Fantasy novel chapter 2

Chapter 2



Audreena entered the abbey and was thrilled at the smell of lunch cooking in the kitchen.  Since she was a little girl Julibia had been their cook.  She stopped in to say hi and noticed Julliana playing with the dolls she had made her next to the hearth.

“Good afternoon Miss. Audreena.”  Julibia said in greeting.

“Good afternoon to you too, and to you little one.” She said as she bent to greet the little girl.  “Where is her momma today?” She asked knowingly.

“At the Inn again.  I don’t mind though.  Juliana is a good child.”

“Yes she is,” Audreena said as she brushed the top of the child’s head.  “What’s for lunch?”

“Creamy potato and ham chowder, with sliced bread and pudding for desert. Julibia said stirring the massive crock of soup.  It would feed not only her family but the whole staff as well.

“Sounds yummy.” She said as she flitted out of the room.  She went up the grand staircase and started down the hall to her room.  She froze when she heard voices as she passed her mother’s chambers.  The voice that spoke was a man’s voice.

“…. they will be slain.  All of them and their offspring too.  Women and children are questioned.  If there is one with abilities that could assist the council they will be persuaded to live in a camp near the council chambers where they will be mandated to remain or die.  They will have no voice, no say in what becomes of them or their children.”

“What if the residences don’t comply?  What if we choose as a residence to keep those with abilities within our ranks? What if we protect the innocents by turning in transgressions like we are mandated to?  Will they not consider our past compliance?”

“They will consider nothing from the past.  It will be considered an act of war against the council and you will be treated as enemies of the nation.  There is one more meeting to decide then the council will vote on the decree.  Most are for the plan.  I am afraid there is not much we can do to dissuade them but we have to try.  Only those of us with property and titles can have a voice for the common folk who are honest and hardworking.  The common folk who have done no wrong.”

“Gnobb is gone to thwarptown until tomorrow. When is the meeting and is it at the council chambers or the magistrate’s conference room?”

“The meeting is to be held in the council chambers in the evening one day from tomorrow.  You must get word to Gnobb and find a way to get there.”

“I will Gredor, thank you.  We cannot stand by as this injustice takes place.”

“I must be on my way.  There are still so many I must warn.  Good day my lady.”

“Good day to you as well.  Be safe on your journey.”

Audreena hurried to her room and peeked out the door as Gredor exited her mother’s chambers and walked down the massive staircase.  They were speaking of people with abilities.  She had only heard a part of what they said, but she knew her whole life could soon be changed.  Bayleen, his mother and now she herself were all in danger.  She prepared to dine with her mother and sister.

At lunch her mother was quiet and preoccupied while the food was served.  She did not greet the staff as she normally did or ask how the day was going.  Rachaella babbled on about lace, dolls, and tea parties she planned to attend.  She was completely oblivious to her family’s mood.

“Mother,” Audreena interrupted her sister’s babble. “How do people gain abilities?”  She asked.  Her mother froze at the question but then tried to answer as properly as possible.

“Well I believe you have to be born with it.  You can’t just gain them but I think it develops as you grow up.”

“Do your parents have to have abilities to get then or can you get them if your parents have none?”  She paused.

“I believe they have to be in your ancestry but your parents may not have them.  Some people may not even know that a distant relative had them until it pops up in a child.  Most people don’t announce it.  If they have abilities they may hide it so you would never know.  Why do you ask darling?”

“I was just curious.  A boy in the village was talking about it while I was shopping for gloves.”

“Why do you have gloves on at lunch sweetums?”

“I found this pair at a shop today and I absolutely love them.  The lace is so dainty and I love the color.  I am tired of my hands being cold all the time.  My fingers are forever frozen and the gloves help.”

“You should take them off so that you don’t stain them.”

“I would rather keep them on and say warm mother.” She said reaching for the sliced bread.

“You have always been a strange child Audreena.”

“Yes she is a strange, rude girl!  Who would rather discuss other people’s abilities and not gowns for the ball next week?”  Rachaella was visibly rattled by the interruption.

