Back to Riversleigh

I took my leave of the my three guides in Kerith and made my own way to the dock. When I got on board, Gerd greeted me with a slap on the back that sent me reeling across the deck.
“Good to have yer back,” she roared. “How did yer enjoy yer meetin’ with the Dragon Queen.”
I steadied myself on the deck rail. “It was beyond expectations,” I said. “Where are we headed?”
“Well, we got a fine catch for Riversleigh Manor, and I was sent word to take you along.”
Riversleigh! My heart leapt at the thought of returning to that lovely place.
“More deck swabbing?” I grinned.
“Nah, I gotta better job for yer. I saw yer face when you was eating that bread, and I said to meself, why, here’s a woman that’s used to finer things. Our ship’s cook ran off with a merman - not sure what she plans to do with him, he wants to keep an eye on his tail to my way of thinking - so here’s the business - you take her place until we gets to Riversleigh. I’m picking up the new cook there.”
“How do you know I can cook?” I said.
“Can’t be worse than that bread,” one of the deck hands muttered in my ear. “Cap’n’s mum makes it. Could use it for an anchor.”
“What was that?” Gerd boomed.
“Nuthin’,” the deck hand said innocently.
“Come wi’ me, I’ll show you the galley.” Gerd led me down below decks. The galley was a noisome corridor jammed down the middle of the boat. I stared at it in dismay. It was filthy. Grease caked the walls, and there was rubbish and washing up everywhere.
“It needs cleaning,” I yelped.
“Good girl!” Gerd gave me another slap on the back and I crashed into the sinkful of washing up. “Leave you to it then.” Her salty boots pounded back up the steps.
It took two hours to restore some sort of order to the galley, but eventually I had clean dishes and pots, and had cleared a working space. I looked through the cupboards to see what was available and found two loaves of the Staghammer Mama’s bread. They weighed like bricks so I dropped them into the trash.
The former cook, in spite of her sloppy ways and penchant for mermen, kept a good store cupboard. There was flour, rice, pasta, tinned vegetables, and a good supply of Lemurian herbs and spices. One of the deck hands appeared with fish and shellfish, and I set about making a hearty stew, and some soda bread with rice pudding for dessert.
Mealtime was very merry, taken on the deck under the stars. The crew approved my stew and soda bread, and made short work of the pudding. Gerd loosened her belt another notch.
“That was fine fare indeed,” she grinned. “Knew you could do it.”
There was another advantage to being cook beside the appreciation of the crew. I didn’t have to do any other work, so I had plenty of time to relax on deck and watch the stars until it was time to prepare supper.
I knew it would be a wonderful voyage, with good company - and at the thought of my destination, I felt a happy glow of home coming.

Hermit Home

We woke early to find the hot springs and the home of the

Hermit Crab.  It wasn’t hard, because being part hermit,

all we had to do was follow the idea of solitude.

The hot springs were filled with salty water,

with many minerals from the activity of the earth

over millions of years.  We dreamed a dream,

and then replaced it with another, and the salty water

seemed to vapourise into steaming clouds of

illusion, such were thoughts of old we had contained

in ourselves.  Visiting the Hermit Crab Guardian nearby, who

appeared very fierce at first, was aided by our

knowing of solitude, and waiting until the sign on her

door “Do not Disturb” was removed.  She yawned, blinked

her eyes, and seemed pleased as we bowed in greeting

to her.  Fumbling in the bag of supplies, I had an idea

how to appease her.   We had read that by nature the

crab regularly shed its covering for renewal and that it

also replaced its shell as it outgrew the old one.  So it was

logical to produce the lovely red onion from our store,

with the added sentiment of layers and shedding skins,

yet always remaining onion or crab, at core.  So nothing was

ever lost, and the Hermit Crab showed a secret grin

of knowing, grateful to have the lovely shiny skinned onion

in her store.  She waved us onward, rubbing together her

claws, to alert her friends we were passing through.   We had

to continue on to the Volcanic region,

by way of the Kerith River, and while heartened

by the solitary Hermit Crab’s allowance for safe passage,

we could not help but be unsettled at the rumbling

that began, and the eerie glow of the larva flow, as we prepared

to spend the night on high ground…

(copyright Imogen Crest 2008.)

The Medicine Woman

I stared at Sarika.
 
“Are you lost?” she asked.

Her appearance had startled me, and it took a moment to pull myself together. 

“Uh, no, well, yes, um, I don’t know….”

Sarika chuckled.  “You are not from Lemuria, are you?”

“It’s that obvious?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Okay, well,  here’s the deal.  I was on my way to the Streams of Mnemosyne and this guy…a friend…Albion…well, we ran into a little trouble..and, to make a long story short, he’s been kidnapped by the Spectres…”   Oddly, I felt myself blushing.  Was Albion really a friend?
 
“The Spectres….that’s not good, not good at all.  I think you need to see Hetura.”

“Who’s Hetura?”

“She is the village’s Medicine Woman.  She knows many things about the seen and unseen worlds.  She can help you.”

“Let’s go then and see her.  I don’t have a lot of time.”

Sarika gave me a questioning look. “Time?  I don’t understand.  This is Lemuria.”

