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13. VERONNA
Veronna carried Freegirl in her surrey, across the meadow of undulating green.
Under the blue of a crystal sky, a buggy pulled by a beast, named Monster, carried the women comfortably. Headed to the Verdure Ring, Wilson and Tyber rode along side.
The sky was a sharp azure. A gently, cooling breeze swirled into them, while the horses kept the speed constant. Grand open space, and the green color of vigorous grass enveloped.
The slightest smell of horses was on the air, stirred with the fragrant blur of wildflowers—sweet and mixed, scented and aromatic. Groves of trees scattered here and there—apple, plum, cherry, orange, peach, apricot, and pear. Not only were there wild fruit trees, but walnut, almond, pecan, oak, and maple also graced the field.
For the most part, all was a void of vast green. Birds whistled and sang—humming little ditties— soothing the ears of those present.
“You will enjoy the Sauls,” Veronna was saying to Freegirl and Tyber, as they strolled leisurely. “Their name means ‘sacred mission’. The huge grove of trees in which they live, is known as the Verdure Ring, or the Circle of Secrets.”
Freegirl was more interested in the voluptuous green lady, than what the woman of the Green Mists had to say about the Sauls of the Verdure Ring.
Veronna held the reins of the buggy and the horse, with complete calm and control. She sat in her seat comfortably, her wide hips fitting the leather bench, as if it was made for her. It probably was. She looked out over the green meadow grass, as if she was its personal caretaker, confident and aware. Every now and then, she would glance to the side, toward her two guests, and smile knowingly—moss-colored, green cheeks glowing.
“Why is it we’ve never heard of them?” asked Freegirl.
“Oooo…hooooooo…secretive they are,” replied Veronna, mysteriously, as she raised her eyebrows in mischief.
“They must attend Spring Meetings, yes?” commented Tyber.
“Who says they must?” she implored kindly. “Actually, nooo, the Sauls prefer to remain unknown.” She jiggled the rein in her right hand, to guide the horse around a small boulder near the wheel of the surrey.
“They don’t attend the meetings? How can they live without trade?” Freegirl was amazed.
“You will see, Freegirl, the Sauls have everything. They do not need to trade, though the band of the Green Mists takes them river fish often. The Sauls help us when we need a horse, as we do today.”
“What about the need to meet new people?” asked Tyber. “The Spring Meetings are for socializing and entertainment, too. Don’t they, at least, need outside connections for marriage?”
Veronna—older than the teens by thirty years—smiled a bright grin, in her moss-colored skin, and answered, “Apparently not. All cultures are different, and the needs for each one differ. They have about two hundred people in their clan, and I guess that’s enough for marriage. Some times members of the Green Mists stay with them in union. Anyway, the Sauls believe they have a sacred mission— which is to write the secrets of Prophecy, and care for the holy grove.”
Freegirl locked onto the word prophecy, wanting to know more, but the buggy dipped suddenly into a crevice in the grass, and momentarily got stuck. The giant Monster on the pull, stopped shortly, then lunged forward, jerking Veronna and Freegirl to resume passage.
The green woman was completely in charge, and apparently unaffected by the jolt, as she continued. “A very interesting thing you will discover upon leaving the Verdure Ring is that you will forget you ever saw the place, or its inhabitants.”
Tyber and Freegirl stared at each other in rapid succession. Then they snapped their heads back towards their guide and exclaimed, “What?”
“Just what I said—remember? The Circle of Secrets.” Veronna was very calm in her clarification. “The Sauls want privacy so much they do not allow visitors to remember their grove, or the people living there.”
“Phenomenal!” cried Freegirl. “They must have as much power as the Images!”
“Not quite,” said Veronna, “but they have enough to create a memory loss in those they choose.” The large woman pulled a green hand from the reins momentarily, and touched her cheek in mock shock—looking at Tyber and Freegirl with a sidelong peek—and with her eyes widened, she reached her eyebrows to the sky. Imagine that, her expression seemed to say.
“Wait…one…point…,” said Tyber slowly, and skeptically. He cocked his head to one side. “How come you remember?”
Veronna smiled her radiant, pale green smile and with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, she replied, “I wondered if you would ask that. The answer is...I don’t know.”
She had a bit of a cocky humor, again her face mimicking the idea of surprise. “My great grandfather tells me the Sauls decided centuries ago to let the Green Mists keep their memories of the Circle. Because we live near the largest river in the valley, and being their closest neighbors we are important to them. If they were to have a fire they could not control, and were to lose the grove, they would be welcome to live with us—if they wanted, but I doubt if they would. At least once a month, some of them venture to our pool for rejuvenation. The Sauls are our closest friends, and we keep them aware of the world beyond their private dwelling.” She smiled kindly, her green teeth hidden behind thick lips, and added, “Besides, I’m inclined to believe they like our fish.” Then she winked.
Mile after continuous mile, the sturdy buggy carried Veronna and Freegirl to the Circle of Secrets. Mile after mile, Wilson and Tyber followed.
