Torin - The Luck Of Brin's Five Part 7

ng garnes ancientsplay with the children in the spring. For the first time I wasconscious of what it meant, but this year all had changed.

Diver joined in our games, and at night we slept on the roof. The green and yellow mating tent that used to be pitched for the adults some way off in the glebe was hung to the doorway of an extra sleeping room. Diver understood; he 'joined in our games of flying sticks and holdstone and bean-bean with perfect good humor, but I expect he was lonely. He looked out at the stars from the roof. We asked him to sing, and I took it for granted that some of the songswere about springtime among his own people.One night Narneen said to Old Gwin: "Tell us how it was when you came to the Family Fair." This was one of our favorite stories; it was not respectful to ask a pouch- mother about her adventures at the Family Fair, but anancient could tell such tales."Oh, dear wind," sighed Gwin, "it is such a long wayoff, 11"Tell us, Gwin," begged Diver. "I would like to hear."

"Well, if the Luck asks . . ." she said. It was a mild andbeautiful night on the roof; Tomar was fast asleer)."I was sixteen," said Old Gwin, "the eldest child of my Family and the only female child. We lived east of Cullin in a fine glebe and Felm, our leader and pouch-mother, ruledus all closely, so that we grew rich.'Geer?""is the leader of a Five always a female?" asked Diver.

"Great Wind, no!" I said. "Have you forgotten Hunter "I was never far from my lace loom or from herb- teaching," said O.An. "Felm, may her soul-bird fly far, would have been pleased to see me in a fixed house among tlie town grandees of Cullin. The choosing at a Family Fairis supposed to be done under the blessing of the North ~~7 Ind, but I must tell you, young Luck, there is plenty of arrangement that goes on beforehand. Felm was always pointing out to me the advantages of this or that young person who might 'stand forth' at the Fair and offer to star a Five."

"You never thought of 'standing forth' yourself, Gwin?'

asked Diver.

"No," she said. "I was too shy. A leader is easily seen Brin, my own pouch-child, was a leader from the first though I say it myself."

"Tell us about the message skein," said Narneen.

"Well, I had been about in Cullin and I had seen certai young persons and been seen in my turn. A few days befo the Fair a child came to me at my loom with a little messa skein. It said 'Beautiful Gwin with the long hair, look fo the green mat where I stand forth,' and it bore the name o Tarr Gabroyan. This Tarr was an especially tall and handsome young fellow that came from a broken Five where the pouch-mother and the ancient had died of fever He had earned respect after this calamity by staying on in Cullin, not travelling to another town or taking service in Rintoul ... but he was still not my mother's idea of a worthy suitor. As the time approached I could not help thinking of him.

The Family Fair at Cullin was magnificent in those days.

The whole fairground was fenced with brushwood and decorated with flower carpets; the season was early spring.

Musicians played night and day and there were food stalls.

Only those who came to make Families were allowed into the main enclosure; there was s.p.a.ce for the standing forth and the necessary dancing. When we went into the enclo- sure we wore straight linen robes woven in the pattern that is called five-petal, with no decoration except girdles flowers.

I went alone into the enclosure; it was a strange feeling can tell you. I was turned loose, cut off from my birth Family for the first time, with nothing but their advice in my ears and a little wooden charm from Malbo Otru, ou.

dear old Luck, who was a mute. I wandered among all the( 90 ).

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d into forth enclo- rn that dles ofeeling I y birth avice in tru, our g all theothers and did as the threads told me. I made the rounds of all the mats where a person stood forth and looked well. I came past Tarr's green mat; there he stood alone, but there was a crowd before him because he looked so fine. The crowd of choosers have the right to question any that stands forth and many of the young females were calling out to Tarr Gabroyan. I quickened my pace and went round again. One, two, of the richer persons called my name; I stood awhile before the mat of mv female friend Leen, whohad been joined by a promising young hunter.'Gwin,' she called, 'dear Gwin Felmroyan, come be mvsib and we will manage this hunter between us!'I pa.s.sed on, smiling, and as I came towards Tarr's greenmat for the second time I saw that one person had already joined him. I was filled with fear that I should be too late; I all but ran the last few steps and pushed through the crowd to see who had joined him. Surely, it was another female and very sweet-faced, a stranger that I had never seen before. Then Tarr saw me approaching and spoke to the pretty newcomer and the crowd parted and I stood at thevery edge of the green mat.'Beautiful Gwin,' said Tarr in that rich voice of his that I had heard in my dreams, 'we await your coming. Here isRoneen, come to be your sib.,'I am Koneen,' she said. 'Come to us, dear Gwin. et us make Tarr's FiveP So, seeing them both, I was persua I believed that the North Wind meant me to join this Family and no other. I stepped onto the green mat and the watchers cheered and sang. We took hands, all three, and did the first proving dance without one false step, whichproved that we would match well, and so we did."

