The Mountain Prophecy: Chapter 4
The next afternoon, the village council called a meeting, and insisted that I go. I didn't really know why, but I had a feeling that it was going to be interesting. I had never been to a meeting before, and I didn't know what to expect.
Cooper came and got me when the sun was highest in the sky, and told me that I was to report with him to the Council Hall immediately.
"You are going to be accepted into the village today, if the Council members deem you worthy."
When had he started talking so formally? Whenever Cooper had come to my cave, he had a easygoing, comfortable air about him. I had never experienced this mysterious side of him before.
When we go to the council hall, Cooper turned sharply to me, and said: "Now, son, don't go getting your tongue in a knot. The Council, they know. They've been blessed with powers beyond our comprehension." I think that was supposed to reassure me, but it didn't. At all.
මමමමමමමමමම
"Today, we are gathering because of the miraculous arrival of this young boy. He claims to have lived in a cave for nine years of his life. We do not know where he is originally from. Today we hope to get answers, and to put him through many trials to see if he would do well in our village, and to see if he is essential to our survival. I know that may sound quite unnerving, and harsh, but they are precautions that we must take to ensure safety to our people."
I gulped. This man already scared me, and there were eleven other men on the stage. Double gulp.
"Young man!" I snapped my head up to look at the head- or so I assumed- Council member.
"What is your name?"
"I have none." I explained.
"What? How can this be? can you tell us anything from before you were in the cave?"
"Well, I do remember, sir, that the village that I originally came from, the children did not get their names until they were six. I was only five when I left."
"Why, on earth did you leave?"
"Because my mother was urging me to go, and it was being destroyed. I would have died, if I had stayed there."
"Oh dear. How did you come to know of this village?"
I started to say Cooper, but he looked at me sharply and shook his head.
"Sometimes I would give travelers a place to stay, and heard about this place. I was awfully lonely."
"Well. That explains it. How else would come to know of us? We are a village know for its travelers." The way he said it gave me a chill down my spine, and all the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.
"Young man, are you prepared to go through troubling tests? The first of which is a riddle?"
"Yes of course." I said, a bit to eagerly.
"You realize, that if you pass these tests, you will not only be a part of this village, but you will have the opportunity to be adopted?"
"Yes sir." I told him.
"Then let us begin. Here is your first test:"
I am the thing you look to for shelter
But not made of of wood or bricks.
Whenever you go away, you will always think of me
But I am not a physical being.
I am always open to friends,
But never closed to someone in need.
You dream in me
You plan in me
You love in me
You believe in me
And you will never be without me,
If you have a reason for me.
What am I?
Oof. I knew I was bad a riddles, but this one was so hard for me. At the time, I did not even
have one of these.
I thought and thought. And thought. And thought. It is not made of wood or bricks? Whenever I am away I will always think of it? What?
Suddenly, something my mother had said once to me popped into my head.
"A house is made of wood and beams, a home is built on love and dreams."
"It's a home." I said.
"Wow! No-one has ever gotten that one that fast!" Someone said on the background. I ignored it though, I needed to know what the next part of the test would be.
"Very good. It is indeed a home. Now, for the second part of the test."
The Council member handed me a scroll of parchment, and on it were pictures of a sword, a book, a plow, a cow, a map and a pile of gold. At least, I though it was gold.
"Your next test: identify everything and tell my why it is important, then tell me what you believe to be the most important."
Oh, that would be easy. I thought. A cow would be important, because you need a source of food. A sword would be important, because you would need a way to defend yourself, or your people. A book would be important so that you could document important things, and events in history. As I went through the list in my head, I realized that to me, the most important would be the map. With a map, you could chart unexplored lands, and mark important places. You could explore the world!
"The Sword is important, because you need a way to defend yourself." I stated. I went down the list again, this time out loud. When I came to the map, I said:
"I think the map is the most important. You need a map to explore other places, and you can make maps for future reference for other people." I held my breath, waiting for an answer.
"Ah, I see. As of right now, I believe you would be a very valuable asset. I have never had someone say that the map is the most important. Well done, young man. Well done."
I beamed. I liked getting praised like this. But, I had detected a bit of suspicion in his voice.
"Tomorrow, you will have your final test. Meeting adjourned!"
As everybody started to leave the Hall, The Head Council Member called me over to him.
"Come here, young man. Into this room. We need to talk."
I had the strangest feeling of dread pass through me, then suspition.
"What is it, sir?" I asked, as he shut the door to the little back room.
