"You will have to go away from here and live in another town. You have an aunt in Talgrathe, go to her, see if she can help you find work. It tears my heart in two to do this, but it needs to be done to keep you safe from Greyne." He softly stated, looking down.
"Papa…I.." I couldn't speak, the words just wouldn't come to me. All I could do is nod my head and wrap my arms tightly around him, the tears silently tracing my cheeks.
"Oh my poor little Alu," He held me out at arms length with one arm, lifting my gaze to meet his, "I hope one day you can forgive me for this mess. I just wanted what was best for you and I now know that monster of a man is not right. Come. We must get things ready for your departure."
"But Father, how will I get past the checkpoints? How are we going to pull this plan off if I am to be "dead" to you all?" I questioned him. My red-rimmed green eyes seeking out his ever saddening slate grey ones.
"Take some of Taruyn's trousers, they will fit you, but you may need to wear Kerrick's tunics to hide the fact you are a woman. They are in the old oak chest in the spare room. There might also a few caps large enough to tuck your hair into. Go fetch them and I will look through my old maps for the quickest and safest route to Talgrathe." He shooed me with his hands. He turned and started down the hall to the staircase, his steps slow and even; boots scraping the hardwood floor every now and again. I nodded once more, turned, and made my way to the door which would lead me to the spare room.
With my hand on the doorknob, I turned my head to my father, "Papa?"
He stopped and looked back at me, "Alu?"
"I…I fo…I'll see you downstairs." He nodded and headed down the stairs. I wanted to say 'I forgive you' so badly it hurt, but the pain my heart felt was much more painful, the hurt of his words still too fresh in my mind to let me.
I opened the door to the spare room and stepped in. Dust. It was everywhere. This was the room of my brothers, long since gone from this world. The memories of this room made new tears slide from my eyes, oh how I missed them. I missed their faces, their laughter, their smiles; they way they would help someone for nothing in return, and their fierce loyalty to their family.
Their room was simple enough. It had two beds, one on each side of the room, with tables beside them. A desk sat between two windows on the west side of the room and on the east side lay the oak chest with its carved top of running and bucking horses.
I ran my hand over the carving, it was my mother's keepsake chest.
A quiet sob escaped my throat, my eyes blurred, and I collapsed on the floor next to it, and cried.
I cried for my father, my brothers, my mother, hell I even cried for that monster of a man I was to marry, but not once did I let a single tear escape for myself.
Get up, you fool of a girl. Now is not the time to cry, now is the time to be brave. Be brave for everyone, but most of all be brave for yourself. My conscience chided me.
I wiped my tears away and stood. "That's right, I have to be brave, if I'm not than everything will be in vain, and I'll be married to that evil being before I know it. No more crying Alura, not now, not yet."
I grabbed the handles to the chest and threw it open.
Time for a change.
I grabbed two tunics and a couple trousers, then threw them on the closest bed. A couple caps joined them, along with two small daggers, and three belts. Where is it? Wait. Yes! There it is! I pulled out a long skein of fabric. That joined everything else, as well as a pair of boots and four pairs of socks.
I removed everything from my skin. I took one of my daggers and tore the fabric into thin strips. I held down one end and wound it around my chest binding my breasts tight against me, then I threw my chemise back on, and dressed in my brothers' clothing. Once that was done, I took one of the caps, twisted my hair around pinning it up, and tucked it into the hat. I stuffed one of the daggers into my left boot.
Everything else went into a knapsack that was also in the chest.
I was ready to leave the place I had called home all my life and it was against every single feeling inside me. Somehow I knew that something was going to change, but what was going to change, I had no idea.
"Well, Alura, let's go." I went through the door, walking down the hallway slowly, and headed down the stairs to meet my fate headlong and headstrong.
