The sun rose wonderfully, beautifully, magnificently over 
the tiny valley village, the bright light creeping over the 
vales and into the houses, calling people from their sleep.  
Granted, since most of them were farmers, they already were 
up and about; still, they watched the sunrise for a slow 
moment, wonder in their heart, before setting back to work.

 In her room at the edge of town, Sarai felt the sun stir 
over her.  She rolled over, trying to get away from the 
golden rays, but they persisted, and finally she allowed her 
eyes to open.  Laying back in her pillow contentedly, she 
spat at the golden light, "Thank you for disturbing one of 
my FAVORITE dreams.  Just what I need this morning."

 The sun apparently didn't care what she said, for the rays 
streamed upward still, golden light dancing among her 
curtains and bedcovers and on the walls.  "I know, I 
know,"she continued, "you really don't care.  You can't 
care.  You're the sun."  She let loose a heavy sigh.  Still, 
I wish you DID care, because then I could find out what that 
handsome boy's true feelings were....oh well."

 She sluffed into her pillow, faintly considering getting 
up, and then deciding not to.  She knew that today she'd 
have to bake double time, for there were some Survivors due 
to pass through, and everyone would do their best to make 
sure they were well-fed before they started for home again.  
And the thought of working over that hot oven for hours on 
end, sweating and feeling miserable, especially if Mam was 
whipping up that heavy porridge again...well, it made her 
want to spit at the sun.

 "Sarai! SARAI!" came a shrieking voice.  "Sun's up, time to 
get up!"

 Oh no, no, no, no, she thought, turning over and hiding 
beneath the covers, trying to arrange herself like a sleeper 
would.  I am NOT getting up yet.  

 Still, Mam pounded into her room, shaking her.  "Sarai, 
Sarai!" she shrieked at her, though she was barely a foot 
away.  "SARAI, ITS TIME TO GET UP!" 

 When she barely stirred, the woman stood away, hands on her 
hips.  She could hear the gathering intake of air before Mam 
launched into it again: "Sarai, I know you're awake.  Come 
on you lazy bag of bones, you've got work to do!"

 Nothing.

 "And there's a stupid message from that woman again, the 
what's her face whose husband died in the war...well, she 
wants you to come and see her right after breakfast!" 

 A little stirring.  The heavy woman went around and yanked 
the curtains open to put the full sunshine on the girl's 
face.  Now she stirred more, but didn't rise.

 Finally, Mam had had enough.  Her eyes narrowed at the 
girl, and inside her mind she built up a thundercloud of 
heavy emotions.  Suddenly, with the deftness of an ox, she 
struck at the girl. 

 "ARHG!" screamed Sarai, flying up from her bed, hand flying 
swiftly to her head.  "MAM!" 

 "That'll teach you not to try to stay late in bed," the 
woman said gruffly.  "Come on, get out of bed.  There's 
things to be done today."

 Sarai nodded, wincing as she did.  Her head pounded like a 
drum beat on the inside of her skull, her eyes watered, and 
the insides of her ears rang; still, she got up out of bed 
and turned to the curtains to draw them shut so she could 
dress.  Mam smirked, and turned, walking out the door.  

 As soon as she did, Sarai fell to her knees, head 
cushioning itself on the thick blankets.  It's not fair, she 
thought to herself, tears sopping the blanket, that I have 
to be so...Gifted.  Sensitive to people's emotions. What did 
they call it?  Empathy.  I'm empathic, and Mam knows it.  
Uses it against me everytime, she does.

 "Sarai! You'd better be dressing!" 

 With a grunt, she hoisted herself off the bed, and turned 
to dressing.  She decided the light, simple shirt from the 
merchant would do--especially over that oven!--and her blue 
skirt, along with her softest pair of shoes.  She'd be on 
her feet all day, and Mam would whip her if she fell or 
shirked or something like that.  Mam always made excuses to 
try and kill her.

