A little after dawn, the group set out for Emelis. Avery had willed herself
into a trance of meditation to escape the world. She had strapped herself
into the saddle for safety. Alder wanted to do the same, but Keren had
asked her to practice her magic. Her first day in the saddle dragged by,
and she was quite grateful to stop at an inn in the late afternoon. It hurt
her to see Avery so upset. The next day went just as slowly, but the third
day saw Avery wakeful again.
They both practiced casting illusions with their magic. The week before, Keren had taught them how to make illusions, but going into Emelis required that they be in disguise. The border guards from Tonnar did not particularly care for the Emelis family, and Avery could be in danger. Therefore, to give them practice, Keren assigned them to give full-body illusions to their group for the entrance.
Avery and Alder conversed mind-to-mind, trying to choose the least conspicuous disguises. Alder was going to disguise Kai as a low-bred pack mule and herself as a rough looking peasant girl. As she worked on Damon's illusion (Damon declined making illusions in preference to practicing Fetching), Avery worked on Keren's. A mile before they were due at the crossing, Alder and Avery cast the illusions. If Alder hadn't created the images, she would have sworn they were real.
"Heyla!" hailed the border guard from Tonnar. "What be your business here t'day?"
"Just passing through to Emelis on trade," Keren replied shortly.
"Emelis!" he scoffed. "Why'd a pretty lady like you be trading in Emelis?"
"Private business, sir," she replied. "May we pass through?"
"Names?" he asked, jotting down descriptions of everyone.
"I am Kerry, and these are my 'prentices, Daren, Ivory, and Elda," she said happily. Alder almost choked at the new names they were given.
"Interesting. Very interesting," the man mused. "Well, that'll be all. You may go."
They passed through the gates into Emelis and kicked their 'mules' into a brisk trot. Once out of sight and earshot, they took off the illusions. "Kerry, those were interesting names. I wonder where you got them?" Avery joked.
"Too close for my comfort. Won't they realize that Ivory is Avery, and her mentor is Keren?" Damon asked, and the girls laughed.
"You're being paranoid. We had illusions on. Nothing bad will happen, now," Avery said. They rode on into the village in an awkward silence, which was broken by Avery's gasp. The walls of the building were blackened with scorch marks, and what looked like stables were in complete ruins. It looked as if there had been a fire throughout the whole city. "Aquis," Avery whispered, horrified.
"The people here are lucky, there obviously wasn't very much being used here. Otherwise there wouldn't be an Emelis to return to," Keren said gravely.
"Avery! Keren! How good to see you! And these must be Damon and Alder?" A dark haired man asked. He looked to be about twenty.
"Johan, these are Damon and Alder. This is Johan, my brother," she said as she was enveloped in an enormous hug. "It's good to see you too. How is he?" she asked quietly.
"Not good, but still living. I expect you'll want to see him right away?" she nodded. "Then you go in. I'll take your bags and horse. Go on now, it's no hassle." Avery's eyes filled with gratitude, and she ran to her scorched home. "This way to the stables," Johan directed.
Avery ran down the halls as fast as her legs would carry her. She was an Empath, and could tell that her father's days were numbered. His hours were numbered. She could Sense his afflicting states of despair and the ultimate serenity. He was breathing his last few hours of life away, and she still had business to settle.
Avery reached the door to her father's bedroom, and quietly opened the door. "Dad," she whispered, and reached for his pale, bony hand. "I'm here. It's Avery. Oh, dad."
"Avery, my daughter. I am so glad to see you here. I've missed you so much. It's fatal, you know," he said quietly.
"I've heard. I love you so much. I have to tell you something, dad."
"All right, go ahead."
"Dad, I'm listern. I'm attracted to girls," Avery said, deciding to be blunt.
"How do you know? You're so young."
"How young were you when you decided you liked girls?" she asked patiently.
"Good point. I actually had expected this. I want to tell you how remarkable a young lady you are. I honor your courage in telling me. I love you, honey, no matter what. I accept your choices."
"I love you so much, dad," Avery whispered.
