The Peophin and the Weatherstone by leimodnu |  |
In the center of the largest ocean in Neopia, out of its
deepest depths, rises a rock. Not so very large, but tall, tall enough to root
itself in the dark waters of the bottom of the sea. The stone was called Reaching
Rock by the pets who lived on nearby Mystery Island, and they generally tried
to stay clear of it. Very little did they know about the rock, save its name and
the name of the old Flotsam who lived on it. Hurda they called her, and they all
feared her. All but one, a young white Peophin called Lianta. Very curious she
was, and she made up her mind to go to the Reaching Rock and watch old Hurda.
When Lianta’s head rose out of the water, she
saw she was on the far side of the rock, and could not see Hurda. Slowly she
swam around, till she spied the back of the old Flotsam sitting and arranging
pebbles around a glittering jewel on her lap. She did not turn and Lianta made
herself comfortable. She did not know how much time passed, as she was mesmerized
by the sight of the shining jewel and the pebbles as they slipped through the
gnarled fingers. After a time, Hurda stopped and put the stones and the lovely
gem into a shabby bag around her neck. She sat quietly for a moment, and then
spoke.
“Greetings, Sea-Child, what do you want?” Lianta
gasped and almost jumped down to swim away.
“N-nothing, I-I just wanted to see what you
do here. I didn’t mean to bother you, or stay so long, but I just liked the
look of your pebbles––and that pretty gem.”
“Come here, I mean you no harm. It is long since
any living thing has spoken to me. Even your kind has forgotten my importance
and fear me.” Lianta obediently swam around to Hurda. As soon as she look upon
the old face, a feeling of joy and gladness flowed through her and she felt
as if she would love Hurda all her life. Hurda’s body was aged, but her eyes
were beautiful with many years of feeling and wisdom.
“What is your name, Sea-Child?” asked Hurda,
taking Lianta’s delicate hoof.
“Lianta.”
“You know mine.” Lianta nodded.
“If-if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, would
you mind telling me what you do with those pebbles? I would like very much to
know.”
“I am in command of the tides, the storms, the
winds, and all sorts of weather having to do with the sea. The stones are each
from a different shore. I use the large, bright stone to direct the right sort
of weather to each different shore. There are many more stones in my bag than
you might think. As light is hidden from each stone, including the large, bright
one, they become like grains of sand. I call them out when I have need of them.
Look into the bag, but take care to let your shadow fall over it while you look,
else they will all become their proper size and my bag shall burst.” Lianta
looked very carefully and an excited cry broke loose from her as she beheld
the scores of tiny stones, shining with their own light. Hurda told her that
each pebble shone with the exact sort of light that its own particular shore
was having at the time. She closed the satchel and returned it to Hurda.
“I must go now. Thank you so very much.” She
paused. “May I come back?”
“I would be glad to have you. Goodbye, Lianta.”
Lianta smiled and disappeared beneath the waves.
So it was that little Lianta, the little Peophin,
and old Hurda the Flotsam became fast friends. Every day Lianta would visit
the Reaching Rock, and listen as Hurda told her many things. In turn, Lianta
often brought some little present for Hurda, a cloak of glistening fish scales,
a beautiful shell she had spent hours looking for, a string of coral in deep
purples, pinks and reds. One day she brought a bag made of fabric woven of the
blue watery light found in shallow waters. Such a thing was highly prized among
the Peophins, yet Lianta wondered if Hurda would want it. When she came to the
old Flotsam, she held up the bag in the sunlight to show its loveliness.
“I thought you might like this. I thought maybe
you might like it to put your stones in. I know it looks like it would let the
light in but it doesn’t at all. Look.” The inside of the bag was black, blacker
than night without stars or moon. Hurda did not look at it, but at Lianta.
“Yes, Lianta, it is exquisite and I should be
glad to have it for my Weatherstone and my pebbles. Would you like to help me
put them in?” Lianta accepted happily and helped Hurda carefully count about
eight tiny stones into her palm and cautiously lift them out of the bag. Then
they would suddenly grow and Lianta would watch warily until she dropped them
into the ocean-light bag. Hour after hour they worked, but Lianta did not tire.
Finally, the last stone remained alone in the bottom of the bag. Lianta moved
the bag into the light to make sure none were left. Then she took the last one
and held for a moment.
“Which one is this, Hurda?” she asked.
“That one is from a small island in the Atlantic.”
