I do not own the Inheritance Series.
This can stand on completely on its own, so if you haven't read the Lirouratr Series in any shape or form, no worries. There's some lore that I follow from that series but beyond that this is its own work.
"...If I had taken Selena and you and ran to farthest reaches of this continent, would we all have been better off? I wondered what would have become of you. If you would have brave and beautiful like your mother, or if you would have something of Morzan's cruelness..." - Brom, Lirouratr (chap. 59 Shadows of War) & "..."If I had been smart, I would have taken you and your mother far from Morzan. Enchanted some meadow to keep the two of you hidden until I had killed him and we were free to live our lives in peace." - Brom, Resurrection (Chap. 4, Apprehension)
I blame Brom and these quotes for this story- he exists to torment me, I think. The truth is, I've been wanting to write this story for years and after writing out a draft, more for giggles and maybe a few tears, my brother asked me to complete the whole project and, by his urging, to post it. Otherwise, I would not have and it would sit away collecting dust.
Originally, it was a one-shot but it kidnapped my imagination and is now holding it ransom- please send help!
To those looking forward the next chapter of Resurrection, it might have to wait until I finish this. I'd say that I'm sorry but I'm not.
Let me know what you think.
And as always, enjoy,
Chapter One
Amongst Buttercups and Sweetpeas
When Brom took the chance to whisk Selena and the child out of Morzan's castle, he sacrificed the opportunity to kill his enemy and his beast of a dragon. He hated himself for it but as the years passed his regret faded and his determination grew. In those years, though his wish for vengeance was still very much there, it was dampened as he found something more than retaliation to fight for.
At first, he did not see it. Brom had been driven for so long by his hatred that found it challenging to be around Morzan's child. The girl seemed to him to be ghost of a reminder of what was lost, and his failure. However, it seemed that fate had played its hand and he soon found there little greater joy to watch as Selena's girl, shy and timid, learn to live outside the shadow of fear. He found a strange sort of pride as he watched as she blossomed into a child who was filled with joy and wonder. In Selena and her girl, he found a family, and ever so slowly this changed him. Like the rocks of the sea, day by day he was ever so slightly shaped differently until he became a man he did not recognize.
It happened slowly, and began with the child.
In the beginning, the girl hid behind Selena's legs during her every waking moment. This caused the woman to trip over her, and soon bruises appeared on the both of them but even so, the girl didn't relinquish her role as her mother's shadow. In the few rare occasions that the child was forced away from her shadow-duty, Brom couldn't so much as move without the girl watching him. Her stormy eyes pinned on his every movement, caution boiling behind them as she stood half hidden.
If he leaned towards her, she'd flinch away so he stayed as far away as possible. The girl didn't like loud noises so he made certain to keep his actions quiet. His voice terrified her, all men's voices did this, and so he and Selena spoke softly or often not at all. Whenever there was the scent of alcohol, even if it was only wine, the girl would scatter out of sight so he did not bother so much as buy the weakest of ale.
This child is like a fawn, Brom thought, dashing away at the smallest threat. And he couldn't find in himself to blame her. The girl was just as damaged by the hurts of her father as he and his love were.
It felt to him, as he were living his waking hours trending thin ice hoping that he wouldn't fall through into the freezing waters below. And after a month of traveling with Selena and her daughter, he knew something needed to change. They couldn't go on living as they had forever.
One evening at Brom's request Selena took the child into the field they were staying in and when they returned, they carried armfuls of wildflowers. The three of them sat down in middle of the cabin floor and flower by flower, Brom held up the blossoms to the girl and asked her where they should place them. He knew the child liked flowers, and that the garden was one of only places in Greynsi Castle she could be with her mother. Even so, the girl looked at him uncertainly, and at first refused to take so much as a step towards him to take the blossoms. He was forced to pass the flower one by one to her across the floor but still, she would not touch budge from her place behind Selena.
Eventually, after her mother coaxed her, she cautiously leaned over to pick it up and turn it over her hand. He watched as her face light up with recognition, and then she looked from him to her mother, and when the woman nodded, the girl would dart about the cabin. After an hour of this, she toed within an arm's length of him and he was able to give her the blossoms by hand. In the following days the small cabin was filled with flowers, some in earthen bottles but most hung from the empty windows by scraps of string or cloth.
After this the child would wander away from her mother into the small valley around the cabin to pick flowers on her own. And later, as summer took over the land, she could be found within long stalks of bear grass singing childish tunes, or running home with her arms full of grass and leaves and small stones. They were treasures to the girl and whenever she showed him her finds Brom entertained her, hoping to foster sense of safety. This seemed to be the right step.
When summer waned, the silent child followed cautiously behind him as he went into the forest to find wood to create furniture for their little home and before too long, she was no longer silent. A closeness formed between them and they were often together while he worked the land around the valley. He found that the delight the little girl brought was like the warmth of the sun after a winter's day. It was something he never believed possible: that Morzan's spawn could bring him anything other than pain and regret, or that he would grow to love her.
What was more surprising to him, however, was how Brom felt becoming a father. He had no words for that. When Selena gave birth his son, he felt as if his heart were walking outside of his chest as if it became a living, breathing thing. While little Meri might have been the flowers in the sunlight, fragile and sweet, his son was the earth beneath his feet steady and grounding, and Selena… well, she was the air he breathed; the moon and stars, and the lifeblood in his chest. His Saphira, his beloved dragon now gone from the world, she still owned his heart but Selena now held it. He would never love someone as he did that woman; for her he would catch the stars if she asked it.
If his vengeance would cost him his greatest joys, were they worth it?
He no longer knew. What Brom did know was that at some point in time he would have to leave his family. He could not stay within the dreams of bliss for too long, not when his enemy still lived. For so long as Morzan lived; he remained a threat looming over them. And he wouldn't allow that man to ruin what he now had. Not this time.
…
…
…
Meri was five when she first came across a book. Later in her life, her mother would tease that its discovery headed way to her first and only true love, and there were often times she could not deny it.
That day, when her passion for the art of literature began, was a rare day.
It was not rare due the gleaming sunlight that glossed over the world, nor was it rare that the flowers which bloomed in a thick carpet of yellow petals; in their eagerness the air was sticky with their overpowering sweet smell. Nor was it because of the coming springtime that made the day was such a treasure. It was so rare because no one had come looking for her yet.
At that time, she didn't know how to read but was captivated by the illustrations on the pages. She sat on the ground and looked at it for a long time, completely forgetting that she shouldn't have been inside the cabin. Not while her mother was in the garden and needing help with the babies. Meri didn't want to help. She didn't like looking after the babies when there was so much to explore, and she had never inside the cabin alone before. Meri took full advantage of her stolen freedom, and plundered the small kitchen in hopes of a snack. There was nothing but a rotten apple. She had tossed it aside and kept looking, finding only the book. And no food at all.
