Return Of The Fontalo
by Linda Rigsbee
Chapter 4
The vision began as Celyn was preparing for bed. She lay back on the bed and relaxed, soaring through the air above a campfire. Two people were in that camp – Donte and Rianne.
Donte’s back was against a tree trunk, his legs on either side of Rianne. Her back leaned against his chest. He had his arms around her, his fingers laced with hers. They were watching the fire as if something interesting was going on there. They were a strange couple. If they wanted romance, couldn’t they find it in the privacy of their bedroom?
To Celyn, having a man in her nice comfortable bed sounded a lot more romantic than sitting on the cold hard ground with him in front of a fire somewhere out in the middle of nowhere.
She flew back over them, trying to understand why she was having the vision. They didn’t appear to be in distress. They had two equines tied near them. She flew higher. They were in Lochfowk – she could tell by the number of lakes. Not far from them was a mountain range. Lochfowk had several mountain ranges. Since she wasn’t that familiar with Lochfowk, she didn’t know where they were – or why they were there. Donte wasn’t in uniform, so he must not be there on business. He hadn’t contacted her, so it probably wasn’t a mission.
She left the vision frustrated. Why did she have these visions that meant nothing? She pulled back the blankets and crawled into bed. She was tired of this one-way relationship that was going nowhere. Donte wasn’t ever going to accept his role in her vision. A superficial relationship with Kenyon was better than none at all. They didn’t have to exchange vows. He’d be willing enough to do that. She smiled as she thought about the way he looked at her. Was it betraying Donte to think of Kenyon in such a way? How could it be? After all, Donte was involved with someone else.
Donte was certain that she had misinterpreted the vision about exchanging vows with him. He was so obsessed with Rianne that he wouldn’t see it if it happened in front of him. She might as well forget about it because he was never going to let it happen. She had looked forward to her nineteenth birthday for ten years. There had never been anyone but Donte for her until Kenyon came along. It made her think of Nieke. Nieke had never expected anything from Donte, though. Neirin was willing to be second best, but Kenyon wouldn’t. Why should he when he could be first with so many women?
Celyn tossed the covers aside and stood. Who could sleep with Donte and Kenyon on their mind? She put her robe on and combed her hair. Slipping her sandals on, she descended the stairs and left the palace. She climbed onto the palace wall and sat, leaning against a corner post. There she gazed off into the night sky. When Donte was in the service, she had studied the points of light and wondered if one of them was the Moeder. He was no longer on a space ship, but in a way he was every bit as far away. She was tempted to seek him, but he was with Rianne. Instead, she closed her eyes and tried to find Kenyon. He wanted to experience her visions and she wanted to include him, but so far, she had been unable to do so. It took a few minutes of concentration, but she finally found Kenyon. He was also sleeping under the stars in a camp. What was it with Quade’s boys?
She gazed down at his handsome face. At least he was alone. Where was he? She looked at the land around him. He was by the sea. Was he on his way to see her? Why wouldn’t he take the tram?
A falling star streaked across the sky, leaving a long sparkling tail. She opened her eyes to see if it was visible from the palace. That was when she realized that it was another vision. Had she actually found Kenyon or was that part of the vision as well? It had been a long time since she'd had a vision and tonight she’d had two. What did it mean? Was the shooting star an omen?
She had started to climb down from the wall when she spotted an equine and rider coming toward the palace. She watched for a few minutes. It was Kenyon. He saw her and guided his equine to the palace wall. He stopped; a sardonic smile on his lips as he looked up at her.
“I guess you couldn’t sleep either.”
Obviously, she had not reached him. It was part of the vision. She dropped her feet on the outside of the wall. “I was trying to find you.”
The smile vanished and his gaze fixed on hers in a disturbing way. “You found me.”
She gazed into his eyes. He really was handsome. “Why are you out here so late?”
He shrugged. “It isn’t all that late. I started to make camp and come in at daylight, but I had a feeling….”
She smiled hopefully. “You knew I was trying to reach you?”
He shrugged again. “I don’t know. Maybe I couldn’t wait to see you.”
She stared down at him; uncertain what to make of his comment.
He dismounted and reached up to her. She slid into his arms. He held her close for a moment before he kissed her.
For a long time, she clung to him, kissing his lips and enjoying the warmth of him. Finally, he drew back.
“What would your father say if we exchanged vows?”
She frowned up at him. “I think it is far more important what I would say about exchanging vows with you.”
He smiled – a flash of white in the lunar light. “Will you exchange vows with me?”
“Right now? Tonight?”
“Are you in a hurry?”
She studied his face. “Are you serious?”
He groaned. “I was afraid you wouldn’t be interested. Is it my age?”
Her heart pounded. “I’m interested. I want to exchange vows with you…right now. I don’t want to be alone tonight.”
He lifted a brow. “That’s not a good reason to exchange vows.”
She shook her head. “It depends on the vows, doesn’t it?”
