4

I heard him call for me, but all I wanted to do was continue into my tent. The better part of me convinced myself to turn around, so I walked up to him as he came out. He was hunched over and held the candle in his hand. He lifted it up to get a better look at me. The light danced shadows upon his face, his eyes staring softly. There were hundreds of wrinkles and folds, his skin showing the torment of the years and age. "This way," he croaked, "follow me." He turned and with very slow steps, walked back into his tent. I followed him not feeling like saying any rejections in return. I closed the flap behind me and sat on a old rickety chair he pointed his old shrivled finger at. He set the candle on the small wooden table and sat in another chair opposite me. I simply glanced around and saw a dirty old tent, with nothing special inside. It was identical to most tents, but much smaller then ours which held three people. Jeremiah coughed and hacked, he grasped the table counter and bent over as he continued. I reached over out of my seat but he waved me off, "Are you alright?" I asked. A general question anyone would ask in my position. "I'll live a little longer," he chuckled. the long pause between words made me restless, "Did you need something from me?" I asked, curious why he brought me over. "No, not anything you can do" he weezed. Confused I asked, "Well, then what do you need me for?" "Paitence," he replied. I let out a sigh and sat back into the chair. It was so quiet between us I could hear the murmering of voices near by. As I conncentrated on them, I could make out Jacksons voice speaking in our tent. He must have made it back. After a while his voice became clearer and clearer, and then it dawned on me. You could hear everything we said from in here. Is this why the old man brought me here, was he trying to show me this? That he heard everything we've said? I looked over at him, his old wrinkled face smiling back at me. His smile revealing his yellow rotten teeth. I continued to stare back puzzled. At that moment, the sound of quick footsteps could be heard outside the tent, followed by a huried voice. "It's me," the high-pitched voice softly spoke through the cotten fabric of the tent flap. "You may enter boy," Old man Jeremiah croaked back. The flap was thrown back and a boy no older then seven or eight entered. As he looked up and spotted me he took a breath of surprise and threw a look of worry towards the old man. I was almost as shocked to see him as he was of me, the boy that stood there was one of the sons of John, the man whose tent I had passed earlier. I too looked at Jeremiah in confusion. "Put it on the table here boy and be own your way, you know the rules," Jeremiah scolded him. The boy shoot up straight and carefully placed a small wrapped package he held in his hand on the table between us. Then started walking towards the tent flap. Before he exited he turned and bowed towards Jeremiah, then turned again and jumped out into the night. "Ah, here we are." Jeremiah exclaimed. He turned in his chair and started unfolding the small package. I sat up in mine and looked towards him confused, "Why..." I began to ask until Jeremiah intereupted. "I have a gift for you, something you might find useful in the next few days." I shook my head, "What do you mean," I asked. He ignored me and continued to undo the string around the cloth wrapping. As I watched the cloth fell to reveal a rich yellow stone. athe stone was no bigger then my palm, but it was stunning in its rich color and polished surface. My eyes gazed at it the swirling patterns of dark and light shades. I wanted to reach out and grab it too feel the smooth texture. "Go ahead," Jeremiah chuckled. It was as if he read my mind. My eyes probably said enough for him to understand. I reached out my hand and wrapped my fingers around it. Just as I imagined; smooth and slick but surprisingly the stone was warm. I looked up from its hypnotizing surface and excitedly asked, "What is it?" "Something very hard to get ahold of, which is extremely ironic considering we dig for it everyday," he said. "Valon?" I asked confused. It didn't look anything like Valon. The same color maybe, but Valon was a thick liquid found deep under ground. This was something different. "Valonite," he revealed, "it's originally the very same liquid form you find it in, which we call Valon, but this is its true form; Valonite. It's more of a....mineral now." I was amazed, all these years and I had never once seen Valonite, let alone heard of it. I caressed it in my hands, the candle light reflected off it's surface. Holding it there it felt strange, it didn't feel as if I was holding a stone, but something alive. "There is still alot we don't know about it, other then it's very important to the Alphas. So hold it close, and don't lose it," said Jeremiah. "Why me? If it's so important, why give it to me?" I asked. He chuckled, "I've heard a great deal of things being said from that tent of yours. I admire what you boys are trying to do and think that this could help you. I'm an old man on his last leg, the only thing to do now is help the next generation as much as I can." "I don't even know what to do with this," I said "Have that smart friend of yours with the glasses take a look at it, he might be able to figure out why it's so important to the Alphas," Jeremiah started to have a coughing fit again, "Go....get some sleep. Tomorrow will be.....a great day." I stood up and offered Jeremiah more help, but he waved me aside. I took one more look athe stone before storing away in my pocket and making my leave from the tent. I remembered the small boy as he left the tent, turning around and bowing to Jeremiah. It was out of respect and honor to him. I still didn't know him that well, and I was still confused exactly why he would intrust the Valonite to me, but I could sense something great about him. He gave me a great gift and trusted me with something amazing. I had said thank you once already, but it didn't seem enough. When I opened the flap to walk out into the night, I turned and bowed to the old man Jeremiah, and then headed back to my tent next door.