Chapter Eight

Tess studied the tiny waves of blue tourmalines in the ring the encircled her little finger.

The burn under the ring that had started with Jacko’s return to camp with his daughter’s body had not let up and still remained as an irritating itch. This was not a good omen. Tess tried to trace the cause of her uneasiness. She went through a mental list.

Cassie’s fever seemed to have eased and the chills were less frequent. The babies were nursing well. Two of the camp’s men had returned with a fresh supply of fish so food would be plentiful for the next week. William seemed irritable but that was not unusual lately.

What is going on?

She’d been haunted by disturbing dreams the last couple of nights. Dreams that she recalled only bits and pieces of, but which left her feeling panicky, nauseated, and unwilling to drop back to sleep. She closed her eyes, spun her blue ring, and tried hard to recall, breathing slowly and searching her thoughts–and there it was!

A blurred face. An explosion of–was it blood? Or maybe fire? A roaring in her ears. And then a feeling of being pursued. A hand reached out of the mist and clamped onto her shoulder. Tess’s eyes shot open and she stifled a scream. It was no vision. A weathered brown hand with twisted joints grasped her shoulder.

“Much bad coming,” a voice hissed in her ears as Mambo bent her head close to Tess’s. “You be needed.” She tugged at Tess’s shoulder. “We go to caves.”

“To caves?” Tess’s heart still pounded in her chest. “Where? What for? Who’s going there?”

“Caves of spirits.” Mambo dangled the crocodile teeth in front of Tess’s nose. “Trap devil spirit there.” She released her grip on Tess’s shoulder and, with the tip of a dagger, pointed to the brand of the Bloodhorn on her own shoulder and gave a twist of the blade. A grim smile slid across her face as a bead of blood welled up and trickled down her arm. She nodded slightly and spoke softly. “Soon be gone.” Her eyes swung back to Tess’s face. “And you be needed then.”

Mambo’s next words sent a chill through Tess. “You know this already,” she whispered as she trailed the knife’s blade along Tess’s birthmark.

***

William and Smith insisted in coming along to the caves. For Smith, it was unthinkable to let Cassie go by herself. For William, it was going to be a welcome release from the day-to-day routine that was both dulling his senses, and feeding the uneasiness he’d felt since Jacko had left the camp on his ‘hunting’ trip.

Besides, he reasoned, whenever Tess and I were more frightened, everything was different. More intense. Even making love. A change in surroundings will be just the thing.

Mambo could do the ritual that she insisted could only be done in the bowels of some stupid cave, but the idea of leaving the now-uncertain safety of the hidden camp got William’s blood pumping, and he didn’t care what the reason was for going somewhere else.

Great danger, it seemed to him, had fostered an equally great passion, many times, between Tess and him. His groin grew warm and heavy with the memory. He could scarcely contain his impatience to spend their first night in the strange environment.

***

Emma frowned at the news. “To the caves?” She shook her head, her now slightly deflated jowls swinging softly about her chin. The months of reduced nourishment had begun to make a dent in her corpulent figure but, Tess noted with some satisfaction, there was some time to go before any of her grandmother’s bones lost their protective padding.

“Me Mister cannot make such a trip without strain, what with him havin’ only one foot an’ all.” She sighed and then smiled at Tess. “But that’s another story altogether, and it seems ya must go, me darlin’. Cassie’ll have need of yer healin’ abilities, more than any of the folks here.” She winked at her granddaughter and added, “An’ now Cassie’s got two babes in her care. Helpin’ with one will be good practice fer when yer own time comes. That’ll make three wee ones.” She grinned with the implied good luck of it all.

Tess took a deep breath and forged ahead. Now was as good a time as any to ask her Gram about using the baby blocker herb. “Gram, I don’t think a baby is in our immediate plans–”

“No need to put it off,” Emma interrupted. “This place may be lackin’ in many things but ya know thatthe love of family is worth more than all the riches in the world.” She scooped Tess up in a great hug. “An’ that makes us the richest ones on earth!” She looked at Tess, her eyes twinkling.

“Now I know a man’s sometimes a little slow to warm up to the idea of makin’ a wee one but,” she chuckled conspiratorially, “they sure don’t mind practisin’ fer the event, now do they!” She slapped her thigh in delight and, throwing her head back, laughed a big belly laugh at her own audacity.

