Essentia (3 page)

    "Oh yes, of course. I am sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier." I stuck my hand out to shake his "My name is Terra Ogden. It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Arthfael." I say with a smile. His eyes brightened up after I told him my name. He put his hand in mine and brought it up to his lips and lightly kissed the top of my hand. Causing me to blush from head to toe. 

    "Oh, But the pleasure is all mine Ms. Ogden. And call me Enre" He released my hand and took a step back, a grin displayed across his face. I had to turn around quickly to hide my embarrassment. He let out a quiet chuckle. I think to myself ' yeah go ahead and laugh, I'm the one about to die of embarrassment.'

    After a moment to steal myself resolve I turn back to him and say "Your book will be finished by Monday. You can come pick it up then ok" I smile politely at him. After a few seconds, He gave a small bow. Which I thought was odd. I mean really, who does that nowadays? 

    "Then Monday it is My Lady, I shall see you soon."  He raised back up to standing and turned and headed for the door. Stopping as he reached it to turn and smile at me one more time. Then he was gone.

        I let out a breath. Trying to calm myself. Still feeling the warmth on my hand where he had kissed it. I started to blush again. "Nope. Take it easy Terra" I tell myself. He was just a strange customer. That's  it. Just a well built, blue eyed, well-spoken hunk that happens to need a book fixed. Even though he had a scar down one side of his face, it did not take away the fact that he was unbearably handsome. I laugh out loud. I wonder how he got that scar. It would have been rude just to come out and ask about it. I mean it's not very often that a man that good looking comes in here. I would hate to lose his business because of a rude question to satisfy my curiosities.

    He had an odd air about him, come to think about it, I don't think I have ever seen or met anyone quite like him.  This week just keeps getting more and more interesting. After my shift, I head home to feed Le'ander and get some dinner made. After eating and relaxing in the tub for a bit, I head on to bed. Knowing how Abby is, tomorrow night is gonna be a long one. I was hoping that when I fell asleep, I could find out the name of the man in my dream but to no avail, the dream was exactly like it was before, for so many nights, like nothing had changed at all. So I just stood there under my tree and waited for the storm to be over.

                
 
Chapter Three

                              Enre

       After I Left the little book shop. I ran the entire way back to the loft that That Me and my Brother had been staying at for the last six months. Reaching the entrance of the building the men that had been posted there to guard my brother stopped me.     "Your Brother is in a foul mood today My Lord," Yan said with a stern voice. That doesn't surprise me none.

"It has been a long time since he wasn't in a foul mood" I groan out to the Guard. I really do hate it when he is in a bad mood.

He opened the door and said              "Good luck Sir."

"Uh-huh" was all I replied. I make my way to the front door, put my hand on the handle fixing to open up the door when I hear the sound of glass shattering against the door. Foul mood indeed, I think to myself. Might as well get this over with. I open the door and step in. Hearing the crunch of the broken glass under my boots as I do.

    "Really Brother, Must you Break things all the time," I say.  "Just where in the Hell have you been Enre?" He spat out at me. Straight to the point as usual. I wonder what has him all riled up today

     "Well, if you really want to know, I was at a bookshop" I replied to my Short tempered brother. Here lately he has been getting worse. I remember when he was the most caring and light-hearted a man could be. If only we could go back to that time.

    "A bookstore? Wasting your time like usual Enre?" He said in a gritty voice. He always thinks I am wasting my time. In fact, that is something I rarely do. I'm always searching, always thinking. I wouldn't call that wasting my time.

    "Hmm... Wasting my time? I would say not" I guess my answer could have been better. Because I had to duck quickly out of the way for the book he hurled at my head. "Almost got me that time Brother," I say with a wry smile on my face. I stayed quit for a couple of minutes. Waiting for the hot head to simmer down a little. I go into the kitchen and make both of us a drink and walk it back to the open living room. Handing it to him and sit down in one of the big chairs over by the window. After a few seconds, my brother joined me, Sitting in the matching chair opposite of me. He had his drink in one hand and the other hand he ran through his hair sighing to himself.

    I always wondered why my brother and I looked almost like twins. Even though he was three years older than me. Just by looking at us we look the same age with similar facial features. We both have blue eyes. We are both around 6"3 and built similarly. The only real difference between us is our hair, birthmarks, and our scars. My brother's birthmark is a small crescent moon with what looks like a small flame in the center. Mine has the same crescent with what looks like a tear drop or rain drop in the center. The scars on our faces are on different sides. Mine being on the right. When you come of age in Aelmere, the men of our bloodline go through a ritual. A rite of passage so to speak. They take a dagger and cut a line from just above the eyebrow down to the lower part of your cheek. Signifying the transition to manhood and mastery of Essence.

    "I'm sorry brother" I heard in a quiet voice. Interrupting my thoughts. He rarely apologizes. I wonder what has his mind so tied up that he is doing it now.

     "It's ok. I would rather you take your aggressions out on me instead of the poor guards. I actually like these two" I snicker. We have been through a lot of guards since our journey started. A lot of them were good men.

    A small grin is rising on my brother's face. "So Enre, want to explain to me why you were at a book shop today? Instead of out looking for the next place we are to move to." We have moved every six months for the past... Let's just say many years while we search for the object that will deliver our people out of destitution. It has not been made clear what this object is supposed to be.

    The only thing our father had told us before he passed away was "The saving grace of our people will reveal itself in an unexpected way. This task was given to me by my father, But I have failed in my attempts to procure it". A sorrowful look on his face, he spoke again "I now pass this task to the both of you. I don't know how much longer our people can survive. Stay strong my sons and find the one thing that can save us all. You are our only hope". Shortly after, he left this world to claim his place in the stars.