 She turned to shut the curtains, and caught the golden 
light on one of the spare ornaments in the room.  Joshua 
Spring, a.k.a. Josh, her beloved brother.  It was the one of 
two pictures of him in the cottage, and the only one that 
looked even close to his natural pose.  The other had him 
stiff and stern; this one had him as...well, just Josh, with 
his curling light hair, and softly glowing blue eyes, shaded 
just right.  He'd done it for her out of his own scant 
chalk, even though he knew that Mam despised his talent.  
Wouldn't even let him Draw for a little extra, she thought, 
disgusted, even though she KNEW we could use it.  She 
slipped into her clothes angrily, and then caught herself.  
Conserve, collect, calm, she thought softly to herself.  It 
was the only thing she'd ever really learned from the young 
man who'd come through, a man who supposedly had her talent.  
Well, that and a little bit of refinement, but truly, that 
was all.

 She hurried downstairs, feeling much better.  Her headache 
had receeded as she put her mind to other tasks; mind shocks 
usually disappeared if you didn't think about them.  Already 
at the table were Justin and the little brat, Amanda.  The 
young blond sneered at her before returning to her porridge, 
and Sarai caught herself before she twisted that emotion.  
That was another thing to watch--the Act of Twisting.  The 
very same young man had described what that could do to a 
person, hoping to disuade her from the new idea.  She'd 
stopped herself more often after she'd heard about it; it 
was hard to restrain curiosity, especially with violent 
images she could barely conjure.

 She ate quickly, hoping to get away from Amanda and get 
down to Sykes.  She was sure that was who the message was 
from, for the old woman had become her acquaintance as soon 
as Josh had come to her for lessons, and a friend when she 
learned she was Gifted.  Sykes was one of very few Elders 
who understood the Gifted; she also had a knack for making 
the BEST tea. The wind caught her skirt in a sharp blast, 
and she smiled for the first time this morning; she enjoyed 
the winds blowing about her.  It made her feel....free.

 Upon entering Sykes house (without knocking--the old woman 
DISDAINED knocking) she was surprised to see Aerin there.  
The young woman was looking over the newest of the old one's 
baskets, murmering to herself about warp and weft and 
tightness.  Sarai watched her, amused, before saying softly, 
"Morning, Aerin."

 The woman looked up quickly, and flashed her one of the 
smiles that always seemed to illuminate her face.  Aerin was 
on of the Bright people, or those who Sarai could be around 
with little trouble.  Their thoughts, their emotions were 
soft upon her sharpened senses, and nearly gone when she 
shielded.  Her friend was about her height, and the soft, 
brown hair fell in thin strands to shortly past her 
shoulders.   Her brown eyes sparkled in a round face, and 
her voice was cheery as she replied, "Good morning, Sarai!  
Welcome to the day!"

 Sarai smiled again, then pointed to the basket, asking, 
"Looking to make a purchase for your Mam?"

 "No, no," Aerin replied, voice bright.  "I was just 
examining the craft of it.  Very nice--it'll make a good 
carrier of mustard seed."

 "Mustard seed?" 

 "The little seed that always spills through every crack, 
and then comes up in a huge bush to split the planks, Sarai!  
I heard ol' Scon is having troubles with one, serves him 
right, the old coot."  She turned away from the basket, and 
Sarai caught a shifting glint in her hands, and smiled 
again.  

 "Expecting trouble, Aerin?"

 "No, never," she replied honestly.

 "Yet you carry your stones."

 Aerin's eyes glinted mysteriously, and she lowered her 
voice.  "Sykes told me to bring them, though she gave no 
reason.  Probably just to fire some pots, though."

 "Probably."  Aerin was also Gifted, a rare thing in such a 
tiny village.  She had the ability to pull the power from 
stones, depending on their color and quality.  It was a 
wonderfully useful gift, unlike her empathy, which only led 
people to stare at her.

 As if it was willed that she not think dark thoughts, into 
the room strode Sykes.  The dimunitive, gray haired woman 
nearly shown with the energy she had, the happiness inside 
her.  She wasn't a Bright person, though; she was twice as 
opinionated as the next person, and sometimes her thoughts 
were able to jam themselves past her shielding.  She smiled 
at the two girls, her hands white with clay dust, and said, 
"Well, welcome Sarai! You're up early."

 "It's baking day, Madam Sykes.  Mam wants me on my feet for 
as long as possible, especially with the rumors of Survivors 
coming through," she reported honestly, hands twisting the 
material of the dress for a moment.

