The Watcher Chapter 6

Chapter 6

We had traveled through a forest, hills, mountains and meadows, and once again we found a change in landscape. The smell first clued me in to what we were approaching, because it was a smell I knew well. It was the smell of the ocean. Grandfather had taken me to the ocean several times as a child, where we would gather sea shells and he would sit on the sand watching me play in the water. I grew excited, and felt revived as we passed through some trees to step onto the sand.
I dismounted and ran to the water, while Epona stood back watching, much the same way Grandfather would have. The wet sand pushed up between my toes as I stepped in the ocean. I gave a good kick and splashed, watching the water ripple away from me. I stared out into the blue depths, thinking how alike this ocean was to the Atlantic. Turning to Epona, I saw her staring up the beach, eyes wistful, and knew that we must continue. The beach was leading her to her destination, and I had to push my playfulness aside and continue with her.
Feeling a bit selfish, I told her I would walk, secretly doing so because I knew it would slow us down, and I could enjoy the view for a while longer. Of course, it was not only my love of the beach that was prompting me; I began to grow more nervous, knowing our journey was ever closer to coming to an end and not knowing what that end would bring. I walked behind Epona, staring at her, my heart breaking at the worry that I was doing all this only to lose her. I tried to occupy my mind with our new environment, but with each step I became more and more panicked. This mare was all I had left, not only in my world, but in two worlds. She was not just a pet, or an animal I loved. I felt a kinship with her that came with the understanding that she was my family, the only family I had left. During her time here, while I had grown thin and scruffy, she had grown more beautiful. Indeed, without my realizing it, she was ethereal. Her mane and tail was longer, her coat more shiny, and how she had come to be so clean and in such good shape with very little to eat and less rest, I could not imagine.
I didn’t need to imagine...it was the magic. Although she hadn’t shown any special powers, she was just as magical as any creature in Gaia. It wasn’t her beauty, or her magic, that drew me to her, that made my heart break to think of losing her. It was her companionship, her familiarity, and the memories we shared. Our adventures here in Gaia had only strengthened this bond. I wondered at how Epona could seem so eager to be where she was going, and not sharing in my worry that we would be separated, perhaps forever.
It was a splash in the water that interrupted my pondering. I looked out into the ocean, but saw nothing. For the next few hours, on this never-ending beach, I continued to hear splashes, and try as I would I could not determine what was causing them. I noticed that Epona seemed unconcerned, never once looking for herself when a splash could be heard.
At midday I called to Epona, wishing to stop and rest, perhaps eat something. She reluctantly turned to me and stood staring up the beach as I sat down on the sand, eating an apple while I stared out into the sea. Our minds were taking us in two different directions, and there was an awkwardness between us. Determined not to hurry on our journey, after eating my apple, I wandered once again down to the water, wading out to my knees in the warm saltwater. I wished Epona would join me, that we could forget our destination for a little while and just play together. This was such a delightful setting, and I was tired of walking, tired of worrying.
A splash from the water came once more, and to my horror I saw a girl about fifty yards out flailing in the water, her head bobbing under as she began to scream for help. Without thinking, I dove into the ocean and began to swim out to her. I heard Epona neigh to me, but didn’t turn to look. As I grew closer, I could see the girl was about the same age as myself, with long waves of black hair floating around her shoulders in the water. She looked very frightened, and as I grabbed her arm, pulling her face clear of the water, I said, “It’s okay. I will help you.”
She laughed, no longer struggling. I looked at her in shock, realizing quickly I had been tricked. Then, very quickly, she grabbed my shoulders and pulled me under the water. I tried to scream before going under, but instead only managed to gulp a mouthful of water. I struggled against her in the water, striking out and trying to pull away at the same time. After a few moments, when I felt I could stay under no longer, I managed to pull away from her and lift my head out of the water, gasping for air. I turned to see Epona standing on the edge of the beach, neighing to me in fright. She stepped into the water, throwing her head, and I knew she was telling me I must escape.