Vaguely, they began to see a great row of trees, marking the horizon of the eastern sky. “That’s the Verdure Ring,” pointed Veronna, with her eyes and chin.
Slowly, the line of dark-green swelled into view—the trees curved to the right and the trees curved to the left—forming a great circle in the midst of the beautiful green.
Both travelers realized they had never seen the line of trees before this—or at least they could not remember having seen it.
At last, in the late afternoon they arrived at the holy grove. Veronna left her buggy outside the Circle, for the trees were too thick for it to pass. She led her horse, Monster, and Tyber led Wilson, and the five meandered through the grove of trees.
The circle of tall woodlands hid a rounded space not visible from the exterior. On the outside, the Verdure Ring was a giant wall of leaves and branches—in fact, in some places the tree-wall was twenty feet thick. It took constant turning through the twisted, winding limbs to reach the interior. The wall was so dense with trees, that upon arrival, the Circle did not appear to have an opening.
However, after much persevering and pushing, through the dense wall of interlocking branches, the jungle finally gave way onto a swollen, wide open space.
The enclosure was huge. The ring was so wide and capacious, one could barely see the other side, where the distant line of trees sealed the hollow.
No human dwellings could be seen—only beautiful, healthy horses to whom Wilson began calling, as soon as he realized their presence.
The first thing Freegirl noticed upon entering the Verdure Ring was this amazing herd. There were hundreds of them scattered throughout the entire grove, standing within the trees, or prancing upon the open green. Every color and size could be seen, including foals with their mothers.
Wilson immediately started whinnying, as he made a passionate attempt to carry Tyber with him, into the throng of the wild creatures.
“Roaring thunder!” expressed Tyber, as he walked to where Veronna, Monster, and Freegirl stood, while hanging tightly to his excitable horse.
“Beautiful, aren’t they?” mentioned Veronna. “Your horse wants to break free and run with the wild ones.”
“I need him now and for a few more weeks. If I let him go, he might start fighting for a mate.”
“Are all these horses wild?” asked Freegirl.
“Oh yes,” answered Veronna. “The Sauls do not believe it is necessary to train or tame animals. Their ability to communicate with creatures of the land is so profound they mentally talk to the horses for requests.”
“That’s wonderful!” exclaimed Freegirl. “Our horses stay with us because they want to, but to ride them they must be trained.” Her eyes blazed upon the equine, and she could not take her eyes off them. “If the Sauls need a horse for travel, they just get on its back and it cooperates?” Her voice had the tone of amazement and disbelief.
“That is correct,” Veronna replied. “They ride their horses bareback and without reins. In fact, they will probably give you a horse never mounted, and will show you how to keep it under your will.”
Freegirl looked at Tyber—both were thinking of Black Raisin deserting them.
Tyber laughed and said. “As long as the furburn doesn’t leave us in the night, Freegirl, what the maze? Your will seems strong enough to me.”
The five continued walking into the center of the grove. Veronna summarized to her companions the place known as the Verdure Ring, or the Circle of Secrets.
To all those crossing Shadow Meadow, the Ring is noticeable, though its massive size is undetectable at first. Few people venture beyond the fortress of the trees, because it has such an unnatural silence. Awe tells passers to keep passing. Viewers sense its isolation, and simply choose to leave the Circle alone. Once they are passed the ring of trees, they completely forget they ever saw it.
“How could a person ever forget they saw the Ring?” asked Tyber. “The trees have such a powerful aura; it seems their size alone would push into your memory forever.”
“Only when you see it again does it trigger your memory. Do you recall passing these trees in your past meadow rides?”
“No…I do not…” answered Tyber, while pondering if he ever had. “And I’ve been around this meadow a thousand times.”
“Hmmm…”Veronna added. “If you are versatile at Dreaming, you might find it in your Dreams. But the Sauls have given the Ring a great aura of obscurity, which keeps it hidden from the ordinary.”
“Why?” asked Freegirl.
“I told you. They’re protecting a secret,” was the direct reply. At that moment, Veronna, still holding Monster by the halter—the large green woman a good match for the enormous mare—began toe-dancing. The mare did her best to keep a flexible neck and head, as the huge dancing woman—clutching the animal’s face gear—put force into the horse, with the movement of her arm.
Freegirl and Tyber watched in silence.
“Oh why, why, why, why, why, why, WHY!” Veronna began to sing. “Oh, plea-ease tell me WHY!” Her dance and song continued, as the two children slowly became embarrassed. Even Wilson had settled himself enough to momentarily watch the silly performance. Kicking her heels together, while using Monster’s head and halter to left her body off the ground, Veronna continued, “Why, why, why, WHY?”
Freegirl and Tyber began to chuckle, feeling ridiculous. The lady of the Green Mists was certainly making fun of their constant questioning, and they had to admit she was in truth.
Freegirl threw her arms into the air. “Oh! No reason!”
Then Tyber imitated her with his free arm tossed into the air, “Yea! No reason!”