Her papa had left it high on a shelf where Mam kept the jars of spices well out of reach but Meri knew how to climb. She had been quite proud of the fact that she could climb up almost anything; trees, archways, the wall, and that rope in the byre. It had shocked Papa and Mamma when they found her seated on the rafters in the barn, and he had to climb up to get her down. He had called her a monkey and Meri, despite not knowing what that was, agreed wholeheartedly with him.
When Papa placed her on the ground her mamma called her a chipmunk. Meri knew what that was, and had puffed out her cheeks at her mamma and flapped her hands on her forehead as they were wiggling ears, before running off to discover something else.
By then she had explored the valley they lived in many times over but sometimes luck was with her and she would find something new; a hollow stone that when broken open shined with tiny crystals that when placed in the sunlight refracted tiny rainbows, a butterfly fluttering in the distance its wings bright and patterned, and once a massive creature with great horns- she knew no name for it- that stood elegantly in the distance before disappearing between the trees.
But those sights were nothing compared to the pictures in the book. The book she could sit and stare at for hours. It showed her wonders she had never dreamed of before. She saw a huge mass of water much bigger than the creek edging their valley and a massive creature with long wings blowing fire at an open-mouthed lady in a long, lovely gown and pearls floating in her hair. Another page had mountains as tall as the sky with little men sleeping, they had swords and axes sticking out of their chests and the ground around them on fire.
Meri jumped from her chair and ran outside to her mamma, who was kneeling in the dirt digging holes for potatoes. The baby was sleeping in the wrap on Mamma's back.
"Mamma! Mamma! Look what I found!" she exclaimed loudly. She ran as fast as she could, waving the book in the air. It was her best discovery yet and she wanted to show it off. "Look at the pictures!"
"Shh! The baby is sleeping," Mamma hissed. When Meri covered her mouth with the book, her mamma stood, wiping her dirt covered hands on skirt of her dress and took from her. She didn't so much as look at it but rather gave Meri a steely look that told her that she was in a great deal of trouble. "Where did you get this?"
Meri looked at the ground. "On the shelf," she admitted softly. "But look at the pictures, Mamma!"
"I've seen the pictures, Meri," said her mother. She made a face and slipped the small book into the basket at her feet. "This is your father's book. He put it on that shelf for a reason. I don't want you getting into things that don't belong to you, promise me that you can do that?"
"Okay," she answered in a small voice, her naked toes wiggling in the dirt. She wiped her nose with her sleeve. "When is Papa going to be home? He's been away eighty hundred years ago."
"It's been less than four months," her mamma told her and knelt down beside her. "I miss him too but he'll be home soon, I promise."
Meri nodded. "When is soon? Tomorrow?"
Mamma dusted the hair out of Meri's face. "It might be a little longer than tomorrow, my sweet," she said, tucking the stray strands behind her ears. Meri looked up at her mamma's eyes. She liked her mamma's eyes. They were the same color of the old oak tree behind their cabin and the insides were flecked honey yellow. "I still need your help watching your brother. He's been eating dirt again, and I need you to stop him if he does it." She paused here, and gave Meri a golden smile. "If you do a good job, I know where I can find a book that you can look at after dinner. We can even read it. How does that sound?"
Meri nodded, excitement coursing through her, and sat down beside Eragon. He looked up at her and babbled in his tiny voice. She handed him a stick and showed him how to properly dig a hole with it. Eragon seemed to decide that digging in the dirt was better than eating it and tried his best to copy what she did.
Soon there were two small holes in the garden. There would have been many more but the progress was slowed because sometimes Meri had to stop digging to chase the chickens away. They were nosey creatures, and she didn't like them. They clucked at her after she finished chasing them, she clucked back. Meri hoped that they knew her chicken-speech and that she wanted them to stay away. The chickens weren't good listeners and kept returning.
Her mamma, the babies, and she spent most of the day out there, only stopping when Mamma had to go inside to feed the baby (who had been born during the winter), and again when Eragon needed a nap. Meri did everything she could to help. She watched her brother like she was supposed to and helped dig holes, even if her mamma didn't use them. Mamma said she'd save them for later and that they were good holes but not for potatoes.
When evening came, and the babies were put to bed, she and mamma sat down a book as promised. Mamma said the pages were filled with poems and she read a number of them to Meri. The girl listened and said nothing, her eyes closed as pictures painted themselves in her head. Delight grew inside her.
…
…
Mamma was wrong.
Papa didn't come home soon.
Three whole moon cycles passed before he came home. And when he did, it was late in the night and Meri had been sleeping but his voice woke her. She woke to him saying that they needed to leave the cabin and their valley as soon as possible, and that they would never return. Papa was breathing heavily, his voice hushed and urgent. Mamma said something Meri had never heard before but it sounded bad.
Even though Meri wasn't supposed to, she crept from her loft onto of the flat part of hearth to watch. She was allowed on the hearth, she slept there in the winter when it was cold but she wasn't allowed to be awake so late at night, or to be spying on her parents. If they caught her, she'd be in a lot of trouble but she hadn't seen her papa in eighty hundred and ten years, and she missed him. So, she had to see him.
Meri was lying flat on her stomach, peering over the pile of books Mamma left for her on the ledge. From where she was, she could see that they sat at the small table. Mamma sat in front of him, her hands over his bare chest. She was glowing purple like a colorful star.
When Mamma stopped glowing and pulled away her hands, she began wiping the dried red stuff away with a damp cloth. It fell in flakes from Papa's shoulders and chest onto the wood flooring. "You don't have to do that," her papa said, grabbing Mamma's hand and placing a gentle kiss on the top of it. "I'm perfectly capable to cleaning up my own messes and healing myself."
Mamma gave him a narrow look that meant she was angry. Normally, Mamma pinned Meri with that face whenever she did something she wasn't supposed to do like locking her brother in the chicken coop. "As if you would ever take the time to do so," she muttered lowly, placing her other hand on top of his. "You've been gone for so long, Brom, doing everything you can to protect us from him. Let me do what I can to help you even if it's this small act, and don't be such a suborn goat about it. I need to be able to do something." Her voice trailed off, getting quieter at the end.
Papa was silent as her mamma finished wiping away the blood. Meri knew what it was now. When her mamma was done, Meri wondered: where it all had come from? Every time she was hurt or bleeding there was a cut or scrap but she saw nothing like that on Papa. His skin was smooth. It didn't make sense. Maybe it wasn't his; maybe it was a chicken's and Mamma would cook it up, and they'd eat it tomorrow but there were no died chickens in the cabin.