“It’s not–”

“Now take love,” Emma continued, her head nodding. “Love ain’t lookin’ all dreamy-eyed at each other, ya know. Nosiree. It’s lookin’ forward in the same direction, plannin’ the journey of yer future together.” She shook her head and smiled. “An’ ya gotta make sure yer man knows ya love him fer his whole self, not just fer his baby makin’ abilities, so make sure ya say so to him. Out loud.” And then just to make sure Tess understood her point, Emma added, “Cause men are a little dense that way. They can’t decipher what’s on a woman’s mind. So we gotta tell our men just how much we love an’ admire ‘em, an’ what’s worse is, we can’t even expect much of the same back from ‘em, ‘cause the menfolk ain’t good with sharin’ their feelin’s out loud so–”

A sudden bump from behind ended Emma’s domestic lecture and sent her stumbling forward.

“Aye! Ya knobby wee thing!” she scolded the black goat prancing behind her. “Yer always in the way! Ya keep that up an’ I’ll be tradin’ ya back in fer a handful of spice, I swear!”

Tess wasn’t so sure it was an idle threat. Cooking over an open fire or consuming their meager provisions raw had not been as irksome to her grandmother as was having to devour the food without it having any of her favorite seasonings.

“Gram, you know she hates this daily rain.” Tess was relieved to be off the topic of starting a family. “She gets so fussy and bad-tempered when she’s wet.”

“An’ don’t we all!” her grandmother retorted.

Tess waved her index finger back and forth in front of the tiny doeling as she had seen William do so many times with the animal. “No!” she commanded. The black goat stopped and tilted her head, shooting an intense look at the human standing in front of her, before exploding away in a madcap gallop into the jungle’s undergrowth.

“Hmmph! That one’s as unruly as–well–as a marketplace urchin!” Emma harrumphed.

“Yes, Gerta is,” Tess agreed, amusement dancing in her eyes. As irritated as her grandmother pretended to be, they all had a soft spot for the engaging little goat. “You’ll look after her when William and I’ve gone to the caves?”

“She’ll have to be tied, to keep from followin’ ya, I’m sure.”

“Probably,” Tess agreed. Gerta rarely let William out of her sight. She may have been badly behaved for everyone else–she’s just a goat, after all, Tess reminded herself–but William was the doeling’s master and the nearly grown kid still adored him.

Emma swept her arm in the general direction of the vegetation that surrounded the camp.

“Then tied she’ll be, ‘cause while yer gone, I’m intendin’ to go searchin’ fer somethin’ to make red color from, an’ I don’t wanna be bothered bein’ responsible fer her out–” Her final word was lost in a whoosh of air as she crashed onto her hands and knees. A black blur sped by.

“Fer Crikey’s sake!” Emma bawled, “I know me rump’s the largest target around, but if I catch that goat, I may just turn her into stew! Just see if I don’t!”

Chapter Nine

Still weakened by days of fever, Cassie struggled, at the end of the procession, to keep up with the pace set by Mambo.

Therefore it was Smith who carried Nathaniel strapped tightly to his chest. Not to be outdone in a show of chivalry by his friend, William, ahead of Tess, carried the orphaned infant in a similar makeshift chest sling as they picked their way along the boulder-strewn entrance to the cave.

Tess had to admit, seeing William care for such a small charge, stirred her in ways that she hadn’t thought possible. She smiled as he cradled the small baby’s head, holding it steady as he ducked and weaved his way into the mouth of the cavern.

Maybe William was right. Maybe having a baby of our own wouldn’t be so bad. As soon as that thought entered her head, another pushed its way in. What? How many women have I seen die in labor? And what about getting attached to a baby just to risk losing him in this savage world, like I lost my parents on that wretched ship? I’ll end up having my heart crushed all over again. Don’t ever do that! she admonished herself. Don’t ever put yourself in that position!

She sighed and glanced ahead just in time to see William nuzzling the velvety soft hair of Mambo’s grandson as the baby rode along, contentedly strapped high on William’s chest. If only we were back home, then maybe. But not here.

Home.

At times she listened to her grandmother, who frequently voiced an ongoing daydream about returning to London one day, to their house with all of its comforts, and then the ugly realization that they hadn’t the faintest means of accomplishing that would settle over them. Tess did not share her grandmother’s longing. A baby would not be likely to survive the sea journey back anyway. A stab of worry shot through her. Her herb collection was nearly used up. Without the special herb, how am I going to avoid becoming pregnant? I can’t keep putting William off. It tore her apart to have to pretend that she wasn’t interested in making love with him. She wondered, with his exceptional sense of smell, if he could detect her desire for him anyway. Maybe Gram knows of some other way to put off having babies. I’ll have to ask her when we get back to camp.

