“Why on the
moon’s name did you drench yourself in the lake?” asked Siena.
Upon
arriving to my family’s territory, Veann lead me to the lake, change my robes
and left me to soak myself under the moonlight as he rid of the red stained
dress. The lake was one of the oldest, and coldest area of our land. We Kuroli
doesn’t change many things from the olden days. Be it the mansion, or the grand
cottages our nobles live in, none of those was built new unless it was devastating in
usage.
The lake has remained there ever since anyone could remember. Battles
after battles were fought around here, and corpses have been thrown inside, buried
near or burned in the middle. The lake lived through time, insisting on never
getting smaller but larger each day, to the point that some elders joke that the end of Kuroli might be due to flooding. The lake even have its own scent. A stench,
according to some ignorant nobles. They could never hear the heart of the lake
beating, of its water living, nor the lake’s hunger.
Veann was
the one who taught me that. In one of our lesson, he explained the history of my
family and the lands, and taught me that some belief that everything in this world
has a beat. Lightly, he mentioned his suspicion that the lake might be alive. I
never did bother his remark on anything that doesn’t have proof but as he
washed me in the deep cold lake, I can feel it snicker at my just-discovery of
its beating heart. Somehow I knew she was alive, telling me that she knew I
wouldn’t be able to control my gift, and that she have known of them ever since
I first play in her. It hurt me that she might be right and it angered me that
my feelings are not hidden from her.
Yet, my sharp
tutor seems not to realize that his suspicion is real. All he knew is that the
lake mysteriously erases all other scent from him when he needed it, and he
found that I needed that now and wouldn’t question why he ever needed it. I
wouldn’t even if he wanted me too. It’s obvious what lingering scent on him all
these while that he wanted to hide. I wouldn’t tell him about the lake though,
she seems to prefer ignorance in other beings.
“I know you’re
used to being by yourself but do know that I am your elder sister and you will
respond when I ask you a question,” said Siena with a finality.
“I was
bored. I do it sometimes, it’s never a problem,” I replied.
I don’t
know why Veann didn’t dress me in dry clothes but I was too tired to ask.
Amidst all the confusion of the night, I felt safe in my tutor’s decision. He
might betray what I did to Kuran, but even when the knowledge haunts me, I
still allow him to solve my dilemma for me. It was one part revenge for the
sneering lake, and some part due to his already involvement and that I have no
one else. I dismissed the last part
immediately.
“So why are
you drenched too?” she asked my tutor.
“This time,
Missus got in too deep, I had to get her out,” replied Veann.
Siena sigh.
Either she knew she’s not getting the truth, or that I’m reckless and she’s
worried, or any other reason, I wouldn’t know.
“Get dried.
Don’t forget, you still have a guest. Mr Daem and his father won’t return till
late so the boy will be here till then. Mom and dad is staying out tonight. He
doesn’t speak much so I don’t know how to entertain him,” she said, hoping that
I’ll provide some solution or suggestion.
I offered
her none.
“Veann,
after you’re both dressed, get Daem’s boy to your missus here and do whatever activity
you’re supposed to do,” she said as she dismissed herself to the living hall
with the others.
After we’re
both dressed, I ignored my tutor and buried myself in books. I wanted to rush
into slumber but I didn’t want Veann to see more of my weakness than he already
has. I couldn’t make most of the words but I continued to stare at the books
anyway. When Veann finally left the room, I walked slowly to the side of the
bed, absentmindedly sit next to the bed instead of on it, pull the blanket close to me, and beyond control or
reasoning, I sobbed.
The fresh stream
of cells were warm and exhilarating to the point that I wanted more of it. It
wasn’t wrong to want more of my prey. It wasn’t. Yet the tears wouldn’t stop.
There were two of them, still beating, their cells dancing with life. Those reds
heard me. They argued with their fellows and some followed my instruction as I
task them against their course. And then they stopped. I ordered them to stop.
Against their will, against their nature, against their time, they still stopped because I ordered them to. I buried myself under the blanket, screaming
soundlessly. It wasn’t Kuran’s order. It was mine.
I wanted to
drown in this weird agony but I then heard the door open. Daem’s boy walked towards
the side of the bed with surety that I was there. I wasn’t able to adjust
myself in time thus had to suffer the boy seeing me with my fresh stain of
tears.
“I fell
from the bed,” I muttered lamely.
He said
nothing but offered me a hand instead. He helped me up and while I hoped he didn’t
realize my shaky knees, got me to sit on my bed.
“So my
sister said you don’t talk much and she doesn’t know how to entertain you,” I
stated.
The boy
shrugged. He awkwardly stood there and did nothing for a while.
“Well, I don’t
care if you don’t talk. I prefer reading company anyway,” I said as I pointed
towards the bookshelves in my study area, where Veann and I kept a mixed of
human books and our lesson books.
The boy
went to pick two books and offered me one of my history textbook. Half-heartedly,
I took the book from him and started reading while he shamelessly seated
himself on the floor leaning against the bed.
Nearing
dawn, he rose, put my book back on the shelf and went for the door. Even before
he reaches the door, I was readying myself for bed. Just before exiting the
room, he looked at me blankly as if waiting for me to say something.
When I
offered him no goodbyes, he said in factual surety, “It did not escape me, you
know - that you and your tutor both wore different clothes when you came home
earlier.”
No comments:
Post a Comment