 "Ah, I see," the woman replied. "And don't call me Madam! I 
don't take titles with friends."

 "Yes, Sykes," replied Sarai.  She could never get used to 
that.

 "Why have you summoned us, Sykes?" Aerin swiftly asked, 
using the break to throw in her question.

 "I'm sure it wasn't to admire your fine work," Sarai added.

 Sykes smiled again, her eyes crinkling in happiness.  "You 
two are a fine boost to an old woman," she said, voice soft.  
"I'm glad that I'll be able to take you two along."

 "Along?" Sarai said, brow furrowing.  "Are we to go 
somewhere, Sykes?"

 "Oh, how silly of me!" she burst out.  "I forgot to mention 
it to you."  She, too, took a seat, arranging herself snugly 
in the old oak chair.  "I am going on a journey, and I want 
to take you two with me."

 Aerin looked surprised, and Sarai's mouth fell open.  A 
JOURNEY!  they thought.  AWAY FROM HERE?  

 "Yes," Sykes reported, eyes twinkling.  "A journey away 
from this tiny village."

 The shock settled on them for moments, and then Aerin 
asked, "Are we the only ones?"

 "Goodness, child," Sykes started, but then a rapping came 
at the door.  "Be right back," she threw quickly, moving 
spryly across the floor towards the door.  When she 
vanished, the two girls looked through the doorway, then 
back to each other.

 And fell over one another trying to hug.  "I can't believe 
it!" Sarai whispered.  "A journey! Away from here!"

 "Far away, I hope," Aerin said dreamily, and Sarai threw 
her a sharp glance.  Despite their friendship, there was a 
little jealously running between them, mostly on Sarai's 
part.  After all, she thought to herself, she's got every 
man in Kreel after her, and yet she won't talk with them.  
Despite... and then she quelched those thoughts.  It wasn't 
nice, nor prudent, for her to do such thinking.  It could 
lead to her wondering what Aerin would be like after a 
Twisting, and that WASN'T who Sarai was.  

 I wonder where I picked up this violent streak, she thought 
to herself.  Probably by accident.

 "Maybe to Redstones," Aerin said, still following her 
dreams.  "Or Black Rivers."  Her eyes shone.  "Perhaps even 
the capital Bellcosi..."

 "Why don't you throw in Cair Rael for good measure," Sarai 
said, half teasing.

 "Sarai, please," Aerin said.  "You don't know how badly I 
want to get out of here.  I think...." and now her usually 
soft brown eyes went fierce, "I think I will suffocate if I 
don't!"

 "Aerin," sighed Sarai.  "I'm sure with..." but then she 
stopped, for three sets of footsteps approached.  As if 
ashamed of their friendship, the two girls skittered back to 
their places, and watched.

 In stepped Sykes, looking cheery as usual.  However, the 
two that came with her were...unusual.  They stood side by 
side, a woman and a man, faces blank.  The woman was a mite 
taller than Aerin, with a green cloak that swirled around 
her plain green dress, nearly hitting her ankles, which were 
encased in the oddest looking black shoes, small and tight 
around her feet.  Her only adornment was a crown of 
carefully embroidered gold leaves about her still-in-place 
hood; the weirdest thing was the shadow her face was plunged 
in.  With the light in the room, one should've been able to 
look deeply into her eyes, yet you could not.  Her male 
companion was no less different, though one could see his 
face.  He was a mite taller than the woman, wearing a cloak 
of midnight blue, his hood pushed down to reveal a fierce 
and...wild, grizzled face, short black hair on his head and 
deep, deep blue eyes staring from his sockets.  It was these 
that at first caught the two girls, for blue eyes were 
nearly unheard of, except in some stories, and no one put 
much stock in those.  Then came the fact that while the 
woman at least bore a dagger, he bore no weapons; no 
traveler in his right mind didn't carry weapons! Yet the way 
that he stared at the two girls nearly wilted Aerin, and 
Sarai felt a barrage of emotions smack her in the face when 
she looked into his eyes; it nearly convinced them that he 
wouldn't NEED weapons. He'd stare people off.

