Her mother reached up a slender hand and caressed Adesina's face. "I promise."

Somewhere a pan clattered, and Adesina jerked awake. She opened her eyes and saw Kendan stirring the fire and preparing some breakfast. She sat up with a start. "Kendan! How are you feeling today?"

He was still quite pale, but he looked much more calm. "I am doing better. I heard music last night. Singing. It helped to quiet the voices I hear."

Adesina glanced at Ravi, but he was preoccupied and did not return her look. "I am glad to hear it."

Kendan shuddered slightly as he put more wood on the fire. "I will be relieved when we leave this cursed place. I wish we had never come."

Adesina dropped her gaze to the ground and muttered quietly, "Yes, well. We do not have much farther to go."

He turned to face her with a worried expression on his face. "I have been so preoccupied with my own struggles that I have not checked to see how you are doing."

She waved aside his concerns, trying to appear unaffected. "I am fine. I suppose an advantage to having a sheltered childhood is that there are few memories that can be used against me in a place such as this."

Kendan folded his arms tightly against his chest. "I envy you that. My childhood wasarather violent."

"Your parents?" she asked gently.

"And the rest of my family," he replied. "I really only have the Shimat order left as far as people who are close to me are concerned."

Adesina didn't really know what to say, and so she settled on what she had heard others say in similar situations. "I am sorry."

He pressed his lips together. "It would have been worse if I had been left on my own rather than being brought to the fortress." He glanced up at her. "In spite of all of our troubles, we are more fortunate than most of the people in this world."

She could see that Kendan was embarra.s.sed by this show of emotion. He cleared his throat and broke eye contact with her, finishing his preparations for their morning meal.

They did not speak anymore throughout breakfast or as they broke down the camp. Just as before, Kendan took the horses' reins in one hand and held on to Adesina's hand with the other. She rested her free hand on Ravi's back, and they walked purposefully through the trees.

The voices returned full force as soon as they left the sanctuary of their camp. Kendan had a sharp intake of breath and squeezed Adesina's hand painfully. The young woman sighed softly and did her best to shut out the noise.

"You were given a Dream last night, were you not?" asked Ravi.

Adesina frowned. "How did you know?" she whispered to keep Kendan from hearing.

A smile flitted across Ravi's feline face. "One learns to recognize these things."

They walked in thoughtful silence for a few moments more before Ravi spoke again. "Will you tell me about your Dream?"

Adesina was actually relieved to be asked. She wanted to talk about it with someone who might be able to tell her what it all meant. She described the Dream exactly how she remembered it and waited for Ravi's response. When he continued to be silent, she prompted him impatiently.

"What does it mean, Ravi?"

"That is something only you can decide. That is part of what makes Dreams what they are."

Adesina blew out her breath in frustration. "I should have known you would have nothing useful to say."

Ravi chuckled. "You are still young, Ma'eve. Understanding will come in time."

His words struck a chord with Adesina. "My mother said that in my dream."

Ravi nodded slowly. "Yes. Your mother is a good and wise woman."

Adesina almost stopped in her tracks. "Is? My mother is alive?"

Ravi considered his answer thoughtfully. "That depends on what you consider to be alive."

This time Adesina did stop. "No more riddles, Ravi. Is my mother alive or not?"

Ravi turned his golden eyes on Adesina's purple ones. "Her mortal body no longer lives, but her immortal spirit will never die."

Adesina could not quite get her head around this way of thinking. She shook her head stubbornly. "It was just a dream."

"No, it was a Dream."

Adesina couldn't keep her anger out of her voice. "What is the difference?"

"A dream is a thing of fantasya"a creation of your mind. Dreams, however, are real. They are glimpses into other times, other worlds. The sooner you can accept that, the sooner you will understand."

Both of them stood still and silent for a few minutes. Adesina's inner struggle was only made more chaotic by the words whispered to her by the incorporeal voices. Part of her wanted to believe what she had been told over the past several hours, but it felt so wrong when placed next to all that she had ever been taught. Part of her said that it was all inconsequential anyway and to just let it go, and yet she couldn't shake the feeling that this was part of something bigger. Something deeper.

Ravi stood patiently for a while before walking back over to the young Shimat. "Keep walking, Ma'eve. We still have a long way to go."