I just shook my head and motioned for her to lead the way.  We descended a steep flagstoned path, weaving around the edges of each of the hot springs.  Steam rose from each pool and the smell of sulfur intensified as we made our way past them.

A few minutes later we passed through a gate into a compound of high-peaked thatched houses.  Like the buildings of Mudjimba, the structures were elevated by stilts off the ground.  Chickens, chased by small children, darted through the compound.  The smell of sulfur had given way to the pungent smells of vegetation.  Stalks of drying herbs hung from the rafters of many of the houses.  Several women sat on woven mats outside their homes, grinding herbs with pestles in stone mortars.  They smiled and waved as I walked by.

We reached a small hut at the far end of the compound.  Sarika motioned me forward.  The entrance was covered by a curtain, making it difficult to knock.  I turned to Sarika.

“Should I announce myself or just walk….”  Sarika was gone.  I quickly surveyed the compound but she was nowhere to be seen.  I was about to call her name when I heard a voice from within the hut.

“Come in, come in.”

I pushed through the curtain and was enveloped in darkness.  “Hello?”

“Hello, hello!” chirped a woman’s voice. “Wait, wait, please.”
 
I heard some scuffling and then the sound of stone striking stone.  A flame came to life before me.  I could see the illuminated face of an old woman blowing on some kindling in a small brazier.  As the fire grew, she stood and pulled a cord which was hanging from the ceiling.  A smoke hole opened in the ceiling.  “There, that’s better.  Sit, sit.” She motioned to a mat on the floor.
 
I stared at the old woman.  She was not very tall and had a toothless grin.  Her face was dark and wrinkled with deep laugh lines surrounding her eyes.  Most striking about her was the headdress she wore.  It was made of orange-colored bark, shaped into an array of lumps and dimples. It looked remotely like a misshapen motorcycle helmet.

“You like my hat?”  She chuckled.  “Hermit crab gave it to me… What a time that was!”  She sent herself off into a wail of giggles.

“Hermit crab?”

“Yes, he is my totem.  What is your totem?”

“I don’t have a totem.”

“We all have totems.  You may not have met yours yet.”

“Right. Okay.  Um, Sarika said you could help me find my friend.”

“Ah, yes, Albion.”

“You know him?”

“No.  Here, have some tea.”

“No, thank you. I’m fine.  Do you know where he is?”

“No.  I really think you need some tea.”

“No, I don’t need any tea.  What do you mean you don’t know where he is?  Sarika said you could help.” I rose to my feet.  Hetura did likewise.

“Yes, I can help.  Have some tea.”

“What is with you and tea?  They are going to kill Albion unless I can get to him…”

Hetura stepped toward me and before I could step back, she placed her index finger on my sternum.   A ripping hot pain tore through my chest and I fell to my knees.
 
“What the hell are you doing?!”  I gasped.
 
 “Very brown.  Not green at all.”

“What?  What are you talking about?”  I was having a hard time catching my breath. The pain was becoming more intense even though Hetura had removed her finger from me.

“The Anahata is blocked.  This is why you are sick so often.”

“How would you know that?”  The fact was that I had a respiratory infection for several weeks before I took off for Lemuria, but there was no way she would know this.

Hetura sighed.  “Because, like I said, the Anahata is not green.  Now would you have some tea?”
 
The pain grew heavier and I felt like my chest was being stomped on.  Before I could object, Hetura lifted a handle-less ceramic cup to my lips. Steam with a strong earthy aroma rose from the cup.  I sipped it, then began to sputter and cough.  It tasted as bad as it smelled.

“Drink it, all of it.”

Even before I finished the cup, I felt the pressure lessening in my chest.  The searing heat gave way to a pleasant warmth.  I could breathe again.
 
“There.  You feel better, am I right?”
 
“Yes. Thank you.”

“Good.  I told you I could help you.”

“Yes, you did.”   I felt calmer, and the urgency I had held when I entered seemed to dissipate.  I could think more clearly now. I knew where I needed to go.  I did not know what I would do when I got there but that did not seem important at the moment.  I knew the answer would come when I needed it and not a moment sooner. I set the cup on the floor and looked into Hetura’s eyes.

“All I need is the direction to the Kerith Caldera.”  Hetura nodded and laughed.

L. Gloyd © 2008

Hermit Crab Dreaming

Hermit Crabs are known for their mobility, love of the dark, understanding of the need for change, love of freedom and ability to live anywhere, to survive through the decades. This member of the Hermit Crab clan has found her way to the hot springs and is spending some time soaking and dreaming. Now could be the time to slip in to the hot springs yourself and share some time with this creature who has such a colourful history.

Heather Blakey - February 2008

Amazonian Gatekeeper

Amazonian Hermit Crab’s act as Gatekeepers at the junction of the Kerith and the Bowan Rivers.

To journey on up the Kerith and towards the Sanctuary of Mnemosyne, through a land governed by the laws of ritual and magic, you must prove yourself in some way. Each traveller will face a unique challenge, complete a very individual, sacred contract, with the Gatekeeper.

Heather Blakey - February 2008

Hermit Crab Wisdom

Visit the ancient Hermit Crab who has made her home here in Lemuria and drink from her well of wisdom. After you have shared the wisdom the Hermit Crab will reveal the next part of the journey which takes you further up river.

Heather Blakey - February 08