The girl came bursting out of the water, and it was only then that I saw her tail, her fish tail, and knew this was a mermaid. She shot up out of the water like a cannon, and then dove gracefully back down. When she re-entered the water, she grabbed my torso and once again pulled me under with her. I did manage this time to fill my lungs with air and close my mouth before being drug down into the water. While her grip was firm, I kicked with enough force to pull myself up to the surface once more, and this time began swimming to the beach, keeping my eyes on Epona for comfort.
I could hear laughter as I swam, a very mean-spirited laughter, and soon the mermaid was jumping in and out of the water, diving over my body as if to torment my fear. Each time she came close, I swam even harder, panting in my effort. After coming within a few feet of the beach Epona stepped toward me and bit into the back of my shirt, pulling me onto the sand and completely out of the water. Gasping and coughing, I sat up, trying to catch my breath, all the while watching the mermaid dip in and out of the water. She really was quite beautiful, and her water antics was like a dance. Feeling safer, I stood, hugging Epona, but continued to watch the mermaid. Water dripped down into my eyes from my wet hair, and I pushed my hair back, wiping my eyes and trying to keep my eyes on the mermaid. Unbelievable as it may seem, I wanted her to come closer, I wished even to speak to her, but only from the safety of the sand.
“Come closer,” I called out. Epona grunted, pushing me with her head. I turned and shook my head at her, knowing she disapproved of my invitation to the mermaid.
I called to her several times, and eventually she did swim within a few yards of the beach, coming up out of the water to her waist. I stepped closer, to the edge of the water, and asked her, “Why did you try to drown me?”
“Do you not wish to join me in the water?” She crooned. I frowned at her, irritated that she had not given me a straight answer. She pouted at my frown, coquettishly wringing the water from her long hair. Smiling, she slithered through the water like a snake, coming with only a few feet of me. I stepped back, as Epona snorted at her, stomping the sand in anger.
“Are you human? “ She asked. She looked me up and down, from my head to my feet, seeming amused.
“I am, “ I answered shortly. While I had initiated this conversation, her attitude was deceptive and made me very wary.
“I have heard stories of humans, “ she disclosed. “I have seen images of your world, seen your kind kill the mighty whales like ants eating a rotting corpse.” Her eyes became red with anger.
“Humans have committed many crimes against nature, “ I said cautiously. “But all humans are not evil, and I would never hurt a whale and or any sea creature. It was you who tried to harm me, “ I reminded her.
Flinging her hair back, she snorted in disgust. “You are not evil, but you are a sniveling, selfish brat.”
“Why would you say this?” I demanded. She did not know me, or anything about me! How could she make such an accusation?
“You are not worthy to live in Gaia, on land or sea.” She informed me. “You are a weak child who came here only through the grace of her steed.”
“Well, I am in Gaia, “ I retorted angrily. “And I have been told there is a good reason, a purpose, to my being here.” I felt vindicated in sharing this knowledge with her, but she only laughed in scorn.
“If you have a purpose, why do you pout and complain? You are not a heroine, with courage and honor! You could not deal with the problems in your own world, and you do not deal with the problems you encounter in this world either. I would condemn you to live forever alone in Atlantis” She spat in the water in disgust, and I caught a glimpse of her tiny, sharp teeth under the full, pouting lips.
“Where is Atlantis?” I asked in shock, remembering stories of the amazing lost island.
“Atlantis floats on the sea, “ she pointed out into the water. “The island is free from humankind, who can not appreciate it, or anything given to them.”
I stared out into the ocean in wonder, realizing that storybook place actually existed, and that it had come to be here, in Gaia, just as the magical creatures now resided here. Glancing at Epona, who continued to stare at the mermaid in distrust, I asked, “Have you seen Atlantis yourself?”
“Of course, “ she laughed. “It is beautiful, but lonely, and empty. No one resides in Atlantis anymore, nor shall they...unless you would like it for your prison. The mermaids protect the island from intruders.”
Suddenly the mermaid turned, as if she had heard some faraway sound in the ocean. Before she could swim away I asked quickly, “What is your name?”
She turned, seeming distracted and hurried, but replied, “My name cannot be pronounced in your tongue.” She then made a sound similar to that of dolphins, and I shook my head in wonder. I lifted my hand to wave good-bye, when a might wave of water formed in the ocean, probably a mile or so out, and began to come toward us, looming like a monster. The mermaid screamed and dove toward the wave, as Epona and I scrambled up the beach to the trees bordering it.
