Baroea Chapter 5: A Light in the Darknes

No one else was in the living room. The Baroëa book lay open on the chair where Dad had been. Lara still knelt beside it. She heard Grandma and Grandpa talking in low voices in the other room. It seemed only seconds since Lara and her family had gone.

Where were her parents and brothers? They’d been acting as though they could see the snow. Maybe since they hadn’t returned through a ring portal, they had been dumped out in the storm somewhere! Lara’s heart thumped in her chest. What had she done? She had to go out and look for them.

As she got to her feet, the front door swung open with a bang, letting in gusts of wind-blown snow and four unhappy people. Lara grabbed the chair next to her, dizzy with relief.

“It’s unbelievable how quickly that storm came in!” Mom said through chattering teeth, guiding the shivering boys ahead of her into the warmth.

Dad stomped his boots on the mat. “I guess we all should have bundled up better.”

Lara watched them get inside and thaw themselves by the fire. She felt she should help, but what could she do? It was her fault they’d almost frozen in the blizzard.
Mom seemed about to speak, but stopped herself, a perplexed look on her face. They each wore the same expression.

“Why did we go outside?” Mom finally asked. Dad and the boys just gaped. They didn’t remember anything. Lara felt no desire to enlighten them. It wouldn’t do any good. They wouldn’t believe her.

As Lara’s parents and brothers went upstairs to change clothes, Grandma and Grandpa emerged from the kitchen. Lara didn’t want to talk, and couldn’t bear it if Grandma were upset with her for bringing the book out. She ran upstairs before they could say anything.

The biting cold was astonishing in the upper story of the farmhouse. Lara tossed the green book onto the dresser and curled up on the bed under her blankets, kicking off her shoes. They landed with two thumps on the floor. Then everything was silent.

She looked at the Baroëa book, its green even more pale than usual in the snowy light. Just looking at it made her face burn with humiliation. Why hadn’t she paid attention to the verse? The book’s text was the only guide she had, since Inreith chose to stay in the Garden.

The question was what to do now? Should she go back and brave the unknown Faerie places, seeking Paul alone? The thought was daunting. Reality was hitting her like ice water. Her chances of finding Paul were slim, even if Inreith was right about the possibility. Lara just didn’t see herself as being tough enough for the kind of adventures she had always read about. She was just a wimpy bookworm. And she had messed up so much: hurting Grandma’s feelings, taking her family to Baroëa, getting them lost in the storm.

Despite all this, Lara didn’t want to close the book forever.

But maybe she should. 

The sound of her brothers stomping down the hallway brought Lara’s thoughts back to the present.

Someone tapped quietly on the door, then opened it and peeked in. It was Michael. 

“Lara, I want to tell you about something.” He paused, baffled how to start. Lara wondered if it was about ending up in the snow. “I had a weird dream.”

“A dream? What kind of dream?”

“I hardly remember it,” he went on, gazing into the distance as if trying to see it again. “It has just starting to come back to me. I remember feeling warm and happy, and you were leading us somewhere.”

Lara’s heart thumped again, but this time it wasn’t fear. Could he be remembering that brief time in Baroëa?

“I felt…hope…for the first time in a long time. Even now, I feel like everything will get better.” He looked at Lara and smiled. She willed him to keep talking, to give her some hint of whether or not it was just a dream.

“There was something more.” He paused, trying to drag the image back. “Sunflowers?”

Lara was stunned. He remembered, however faintly. More importantly, it was comforting him. She took his hand, her own trembling with emotion.

“I had the same dream,” she said. Anything more would sound crazy.

“The same one? Are you sure?” His eyes seemed to beg for confirmation of it.

“Yes, I’m sure. Mom and Dad were there, and Alan. We were starting on a journey, but it wasn’t going well. There were little yellow flowers on the hills, and big sunflowers, too.”

“I think I remember now.” Michael’s voice was full of wonder. “But how could we have dreamed the same thing?”

Lara wanted to tell him the truth, but just shrugged. “I guess it was a Christmas miracle.”

Michael’s eyes widened and he smiled to himself. They sat on the bed for a while, saying nothing. It was enough that they could share the memory of those sunlit hills.
The pain of Lara’s mistakes that morning faded in the warmth of her brother’s smile.
Maybe it hadn’t been such a bad blunder, despite what the pixies said. Maybe Lara’s attempt to include her family in her adventure wasn’t a hopeless failure after all. She felt a bit of her confidence returning, but didn’t want to think about going back to the book just now. She wasn’t ready.

The rest of Lara’s day was a blur of television, board games and helping around the house. Every so often, Michael would catch her eye and grin, sharing their secret over again. Lara wasn’t consciously thinking about Baroëa, but that night when the lights were out the question of what to do next was in her head, waiting for an answer.

She laid awake deep into the night, listening to the whisper of the snow. It still fell steadily, but the wind had died down, leaving a strange stillness. When she looked out the window, the clouded sky was such a deep black it seemed like all the stars in the universe had gone missing.