The three had a joyous laugh together over Veronna’s sudden dance and song. Tyber was compelled to imitate her toe dancing, while gripping his horse’s halter.
Bye and bye, as the company resumed walking into the center of the Ring, Freegirl and Tyber noticed there were no homes anywhere. All they could see was the thick line of trees, the giant corral, and the horses.
“So where are the Sauls?” asked Tyber.
“Oh, they’re here. They’re watching us.”
“Really? Why?” Both children became highly curious, completely forgetting Veronna’s song.
The lady of the Green Mists smiled with humor. “They are waiting until they know what our intentions are”
“And what does ‘our intentions’ mean?” Tyber sounded encouraging, not rude.
“What the Sauls want to know is are we here out of curiosity, did we come to bring something, did we come to request something, or are we lost?”
“We came to request a horse!” interrupted Freegirl. “I hope they don’t mind!”
“The Sauls may be quiet and obscured, but they are very giving and usually ready to help.”
“What do you mean usually?” asked Tyber.
“They will help only those who do everything in their power to help themselves. They will not help anyone who is undecided about direction.”
“I’m totally decided about my direction!” Freegirl temporarily became anxious.
“I’m sure you are, Freegirl, concern yourself not. The Sauls have helped me many times. I am sure they will help you now. Have you brought anything for them?”
Freegirl looked unclear for a moment, almost sad. Then she answered slowly, “I did not bring anything for myself…”
Veronna frowned at her, wondering who would go camping and bring no provisions. Tyber gave Freegirl a sharp look because with admittance like that, she could draw attention to her bizarre journey, and she definitely needed to keep it a secret.
Then the green lady said cheerily, “Well! I have for the Sauls, in exchange for a horse for you, a holy basket woven from the grasses that grow in and around the Pool of the Green Mists. Of course, if you can catch a horse and ride it by yourself, they will not stop you. The animal will belong to your persuasion if it chooses to follow you, and will be yours. But if you do not know the secret of the animals, then you will need to ask the Sauls for a horse.” She held the green woven basket up for Freegirl to see. “This holy basket is an offering for the steed.”
“Thank you very much,” was the humble reply. “But what is the ‘secret of the animals’?” she asked.
“Great subtly, Freegirl, which is born of the Silence and the Stillness. Mastering this realm may take more time than you have, that is why I brought the holy basket for trade.” She winked when she said the last statement, for it would take almost any human more time than they had, to master the realm of the Silence and the Stillness, and the animal’s world.
The Children of the Glimpse borrowed when it was absolutely necessary, although sometimes borrowing was a big responsibility. Black Raisin had been borrowed and she ended leaving Freegirl stranded in unfamiliar lands. And who knew if the mare reached home safely to Rainbow’s cabin?
If an item breaks in the hands of the borrower, who is to say who was responsible? However, all Children have awesome integrity— lending and borrowing was supported by trust and honesty. It was a way of giving, although a direct exchange was the ideal way to gain an item. The trade could still be refused, but it was not likely, for the Children of the Glimpse were very giving. A holy basket of the Green Mists was worth the value of a young horse of the Verdure Ring.
Unexpectedly, paper balloons started floating and meandering to the ground. They were coming from the treetops. The breeze blew them in every direction, twirling in the center of the Verdure Ring.
The people watched and the horses snorted. A variety of shapes and colors bobbed upon the wind, traveling the airwaves and sailing around the horses. Everything was in motion. The world was in motion with color, spheres bouncing upon the green—blades of grass touching—balloons springing on the emerald field, within the giant grove, horses nickering and nodding to the balloon air-show.
These balloons were full of air, of course, dropped by the leader as reminders of the floating power of air, a laughing Veronna explained. Air was the breath, and had the power to lift a person off the ground, just as it could lift a balloon.
Again, Veronna began her twinkle-toe dance, the over-sized ballerina at play. Again, her huge draft mare cooperated with her leaping performance. “I feel like a balloon, myself, sometimes!” said the great hulk of a lady colored green.
She was wearing a full, long gathered skirt with a puffy blouse. Her choice of dye for the cotton she flaunted was bright pink. What a spectacle. Her skin was green, she was over six feet tall with a large build, her clothing was puckered and bulky, and pink, and she was dancing with her eyes closed, upon tip-toe, while holding onto the head of an enormous horse.
Tyber and Freegirl kept looking at each other and smiling.
Then the happy woman began singing in a powerful alto-soprano voice. “Lea-ven Feather-ly! Bring us your compa-ny! Lea-ven Feather-ly! Bring us your compa-ny!”
Suddenly, she opened her eyes and looked at the astonished children. “Oh! I love your company too, but wait till you meet Leaven!”
The children shrugged their shoulders and laughed. Then Tyber said, “No company could be more amazing than yours, Veronna.”
Then the woman of the Green Mists threw her head back and yodeled. The horses perked their ears immediately and the children laughed. Soon, all three humans were yodeling, heads tilted back towards their shoulder blades, eyes squinting at the early evening sky.
Tyber and Freegirl were caught completely by what they saw next.
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