OVER THE EDGE November 7-21, 2007 Arts & Culture 7 I loved would be there to support me no matter what the result. Just like that the wall I had put up for months was shattered by a single teat, . A periodical book: Chapter 2 “The Convocation” This is a book being written chapter by chapter for publication in Over the Edge Newspaper. Chapter 1 was in the previous edition of Over the Edge. AMANDA RAMSAY CONTRIBUTOR Ligea “So what do you think the problem is?” asked Annie. “Honestly, I don’t know until I hear more. I told you this might take some time since your circumstances have changed. You are not the same person from a few months ago. Your spirit has been hurt and you are going through a lot of turmoil. You will need to figure out who you are right now. We’ve done all we can for now. We’ve had a pretty rough day, are you okay going home on your own? Do you want me to drive you home, or follow you?” “No, I will be okay, I promise. Thanks for your help.” As I asked her whether she was out of tea I thought about just how much she had overcome. Her husband had run away with a woman, but not until after making her feel inhuman. She was destroyed when she called me up several weeks ago, just devastated “I’m glad to see that you’re making a lot of good conclusions and you’re learning so much about yourself!” “With your help,” she said. Leaning against the door frame she called for her kids, who were playing in the back, said good bye and looked very contemplative as she left. She is such a strong person. The wars between Okeadomids and the Syl- vestris of the Pteridomids had left her without a father and a raped and pregnant mother. Her mother, against all common sense, would beat her until she denounced men as killers. The war was traumatic on us all. As is my custom, I went for a simple weeding walk on my trails as I waited for water to boil. When I returned I had thought so deeply of the many little wars that made up the Great Laniean War, that I was in a deep reverie and almost missed the jingle of the shells. My heart beat frantic and my primal instincts peaked, I stood’so still and studied the shells until I thought that I might begin to hear through walls and see things not actually in existence. The shells had been made into a chime. For my clients, they looked like harmless chimes. Being their mak- er, I knew that I had imbued the quality of warning in them. I’m not sure how I acquired this ability, but I know that it is unusual and a gift. It is told that the Sylvestris had this ability and many more, but no one has seen a Sylvestris since their massacre in the Great Laniean War. As for me, I need to protect myself. My dreams have been absolutely haunting me, and I be- lieve they are a warning. Hologoud As I walked up the garden path I heard a jingling of shells within the house. “Well, the 5th quarter Norns are correct for once, damn women!’ I thought quietly. As I got closer to the house, its occupant within was scurry- ing quite quickly. I knocked. I could see her trepidation. She paused, looked at the door to which I stood behind, and then looked behind her. On it went for a few moments, it was silly! This woman was wasting time, but I had to be patient. I could not afford to scare her. . She slowly walked up the path to the door. She had the most remark- able facial features although she was entirely plain. She had green eyes and brown hair, but the way the light hit her hair it would seem almost red. Her green eyes were a piercing aqua, not quite blue but definitely green... “T said can I help you?” She looked scared and would not come near me. “Oh! Uh, yeah. I heard you were a healer?” “Yes,” she looked me up and down and leaned back a little more. “What do you need help with?” “Can I come inside? It’s a long story, and it’s getting cold out here.” I wanted to be gentle, but she had to start packing now! “J-I can’t, I’ve finished-d f-f-for the night.” She looked relieved that she had finally answered her sentence. I could then see her face become scared again, her verbal victory over words was gone in an instant. “T’m really sorry to intrude, but I don’t normally come this far out of town. I was hoping you could help me. I’d hate to make the same trek again tomorrow to come see you.” ‘Please work,’ I had thought. “T suppose you could come in, would you like me to make some tea?” This was how the chit-chat started. It was a relatively odd time to be chat- ting for so long, but by 9:00 I was scared that we might not leave in time. The Okia might be getting closer to us. “Please, let me be frank now.” Ligea looked scared now. “What do you me-?” “T mean that you are in danger, you probably know it and we have to get out of here now!” IJ blurted it all out a little bit faster than I meant to. I con- sidered for a moment why I of all people would have a problem controlling myself. No reason ensued, I must be getting sick-Damn it. Ligea looked thoughtful; she stared at me with her change-colour eyes. I knew she was evaluating me. Just then, her shells began to shake again, and I now understood it. She had imbued a quality into them. They were now a warning sign, but they didn’t seem to know the difference between myself and whatever else was coming, most likely an Okia. She looked at me and I realised that she had notice that the shells did not scare me. I think I had proven myself to her without trying. “Let’s go. This person coming does not know you are here. He seems to be extremely volatile and violent too.” She began grabbing things and shoving them into a bag. “While I am packing, you are going to tell me where you plan on taking me, how and most importantly-why?” “IT am a Herodian, of the Pteridomids. You’ve never heard of us, but it is the Silvestris of the Pteridomids that started the war. They started the war fighting us and then we went into hiding. We live and are a people popu- lating the Adamante Forest. You are going there with me. The Noms are awaiting you; they wish to complete your training faster than expected. The Okia are after you and we don’t know why.” She looked at me in an odd way. “The Okia are a people from the Sylvestris line that have survived be- cause of their ability to track and hunt down people. They are very secretive and you can’t see them. If they want you they will have you, hence why I have been sent to come and get you. I know this scares you but please keep packing.” She had stopped to give me wide eyes, a cute little ploy that we had not time for. “The Okia are employed like mercenaries by the Sylvestris and they are not often sent out. You must be extremely important to them. Okay, here’s the plan, we will travel out your walk way path to your hidden garden. From there we will walk in the stream-” another odd face. “So they can’t track us!” I was getting very short with her. “From there we'll walk on and seal your fate!” “T still don’t understand why you’re here, why you want me, and why would the- ‘Okia?’” I nodded, “want me? “We'll figure that out when we get to the Adamante Forest. Right now, we have to go. We’ll talk about your convocation after.” Becky Biixrep, CONTRIBUTER A snow covered f peak near Mc- Bride, BC.