“I’m sorry Rachaella.  I just really wanted to know.  You may tell me about the lace for your gown now if you want.  I would like to find one with matching gloves!”

“You don’t care anyway!” She snapped nearly in tears.

“Now girls let’s not bicker.  Now is a time to enjoy each other’s company.”

“Sorry momma.” Rachaella said.

“Yes, I’m sorry too.  I was not trying to be rude.”

They finished their meal and her mother excused herself. Audreena noticed her mother stopping by the kitchen and listened intently to what was said.

“Have you any word from the runner?” Grecia asked Julibia.

“No mam, not yet.  I will be sure to fetch you as soon as I hear anything.”

“It is imperative that I send him as soon as possible!”  Her mother seemed worried as she spoke.

“Yes mam, I will send for him again if he doesn’t come soon.”

“Good, good.  I will be in my chambers.  Thank you.”

And with that Grecia was off.  Audreena did not mean to be rude when she listened in but she could not help it.  She knew the runner was to fetch her father.  She also knew that her future depended on this meeting.  Audreena went upstairs to prepare for an afternoon in the woods with Bayleen.  She dressed warmer than usual donning her heavy woolen traveling garments and her new wool gloves.  With her cloak pulled tight around her she headed for the glen near the moor.





The forest was darker than she expected.  As she walked a large tree moved into her path.  She jumped back, startled, then she scanned the trees in the glade.  She saw him there in the trees, the brightness of his hands illuminated with the force.

“Move it back now!” He said with a smile.

“On the path?  What were you thinking.  I thought you said to choose things that wouldn’t be noticed!  I can’t do this!”

“Please just try.  You will never get better at it if you don’t try.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just that I need to tell you something.  I am so afraid.  She placed her hand on the log and leaned against it.  It moved as though she meant to do it and she tumbled to the ground beside it. “Oh my goodness.” She said flustered as she got up off the ground.  Bayleen tried hard to control his laughter as he held out his hand to help her.

“I told you the gloves didn’t stop it.” He chuckled.  “Let’s get this put back so we can talk”

“Bayleen it’s not funny.  We could be in serious danger!  I heard a conversation; I shouldn’t have been listening but I couldn’t help myself.”

“There now,” he said as the log slid back into its resting place.  Come and sit by the little falls.  The babble of the falling water will mask your words if others are near.”

He took her hand and led her through the thick brush to the edge of the little brook.  She felt her hand glowing in the gloves as they walked briskly.

“Sit,” he said gesturing to a rock nearby.  He leaned close to her and she was glad for it.  “Now what is all the fuss about?”

“When I returned home I heard a man in my mother’s chambers telling her about the counsel’s latest decree.  They are planning to destroy or imprison all people with abilities.  Even those that obey the laws of the nation that forbid using them against others.  I am so afraid.  If I were to move a tree in the presence of the wrong person I could be executed.”

“That makes no sense.  I have heard that other residences have had trouble with ablemen using their abilities to rob, and pilfer regular people.  I knew the council was angry that they were not being turned in by the lordships.  Supposedly there are lordships that accept bribes from the ablemen and allow them to break the laws of the land.  If this comes to pass you must have control they will test everyone. We had better get started and work hard so no one ever finds out.”

“What about you? Won’t you be in danger?”

“Very few know of my ability.  I have masked it well.  Those that do know would never knowingly betray me.  Now let’s try something smaller. Move that rock at the edge of the stream .  She looked at the rock he indicated.  It was the size of a half grown pig ready for butcher.  She held her hands towards it and it moved rapidly away from her.  She dropped her hands and the rock fell into another place downstream.

“Audreena, try to control where it goes now.”

Again she held her hands out.  They glowed with the force as she concentrated on the rock.  This time it flew out of the water and hit a tree landing at the base of the tree in a bush.

“Bayleen I will never get it! I was trying to place it on the bank of the stream.”  The effort was making her arms hurt and she wondered if Bayleen’s arms did the same thing.

“Audreena you will.  It takes time, lots of time.  Time we don’t have anymore.  Try again.”