"How came the rest of the Five?" asked Diver."The ancient is most often close kin of a Five member, said Gwin, "so came to Tarr's Five that night his elder OldTherel, a kind and useful person.""And how do you find a Luck?" he asked "Bless you, a Luck finds a Family, not the other w about!" said Old Gwin. "There is a lot of haggling a unseemly compet.i.tion for a good Luck. An unscrupulo Luck or its birth-Famil y can accept great gifts of cloth a credits. But a true Luck concentrates and sees in its mi where it should go. So Little Griss, the Luck of Tarr's Fiv came straight to us, that same night, carried in a basket its normal-sized sib. A dwarf, he was called but truly was more of a fairy person ... perfectly made but ve small. A Luck that could have fetched thousands of cred in the city. He was a sweet-natured creature; the thing loved best was to knit and we never had a leg or an arm ba of his skill."

Old Gwin and Diver talked on, but by this time Narne was asleep and I was becoming drowsy; I curled up on t sleeping bag. I peered at Old Gwin's face; I loved h dearly but it pained me a little when she spoke of her you I could not see a trace of "Beautiful Gwin with the lo hair" who had danced the proving dances long ago at t Family Fair.

Diver took advantage of the general good spirits to p forth an idea; it was not a time when the Luck can refused very much. I knew what he was asking, and I w afraid, lurking in doorways and behind trees to hear t others reply.

Finally Mamor said, lazily unpicking a spoiled patten "It might be done."

Then the Harper, mending Gwin's lace pins: "If yo think it is safe . . ."

Last of all Brin, with the Family at midday, braiding he hair: "You are our Luck. Do it . . . but remember our nee of you! "

Next day before the rising of Esto, we all turned out haul the Tomarvan to the top of the great rock.

The machine rode easily over gra.s.s and rock; it wa well-balanced, live in our hands, like a bird eager to fl( 92 ).

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long t thewonld have helneti.The shepherds, Varb's Five, had been warned; and we could see them standing aside by the fold. Certainly theyhad no need to fear. The glider was pointed far out into the inland meadows; its own shape would take it there if it refused to fly. Brin stood away from the ropes and looked out and down, fretting again because we had no wind chart.

Diver and Mamor had taken readings from the rock and watched the course of the flitterlings, but a wind chartOnce the Tomarvan was in position, Mamor and the Harper descended onto the plain. They were going to watch the landing, so they said, and keep an eye out for Petsalee or any other watcher. We all knew thev were LoinuPut n be I was ar theattern:If youing her ur needd out toit was to fly -to pick up the pieces. Diver, in his woollen mask helmet and goggles, sat in the pilot's chair; the Tomarvan creaked and swayed a little in the morning wind. Diver was divided from us, and I was cold now, in spite of the climb. Brin stood apart coiling our good ropes over her bent arm; Narneen was crouched in my "tower room" among the bushes. I remembered the time of day; a gold rim of Estostiowed above the horizon, and the Far Sun was still high in the sky, silvering the damp fields. I wished hard, I prayed, for some comforting sign from our protector. Be near us, I thought, our Luck is flying today! But there was no sign; novoice answered in my mind; no warming presence visited the summit of the rock. The morning wind, stronger than before, shook the vines and rocked at the tail vanes of the flying machine. Mamor high-called from the north and Royfrom the southa it was rimeI got into position as Diver rose in his chair for a last wind check. Brin stood to the other wing; we made hopeful signals to Diver, and when he lowered his arm, we cast off the runner ropes and shoved with all our might. The Tomarvan slid off the rock without a sound, and I nearly went with it. I had to fall flat and cling to an outcrop of rock. The Tomarvan was out in the air, nose a little upward, but the whole machine was falling. Then it rose and h steady in a longish gliding motion. Diver had caugh current of air that would take him safely down.

Suddenly the machine checked visibly, shuddered, a began to climb to the north in a wide, jerky spiral. Th came back to us, on the rock, a thin sharp buzzing sou We saw that the spin-toys were in motion and with th the Tomarvan was transformed ... it was an engine.

three of us-Brin, Narneen and myself-cried out excitement. Diver climbed still and curved, finding wi currents and urging the Tomarvan to follow them. From t plain came a cheer-Mamor, Roy, even the shepherds w waving their hands and dancing.

