Out of the Faold (Whilst Old Legends Fade Synchronicles) (20 page)

Amias stepped, barefooted, onto the edge of his pool. He waited and listened to his chimes hanging in the tree nearby. He waited, begging the god
s to come to him again. H
e needed to know
he was on the right pat
h. He di
d what they had asked. He was home, taking care of his father and the estate. He was building the house he and his wife would occupy, constructed his own well so he could communi
cate with and worship the gods.

He had forsaken his feelings for Karl…

At the thought of her, his w
orld tilted, sliding him forward
and to the side into the grey world he now recognized. T
hey stood around him, watching.

“I hoped it would work,” he said, free to move his body
and mouth. He remained relaxed.

They nodded in greeting. They stood simply watching him.

“Is there something else you need of me?” he asked. “I feel troubled. Unfinished. But I’ve done what you asked for th
e
girls and my family.”

“That can be disputed,” one of the male gods said, walking forward. “You left the girls behind. You have not followed your heart.”

“My heart is with my family. I must do what is right for them. I am building a grand home for my future bride.”

“And yet you are sad and unfinished. Why?”

“I don’t know,” he mumbled, lying to the gods. He could imagine Karl, the way she looked at him in fear when he was so angry. He had gone over it in his mind dozens of times.

“You have left something behind. You are not true to your heart.”

“That life is over. You told me to come here, to follow my duty to my family.”

“What about your duty to her?”

“What duty to her?” he demanded.

“Things are not always what they seem. You must follow your heart.”

“I am to be married. I have a duty to my wife. In my heart that is the right thing to do.”
             
“Why have you delayed going to get your bride?”

“I am building a house.”

“You are hiding.”

“I am not!” he replied.

“You must follow your heart to satisfy your obligation to yourself, your father and your King.”

“I would not expect you to ask me to take both women into my life.”

“Go get your bride,” he told him. “Go get your love.”

“I cannot have both,” he mumbled
, shaking his down turned head.

The gods looked upon him with pity. “Go get her,” one said as he slid back into the real
world of colour and substance.

“Who?” he cried.

Coral decided to take it upon herself to get a response from Amias. Early, just b
efore dawn
, she prepared a horse and slipped out to head east. She
would
hit the crossroads garrison by sundown and they could have her message to him within two to three days. During her ride she composed the letter over and over in her mind. She couldn’t tell him who she really was for f
ear of spoiling the King’s fun.

She didn’t believe Coral Marden would get a response from him and yet was fearful Brother Karl’s letter may get thrown in
to
the fire without being read.
So she composed two letters, one from each woman. She
grumbled at herself for continuing to deceive him b
ut didn’t know what else to do.

The outpost welcomed her and arranged for her overnight stay. In the lantern light she wrote
and re-wrote her two letters multiple times before being happy with the result.
The messenger left with both in the early morning hours
with the promise to find her at her father’s home to confirm the delivery had been successful or if there was a response. He was promis
ed extra coin upon his arrival.

It began to rain when she was barely a quarter of the way home. The sky was dark, the cloud cover low and showed no signs of clearing. She wrapped her cloak tighter around herself as the weather steadily got worse. She was soaked through, water running off her head, falling from her nose in annoying drips and there wasn
’t any shelter around for ages.

Farther to the west a lone figure, tall and slender walked hunched over in the road with a cloak wrapped
around it for protection from the elements. As Coral approached
she noted it was a woman in long skirts
. Her pace and posture told Coral the woman was exhausted and had probably been walking a long time. She slowly turned to face Coral when she heard th
e horse on the road behind her.

Coral’s world seemed to go solid. She couldn’t move and that suffocating feeling pushed in on her. The horse stood mid-stride in the road. The woman came next to Coral and looked into her face.
With a shove she pushed her off the horse. Coral took that opportunity to go limp and get her body control back as the woman lif
ted herself up into the saddle.

She prayed hard she could find a way to stop her from stealing the horse. She didn’t know how to use the power the girls had shown. She was never told by the gods what to do. But she
knew one thing. S
he knew what it felt like to be unable to move. So as she reached up to grab the woman’s arm, she thought of that lurching, shifting feeling at the edge of the well and yanked hard on the woman, toppling her off the horse as both of them spun i
nto the grey world of the gods.

Chaotic noise erupted around her as the opaque nine figures yelled at her
in fear and anger and surprise.

“Noooo,” one screamed.

“Get it out, now!”

“How did…”

And, “
Don’t do…”

The woman dissolved with a shocked look on her face as the grey world once again jolted and turned, throwing Coral back into the road. The horse grazed on
wet
grass. T
he strange woman was nowhere to be found.
What had she done? Where did the Sister go? How had she done that? Cora
l sat in the wet grass shaking in fear. She had angered the gods. She sat shivering and crying, praying over and over, “I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry.”

“Look at the poor child,” the goddess with soothing voice said, as they all watched
Coral through
the stone archway.

“How did she do that?” a
sked another and got no answer.

“
The well chooses what to teach. It blesses each differently.”

