|
|
The Story Continues... Without comment Tara and her dark haired companion divested themselves of their towels and then knelt on the smooth age-worn stones that bordered the small pool. Tara breathed gently and deeply as she had been taught. Her eyes watched the reflection of the master opposite her and he in turn gazed calmly at her reflected image.
The magic, as all aspects of life within the temple, had prepared them both for this moment. As expected within a few minutes the clear water of the still pool clouded as the magic contained within touched the first boundary of Tara's mind.
Without words the master guided her deeper into the embrace of the pool, Tara felt the cool touch of the magic flowing through her mind and the waters of the pool swirled and colours glowed and faded in a dance reminiscent of the dancers in Tara's dream.
As they watched the colours in the pool strengthened and took on more definite forms. Faces appeared and spoke unheard words before fading back to reveal landscapes and villages blackened by death and an unseen destruction. Through the smoke and muted wails of the lost a man walked. His hazel eyes stared out towards the horizon as he walked towards an unknown destination. His gaze never faltered, he simply brushed past the dying and the desperate his worn black boots blindly crushed bones and flowers as he came on...
Tara shuddered and tried to turn her gaze away but the magic held her firmly in its grasp and drew more and more from her dream, translating it into possible truth with no regard for her feelings.
Finally it ended. Tara collapsed, her head spinning as she lay against the cool stone. The master rose and covered her with a towel but offered no other comfort as she silently sobbed.
Tara quickly recovered her self control and stood up, wrapping the towel around herself shivering slightly against the cool air of the tower's topmost room. "You did well," was all the master said and then left, descending the one hundred steps to the temple proper. Tara followed her thoughts full of the possible meaning of the terrible images the pool had shown them. At the bottom of the tower steps the master turned and said, "Dress, refresh yourself, and then meet me in the garden. We will discuss the revelations of the pool." Tara bowed slightly and went quickly to do as she was asked.:-Paul