The Tomarvan flew in a wide arc and swooped and again. It was not so much a bird as a bright insect, darti and buzzing and at times being lifted and carried by wind currents over the inland plain. Diver turned it ba drew in easily over the rock, stooped low over the fix house-where Gwin and Tomar would be standing on t roof-and crossed the river. I had time to be afraid; I sick and giddy, as if I were flying in the machine myse Diver had gone, he had flown off to the islands. The heard Narneen laughing as if she had read my though She had crawled up beside me, out of her niche, and n she laid a hand on my arm.

"Here he comes again . . ." said Narneen.

"Great North Wind!" whispered Brin. She stood tall a warm at our backs; her hair was unbound, she flung ba her head, watching the sky. I saw her as Eenath t spirit warrior, not a pouch-mother, ruling from the loo "Children," she said, "our Luck will win this Bird Cla The Tomarvan flew low over our heads, spin-toys whirri and flew out and round, crossing and recrossing the Tro wherever Diver wished it to fly.

Diver flew every day after this proving flight, and became accustomed to caring for the Tomarvan, hol~ing( 94 ).

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and nowd tall and ung back enath the the 100M- ird Clanill s whirring, the Troon,itswings and so forth. Soon we prepared to leave Whiterock Fold and began sorting out our entry fee for the Bird Clan.

I felt secure and happy: plenty of food and something to look forward to. But as I lay in the sleeping bag at night or in the early morning before the suns penetrated the Ulgan's house, I had moments of deep unbelief. Was this all happening? Was it some long dream and would I wake on Hingstull with the snow coming down? How was it possible to endure such changes? I looked at Tomar in his swing basket with a sort of fear; soon he would be grown, time would run away with him as it had with me, with all of us. How could I have believed, last spring, that Dorn Brinroyan could grow used to a fixed house and a flyingmachine?One night, while the last of the little darkness still held I was awakened by a cry. Narneen was sitting up in the sleeping bag crying out for a bad dream. I told her to lie down again, but she would not. She cried out, between sleeping and waking, until Brin came to her. I was burrow- ing down to sleep again, but the talking did not StOD andsomeone brought up Diver's magic lights.". . . no dream," sobbed Narneen, "for I can listenagain!'were auestioned?" asked Brin.name.""There were two, and they asked my name and my FiveI was wide awake now. We all sat round Narneen, my young sib, and she had a staring, strange look in the cool light. Old Gwin had begun to chant softlv under herbreath, a chant of i)raise for a blessing."What does it mean?" asked Diver at my elbowI think it means that Narneen is a Witness Some other'N itness has found and uestioned her "Rrin had her recite all that had happened from theI ffiought it was a dream," said Narneen. I was called and I answered to my name. Then the questioning we on, and it was inside my head."

"It is a blessing," said Old Gwin, "a power wanting i our Family since my mother's birth Five, Abirin's Five. G on child . . ."

"There is a Witness," said Narneen, "a female. On other questions through the Witness, for she asks always...o...b..half of another and sometimes speaks aside. She calle first of all, 'Narneen, Narneen'; then when I replied, sh asked my age and my Five name."

"I don't like this! This is mere sleep-spying!" said th Harper.

"I think you are right," said Brin, "and it is pure chanc that Narneen has strong powers and can wake and tell what has happened."

Diver was baffled by all this, and we made s.h.i.+ft explain. The minds of all Moruians have this linkin power, especially strong in childhood ... the same powe I supposed, by which the Maker of Engines made contac with me upon the rock. Children and young persons ca also be questioned in sleep, and it has been used for curiou purposes, good and evil. In one song the Harper sings, young weaver is called in her sleep by two hunters: "Wi you leave your mother's mat-loom and look for us at th Family Fair?" But there are also tales of this sleep-spyin being used for gain, to find out where a merchant's treasu is hidden.

Old Gwin asked: "What did you tell them, child?"

"My name, my age, my Five name ... the names of o Five. And then they asked a strange thing. Who was th newest member of our Five. So I told them Tomar new-shown."

"Wait!" said Diver. "Was that what they wanted?"

"No," said Narneen shrewdly, "it was you they wanted Diver dear, for they asked again, 'Has any stranger come to your Five, little Narneen?' "( 96 ).

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anted, me toI.I s.h.i.+vered at this; too many thoughts were reaching out towards our Luck. Narneen turned to me and shook her head. "Don't be afraid, Dorn," she said, "for I know this questioner, I know this Witness. They speak the truthwhen they say they mean us no harm."