“Hurda, may I look at the Weatherstone?” Hurda
handed her the large, glittering stone that she had seen on her first visit.
Lianta had always thought it was the most gorgeous jewel in the entire world.
And indeed it seemed to be. It was clear with a silver inside which sparkled
and shone. Veins of every color of the rainbow ran through to the center, making
it glow with iridescent light. As Lianta held it up to the sun, it slipped from
her fingers and dropped straight down to the water below. She gave a cry and
dove after it. Down, down it fell, sparkling before her, always just ahead.
Lianta realized with a fearful chill that if she did not get it soon, it would
fall into the black waters of the deepest ocean floor and it would shrink. As
the thought went through her head, the gem disappeared. Or seemed to. It had
lost the light and had dwindled to the size of a sand grain. Lianta suddenly
realized that the last ray of sunlight had vanished and she was in total darkness.
In a panic she turned and raced to the surface, forgetting for a moment the
loss of the jewel. Every young Peophin had been told many times about the dangers
of the black waters and the terrible creatures that lurked in the darkness,
hungry, waiting for anything that happens along. Only when she was but a few
feet from the top, she remembered the Weatherstone. She slowed, terribly reluctant
to return without it. When once more she came to Hurda, she smiled sadly.
“You did not get it, Lianta.”
“No, it disappeared and I was frightened of
the darkness. I’m so sorry, Hurda!” she said, breaking into tears at the last
words.
“Never mind. I will get it back somehow. No,
if you are afraid, you needn’t go down. I will go when you leave,” Lianta started.
The thought of old Hurda going down to the floor to find something she had lost
seemed to her more awful even than the monsters of the black waters.
“No, I-I’m going down to find it. I lost it and
I’m going to find it. I’ll go down right now.” Lianta wished to go now, as she
was afraid she would change her mind if she stayed any longer. “Goodbye, Hurda,
I’ll come back with the stone, I promise.” With that, Lianta did a straight
dive right where she had seen the stone fall. On and on she swam, till the sun
vanished and she was left in gray, murky water. Still she pushed on, fighting
the urge to go back and give up. She couldn’t go back. She had promised… Then
the water got darker, darker, darker, till it seemed that nothing could be half
as black as this. Nevertheless she swam without stopping, trying to hold the
image of the gem to keep away the thought of the creatures she approached. She
couldn’t think how long she had been moving in the cold water, but certainly
it had been ages. Then, a darkness twice as deep as the one she had just left
engulfed her and her outstretched hoof touched——a slimy, moving thing! Fear
as she had never known grasped her in an icy fist. The thing was gone. She had
to keep going.
All at once, a sharp pain shot through her front
leg as it hit sand! The pain seemed to melt in her strange delight at reaching
the bottom! Then she wondered how to distinguish the ordinary sand from the
one tiny Weatherstone that lay amongst them. She rested at the bottom and wondered
what to do. Then she felt a familiar shape and texture. The old bag made of
rags! It had slipped out of sight in the excitement of losing the gem! Lianta
could fill it with as much sand as she could and bring it to the top! Surely
the gem would be in there. She had dove in a perfectly flawless straight line
from the very top, something only Peophins can do. It had to be in there! She
quickly filled the bag with sand and shut it. Then, with a lighter heart, but
still fearful, she started her long swim to the top. It was dark when she at
last reached Hurda.
“I brought the old bag up! It must have dropped
down after the jewel. I filled it with sand, and I’m sure the stone is in here.”
She emptied the bag’s contents out beside Hurda and held the sand up to the
moonlight. She worked for a few minutes, spreading the sand out and looking
carefully. At dawn, she was sure that it had to appear now. The pile of sand
was now bathed fully in the rays of the new sun. Nothing happened. Lianta hurriedly
spread it out again and worked it through her hooves. The gem was not there.
Lianta fell on Hurda’s lap and sobbed out her disappointment. As she moved,
the lost gem was revealed in a corner she had not noticed. Hurda shook her gently.
“Look, Lianta, what your labors have produced.”
Lianta turned and picked up the gem. It was as lovely as ever, perhaps even
more beautiful than before. Hurda held the bag and Lianta dropped it in. Hurda
took her hoof and kissed her.
“As long as I live, and that shall be as long
as the ocean, I will always remember the little Peophin who braved so much for
my lost Weatherstone. Thank you, Lianta ”
The End
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