Author's note: I realize that there's a lot of stuff I have to explain
between the last chapter and this one but this is what was in my head to
write today and I wanted to go ahead and post it.
We dismounted from our horses in front of the big timber house. Rina was complaining about being saddle sore. I told Florian she couldn't handle riding that long. But then she looked up at the house and said in awe, "What is this place?"
"It's one of the Montmollin estates," I said quietly, hanging back while the others walked towards the house.
"Looks deserted," said Justin.
"It is," Florian answered him, "word is that they lost a son, the Baroness ran off to live with a cousin in Regia and the Baron won't set a foot on the place. So, my children, it's all ours."
"And just why are we here again?" Stock asked. He looked like he was feeling a little saddle sore himself but he didn't mention it.
"Something Justin said the other day," said Florian. "The goddesses need to learn to defend themselves and I thought this might be the perfect place for a shooting lesson." They all filed into the house but I couldn't move. I crossed my arms over my chest protectively. That was the house I grew up in. The house I was sent away from. There were too many memories; too much pain.
Florian stuck his head out the door and called to me, "Are you coming in?"
I shook my head no. "I can't," I barely whispered.
"Come on," he assured me, "It'll be fine. Trust me." He took my hand and pulled me inside.
The house was very much as I had remembered it. Except that the richly upholstered furniture had been covered with sheets so the rooms looked as if they were full of ghosts and that's exactly what it felt like.
"I found some rifles we can use," we heard Justin call from the other room. We followed his voice to see that he had pried open an old mahogany gun case. Several hunting rifles were mounted in the case along with a small box.
While the others were inspecting the rifles I picked up the box and opened it carefully. It was lined with green velvet and contained two ornate pistols along with the necessary instruments for cleaning and loading them.
"We'll use these too," Justin grabbed the box from my hands slamming the lid on my finger.
"Ouch," I yelled.
He smirked at me, "First thing you've got to learn is to be careful around the guns."
Ooo, I hated him so much.
Florian laughed and gave both Justin and I a pat on the back then he turned to Justin, "I'm going to find some targets. Why don't you take everyone outside and get them started loading?" Florian disappeared towards what only he and I knew was the wine cellar.
I reluctantly followed behind the others to the yard.
Justin got right to work explaining how to load the charge and tamp it down. I wasn't paying much attention. There was too much to look at; too much to remember.
"Alright, you try it then," Justin surprised me by thrusting the rifle into my hand.
"Fine," I said. I took the gun and although I was a bit slow I took my time and loaded it perfectly, exactly as he had done. I handed it back to him giving him the same smirk he had given me earlier.
"That's it Zara," Stock cheered me on sitting comfortably now with his back against a tree.
"Well done indeed," said Florian now coming from the house with his arms full of bottles.
I gloried in his praise watching him as he walked about 20 yards away and set a few of the bottles up on a fence. I looked smugly toward Justin but he was already focused on Rina's attempt to load. She wasn't doing nearly as well as I had.
When he came back, Florian also watched Rina. When she had finally succeeded in loading the rifle, he and Justin both attempted to show her how to hold it and explained that there would be a kick back when she pulled the trigger. Florian actually put his arm around her to show her how to brace her shoulder.
I was livid. I picked up one of the other rifles; the one I had just loaded; aimed in the direction of the bottles and pulled the trigger.
The middle bottle exploded spraying glass and wine in every direction.
"I think I've got it," I said.
Rina, in shock, had also pulled her trigger but her shot went high taking out a tree branch and showering Stock with leaves.
I dropped the rifle I was holding and stomped off toward the house. I didn't look back to see their reactions. I stopped short of the big house and turned toward one of the smaller buildings. It was the servants' quarters. I found my way easily to the room I had shared with my mother. The small cot on which I had slept had long since been removed but the bed that had been my mother's was still there. The mattress ticking was old and worn. There were holes were the stuffing was spilling out.
I sat on the bed and it sagged. I room was small and depressing. I didn't remember it being this small.
"Are you all right?" Florian asked coming into the room.
I hadn't heard his footsteps and he surprised me. "I'm fine," I said.
"Is it hard for you coming back here?"
I shrugged.
He sat down next to me. "I don't believe I've ever been in here."
"Why should you be? You were too good for this place."
"No," he countered, "I was never too good. Just . . . distracted I guess."
I looked at him.
"That's all any of this is, isn't it?" he asked.
I didn't understand what he meant and he tried to explain.
"The aristocracy doesn't want to see the world the way it really is. So, they surround themselves with fine things. That's why you were sent away, you know?" He stopped for a minute and looked intently at me. "You reminded them of the real world."
I looked away uncomfortable at his gaze. "Well, what do I remind you of?" I asked nonchalantly.
"Oh, you remind me of the real world also."
I wasn't sure if that was a complement or not.
He continued, "You remind me of a world that is just and free where everyone is equal and everyone has a say."
I felt my face get warm. "That world doesn't exist," I told him.
"It will, if we work for it."
I hoped he was right.
Florian stood and pulled me up to stand also, "Right now working means learning how to shoot."