"What did you answer them?" asked Brin"Nothing more!" said Narneen. "I cried out and brokethe link for I was afraid ""It was right, I suppose," said Old Gwin, "but remember child, that a Witness should not lie,in reporting or in anyquestion, mind-to-mind, else your sacred power s e-trayed. ""Hush," sighed Mamor, "this is weighty stuff for so young a child. I don't,like this whole business."

Then Narneen was given a herb drink to make her sleep; but the rest of us found it hard to settle. Next day we packed up again, cleaned the Ulgan's house and prepared our new work for market. Mamor made sure the Ulgan's barge was waterworthy, and Diver prepared the Tomarvan for its journey downriver. I put Tomar on my back in his wicker carrying cradle and went up to the top of the rock, to bid farewell to Whiterock Fold. It was a day of bright suns.h.i.+ne, but to south and north, where we had come and where we were going, the river Troon was lost in s.h.i.+m-inering mist.When we were back on the barge, I expected another journey like the one from Cullin to WhiterorV Inn do c ^f1 5 Y.

sun and shadow on the water. But I quickly learned that every voyage on the river is different and part of the difference is in our mood and d di We came back to the barge in darkness-what was left of it-and loaded our bird, our treasure, by the light of Diver's torches and swaddled it in the pieces of our tent.One or two fishers pa.s.sed by as we were working but thereI.not much to De seen. I he F ar Sun was rking f,,]] and silvery, as we cast off, and our spirits began to come up just a little. The Troon took us back kindly, and Gwin's prayers for a wind were answered.

We pa.s.sed more boats ... they should have been fishers but instead of gray or black they were striped in bright colors. In the Far Sun light we could see the crews winding trails of green and red vines high on the masts and along the sail ropes.

"What are they doing?" I cried to Brin, as we stood huddled against our wrapped flying machine.

"What are they doing?" It was Diver asking the same question.

Mamor, at the tiller, began to laugh. "I didn't think it would begin so soon!" And the crew of the nearest boat let out a strange hail, almost a high-call.

"Lee-va-ban Otolor!"

It was the fair-call, the cry for Otolor Great Fair.

Suddenly we were in the midst of a wave of decorated boats . . . barges, fishers, birders, crossing-boats, even paddling mats with one bold swimmer and a tail of vines ... a fleet spread out across the full width of the Troon, stretching downriver as far as we could see.

"But there are miles to go before we come to the fairground!"

Still the cry echoed up and down the river. There zigzagged past a round-bottomed boat full of flowers and drunken shepherds, singing that spring was in the New, Year and the New Year was in the spring. We came, with the fleet, to the first hamlet, and then another soon after it, both on the west bank. These places were decorated too and their crossings full of craft, loading up and setting off for the fair. I saw at the second landing stage a Family of, weavers, true mountain folk and nomads, our own image.

pointed them out to the Harper, who was tuning instrument in the stern. We watched them and hailed an high-called. There they stood, trembling, about to step on( 98 ).

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Fam1lY O~ n image - I tuning his hailed and to step on 2bird-boat-a st.u.r.dy Five, with leggings and a carrying sled of new work, perhaps not as fine as our own. Their hair was tied with bright skeins, and one mother wore a cream vented robe, heavy from her hidden child. Brin held up the wriggling excited Tomar in his little holiday wrapper, and the bush weavers saw us and took heart. Yet already I imagined that they looked upon us strangely ... we were of them and not of them, in our barge, with its strange cargo and Diver, standing among us in his sun-goggles.

So it went on, the whole fleet scudding downriver under a fresh breeze, with as much noise as a fairground itself.

About the rising of the Great Sun, the wind dropped, and there was a creaking of paddle wheels and much work with the paddles. The barge lumbered along, wedged in the crowd of smaller craft, and the talking and singing flowed naturally from deck to deck. We were excited and looked continually through the boats for Beeth Ulgan or for Gordo her apprentice, who was to meet us at the fair. Harper Roy sang and watched; I knew he had eyes out for trouble, even here. In particular he and I were on the lookout for that watcher ... the escaped twirler, Petsalee, who might be the Pentroy's creature. It was difficult in the midst of all this laughter to think of the long shadow cast by Tiath Gargan. We bartered food and ate well. I looked at the water, inching past between the boats, and had a perverse longing for those days alone on the water with only theflatbills for company.We knew there would be scarcely any darkness, but it was still difficult to sleep. I dozed, thinking of the white rock and the Maker of Engines. I tried to send out thoughts to this great personage: We are coming. We are on the river, bringing Diver, our Luck, to Otolor Spring Fair. Take care for usThe Tomarvan took up most of our deck s.p.a.ce, but there ~us room for one or two to nap out of the suns' light in a small tent. In the late afternoon it as my turn to go under the flap; Mamor pushed me in, and I found Tomar, asleep in his basket at last, and Narneen. We were coming to the largest village before Otolor, in a flat calm; there was not a breath of wind on the Troon, and we could hear the creaking of paddles below the shouts and songs of the merrymakers. I lay down and really slept for about an hour, then I woke suddenly with Narneen urgently strok- ing my cheek.

