I do not own The Inheritance Cycle.
I hope you enjoy this short story,
Blueberries
For almost as long as Rose could remember, Tornac had been balm to the pall that resided inside the shaded walls of UrĂ»'baen. A lively and good-natured man, he would continuously find ways to keep both her mind and body on the move, never once allowing her sulk in books as she preferred. The activities he arranged to keep her day busy Rose thought to be anguishing and inapt. In the recent year he had discovered a torment greater than any before, in form of a lowly stringed instrument, and she could not for the life of her understand Tornac's motivations in her learning how to play the useless thing. But the viol and the frustration it caused her, hardly had anything to do with that day.
The first day of summer, on the ninth year of her life, began like every other day, with the distant iron clinging of a bell of the dawn bell wrenching her from her sleep. Dumping her on the edge of consciousness, her dreams sinking into the darkness as if they had never been.
Yawning, she staggered out of her bed to a nearby chair, the skin on her feet wincing at the cold flooring. She scratched at the sleeves of her nightgown, disliking the lace emboldening and how the treading cut into her wrists. Not a moment after she sat down, Cordelia whirled into the room, her hair coiled tightly on top of her head. Rose wondered as she offend did, if her hair was twisted far too tight, and if she loosened just a tab whether or not she would be might much more pleasant.
Cordelia ignored her completely, turning instead to the large wooden chest which she loudly rummaged through before pulling out a lilac-colored dress. Then the woman ordered Rose to get off her bum and get clothed, Cordelia helped remove the nightgown and she slipped on the shaft over Rose's head. Despite her incivility, Cordelia was always gentle in action, if never her words, and dressed Rose as if she were a glass doll. When Cordelia was satisfied that she was justly clothed, she made her sit down and then took out a wide bristled brush and began to hastily comb the knots out of her hair. It took some time. Rose sat rigidly on the comfortless stool, and waited impatiently for the deed to be finished. To pass the time, she twisted her fingers together.
When Rose's hair was brushed and smoothed, Cordelia led her to the mirror. "Do you think that suits?" she said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You should wear purple, it brings out your eyes."
Rose nodded, but said nothing. It was easier to keep peace with Cordelia as long as she was silent.
A loud knock on the door, saved her from further conversation. Cordelia stopped, startled, and paused. "Tornac?" said Cordelia.
"Yes? May I come in?"
"Yes, if you must." Tornac pecked his head into the room, before entering. He was halfway into the room when, Cordelia said, "You did not say you would come by this day."
"Good morrow, ladies." Tornac said, he then turned Cordelia, "No, I did not. If you would not mind, I would like to borrow Rose for the day."
Cordelia scoffed. "Please, take her."
"I don't believe you've had the chance to break your fast, as of yet, have you, Rose?" he said.
"Not as of yet, Tornac," Rose said flashing him a smile.
He returned her gesture with a wide smile of his own. Tornac was usually in high spirits in the morning, it was later in the day that his humor shifted depending on the outcome of the past hours. "After you eat, come to the sables. We will be journeying the trails today."
Her grin widened. Riding along the trails was something Rose enjoyed, it was not as tedious as sitting listening to her tutor lecture or having to pay attention to that ancient bard drone on and on about the many hundreds of way to play the viol. It was not that she didn't enjoy her lessons, most days she delighted them, but this day was sun was shining down in embers rays reflecting gloriously off the emerald blades of grass and her mind ached to be outside. To breath in the fresh summer day and relax in the warming sun.
"Her lessons," Cordelia protested, "are far more important than dragging her through some wood."
Tornac shrugged. "Conan has fallen ill. There would be no lessons today even if I did not plan on 'dragging her through some wood.' We will not be gone all day, I plan on us returning before dinner. That way, since you seem to be so concerned about young Rose's lesson you shall be able to assist her in her studies."
Rose watched in amusement as Cordelia's face twisted in distaste. Her beady eyes, looked like they might, just maybe, burst from her face. Meeting Tornac's steady gaze, she fought back a smile.
"Enjoy your day," Cordelia said. Then she grasped Rose's hand and pulled from the bedchamber, "Come along, Muirgheal."
"I got more than you," Rose said. She holding out her cupped hands, which held a small bundle of rounded blueberries, in front of him, looking to be rather unimpressed. It was to her displeasure, that Tornac insisted on stopping along a narrow valley covered in tall grasses and colorful wildflowers, to pick blueberries.
Tornac laughed vaguely, and examined her pickings with a great seriousness. "By the gods, did you ever," said he, shutting the flap of his shoulder-pack, which was filled halfway with the berries.
The girl bobbed her head at him. "How many have you gotten?"
Fingering the strap to his bag protectively, Tornac reached up and plucked a plump blueberry from the very top of the billowing bush. "Only this one," he told her, holding the berry inbetween his fingers for her to see.
"Is that it?" asked Rose in disbelief, her eyebrows rising. "We've been out for hours. What have you been doing?"
Tornac smiled teasingly at her. "I've been eating them all," he said.
"Tornac!" she exclaimed. Rose shifted her feet and gave him an exasperated glare. "You have not really, have you?"
"Every single one," Tornac said, playfully rubbing his stomach, "and let me inform you, young Rose, on how delectable each and every single one of those blueberries were."
Rose began to giggle at Tornac.
"You are ridiculous," she said, between her giggling. "I bet you're just about to burst after eating so much."
"You think me so?" he asked.
She calmed herself, and smiled openly at him. "Honestly, Tornac," Rose said, "I believe that have known you long enough for me to say, I know so."
"Cheeky girl," he muttered in a low voice.
Grinning at him, she picked up her woven sack from the ground and unstrung it before sliding the blueberries in her hand inside. "I would not be as cheeky if it were not for your influence."
"I pray that I have not taught you these ill manners of yours."
Rose bit her lip and glanced amusedly at him. "I learned all of my manners from you," she said, narrowing her eyes at him. "Beware, Tornac!"
Tornac chuckled gravely and shook his head. "Then, please, find it in your heart to forgive me."
Sighing mockingly, Rose eyed him critically. "I suppose that I forgive you."
"Thank the gods," said Tornac, mock seriously.
Rose sighed again, her good humor lost, and suddenly towards the trees. In the distance she could hear the melodic chirping of crickets, and she listened entaced wondering how the noise could affect her in such a way. It felt like a distant memory, a inkling of something she long forgotten. She shifted uneasily as she felt Tornac go rigid beside her and also look in the woodland, he hand resting on the silver snakehead that was fashioned onto the hilt of his sword.
"Rose? Is something amiss?"
Shaking herself, Rose turned towards Tornac. "No, I do not think so."
Tornac looked curiously at her for a short moment, before bending down to pick up the small bag filled with blueberries at her feet, thinking that it probably time to return. His sack catch on the fallen branch and it tipped spilling a hand full of berries onto the ground.
"Tornac," Rose gasped in surprise. "You lied! You didn't eat all the berries!"
Tornac looked up at her, his light blue eyes glistening and laughed lightly. He scooped up the blueberries and emptied her sack into the bag, and Rose watched as the fat berries meddled and united.
A/N:Anon- Sorry, that the side stories disupt the story flow for you, but I will not post them apart unless it causes a huge issue. This is mainly because I want to keep everything together and in one peace. I try to make it easy to people to tell the side stories and chapters apart, in hopes that no big troubles will arise. It makes it much easlier for me to manage, which is the strange way my mind works.