He ran a thumb along her jaw as his gaze traveled over her face. “I don’t want you until Donte takes you.” He took her hands in his. “I want you for the rest of my life. I want you to be mine and only mine.”
She gaped at him. Donte said that in her vision – or had it been Donte? Of course, she didn’t know Donte or Kenyon at the time. In fact, at that point everyone thought Kenyon was dead. She closed her eyes and resurrected the vision, as she had done so many times. In the vision she was viewing them from a position above. They were standing near the palace wall in the moonlight and he was holding her hands.
She opened her eyes to find Kenyon watching her. “It was you, Kenyon. I was certain it was Donte, but it wasn’t.” She paused something occurring to her. “But you weren’t actually exchanging vows with me when you said that, were you?”
He groaned. “I guess we’re both off the hook then, aren’t we?”
In a way it was a vow. He wasn’t promising anything, but he was certainly declaring his love. She smiled as she circled his neck with her arms. “No. Donte is off the hook, but you aren’t.”
He chuckled. “Good. So, what do you think your father would say?”
She smiled as she drew his lips down to hers. “I think he would be relieved.”
He kissed her thoroughly and lifted her to the wall. “I’ll camp out here for the night. In the morning we’ll talk to your father. If he has no objection, we’ll exchange vows.” His smile was wry. “Now go to your room.”
She caressed his cheek. “I love you, Kenyon.”
He took her hand in his. “I love you too, Celyn.”
“I could camp with you tonight.”
He lifted her feet and gently turned her body so it faced the palace. “You’re going to get us both into trouble.”
“But we’re going to exchange vows tomorrow. What difference does it make?”
“When we have a little girl, you’ll understand. Now go back to the palace. I’ll see you in the morning.”
She hopped down from the wall and headed for the palace; his words echoing in her head. “When we have a little girl.” She hadn’t even thought about that part, but of course they would be able to have children. As many times as she had thought about exchanging vows with Donte, she hadn’t actually considered the responsibility of children. She had never thought of Kenyon as a father. Maybe it was because he was having so much fun being a lover.
She pulled her robe closer and shivered. Fortunately, Donte had not been a willing participant in her vision. If he had been single, she would have wound up mated with the wrong man. Donte’s words came to her at that point. If it was meant to be, then it would happen. He thought she had misinterpreted the vision all along, and he was right.
***
Donte lay on his back beside Rianne. Her head lay on his chest and her finger traced an invisible line around the scar on his bare stomach. Why were women so interested in scars? Of course, this one had some powerful memories. He had almost died when the arrow had gone through him. If it had not been for the quick thinking and medical skill of Kenyon, he probably would have died. Rianne had traveled all the way to Nyumbani to be at his side. She had always been there for him and she never complained about it. She hadn’t complained about this trip. In fact, she actually appeared to enjoy it. She was concerned about not being able to have another child, but this was something they could look forward to after their children were grown. He’d like to talk to her about that and the situation with Celyn, but everything was going so well that he didn’t want to ruin the trip.
He put an arm around her. “I love you Rianne. I can’t even begin to describe how much.”
Her finger stopped and she rested a warm hand on his stomach. She was silent for a few moments. Finally, she lifted her body from his chest and moved over him, kissing his lips. “I love you too, Donte. I wish we could spend the rest of our lives together like this. It’s so romantic and serene.” She kissed her way down his neck and chest.
He cradled her in his arms and rolled to his side. He lifted up on one elbow and gazed down at her. “We can when the children are grown.”
She shook her head. “By then Celyn will have babies.”
“Then she’ll have to have them with Kenyon, because they won’t be mine.” He stroked her cheek. “I don’t know how to make you understand about this thing with Celyn. I know she believes in it and she has other people believing in it, but I don’t. I never did. I believe we are destined to work together – even lead together, but nothing more. I have a mate that I love more than words can express, and two beautiful children. I can’t imagine my life being any better except for one thing. I want my future to include you, Rianne. I don’t want this thing with Celyn to ruin what we have together. It will if we let it.”
She watched him for a while, her gaze taking in every detail of his face. When her gaze came back to his eyes, she smiled. “I still can’t believe how lucky I’ve been. I’ve wanted you for so long, Donte.” She sobered. “I suppose it’s difficult to believe that such bliss could continue. No one is that fortunate.” She ran a finger lightly across his lips. “Other women want you as badly as I do. Sometimes I feel selfish for wanting you all to myself.”
He stared at her a moment, startled by her words. He had felt the same way about her, but it had never occurred to him that he should share her – and he wasn’t willing to do so now that she had brought it to his attention.
He sighed. “I’m not as selfless as you are, Rianne. I don’t want to share you.”
She smiled; her eyes suddenly full of humor. “I don’t want to share you either, Donte. Why do you think this mess troubles me so much?”
He pulled her close. “You might as well know I wouldn’t give you up without a fight.” He kissed her lips.
She snuggled close to him. “I certainly hope not.”