“We did not give it that power to bestow,” one said with concern. “Who is she to bring people here?”

“What is she,” the goddess said, “…may be a better question.”

They all watched her through the arch as she stood and unsteadily got back onto the horse, and with a kick she galloped home in the pouring rain. A rain that lasted three entire days.

That night, after Mother and Father, Glory and Pearl, and even Kel
raged at her for going off on her own, she sat in front of the fire with a blanket around her and hot tea to drink. She was still chilled from the rain and the experience she’d had. Kel entered the library and sat down without saying anything. She hadn’t been herself since she’d arrived and he was worried about her. He lit his pipe and waited for her to talk, if she was going to.

It was a long while before she looked over to him and said, “I met a Sister in the road.”

He leaned forward, his eyes searching her face. “You live. I am thankful.”

She nodded. “But I’ve made a grav
e mistake. It was an accident.”.

Again he waited while she adjusted her blanket in nervousness. “They don’t know where the girls are, do they?”

She shook as she lifted her mug to her lips. “No,” she breathed. “She tried to steal my horse. She froze me like they do. I got out of it but …I tried to freeze her too but instead I pulled her…”

“Like Glory did? She smashed
the Sister
against that tree.”

“No. I pulled her into the grey world. Where they are.”

He gasped in shock. “How did…”

“I don’t know,” she cried, tears rolling down her face. “They all yelled at me, they were so angry. The Sister just vanished and I found myself back in the road. I’m so scared.”

He nodded and sat back, sucking on his pipe again.
“I should have been with you. I wish you’d have told me you were going.”

“You wouldn’t have let me,” she told him.

“You are right.”

A soft tap at the door brought Pearl in her night dress into the library. She
was half asleep. Yawning, she
stumbled into Coral’s arms. She wrapped the girl in her blanket as
she settled into the warm hug.

“What are you doing up?” Coral asked and kissed her on the forehead.

“
I have
to tell you something.”

“What is it?”

“They said it is ok. But
only bring me and Glory and Krisa and the Marshalls. No one else. I don’t know what they mean. But I had to tell you.” With that Pearl went
back to sleep in Coral’s arms.

Kel stared at them then breathed a sigh of relief. “There, you are fine.”

Coral nodded absently as she stared into the fire. She was fine. She had been so worried that the gods would leave her or take the girls, or any number of punishments. She had broken some kind of unknown rule and she’d feared the worst.

Begrudgingly Amias Doran left home to retrieve his new bride. He rode his horse as he always did, reasoning he’d need to get a carriage for the woman to ride in on the way home. They may have to stop in
Danyc
for her to start ordering a household full of items and to hire staff. He was thankful her dowry was large. He knew an excellent furniture maker who often made special items for the King. He’d have him fashion their table for dinner parties.

Amias sighed to himself as he realized he sounded like a house-bound husband already, caring about furniture and parties and
what his wife was bringing with her to their marriage. He honestly couldn’t care less. But it was better to think on that than to think on what his mind kept trying to wander to. He didn’t rush his horse. He was in no hurry.

Along the road came a rider at a quick pace. He wore a uniform like those at the outposts. Amias waved him down in greeting, as it was unusual to have someone out on this road. He saluted and called, “Aye, Soldier.”

The man saluted back and brought his horse to a walk. “Captain? Captain Doran perhaps?”

“I am,” Amias told him. He showed him hi
s name engraved on his hatchet.

“The very man I seek,” he told him. “I have had a horrible delay but I have letters for you, Sir. I am to wait for a reply.”

Captain Doran grumbled to himself, expecting yet another letter from the King threatening his head if he didn’t appear. To his surprise there were two letters, neither from King Fredrick. One was from Coral Marden, his betrothed, and one from Brother Karl. His hand shook slightly as he held the one from Karl. He didn’t want to open either.

His thumb slid under the seal of the one from Coral Mard
en. He flipped it open to read:

Dearest Amias Natan Filbar Doran,

I pray this letter finds you well. I apologize I have not written sooner in response to your previous letter. I was distressed not to see you in
Danyc
at King Fredrick’s court. As no one has heard from you in weeks I beg you find it in
your heart to respond.

I am sincere in my commitment to our union.
If you find me unworthy I will not hold you to our engagement and will plead with the King for your release from the contract. I fear your postponement may be the result of a change of hea
rt in this regard.

Forever yours,

Coral Estel Teres Marden

He disliked her already.
The messenger handed him a wooden tablet on which he placed a piece of paper and writing utensils for him to use to respond. Amias didn’t want to respond. He was on his way there now to get the woman. But he knew if he didn’t warn them he was coming they wouldn’t be prepared and he’d be delayed getting back. She had to arrange her entourage, chaperones, parents and family members for the upcoming wedding, which by tradition would occur within a fortnight of her arrival at her new home. He si
ghed deeply and began to write:

My betrothed,

I apologize for not being at court. I have been busy establishing your new home. I have not
and will not go back on my commitment to you. I am traveling now to summon you home. I shall be there within f
ive
days.