Chapter 4
Janus Aureole reined in his horse and flicked the sun-lightened blond hair out of his eyes flippantly as he gave his friends a backwards glance. As they caught up to him, he grinned at the funny group they made. Nestor was riding with a dreamy, absentminded look on his horse, but because he was the worst horseman in the group, he kept being knocked out of his pleasant contemplation by bumps and jounces that were made worse by his bad seat on "the infernal creature," as he referred to it. Zoite had been unusually quiet, riding with a distant, thoughtful look on his face; he seemed to be thinking things over to himself, and none of them could coax him out of his shell. Kunshan rode, his visage grim, his body stiff, and no one ever knew what he was thinking about.
They all had their individual motives for going west. Janus himself was returning to the home he had discovered after he had left behind his past–and Reiliana Bliss. He could ride the best, and in the years he had rapidly grown up, he had learned hand-to-hand fighting and the use of a gun. He had become a lawman, well-respected and fair. But the town was expanding, which was why he had returned East and solicited the aid of his old friend Zoite Skylab, who had been a lawman longer than Janus had. Zoite had been glad to leave the East, and while he hadn't admitted it to his friends, it was partially because he was looking for a new life and a bit of adventure...and also because he knew there was no hope that he would ever see Amiliana Bliss again. Had his good-natured asked him to go West while she had still lived in that town, Zoite admitted to himself that he would not have been able to say yes so easily. Nestor Siriale was, of course, following Litalia. He would leave them as soon as he was able to pick up their trail and find out their whereabouts. And Kunshan Bayonne was tired of the business world, so he had decided to take a vacation. There was too much corruption, too much cheating and deceit, and he wanted an escape. However, Kunshan was pretty sure that he would eventually be called back home, so he was planning to make this last pleasure trip memorable. Little did he know exactly how memorable it would become...
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Time passed quickly–much quicker than any of them had wanted it to. There was a lot of work to be done, but before long, the house was liveable. Litalia was chief gardener, and she managed everything outside the house...except for the kitchen, as cooking was her other forte. She had decided to allow the ivy that added to the beauty of the dwelling grow, provided it didn't run rampant. It scaled the walls easily, twining here and there with a majestic grace. Unfortunately, some of the large trees close to the house had been cut down because of the danger. There were still dozens of trees, old and young, all growing splendidly in the clearing. With help–in turns–from the other girls (even Ami, who grew steadily better) and Andrew and Rita, when they had time to leave the store, a garden was dug, and it would hopefully be large enough to support all of them by next year. The spring planting season had passed, which meant they only had crops planted in the fall to rely upon.
Money was one of the problems that had sprung up recently. They would need money to buy food for this year and maybe the next. The money from Luna and Artemis's bank account could not be accessed by the Bliss family until, as the will dictated, until they were all married. So far, things weren't going very well. A lot of their meager savings had been spent on the trip west, and more had gone into the restoration of the sizeable old house, as well as food and other necessary items (soap, clothing, seeds for planting, tools, medicines, etc.). Amiliana, who handled the household accounts with accuracy and precision, and while they had all tried to be thrifty with their money, the fact was, it was disappearing quickly. When she had quietly discussed the matter with Rei, her older sister had looked grave but shook her head and said nothing but to continue on as they were going. They all knew that Andrew and Rita would extend their credit without a word, but they weren't about to depend on the kindness of their newfound friends.
Other people in town were less friendly. They viewed the Bliss family as strangers and were wary of them. As the lawyer refused to reveal most of the aspects of the will, certain inquisitive persons felt that there was something questionable about it and those it named. It was fortunate, however, because if the lawyer had mentioned the amount of money and the restrictions placed upon the four women, men would have been on the grounds all hours of the day and constantly harassing them. It had been nine years since Artemis and Luna Bliss had died, and they were not known to some of the newer people in town, or their goodly personages had been dimmed and forgotten through the years.
