Don't you just love my stories? I've managed to make chapter two more interesting, if you read it you'll sort of figure out where this is all heading. And, oh, morpherkidvb my style didn't really change, I have a few styles for writing stories and this one had to be told that way.
For all of you who love the original animorphs characters –you'll get to see them soon.
And yup, like all my stories, -most of them anyway- this plot is…unusual. So it's worth reading…I think, it all goes down to you.
Last thing. R-E-V-I-E-W. I need to know what you people think about this…I really don't want to waste my time, I've written right up to the fourth chapter, I'm not writing anymore until I know it's worth it…you know? It's 'cause I'm busy…anyway, read on.
THE THIRD BROTHER
CHAPTER TWO
Just Estrid
The grand hall is a huge place. It did not have any solid walls but the majority of the structure was made out of Splex-glass and steel beams reinforced the core of the building.
It was night with only the third moon peeking out from underneath a heavy cloud. The fourth moon was present but not to our eyes, it had just started its lunar cycle so its surface was completely dark.
Lightening inside the grand hall was dimmed and a deep indigo in color. I was standing on one of the eight podiums that lined the Inner Circle. The Inner Circle is the dancing floor and above it is the Great Dome.
There were many faces I did not recognize. But there was one body that stuck out like a jacked blade. Ramor's bulk -as usual- stuck out plainly, he looked slightly comical against his partner, a delicate looking female who looked like she would shatter if he missed his step and treaded on her hooves.
But he never did. Despite being huge he's extremely graceful. At least as far as where his next step would be, all in all he looked awkward and out of place. He caught me looking at him and quickly looked away.
Yes, he too thought that he looked ridiculously out of place. I knew the girl who he had as a dancing partner, it was Cleapath. Ramor told me that he had plans to marry her. I didn't know how serious he was when he told me about it. Actually, now that I thought about it, Ramor had told me that he and Cleapath were engaged. The marriage ceremony itself would be four weeks form now. Something like that. I wasn't paying attention.
No matter how meticulously I searched I could not find Shrag. Shrag is our other neighbor. He lived alone and led a pretty secretive life. I would be surprised if I saw him right here dancing. Shrag didn't strike me as a person who took part in public activities. Actually my parents have been a little bit skeptical when they first met our new neighbor, a scrawny looking outsider who didn't look like he would come over for a little Esspar root if you asked him.
Sharg no longer looks as scrawny as the first time I met him, he looks a bit better these days, but his physique was downright feeble against Ramor's impressive bulk.
Though my parents took an immediate disliking to our new neighbor, I have managed –to my parents distress- to become a sort of friend to Shrag. Though he is much older than me –actually he's older than Ramor by a few years- he had come to like me but showed his liking in strange ways.
I usually blunder into his small scoop uninvited received a string of irritated vulgar vocabulary. Despite his downright impolite manner (I used to wait for him to invite me into his scoop but ended up waiting long minutes for a reply that was obviously not coming) and his coldness to anyone who intrudes his privacy; he had on some rare occasions surprised me by covering for me or getting my parents to turn the other way.
Not many neighbors will suddenly tread on your grass and rudely interrupt your parents shouting to give them an irrelevant notice of just how badly managed the grass on the border is, just so that you could get a few moments to recompose yourself and delver a valid speech, giving reason and justification behind actions which really are unimproved of by your parents.
So between Ramor –who would reprimand my wrong doing- and Shrag who wouldn't reprimand any of my doings I have two neighbors who provide a twenty-four hour watch service being my back.
Nateesh, Cathydor was saying, would you like to-
Yes. she interrupted him, it was writing clear on his face what he was going to ask her so she saved him the trouble and the pain of waiting for an answer. why don't we go dance? Scyeth looks like he's having the time of his life.
The next part was a dry comment meant for me, Nateesh took Cathydor's outstretched hand and he led her to the Inner Circle. I watched them a little wistfully as they melded with all the other pairs. Cathydor managed not to humiliate himself and I saw Lumnar bowing to his partner -elegant as always. Doing everything perfectly like he's rehearsed the entire thing a million times over in private.
My eyes wondered to the fifth podium and I caught Hagher's bruised face –quite distinct against all the other faces- he was talking to a group of girls. The lead girl –the one he was talking to- finally turned around waving him off and her fellow friends sniggered at him.
Hagher caught me staring at him and he gave me a jauntily wave yelling something over the din. The girls turned to see who it was he was waving at and very suddenly, they started to come towards me.
Hagher winked with his left main eye (a very black-and-blue looking eye, who knew that Ramor was capable of inflecting so much damage purposely?) and took the other way around to get to me first. Of course he had to weave in through the crowd knocking people over but hey, he got there before them.
He swiveled behind me and came to a less-than-graceful-stop, almost crashing in to me.
Ladies! He panted as they came nearer. Shoving me aside. You have changed your minds then? Which one of you would like to spend the evening with me?
The lead girl's friend made a sound that was a merge between the words get serious and push off.
But I noticed her eyeing Hagher. The other girls have broke off to find their partners. Except for the lead girl who walked right up to me.
Now that she was closer I noted just how older she was than both Hagher and me, and that what I thought to be her friend could have been her younger sister.
