Bridge of Dreams

Chapter 38

They reached the bazaar at the center of Vision after a day’s travel. Instead of pushing on to find The Temples, they had to take a room when Zeela suddenly became dizzy and couldn’t seem to hold on to her thoughts. That’s when Zhahar realized that Sholeh had been submerged for so many days that she and Zeela had ignored the necessity of regular meals. Now Sholeh’s aspect was physically out of balance to such a degree that Zhahar considered what would happen to them if she had to take Sholeh and Zeela to a clinic.

She got them to the room and went out again for food, hoping that she would get back before Sholeh’s disorientation began to show in her too.

She bought flatbread filled with soft cheese, dates, and chopped nuts; a ball of brown rice carried in a paper shaped like a flower; and a stick of cooked meat. Back in the room, she took a mouthful of each type of food, eating slowly. Then she prodded Zeela to come into view and do the same thing. Once Zeela felt steadier, the two of them managed to get Sholeh into view—and forced her to stay there until she took a bite of each kind of food and drank a glass of water.

Throughout that evening, Zhahar forced the rotation until the food was gone. By then, Zeela was exhausted but back to normal, and Sholeh, while sounding frail, was lucid again.

The next morning, Zhahar went out to the food stalls for another flatbread. Once she was back inside, she divided the flatbread into three pieces. When Sholeh resisted, Zhahar became insistent.

*We’re going to find The Temples today,* she said. *But not until we’ve all eaten and washed up.*

::I don’t have to wash,:: Sholeh said faintly. ::No one is going to see me.::

=You still have to wash,= Zeela said. =It’s been too many days since you had a full bath.=

*Which we can’t do today,* Zhahar broke in when she felt Sholeh start to protest. *The room has only a sink and a toilet, so we’re all taking sponge baths.*

They finished up so late in the morning they had to take all their bags with them or pay for the use of the room for another day. After wandering the bazaar for a couple of hours, Zhahar wished they’d kept the room.

=The entrance is supposed to be here,= Zeela snarled. =At least, this is the direction everyone we asked pointed to.=

In the city of Vision, you can find only what you can see, Zhahar thought. So who would be able to see The Temples?

She lugged their bags into an open space between two stalls. *Be quiet for a minute. Let me try something.*

Holding on to the straps of her bags, she closed her eyes and thought of Danyal walking the Asylum grounds, holding a wind chime because it was the sound of joy.

The wind chime, singing in the air and lifting the heart.

She opened her eyes and looked at the archway between the stalls. THE TEMPLES was carved into the arch.

*Found it,* she whispered. Settling the bags over her shoulders as best she could, she crossed into the part of Vision that belonged to the Shamans.

She paused in front of the Temple of Sorrow, then spotted a figure in a wheat-colored robe standing outside another building farther down the road.

“Good day to you,” Zhahar called. “Could you help me?”

The person—a woman, judging by the shape of the face—smiled and lifted her hands as if to say “Maybe” or “I don’t know.”

“Do you understand me?”

A nod.

“Can you speak?”

Fingers touched the material covering her throat, followed by a head shake.

“Oh.” Zhahar caught her lower lip between her teeth. The woman did understand her, so if she phrased her questions carefully, she might still get answers. “I need help. I came to The Temples for guidance.”

The woman spread her arms wide, as if to say there was help and guidance all around them.

“Yes, there are many Shamans here, but I was looking for Shaman Danyal. Do you know him?”

A nod.

“Is he here?”

Head shake.

Zhahar sighed. Could she trust another Shaman with the secret of what she was?

The woman pointed to her own eye, then patted her chest.

When Zhahar said nothing, the woman did it again.

::Could I see?:: Sholeh asked.

Zhahar hesitated. *It would be hard to explain your coming into view.*

::I just need to be close enough to the surface.::

The woman made the two gestures again.

=Eye and chest?= Zeela suggested.

::No,:: Sholeh replied. ::Seeing and heart. I think.::

“Seeing and heart?” Zhahar asked.

Nodding, the woman raised two fingers and brought them closer together.

::Seeing heart,:: Sholeh said.

When Zhahar repeated the words, the woman’s smile widened—and Zhahar understood.

“Shaman Danyal is at a place called Seeing Heart? Do you know where it is?”

More hand gestures, patiently repeated over and over.

::One hour. Riding. South.::

“An hour’s ride south of here?” Zhahar asked.

The woman clapped her hands, indicating delight.

“Thank you.” Smiling, Zhahar blinked away tears of relief. “Thank you.”

=We can go back to the travel station where we arrived and find out if there are any coaches going south,= Zeela said.

After thanking the woman again, Zhahar lugged their baggage back to the archway. Then Zeela came into view and took over and got them to the station.

They had to wait a couple of hours for the next southbound coach. Not liking the look of most of the food being sold at the convenient stands, Zeela settled for a piece of fruit and small jug of water.

The possibility of seeing Danyal again had perked up Sholeh enough for her to pay attention to their surroundings. That allowed Zhahar some time to submerge and rest—and think her own thoughts. Shaman Danyal was an hour’s ride away, and that was good.

But where was Lee? If she asked, would Danyal tell her?