CHAPTER SIX:
"NICO!" shouted Sandry, rushing out of the house after Little Bear closely followed by her foster siblings. Lark stood in the door way and Rosethorn was tromping around the her garden out back, Meg looked away from the men outside the window and kept sweeping.
"Nico, I want to talk with you and Rosethorn, ALONE," Lark said looking strait at the children. "No eavesdropping."
They nodded and headed outside, probably going to the wall. "Nico, it's Meg, the girl we ran upon last time you visited. There's something wrong."
Nico remembered the strange girl quite well. And it came as no surprise to him when he looked over at her mopping the floor down the hall that she still wore her drab, concealing clothes. But the silvery magic that had radiated from her just a week before was barely there now. A meer ghost of the healthy glow before. Nico turned back to Lark. "How has she been feeling?" he asked, trying to keep the worry from his voice.
"She doesn't speak to us much. Mostly sticks to herself."
"Does she ever go blank. Like she's paying no attention, or feeling empty. Looking for something you can't see?"
"Yes! Wait, what does that mean? What's wrong?" Larks worried eyes met his, and her heart sunk.
"Her magic is so much dimmer. I know you two can't see it but, I need to talk to Tris and find out how long this has been going on. Thank you for the tea. I'm off to go give Tris a piece of my mind for not informing me!"
Up on the wall Tris was leaning out offer the edge peering down at the bottom of the wall. "SANDRY!" she shouted over the wind. "Grab my shoulder, I want a better look!" there, something was moving. She could just make out its faint outline- "AHHH!!!" a playful gust of wind almost pushed her over. It's getting too stormy Tris mind spoke to the three. Lets go. At the bottom they met Nico, his cloak drenched nearly bent in half just to keep from being bowled over by the troublesome winds.
"BACK TO DISCIPLINE!" Nico shouted so they could hear. "I NEED TO TALK WITH YOU!" Aided by Tris's magical shield blocking the five from the horrible winds, they made good timing and were soon looking for dry clothing in their shifts. Meg turned her eyes away in embarrassment for the sinners.
"I don't want to risk them catching a cold," Lark explained. The words did nothing to comfort Meg, in fact they only added to her unhappiness. How blind they could be to take the lies and excuses offered to them by Zahairen! Kneeling in a corner, having learned that praying in the open often got one trampled, Meg slipped into her Soul Chamber, noting the dim lighting but not having the strength to cut another thread at the moment. Doing so always made her feel so exhausted afterwards, and it was beginning to leave a dull aching feeling in her head.
Once everyone was in dry clothes, their wet garments hanging by the fire, Nico beaconed them to join him at the table. "You all know Meg?" he stated more than asked. "Her power is much MUCH dimmer than before. How long has this been happening?" Nico was never one to skirt around the bush. "Tris, I know you have the best magical sight, when did you first notice it?"
"I didn't- wait. I kept feeling really odd when I looked at her with my sight on, so I turned it off. It was just a feeling though! The others couldn't see it. I just thought I was still tired after all Little Bear had been sick all night after eating the poison berries on the road. It was the day after you left."
"That long?" The four looked at him confused.
"What's wrong?" asked Sandry.
"Somehow, her magic is dying."
"Meg?" asked Nico quietly, walking up the steps to where she was now sweeping. Her magic was even fainter than before! The girl looked up at the unfamiliar voice then quickly away again.
"I am unfamiliar with your religion and customs, so please forgive me for my ignorance, but I'd like to talk to you in away that you are comfortable with. I just need you to tell me how to do that. I know that you are uncomfortable around men."
Meg replied, starring at the wall, "Please do not look at me, do not touch me and make no suggestive comments what so ever. Speak strictly of your business, nothing else." Well, she was strait forward enough.
Politely Nico turned to face the opposite wall. "I see you often on your knees. What are you doing? It almost looks like meditating."
"No! It's not meditation. It is praying. I am visiting my Soul Chamber." Even though he knew he was straying from his business Nico was a curious man.
"What is a Soul Chamber? Is it like the home of your soul?"
"I suppose, in a sense. A person's Soul Chamber is where their soul resides and where they go to pray and speak to Maherik. Everyone has one, even you. Once you find it you can always reach it."
"What does it look like? Does it look like something?"
"Yes, everyone's are different though. My teacher described hers as a high rocky cliff. Where her thoughts echoed until they lost any and all sins and were pure as Holy Water."
"What is your like?" At her hesitant silence Nico immediately dreaded the question. He would have to tread carefully with her as to not frighten her away. But just as he was about to apologize she spoke.
"I am an honest person. To lie about a sin is to lie ten times over, a promise of a future in Zahairens fiery Lair." Whether she spoke to herself or him Nico didn't know, but she continued, to him this time. "My soul chamber is plain like any on of the Faith's should be. A stone floor room that is natural, all rough and uneven. The walls and ceiling though are of glass that let in comforting rays of sunlight. Though I've been working on it."
"What is wrong with sunlight?"
"Well," her voice shook, but she forced on. "For anyone else-" suddenly she slumped backward, hitting Nicos shoulder and falling to the floor to lye there, her eyes gazing unseeingly at the wall. Slowly Nico rose and walked away. Perhaps it had been too much questioning. Maybe she just needed her rest, maybe it was just accident, but Nico sure did have things to think over. And suddenly he wasn't so sure his questions had been off topic at all.