"You've been caring for the children and keeping our home running," Papa said when she returned from the pantry with bread and a bowl of watery soup. Mamma sat down beside him and buttered his bread, leveling the knife at him when he objected that he could do it himself. "I know this isn't how you pictured your life, Selena. When we left Greynsi, neither of us thought that we'd be forced to be on the run, having to uproot our children every year and finding abandoned buildings to live in. That we'd spend our days hoping and praying that we'd all be safe from the Empire."
Mamma pursed her lips and then said in a hard voice, "When we left, I thought that we'd be together and that you wouldn't be leaving me alone for months on end with a skirt full of children. I love my children, don't misunderstand me but I thought that we would be a family, and that there wouldn't be a threat living over our heads for this long." She slammed the knife onto the table and stood up, knocking over the stool. "By the gods, Brom, she's supposed to safe from Morzan! How did he even find out what region we're in? We've made so many sacrifices to keep a low profile, and now you're tell me that we've not done enough! Even when I lived in Carvahall, we lived in better conditions! I thought- I thought…" Her voice trailed off and her face crumbled. Mamma's hair fell into her face and her shoulders shook.
"She'll be safe," Papa smoothed, pulled her to him. "We all will. I know none of this is ideal but between the two of us, we're doing everything we can to keep our children safe from him."
They were silent for a long while, and Meri lay her head in her arms. She blinked tiredly, her eyes burning. She yawned. Someone shifted in the living area, and she thought that someone might have stepped back when her mamma spoke in a scary voice that raised gooseflesh all over Meri's body. She had never Mamma sound like that before and would never hear that tone again.
"I'll kill him, Brom," her mamma said in that haunting voice. "I don't care if it ruins your vengeance or your plans or what it costs me. If he comes so much as a league near any of my children, I'll hunt him down and I will rip his flesh asunder as I kill him, and I will do so happily. After everything he has done to Meri and I, I have just as much claim to his death as you do."
Meri startled when she heard her name and peeked over the books just enough to see her papa nod. His face was hard but Mamma's was just had hard. There seemed to a charge between them as if they were in a silent battle. The baby's cries broke the spell, and Mamma hurried away to hush her before Eragon awoke. If he woke up too, no one would be getting any sleep but at least she would have an excuse to come down from the loft.
Meri lay her head onto her arms, her heart racing in her chest. She didn't understand everything that Mamma and Papa spoke of but she knew enough. When she closed her eyes, images stirred behind them. There was man with hair as dark as the blackest night carrying a red sword, a massive beast of hate and death, and pain sheering through her body like fire and grinding stones. Out of nowhere, terror shot through her, and she scrambled from the hearth, looking around wildly. She didn't see anything other her flat mattress and blankets and her dolly. Fighting back tears, she grabbed her cloth doll, and hugged it tightly, before crawling down the ladder towards Papa's lap.
When she crawled onto him, he put the bread down and wrapped his arms around her. He hadn't noticed her until then, having been busy eating his supper. "What are you doing awake, little flower?"
She pressed herself as close as she could into his warmth and closed her eyes. "Night terror," she whispered, tightening her grip around his arm. She was shaking all over and couldn't stop. "I missed you."
He abandoned his meal, and instead ran his hand over her back where her scar was. Papa was always gentle there. After a time when the shaking stopped, he said, "I missed you too."
Meri didn't see when her mamma returned sometime later, the baby now soothed and asleep, nor did she did see the knowing look her mamma and papa shared. That night they let her sleep between them on their bed but even so her dreams were plagued with a strange eyed man.
…
…
They settled at the edges of Du Weldenvarden far in the north. Meri hadn't enjoyed the trip there. It had taken all summer and she had been sweaty and riddled with itching bumps from biting bugs. Worse was that she wasn't allowed to explore the land they traveled over and had to sit on the horse with her mama or papa all day as they rode over great distances. She had never been so bored in her life. The only good part of the trip was when Papa would sit down with her in the evenings to teach her to read.
Papa stopped in one of the cities they passed through and bought her a small book of children's poems. It didn't have any pictures inside it like his books did. So, her papa pulled out a stick of charcoal from the campfire and taught her how to add swirling lines and pictures of bees and flowers and trees.
He only let her draw in the pages that she could read the poems from, and she was determined to learn quickly. After her illustration was complete, he'd take it and mutter strange words. His hands would flash blue and then he'd return to book to her. None of the charcoal pictures ever smudged after that. By the time, they reached the forest and Papa and Mamma found a place to build a small cabin, Meri could read through most of the book without help.
As her parents worked on building the cabin she sat with the babies. She was six now and old enough to be charged with both of them while her parents were nearby. Most of this time, she and the littles would sit close and play on the quilt. Her mamma had set out sticks and wooden figures her papa had carved for them to play with, and sometimes Meri would read or sing to the littles to keep them busy. Mamma checked in on them often bringing over small bowls of fruit and porridge, and taking the baby so that she would sleep in the wrap from her mother's back whenever she got fussy.
At night they would sleep under the stars. Papa would tell stories by the light of the fire, and point out constellations in the stars, telling them their names and the stories. A lot of the tales were about elves and dragons, and Meri tried to remember them all but could not. She asked Papa for a book about the stars' stories and he laughed, saying that no book existed and that they would have to create one later after they settled.
It was more than two weeks before the cabin was ready. When it was done, Meri explored it but that didn't take long. The cabin only had two rooms, one for eating and cooking, and the other was for sleeping. Mamma hung blankets from the ceiling where the children would sleep, and set up small beds on the floor. The littles would sleep together on a straw mattress and Meri would get her own since she kicked at night.
After a long debate with herself, Meri claimed the small nook at the back of stone hearth. She couldn't climb atop it like she could at her old home but she now could hide in its shadows. If someone came for her, they wouldn't see her hidden there. Already she missed her loft and her ledge and the safety of her valley.
…
…
That autumn Papa took her to town. He hitched the small cart, they used to carry their belongings during their travels, to Wheatstalk. It was Papa who let her and her brother name the cream-colored horse, though it was mostly her. Eragon was only just beginning to talk in sentences and he knew no good names.
Wheatstalk was a palfrey, Papa had told her, a horse bred to ride over great distances. He had traded his and Mamma's old horses in the same city where he had bought her the book of poems. Her mamma's horse was a palfrey too but it was grey. They had also bought a hardy pony to pull the cart.