 "Sarai, Aerin," Sykes said, voice still pleasant, "meet Lo 
and Yin.  They will be traveling with us."

 "Salutations to you, Sarai, Aerin," said Yin (they assumed 
the woman's name went with the woman).  "It's a pleasure to 
meet you."

 "And you too, uh, Miss, uh, Lady Yin," Sarai replied, words 
fumbling with uneasiness from her mouth.

 "Greetings to you and Lo, Lady Yin," Aerin said, her words 
somewhat more graceful.

 The two traveler's exchanged glances, and Lyn said, 
"Actually, its just Lyn, ladies.  Or Yin, as this one here 
addresses me."  They could hear her smile beneath her cloak, 
and she nudged her companion lightly.

 "Greetings, ladies," Lo said.  "And though MY true name is 
Logan, this one here INSISTS on calling me Lo.  It really 
doesn't matter though what you call me, as long as it 
doesn't insult my blood."

 "We'll do our best to be courteous--or, at least, I will," 
Sarai replied, a small smile sprouting on her face.  Aerin 
threw her a look, but it was true that she sometimes let her 
tongue get away with her.  Not very often, though, and over 
paltry stuff, like who was under the haystack last week, or 
whose horse might be lame.  

 Again, they seemed to hear Yin...LYN...grin, and then Sykes 
broke in, saying, "Now that you four are acquainted, why 
don't you take your seats and I'll explain this journey."

 They did so, Lyn arranging her dress, Lo still looking 
stern, though some of his expression seemed to relax JUST a 
mite, Aerin and Sarai nervously plucking at the fibers of 
their skirts.  A JOURNEY...FAR away!...WITH STRANGERS!!  
kept running through her head, the refrain building the 
nervousness within her.  Sykes eyed them all, determining 
when they were done picking at themselves, before saying 
gently, "I've invited the four of you to go on a journey 
with me, to a far away place.  However, there are other 
reasons besides the fact that," and here came a wide smile, 
"I like all of you."

 Other reasons?  Sarai wondered.  Could she...the stones?  
She pursed her lips, trying to make the connection that 
wouldn't come to her.

 "First, WHY are we going," she rolled on.  "After all, 
there's just BEEN a war--why should we leave when the land's 
in turmoil.  Here's why--because we need to.  This area is 
too SMALL for the five of us.  We need to spread out, see 
the world a little bit, flex our muscles, before we come 
back here to live and die."

 A smile touched her lips abruptly, and a glint sprang into 
her eyes.  "And then there's the WHY ME? question.  Logan, I 
suspect you have it partly figured out, but you don't know 
where's these girls fit in.  Or me, for that matter."  She 
paused, and the man seemed to nod.  "Well, I'll tell you 
why.  It's because we're all Gifted."

 A gasp escaped the girls--they couldn't help it.  The Gifts 
were so RARE! The fact that Aerin and Sarai both had them in 
the same, small village was a shock in itself--but to know 
that these others had them as well?  It was just too odd! 

 "All of us, Mother Sykes?" Lyn questioned, her tone 
careful.  "What can these girls do?  And YOU! I've never 
seen you make sparks or darken the sky, or any such other 
nonsense I hear about when people talk of the Gifts."

 "That's because, dear, my Gift is my Sight.  I am able to 
see beyond the normal views, and it has served me well in my 
lifetime," Sykes replied firmly.  "As for these two...well, 
that's why they're here.  To demonstrate.  Aerin, please, 
show us your fire."

 "In here, Sykes?" Aerin asked, her voice cautious.

 "Just out of the stone, like you showed me the other day," 
she replied, gently urging the girl to reply.  Sarai noticed 
that the other two had put their heads together to whisper, 
and she managed to only catch "fire from stone" (said in the 
most unbelieving voice) before they separated.

 Aerin reached into her bag of stones, extracting a bright 
red stone, stripes of earth running through it's polished 
surface.  Still, it was clearly red tainted earth, and 
therefore still mostly red; Aerin had stressed to her that 
this was a good thing.  She held it up in the palm of her 
left hand, and gently blew on it, her eyes focusing solely 
on the stone.  A small, blue-orange flame lept from the 
stone, and she backed away, still holding it in her hand.  
The four of them all got a good look at it before she leaned 
over and blew it out; quickly, she placed the stone in her 
pouch and held up her hand.  It wasn't even red.