"What is it?"

"Ssh," she whispered, "let Tomar sleep." There was a thin, unchildish look about her. "I am called again by the same Witness."

"Who is it? Shall I get the others? Is there danger?"

"No, it is friendly. Dorn ... I see them. It is two persons, Witness and Questioner. They do not know how clearly I hear and see."

"What do they ask?"

"My Five name, the same as before. What shall I answer?"

"The truth." I said, "Remember what Gwin said? But steer clear of our Luck. Narneen ... I must fetch the others. "

"No, no ... you still don't understand. They are close.

We are going to sail past them. They are standing on the east bank by a landing stage, right now."

"We could see them!"

"Yes!" said Narneen, her long eyes blazing. "Go to Diver, get the seeing gla.s.s, you know? Look to the landing stage for a tree, and there they stand. The Witness is short, female, wearing a gray tunic like a town worker. The Questioner is male, older, in a straight blue robe and a straw shade-hat with a veil. He wears this. . . ." Narneen drew breath and bit her lips but went on. "He hides his face because it is horribly ugly. It is burned, I think, on one side."( 100 ).

2 "Will you come with me?"to ing rt, he d a een f ace one.

"I will lie here," she whispered, "and answer theirquestions, so that they stand still."

I tumbled out onto the deck into the bright sunlight andthe singing, paddling riverful of travellers going to the fairI found Diver beside the wrapped wing of the Tomarvanand gasped it out to him "Where are thev?"He had the gla.s.s and let me search the east bank. We were past the landing stage of Geelar, the large village, but some way beyond it another small Jet stood out besidspreading red-wood tree on the river's edge. I s.h.i.+vered although the day was hot. There they stood, exactly as Narneen had described them. I saw the quiet, listening face of the Witness, the odd, straight cut of her short hair, the broad silver band clasped around one sleeve. The Ques- tioner stood like a pillar of gray rock; his face was youngish, p-ale and fine; the veil of his hat, half drawn, hid any scars.

Diver examined them and Brin, when she came up and heard the story. Old Gwin went at once to Narneen in thetentI tie Questioner wears a scribe's pouch," said Brin. Hervoice was hard and angry, full of mistrust."That's not all . - ." growled Mamor. "I can read the garments of those two like a new skein. They come from Tsagul, the Fire-Town."We were so close now that we scarcely needed the gla.s.s to see their features. Instinctively we bent down and approached the tent flap. Narneen lay on her back, eyesU all S g L ess, her body stiff. .1 omar began whimper- ing, and I crawled inside and went to him. He chuckled antiwas happy again when I came to him, and I felt a new love for my younger sib, a comrades.h.i.+p. I was pretty sure he would never become a Witness. Old Gwin prayed continu- v beside Narneen butdid nnt 1, A 4 4C I moments Narneen shut her eyes, went limp, then s up-an ordinary weaver's child, full of mischief. "They ar going," she said.

At the same time the Harper gave a whistle from tf.

bows, which meant: "birds flown". I turned to a hole in th tent and caught a last glimpse, between two boats pa.s.sin of the gray-clad Questioner moving away, limping.

Brin reached into the tent and took Narneen by th hands.

"Now child," she said, "you must give account of wh pa.s.sed, like a true Witness."

"They asked as before," said Narneen, "starting with m age and my Five name. And this time I answered all thes things truly."

"Did they give reasons.

"No, but many promises of friends.h.i.+p. The Questione was very particular about meaning no harm."

"What else?"

"They asked me about Stone Brook. Had I ever lived a Stone Brook on Hingstull, in a cave. And I said indeed had."

We were mystified at this and could find no reason for it "Then they asked the names of all my Family, but I di not answer clearly. J sang and said I could not hear th question."

"You sang?" asked Diver.

"I sang inside my head," said Narneen. "Have you nev done it? It blocks questioning. So next they began, gently, to ask all the things we did ... and I admitted to weaving, of all kinds, and to hunting and to playing harp music. I hope that was not wrong . . ."

"Of course not," said Brin, "you have done very we "But there was more," said Narneen. "They as could read and I told them truly I knew my wove and part of the written. Then they went on ...

that my Five could read and weave message skeins. An( 102 ).

y eseed at eed Ifor it.