Now, Papa had that pony tethered the cart so that she followed behind them to town. She was going to be sold there. He said that they should get enough gold to buy supplies for food and their new home for the long winter months. Wintertime was harsh this far north, he told her, and lasted a lot longer than in her valley.
Meri wasn't sure how she felt about that.
In her valley winter was rain and cold but once it snowed though it didn't last on the ground very long. Papa said that it would snow here too, and that snow might be as deep as his chest and the ground would be hard for many months. He told her that the northern people were hardy people and she would have to learn to become like them.
Meri didn't know what to think about any of this, and sat in the back of the cart watching the pony. She hadn't been allowed to give the pony a name so her name was Pony. Pony was a brown creature with white splotches all over, a white mane, and a very thick coat. The pony was gentle and the peach fizz on her chin tickled Meri's palm whenever she fed her a slice of apple. She decided that she was going to miss Pony and wondered what would become of sweet creature. Papa said a farmer would probably buy her and use her to plow his fields when she asked him about it.
During their trip to town Meri didn't complain about the cold at night or how bored she was or that she missed Mamma or how her heart hurt over the loss of Pony. Papa had told her that if she whined, he would leave her behind with Mamma and the babies next time he went to town, and she didn't want to stay in the forest forever. Not now that she knew that there was a whole world outside of its borders waiting to be explored.
So, she endured her boredom and sorrow in silence, making up stories in her head as they traveled down the road until, at last, they reached Ceuneon. It had taken them three days and two nights to reach the wooden gates. The guards at the gates were keeping track of who went in and out of the city, and Papa lied to him about his name. He always lied about their names. This time he said his name was Cormig and she was his daughter Merona, and that they were here to trade and would only stay until morning.
Meri wasn't allowed to be herself outside of her home. During their travels north, she had been called other names, and so had her brother and her parents. The baby was just 'the baby'. She liked Merona more than some of the other names she was called but she liked her own name more. Meri liked being Meri.
As they entered under the gates, she looked back into the forest and watched as the gates swung close. There was a faded painting of a dragon on the back of them. When she looked around, she saw that there were more paintings on doors, gates, and fences. Most were of dragons but some were of fish, and horses, and boats, and the sun. There were wooden statues too, and carvings in archways. It might have been colorful once long ago but now that paint had faded leaving behind a dull grey wood. Meri decided that Ceunonwould be a sad place to live. That it was too voided color and life.
She was thinking this when Papa stopped in front of a long building, and lifted her out of the cart after tethering Wheatstalk to the post outside the door. He didn't put her on the ground like he normally did but carried her inside. Her papa never carried her anywhere ever, claiming that she was now too old and needed to walk. But he carried even after he paid for a room and they walked up a set of stairs and down a long hall into that room he paid for. He set her down on the bed.
Meri stayed silent like he had told her to before they had entered the city but she wanted to speak now. She opened her mouth. No words came out when she remembered then that she needed to obey if she wanted to return someday. She covered her mouth with her hands to keep her voice from escaping.
Her papa shut the door and placed his saddlebag on the ground next to a bed. "You did good, little flower," he said. "So long as we're inside this room, you can speak freely."
She slid down from the bed, her bare feet smacking against the wood floors. "You shouldn't have carried me. I'm too old, remember, you told me I'm too old now."
Papa rummaged through their bags. "Yet you're too young to tell your old man what he should and should not do," he said in a grumbly tone, taking a small sack and slipping it into his cloak pocket. "You need boots if you're going to walk through the city. Until you have some, I'll be carrying you."
"Why?" she asked, looking at her toes. She hadn't had boots in years. There was never a reason for them. "I like my feet."
"All the more reason to wear boots," he told her, and then stood. "The streets aren't safe for your feet. Boots are needed to protect them. I'm buying you a pair while we're here. You'll need them for winter and the months that follow so your toes don't freeze off."
Meri frowned. She didn't really understand. Winter wasn't that cold and she had been just fine before now. "What about Eri? Does he need boots too?" she asked, taking his hand when he held it out to her. She climbed onto the bed and stood, noting with since of pride how tall she was.
"Your brother fits into your old boots. He's going to wear those until he outgrows them," her papa said picking her up. "When we leave this room, I want you to remain as quiet as possible. If you have something to say, it needs to be important if we're around other people. Do you remember our traveling rules?"
She nodded. "Yes, Papa. No talking to strangers and no running off. If the streets are busy then I need to hold your hand or stay on the horse. I remember," she recited.
Papa nodded and walked into the hallway. He locked the door behind them. "Our first order of business is to take care of Wheatstalk and the cart," he told her. She nodded into his shoulder. "After that we'll sell the pony and find the local cobbler."
Meri nodded again, and rubbed her eyes. She stayed quiet like she was supposed to as Papa carried her to Wheatstalk and placed her on the horse's back. He led the palfrey to the stables beside the inn and detached to the small cart. It was pushed against the far wall.
Papa then moved her onto Pony and she waited until he finished grooming his horse. She was tired of waiting. This whole trip had been waiting and waiting and waiting, and she didn't want to wait anymore. This whole trip involved too much of it!
"You're doing good, brave girl," her father intoned from inside the stable as if he knew her thoughts. "Don't give up now. It's just a little longer."
Meri swallowed and rubbed her eyes. They were wet with tears and burned. A lump formed in her throat and she fought it down but more tears came.
Papa came out and patted her knee. She looked at him tearfully, gripping Pony's mane. Meri wanted her mamma, and her valley, and the babies but mostly she wanted Mamma. She didn't want boots.
"Dry your eyes and take a deep breath," said her papa, his blue eyes gentle. She did as she was told. Once the tears ceased Papa took Pony's lead and led her out of the sables and into the street. "When you're old enough then to learn to ride and care for what's yours, I'd like to buy you a horse of your own. Our girl here is a working stock and while useful, we've no place for her. This winter is going to be a challenge. We didn't arrive in time to properly prepare."
"Are we going to get chickens again?" she whispered.
"No chickens yet," he replied. "Not until springtime. We'll get chickens then and a cow from the farmers. It will give us time to build a proper home for them."
Meri frowned and leaned against Pony's neck. She remembered last winter and how Mamma had been worried about her papa and the littles and food. Most nights she had been allowed to sleep with her mamma and some nights when she didn't, she would wake up to hearing the softs sounds of crying. Her mamma had been upset all winter without her papa.
"Are you going to leave again?" she asked him.
Her papa was quiet for a time. He was looking at the signs hanging over the doors of the buildings. Meri could only read a few of the words, they were too long for her, and didn't know what they were for. She had never been inside a town like this one before. If they could, her parents always left her and babies behind whenever they went into a town.