 "Could I see that stone, please?" Logan asked, and in reply 
she re-fished it out and handed it to him.  The two of them 
examined it carefully, and then he handed it back, looking 
suitably impressed.  

 "Now you, Sarai," Sykes said, nodding to indicate she 
should speak to Lyn.  Carefully, Sarai centered herself, 
taking a deep breath, and found the darkness within.  
Pushing slightly within her mind, she extended that darkness 
to touch Lyn.  She took another deep breath before pushing 
along the message, ~Aren't you hot under your hood?~

 Lyn blinked--she could feel it--and then replied with a 
startling easiness, ~Why, I didn't realize it was still on.  
Thank you, Sarai.~  

 Sarai blushed, withdrawing from her mind, and then focused 
back on Lyn.  She was removing her hood.  

 Underneath, more surprises waited.  She had the ordinary 
round cheeks and wide mouth; extraordinary, though, were her 
hair and her eyes: eyes a pure silver, and auburn hair that 
descended into black as it fell towards her ends.  It was an 
eerily beautiful combination, and one Sarai knew she'd NEVER 
forget.  

 "Finally come out of your cave, eh?" Lo asked.

 "Be quiet, Lo," she said, gently, smiling.   Then, to 
Sarai, she said, "Are you empathic or telepathic?"

 "Actually, I was told I was an empath, but occasionally I 
can do...the send," Sarai replied, voice unsure.  She felt 
as if by talking to Lyn, she was talking UP.  

 "It's called telepathy, Sarai," she said with a smile.  
"But I suspect you're right--you are more of an empath than 
a telepath."  She adjusted the hood that now hung down the 
back of her neck.  "Thanks for reminding me to take that 
off.  I'm just so used to it being on.  People tend to look 
down on me 'cause I look funny."  She ended with a 
melancholy sigh, and Sarai realized that she and Lo really 
weren't that much older than her and Aerin.  How strange, 
that they seem so...regal, she thought.  Maybe that's their 
Gift!

 "It's our turn, I'd guess," Lo said, bringing her mind back 
into focus.  "Mother Sykes..."

 "Just Sykes, please.  We have a long journey in front of 
us."

 "All right, Sykes...do you want me to do it in here?" he 
asked.

 "Me as well, Sykes," Yin asked.  "You know how I tend to 
attract the wrong element."  She cast a sidelong glance at 
Lo, and his relaxed sterness seemed to crack as he assumed a 
mocking face.  She giggled in reply.

 "I'm sure you two can do well.  Logan, you first," Sykes 
said.

 "All right," he replied, standing.  He took a deep breath, 
and his eyes seemed to roll back into his head, and in NO 
time at all, there was a small, white and red cat sitting on 
the floor, looking up at them with wide, blue eyes.  Then, 
it reverted back to Logan, who opened his eyes, and smiled 
for the first time at all of them.  Sitting, he pronounced, 
"My Gift is what's called Shifting, though its usually 
limited to the small and medium sized creatures."

 The girls openly gawcked; even Sykes seemed a little 
amazed.  Lyn smiled at them all, then confided in 
conspiratorial tones, "Even I still get shivers when I see 
it." She stood up then, shrugging aside her cloak to reveal 
more of her hunter green dress--which, Sarai noted, was shot 
through with more gold and some gray--and lower her face.  
Her eyes still open, hair trailing in wisps down her face, 
she murmured, <Falco peregrinus...ven.>

 Her eyes grew shiny, silverly bright, and suddenly a loud 
flapping of wings sounded in the room, and a blue-gray 
falcon darted in, perching on her upraised arm.  The claws 
that dug in didn't seem to hurt her, and she brought the 
bird close, murmuring to it.  Suddenly, she again commanded, 
this time, <Flora...traiga.>

 The bird flew off, yet her eyes still glowed the same 
bright silver, so bright it seemed her hair was suffused 
with the glow as well.  Then, as quickly as it had gone, the 
bird returned, a flowed gently clutched in its beak.  She 
took it, then waved her hand, sending it away.  The silver 
glow that had posessed her eyes receded, and she slumped 
suddenly.  Lo was at her side in an instant, but she waved 
him away as she did the falcon, and sat down.  Twirling the 
flower, she said softly, "I haven't done that in awhile.  My 
apologies for my almost faint."  She tossed the flower to 
Sarai, who gently caught the bloom, then rubbed at the 
falcon marks on her arm.  "If you haven't noticed, I'm a 
Caller, of most anything and everything.  I can talk to 
animals, and some plants, too, but I haven't really refined 
that side effect of my gift."