The wave came to the edge of the beach, and I curled back in fear we would be swept away and drowned. However, this was not to be. At the very edge the water stopped, as if frozen, for just a second, and then fell with a splash in that very spot. I stared in amazement. The water had not moved past the edge of the beach, as if an invisible wall had stopped it.
With the wave gone, I could see what had followed. In the water, coming in a straight line, was a row of mermaids, diving in and out as my mermaid had done, but in perfect unison. Still afraid, but more curious, I walked to the edge of the beach to meet them. As they came closer, all stopped but the mermaid in the center of the row, who wore a crown on her chestnut hair made of gold.
“The one who attacked you will be punished, “ she called out. “We are peaceful creatures and do not wish to partake in the same violence found in the human world.” With this, each mermaid (there were probably fifty of more) dove out of the water more than ten feet into the air, like fountains, and flipping their bodies around, dove back out into the ocean, soon gone from my sight.
I stared for awhile, hoping to see them again, wishing I had asked my mermaid about my dream with the mermaids, the great owl and the mysterious stone tablet. She may have been able to offer insight into the meaning, but my chance was gone. They had disappeared, and the ocean was once again quiet.
Epona was once again staring north, and feeling her impatience I gathered my things and began to walk once more. We walked up the beach until the sun began to set over the ocean, coloring the water a deep orange and the sky a remarkable red. At this point, while the landscape had been the same all day, we could see where the beach ended and the ground ascended into cliffs above the water. It was a good place to stop, and I quickly ate and laid down on the sand to rest for the night.
The next morning I awoke to find Epona gone. Immediately afraid, I stood and scanned the area around us. I soon saw her standing at the edge of the beach, in a deep mist, and the same white stallion I had seen in my world standing only a few feet in front of her. The world was absolute silence, and I held my breath as the magnificent stallion craned his neck and touched his nose to Epona’s. The two white horses stood in the dawn light, mist dancing around them, and I thought it to be the most beautiful scene I had ever witnessed.
As quietly as possible I began to creep down the beach to the spot where the two stood, but as I grew close the mist swirled up into the air around the stallion, and he was gone. Epona neighed pitifully, her eyes sad as she searched for him. I stopped when I saw her distress, and tears flowed from my own eyes. This beautiful moment had been spoiled by my presence, and I was ashamed. I was ashamed not only for ending the reunion between the two horses, but also for being such a burden to Epona.
When Epona finally realized I was standing there, that faraway wistfulness in her face disappeared. She trotted up to me, rubbing my tear-stained cheeks with her soft muzzle. Placing a hand on each side of her head, I stared into her eyes and said, “I’m so sorry Epona. We’ll be there soon, and you can be with your mate forever.” More tears fell as I made this statement, with the undeniable anguish I felt at the thought of losing her. I began to sob, wrapping my arms around her neck and letting all the emotion and stress from my time in Gaia come pouring out of me.
I imagined later not only how the two horses had looked standing together on the beach, but how Epona and I must have looked. I had glimpses of myself during my time in Epona, usually my reflections in water, and during my stays with the dwarves and the elves when there were mirrors to use, and was amazed at the difference in my appearance. I not only felt older, but looked older as well. And there came to be a wildness about me, my hair and my eyes most specifically. I had grown more thin as well. While Epona was more and more beautiful each day, it must have seemed a rather pathetic sight to see this wild, unkempt girl holding on her beautiful mare’s neck on the beach in the sunrise.
And so it was, we continued our journey, like so many times before, irregardless of what events had taken place, or what events were to come. My spirit numb from crying, I did nothing more than concentrate on following each step made by Epona.
The first few steps involved traveling back into the woods until we could find a suitable place to climb the cliffs overlooking the ocean. We reached the top fairly quickly, and from there it was relatively easy walking, although not nearly as delightful as the beach had been. The wind blew that day, whipping my hair around my face and tugging at Epona’s mane. While the sun was warm, the wind bit at us with an unusual coldness. Crossing my arms against my chest, I ignored it and kept my eyes focused on Epona ahead of me.