There were, however, four other women who made it worth their time to stop by when any of the Bliss girls were in town on errands, usually to the general store. Setsuna was in her late twenties and considered a spinster, but she was beautiful and wise. She taught the school, and she boarded with two friends, Michiru and Haruka. There was also an orphaned little girl who lived with them, named Hotaru. Setsuna was generally respected, as was Michiru, although it was rare for women to be musicians. She played the violin–or the fiddle, as it was sometimes referred to, and she was elegant, refined, and classy. People wondered how she could live with Haruka, her complete opposite. Something about Michiru warded away the young men that would have loved to court her...or maybe it was her sandy-haired friend. Haruka was descended from one of the earliest families in the area, and her family had accumulated a large amount of wealth through the years. The problem was, she didn't exactly fit society's standards. She wore pants and loose-fitting, mannish shirts for the most part–and she looked attractive enough and almost like a male in them. She rode better–bareback–then many of the men in town, and she could match them in almost any sport or past time, which tended to shock their wives, daughters, cousins, and other relatives. But Haruka didn't care about the gossip in town and continued happily along, doing what she loved, with the people she cared about. Hotaru had been a sickly child, but she was becoming much healthier under her adoptive guardians' gentle care. Fireflies captivated her at night, and she recognized beauty during the day and in people easily. There was plenty to do at home, however, and the girls were not often free to visit their friends.
Amiliana never neglected a daily stroll around the lake, which she usually took alone. She spent her mornings going over the account books, and when that was finished, she helped with breakfast or washed the dishes. If there was laundry to do, she did it with Minalia, and in the afternoon, when outdoor tasks did not occupy he time, she was hard at work, continuing her studies. She was able to read books about medicine that furthered her knowledge, kindly obtained by Setsuna, and her sisters began learning how to treat and heal when they began discovering animals that needed help. Of course, the majority of them were healthy, but every so often, wounded or disabled animals came along. They were treated, and those that could be released were, but the House of Bliss became a haven to the creatures that couldn't leave. Rei, Ami, Lita, and Mina vowed, from then on, never to turn anyone who needed help away from their gates.
Reiliana and Minalia switched off in their duty of watching Alexander, who was not allowed outside when work was going on–at least without attendance by one of them who was not working–or in the kitchen. Sometimes Ami watched him while she was studying as well. Rei and Mina generally helped out whenever and wherever they could, and they were getting along pretty well, despite their problems...
But the "husband search"–as it was referred to–was not going well. Lita had nearly sunken into a state of depression and desolation. She had not heard from Nestor, and she had left him several messages along the trail in forts and other places that he was sure he would stop. She alternately cursed him and wished he would come to her, and the doubt of his intentions seemed likely to tear her apart. She occupied her time well, but there were times when the others found her crying, and there was nothing they knew to say. Ami was doing her best at being stubborn, and when she tried her hand at something, she excelled magnificently. She avoided the men of the village determinedly, and when they made the effort to draw her out of her shell, she responded with a blast of chilliness that did keep most of the away. When questioned in exasperation by Rei, she merely shrugged and said nothing, and Rei couldn't bear to press her. She herself had sincerely tried to interest herself in the young men that flocked around her. None of them particularly caught her attention, and her mind kept wandering back to Janus Aureole. Whenever that happened (which was quite often), she stormed off in a fit and did hard labor until her wrath had cooled. It took several scoldings from her sisters for Reiliana to realize she was overdoing the work, and when they stopped her, she found herself with less options for how to get rid of her anger. Mina had indeed grown up over the trip and very quickly in the past few months. She had had a few relationships, none of which had turned out to be profitable. She could handle men magnificently, and they were drawn to her sweet nature and sunny personality. Of course, she tended to get a little bossy at times, but her admirers found her commanding air and little graces appealing. And if anything went farther than she wanted, Mina was completely capable of not only stopping him but firmly berating him and making him wish he had never been born. But still no results. Things were fine...things were peaceful...everything would turn out in the end, they thought to themselves. Until the day Janus Aureole and his companions returned, disrupting the peace and quiet and especially the House of Bliss–or rather, its occupants...
