Chapter Six

Ghost

The proctective circle that had been maintained in the forest, dissapated into just an escort, not a guard. Elyan and Mercedes fell back and walked side by side. Occasionally one would turn to a call and smile or wave. The feel of South was comforting. The beaten dirt roads, and houses seemed well-made and well-maintained. No two homes were alike. Some had elaborate proches, others had modest ones. Windows varied in size and even shape, and every door was propped open to let in the softly scented air of cooking food and drying bundles of flowers. A ball came rolling across their path and Elyan stopped. Moments later a girl of perhaps three came chasing after it. Her raven hair was tied up with a band of delicate shells, and her bare feet were covered in dirt. She stopped when she saw the group and stared wide-eyed. Mercedes laughed. "Diera, where is your mother, huh?"

The little girl giggled. "Cookin."

Merecedes smiled and picked up the ball, handing it to the little girl. "Be more careful." She called as the girl ran back to her playmates, who were peeking around the side of the house.

As they resumed walking, Ellie piped up. "Careful of what?"

One of the guard, a boy named Zane turned to answer. "Our main mode of transportation is horses. Not exactly easy to stop them on a dime without incident." To punctuate his point a trio of riders thundered along one of the roads crossing the one they were on.

"Where are we heading anyway?" Slade asked moving up beside Elyan, Ebony following him.

"To the Hall of Meeting." Elyan replied, lifting her hand and pointing at the large building. "Our leader, Ghost, is waiting for you to arrive. I'm sure she is excited to speak with all of you."

"Just what's that supposed to mean?" Ebony asked loudly. "I'm not sure I trust what's going on."

Elyan smiled at her. "You're smart to be wary, but you have nothing to be afraid of. Ghost is a wonderful leader. Although I'll let you make your own decisions about her. It's only fair that way." Ebony seemed satisfied enough with her answer and remained silent the rest of the way.

When they reached the hall, they were greeted by a young girl. She was perhaps twelve, although she could have been older. "Hello Elyan. Greetings to the Tree Guard, and a warm welcome to our newcomers." She turned and led them up the last bit of trail to the building. It was made in much the same manner as all the other buildings they had passed on their way through South.

Elyan moved up next to the girl and smiled. "So how have you been Wysteria? School going well?"

The girl turned to her and chuckled. "You act like you haven't seen me in ages, Elyan. You've only been gone four days." With a smile Wysteria turned back and continued to lead them towards a large pair of doors. She paused at the doors. "Wait here. I will return shortly." She slipped inside.

Upon closer inspection, the entire building was covered in carvings. Each seemed done by a child's hand, then carefully preserved. Ruby steeped closer to admire them along with Salene and Lottie. Amber and Mercedes caught sight of them and came over. "What are you guys looking at?" Amber asked.

"These carvings. Didn't you notice them?" Salene ran a hand gently over one of them.

Amber stepped closer to look at them. Mercedes smiled and stepped along the wall a couple feet. "They're done by the village children each year. It's a custom Ghost came up with. It helps them realize their creativity."

"That's really amazing." Ruby said as she traced one with a finger.

The doors opened and Wysteria reappeared. "Come with me please. Ghost is waiting for you." She turned and led them into the building. It was cool and comforting inside, with a line of windows open to catch the breeze coming in from the direction of the ocean. Ropes of delicate shells decorated the ceiling, tinkling softly in the breezes, and several plants in large woven baskets sat in acloves where they could catch the sun's rays. At the end of the hallway were two doors, Wysteria turned and opened the door at the left. It opened onto a large receiving room. Along one side stood a large table with large jugs of water and some other beverages that smelled fragrantly of fruit. The centerpiece was a huge bowl of fresh fruits, some that were unrecognizable to the Mall Rats.

"You are more than welcome to help yourselves." A smiling woman emerged from a side door and stood before them. She was tall and had an athletic look to her. Silver rings snaked around her bare upper arms and a slender silver chain hung around her neck. A soft white suede halter top and matching shorts showed off her almost too white skin, along with white knee-high boots (tribestyle of course), and a studded belt, with rings hanging along the bottom, to which braids of softened leather hung, falling almost to the floor. "Although I would try and save some appetite for the evening meal."

"Ghost." Elyan smiled and stepped forward. Ghost smiled and embraced her warmly. "I found these newcomers on the far beach. They ran out of supplies and stopped." She turned and gestured to the large group. "I was suprised at how many there were. Our trip back went very well, we encountered no problems at all."

Ghost nodded through her report, then smiled warmly again. "Your return is a great joy. I am glad to see you safe. Your Guard must be tired, and i would like a few moments with these newcomers. Will you be at the evening gather?" Elyan nodded. "Good, then we shall speak again, then. Go get some rest, and see your families." With sighs of relief, the Tree Guard left the room, leaving the Mall Rats and Ghost alone.

Amber stepped forward. "I'm Amber. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Elyan told us several stories about the things you've done."

Ghost stepped forward and extended her hand. "Thank you for your kind words. Please, come sit, eat, drink, and tell me the tale of how you came to be here in South." She scooped up a vibrantly red apple, andseated herself on a soft cushion motioning for the others to do so as well. Soon they were all gathered around on the floor, some with arms full of fruit, others still wary. However, the amiable Ghost had even Ram laughing a bit. She turned from the carefree host, to the avid listener as on-by-one, everyone's tales were told, leading up to the final escape from the homicidal computer and virus. The group would have talked all night, but Wysteria stuck her head in and announced the start of the Evening Gather.