Tsiann hoped to find a clue hiding there at the base of the Wall in the dim light behind thickets of bramble. But instead of a clue that might help her Mam, Tsiann found something else.
- start -
The little girl tried to get a better look at the stone that was stuck in the ground. What are you? She asked in her brain. What was she thinking? It wasn’t like the Wall could read her mind.
“What are you?!” She yelled. She didn’t know where its ears were - so she had to be loud. Tsiann hoped she hadn’t spooked any animals around.
The Wall didn’t answer, and she still didn’t know what that stone was. It was half buried, and seemed stuck under the ethereal veil. She had never seen the Wall, but had always been told to stay away. They said if she touched it even once, it would gobble her all up.
It didn’t look like it would gobble her up at all. It never had. “Its made of light, you guys!” She yelled at whoever would listen (Usually no one. Except her Mam, of course.) Isn’t it beautiful?! How could that hurt you!
But they didn’t see it the way that she did. They called it Imposing And Wrought from iron and blood. Even the other kids her age seemed like if they looked at it too long, they’d die right then and there. Why couldn’t they see it the way she did?
Tsiann stuck her hand right into the curtain of light, and giggled. Sure, it was warm, but a comfy kind of warm. It also tickled - like the light was moving through her skin and out the other side.
Those fools don’t know what they’re missin’
That’s what her Mam always said. Oh no! Mam!
With a start she remembered what she had come here for, and she would bet that this little bugger was it, whatever it was. From where she was standing, it would be impossible to reach. There was just so much bramble! - Tsiann’s foot got stuck on one of the vine-like roots, and she almost tripped.
A few twists, a wiggle - and a well paced stomp earned her a spot to kneel down. With excitement she reached out for the stone. Still too far. At this point it became obvious that her 6 year old arms were simple not long enough.
Tsiann put her hands on her hips and chewed the inside of her cheek. There was no helping it, was there? They were all wrong, right? It had never hurt her before…
Only one way to find out. She raised one foot high and stepped into the Wall.
It was wonderful! Her face crossed the threshold beaming. She was surrounded by warmth. And every inch of her skin felt prickly! The lights were dancing for her as they rose to the sky, every color shew knew the names of, and some that she didn’t!
And the singing! So many voices all singing the same song. And such beautiful voices! Some even sounded like Mam! The music filled her ears, and she could see why the light was dancing. It was an easy melody, and Tsiann soon found herself humming along. Only moments later her voice had joined the choir.
Locked away, away, away
From those afraid, afraid, afraid.
They watch, they hunt!
They build their walls,
We make them fall,
And fly away, away, away.
Tsiann flopped down onto the ground, exhausted from smiling so much. She may only be 6, but she was pretty sure this would be on her top 5 best experiences forever. She leaned, back onto her hands, and felt a sharp point press into the palm of her hand.
The stone!
She shot up and spun around. She could see it clear as day, now. It was an opal, at least, if an opal was the ones that looked liked you spilled lantern oil and turned it into a rock. It was wedged into the hard ground, almost as if it had burst out all of a sudden, but didn’t have enough strength to break all the way through.
Or maybe it grew! It didn’t matter, something like this, inside the wall like it was, was sure to be strong enough to help her Mam. Tsiann reached down with both her hands, turning in a circle to get better leverage on it.
Her first yank proved fruitless. That’s fine, it was just for practice. With her second attempt she gave it her all - she could’ve swore she got it to budge - but still no luck.
She kicked at it, but all she got was dirt. This would require the rolling up of sleeves, it seemed. With more effort came more budging. Eventually she even got it to wiggle. Tsiann wiped beads of sweat from her brow as she took a flopped down for a break. At this pace it would take the rest of the day.
Think smarter, not harder. Another one of her Mam’s wisdoms, of which she was full. Tsiann took a gulp from her waterskin, and made her way back to her feet. As much as it pained her, she would have to leave this magical place.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be right back.” She assured the Wall. “I just need to find a stick.”
----
Tsiann returned with the best stick she could find. Leaving the Wall had been difficult. The outside was, different. The colors were less colorful. There was less, just everything. She nearly forgot why she had even come outside - she was always almost forgetting stuff. Her Mam said she just had a quick mind was all.
Eventually, the outside returned to normal, and it was much easier to take in. It hadn’t been hard to find a good stick after that - just find a good tree and break off one of the smaller branches.
Tsiann was happy to be back inside the Wall - The choir and their song had called to her, every minute she had been away. But she had work to do. All she had to do now was push the stick down next to the rock, and pull. It would still take a lot of effort, but would take a lot less time.
So she got to work. She’d wedge the stick down - and jump. As she started to fall she’d pull down hard with her arms. She could feel the opal, which now looked to be about the size of a man’s fist, give ground every time she did this.
This is it She thought, after several attempts. Tsiann would get the stone and give to her Mam and her Mam would get back to being normal. All she had to do was jump, and so she did. As the choir grew louder and louder in her ears she pulled down, with more oomph than she had ever given. She felt the stone break free as her feet touched the ground.
And then she tripped. She had forgotten that’s what always happened when she did something like this. It was alright though, she knew how to tumble. She was excited to see what was on the other side of the Wall.
But someone grabbed the stick, and yanked her back. She landed on the ground, back on the stomped down bramble.
“What an interesting creature, you are.” She heard a man’s voice say. He sounded both young and old at the same time. “What are you called?”
Tsiann smiled at the Mage, who she had always wanted to meet. She quickly found and held up the opal - A trophy of the days efforts. “Tsiann the Quick!”
- end -
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