"I love you too." he trailed off, as his eyes closed for the last time.
Alder finished unpacking her clothes into the drawers in the Guest Room, and now surveyed her surroundings. The Guest Room she had been stationed in was larger than even her room at Brighton. Apparently Emelis was quite prosperous, if it furnished its guest rooms so lavishly. There were beautiful rugs strewn across the mahogany floor, satin curtains pulled back from the view.
Alder was in easy sight of a peach-orchard and the new stables. The bed in her guest room was, to Alder's reckoning, large enough to fit three people. It had thick blankets and more fluffy pillows than Alder could shake a stick at. What impressed her the most was the canopy that could shroud her bed. The room was magnificent, but somehow not welcoming.
Alder got up from her window seat and wandered down the solitary hallway of the Guest Wing. "Miss, are you looking for something? Do you need anything?" a servant asked. She had tightly curled red hair, and looked to be about twenty. Wow. She is REALLY pretty, Alder thought, while an inner voice nagged, Not as pretty as Avery.
"Alder. Just call me Alder. I was looking for Avery's room."
"I am Erika. Nice to meet you. Avery's room?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. Alder had been around the Palace long enough to know what that raised eyebrow implied, but Erika seemed to just be playing around good- naturedly. Alder murmured assent, and followed the mischievous Erika to Avery's room.
At the door, Erika left her. Alder knocked on the door, and heard a thump in Avery's room. No one answered, and Alder sent out a mental search for Avery. She was in her room. :Avery, I know you are in there. Are you decent?:
:I love you,: Avery Sent, and all of the sudden Avery's mental shields collapsed, and Alder felt extreme depression rushing to overwhelm her. On an impulse, she harshly tried to push open the door. She met both magical and physical locks. She put her hands to the door knob to steady herself, and then probed for the magical barrier. In Avery's depression, she had set up an extremely shabby shield with a gaping weak point. Alder sent a Levin- Bolt at the center of the weak point, and the barrier shattered. Alder backed away from the door, and then took all of her strength and kicked the door open.
And sitting on the edge of her windowsill was Avery. She had a knife in one hand, and the other was preparing to push herself off the window ledge.
"Avery, don't do it," Alder said softly, using all of her power as an Empath to radiate calm and happiness to Avery. She turned a cold face to Alder, with barely any sanity left in her blank eyes.
"Why not," she said, more of a statement than a question.
"Because if life isn't worth living, then it isn't worth ending, either. I know it doesn't make much sense but it's true. We all love you. If you were to kill yourself, it would hurt all of us, especially me."
"It doesn't matter. The one that I love could never love me the same way," Avery said, her voice devoid of emotion.
"Because they aren't listern? Chances are that you had never asked them, am I right?" Alder asked, trying to soothe Avery's depression with Empathy. Very slowly, so Avery wouldn't notice, she inched closer to the windowsill. She arrived by Avery's side, and pulled her easily off the window ledge, and put her on the bed. She took the knife out of Avery's hand, and put it back by the window. She would have thrown the offending object out the window, if the orchard wasn't underneath. She didn't want someone accidentally hurting themselves with it.
She came back to the bed, and sat down by Avery. With Avery's still crashed shields, she was projecting conflicting emotions. "I. Alder, are you listern?" Alder inwardly was shocked, but displayed a calm face to Avery.
"I hardly know more than you do, Avery. I wouldn't worry," Alder said truthfully. "I have never been attracted to a male before. That's what happened with Damon."
"Avery, what made you try to kill yourself today?" Alder asked, changing the subject. Truth of the matter, she was attracted to Avery. And other females, for that matter. She liked Avery a lot. more than she could ever express in words. She would die for her, and to see her in such pain hurt her. But what if it were just her imagination, or just a phase? She had seen how being listern affected Avery; she was generally easily depressed and the prejudice she faced was strong enough to hurt a stronger spirited person than both Avery and Alder combined.