That evening we came to rest on top of the highest bluff we had yet encountered. The ocean seemed very far away when I looked down. There was one lone tree, a beautiful magnolia tree still in bloom as if spring had decided to rest here in this place, and so it seemed a good place for us to rest as well. Petals from the blooms wafted down with the settling wind, now just a breeze, and I watched yet another sun set over the sparkling ocean.
Tired, but not sleepy, I ate my fill of the never-ending food, this time thick slices of sweet bread and strawberries, and then laid on my stomach, resting my chin in my hands, and stared out at the moon as it threw moonlight over the water. It was a very peaceful setting, and I felt more at peace after crying out my frustrations and having a day with little thought to what had occurred or what was to occur in the future.
Magnolia petals fell into my hair, and I absent-mindedly pulled them out and rubbed the soft velvet between my fingers.
Epona had found a patch of grass and was happily munching, seeming at peace also. She would nicker to me softly from time to time, and I would smile at her in return. Her white coat glowed in the moonlight, and there seemed to be a sparkle to her glow that I had not noticed before. I did not ponder on it; instead, I admired her beauty and then turned my attention once again to the other beautiful spectacle in my view–the moonlit ocean.
I had thought perhaps I might see the mermaids playing in the water, but the ocean was very still. I looked for any life, but other than the occasional petal falling down upon me, the world seemed to have stood still, just as it had for the nymphs. I sighed, and the sound startled Epona. When I rolled over onto my back to stare up into the stars, she went back to grazing.
I had just closed my eyes, still far from sleep, when a familiar sound woke me. It was the beating of wings, huge wings, and I opened my eyes to once more watch the fearful dragon swoop down upon us. He flew down so close I could see my reflection in his large, red eyes, and I looked as frightened as I felt. Epona immediately charged up next to me, rearing and striking the air as the dragon beat his wings and rose back into the night sky.
He circled us, and then again and again swooped down over us, leaving both Epona and myself crouching and cowering under the force of air his spiny, green wings brought. Feeling a bit more brave than I had at our last encounter, I grabbed my sword from the under the tree where my bedroll and supplies lay, and waved it at him as he began his descent toward us once more. He was bearing down on us with great speed, but at the last moment, with my tip of my sword touching the scales on his neck, he stopped. He remained in the air at that point, using his wings only enough to remain where he had stopped, and stared down at me.
Shaking with fear, I tried to keep my trembling arms steady as I stared back into his red eyes, feeling his very hot breath pushing against my face. For one terrified moment I feared he would breathe fire over me, killing us both. When this did not occur, I became a bit less fearful, although my heart was still beating madly in my chest. I could feel Epona next to me, the hairs of her mane touching my arm, as she stared up at as well.
His mouth did not move, and the sound was not real, but in my mind I could hear the dragon speak. “From where do you come, and to where do you travel?” He asked.
“I am Morgan, and this is my mare Epona. We come from Earth, the human world, and we are traveling to the Island of Horses.” My voice trembled as I spoke the words aloud. I do not know why I spoke, instead of answering him with my mind, but I did, and continued to do so.
The dragon turned, looking at Epona. The tip of the sword pierced his skin a bit more with the movement, although he didn’t seem to notice. I could see him staring at Epona, and her concentrated stare back. I knew they were speaking to one another, and I yearned to know what was being said. To hear Epona’s thoughts would have been a wonderful thing, but it was not meant to be. The two stared in their silent conversation for several minutes, and then the dragon turned to me once more, his eyes a bit softer, a bit kinder. I don’t believe dragons can smile, but the look he gave me was close to smiling.
“You will continue to see me, in the sky at night, but never in the light of day. I shall follow you on your journey, and watch over you both in the light of the sun and the glow of the moon. No harm shall come to you until you reach the Island.” And with this, he fluttered his massive wings, lifting into the air slowly. His huge feet with long talons almost touched my face as he lifted into the air, and then he was lifting higher, until he had turned and was moving away from us into the sky.
“What did you say to him?” I asked Epona. She looked at me and whinnied softly, then lifted to her head to see the dragon disappear into the black sky.
Sighing, I sunk to the ground, happy to relieve my trembling legs. It would be hours before sleep would relieve my mind and body.

