so that she was inches away from the wall, Yeesha placed a hand upon the cool surface of the stone in the very center of the carving.

This word. One that Atrus had found when he still didn't believe in the D'ni. This word that changed him...formed a new life for him down in the cavern.

Breathing deeply, Yeesha traced one finger in and out of the letters.

"It's beautifully carved. But, do you know what it means?"

Yeesha jumped and spun around in the same movement at the sound of the new voice.

Who in Yahvo's name was that?!

"Who's there?" she called into the deeper end of the tunnel, holding the firemarble aloft and straining her eyes to see into the dark.

A man stepped forward, the shadows melting around him as he moved with a simple, fluid grace closer towards her. He seemed old, wrinkles ingrained strongly on his face and pure silver hair which reflected the yellow light, muting it slightly. But the hand which gripped her arm, pulling it down along with the firemarble, was strong and firm and his eyes, as he stared into her's, were not glossed over but instead emitted a sense of wisdom and keen whits.

"I am Devokan," came the gentle reply.

Surprised Yeesha couldn't stop herself from exclaiming, automatically translating the D'ni word,

"Hope!"

A slow smile, one that reminded Yeesha of the sun finally consuming the dark in the early morning, spread across the man's face.

"Very good young one, you know D'ni."

Breaking out of his grasp, Yeesha took a step backwards and straightened her back stiffly.

"I am D'ni," she said. His words had burned her and she could feel her resentment flare up and her face flush in reaction.

"Ah," was all that the man said in response to this though. Then Devokan turned and stared out of the entrance to the tunnel, as he did, raising one hand and making the motion of a circle, leaving a gold reflection in the air.

Fascinated, Yeesha stared at him, watching his every movement, eyes not believing how he could create light out of nothing.

Finally, Devokan turned back to her and pointed, with the same hand that had just traced a circle in the air, down into the heart of the tunnel.

".lenah," he whispered. ".bodokehn trehpahts"

--

Translations:

lenah- journey

.bodokehn trehpahts- I will be at the city.

--

All translations courtesy of the D'ni Linguistic Fellowship. I couldn't have done this without them!