"He- he is dead, Alder. My father died. I saw him die," she said, and her mask of an emotionally dead person faded. Her eyes welled with the tears she refused to shed, and her face was twisted in grief. Alder's heart wrenched.
"It isn't your fault, Avery, there was nothing you could do. Nothing."
"He died after I told him I was listern He- had a right to know. I feel as if I sent him into an early death, even though he accepted me." she said, and lost her remaining control. She broke down, sobbing so hard that she couldn't breathe. Alder lay down next to Avery, and hugged her. Avery buried her face in Alder's shoulder until she had cried her eyes dry.
"He was ill already. I could Sense him when I came into Emelis, he wasn't going to live past the hour. It was not you. You had nothing to do with it. He loves you," Alder whispered, stroking Avery's hair. Avery breathed in deeply trying to regain some composure, but was failing miserably, with relapses of crying. "It's all right. Cry as much as you need to. It is normal to grieve."
"It's not just him. It's everything. That just put me over the edge," Avery said, continually choking on sobs.
"What is everything?" Alder asked quietly.
"Stress. not knowing whether there will be a home to visit when I come back. Not knowing if my family has been killed due to Tonnar renegades. And."
"And what?" Alder prompted quietly.
"Do you know how hard it is to like someone, and they don't even acknowledge your interest?"
"I thought that you and Danika, that girl from Court."
"She's pretty, but Alder, I'm in love with YOU. I think I've known from the moment I met you. I felt as if I had known you forever. And no matter how hard I try, I can't get over you. And I don't even know if I want to. But I don't even have a chance," she said, and began to cry again.
"Avery, honey, it's all right. You DO have a chance. I-I've never been attracted to a girl before like I am to you. And I don't know how to deal with it, and I don't want to rush into anything. Though, I do want you to know that I am attracted to you. I'm just not sure of anything. Be assured, you have a good chance with me," she said honestly. "Time."
"That sounds almost like rejection," Avery sniffed, pulling away. Alder pulled her back.
"It isn't," Alder corrected firmly. Avery's eyes drooped in exhaustion. "Now sleep. I'll talk to you in the morning, and please, if you are ever going to try to end it again, please come to me. I need you," and with that, Alder set her hand to Avery's forehead and set a light sleeping spell on Avery with her Healing Magic, and retraced her steps back to her own room.
They both practiced casting illusions with their magic. The week before, Keren had taught them how to make illusions, but going into Emelis required that they be in disguise. The border guards from Tonnar did not particularly care for the Emelis family, and Avery could be in danger. Therefore, to give them practice, Keren assigned them to give full-body illusions to their group for the entrance.
Avery and Alder conversed mind-to-mind, trying to choose the least conspicuous disguises. Alder was going to disguise Kai as a low-bred pack mule and herself as a rough looking peasant girl. As she worked on Damon's illusion (Damon declined making illusions in preference to practicing Fetching), Avery worked on Keren's. A mile before they were due at the crossing, Alder and Avery cast the illusions. If Alder hadn't created the images, she would have sworn they were real.
"Heyla!" hailed the border guard from Tonnar. "What be your business here t'day?"
"Just passing through to Emelis on trade," Keren replied shortly.
"Emelis!" he scoffed. "Why'd a pretty lady like you be trading in Emelis?"
"Private business, sir," she replied. "May we pass through?"
"Names?" he asked, jotting down descriptions of everyone.
"I am Kerry, and these are my 'prentices, Daren, Ivory, and Elda," she said happily. Alder almost choked at the new names they were given.
"Interesting. Very interesting," the man mused. "Well, that'll be all. You may go."
They passed through the gates into Emelis and kicked their 'mules' into a brisk trot. Once out of sight and earshot, they took off the illusions. "Kerry, those were interesting names. I wonder where you got them?" Avery joked.
"Too close for my comfort. Won't they realize that Ivory is Avery, and her mentor is Keren?" Damon asked, and the girls laughed.
"You're being paranoid. We had illusions on. Nothing bad will happen, now," Avery said. They rode on into the village in an awkward silence, which was broken by Avery's gasp. The walls of the building were blackened with scorch marks, and what looked like stables were in complete ruins. It looked as if there had been a fire throughout the whole city. "Aquis," Avery whispered, horrified.