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"I'm telling you, we're almost there," Janus argued heatedly, "don't you think I know how to get to my own home?"
The other fair-haired man in the group sighed. "We're not trying to contradict you, Janus. We're just suggesting that it might be safer to ride back that way, to the last town we passed, since it looks like a storm's brewing."
"And I'm telling you it's closer to just go on, Zoite!"
Nestor sighed and shifted uneasily on his horse, who seemed equally anxious. "I'm telling you, it's safer to go back. I don't like the look of the sky."
Kunshan nodded firmly. He waved at the steadily-darkening sky as masses of angry, sullen gray clouds gathered above them, fat and heavy with cold autumn rains. "Janus, don't be an idiot. We could be killed if our horses throw us, or if we're struck by lightning."
They were hemmed in by forest on all sides, and there was no trace of civilization except for the dirt road they had stopped on. All the animals had taken cover, and strong gales had begun blowing little sticks and branches from the trees, making loud rustling noises. Zoite, Nestor, and Kunshan's long hair streamed back behind them, despite the confining ties they were bound by. Their loose-fitting clothes were also rippling in the wind, and it was a chilly breeze that chilled them to the bones. However, the blonde fixed them with his piercing blue eyes and said, "Let's go. We're wasting time. Why can't you just trust me? It's very close. I promise you."
Sighing, they exchanged dark glances but resumed riding. A heavy rain began to pound upon them and the forest floor, and they were chilled through by the time booming thunder and flashes of lightning arrived. They pressed on, trying to be careful, until Kunshan, who had taken the lead, stopped and shouted, "This is crazy! I can't see anything two feet in front of me, and we'll catch our death plodding on in this type of weather!"
Before anyone could reply, a sizzle of lightning, a quick flare of lightning, and a horse's wild neigh of fright were seen and heard, as well as Nestor's yell. Quickly, the other three men dismounted and pulled their friend away from the smoking tree quickly but carefully. His horse had run off as soon as his master had been thrown. The brunet's face was ashen, but he was calm as they tried to determine if he was injured. "I'm fine," he insisted, trying to get up.
Kunshan looked more grave than ever as he poked cautiously at his left leg, which was bleeding in a few places from sharp stones and sticks. "Can you get up? I thought not. At the very least, you've got a very bad sprain. Or, which I think is very likely, you've fractured your leg."
Janus stood by, looking silent and pale with guilt, but Zoite spoke up. "Since we're short a horse, there's no point in us riding. We'll have to lead them–and put you on one as comfortably as we can make you. So, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Nestor. You're about to be lifted completely off the ground, which probably hasn't happened to you since you were a boy. Ready?"
He nodded, and Kunshan and Janus knelt by him as the last member of their not-so-happy quartet transferred the packs from the most docile horse to another one, also retrieving extra blankets from their supplies. When Nestor was settled, with his eyes half-closed as he tried not to pass out from the pain he had been put through after they had moved him, Zoite asked, "Well? What should we do? Go forward or go backward?"
"I think we should–"
Kunshan was cut off by Janus's exclamation, "I think I see a light! In the distance–look–see that gold sparkle?"
Dryly, Zoite muttered, "It's probably more lightning."
Janus scowled at him and snapped, "No, it's not. I'm sure now–there are a lot of lamps, somewhere not too far away. We should be able to get help and shelter there."
As the other two men strained their eyes and looked skeptically at Janus, Nestor inquired not so patiently, "Can we just decide quickly? If it's worth anything, why don't we just go with what Janus says?"
They looked at him in surprise, and the blond-haired man was gratified by his friend's faith in him, despite the fact that he was injured and probably should have been blaming him for pressing on. "All right," Kunshan agreed, "we'll go on. I just hope the people there are hospitable to strangers."
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Looking at the timepiece over the fireplace, Minalia commented, "It's time to feed the animals."
