Singer

anting for air, the sweat stinging his eyes, Staven paused to regain his sense of direction. He listened for a moment and could still hear the sounds of pursuit. The grunts and curses told Staven that they were having as much difficulty as he was with the dense vegetation. Several times Staven had tripped on the rocks and other hazards hidden by the thick foliage.

Ahead of Staven, the direction he thought was north, he heard the roar of a waterfall. The sound awakened his thirst and Staven became acutely aware of how dry his mouth and throat were. Wearily Staven continued toward the water. Just as his body, though fairly fit and muscular, was tiring, so was his mind. Over and over his mind relived the events of the night before.

The dark alley was lit only by the glow of lanterns along the main street. His partner Jerry, a well built man of around thirty years, had just finished off his ninth drink. The dark haired man stumbled once or twice as they walked down the alley. Staven cursed as Jerry bent over and retched against one damp wall. As they emerged onto the main street Staven spotted some night guards who seemed to be rather bored and looking for trouble.

Trouble was not hard to find. Two drunken traders from another country made perfect targets. Before Staven could even realize what was happening he and Jerry were defending themselves against eight huge brutes. During the course of the fight, which started with fists and ended with swords, the commanding officer, or at least he was supposed to be in command, found Jerry's sword through his gut.

By that time the fight had attracted a great deal of attention and a large crowd had gathered. The death of the guard was witnessed by at least a dozen people. For a couple of minutes Staven simply stared at the sword sticking out of the man's large midriff. Then the realization of what had happened began to sink in. His partner had killed a city guard and for two foreign strangers that meant they were likely to be dead before sunrise.

For some reason Staven just wasn't in the mood for a slow decapitation by a dull blade. He started to back away from the guards and grab a hold of Jerry. If these guards were as dumb as they looked it might take them a minute to realize what had happened. If Staven was lucky. Staven wasn't lucky. Jerry was still trying to fight one large bearded soldier who looked as though he didn't really need that large sword to end a man's life. Jerry was so oblivious to his surroundings that one of the guards ran his sword through Jerry before Staven could pull him away.

After a moment's deliberation Staven chose to follow the course of action that experience told him would be best. When faced with seven armed men, all of them large professional fighters who had the law on their side, there was only one sensible option. He ran.

He ran down unlit alleys and streets. He ran past whores, beggars, and thieves whom Staven hardly noticed. The guards even pursued him past the city gates. Now Staven was reaching the end of his endurance. Lost, in a strange tropical jungle, without a single ally he did not really have much of a future to look forward to.

As Staven fought his way through a clump of vines he risked a glance back. For a moment he caught sight of a guard captain struggling through the dense foliage. Renewed fear lent Staven strength to fight his way clear of another clump of the vines that seemed to pull at his tired arms and legs. He risked another backward glance and realized that the guards would reach him in a matter of minutes. For a moment Staven cursed himself for becoming a trader instead of the farmer his mother had wanted. But no, he had wanted adventure. Well, he had certainly found it.

The sound of rushing water filled his ears as he staggered another step, his eyes remaining on the men behind him. Staven's right foot came down on loose shale the world seemed to tilt before him. As Staven fell time slowed. He noticed a rainbow formed in the soft silver mist. The thunderous roar of the waterfall filled his ears until he was only conscious of that sound. In his mind he saw himself as a spray of water arching down toward the rocks below. A small part of his mind tried to call out, but Staven was lost in his watery vision until his body impacted with the rocks below. His consciousness splashed across the rocks along with his blood and the world went cold and dark.

Standing at the top of the cliff, and panting for breath, the Captain looked down at the lifeless form sprawled across the rocks below. He slowly shook his head in disappointment. Now the men would not be able to enjoy the satisfaction of killing the trader themselves. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with one grimy sleeve and turned to face a heavy-set blonde to his right.

"Well, looks like the dirty dog went and finished his self off", he said with disgust.

The blonde scratched his chin and said,"You sure he's dead? Maybe he just went and scrambled his brains a bit."

"Don't be a stupid ass Jarvis. If you think that he could have survived that fall you got my leave to climb on down there. But it don't look to me like an easy climb going up or down and we ain't gonna wait around for you".

Jarvis glanced down at the rocks, "I reckon you're right. 'Sides, even if he did survive I reckon the beasties'll have him afore nightfall".

The captain and his men turned back and headed for the city walls. Lingering for a moment the Captain entertained himself with thoughts of what could have been done to the thieving trader. He grunted and then spit on the body before he hastened after the others. The incident was already forgotten and he was debating which tavern he would settle down in for the night.

Staven seemed to float in an endless void. He heard a strange song that soothed his mind with it's simple melody. The terrible pain that racked his body began to fade into a dull ache. He saw a soft light that beckoned him from the dark abyss. The light and song blended together and gently guided Staven towards awareness.

The light divided into patterns which settled into various colors and forms. Eventually, as though Staven were surfacing from a dark cold lake, the whirling lights and colors settled into the familiar shapes of rocks and trees. From somewhere came the sound of falling water. He slowly closed his eyes and recalled his last conscious thoughts. He remembered the sound of rushing water and a cliff. He had fallen...

Staven's head throbbed and his whole body ached. Without thinking he moved his head to the side. Pain shot through his skull like lightening. Staven carefully raised his right hand to his head. His hair was matted with something sticky that he knew had to be blood. His arm began to tingle and he forced himself to relax.

"I had no idea death was so very painful", he groaned.

"I suppose that greatly depends upon the manner of passing, but since you are not yet dead, that is somewhat irrelevant", answered a soft melodic voice.

Staven instantly came to full consciousness. Careful to not jar his aching body he turned onto his left side. Not more than five feet from him sat a young woman. A beautiful young woman with long red-brown hair and soft blue eyes. A simple white dress formed a snowy pool on the green and yellow grass.