The younger sister was around our age. The lead girl looked like she would have been Ramor or Shrag's partner.
Who are you? She asked me, and I felt myself flush as she came even closer. Aren't you Scyeth? That boy who's always in trouble?
Usually, I would have had a reply at the ready, but the girl was just…I don't know, I felt funny around her.
And it's hard to envision me feeling funny in front of any female.
Something about her made me think twice, she didn't sound like your usually offbeat country girl. She was…something.
She didn't look like a country girl either. Or act like one for that matter.
Scyeth, Hagher hissed at me privately, will you stop staring!
My eyes snapped out of their daze and I bowed, took her hand, It would be a my pleasure to entertain you tonight.
She laughed, soft silvery laughter, I like the sound of that.
I grinned and left Hagher and the other girl alone. I danced with her for…I don't know, I lost track of time. I just let my mind wonder as we swayed with the beat of the soft music and swept along with the other dancing couples.
She had her arms over my neck. My hands were on her midsection. She looked even more dazzling beneath the indigo light. My heart raced as she looked into my eyes.
What's your name? I asked her.
She smiled and said, wouldn't you like the night to pass on quickly?
No. I wouldn't mind if it took longer than usual.
Estrid. She said finally, that's my name.
Just Estrid? I inquired. Nothing else?
Just Estrid.
Okay, I said, pausing slightly, waiting for Ramor to stop glaring at me, you know, the look that said 'exactly what do you think you're doing dancing with a woman twice your age?', yes, something my father or elder brother –if he were still alive- would ask, Estrid. -I pronounced her name slowly- what are you doing here alone?
Nothing. She smiled, actually, I was accompanying my cousin. I promised that I would take time off my work to go with her.
Ah. I thought so. I said, so it was a relative. I grinned, Okay, next question, why did you come to me?
She didn't really seem to be paying attention to my question, she was still looking at me very closely and I found myself getting uncomfortable.
She finally shook her head –a strange thing to see- and replied, I wanted to meet you.
We were so close I could practically see myself reflected off her eyes, I saw the glint of my tail blade carried erect at shoulder level, the way any Andalite male would carry his blade. Her small blade was lowered and it curved touching her left rear hoof as she danced. It was about then that I caught something wrong with this picture –me, the young boy dancing with a young adult girl. A beautiful girl that is.
You wanted to meet me? I repeated.
Wait. She came here so that she could meet me? Me?
If I were her –if- I wouldn't even glance at me for half a second. What did she want from me? Me, a boy half her age?
Yes.
Why?
She sighed and broke off our dancing. She turned and started leaving the Inner Circle.
Hey.
I followed her, she had gone right out of Grand Hall and out on to the warm summer night.
How old are you? I asked her, she was looking wistfully at the sky with all four of her eyes. Estrid?
Not much older than one of your brother.
Ah. So this is what it was about. Okay, I could handle this. It wasn't the first time I had a girl ask me about my brothers. But this was the first time one of them went to peculiar length to open a conversation.
This is something new.
Which brother? Elfangor?
No. She said, and I was relieved because that meant she wasn't twice my age. So there was some hope. That's how beautiful she was. Aximili.
Ah, well. I said slowly, I never met either of them. but I wish I had. If that would get you talking.
Have you talked to either of them? She asked me.
No.
Her face dropped, she looked sad.
Why?
I just wanted to know if…
If what?
Nothing, forget it.
You want to dance some more?
No. Its okay. I think I've bothered you enough.
Oh. I tried to hide my disappointment.
Tell my cousin that I'm waiting for her here, okay?
Okay. Why did she sound so sad so suddenly? Was it something I said? So what, I never talked to either of my dead brothers, she couldn't hold that against me, it's not like it's my fault.
I walked back into the hall feeling confused and disoriented. Watched Hagher's bruised form dance in the Inner Circle. The girl knew how to dance at least. She was teaching him and it looked like Hagher was no good student.
Cathydor looked a bit better than Hagher. Hagher had finally caused the girl to crack up laughing at him; she shook her stalk eyes at him and then left him in the Inner Circle where he pretended to dance with a phantom. She glanced at him briefly, came back and lightly touched his face with her hand, and then she left him staring at her. After snapping out of his trance he practically tore after her. I watched the two disappear out of the hall.
My eyes located my other friends.
Nateesh looking beautiful as always, kind hearted, careful not to show Cathydor that he was screwing up just a bit.
A decent Ramor had finally gotten off the Inner Circle and was talking with Cleapath, they were standing beside one of the giant windows.
Lumnar was still dancing though, his head held just as high as his tail. His partner looked really absorbed into whatever it was that he was telling her.
And there I was, standing alone, on the podium still thinking just how great it felt to be in the Inner Circle dancing alone with Estrid.
Ramor walked towards me, with him Cleapath in tow. He gave me an odd stare, who was that? What did she want?
I shrugged. she just wanted to 'meet' me.
Who was she? I didn't know why Ramor was acting like that. It was a bit odd but I didn't care. All I saw was Estrid's eyes.
I said who was she?
Estrid.
Estrid?
Just Estrid. A girl who wanted to meet me.
A girl I promised to entertain for the night.
Whoever that girl was.