The next day we walked, always along the ridge of the cliffs overlooking the ocean, and the day thereafter we dropped back down to another long beach. These were silent days, and we traveled many miles, rarely stopping to rest. Acceptance had finally greeted me, and I was open to whatever our destination would mean.
On the second day, in early afternoon, Epona did something very strange. She stopped abruptly in front of me, so abruptly I almost ran into her. She then began to paw furiously at the sand, striking the ground with her hooves. I walked up next to her and watched as she continued to dig, wanting to ask what the purpose could be. I did not ask, however. Instead, I knelt down on the ground and began to shovel the sand back with my hands.
In only a few seconds I saw something peeking out from the hole in the sand. Epona stopped digging as I pulled the object up out of the ground. It was a small gold chest, and along the edge of the lid were three large emeralds. There was no latch, and I was unsuccessful when I tried to open it. It felt as if it was a glued shut. I ran my fingernails along the edge of the lid, and tried once more to pry it open. After several futile attempts, I looked up questioningly at Epona.
She touched the chest with her nose, and the tiny push made it fall out of my palm to the ground. I started to pick it up, but felt Epona’s shoulder pushing me as she stepped up, and then watched in shock as she began to strike the object with her hoof. It was such a beautiful chest, and I felt it must be just as important as its contents, but obviously Epona did not share my feelings. After the third blow, after two of the emeralds had been knocked off and the lid was cracked, it popped open.
Inside was a scroll, yellow with age. I lifted it from the chest and ran my finger under the dull red seal, shaped and imprinted like a fingerprint. I carefully unrolled the scroll, and found it to be blank. I looked up at Epona surprised, and she nodded her head. I knew she was asking me to look again.
“Great deeds are usually wrought at great risks. Herodotus.” I read the words aloud. Looking up at Epona, I wondered at the words. What did it mean? I had to wonder if it was pertinent to me, to the reason I was here? There must have a been a reason for Epona digging up the chest and for me reading the scroll. Epona only stared back with her soft eyes.
When I looked back at the scroll, the words were gone, and the scroll was blank. I touched the parched paper with my fingers, imagining the words flying off of the page into the breeze and over the ocean. Shaking my head, I rolled the paper back up and asked, “So, where from here Epona?”
And we continued walking, walking until night fell upon us once more, and I watched the great dragon fly past the moon and stars over us, always watching, always ready to protect us. Epona did another strange thing....instead of always looking north, the way of our journey, this night she walked down to the water and looked out upon the ocean, glistening and glittering the light of the moon. I did not join her, as it seemed a private time. Instead, I lay on the ground and up at the stars.

When the sun began to creep over the horizon of the ocean, I awoke to find Epona standing in the exact same spot she had stood the night before, staring out into the ocean. Only, this time, an object lay out in the water, the object of her stare, that had not been there the night before. Rubbing my eyes, I looked in amazement at the island.
Running down to stand by Epona, I looked out at the island. It was as clear and as real as anything I had ever seen in, in my world or this world. I knew it could only be about a mile out, stretching several miles in each direction. A beach faced us, with the sand crawling up into the knee-high grass of a never-ending meadow. And on this beach, staring back at us, in the full light of the sun, stood the black stallion.
He called to Epona in his deep, loud voice, and hundreds of horses ran down from the meadow to the beach to join him. Hundreds of Arabian horses, in every color known to the breed, all with the beautiful heads and flagged tails of an Arabian. It was exquisitely beautiful to behold, and I had to gasp at the unbelievable sight.
Epona called back to the stallion, throwing her head and half-rearing in response. I shared her excitement, as did the horses across the water. They began to gallop along the sand of their beach, from side to side, as the white stallion stood rooted to his spot calling to Epona. I was beaming with joy, not only at the sight, but at the realization we were close to accomplishing our goal, reaching the Island of Horses.
“Great deeds are usually wrought at great risks.” I repeated the words of the scroll softly. There had indeed been great risks on this journey, but the deed was also great. The words of Herodotus made perfect sense to me now.
I began to walk up and down the beach, wondering at how we could cross the water to the island. It was much too far to swim. I wished for a magical bridge to appear, just as the island had appeared to us so magically, but this was not to be. My joy dissipated as I began to worry at how we would ever get to the island.