    "Well are you going to answer me?" he asked. His voice raised just slightly. I nod and reply "My apologies Brother. I was lost in thought for a moment." Which has been happening a lot here lately.

     "Thinking of father?" he asked me sadly. "Yes. Him and this task he gave us" I paused for a moment. A job that seems to be impossible to finish.

     My brother looked at me solemnly as he spoke to me in a heavy-hearted tone. "I do wish that we could stay in one place for longer than a few months, this constant travel and endless searching are waning on me." He sighed, looking down at his hands. "I'm tired, and I miss the stability of home Brother."     That is the first time that he has ever said anything like that to me. It must really be getting to him.

I think to myself for a moment before I speak again. "Well Brother, why don't we take a break from the search for a little while. We can stay here and recuperate for a few extra months, then get back to it after our minds are cleared some." pausing for a moment I say "What good would it be if we moved again, just to be too tired to search." Wondering to myself if he is going to agree or get angry.

    "Hmm." He says nothing else for a few minutes. Knowing he is going to have to think it over, I lean back in my chair and take a sip of my drink. My Brother has moved from the chair to standing in front of the big industrial windows. Looking out at the night sky. In an apologetic voice, I hear him mutter. As if speaking to the stars "I'm sorry Father, but we need this for the time being. I promise we will save our people; we just need to rest." He slowly turned around to me nodding his head. "Alright Enre, we can stay for a while, but We will continue our search in a few months."

    I get up and clasp him on the shoulder. "You need this just as much as I Brother." I am so glad he agreed with me.

     "Yea, yea. Go make me another drink." Handing me his glass, I head to make him another. Maybe while we are here, I can get to know that girl a little better. And try to figure out why she had such an effect on me.

     "So, you never told me why you were at the bookstore earlier Enre." My brother asked as I was handing him his glass. What should I do? Tell him the truth or squeak my way out of answering him.

    "Uh- well you have to promise you won't get mad first." That was probably not the best way to start out this conversation.

    "Enre. Just tell me" A stern look his face. I might as well just tell him. Stalling will just make him mad.

    "I took the Family Book to have it repaired." I wince after the words are out of my mouth. Knowing he was going to scream at me.

    "YOU DID WHAT?" I explain to him about the spine being broken and the cover in tatters.

     "I thought it would be a better idea to have it repaired than to let it fall to pieces. I didn't want our history to be lost forever, Brother." Taking a breath, I say "I am sorry, I guess I thought to hastily."

     After a long terrifying silence, he replies. "When will it be done?". Hmm. He is being quite calm about this.

    "The lady said that she would have it done by Monday," I told him. I know it wasn't the smartest idea leaving the book with a complete stranger. But I had the feeling she could be trusted.

    "And you trusted this woman with such an important item?" He asked me while looking at me with is head slightly tilted. Like he was trying to figure something out.

     "Yes Brother," I thought it wise to keep my answers short for the time being considering the mood he has been in as of late.

    "Hmm interesting" was all he said as he looked back out at the starry sky. There was a numbing silence for a while and then without turning around he said one word “Why?". Why indeed. I try to think of the reason why I would do such a thing. I am not one to make rash decisions. But just by looking at the antique books in the shop. Anyone could tell that she cared about all of them. And that she was very good at repairing them, but that wasn't it. Maybe it was the fact that she was beautiful. No. She was very Beautiful. Long brown wavy hair. Eyes like two perfectly round emeralds. Long thick legs and an ample chest. Curves one could hold for an eternity and a voice like a soft, gentle wind blowing when she spoke. Maybe it was my heart's reaction to her or the fact she is named after our Bohyne. I am unsure.  'cool it down Enre’ I think to myself, noticing it was getting a little warm in here. This isn't helping the current situation at all.

    I sigh. "In all honesty Brother, I do not know. I just had the feeling that she could be trusted. It Felt-Right." and that was the truth. I really felt that she could be trusted. Strange.

     "You usually are not wrong when it comes to your gut feelings, so I am going to let this slide for now," he said looking straight at me.  "But Enre, make sure you get our book back on Monday. I want it put in a secure place as soon as possible." he paused for a moment before continuing "You never know when Ivar will break free, try to take it and use it against us again". Thinking about what my brother just said made my skin scrawl.  We can never let Ivar lay his evil hand on our book again, God help us if he does, I don't think we would survive if that were to happen again.

"I will Brother," I say. With a nod, he returns his gaze to the night sky.

     Ivar use to be a part of our family. He is our uncle on our mother's side. Her birth family hated us for being in power. When they had so little.  It was a constant war between the clans. So our grandfather made a treaty with Rovan the head of the Usler clan. He offered the marriage of his oldest son (our Father) to Adina, first daughter of Usler. In hopes of peace. With this marriage, the wars had stopped. The land had finally become peaceful for the first time in 5 generations. But there were conflicting interests as it came to Ivar. He thought that since the two clans had joined and became one, that he should get a better title, being he was the only living son of Rovan. He wanted to be a prince just like our father. But Rovan along with our Grandfather both agreed that he was unfit to be a prince. They knew the hate in his heart would be a disaster for our lands. He would be the downfall of Aelmere.

    Little did they know at the time, Ivar was making his own plans to one-day rule. The combined clans were doing very well adjusting to the changes together and all was calm within the realm, until one day when a guard was found dead outside of the castle vault. His throat slit. Upon further investigation, the realization at what was stolen was a shock to us all.