A sharp pain in the sole of her foot jolted her out of her thoughts. Unseen shards of rock lay about everywhere and daylight no longer offered any help with vision this deep in the downward sloping tunnel.

Mambo, already trance-like and nearly out of sight already, led the procession, lighting the way in front, with one of the precious torches. Smith took up the rear, carrying the second torch. The small group traveled slowly, one faltering footstep at a time, into the inky blackness. Pressed back against the cold rough contours of the cave’s wall, and blinded by its darkness, Tess felt for safe placement of each step with her bare foot, wondering at the saneness of being there.

In the deep distance up ahead or maybe below–it was impossible to tell in the dark gloom–there was the faint but unmistakable sound of rushing water. The ledge upon which they now shuffled was narrow and uneven, and by the feel of it, it fell off sharply to her right. Small pieces of debris accidently knocked off by her feet, fell clattering into the abyss. Judging by the echoes below, it was a long fall.

“Wait! Stop!” A feeble voice pleaded from behind her. “I … I can’t go another step!” Cassie’s voice broke and she sounded terror stricken. Tess could hear Cassie’s panicked breaths, shallow and fast.

“Cassie!” Tess called out. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t breathe! There’s no air in here–and I can’t see! I can’t go any further!” Cassie voice shook and she cried out, “Help me, somebody!”

“Hey now, yer alright. Just hold still. I have hold of ya. Safe an’ sound.” Smith’s voice, level and calm, floated in the dark.

“Samuel?” Cassie whimpered. Her fear was infectious and Tess shivered, helplessly reaching out behind her, unable to make contact with her sister.

“Feel my arm around ya?” Smith’s voice continued, steady and in charge. “There ya go. Jus’ back up wi’ me, Cass. That’s my girl. One step at a time.” Continuing to murmur reassurances, Smith retreated with Cassie held firmly to his chest, their baby sandwiched between them, his constant intonation hypnotic and comforting.

What do I do? Tess waivered, undecided. Her heart raced, urging her to retreat, too, urging her to return to safety with Cassie. She called out to William, who was swallowed in the blackness up ahead. “William!” There was no reply. Her mouth was dry but she called again. “William! Do you hear me? I am going back with Cassie to the mouth of the cave.”

“Tess?” William’s voice sounded farther away than she expected. “You can’t go back. Keep coming this way. The path gets a little better.”

“No. Cassie needs me. Mambo can go deeper if she likes. Come back with me.” Her voice sounded strident, full of fear, she realized, but her mind was made up. Gingerly, she stepped backwards and began to retrace her steps.

Careful. Take it slow. Breathe deeply and think about each step, she coached herself. In spite of the chill in the cave, she felt rivulets of sweat forming along her hairline. Cassie’s anxiety was contagious and Tess forced herself to concentrate on her retreat. Her palms were moist–wet, almost–and her grip on the rough edges of the wall was slippery.

“Tess?” William’s voice startled her in its proximity.

“I’m here!” she called, nearly shouting with her sense of relief.

“Give me your hand.”

“Where are you? I can’t see anything,” Tess cried. Slowly, with one hand, she reached out into the darkness towards William’s voice. There! For just a heartbeat she was sure she had touched flesh.

William’s fingertips!

Leaning ever so slightly away from the wall, she groped through the air. “I felt your hand, William. Can you grab mine?” Relief washed over her as William’s hand slid over hers. His fingers interlaced with her own, just as the baby in his sling gave an unexpected screech. In a moment of reflex, Tess jerked back in alarm.

It was a small movement but it was enough to tip Tess’s body off center and she stepped heavily to the side in an effort to regain her balance. She felt William’s fingers slip away from her own as she pitched sideways and her feet left the ledge.

Freefalling through the air of the cavern, her own scream filled her world until a heartbeat later her body smashed onto the surface below, and her world went as dark as the cave.

Chapter Ten

“Tess!” William screamed into the darkness.

She had slipped from his grasp. Had fallen into the unknown. Adrenaline shot through him and the sour taste of panic filled his mouth. “Tess! Can you hear me? For God’s sake, please answer! Tess!”

William sank to his hands and knees, unaware that the ledge at this point was just barely wide enough to accommodate him. He continued to call, fumbling along the ledge’s edge. He strained to hear any sound at all, but the high pitched wails exploding from the distressed bundle strapped to his chest deafened him to everything else.