At last, he said, "Nay, little flower, not a good long while."
…
…
Even with Papa there, that winter was the longest winter of her life.
Meri didn't know that so much snow could exist or that it could get so cold. She spent most of the months huddled in her warmest clothing by the fire helping Mamma in the kitchen, or under a blanket reading. Mostly she read by herself but sometimes she's read aloud to Eragon and little Elida. She couldn't call her the baby anymore- her mamma had told her that. Elida was two winters old and copying almost everything that Meri did.
She was convinced that there was nothing more annoying than Elida toddling after her, repeating her every word and action. But Eragon proved her wrong. The most annoying thing ever was when they both copied her and her every word became a double echo. More than once, she screamed at them to stop and when they did not, she'd run to her cubby shrieking the whole way. The littles would follow, screaming as loud as they could, and climb on top of her until they were pulled away by Papa's strong arms. When they left and shouting ceased, she wrapped herself in her blanket and held onto her dolly until her papa came to find her some unmarkable time later. It was always Papa who pulled her from her cocoon and coax her to join them for supper.
Mamma would disappear whenever the yelling got that bad, and Meri wasn't certain where she went or when she'd come back. Most of the time she returned in the evening, and she'd have the corpse of deer dragging behind her in the snow or a pair of rabbits dangling in her hands by their legs or sometimes nothing at all. But there were times when the shouts were terrible-horrible-awful and her mamma would disappear for a whole days and nights without a word.
One particularly rough morning, when the screaming had been so loud that Meri thought her ears might bleed, Mamma had vanished out of sight into a wind storm. All that day, she began to worry that a bear might eat Mamma. She knew that the commotion upset her mamma but didn't know why. When she asked her papa about it, he said nothing but told her eat her supper and get ready for bed, and that he'd be there to tell her nighttime story tonight.
Papa got up then and plucking Elida from her seat causing the toddler to giggle. He carried her behind the hearth to their bed, swinging her above his head close to the ceiling. She listened as her papa told Elida a story. It was the little girl's favorite about a young, clumsy sailor who traveled the oceans on the back of a sea creature.
Eragon tapped her arm. She looked at him and saw that he was offering her his bread. It was their secret supper deal: as soon as Mamma and Papa were away, he'd give her his bread or vegetables and she'd give him her soup. Meri didn't like soup but Eragon did. Tonight, there was no vegetables so she just got bread. But there was cheese, the good kind that Mamma got from the farmers.
Meri eyed Eragon's untouched slice and when he wasn't looking, she snatched it and crammed it into her mouth. She needed to make cheese part of the deal too. Even if they both liked it.
Meri heard that the story ended and she swallowed. Papa's voice drifted towards them as he wished Elida sweet dreams. She looked over her brother's empty bowl and grabbed it, setting it in front of her. The spoon fell on the table between them and the children looked at it. Their papa stepped into view, and Eragon elbowed it to the ground as their papa.
Papa looked them over with heavy eyes. "Meri, don't leave your spoon on the ground. Pick it up. I'll be back in a few minutes. Both of you finish eating and get into bed," he told her, before stepping outside into the snow. Before the door shut, icy air blew into the house causing the children to shiver.
"Yeah, Mimi, pick up your spoon," Eragon repeated in a singsong voice. He looked at his napery where his cheese had been. "Where's my cheese?! You ate my cheese! Gemme it back!"
She stuck her tongue out at him and slipped under the table to grab the spoon. "Don't be such a little toad, Eri," she muttered, crawling under the table. The spoon wasn't anywhere to be seen. She looked around, still not seeing it. "When we get a dog, I'll feed my soup to him instead. Dogs don't whine like little babies when don't get their way like you do."
Meri spotted the handle it sticking out from under his foot. She yanked the spoon away and pinched his toe before she scrambled out from under to the table. Her brother squealed. Tears shone in his eyes. She stuck her tongue out at him again before grabbing her dishes and carrying them to the wash basin.
"What was that for?!" he shouted shrilly, turning in his seat.
She set the dishes down. "For being a snivelly-faced toad!"
Meri heard Elida shift around in her blankets and bit her lip nervously. She had forgotten that they were supposed to be quiet so the little could sleep. If Papa knew that she and Eragon were arguing again and keeping Elida up, they'd both be in trouble. They were already in enough trouble for the screaming match earlier that morning.
Her brother opened his mouth and she hissed at him to shut it, pointing the door. Eragon turned in his seat. She crept forward to the widow, and opened the blinders to peek out. All she could see was the forest and the snow reflecting the light of moon and stars. But no Papa. The cold air nipped at her face as she strained to see into the darkness.
"Do you see him?" Eri whispered.
She shook her head and closed it, latching the wooden blinder to the cabin. "He must be looking on the trail for Mamma," she replied. "It's been longer than usual."
"Where is she?" He shoved his bowl away. "I want Mamma."
Meri walked over to him and sat down beside him. "I want Mamma too," she said, rubbing at her eyes. Beside her Eragon yawned loudly. "We should get ready for bed. Papa will be back soon to tell us a story."
"No! I want Mamma," he repeated. His lip wobbled. "I want Mamma!"
"Listen to me: Mamma isn't here! Now move it!" She took his arm and pulled him away from table.
He fell over the back of the bench and blinked up her. Tears spring to his eyes, and he started to wail. Loudly. It was loud enough that Elida crawled out from her blankets and stood by the door. The little looked between her and Eragon. Seeing her brother cry, she began to cry too without the knowledge of why. Big, fat tears fell from her eyes and down her cheek and onto the wood floor. Her whole face turned red.
Meri backed away toward the hearth. She didn't know what to do. Mamma was gone, and no one knew when she'd come back. And she didn't know where Papa went. He was somewhere in the night's snow doing important things. Her eyes burned and she blinked away tears.
Elida screamed louder, and Meri looked from her to Eragon. His cries were growing over Elida's. Meri covered her ears and bit back a cry. She wanted to yell at them to be quiet but couldn't. If she yelled now, she'd cry too. And Meri wasn't a baby like they were so she wouldn't cry. She wouldn't. She was a big girl. Big girls knew what to do. So, she did what her Mamma would do since Mamma always knew what to do.
Meri moved her hands away from her ears and went to her sister, picking her up. The toddler clung to her. Her tiny fists tightly balled up in the fabric. Wet tears and snot soaked the collar of Meri's dress. The little was heavy, and Meri wasn't supposed to be carrying her. Tightening her grip, she slowly went over to Eragon and sat on the ground next to him. He pushed her away with his feet, kicking Elida in the back.
