The Mother of Books

Chapter 7

To be saved above all others

Summary: A/H: Mature: Supernatural/Drama: Canon to a point: Bella and Edward are in training in the School of Alexandria when events that would shape history begin to occur. Esme, The High Priestess and Head of the School takes Bella as her student to train to become the next High Priestess, and things go downhill from there.

Disclaimer: Ms. Meyer started it all. I've borrowed her characters, but this storyline is mine.

The Mother of Books

Chapter 7

Previously:

Edward nods. "Alright then, we need to wait and be sure. I know the healing priest and priestesses are allowed to marry. All is not lost to us," He smiles down at Bella happily.

So, he takes one of her hands and they walk together out into the common area to be with their friends for the meal.

Looks of concern greet them both, but Edward very slightly shakes his head and they do not ask the burning questions. They know to wait until they are told.

~o0o~

About a week after Bella began her training with Esme, the entire novice complex was awakened to a terrifying screaming coming from Angela.

Angela was a powerful psychic and able to predict future events, but her predictions were always only of coming disasters.

The priestesses in charge of the novice dormitory, quickly brought Angela to Esme.

"Angela, daughter, please calm down," Esme held a cup of water to Angela's lips.

After Angela had drunk her fill, she pushed the cup away. She was hiccuping now and it made it very difficult for Esme to understand what the young woman was saying

"Please Angela! Calm yourself..." Esme begged.

Finally, with a great deal of effort, Angela calmed enough to tell Esme what her dream had been about.

"Blood. Fire. Destruction. Death!" She gasped. "The entire Temple complex and the School, all destroyed. All I saw were bloody bodies, all hacked up...throats cut...children murdered...priest and priestesses beheaded. Oh Esme! It was the most horrific sight I've ever beheld." Angela was screaming again by the end of the description of what she'd seen.

Esme trying to maintain her calm exterior asked in a very tight voice, "Do you have any idea when this will occur?"

Angela shaking, "Soon...within the next week perhaps. I'm not sure. Just very soon."

Turning to one of her guards, "Go fetch me Bella and Edward please." Turning back to Angela, Esme continued. "Did you see Bella and Edward's bodies?"

Angela thought for a moment, "No. I didn't. In fact, I remembered thinking it was strange that I didn't, now that you remind me of it."

It wasn't long before both Bella and Edward were brought into Esme's chambers. Very quickly Esme filled the couple in on what Angela's future prediction had been.

The couple sat in stunned silence.

"Edward. Edward look at me," Esme commanded, "have you had much training in combat?"

Not understanding the question Edward only looked at Esme questioningly.

"Have you been trained on how to protect yourself? Come on. Think. It's important that I know!" Esme commanded.

He nodded silently.

"Good. Now Bella. Have you received instructions on how to guide a boat across large bodies of water?" Esme changed her gaze to Bella.

"Yes Ma'am, I have. As long as it's a clear night, I can navigate by the stars, the Sun and the Moon," Bella replied quietly.

"Good." Esme looked very thoughtful.

"May I ask what you're thinking Esme?" Edward asked quietly.

Esme held up a finger indicating she required a moment more to think.

Finally, to Bella, "Your talents are too great to waste. You've got the strongest gifts I've seen since my teacher, the former Head of the School and High Priestesses to the Temple Complex. You, then, must be saved." Neither Esme's voice or expression would allow any argument. "You are to be saved above all others."

Turning to face Edward, "You and Bella will be married, and you will leave this place and travel across the sea to another land called the Iron Islands where you'll join a colony that was established there many centuries ago."

Edward and Bella's mouths opened, but Esme held up her hand. "Not a word. I am still your High Priestess and the Head of this School. This will be my last command to you, Edward. Protect Bella. Keep her and her gifts safe."

Turning to Bella, "And, my last command to you, my daughter, is this: hide your gifts until you are positive that you are safe...among people who understand what those gifts are. These abilities of yours only come once every other generation or so." Seeing that the young woman wasn't understanding what Esme was telling her, Esme elaborated. "I was the last known born with the same gifts," Bella started to say something but Esme silenced her with a look. "No. No arguments. I know what I'm saying."