“A torch!” he shrieked. “Bring me a damned torch! It’s Tess! She’s fallen!” A flickering shadow becoming brighter on the cave’s far side told him that Smith’s torch was already on its way. Smith, hurrying as fast as he dared, passed the torch to William. Grabbing it from him, William held it aloft and peered over the edge.

Ten feet below him, on a flat outcrop of limestone, Tess lay still. More than any other time in his life, now William counted on his perfect eyesight. Even for him, it was difficult to see any details with only a single torch’s light. William squinted hard.

Dear God! Is she moving?

***

From a distance Tess heard a faint drumming.

The drum’s song danced around her, advancing closer until it was at her side, washing over her prostrate form. She listened to its rhythm, feeling its pulse as it became a heartbeat. Her heartbeat. The air around her was filled with a sweetness and she inhaled deeply. A bolt of pain pierced her rib cage.

“Tess?” the voice was soft and familiar but Tess could not quite place it in the darkness. “Tess, ye must do as I say. Spin your rings. Ye’ll have great need of their combined forces now,” her unseen companion stated.

Who is speaking to me? Tess wondered. She tried to place the speaker but already the voice was further instructing her. “Spin them now, lass, here in the dark, before the Great Light offers itself to you. Set them to spinning and put one hand over your heart and the other here on your Mark.” Warm, pulsing fingertips slid over the birthmark on Tess’s neck, infusing her with a welcome heat that both flushed down the length of her body and blazed up through her head, setting her cheeks to tingle. Carefully she breathed in, the air now so sweet that it coated her tongue like a thin layer of honey.

Following the instructions, and surprised at the ease with which her arms and hands moved, Tess drew a fingertip across the three rings, setting the trio in motion. Feeling as though she were looking through closed eyelids that would not open, the ring’s familiar high pitched hum reassured Tess, even in the dark, that they had come to life. Her rings were spinning as they were meant to do.

“Concentrate on your wholeness,” the voice intoned. “Your body is broken and your Soul has fragmented.”

Broken. At the mention of the word, Tess felt herself reliving the weightless fall, the disorientation, and the impact of her landing. Lightning bolts of pain seared through her body and she moaned, felt flesh tear, and tasted the metallic flow of blood in her mouth. Listened to her breath as it left her body in a single forced whoosh of air. Smelled the pungent odor of urine as it too, left her bloodied body. Flashes of light exploded in her head and a dull stupor flooded her mind. The voice persisted, each word punching through her agony.

“Call to your complete Self. Gather it back. Survive this trial and learn its lesson, Quintspinner.”

Only one person had ever identified her as a “Quintspinner”. Quintspinner! I know that voice.

The Crone. A Spinner herself, the old woman had been the previous guardian of the blue tourmaline ring of prophesy.

And she’s dead … isn’t she? Am I?

As if reading her thoughts, the Crone’s voice whispered, “Your light from within still glows. Embrace it and all of your senses. Even the pain. It will feed your strength and keep you connected with this body. See your light as it sits inside, as it rises through you. Spin your rings and command your inner light to build, to brighten, and you will heal.

“What are you doing here?” Tess gasped, barely able to form the words. “How did you get in here with me?”

“I have been with you all along,” the voice reassured her. “No matter where. Remember. Strengthen your light. It will seek the Source and pass on all that you need to heal yourself. Make it as you wish.”

Tess fought to open her eyes and thought she did indeed have a soft glow–an etheric veil of mist–that she could sense shimmering around her. From above, a flickering light brighter than her own, dropped slowly towards her.

“Tess!” The voice from the approaching light above her was also familiar, but raw and urgent.

William.

Double images of his body descending down to her danced in front of her eyes. She blinked to clear her vision. “William?” Her voice was barely audible but her sight grew stronger. William was coming to her in a vision. Joining her and the Crone’s disembodied voice. She squinted at the scene above.

Wearing only his worn dungarees and the lumpy chest sling, William’s muscles strained as he lowered his body, hand over hand, down through the heavy blackness, the chest sling swinging as he descended, and then she knew.

This was no vision. She stared at him in confusion. With a tongue so dry that it seemed glued to the roof of her mouth, she struggled to voice her astonishment.

“You brought the baby?”

William clutched the chest sling and frowned. “No. There’s been a change of contents. Babe’s back up with Cassie.”