Staven attempted to sit up, but the pounding in his head forced him to lie back. Blinded by the pounding pain, he didn't see her rise and kneel beside him. He tried to relax as she laid one slender hand upon his head. His head felt warm where she touched him. The warmth spread throughout his body and the pain faded into a faint stiffness.

As she straightened away from him Staven asked in amazement,"You're a healer."

She smiled,"In some ways."

"Who are you? What are you?" he asked. Staven knew that there were few healing Adepts left in the Pervane Empire. It was said they had all fled when the dread lord came to power.

"What am I?", she paused for a moment,"I am one of those who shape energy through song. Your people call us Singers."

"I thought all of the Singers were either imprisoned by the Dread Emperor or fled across the wastelands."

Her smile faded,"Only one of us was able to open a Gateway across the wastes. And yes, as far as I know all of the others were enslaved by the man you call Emperor. "Unfortunately I cannot join those across the waste without alerting the Emperor to their location."

Staven was curious about why she would risk using her power to save him. Surely the Dread Lord would hear healing songs as easily as any other.

"Aren't you putting yourself at risk by helping me?"

"Yes", she cocked her head as though listening for something, "Even now the Emperor's minions come." She shook herself and took hold of Staven's arm, "We must go quickly. Follow me."

She extended one graceful hand and helped Staven rise to his feet. Staven was quite surprised that his legs were able to support his weight and, that after a momentary rush of blood to his feet, he had only a dull ache in the back of his head. He wondered at the power she must command to heal him so completely.

The lady motioned for Staven to follow, and after a few shaky steps, he did. Once up Staven was able to take in his surroundings. Staven had been lying on the grass only a few feet from a pool of water formed by the waterfall he heard as he fell. The shallow pool was teardrop shaped with the narrow end emptying into a swift stream that soon disappeared into the trees. The edge of the pool was mostly lined with rocks.

The grassy space he had been lying on was flattened and patches of the green were stained brown from his blood. Staven followed the trail of blood with his eyes. Looking past the trees and vines Staven saw crumbled rocks and the cliff he had fallen over. For a moment he marvelled at his survival of that fall because he could see that the cliff was at least twenty feet above the rocks. He shuddered to think what those rocks must look like if the trail of blood was any indication of how much blood he had lost.

The Singer led Staven around the pool and up a natural stairway of rocks to a ledge hidden by the falling water. Although the ledge was sheltered by the overhanging rocks it was still wet and fairly slippery. Staven found that it took all of his concentration to keep his shaky balance. To his embarrassment he walked straight into her when she stopped. She reached out to steady him and for a moment Staven found himself lost in her pale blue eyes.

He turned with her to face what appeared to be an alcove in the cliff wall. She sang a soft note and the rock slid back and then behind the wall to the right. When the rock had slowly moved into place Staven was standing before a dark cave. Her song changed into simple melody and light filled the chamber.

What Staven saw before him left him staring with his mouth hanging open. He closed his mouth and steeped into a room walled by rainbows as the many chips of crystal embedded in the stone reflected the light given off by a crystal in the center of the small room. The pulsing white crystal was supported by an elaborately crafted stand that appeared to be made of some kind of white metal that Staven had never seen before.

At first Staven thought he must be imagining the soft echo, but after listening for a moment he realized that the crystal and walls were singing the same song as his mysterious benefactress. The Singer stepped around the crystal so that it was between the two of them. Staven found it difficult to see her clearly through the glow surrounding the crystal. The Singer stopped singing, but the walls still hummed the melody.

She looked up, "The Emperor's men will be here in a few minutes so we must hurry. Through the stone I can open a Gate that would take you beyond the wasteland to those who fled the Pervane Empire."

"Why would you risk discovery just to send me when you said he could trace the Gate?", Staven asked.

She looked straight into his eyes, "Because those people will need you to fight the Emperor's armies when he finally does reach them. There is no doubt that his armies will eventually manage to navigate the wastes in time. There are many possibilities opening before you. Should you choose to take up their fight you will know great pain and sorrow." She smiled gently, "Of course there are still brief moments of happiness even in war. If you prefer I can send you to one of Pervane's distant provinces, or even back to your own people."

Staven looked down into the shining stone and then back up, "How can you know all of this? Why do you think I'm capable of helping those people?".

She smiled,"For a Singer the many possibilities for the future are sung by the winds and written in the clouds. Or so they say."

Then she began to sing a new song that was somehow stronger and conveyed a certain urgency. The glow between them brightened and then began to expand until it was an oval shape nearly seven feet in height and three feet across at its widest point. A shimmering light slowly coalesced into a scene of rolling hills and long grass swaying in a breeze Staven could not feel. In the distance Staven could make out the walls of some kind of settlement.

The song stopped but the shining doorway remained, "The time to decide is upon you. Are you willing to face a new life and a new destiny?", she asked quietly.

For a moment Staven was paralyzed by indecision and a little fear. The Singer had spoken of pain and sorrow, but she had also said he could make a difference in whether those people's lives. Besides, Staven thought, what did he really have to lose? The guards would confiscate his wagons. His partner was dead. Yet it seemed incredible to leave everything he knew to go to someplace where he would know nothing or no one. The decision was not an easy one, but the easy path is not always interesting.

"I'll go", he said.

She smiled and gestured to the Gate, "I hope you find happiness.

"Thanks", he said as he stepped toward the gate. Then he paused, "I don't even know your name. Afterall, if I regret this decision I'd like to be able to curse you by name."

She laughed, "Oh, I don't think you'll regret it, but perhaps you might remember me kindly on occasion. I am called Lyraden.

Staven offered her a courtly bow and then stepped through the Gate. As he passed through he thought he heard her say, "And may the stars guard your soul my friend."

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