“But my arms hurt.”

“That will lessen in time.  You have to keep trying or you might mess up in front of the wrong person.  Before it was bad if people knew because you could be shunned by your family and friends.  Now it is bad if people find out because you might die.  Come on move it back to the stream.”

Audreena raised her hands and concentrated on the rock.  It hit the tree and fell to the ground again.  She tried a second time and the stone moved back to the stream.  The movement seemed controlled and perfect. It rested in the water with barely a splash.

“Bayleen did you see that?”  The excitement she felt was evident when she spoke. 

“Yes, I saw.  You need to be able to do that every time. And you need to be able to make it not happen when you don’t want it to.  This is going to take practice every day.  Even if I can’t come, you need to practice.”

“I know but I am afraid.  I don’t know if I would have the courage to try if you weren’t here. “

“You will have to find it.  You don’t have a choice.  What we had time to master now must happen in the blink of an eye.  Come morning and night if you can.  Your arms will ache but that is a sign that you are working hard, nothing more.  They will get stronger and get used to the strain.”

“It will be dark soon.  We should go.” Audreena said looking around.  The light was fading fast in the dense forest.

“If we could die I should tell you that I care very much about you.  I never want to live without you in my life.” Bayleen said with emotion that Audreena could not identify.

"Bayleen, why do you keep repeating yourself?  You have said those three times today and I have told you I am not going anywhere.”

“But if this decree is passed I may have to or you may.  If I go where no one knows me I would have a better chance.”

“But if you move into the residence that has the outlaws what then.  No, Bayleen, you need to stay near me.  My family could protect you.  As long as my secret doesn’t come out no one would suspect you if I said you were my cousin.  Let’s not worry about that yet.  We have two more days until the decision is made.” She took his hands and held them then she threw her arms around him.  They held each other comforting one another before heading back to the path.  They walked side by side, touching from time to time but not holding hands, until their paths had to part.

“Tomorrow?” Audreena asked hopefully.

“Yes, same time and place, if I’m not there start without me.”

“Be safe.” She said as she walked away.

“You stay safe too.  See you tomorrow.”  He said in return.

The merabird was singing again and Audreena decided to take a moment to seek out the nest.  Fall was the perfect time to steal the eggs.  Even if the birds did hatch the chicks would not survive the cold.  Merabirds were not very smart in their nesting practices but she was glad for it.

She listened for the merabird calls and moved through the brush searching for the clump of sticks that would signify the nest.  She had been doing this since she was a small child and it was a reprieve from her tedious life; and now a way to forget her troubles.  The nest was just barely visible through the canopy in the dim light.  The tree seemed relatively easy to scale.  She missed the days of wearing boy’s breeches to roam about the forest.  Trees were easier to climb in them but she had learned to climb trees in her woolen dresses as well. 

The nest was about seven or eight feet up in the tree and she scaled it with ease.  The eggs were a copper color with dark spots and they were slightly larger than a chicken egg.  There were four of them and they were perfect.  It had been months since she had eaten merabird eggs, no one else would gather them.  When she prepared to climb down with her treasures she noticed someone on the path.  It was the man who had been at the abbey earlier in the day she watched as he passed and wondered where he was going.  When he was out of sight; she had taken the first step towards the ground when she noticed another man, one she did not recognize, pass.  He looked around like he was afraid he would be seen.  She slipped silently to the ground and placed the merabird eggs in a nest of leaves near the path for safekeeping.  Then she followed the men wondering what was going on.

“Gredor you are a friend to the ableman.  I worry now that you will be in danger for shielding us or that you will put us in danger for knowing who we are.”  She heard the voices through the trees before she got to the clearing near the glen.  Obviously other people thought this was a safe place to share secrets too.  She was glad for Bayleen’s insight to move to the babbling brook to talk.  “We have trusted you with our secrets but your mind shields are weak.  A practiced reader could break through them in no time.  I worry that your campaign to help us will lead us to ruin.”  Audreena crouched on the path near a boulder and froze.

