Tu's Story ~ Part 4 ~ Visit From The Elders

 Over the next few days, Tu kept herself busy catching up with close friends that hadn't yet left the homestead for the first time as she had only a couple of months previously. They seemed unaware of anything other than a home visit going on & as she told stories of her 'adventures' in the Verse, she omitted the unsettling events that had led to her return.

Time passed fairly quickly, she easily fell into the pattern of being at home, yet curiosity burned like a little fire in her mind that would not be put out as she waited for the arrival of her great grandparents Saorsa & Sisu.

This morning, at the homestead, there was definitely a lot more going on than usual. From the window of her room, as the first light crept over the ridges surrounding the camp, Tu had seen vehicles drive out & when she got up, she found granny Rebel & mum Ebe busy in the kitchen prepping a substantial amount of food. Tu offered her help.

"They're coming today aren't they?"  She asked although it was more of a confirmation than a question.

Rebel, smiled back at her, "All being homii, yes they are" She answered.

Tu felt a little spark of anticipation ignite in her solar plexus. Hopefully, she was finally going to find out what all the fuss was about. At that moment Bob & her father walked in, deep in conversation. Temporarily distracted they stopped & looked at the three women, before turning on their heels and walking out again.

Tu was brimming with questions but knew that if she heard the reply," all will come clear" or, "you'll know soon enough" once more, she might scream like a brat, so she decided to just go with the flow of the day's events hoping that it would lead to answers eventually. 

Over the next few days, Tu kept herself busy catching up with close friends that hadn't yet left the homestead for the first time as she had only a couple of months previously. They seemed unaware of anything other than a home visit going on & as she told stories of her 'adventures' in the Verse, she omitted the unsettling events that had led to her return.

Time passed fairly quickly, she easily fell into the pattern of being at home, yet curiosity burned like a little fire in her mind that would not be put out as she waited for the arrival of her great grandparents Saorsa & Sisu.

As the shadows deepened between the homestead & the ridges,Tu watched from the window of her room, her eyes scanning the dips & dives of the mountainsides faintly lit by the soft radiance of the stunning nebulous sky she had grown up with.

Suddenly she saw distant lights, flickering at first, then stretching into beams, heading slowly towards the homestead. She headed outside to tell Bob who had been marking the portent passing time with his strides as he paced the Southern perimeter of the camp.

It was late that night when Tu found herself standing in the kitchen with her great grandparents. The room was a glow. Saorsa had looked at her intently, it was as if she could see into the depths of her mind Tu hadn't even been herself. But they were tired & there were going to be no revelations that night. 

The next day, however, the lodge was open to a select few & gradually everybody gathered together around a table that was shrouded by beautiful hanging plants, collected from far and wide throughout the verse & carefully tended by everyone on the homestead.

The last to arrive was Bob, in his hand was the artefact still wrapped in the cloth Tu had carefully covered it in. He handed it to Sisu.

"It is as we expected", smiled Sisu," So Tu, can you tell us yourself, in full, how did you come by this?"

Not expecting to be the one to do all the talking, Tu did as she was asked & relayed her story in full, beginning with the quirky navigation glitch of the Terrapin that had caused her to be at an abandoned lab, ending with her strange trans-dimensional type experience.

Bob, helped her with the rest of the story, how he picked her up during her escape from the dangerous space station & bought her home.

It was strange to see her Grandfather in the presence of his parents, especially his father Sisu, Tu found it curious how they could be so alike & yet so different.

When the tale had been told, Saorsa who had been turning the artefact over & over in her hand, studying its shape closely, looked up at Tu. 

" We are so sorry for the secrecy, which is, you will not know, customary on a subject such as this one? We had to be sure. Though, from all that I have seen & heard I am sure." She looked to Sisu, who nodded solemnly in agreement.

"There is an explanation for your experience & it is directly related to this," Saorsa held out the artefact in the palms of both hands, as she did so, light passing through the hanging foliage caught it, sending spectrums of colour in every direction.

"But your story Tu - is just a small passage of a much bigger story, a story that we ourselves are still uncovering. But as we piece it together, your experience & this artefact will help us considerably. We do believe that it is no coincidence that you should find this shaard."

"Shaard?" Tu posed the word back to Saorsa as a question, she hadn't heard the term before.

"Yes, Shaard," repeated Sisu, "Is just one of its names."

"These shaards are rare & extremely precious for reasons we have only just begun to understand, not only to our people but also, we believe, to the Holi Verse, or Verse as a whole. It is also no coincidence that they are appearing more frequently than we have known before, especially to Intuvii."

"Intuvii?" Yet another word Tu was unfamiliar with. 

 Long into the afternoon, the words spilled & by the time Tu left the lodge she had more answers than she could actually properly deal with all at once. 

Her head was spinning. She needed space, to spread all the information out & bring it all back together in a way that made sense. 

Everything looked different, both her inner & outer landscape were vaster, she felt a sense of purpose and

..she laughed to herself shaking her head in amused disbelief, she had found out her real name ..Tui