He chuckled. “This trip was a good idea.”
She pulled the blanket around their shoulders and rolled on her back; her eyes inviting him. He accepted her invitation with enthusiasm.
Later, as they lay on their backs, a light shot across the sky above them, leaving a trail of sparkling dust. Donte was inexplicably filled with a feeling of dread.
Rianne gasped. “Did you see that? It was a shooting star. Wasn’t it beautiful? If we had been inside, we would have missed it.”
Donte frowned. Was it a shooting star? He tossed the blanket back and sat up, reached for his trousers. “I wonder where it landed.”
Rianne sat up, clutching the blanket to her chest. “Probably a hundred miles away. What are you doing?”
He shoved his legs into the trousers and stood, pulling them over his hips. “I have a feeling it wasn’t a shooting star.”
She pulled her clothes toward her. “What do you think it was, and what can we do about it right now?”
He grabbed his shirt and pulled the communication medallion from the pocket. Tapping it once, he spoke.
“This is Donte. Can you patch me through to Adriaan?”
“Yes, Monomi.”
He looked down at Rianne as she struggled into her clothes. “If it’s what I think it was, we need to get to the Groot Thuis as soon as possible.”
“What do you think it was?” She asked again.
The medallion interrupted. “This is Adriaan, Donte. What’s going on?”
“We just saw something that looked like a shooting star.”
Adriaan was silent a moment. “Do you want me to confirm that it was a shooting star?”
“Can you?”
“Let me check. What did it look like to you?”
“It isn’t what it looked like that troubles me. It’s how I felt.”
“All right, what did you feel?”
“I felt a presence – a malevolent presence.”
Without another word, Rianne began getting their things together.
The medallion spoke again. “Where are you, Donte?”
Donte gave a humorless snort. “In the middle of nowhere. Rianne and I are camping…” He paused. They weren’t far from the underground complex. “Mark our coordinates and notify commander Cadha, would you?”
“Give me a few minutes.”
Rianne looked up at him as she rolled the blankets. “Do you think they have arrived?”
He nodded. “I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am.” He tossed another log on the fire.
Rianne frowned. “Why are you building the fire?”
“So the Premier Infantry can find us.”
“The who?”
He smiled. “The infantry that I’m supposed to command during The Prophesy.”
“You think it was The Fontalo.”
He nodded again. He took the rolled blankets from Rianne. “Keep the fire going. I’ll get the equines ready.”
He was saddling the equines when Commander Cadha spoke on the medallion. “Donte, we have confirmed that it was not a shooting star, but some kind of spacecraft. We can’t identify it. The Premier Infantry is on its way to get you. Sit still until they arrive.”
“Yes Nomi. Can you determine where the craft landed?”
“It looks like it landed in the sea, 102 miles southeast of Libertad.”
Donte groaned. “Can you send an alert to all the colonies?”
“We can do that.”
Donte finished preparing the equines and walked them into the camp. He took Rianne into his arms. “It has started. They have confirmed that it wasn’t a shooting star. They think it is a spacecraft, but they can’t identify it. They have located it. I’ve requested that they alert all the colonies. The Premier Infantry is on the way to get us.”
She snuggled close to him. “The children…”
“I know.” He tapped the medallion.
“Yes Monomi?”
“This is an emergency. Can you contact Beier for me?”
“Yes Monomi.”
After a few minutes, Beier responded. “Donte? What’s the matter?”
Donte explained the situation. “I need you to go to the Groot Thuis and stay with Saskia and our children. Are you near them?”
“Yes, Monomi. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Notify the Cabinet. I’ll be there as soon as I can. The Premier Infantry is on its way to pick us up.”
“Shall I send a shuttle?”
“No, I don’t want anything moving until we have more information.”
“Yes, Monomi.”
Rianne was trembling. “Cold?” Donte asked.
She shook her head. “Scared.”
He nodded. “Me too.”
“Do you think they are listening to your communications?”
“Possibly, but if they are, then they know we are aware of their presence and prepared. That will give them second thoughts.”
“The fact that you are expecting them should too.”
He nodded again. “Let’s put another log on the fire and move into the trees. The Infantry should be here soon.”
He tossed another piece of wood on the fire and led the horses into the shadow of the trees. For a while they stood in silence, waiting.
An owl swooped across the clearing. Donte looked up. “Celyn is here.” He closed his eyes as Celyn included him in a vision. He flew over the trees around the camp and then higher. Six men dressed in light green uniforms were approaching the camp. He opened his eyes.
“They’re almost here.”
Rianne clutched his arm. “The Fontalo?”
He smiled down at her. “No, the Infantry. There are six of them.”
Donte felt the presence of the Infantry before they arrived. He took Rianne’s hand. “They’re here.” He led her to the clearing.
Minutes later the Infantry emerged from the trees. The leader bowed to Donte. “We are to take you to Dalziel, Monomi.”
Soft Science Fiction