An hour passed, with Epona still standing in her same spot, and with me pacing the beach, now frustrated at this final obstacle. Many of the horses on the island had returned to their meadow, although the white stallion stood as still as Epona. Tired of waiting and watching, and hunger reminding me I had eaten, I walked back up the beach to where my things lay in the sand and ate some sweet bread and an apple.
As I ate I glanced at the scroll in the sand. I picked it up and unrolled it, to find the words “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” It then had the name Dale Carnegie. I didn’t recognize the name, but knew it must be a person from my world. I pondered the words as I ate, knowing it was a signal to me to not give up hope on reaching the Island of Horses.
I returned to stand by Epona after eating, calmer now, and stared out over the water. We could not swim across (it was much too far), and there was no bridge to go over. There was no boat to carry us across. I remembered the Bible passage of Jesus walking on water, but dismissed that idea quickly. It came to me that if we only had wings......
Wings!!! We did not have wings, but our protector, the Great Dragon, did have wings, and he had promised to always be watching over us, even if we could not see him in the light of the sun. I knew we would see him when night fell, but worried that the island might once again disappear if we waited that long.
So I began to call to the dragon, yelling as loudly as possible, things such as “Dragon!” or “Help Us!” or “We Need You!”. I called until I was hoarse, but did not hear or see him in the sky. I looked out at the stallion, but was surprised to see he was gone. Epona still stood in her same spot, looking ahead as if he still stood there, but I could not see him.
And then came the familiar flapping of great wings, and I watched as the Great Dragon lifted down from the sky to land on the sand, his tail swinging across the water as he lumbered to me on his great hind legs. He dropped his huge head to stare into my eyes levelly. Reaching out my hand, I touched his face, feeling the hardness of his scaly skin under my palm. I was very happy to see him.
“Did you call?” He asked, in his silent voice.
“We need to cross the water to the Island of Horses. Can you take us?” I asked. Both of us turned to look at Epona. He turned back to me and said, “I can take her, “ his eyes followed Epona. “But I am forbidden to carry a human to the Island of Horses without approval. You must wait here and I will return to carry you across, if it is allowed.”
My immediate reaction was to argue. I had come all this way, and to now be separated from Epona when we had nearly reached our destination seemed hugely unfair. But as I looked at Epona, her wistful eyes staring across the water, I made up my mind that it was a risk I must take.
“Take her, “ I replied. Walking over to Epona, I buried my head into her soft mane and whispered, “I love you.”
She turned her head to me, nuzzling me. I unbuckled her cinch and pulled the saddle from her back, followed by her bridle. I wanted to hang onto her as she began to move away, but I forced myself to release my hold and watch her as she walked to the dragon. Flapping his wings, he lifted into the air enough to hover over her. Clasping her body with his huge talons, he began his assent into the air and flew away across the water.
Shading my eyes with my hand, I watched anxiously as they traveled above the water until they had reached the sand of the island. The dragon dropped Epona gently, and she immediately galloped toward the black stallion. Tears stung my eyes as I watched them touch noses, nuzzle and breathe into one another’s nostrils. It was then that I felt a hand clasp down onto my shoulder.
Startled, I turned to see the man from my dreams. He was several inches taller than me, and I stared up into his face as I gasped. He seemed concerned at my shock, and with an almost pained look in his eyes he ran his finger down my cheek. “Don’t be afraid of me.” His voice was soft but gravelly, and the white of perfect teeth gleamed behind his soft lips. I shook my head, unable to answer, drawn to him and yet afraid at the same time. In every way he looked normal, and yet in every way he was extraordinary. On the surface he was dressed and appeared in every aspect to be an average human man. On the other hand, the blackness and intensity of his eyes, the translucent quality of his skin, the curl of his unusally red lips, and the aura he presented was completely un-human.
No more had I stared into his eyes than I remember my Epona, and I swung around to see her again, only to find her gone. A sob rose in my chest and choked me as I realized that not only were all the horses gone, but the island itself had disappeared. I ran down the beach into the water, yelling Epona’s name, desperate to find the island and the horses somewhere in the vast expanse of water. But they were gone.