Lara missed Baroëa so much that it felt like a physical pain in her chest. Michael’s memory of it gave her some hope that her instincts weren’t completely unreliable, but she still didn’t have much confidence in her own abilities.

She could at least take a glance at the next page and see what the region after the yellow-flowered hills was like.

Lara felt for a box of matches in one of her drawers and lit the oil lamp on her dresser. The red-gold firelight glittered on the glass horse, porcelain cat, pewter owl and fuzzy bear. She instantly felt better when the darkness was banished.

The book felt strangely warm in her hands. She turned to the next pages, and was surprised to see a desolate place of sand and scattered scrub brush. It didn’t look like Baroëa at all, except for the rolling hills surrounding it, which were covered in dry yellow grass. The mountains peeked over them far in the distance, no sign of the forest between. In the center of the dry valley was a small building with double doors and no windows.

What did this change of scenery mean? Curious, Lara couldn’t help glancing at the text.

In the desert of their desolation
                   Go ever toward your destination
                   Trust your instincts and use your might
                   That in the darkness you may find a light.

Purple shadows swirled across the picture, something Lara had never seen before. She was now looking at the same scene shrouded in gloom. And she wasn’t in her room anymore.

She hadn’t meant to return so soon, or at night. There was no moon, and Lara stumbled over bushes in the dark. The starlight seemed to grow a little brighter as her eyes adjusted, but she still just barely made out the building she had seen in the picture. The peak of Dark Mountain was silhouetted in the distance, to her right. There was a small glimmer of white light atop a hill in that direction. It was much farther away than the small structure. Though the verse had said to go toward her destination, Lara couldn’t bear being alone in the murky wilderness. She walked gingerly across the field toward the building, hoping to find someone who could help her.

The front doors were massive for such a small place. Lara pulled one of them open using all her strength. The brightness inside was nearly blinding after wandering in the night.

“Oh, come in, dear!” said a kind voice. Warm hands pressed her arms. As her vision cleared, Lara saw that she was surrounded by friendly faces.

“Thank you,” she gasped, still standing in the doorway. She turned and looked out into the shadows. A red reflection shone off a pair of eyes not twenty feet away. Lara gasped. The eyes were higher off the ground than she was tall! She dashed through the door and let the others close it behind her.

The group that was welcoming her was a riot of lovely colors. Their outfits and dresses were like the clothes at a Renaissance fair.

“Who are you?” she asked when her breathing slowed.

A man with blond hair answered. “We are the followers of the Seven Powers. Thank goodness you found us!”

Lara looked around at the others. “You’re human!”

“Of course,” said the man, who seemed to be their leader. “My name is Farrell. We are Changelings, those who were stolen by the Fae as children. Of course, we have nothing to do with them now.” His tone was of deepest disdain for the Fae.

Farrell and a lady he introduced as Riva led Lara through the crush of bodies to a chair at the end of a row. The building seemed to be a chapel of some sort. It was also so packed with people that it was difficult to move. A few sat in the seats nearby, giving Lara their full attention.

“Who are the Seven Powers?” Lara asked once she was seated.

“They are those who watch over this world.” Riva raised her eyes to the ceiling as if she could see through it. There were murmurs of agreement around her. “They are our helpers.” Lara was startled at her choice of words. Were they related to the Helpers Inreith had promised? Maybe they were here.

“We are the only ones who know their will,” Farrell continued. “Anything you need to learn, we can tell you.”

Lara had many questions, but couldn’t think of a single one. All those faces staring at her were a bit disconcerting. As nice as it was to be out of the darkness, she wished there was at least a window they could open for air.

“Where do you all live?” she asked after an uncomfortable silence.

“Here,” Farrell said. “There’s no need to leave. Outside is only the wilderness, after all.”

Lara stared at him. “You know the desert is surrounded by green hills, right?” This was met by disapproving stares. “How long have you been inside?” No one answered.

“It doesn’t matter,” he finally said in comforting tones. “We get everything we need here. If you are willing to stay a while, you’ll see that we can answer any questions you have. Then, if you wish to leave, you may do so.”

That didn’t sound bad, so Lara sat back and relaxed as those around her slowly quieted their cheerful chatting and took their seats. She was surprised there were enough chairs for them all. Her own was uncomfortably hard, but she wasn’t about to start complaining.

The blond leader strode to a raised platform at the back of the building, and began to speak loudly enough for all to hear.

“As we know, the Seven Powers have guided us all to this sanctuary from the wilderness outside. Now, darkness has fallen, and conditions continue to worsen. We welcome anyone seeking refuge. Though we don’t force visitors to stay, they rarely ever want to leave once they see what a comforting and fulfilling life we live. All our needs are provided. We are protected.”

Farrell fell silent, and there was a click as a door next to the stage opened. Seven very strange figures emerged. They wore cloaks of black velvet, some with fur trim. Their hoods were up, and those whose faces were not shadowed wore masks of metal. Lara had a bad feeling, though the faces around her continued to smile.