"No kicking!" she shouted, shoving him away as the toddler wailed.
Eragon kicked at her again, hurting her knee, and then rolled across the ground to the other side of the room. There he continued to holler louder than before.
Papa walked in then and looked from her to Elida to Eragon. He closed his eyes and breathed out heavily through his nose. When he opened his eyes, he wordlessly shook the snow from his boots, and walked over to Meri pulling the toddler from her arms. The little clung to him like a thistle. Papa went over to Eragon and picked him up in his other arm, carrying them around the hearth and out of sight. Both children cries began anew. It was impossibly loud. Her papa could be heard gently hushing them and eventually they calmed. After a horribly long time, the cries stopped all together and it was quiet.
Meri sat alone on the floor, sniffling. Hot tears fell down her cheeks. She was tired of this place in the woods, this cabin, and the snow and the freezing air that kept them cooped up inside. More than anything she wanted her valley back. It was warmer there and she could run outside away from the littles and hide in the trees. She wanted her Mamma to come home and to stop leaving them. She wanted-
Papa rounded the corner and sat down beside her. She fell into his lap and he ran his fingers over her hair until the tears stopped. When she calmed, he sat her up and turned so that they were facing each other. He met her gaze. His eyes were red making the blue in them vivid.
She rubbed her face with her sleeve, scrubbing away the tears. Papa placed his hand onto hers, gently pulling it away. He held it gently but firmly. Her skin burned where she had been rubbing it.
"This fighting needs to stop," he said after a time. He let go of her hand and rested it on his knee. She took it and began tracing the lines of his palm with her finger. "You are old enough to not be screaming at your siblings every other day, Meri. You're old enough to learn to control yourself. There is to no more screaming in this house, do you understand?"
Meri looked up from tracing the silver mark on his hand and sniffed. "I didn't push him. He fell."
"I didn't say anything about you pushing your brother." Her papa let out a slow breath. "What did I say?"
"That you don't want us fighting," she said, curling his fingers into his palm with her hand. "And that I'm old enough to not scream."
"I'm going to help you," he said, wrapping her hand in his. He held it tightly. "Tomorrow morning when you wake up, I'll be right here to help you. All you have to do is to come to me and we'll fix it together. Now, let's get you to bed."
Meri stood, her hand still trapped in his, and went to her mattress. There was no story that night but Papa tucked her into bed and wished her a good night before stepping away. That night, she didn't sleep much and when she did, she dreamt that her Mamma never returned home and was forever lost in the snow.
…
It was a whole week before Mamma returned. When she did, Eragon and Elida ran to her and grabbed onto her legs, scrambling for her attention. Mamma knelt on the ground and wrapped them both in her arms. She held them for a long time.
Meri looked at her mother uncertainly. She wanted to scream, to yell, to cry but right then she did not want her love. Not when that love would disappear without a word or a trace. So she stayed where she was.
The door was still open, letting in cold air into the cabin.
Papa glanced up from the pot by the fire where he was stirring boiled oats and meat. Meri saw how his face hardened and he stood, placing the wooden spoon on the table next to her. "I need to speak with your mother," he told her in a gentle tone. "Food is ready. Meri, be a good girl and help this old man feed the monkeys while I'm away."
He stood, his back cracking, and walked over the children and their mother. Mamma looked up.
"Brom-" she began but Papa cut her off.
"Let's talk outside," he said and turned to the littles. "You two need to eat while your mamma and I speak. Both of you go to Meri and behave until we get back."
Meri set the parchment aside and got down from the table as the littles made their way over to her. She got out the bowls and served them before sitting down between them. The children together ate in silence, glancing at the door.
After Mamma had left with Papa the door remained firmly closed behind them. They didn't return by the time food was finished and cleared. Meri cast the door an uncertain glance, and then grabbed her book of poems from her blankets. She sat down with the littles until both of her parents returned. When they did, they were both red in the face.
Her mamma came over and went to sit down beside her. The littles scrambled onto her before she was completely on the ground, and she fell over onto the floor.
"My sweets," her mamma breathed, holding them close. Mamma turned her head and searching for her. "Meri, come here. I've missed you."
Meri set the book aside and rolled onto her stomach, lying beside her. They looked at each other for a long time. There were no injuries on Mamma, she noted and she felt a little better about that.
"Please don't leave again," Meri said, looking her mamma in the eyes. "Papa's helping us so we don't fight anymore. You can't leave again."
"I won't," her mamma promised.
Even when there was fighting, her mother kept that promise.
…
…
Spring came in a flurry of thunderstorms. Their heralding winds bent the tall crowns of the trees toward the ground, scattering what was left of the snow. When the storms pass and spring held the land fast, Mam told her that namesday had passed and that she was now eight years of age. They worked together in the tiny kitchen to made small sweetened pasties that were covered it in syrup from the trees Papa had tapped over the winter.
That evening as the little family came together at the table, Mam announced that she was with a coming child. Meri looked at her swelling belly, hidden underneath the skirts of her dress and apron. She didn't want another sibling. Between Elida and Eragon there was enough crying as it was, and she knew babies cried all the time. Day and night.
Th sweetened pasty seemed lose its flavor. Meri pushed it away and asked to be excused. She didn't feel like celebrating anymore.
When Papa let her go, she went to her mattress and curled herself into the blankets. Mamma had adjusted the fabric she had hung from the ceiling so that Meri's space was completely enclosed. The littles weren't allowed in her nook anymore. If they went in, they'd be in trouble but they never went in. Both of them obeyed Papa when he told them the rules after Mamma returned in the wintertime. Everyone listened to her papa when he told them to do something. Meri thought that it was a law.
For while over five moon cycles the little cabin in the woods was mostly peaceful. There was not little fighting but there was also little time for fighting. During the day Papa began giving Meri and Eragon lessons in literature and math and history. Papa told them tales of Riders and elves and dragons, and that their time had long passed into legend but he wouldn't say how. He pulled out a map from some hidden place and unrolled it, teaching the children geography and the history of regions. Sometimes Elida would sit on Papa's lap and listen as she played quietly with her cloth doll.
When the snow began to melt away and the hard ground thawed, Papa's lessons shortened and the children often found themselves outside. They played games inspired by the stories their papa had told them, pretending to be heroes fighting off their enemies with sticks. In that small clearing in the woods, they traveled the world and the seas and flew through the skies on the great backs of dragons.
Sometimes in the middle of their game, Meri would be called away by Papa and he'd take her deeper into the forest near a wide creek with raging water. The first time he did this, he sat her down and explained what she would be learning but not why. She would learn why later when she was older.