Adesina forced herself to move forward. She knew Kendan needed to be led out of the forest as soon as possible. The day dragged on like an eternity, and both Kendan and Adesina were relieved to stop for the night. She set up the camp, persuaded Kendan to eat some food, and curled up next to the fire. Ravi began to sing quietly, and soon Adesina's eyes became heavy.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt herself being pulled far away from the world that she knew.

She found herself standing in a corridor similar to the ones found in the Shimat fortress, only the walls were made of white marble and there were arched windows that lined the wall high up next to the ceiling. Moonlight streamed through, illuminating the corridor with a mystical glow. The hall opened to a columned walkway that lined some sort of courtyard. Within the courtyard, Adesina saw something that took her breath away.

A utopian garden lay before her. Large exotic-looking flowers bloomed in brilliant grandeur, displaying shades of color that Adesina never knew existed. These were offset by smaller, more demure flowers that gave the garden a pleasing sense of balance. Many tall, beautiful trees swayed to the soft breeze, and the ground was carpeted with the greenest gra.s.s she could have ever imagined.

In the center of the garden was a fountain made of pure white stone that glowed in the moonlight. It made the white marble of the corridor and columns dull and gray in comparison. Engraved in the stone were several strange symbols that were defined by the luminous glow of reflected light. The crystal water heaved upward in the center to form a pedestal for a shimmering orb the size of a man's head.

Seated on the edge of this fountain was Adesina's mother. Their eyes met and a shy smile appeared on each of their faces. Her mother patted the stone next to her. "Come and sit with me, Ma'eve."

Adesina did so, fairly bursting with questions. "What is your name?"

Her mother smiled her sweet smile. "E'rian."

The word sounded slightly musical. It settled into Adesina's heart like a warm liquid. "Am I to call you that?"

E'rian raised her eyebrows. "If you wish. Or you may simply call me *mother.'"

This had a strangely strong appeal to Adesina. "Very well, mother."

The young Shimat studied the stunning garden that surrounded them. "Where are we?"

E'rian joined her in looking around. "It has many names in many tongues in many worlds. I simply call it the Garden."

"Did you call me here?"

There was a hint of sadness in her eyes as E'rian shook her head. "No, child. You called me."

Frustration bubbled up inside Adesina. "I still do not know why."

E'rian reached over and took Adesina's hand. "Do not trouble yourself, Ma'eve. It will come to you in time."

"And in the meantime?" Adesina asked with a harsher edge to her voice than she intended.

E'rian stood and pulled her daughter up with her. "We shall make up for lost time."

They walked around the Garden for the rest of the night, holding hands and talking about Adesina's childhood. For the first time in Adesina's life she felt like she could speak freely and know that she would not be reprimanded or ridiculed. Even Signe and Kendan, both of whom were closer to the young woman than anyone, did not inspire such a lack of restraint.

When the morning light began to dilute the darkness, Adesina turned to E'rian with an unsettled expression on her face. "Ravi says we will be leaving the forest today."

Her mother nodded serenely.

Adesina found her words were sticking in her throat. She cleared her throat and spoke in a more brusque tone. "When I find the answer am I to come back to this forest?"

E'rian looked puzzled. "Why would you need to do that?"

It was Adesina's turn to frown. "To see you. To Dream."

The older woman laughed softly, a lovely musical sound. "Ma'eve, you do not need the forest to Dream now that you know the way. The door has been opened and you can enter whenever you choose."

Adesina felt a flood of relief and ducked her head in embarra.s.sment when she realized how clearly it must have been showing on her face. "So, I will see you again?" she mumbled.

E'rian took Adesina's chin in her slender hand and tipped her face upward again. "You keep asking that, my daughter. Why so uncertain?"

She searched for words that would downplay the abnormal amount of emotion she was feeling. "I just do not understand how all of this works."

A thoughtful expression came over E'rian as she looked at the young woman before her. "Dreaming is a skill, in a way. You have been taught and aided by this forest in your Dreaming, but that skill will remain with you when you leave. If you have trouble, Ravi will guide you."

Adesina nodded. E'rian released her daughter's face and stepped back. "Close your eyes, Ma'eve. It will ease the crossing."

The young woman frowned, slightly confused, but did as she was asked. When she opened her eyes again she was lying in the camp. Ravi was lying next to her, his head resting on his front paws but his golden eyes wide awake. Kendan was curled in the fetal position next to the fire.

She sat up, and Ravi raised his head to look at her. "Tell your companion we will be leaving the forest today. He needs some rea.s.surance."