"We need to know your name. We simply cannot keep calling you young man or boy. Do you understand? I know you don't have any right to trust me, so before you give me your name, I will give you mine."
He said hi name was Mikel, and then asked me again what I wanted to be called.
I thought about it for a while, because I had never had a name, and I wanted it to be a good one.
I had heard some women in the village talking about baby names, and one of the names I had heard was Nolan. I liked that name very much. It sounded courageous and strong, yet humble and kind.
"Nolan." I said. "My name is Nolan."
මමමමමමමමමම
After I had left the Council Hall, Slip called me over.
"Hey man! What's up? How'd it go? Anything exciting happen?" He bagered me with so many questions, that i felt overwhelmed.
"Hi Slip. It went fine, basically they asked me a bunch of riddle type stuff, and the final part is tomorrow. Also, I have a name now."
"You do? That's great!Let me go get the others, and then you can tell us!" He yelled, as he ran off. I contemplated telling them, because ever since that weird dream* I had had in the forest, I wasn't sure I could trust them.
"You are right not to trussst them..."
"Huh? Who said that?"
"It wasss me. I am down here."
I looked down, and sitting there was a deep green snake. I almost jumped out of my skin! When had I started being able to talk to snakes?
"How am I talking to a snake? Am I going crazy? Stop it Nolan, stop it!" It felt good to say my name out loud.
"Imbeccccccile! People will hear you! Do you want to get caught?"
"No, but... I... well..."
"Your friendsssss are coming. Quick! Hide me in you sssssshirt!"
"Wait, how do I know I can trust you?"
"My name issss Sssssylvesssster. Now hide me!"
"A snake names Sylvester?"
*See Chapter 2
Cooper came and got me when the sun was highest in the sky, and told me that I was to report with him to the Council Hall immediately.
"You are going to be accepted into the village today, if the Council members deem you worthy."
When had he started talking so formally? Whenever Cooper had come to my cave, he had a easygoing, comfortable air about him. I had never experienced this mysterious side of him before.
When we go to the council hall, Cooper turned sharply to me, and said: "Now, son, don't go getting your tongue in a knot. The Council, they know. They've been blessed with powers beyond our comprehension." I think that was supposed to reassure me, but it didn't. At all.
මමමමමමමමමම
"Today, we are gathering because of the miraculous arrival of this young boy. He claims to have lived in a cave for nine years of his life. We do not know where he is originally from. Today we hope to get answers, and to put him through many trials to see if he would do well in our village, and to see if he is essential to our survival. I know that may sound quite unnerving, and harsh, but they are precautions that we must take to ensure safety to our people."
I gulped. This man already scared me, and there were eleven other men on the stage. Double gulp.
"Young man!" I snapped my head up to look at the head- or so I assumed- Council member.
"What is your name?"
"I have none." I explained.
"What? How can this be? can you tell us anything from before you were in the cave?"
"Well, I do remember, sir, that the village that I originally came from, the children did not get their names until they were six. I was only five when I left."
"Why, on earth did you leave?"
"Because my mother was urging me to go, and it was being destroyed. I would have died, if I had stayed there."
"Oh dear. How did you come to know of this village?"
I started to say Cooper, but he looked at me sharply and shook his head.
"Sometimes I would give travelers a place to stay, and heard about this place. I was awfully lonely."
"Well. That explains it. How else would come to know of us? We are a village know for its travelers." The way he said it gave me a chill down my spine, and all the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.
"Young man, are you prepared to go through troubling tests? The first of which is a riddle?"
"Yes of course." I said, a bit to eagerly.
"You realize, that if you pass these tests, you will not only be a part of this village, but you will have the opportunity to be adopted?"
"Yes sir." I told him.
"Then let us begin. Here is your first test:"
I am the thing you look to for shelter
But not made of of wood or bricks.
Whenever you go away, you will always think of me
But I am not a physical being.
I am always open to friends,
But never closed to someone in need.
You dream in me
You plan in me
You love in me
You believe in me
And you will never be without me,
If you have a reason for me.
What am I?
Oof. I knew I was bad a riddles, but this one was so hard for me. At the time, I did not even
have one of these.
I thought and thought. And thought. And thought. It is not made of wood or bricks? Whenever I am away I will always think of it? What?
Suddenly, something my mother had said once to me popped into my head.
"A house is made of wood and beams, a home is built on love and dreams."
"It's a home." I said.
"Wow! No-one has ever gotten that one that fast!" Someone said on the background. I ignored it though, I needed to know what the next part of the test would be.
"Very good. It is indeed a home. Now, for the second part of the test."