The cloaked figures directed some of the men to set up a table on the stage, and others brought food and drink out of the side door.

“Who are they?” she whispered to Riva, who sat next to her.

“Sh. Don’t talk. And don’t question it. Just accept. They will provide.”

“How can you answer all my questions if I’m not allowed to ask any?” Lara hissed, and stood up. “This is too creepy for me.” Lara was shaken by a strong foreboding. She was certain that if there were Seven Powers, those people in cloaks were not them. She didn’t think she wanted to know who these silent people really were.
Riva looked startled. “Where are you going? No one ever wants to leave.”

Lara hesitated. She didn’t really want to go back out into the dark. She considered staying just until morning, though how she would know when morning came was a mystery.

Farrell came down from the stage and stood next to Lara, a look of pity on his face. “Please stay and enjoy some food. You know there is no help for you out there. We are more than willing to act as mediators for you with the Powers. Anything you need…”

Lara held up a hand to stop him. “I will have help out there. I was promised seven Helpers.”

He merely shook his head in disappointment. “If you seek the Powers’ help, you won’t find it without our intervention. It’s so rare anyone wishes to leave our hospitality.”

“Well, I do. I don’t believe your group has any answers at all.” Lara marched to the front of the building, toward the doors. The faces that had been so friendly and welcoming now turned away from her.

As she pushed open the heavy door, she turned to look at the strange scene once more. The cloaked figures lurked motionless behind the table as all took turns getting plates of food and returning to their seats. Lara was struck by the idea that they could be the congregation’s disdained former captors, anonymously keeping the malcontents in line. She shrugged. It was just an idea.

Out in the dark night once again, Lara took a deep breath, honestly thankful for freedom and fresh air. She turned toward Dark Mountain and the light on the hill, sure of her direction once again. She didn’t expect to reach it before morning, but at least she was free to continue.

The eyes were back. Higher than her head, and only a few yards away, they glowed a threatening red. Lara backed up, considering going back inside. A line from the book’s verse came back to her. “Trust your instincts and use your might.” Now was no time to be a coward. Her instincts told her that the chapel would do nothing but trap and hinder her. She had to find her courage now. Staring stubbornly into the red eyes, she stood her ground.

The door to the chapel opened, and in the light that flooded out, Lara realized she was looking at a red stallion. It wasn’t the brownish chestnut color of earth’s horses, but was as red as blood. It snorted and pawed. She flinched, but didn’t move.

Lara could hear voices behind her. She turned for a second, seeing the black-swathed figures exiting and moving toward her. Did they mean her harm?

She spun back as the horse reared and neighed violently, charging toward Lara. She was terrified for an instant, then it veered to her right. She impulsively grabbed the flowing red mane and pulled herself up. The stallion spun on his heels and galloped toward the small glimmer of light far off in the night.

Lara gasped, exhilarated. “I did the right thing!” she said aloud, and hugged the stallion’s neck. He seemed to know where she wanted to go. She was sure that if she changed her mind, he would go where she bid. She had escaped.

The farther they got from the chapel, the more Lara realized that his eyes weren’t the only thing that glowed. His entire outline was growing brighter. It was like the smolder of a lone ember in a cold fireplace. It was beautiful.

“Where did you come from?” she whispered, laying low upon his neck. There was no answer, of course, but she felt he understood. “I wish I knew what to call you.”

Fire, a voice seemed to say in her mind. It could have been her imagination, but Lara was sure the red horse was telling her his true name.

“Fire. Thank you.”

As they approached the hill’s summit, Fire’s glow became a blaze. Lara was surrounded by the ruddy light, but felt nothing out of the ordinary.

A ring portal was at the crest. Lara wished she had headed this direction to begin with. Fire would have found her right away and helped her reach it swiftly. All the same, she felt her time in the strange chapel was not a waste. Her instincts were definitely in good working order, if she was just willing to listen.

Lara dismounted reluctantly and stroked Fire’s nose as she studied the portal ring. It was as black as the night sky, and like it, was scattered with shining stars. Lara gazed up at the real stars, realizing that she was never really in the dark to begin with. There were many lights in the gloom, far apart and maybe unknown to each other, but together they lit the entire universe.

“You are one of my real Helpers, aren’t you? I hope you are waiting for me when I come back,” Lara said to Fire. “I have a long way to go yet.” Fire whinnied softly and nuzzled her hair. She had a feeling she would see him again soon.

Turning to the ring portal, Lara took a deep, calm breath. She was looking forward to seeing her family, she realized. Putting one foot in front of the other, she stepped through the sparkling ring.

A moment later, she was gazing at the flame of her oil lamp and yawning. She blew it out and got into bed, pausing to part her curtains and look out. The storm clouds were parting, the air clear and lit with stars.

“I can’t wait to see you again, Fire,” Lara whispered, and snuggled into her pillow. She fell asleep instantly.