"The people here are lucky, there obviously wasn't very much being used here. Otherwise there wouldn't be an Emelis to return to," Keren said gravely.
"Avery! Keren! How good to see you! And these must be Damon and Alder?" A dark haired man asked. He looked to be about twenty.
"Johan, these are Damon and Alder. This is Johan, my brother," she said as she was enveloped in an enormous hug. "It's good to see you too. How is he?" she asked quietly.
"Not good, but still living. I expect you'll want to see him right away?" she nodded. "Then you go in. I'll take your bags and horse. Go on now, it's no hassle." Avery's eyes filled with gratitude, and she ran to her scorched home. "This way to the stables," Johan directed.
Avery ran down the halls as fast as her legs would carry her. She was an Empath, and could tell that her father's days were numbered. His hours were numbered. She could Sense his afflicting states of despair and the ultimate serenity. He was breathing his last few hours of life away, and she still had business to settle.
Avery reached the door to her father's bedroom, and quietly opened the door. "Dad," she whispered, and reached for his pale, bony hand. "I'm here. It's Avery. Oh, dad."
"Avery, my daughter. I am so glad to see you here. I've missed you so much. It's fatal, you know," he said quietly.
"I've heard. I love you so much. I have to tell you something, dad."
"All right, go ahead."
"Dad, I'm listern. I'm attracted to girls," Avery said, deciding to be blunt.
"How do you know? You're so young."
"How young were you when you decided you liked girls?" she asked patiently.
"Good point. I actually had expected this. I want to tell you how remarkable a young lady you are. I honor your courage in telling me. I love you, honey, no matter what. I accept your choices."
"I love you so much, dad," Avery whispered.
"I love you too." he trailed off, as his eyes closed for the last time.
Alder finished unpacking her clothes into the drawers in the Guest Room, and now surveyed her surroundings. The Guest Room she had been stationed in was larger than even her room at Brighton. Apparently Emelis was quite prosperous, if it furnished its guest rooms so lavishly. There were beautiful rugs strewn across the mahogany floor, satin curtains pulled back from the view.
Alder was in easy sight of a peach-orchard and the new stables. The bed in her guest room was, to Alder's reckoning, large enough to fit three people. It had thick blankets and more fluffy pillows than Alder could shake a stick at. What impressed her the most was the canopy that could shroud her bed. The room was magnificent, but somehow not welcoming.
Alder got up from her window seat and wandered down the solitary hallway of the Guest Wing. "Miss, are you looking for something? Do you need anything?" a servant asked. She had tightly curled red hair, and looked to be about twenty. Wow. She is REALLY pretty, Alder thought, while an inner voice nagged, Not as pretty as Avery.
"Alder. Just call me Alder. I was looking for Avery's room."
"I am Erika. Nice to meet you. Avery's room?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. Alder had been around the Palace long enough to know what that raised eyebrow implied, but Erika seemed to just be playing around good- naturedly. Alder murmured assent, and followed the mischievous Erika to Avery's room.
At the door, Erika left her. Alder knocked on the door, and heard a thump in Avery's room. No one answered, and Alder sent out a mental search for Avery. She was in her room. :Avery, I know you are in there. Are you decent?:
:I love you,: Avery Sent, and all of the sudden Avery's mental shields collapsed, and Alder felt extreme depression rushing to overwhelm her. On an impulse, she harshly tried to push open the door. She met both magical and physical locks. She put her hands to the door knob to steady herself, and then probed for the magical barrier. In Avery's depression, she had set up an extremely shabby shield with a gaping weak point. Alder sent a Levin- Bolt at the center of the weak point, and the barrier shattered. Alder backed away from the door, and then took all of her strength and kicked the door open.
And sitting on the edge of her windowsill was Avery. She had a knife in one hand, and the other was preparing to push herself off the window ledge.