 "That was amazing," Sarai said.

 "I take it you don't hunt, then," Aerin said quickly.

 She smiled wistfully.  "Actually, I do hunt.  Well, I used 
to--but this brute here," she tapped Lo, "usually does it 
for the two of us, now.  Still, I can use a stave or a bow 
or a dagger as well as anyone in my family." 

 "I love to hunt," Sarai said, her tone soft.  She and Josh 
used to go all the time, before Mam got angry all the time 
and stopped them; still, whenever she got a chance, she took 
out her bow and brought home something small.   

 "And she's good, too," Aerin chimed in.  "She can hit 
anything in her range." 

 "Well, not exactly," Sarai said, faint blush on her cheek.

 "Exactly," Aerin asserted firmly.  

 "Well, enough chatter about our strengths," Sykes suddenly 
interrupted.  "I'm sure you'd all like to know just WHERE 
we're going, right?"

 The four of them nodded eagerly, or in their own eager 
fashion in Lo's case.

 "Well, it just so happens," Sykes said, "that we are going 
to Rainbow Falls."

 Silence filled the room as their mouths dropped to the 
floor.  "Rain...Rainbow Falls?" Sarai finally stammered out.  
"You're joking, right?"

 Sykes smiled a soft smile, and shook her head.  "Not in the 
slightest," she replied.

 "But why?" Lo asked, his voice lifting for the first time 
from its dark rumble.  "That's a long ways away."

 "Well, frankly, because we deserve it," Sykes replied, 
standing.  She moved herself to address the whole group, 
unintentionally taking on an air of a teacher.  "There's 
just been a war on, and now we have to deal with this whole 
messy after business.  The Survivors coming through like 
major heros, when they probably only saw a hint of battle--
perhaps from a distance.  Those with the real scars are at 
home, not like THIS bunch of phonies."  She nodded to Sarai.  
"And we have to treat them like royal guests.  Well, I'm 
sick of it.  I want to get out of this town."

 "So what about us?" Aerin asked cautiously.  "Why are you 
taking..."

 "Child, listen for a moment," Sykes said softly.  "There is 
something all of us have in common, besides our Gifts."  
When a pause didn't bring forth any volunteers on what this 
might be, she said softly, "We've all lost someone to this 
war."

 That brought more than a pause.  It was true; Aerin had 
lost two cousins--Sarai her brother.  Although they didn't 
know it, Lyn's family had taken some hits, and Lo's brother 
had gone off to be a hero, and come back a crippled, near 
vegetable.  In a way, it was all too much to bear, but they 
pushed it under the surface, where it lay simmering, 
festering, eating away at them.

 "You're right, Sykes," Sarai whispered as the pain flooded 
her once again.  "We do need to get away...from the 
memories....the past."  Her voice faded into a low sound.  

 "Yes, child, we do."  Her eyes, which had grown misty--
probably thinking of her husband--hardened once more.  "Now, 
I've taken enough of your time--run along home."

 "But Sykes," Aerin started, but she stopped on receiving a 
warning look from the woman.  

 "Go home,"  she repeated.  "I will talk with your parents 
later."

 "Should we leave as well, Sykes?" Lyn asked quietly.  

 "No...no...you two have traveled before, am I right?"
 
 They nodded.

 "Then I'll need you here.  We have a lot of things to plan 
out, and very little time to do it."  

 Sarai and Aerin both rose, their skirts rustling, when 
suddenly Sarai stopped and turned.  "Sykes," she tenatively 
called out.
 
 "Yes?" 

 She took a breath, and her hazel eyes steadied.  "Thank 
you," she whispered, then turned and ran out of the house.