Selah

Around 18 years ago, there was a band of traveling performers calling themselves “The Joyful Jesters.” They claimed to entertain everyone as though they were kings. They were Varisian Gypsies, a tribe known as “Quimen”. Their banner was known throughout the land: two men in jester hats, holding hands. The Quimen believed in a sacred tradition passed on for generations within their tribe. This was the belief that all people were equal, regardless of birth or wealth. All were their brothers and sisters, all were connected. What affected one, affected all. They were pacifist, avoiding violence at all costs. Because of this belief, generation after generation had enhanced their skills of negotiation, diplomacy, communication – to the point where it was rumored the Quimen had special powers over others to make them do what they desired. No one feared them, and for the most part, no one harmed them.

On this particular day, 18 years ago, the Joyful Jesters camped outside a small city and were on their third and final day of performing for the residence of the city. The performance had gone well and the townsmen had been generous with their purses. The crowd had dispersed and dusk had arrived. The Joyful Jesters were celebrating around the campfire and discussing where to head next. It was at this time, 18 years go, that a baby’s cry was heard. The band silenced, and all quickly glanced at their children. None were crying. Those not attending children lit torches from the campfire and began searching the camp. The crying stopped, and one of the members emerged from a tent, carrying a girl of 2 years in their arms. Strangely, no one remembers who found her. Only that she was found. She was well dressed and had a small bag with her. Inside were warm clothes and a blanket. Nothing else.

The Quimen, being who they are, did not need to discuss what to do. It was obvious the child had been abandoned. And it was obvious that she would be taken in by the tribe to be raised as one of their own. Although all tribe members participated in the raising of all the children, a guardian needed to be designated. They sat the child down in the center and began discussing who would be best suited for the job. The child slowly looked around the tribe, member by member, face by face, until she saw Bry. She walked up to him, jumped into his lap, and fell asleep. She had made the decision for herself.

The tribe would not have chosen Bry as a guardian. Bry had never chosen a partner, never coddled or played with the children. Bry was very focused on his mentorship with the tribe’s medicine woman, Cali . The tribe thought it strange that a man wanted to learn the healing arts, especially one so talented in performance as Bry. But he had claimed his place in the tribe, and the tribe respected it. Selah had claimed him as her guardian, and the tribe respected it. It was he who named her Selah after a medicine woman two generations ago in the tribe.

Selah and Bry flourished together. Bry was an outstanding caretaker, and Selah, as it turned out, was an excellent student. As she aged, she learned the tribe’s ways and she asked more and more questions of Bry, and learned more and more about healing. She had a talent for it. She seemed able to sense what was wrong with people, what herbs were needed, even discovered new remedies. Furthermore, she seemed to have the gift of touch, which was celebrated by the tribe.

However, not everything was wonderful about Selah. Within the first week of Selah’s arrival, it was noticed that she was visited by spirits. There was no other explanation for it. She would set things down and they would move by themselves feet away. If she dropped something, or even threw something, the object’s destination was unexpected, even unpredictable. Furthermore, Selah seemed to know things, even at an early age. One incident happened when Selah was nine. She approached Bry and said, “Brother Bry, there will be lightning tonight. The camp should move.” Bry thought this odd, as the weather did not seem so, and told her all would be well. Selah then approached Jonah, who was one of the leaders of the tribe. “Brother Jonah, there will be lightning tonight. The camp should move.” Jonah, too, did not think the weather as such, and told her all would be well. Selah then approached the medicine woman, Cali . “Mother Cali, there will be lightning tonight. The camp should move.” Cali stopped, smelled the air and listened to her bones. Yes, she had been sore a bit more today than usual. Cali approached Jonah, “Selah has told you of the lightning?” Jonah nodded. “Then it won’t hurt the camp to move before nightfall. Where should we move to, child?” Selah said, “The cave.” Selah showed Jonah a cave a mile from their camp. It had enough room for the tribe and a flat area outside for the horses. Lightning or not, Jonah thought it a wonderful place to camp and the tribe moved. That night, lightning struck the old camp site. They heard the horrible crack with no warning from inside the cave. Yes, Selah was touched as well as having the touch. And the tribe celebrated her as well as being a bit awkward around her (as one would with a member who was disabled) but would never think of shunning her as it was against the tribe tradition. She never hurt anyone, as long as she did not handle the hunting gear. (Dal’s scar is proof of that.)

So Selah grew up with the Joyful Jesters, learning their ways. She learned to sing and dance and tell stories at the performances. She learned the Quimen beliefs and practiced them. She learned the art of healing from Bry and Cali . And, she dreamed. She had a recurring dream of an untamed land where strange creatures lived; where bandits roamed and men killed each other for goods. Then one night, the dream changed, and five people appeared in her dream; four men and one woman. They were traveling into this untamed land with a purpose. All were rough around the edges and had not quite found their place in the world. She could see who each one would become, and why they needed to go to the untamed lands. Then she saw herself with them, engulfing them with a bubble of healing energy and using her Quimen ways to see them safely through the untamed lands.

Selah woke and told Bry of her dream. Bry looked at her with shock, then sadness. He told her of a notice he had seen posted in a tavern in the town they had just left. It spoke of a call throughout the lands for people willing to go to the Stolen Lands to explore the area for the Sword Lords. All willing were to meet in Restov by the next full moon. Bry went with Selah to Jonah and explained the situation. Jonah said they were four days from Restov and could easily make it there by the full moon. With the help of her tribe, Selah travel to Restov. They arrived three days before the full moon. Selah spent those three days performing with her family for the townspeople of Restov. Selah arranged to have a tavern in Restov receive letters for her tribe. She told them every time they stopped at Restov, to check with this Tavern for letters and that they could leave letters for her there. She would have them forwarded to her. On the day of the full moon, the tribe gave Selah travel gear, a healing kit full of herbs and other remedies, and a purse of money made during the last three days. One by one they said goodbye to their sister, Selah.

And with that, Selah left the Joyful Jesters of the Quimen tribe to follow her destiny.