“Zeppa, would you rather I do nothing and let the council do this.  This is not justified to do in all residences.  There has to be another answer.”

“But why do you have to be the one to make them see?” the stranger said with a strained voice.  “You should be quiet let them do what they will.”

“Then you and others like you will be in danger brother.  You would have to hide who you are more than you do now.  It would not be a good thing.  If you were ever discovered you would be imprisoned or worse be killed.  How can I be silent when I know what the consequences are?  I was lucky to not have to worry about being discovered but I have seen the pains you and your followers have gone through and still it is found out from time to time.  Rumors are out there.  It will not be left to chance they will test everyone.”

Audreena shifted and fell back against the rock.

“What was that?” Gredor said hearing the ruffling of her skirts as she righted herself.  Audreena melted back into the forest as silently as she could.  She lay flat between a rock and a bush hoping they would not be able to discover her.

“I don’t see anything but we should be on our way.” The stranger said hastily.  “We can’t get anywhere if we don’t agree on a course of action anyway.”

“I am in a position to try to make a difference and I feel I must.  If it doesn’t matter and we have to protect those that need it we will.  One battle at a time brother.  I will find you after the meeting and let you know what was decided.” Gredor was sincere and firm when he spoke

“Ok I will await word.  Good luck to you on your quest.”  The stranger sounded worried and unsure.

“Thank you and good luck to you travel safe.”

Gredor’s cloak could be seen moving away down the path with haste.  Audreena lay there in the dark wishing she had never followed.  It was dark enough now that she was not sure she could locate the spot on the trail where she had left the eggs.  The stranger moved away now cautiously down the path towards her home.  She waited until there was no sign of them and then got up.  Her arms ached more now that she had been still for a while than they had before.  She walked slowly down the path until she reached the spot where she thought the eggs were.  The forest was pitch black but she could make out shadows of the leaves and branches near the ground and she found the eggs right where she left them.  They were damp but unharmed.  She gathered them up in her shawl and headed for the abbey.  She was grateful for the warmth of the many fires that were kept in the house and she headed for the kitchen to present her treasure to Julibia. 

“Child you look chilled to the bone!  What were you doing out in this weather?” Julibia’s voice was raised in concern.

“I’m just a little cold.  I was exploring the forest and I found some merabird eggs.  I thought maybe you could prepare a gourmet breakfast for us tomorrow.  Do we have any crumb toast?”

“I can’t believe you were out there in the dark cold night getting them.  You are a wonder child.”

“That wasn’t the only reason I was out there.  I just happened to find them.”

“Well you shall have them for breakfast then.  Just enough for you and your family.  Your father is expected back tonight.”

“Oh I thought he wasn’t returning until tomorrow.  Is someone ill?”  She asked hoping to glean more information from the cook.

“I don’t think so, but your mother sent for him and word came that he would be in tonight.” She looked away and Audreena knew she knew more than she was saying.

“Fortunate that I found a good clutch then.  I am going to go get cleaned up and changed,  see you in a little bit.”

“See you at supper,  Giselle should be here for dinner tonight.  It will be good to see the two of you together again.”

“Great, thanks.”  She said as she headed out of the kitchen.  Giselle was the last person Audreena wanted to see.  She wondered what the troublesome girl was coming for.  She knew that her mother thought Giselle a perfect friend for her.  She was the same age, she had impeccable manors, and her family had influence in the province.  Audreena had little use for such a girl.  When they were children Audreena was always in trouble because Giselle had told her mother that she had done something unladylike such as climb a tree or played sword fight with Bayleen.  She had grown tired of the prim and proper Giselle.

In her room she changed out of her wool traveling garments and bathed herself in the warm wash basin that had arrived in her room.  She would have to remember to thank Julibia later for the gesture.  Her favorite dressing gown was hanging neatly in her wardrobe and she started putting on her shifts and undergarments.  She chose to leave nothing out like she normally would for comfort sake but instead when the dressing maid checked in she asked for help.  She did not want to give her mother’s friends cause to ridicule her and she was sure if Giselle was coming for dinner her parents would attend as well.