Lita looked up from her study of a book of herbs, some of which she was hoping to use for cooking. "I'll go," she offered readily.
The raven-haired woman frowned at her. "You are not going out into that terrible storm, Litalia Bliss. You already got yourself soaked and sick last time, because you didn't put on enough warm clothing. I'll do it."
The brunette grumbled to herself and muttered, "It's only a cold. I'm getting better."
If Amiliana had been there, Rei would probably have turned her offer down as well. Ami had never had the best of health out of the four sisters, and after her low spirits, her body had been more susceptible to illness.
Mina, feeling repentant for reminding them of the task with no intention of doing it herself, said, "Wait, Rei. I'll go. You should go and put Xander to bed."
"Ami's going to do it for me, after she finishes another chapter of her book. Besides, you're busy, and I'm going. That's final." With that, she pulled on her cloak and hood and swept out the door.
In the meantime, the blonde also looked down at the scarf she had been attempting to knit and frowned. Certain aspects of domesticity were not her forte. While she scowled at the offending product of her work, Litalia tried hard not to smile as she regarded the mangled piece of clothing. All of a sudden, after they had each returned to their respective tasks, Mina asked, "How did you know you loved Nestor?"
After a few seconds of shocked silence, she laughed uneasily and shrugged. "Love? Why do you say love?" Meanwhile, her traitorous mind drifted back to a memory a little while ago...
*flashback*
He cupped her face gently in his large hands as they stood together, alone. "I love you, Lita. I thought so before, but I never knew how much before. But I want you to know it before I go, even though I plan on saying it to you at least a hundred more times in the future."
*end flashback*
Shaking herself, Lita pasted a bright smile on her face and said, "I'm sorry, I drifted off for a minute...what did you say, Mina?" She waited for the answer, looking around the room quickly to remind herself where she was.
"I said I thought you were in love because of the way you looked at each other. How happy you made each other. It was so clear to all of us. Didn't you love him?"
Lita looked at her folded hands before replying, "Yes, I guess so. I just wish I knew that he loved me."
The blonde looked surprised. "What? Of course he does. The way he looked at you, anyone would have thought you were the best thing under the sun."
"Then why hasn't he come?" she asked plaintively.
"I don't know. But I'm sure he'll turn up sooner or later."
Curiously, her sister asked, "Why did you bring up the subject?"
Mina sighed wistfully. "I want to know what it's like to be in love."
"You seem to know so much about it already."
She spread her hands and shrugged. "I've watched countless people in love. I've seen the wonderful things it does to people. But I've never been in love. Greg didn't love Ami, though."
The brunette frowned. "Then why didn't you tell her?" she questioned.
Again, she shrugged. "How do you tell your sister, your friend, anyone...that the person they're in love with doesn't love her back? Ami was in love with him, at least a little bit. He certainly sweet-talked her enough and made her think that he wanted to marry her. But his personality was fake, and his words rang false when he was around her–or us. I didn't tell her, because I thought Ami would realize it before anything went too far. She would have, sooner or later."
Lita thought back to their old home, which suddenly seemed so far away and so long ago. She thought about Ami, and all the pain she had gone through, and how she still was not whole yet. And as Mina fell silent, she began thinking about Nestor Siriale again.
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Rei was on her way back to the house, scurrying towards the light and warmth, when shouts and rattles of the iron gate caught her attention. She tried to see through the pouring rain, but all she saw were six indistinct forms: three horses and three persons too tall and built to be normal-sized women. Nervously, she started towards the gate. At least, she consoled herself, if they tried anything violent, they would be on the opposite side of the gate. If she let them in, though...then Rei shook herself. They had named the place "The House of Bliss" for a reason. They would offer help to anyone that needed it. Still...their selfless career would be cut short if they accidentally trusted too much and let the wrong people into their homes. Rei consoled herself–slightly–with the thought that whoever they were, they couldn't be all that bad...but as she peered through the iron bars at the closest, soaked stranger, she discovered that it was worse.
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