Adesina moved over to Kendan's side and put a hand on his shoulder. "Kendan, we will be leaving the forest today."

A shiver and a sigh escaped from Kendan's motionless body. Adesina repacked all their gear and followed Ravi through the trees. Kendan gripped her hand as if it were his only link to sanity.

Around noon the trees began to thin, and Adesina could see sunlight filtering down through the foliage. The whispers also grew more faint, and it became possible for the young Shimat to tune them out entirely. She could see the end of the trees just ahead.

As they stepped out into the sunlight, the voices stopped abruptly. It took a moment for Adesina's eyes to adjust, but she was immediately scanning the area for any prominent danger. Kendan, too distracted to remember his training, heaved a deep sigh of relief. He closed his eyes and focused on breathing in and out, almost as if trying to keep some strong emotion under control.

Ravi waited patiently a few feet from where Adesina stood. He nodded his head to the north. "The High City awaits."

Chapter Seven: The High City.

It took almost ten more days for them to reach their destination. They approached the High City from the northwest, circling around and pa.s.sing through a dense forest not far from the city gates. They stopped in the middle of the forest and dismounted.

Kendan held up two curiously made bags. "These have false bottoms where you can conceal your Shimat belongings."

He helped her to transfer everything from her saddlebags with an amused expression. "With all their high morals, they are still a very nosy group of people. Be careful of that."

Adesina nodded in acknowledgment.

He gave her some clothes to change into and made a small tent out of their blankets to give her some privacy.

Her cover story was that she hailed from one of the northern tribes. They were mostly nomadic people and there were over a hundred different tribes. Both of these facts made it an ideal fictional background because it made verification difficult. She had been given all the information necessary to impersonate a tribe member. Now all she needed was to look the part.

Adesina repressed an incredulous snort as she held up the clothing given to her. She had never worn a dress before, and she wasn't sure she wanted to start now. The skirt was a rough brown material and the bottom was lined with a frayed, multicolored fringe. The bodice was cream colored and lined with the same fringe as the skirt. The laces down the front of the bodice and on the sleeves were a vibrant green. Adesina struggled with the clothing, hoping that nothing was out of place.

She twisted her silver and black hair into an elaborate braid and pinned it up, in the manner of the northerners. A piece of green ribbon matching her laces was worn across her forehead as a headband. When all of this was done, she took a deep breath and moved out from behind the blankets.

Kendan smiled when she reappeared. His first real smile since before the whispering forest. "You looka" he paused, then his expression became sad and he cleared his throat. "From here you must go on alone. Remember your instructions, and report here in one month's time. If there is an emergency, send the signal."

Adesina nodded, her mind was racing with all of the information that she needed to remember. She slung the two bags onto her back and began walking towards the city gates, leaving Kendan and the horses behind her. Ravi kept up with her pace easily, humming quietly to himself.

"How do you plan on getting into the city?" she asked her invisible friend.

Ravi smiled at this question. "Does this mean you have decided that I am not merely a figment of your imagination?"

Adesina laughed softly. "No, I am just being practical. An imagination such as mine would have an answer."

"Hmph. Well, in that case, perhaps it would be a better question to ask how the city could keep me out."

She didn't have an answer to this query, and discreetly let the subject drop. As she came to the edge of the forest, she got her first look at the outside of the High City.

The walls around the city appeared to be constructed from the logs of large trees. The walls were quite a bit taller than what was usually seen surrounding a city and they had been painted white. Sentinels were stationed along the top of the wall every few feet, keeping a stern eye on anyone who might approach. There was a single steel door set into the wood that served as the gate. There were also a series of small huts that served as waiting rooms for those hoping to get into the city.

The guards spotted Adesina the minute she stepped away from the cover of the trees. She moved through the tall yellowing gra.s.s like a whisper, and Ravi made even less noise. The sentinel above the gate eyed her suspiciously as she approached.

The guard wore a uniform that was modest in cut and material, and rich brown in color. He had a black sash draped from his left shoulder to his right hip and a bow in hand. When he spoke, it was in the common tongue. "What do you want, young woman?"

His tone made it sound like he was much older than her, but Adesina doubted he was more than nineteen years old. He had chestnut hair and mischievous hazel eyes that openly appraised her.

She a.s.sumed a meek expression and reminded herself to speak in his language, but with the accent of one from the far north. "I wish to live and work in the High City."