Roland leaned heavily on his staff. His blue eyes stared off into infinity as he inhaled deeply then blew the air out rapidly across his teeth. He always prided himself in being in good, if not excellent, physical condition but he was exhausted. After a few moments he turned and looked behind him. Sitting demurely on a large boulder was a tiny woman with flowing red hair. She was reading a leather-bound book. He stared at her until she looked up at him.
"Ready, dear?" she asked with a smile. There was laughter behind those eyes.
"Yes."
She frowned at him until he reluctantly added...
"Mother."
The smile returned and she continued, "I really would have thought the Julian would have raised you better," she paused and frowned again as she tapped her lips with her finger, "Did you shave this morning?"
"Yes... mother," Roland responded as she jumped off the boulder and put away her book.
"Are you ready to continue?"
"Yes, mother."
"Oh, Roland," she chided as she rubbed his smooth cheek, "Stop being so surly and tie your hair back. It is becoming wild."
Roland said nothing as he tied his hair back with a piece of leather. He was angry and she knew it. She was also making light of his feelings, which was making him angrier. She knew that too. A tiny growl slipped through his lips as he accidentally snapped the leather string. She spun her head around, her eyes flashing.
"There will be none of THAT! I think you have spent too much time with Julian's flea-bitten hounds... why are you being so grumpy anyway."
"You know why."
She waved her hand in dismissal. "Oh that.... I would think you would be proud. You came into your birthright yesterday. You walked the Pattern and lived."
"You didn't tell me..."
"Tell you what?" she interrupted angrily, "That I was your mother? What would have that done? Did I not raise you for over the first decade of your life? I showed you a great deal. I KNOW you are no fool. No son of mine is a fool."
"Fine," Roland snapped back, "You waited this long to tell me who my mother was 'for my own good.' How long before I find out who my father is? A decade? A century?"
"We will NOT be discussing this now or ever," she shot back with venom. She then took a deep breath then continued, "If you are rested, we will continue. This is far more important. This is how you use your power."
Not trusting himself to speak, he nodded.
"Now, begin walking," she instructed, "As you walk, imagine what you want the next scene you see to look like, feel like, smell like, be like. Imagine that around that bend is a little cottage. As you walk, will it to be..."