His first awareness was of beautiful, blessed warmth. It took Jonas a moment to realize that the warmth was coming from a heavy blanket spread over him and a cackling, crackling fire
near the wall.
Fire, he thought. No fire allowed in dwellings. Dangerous. It was nice, though, very warm and comforting, and he could vaguely remember that in Elsewhere there were fires inside. Yes, that was it. He was in Elsewhere. Jonas opened his eyes and stood up, then immediately collapsed back onto the bed, his head reeling and legs shaking.
The door opened and a female walked in.
"Oh good, you're awake," she said in a voice as warm and comforting as the fire. :We were afraid you'd be sleeping until after New Year's."
She was very short and stout, with streaks of grey in her hair and lines around her mouth and eyes from a long life full of smiling. Jonas found it hard to guess her age. She was definitely not young, but much too lively to be an Old.
"Lay back down now, young one. You're still an invalid." The female picked up the blanket, which had slid to the floor and spread it over Jonas. He could see that it was made of scraps of cloth in all sorts of different colors and patterns. It was very jumbled and disorderly, but nice in the same way as the fire and the female's smile.
"Please," he said, grabbing at her clothing, a strange garment he now remembered was called a skirt, "where's Gabriel? I must find Gabriel."
"Gabriel? Is that the little darling's name? How fitting to that little angel!" She turned and called, "Amy, bring the baby here. His brother wants to talk to him!"
A moment later, a female of about Jonas's age entered holding Gabriel in her arms.
"Gabe!" Jonas called excitedly. The female drew nearer and placed the newchild in his arms.
"Amy, stay and talk with him while I go make some breakfast,"
"Yes, Grandmother," the younger female muttered. Jonas now noticed that she had red hair.
He examined Gabe to make sure that every part of his tiny body was healthy and intact. The red-haired sat on a nearby chair watching them in silence.
"Are you from the Grey Lands?" she asked suddenly.
Jonas looked up at her and thought for a moment. "Yes, I am." he replied at last.
"I've never seen a Grey Lander," she said, "Only a picture, once. I can still see those eyes. They were so very black, like holes." She looked at him with a tilted head and continued, almost accusingly, "You two don't have Grey Lander eyes."
Jonas smiled. "All the rest of them did, even Fiona. Her hair was red but her eyes were dark." He turned toward the female. Her eyes were green. An eye color he had only seen in Memories.
"What are the Grey Lands like?" she asked. Her green eyes sparkling. Jonas looked into them. They reminded him of leafy jungles and quiet forests. He could be lost forever in eyes like that.
"I don't remember."
near the wall.
Fire, he thought. No fire allowed in dwellings. Dangerous. It was nice, though, very warm and comforting, and he could vaguely remember that in Elsewhere there were fires inside. Yes, that was it. He was in Elsewhere. Jonas opened his eyes and stood up, then immediately collapsed back onto the bed, his head reeling and legs shaking.
The door opened and a female walked in.
"Oh good, you're awake," she said in a voice as warm and comforting as the fire. :We were afraid you'd be sleeping until after New Year's."
She was very short and stout, with streaks of grey in her hair and lines around her mouth and eyes from a long life full of smiling. Jonas found it hard to guess her age. She was definitely not young, but much too lively to be an Old.
"Lay back down now, young one. You're still an invalid." The female picked up the blanket, which had slid to the floor and spread it over Jonas. He could see that it was made of scraps of cloth in all sorts of different colors and patterns. It was very jumbled and disorderly, but nice in the same way as the fire and the female's smile.
"Please," he said, grabbing at her clothing, a strange garment he now remembered was called a skirt, "where's Gabriel? I must find Gabriel."
"Gabriel? Is that the little darling's name? How fitting to that little angel!" She turned and called, "Amy, bring the baby here. His brother wants to talk to him!"
A moment later, a female of about Jonas's age entered holding Gabriel in her arms.
"Gabe!" Jonas called excitedly. The female drew nearer and placed the newchild in his arms.
"Amy, stay and talk with him while I go make some breakfast,"
"Yes, Grandmother," the younger female muttered. Jonas now noticed that she had red hair.
He examined Gabe to make sure that every part of his tiny body was healthy and intact. The red-haired sat on a nearby chair watching them in silence.
"Are you from the Grey Lands?" she asked suddenly.
Jonas looked up at her and thought for a moment. "Yes, I am." he replied at last.
"I've never seen a Grey Lander," she said, "Only a picture, once. I can still see those eyes. They were so very black, like holes." She looked at him with a tilted head and continued, almost accusingly, "You two don't have Grey Lander eyes."
Jonas smiled. "All the rest of them did, even Fiona. Her hair was red but her eyes were dark." He turned toward the female. Her eyes were green. An eye color he had only seen in Memories.
"What are the Grey Lands like?" she asked. Her green eyes sparkling. Jonas looked into them. They reminded him of leafy jungles and quiet forests. He could be lost forever in eyes like that.
"I don't remember."