The Council member handed me a scroll of parchment, and on it were pictures of a sword, a book, a plow, a cow, a map and a pile of gold. At least, I though it was gold.
"Your next test: identify everything and tell my why it is important, then tell me what you believe to be the most important."
Oh, that would be easy. I thought. A cow would be important, because you need a source of food. A sword would be important, because you would need a way to defend yourself, or your people. A book would be important so that you could document important things, and events in history. As I went through the list in my head, I realized that to me, the most important would be the map. With a map, you could chart unexplored lands, and mark important places. You could explore the world!
"The Sword is important, because you need a way to defend yourself." I stated. I went down the list again, this time out loud. When I came to the map, I said:
"I think the map is the most important. You need a map to explore other places, and you can make maps for future reference for other people." I held my breath, waiting for an answer.
"Ah, I see. As of right now, I believe you would be a very valuable asset. I have never had someone say that the map is the most important. Well done, young man. Well done."
I beamed. I liked getting praised like this. But, I had detected a bit of suspicion in his voice.
"Tomorrow, you will have your final test. Meeting adjourned!"
As everybody started to leave the Hall, The Head Council Member called me over to him.
"Come here, young man. Into this room. We need to talk."
I had the strangest feeling of dread pass through me, then suspition.
"What is it, sir?" I asked, as he shut the door to the little back room.
"We need to know your name. We simply cannot keep calling you young man or boy. Do you understand? I know you don't have any right to trust me, so before you give me your name, I will give you mine."
He said hi name was Mikel, and then asked me again what I wanted to be called.
I thought about it for a while, because I had never had a name, and I wanted it to be a good one.
I had heard some women in the village talking about baby names, and one of the names I had heard was Nolan. I liked that name very much. It sounded courageous and strong, yet humble and kind.
"Nolan." I said. "My name is Nolan."
මමමමමමමමමම
After I had left the Council Hall, Slip called me over.
"Hey man! What's up? How'd it go? Anything exciting happen?" He bagered me with so many questions, that i felt overwhelmed.
"Hi Slip. It went fine, basically they asked me a bunch of riddle type stuff, and the final part is tomorrow. Also, I have a name now."
"You do? That's great!Let me go get the others, and then you can tell us!" He yelled, as he ran off. I contemplated telling them, because ever since that weird dream* I had had in the forest, I wasn't sure I could trust them.
"You are right not to trussst them..."
"Huh? Who said that?"
"It wasss me. I am down here."
I looked down, and sitting there was a deep green snake. I almost jumped out of my skin! When had I started being able to talk to snakes?
"How am I talking to a snake? Am I going crazy? Stop it Nolan, stop it!" It felt good to say my name out loud.
"Imbeccccccile! People will hear you! Do you want to get caught?"
"No, but... I... well..."
"Your friendsssss are coming. Quick! Hide me in you sssssshirt!"
"Wait, how do I know I can trust you?"
"My name issss Sssssylvesssster. Now hide me!"
"A snake names Sylvester?"
"Yesssss!"
"Okay, okay."
When I looked up again, I saw Slip and his friends running towards me. They looked really excited, as if I had sssssomething to tell them. Oh! Excuse me, dear reader, I think the snake language got to me.
"HEY man! I got my people! Now, spill!
"How do I know I can trust you? I heard somewhere that-"
"Oh, hon, don't worry about it! May said. I had a feeling that she was not as stupid and naive as she looked.
"I'll tell you if you answer this:"
I am a wide mouthed grin going down, and spilling tears coming up. What am I?
"Man, I am so bad at riddles! Why'd you have to do that, man?"
"Because," reprimanded Red. "Names have power, stupid!"
"The answer is a bucket going down in a well." Louie told me.
"Is that your final answer?" I asked.
"Yes, man!"
"Yup."
"Yes, hon!"
"Yeah."
"Okay. My name is-" Suddenly, Cooper interrupted me.
"Boy! What are you doing?" He asked me. "You are supposed to be in the kitchens, cooking!"
I sighed, and followed him dejectedly.
"Is that your final answer?" I asked.
"Yes, man!"
"Yup."
"Yes, hon!"
"Yeah."
"Okay. My name is-" Suddenly, Cooper interrupted me.
"Boy! What are you doing?" He asked me. "You are supposed to be in the kitchens, cooking!"
I sighed, and followed him dejectedly.
*See Chapter 2
I'm commenting! Good chapter by the way.
ReplyDeleteLol thx!
ReplyDeletegood no- great job so far. I can't wait until you post he next chapter! When does it come out?
ReplyDelete