Willow's End - Jera Skyspear
Elvish words/phrases linked to Glossary OR hover mouse to see translation.
The Library: Part Five

Jera followed Qwertvamorion on a whirlwind tour of the library. He was highly entertaining as well as informative. In passing, he touched on many threads of history and Jera might have liked to trace all of them, but that could take a few centuries. Instead, she mentally noted a few of greatest interest to her and otherwise tried to map out the library in her mind so she could perhaps browse in the right areas for selected topics. The problem would not be finding research or reading material, it would be trying to pare down infinite options into just a few reasonable pursuits.

At some point in the tour, Ashe joined them. Jera knew he was following along but honestly had little attention left to focus on him. When at last they'd completed the circuit and Qwert went to work at his desk, Jera stood for a moment looking along the ends of many aisles. She reviewed her mental map while snippets of the Chronicler's information whirled in her head.

She was almost shocked when Ashe's voice spoke quietly behind her. "Where to first, arwenamin?"

From her surprise, she spun around and bungled out a thought which had been badgering her since he'd first mentioned the Library, "I know where I should not go." Ashe only arched a brow in question and Jera decided to finish the thought then tuck it away again. "Though it is surely recorded here, I dare not revisit the demise of my clan." She abruptly turned away from him again and proceeded toward a shelf several aisles away from where they'd stood.

As she walked, she lowered her head, paying undue attention to opening a pouch at her waist. She retrieved the small book she'd been translating in Camelot's library, as well as a fold of parchment containing her notes. Jera didn't really need to have the book in hand yet, but fishing it out somehow helped steady her steps. In fact, she promptly tucked the book and notes back into the pouch.

Before she reached her destination, Jera turned to look at Ashe. He'd been undecided about whether to follow her. She whispered, though her voice carried in the vault of the library and he was sure to hear her in any case, "I'm sorry. Won't you come with?" He nodded and crossed the way toward her as she finally answered his original question. "I've decided first to look for books on weaving, simple as that sounds. I vaguely recall a complex pattern well suited for tight netting as in carry pouches that breathe but do not allow small bits to slip through. I'd like to refresh my memory on that, relearn it. Could be quite useful and even market-worthy."

Finding the section of books on weaving was not difficult. Jera recalled where they'd been because Qwert regaled them with a tale of fishermen and the unfortunate netting of a selkie. Many of the topical volumes were written in this way, instructional or statistical information enlivened with anecdotes or fables of origin. Finding the exact book was a little more challenging, but after only a few tries, Jera found a marvelously detailed description of the weave, and even sketches of the steps involved.

Although she apologized for using Ashe as a book stand, she had him hold open the pages illustrating the exact weave she sought. He watched her delicate fingers emulate the weaving in the air as her concentration worked between the document and her memory. While 'practicing' she idly commented, "I remember watching a vaire in our clan. Ancient as she seemed, her fingers were still nimble and skilled at this particular weave."

As Jera continued to weave in the air, she grinned and began manifesting the thinnest strings of light to work them into the pattern as shown in the book. Her voice became hushed, both secretive and nostalgic, "Some knew how to spin mithril into such threads and though it was difficult to loom..." The woven light threads formed a small swatch of fabric as she worked. It shifted and waved as Jera's fingers continued to loop, twist and knot more and more smoothly. "... it was quite workable by hand." Obviously visualizing the steps of the weave was much easier with the temporary thread.

The immediate area around them had grown slightly dim during her demonstration as she drew light into thread, but that made the light fabric seem to glow all the more. Jera stopped weaving and gently lay the swatch over Ashe's hand holding the book. It shed warm light over his skin but was of course no heavier than air. She looked up and smiled softly to Ashe, then leaned to lightly kiss his fingers through the woven light, thus dispersing it. Softly glowing sparkles fell in a cascade over the open book then scattered further to be no longer distinguishable from the ambient light.

When she straightened again, Jera took back the book, closed it, and reshelved it, then softly thanked Ashe for his participation in helping her restore this weave to her personal gallery of skills.

Eventually Ashevathallion had to leave her company and return to Blackthorn Manor to tend the children. He managed to return in the evenings after the children were all tucked in for sleep, and Jera was so absorbed in several series of studies that days passed with barely a notice of it. She did enjoy the breaks with Ashe but was also anxious to get back into her research after each rest period. Still, eventually, she would need to return to Camelot, or risk taking up a position as Qwertvamorion's assistant. Jera wasn't really prepared to shelve her life in the Library, no matter how fascinating the place was.

(from 2002 1120) © DHP and Bill West

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