Papa taught her how to stretch her body and balance on the limbs of trees with both feet or just one. He taught her how to get down from great heights too high for her, how to hide in the forest, and how to track prey. They would run together on the deer trails and leap over fallen trees. Well, Papa would leap but Meri had to climb over the wide dead trunks. She was still too little.
One day her papa handed her a short sword with dull edges and taught her how to use it. He gave her a bow as well and taught her how to shoot a target. Before long, her arrows shot true but her skills with a sword were sorrowful and she was often frustrated. She dreaded sword practice.
Often by the time they returned to cabin, late in the evening, Meri was too tired for supper and went straight for bed. She would fall asleep before her head hit the pillow and would wake up mid-morning. After staggering out from her cubbyhole and after eating the breakfast Mam had left out, she'd get dressed and then Papa would come inside with Eragon and their morning lessons would begin. When Mam came to prepare the midday meal, Eragon would be sent outside to play and Meri helped where she could. She got to play afterward, that is until her papa called her and they went into the forest.
One day as they were walking the deer trail to the creek, her papa held out his hand in front of her. She stopped and looked up at him, waiting for his instruction. He held a finger to his lips, silently telling her be quiet, and turned to face the deeper, darker parts of the woodland. When Meri followed his gaze, she saw three figures sitting atop of the most beautiful horses she had ever seen. Their coats were like moonbeams and their long tails and manes were the same color. In the shadow of trees, they seemed to shimmer like the stars.
She was so distracted by the horses that she had forgotten about their riders, and startled when one of them spoke. It was a voice like bell tones in the wind, a song of the stars, and she turned to the speaker. It was a woman and there were two men with her.
Meri slid behind her papa, peeking her head out from behind his back to watch them. The more she watched them, the harder she found that it was to look away. They seemed to be creatures of as lovely as the moon and stars, and not human at all. She didn't know what they were.
Papa dropped his hands to his sides and talked with them for a time in a language she did not know. It sounds like the songs of the forest she would sometimes hear in the darkest parts of the night. The nights that presaged the sudden blooming of flowers and woodland creatures.
When the talk ceased, her papa pulled her gently out from behind him. "Do as I do," she thought she heard him say but did not see his mouth move. He then moved his hand in front of his lips and made a strange gesture. She obeyed, copying him. "To our guests, little flower, not to me. It is a sign of good homage and if you were to ever run into an elf, you should know it."
Meri bit her lip but she turned to riders. Her eyes didn't look up from the ground. When she dropped her arms, she heard a murmur of voices and her name. She peeked up at elves from beneath her hair and saw that the woman looking at her, her forest-colored eyes were sharp. They seemed to pierce into her very being. Uncertain what she was supposed to do, Meri looked away and shifted her weight from foot to foot.
Papa squeezed her shoulder. "Why we don't return to our home, and find something for our friends something to eat," he said to the group. "Even elves have to eat and rest during their journeys."
There was no practice that day, and they returned to the cabin with the elves and their horses. Her papa escorted them inside the cabin and Mama looked up from where she sat with Elida. Her eyes widened before she did the same gesture Papa had taught Meri, and spoke softly with them in the Language of the Forest.
The children were then ushered outside to play and Meri was to keep an eye on her brother and sister. She kept an eye on the horses instead. They were the loveliest creatures that she had ever seen. More than anything, she wanted to run her fingers over their coats to see if they were as soft as they looked. She had never touched silk before but she imagined that that's what they felt like.
When whatever grownup talk had ended, and the cabin door opened to allow the children to return inside, her siblings did so immediately. Meri stayed outside watching the horses until she was called away. The lady elf was watching the horses too, she saw this when she walked inside.
That night when she and Mam made supper, she noticed that there was no meat and the elves joined them at the table. One of the man-elves told stories of the forest to the children, of cities sung from trees, lakes that shined like sunlight, and of dragons. Meri sat as if under a spell as she listened to his words, pictures dancing in her head, and hardly touched her supper.
When food was cleared away, Meri went back outside to saying that she would feed the chickens and check for eggs but she really wanted to look at the horses again. As she walked, she wistfully watched the horses for a very long time before forcing herself to turn away and pretend to care for the chickens. As she returned, she would stop to look back at them before continuing. After stopping the ninth or tenth time, she saw that lady elf was watching her, and when their eyes met, she glided over.
"Would you like to meet him?" the lady elf asked her in a starlight voice.
Meri nodded but did not speak. She wasn't certain if she was supposed to talk to her or not. They had never had guests in their home before. Meri looked to the cabin and then at the elf, who gave her a kind smile, before longing got the better of her and she followed the elf to the horses. The elf stopped in front of the middle horse and knelt down so that they were eyelevel.
The horse turned to the them, its eyes were like liquid. "This is my friend, Iémikur. If you are gentle with him, he'll be gentle to you in turn."
Meri nodded and held up her hand letting Iémikur's soft, fuzzy lips feel her fingers for food and know her scent. When the horse snorted, she placed the palm of her hand on the flat of his head between his golden eyes and giggled. Delight coursed through her in a golden ray of light.
She had been right about how soft the horse was; this must be what silk was like. Meri spent a long happy hour with the horse and the elf. Elves, she decided were safe to talk to, and she chatted happily with the lady-elf and learned all she could about the horses.
The elves stayed that night but when Meri woke, she found that they had left in the grey hours of dawn with the promise to return next spring. She made a silent promise that she would wait for them.
…
…
Mam's coming child came into the world when the last of summer's heat left the land.
Her papa sent her outside with the littles to pick blackberries at the edge of their yard. He gave her basket waived from dried pine needles and told her not to return until it was filled. None of the children wanted to go, and when they did, Meri was only one who really picked the berries. Eragon ate what he picked, putting only a handful in the basket, and Elida took no interest in the activity at all. The toddler played with sticks nearby, munching on berries from the basket whenever she saw fit.
"Mimi," Eragon asked between a mouth full of berries. He swallowed. "Is Mamma gonna be okay?"
"Why wouldn't she be?" she said, dropping berries into the basket. Her finger tips were stained a dark red.
He shrugged. "How is the baby going to get out of her belly?" he asked instead.
"I don't know."
"Will there be throwed up?" He crammed another handful of berries into his mouth.
She looked around, her eyebrows scrunched together. "I don't know. Maybe."
Eragon swallowed. "When can we go in?"
"When you stop eating all the berries!" she exclaimed, now thoroughly annoyed. "We can't go in until the basket is filled. You heard Papa!"