"Alright." I smiled and followed him back out to the yard.
We dismounted from our horses in front of the big timber house. Rina was complaining about being saddle sore. I told Florian she couldn't handle riding that long. But then she looked up at the house and said in awe, "What is this place?"
"It's one of the Montmollin estates," I said quietly, hanging back while the others walked towards the house.
"Looks deserted," said Justin.
"It is," Florian answered him, "word is that they lost a son, the Baroness ran off to live with a cousin in Regia and the Baron won't set a foot on the place. So, my children, it's all ours."
"And just why are we here again?" Stock asked. He looked like he was feeling a little saddle sore himself but he didn't mention it.
"Something Justin said the other day," said Florian. "The goddesses need to learn to defend themselves and I thought this might be the perfect place for a shooting lesson." They all filed into the house but I couldn't move. I crossed my arms over my chest protectively. That was the house I grew up in. The house I was sent away from. There were too many memories; too much pain.
Florian stuck his head out the door and called to me, "Are you coming in?"
I shook my head no. "I can't," I barely whispered.
"Come on," he assured me, "It'll be fine. Trust me." He took my hand and pulled me inside.
The house was very much as I had remembered it. Except that the richly upholstered furniture had been covered with sheets so the rooms looked as if they were full of ghosts and that's exactly what it felt like.
"I found some rifles we can use," we heard Justin call from the other room. We followed his voice to see that he had pried open an old mahogany gun case. Several hunting rifles were mounted in the case along with a small box.
While the others were inspecting the rifles I picked up the box and opened it carefully. It was lined with green velvet and contained two ornate pistols along with the necessary instruments for cleaning and loading them.
"We'll use these too," Justin grabbed the box from my hands slamming the lid on my finger.
"Ouch," I yelled.
He smirked at me, "First thing you've got to learn is to be careful around the guns."
Ooo, I hated him so much.
Florian laughed and gave both Justin and I a pat on the back then he turned to Justin, "I'm going to find some targets. Why don't you take everyone outside and get them started loading?" Florian disappeared towards what only he and I knew was the wine cellar.
I reluctantly followed behind the others to the yard.
Justin got right to work explaining how to load the charge and tamp it down. I wasn't paying much attention. There was too much to look at; too much to remember.
"Alright, you try it then," Justin surprised me by thrusting the rifle into my hand.
"Fine," I said. I took the gun and although I was a bit slow I took my time and loaded it perfectly, exactly as he had done. I handed it back to him giving him the same smirk he had given me earlier.
"That's it Zara," Stock cheered me on sitting comfortably now with his back against a tree.
"Well done indeed," said Florian now coming from the house with his arms full of bottles.
I gloried in his praise watching him as he walked about 20 yards away and set a few of the bottles up on a fence. I looked smugly toward Justin but he was already focused on Rina's attempt to load. She wasn't doing nearly as well as I had.
When he came back, Florian also watched Rina. When she had finally succeeded in loading the rifle, he and Justin both attempted to show her how to hold it and explained that there would be a kick back when she pulled the trigger. Florian actually put his arm around her to show her how to brace her shoulder.
I was livid. I picked up one of the other rifles; the one I had just loaded; aimed in the direction of the bottles and pulled the trigger.
The middle bottle exploded spraying glass and wine in every direction.
"I think I've got it," I said.
Rina, in shock, had also pulled her trigger but her shot went high taking out a tree branch and showering Stock with leaves.
I dropped the rifle I was holding and stomped off toward the house. I didn't look back to see their reactions. I stopped short of the big house and turned toward one of the smaller buildings. It was the servants' quarters. I found my way easily to the room I had shared with my mother. The small cot on which I had slept had long since been removed but the bed that had been my mother's was still there. The mattress ticking was old and worn. There were holes were the stuffing was spilling out.
I sat on the bed and it sagged. I room was small and depressing. I didn't remember it being this small.
"Are you all right?" Florian asked coming into the room.
I hadn't heard his footsteps and he surprised me. "I'm fine," I said.
"Is it hard for you coming back here?"
I shrugged.
He sat down next to me. "I don't believe I've ever been in here."
"Why should you be? You were too good for this place."
"No," he countered, "I was never too good. Just . . . distracted I guess."
I looked at him.
"That's all any of this is, isn't it?" he asked.
I didn't understand what he meant and he tried to explain.
"The aristocracy doesn't want to see the world the way it really is. So, they surround themselves with fine things. That's why you were sent away, you know?" He stopped for a minute and looked intently at me. "You reminded them of the real world."
I looked away uncomfortable at his gaze. "Well, what do I remind you of?" I asked nonchalantly.
"Oh, you remind me of the real world also."
I wasn't sure if that was a complement or not.
He continued, "You remind me of a world that is just and free where everyone is equal and everyone has a say."
I felt my face get warm. "That world doesn't exist," I told him.
"It will, if we work for it."
I hoped he was right.
Florian stood and pulled me up to stand also, "Right now working means learning how to shoot."
"Alright." I smiled and followed him back out to the yard.