Looking down at the table top, Esme says levelly, "This coming disaster was foretold...I thought...I'd hoped there would have more time," Sighing Esme continued. "I should have remembered it when you, Bella, revealed your gifts. I'm sorry Bella. I have failed you. I have failed the school. I should have tested all the novices for their abilities."

"How have you failed me Esme?" Bella asked.

"I have not completed your training. You must continue to exercise your abilities and learn to understand what you are seeing and feeling. You have such a great gift," Esme's eyes shone with tears that would not fall; yet.

Sighing, Esme stood and went to a cupboard across the room. She searched within some boxes there and came back to the table with a small pouch. She opened it and spread the contents out. There were about fifty small golden coins with strange symbols on both sides. "There is enough here to see you through until you get to the colony."

She went to another cupboard and came back with several rolled and sealed scrolls. "Here are two maps. One is of the waters between here and the Iron Islands and the other is of the placement of the colony."

Walking once more across the room, she picked up an empty carrying pouch. She placed both the small pouch containing the gold and the scrolls inside it.

"Now, both of you go back to your dorms and pack just a few things that you want to take with you. You will not be coming back after tonight. Come here when you're ready and I'll give you the rest of your instructions," With that, Esme dismissed the couple for the time being.

After they left, Esme then turned to Angela, "Do you foresee any difficulties with Bella and Edward making it safely to the Iron Islands?"

Angela thought for a bit and shook her head no.

~o0o~

A short while later, both Bella and Edward were back in Esme's rooms standing holding hands.

Carlisle was now there, as were two other priests.

"Carlisle will perform your marriage ceremony. We're going to Sekhmet's Temple for it since you are both sworn to her service," Esme explained.

The ceremony only took a few minutes.

As soon as it was done, Bella and Edward were ushered out through a back exit into a secret tunnel that eventually lead to the port where a ship was waiting for them. Carlisle introduced the couple to the ship's captain, and told him that Bella knew where they were going and to follow her instructions to the letter.

"When will my crew and I get paid?" Asked the captain.

"When you're back. Not until then. You're to bring me and only me, proof that they made it to their intended destination. Bella will determine what that proof will be," Carlisle told the captain. It wasn't that he didn't trust the man, it was just that from what Esme had told Carlisle, Bella was extremely important and needed to be kept alive.

"Alright. It's a little unusual but I can live with it. I've delivered items for the school a lot and have never not been paid for my troubles." The captain said.

"Also," Carlisle continued, "There are several chests that are going with Bella and Edward." He looked at the couple who had questions on their faces. This was something that Esme had not told them about.

"What's in those chests?" The captain asked. "I have a right to know what's being brought aboard my ship."

"The chests contain books Captain, only books. They are sealed to prevent excessive moisture from seeping into the chests. You know how scrolls can be ruined by water, surely." Carlisle answered.

The captain did know and nodded sagely. "Yes, I understand. They'll have to go in the sleeping quarters with the couple." And with that said, he left them alone and started barking orders to the crew.

Carlisle bid the newlyweds farewell and walked back onto the dock. He stood there until the ship was almost out of the harbor. The tides waited for no one, and they were fortunate that all had occurred when it had or they would have been delayed until the next one which would have been midday.

Bella and Edward stood beside the ship's railings and waved to Carlisle as the ship heaved slowly out into the bay and then to the ocean.

The captain came up then to Bella and asked their destination. "The Iron Isles. I'll go get the charts and give you specifics. I can navigate if you've never been there before sir," Bella told him.

"Yes, I've been there before, but it has been many years." He looked strangely at Bella. "How is it you know how to navigate?"

"It was part of my training as a priestess," Bella replied simply.

About twenty minutes later, Bella had given the coordinates to the captain, taken by star reading. In the space of only a few hours, she and Edward were married, packed up, left the school and boarded a sailing vessel and were on their way to a known destination, but unknown future.

~o0o~

A/N: My undying thanks to my Beta JoanOfArt; buggins74, AnakinsRealMom and NanStew who pre-read for me, and Gabby1017 for her back up on the psychic stuff. Wouldn't be able to do this without you! I have a great team helping me bring this weirdness to you! Go! Team Steel!