He picked another handful of berries but this time instead of eating them, he dropped them into the basket at her feet. With his help, the basket was soon filled and Meri called over Elida before going inside. Papa was seating beside the fire with a bundle in his arms.
When they walked inside, he called the children over. Eragon and Elida went to him immediately but Meri put the basket on the table and slipped off her boots first. Mam got upset whenever there was dirt everywhere, and Meri had just swept that morning. She didn't want to have to do it again so soon.
Elida cried out in a shrill voice, "Up! Up, Papa, up!" And wordlessly, Papa lifted the baby up so the little could sit in his lap. The toddler crawled into his lap, and looked at the bundle uncertainly. "What's that?"
"This is your sister," he told her, his eyes shining.
Eragon was standing on an overturned bucket, his face scrunched up. "Looks squishy," he said. "Did Mamma throwed him up on the floor?"
Meri peered over her papa's shoulder to look at the baby. "No, Eragon, your mamma didn't throw her up," said Papa. He put an emphasis on 'her.' His head turned to Meri. "What do you think of your youngest sister, my flower?"
She thought that Eragon wasn't wrong. The baby did look squishy, and maybe Mamma had thrown her up on the floor. How did babies come out of mammas anyway? Meri didn't want to ask in front of the littles.
"I agree with Eri. She looks very squishy," she stated, stretching her hand to the sleeping babe. She touched her cheek being as gently as possible, like she did when little chicks hatched from eggs. The ruddy skin of her cheek was soft. Almost as soft as the moonlight horse. "What's her name?"
"We haven't named her yet," Papa told her. "We probably won't name her for a few days."
"Why?" Eragon asked. He poked the bundle and Papa grumbled in warning.
"Your mamma and I haven't decided on a name yet," said her papa. "Names are important and must be chosen wisely. Whatever we decide she will carry throughout her life."
Meri frowned. She leaned her chin against her papa's shoulder and pulled back her hand. "Papa, why did you name me 'Meri'?"
He was silent for a time, and then he rested his head against hers. "That's a story for another time, little flower," he said in his firm voice that meant he wouldn't talk about it. "Why don't you go and check on your mother? She was sleeping the last I saw her."
She drew herself away and headed to her parents' beds. Mam was still sleeping but Meri crawled onto the bed anyway and curled into her side. Her mamma stirred in her sleep but did not wake up. Meri closed her eyes, her mind on the unnamed babe.
Confusion coursed through her like a buzzing bug crawling over her skin. She knew how her brother got his name. Papa had told them during their lessons that he was named after the first Dragon Rider ever, and the name was one of honor. People didn't name their children Eragon. It was sacred. But Mam had been so adamant about the name that he eventually agreed. They had been traveling at the time, and Eragon was bought into the world in an abandoned byre.
This, too, confused her. She didn't understand why her family was always traveling from home to empty land or abandoned buildings. It had occurred to her that this wasn't quite normal. That families didn't move from place to place like they did.
In Papa's stories, children always grew up in one place. Lived in one home throughout most of their lives, and most of the time it was the same house their grandparents were raised in. Her papa said that in his childhood he lived in two places. Once by the sea and once in a grand city. Even Mam said that she grew up in the valley of her forefathers at the edges of mountains and had spent her whole life there until she met Meri's father.
When she did, she left with him but Mam never went into details. Meri knew very little about Mam's life and nothing about her father. She knew that Papa was not her father but not who her father was. If she asked about it no one would answer. Questions about her father seemed to pain Mam and make Papa angry, so she didn't ask anymore. And she couldn't remember him at all, having been too young when he vanished from her life.
She thought he might have been a great adventurer who loved Mam very much. That together they traveled the lands before he died tragically. That he was killed by the Nightmare Man. And Papa found Mam soon afterwards when Meri was still in her mamma's belly. Soon afterwards, they fell in love and decided to raise her together before her siblings came into the world. She thought that maybe they moved the family around so much because the Nightmare Man was after them because they had a stolen treasure.
Meri curled deeper to her mam's side. As she did, she felt fingers run through the knots in her hair. "What are you doing here, my sweet girl?" came Mam's voice, and Meri flung herself on top of her. Her mam sucked in a broken breath. "Ow! Be gentle, Meri, please."
"Sorry," she muttered into the quilt. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
Mam breathed out sharply. "I forgive you. Be more careful in the future, alright?" said Mam, and Meri nodded. There was a moment of silence. "So, tell me, how did you know that I was thinking about how much I missed you?"
"You were sleeping."
"That doesn't mean that I wasn't missing you. As a matter of fact, I was just dreaming of you." Mam ran her fingers over her hair, working out the knots. "I dreamt that we were in our valley of flowers braiding flower crowns. Do you remember when we would do that?"
"Yeah," Meri breathed, lifting up her head. She gave her mother a smile. "Except Papa was the one who braided them together. You said that you didn't know how every time we did it. Papa taught you but you still said that you didn't know. I'm no good at it. And there's not as many flowers here."
Mam hummed. "You should ask your papa about growing flowers. He's well versed on the subject and you can have your own little garden. I know the perfect spot for it. When you have enough flowers maybe we can try to make crowns again."
"Really? I can?" Meri exclaimed, shooting up. Mam made a pained sound. "I didn't mean to, Mamma. I forgot. Sorry. But can I? We aren't going to be leaving soon?"
"We're going to be staying here for a time so as long as your papa will help you, you may. You should ask him," said her mam and as soon as she did, Meri slid from the bed. "But do so nicely, Meri!"
"I will!" she exclaimed, excitement coursing through her. She ran to her papa and told him what Mam had said, speaking so fast she stumbled over her words. "So can I, Papa? Mam said that as long you helped, it was okay. Please," she added at the end, bouncing from foot to foot. She could hardly contain her excitement. It shimmered inside her like the boiling water in their cauldron. Its foam eager to spill over the edge into the fire.
Her papa thought about it for a moment. "I don't know," he said at last, looking at the ceiling. "Are you certain that you don't want to plant cabbages? They'd grow well here."
Eragon stuck out his tongue, his face scrunching up. "Eww! No cabbages!"
Elida copied him. "Yucky!"
And Meri agreed. "Use your own garden if you want stinky cabbages," she told him. "Could we grow some flowers?"
Papa studied her for a moment. "If I agree to help know that you will be doing most of the work, Meri," he told her. "That means that you'll be doing everything that your mother and I do in our garden along with your other responsibilities. It's a big commitment. One that you'll not be allowed to stop because of other fancies. Are you certain that you're up to the task?"
"Yes," she said without hesitation. "So, can we?"
Her papa nodded. "Aye, little flower. We'll start digging a bed tomorrow morning."