"Avery, don't do it," Alder said softly, using all of her power as an Empath to radiate calm and happiness to Avery. She turned a cold face to Alder, with barely any sanity left in her blank eyes.
"Why not," she said, more of a statement than a question.
"Because if life isn't worth living, then it isn't worth ending, either. I know it doesn't make much sense but it's true. We all love you. If you were to kill yourself, it would hurt all of us, especially me."
"It doesn't matter. The one that I love could never love me the same way," Avery said, her voice devoid of emotion.
"Because they aren't listern? Chances are that you had never asked them, am I right?" Alder asked, trying to soothe Avery's depression with Empathy. Very slowly, so Avery wouldn't notice, she inched closer to the windowsill. She arrived by Avery's side, and pulled her easily off the window ledge, and put her on the bed. She took the knife out of Avery's hand, and put it back by the window. She would have thrown the offending object out the window, if the orchard wasn't underneath. She didn't want someone accidentally hurting themselves with it.
She came back to the bed, and sat down by Avery. With Avery's still crashed shields, she was projecting conflicting emotions. "I. Alder, are you listern?" Alder inwardly was shocked, but displayed a calm face to Avery.
"I hardly know more than you do, Avery. I wouldn't worry," Alder said truthfully. "I have never been attracted to a male before. That's what happened with Damon."
"Avery, what made you try to kill yourself today?" Alder asked, changing the subject. Truth of the matter, she was attracted to Avery. And other females, for that matter. She liked Avery a lot. more than she could ever express in words. She would die for her, and to see her in such pain hurt her. But what if it were just her imagination, or just a phase? She had seen how being listern affected Avery; she was generally easily depressed and the prejudice she faced was strong enough to hurt a stronger spirited person than both Avery and Alder combined.
"He- he is dead, Alder. My father died. I saw him die," she said, and her mask of an emotionally dead person faded. Her eyes welled with the tears she refused to shed, and her face was twisted in grief. Alder's heart wrenched.
"It isn't your fault, Avery, there was nothing you could do. Nothing."
"He died after I told him I was listern He- had a right to know. I feel as if I sent him into an early death, even though he accepted me." she said, and lost her remaining control. She broke down, sobbing so hard that she couldn't breathe. Alder lay down next to Avery, and hugged her. Avery buried her face in Alder's shoulder until she had cried her eyes dry.
"He was ill already. I could Sense him when I came into Emelis, he wasn't going to live past the hour. It was not you. You had nothing to do with it. He loves you," Alder whispered, stroking Avery's hair. Avery breathed in deeply trying to regain some composure, but was failing miserably, with relapses of crying. "It's all right. Cry as much as you need to. It is normal to grieve."
"It's not just him. It's everything. That just put me over the edge," Avery said, continually choking on sobs.
"What is everything?" Alder asked quietly.
"Stress. not knowing whether there will be a home to visit when I come back. Not knowing if my family has been killed due to Tonnar renegades. And."
"And what?" Alder prompted quietly.
"Do you know how hard it is to like someone, and they don't even acknowledge your interest?"
"I thought that you and Danika, that girl from Court."
"She's pretty, but Alder, I'm in love with YOU. I think I've known from the moment I met you. I felt as if I had known you forever. And no matter how hard I try, I can't get over you. And I don't even know if I want to. But I don't even have a chance," she said, and began to cry again.
"Avery, honey, it's all right. You DO have a chance. I-I've never been attracted to a girl before like I am to you. And I don't know how to deal with it, and I don't want to rush into anything. Though, I do want you to know that I am attracted to you. I'm just not sure of anything. Be assured, you have a good chance with me," she said honestly. "Time."
"That sounds almost like rejection," Avery sniffed, pulling away. Alder pulled her back.
"It isn't," Alder corrected firmly. Avery's eyes drooped in exhaustion. "Now sleep. I'll talk to you in the morning, and please, if you are ever going to try to end it again, please come to me. I need you," and with that, Alder set her hand to Avery's forehead and set a light sleeping spell on Avery with her Healing Magic, and retraced her steps back to her own room.