Ember (10 page)

Of course, it would be slightly different
than usual. Everyone would be melodramatic about my return.
Especially my mother. She probably had a list of things she wanted
me to participate in by now. I put a pillow over my head and
groaned.

After a few minutes, I rolled off the bed and
moved over to my dresser. I picked out a loose white skirt and a
leather corset-like top. It was a bit dressy for me, but the last
thing I needed today was wardrobe critique and my sister had dubbed
this outfit suitable once before.

I went over to the mirror and rolled my hair
into a twist, when a thought came to my mind.

Sil! She's still at the stables. . . . I
should check on her.

There was really no reason to, I had set her
up in the best stall and, as it stood, she would be watched until
someone picked her up. But I just wanted to see anything from the
world I'd been the last three days . . . maybe so I knew for sure
that it was real . . . that it had happened.

With a little more enthusiasm, I walked into
the hall and closed the door behind me quickly. I could still hear
the dishes clanging downstairs in the kitchen. I knew my mother
would be in there, and I knew I was about to get an earful.

I crept down the hall, hoping that no one
would catch me on the way down. When I got to the bottom of the
stairs heard my mother talking.

“I understand Josephine's problem with the
new road potentially bringing in a bad crowd, but I'm just so
tired
of being disconnected from the other towns. I haven't
had any decent material in weeks.”

I'd been gone for days and somehow they'd
managed to talk about the same thing the entire time.

I slid into the doorway of the familiar room
and spared a skeptic look around. It was a drearily regular kitchen
consisting of wood and stone counters, but
far
less rugged
than the kitchen in the woods. My mother was facing the counter
rolling out dough, so she had yet to notice me. Her friend, Leanne,
was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee and her usual
gargantuan pile of muffins, giving a bad name to real pastry lovers
everywhere.

“Obviously
Josephine
doesn't care
about the material. I mean, did you see what she was wearing to the
harvest social the other night?”

I slapped my hand against my head.
The
party, I missed the party. Now I'm really gonna be dead.

“Well, look who it is,” sang Leanne.

I spared her a patronizing smile, then turned
to my mother who was slowing starting to turn around.

“What? Who?—” As soon as she saw me her eyes
began to water.
Oh God, here it comes.
Next her lips started
quivering. She brought her hands up to them before losing it
completely, bursting into tears.

“Oh, Evelyn!” A few more stifled gasps.
“Where on earth have you been? I've been worried sick about
you.”

I put my hands out. “Mom, it's fine. I just
twisted my ankle. I had to wait it out in the north cave. I wasn't
farther than a few miles the whole time.”

“Evelyn, that cave is
twelve miles
from here. I've told you I don't want you wandering off that
far.”

Yeah, you tell me, then I leave for five
hours and you don't even notice I'm gone.
. . .

I took a heavy breath.

All I have to do is wait this out, by
tonight she'll be talking about something else. Oh, and hope to God
that she doesn't realize I missed the
-

Suddenly another sob emerged from my mother,
a look of anguish covering her face. “And, Evelyn, the
harvest
social,
how could you miss it?!” More crying. “How are you
ever
going to get a husband if you never go to any of the
town parties?”

I sighed again, I think it might have been
the fifth time since I woke up.

“Look, mom, I'm sorry, but there’s nothing I
can do about it now. I promise I'll go next time.”

She took in an excessive breath and started
to perk up. “Well, alright. But in the meantime I want you to start
working at the bakery shop again. In fact why don't you head over
there this afternoon. I know Lina could use the help “

I was going to object, until my mother gave
me a ‘don't-even-think-about-arguing’ face.

At least it will give me an excuse to pass
the stables. . . .
I smiled wide. “Great, I think I'll just go
now, grab some breakfast.” I started inching my way towards the
doorway.

“Wha?— Evelyn, why don't you eat here? You
just got back.”

This was a bad track. Once my mother got it
into her head that she wanted something, she usually got it.
Normally, I could take the random breakfast with the family. But at
this moment my body was being all-but magnetically pulled to the
stables.

“Well, I ah . . . I thought this would give
me a chance to talk to some people about the party. You know,
be
social
.”

I had made it to the doorway, I spared a
glance down the hallway at the front door.

“Oh,” she said, somewhat surprised, “Okay
then.”

“Great!” I exclaimed much too excitedly as I
turned to make my escape.

“Just promise you'll say hello to Garret if
you see him. He just got back yesterday and I heard he was asking
about you.”

Yeah right.
I held a smiling face.
“Will do. Later mom, Leanne.”

They nodded and I practically flew down the
hall and through the front door.

When I was safely outside I leaned against
the wall and blew out a breath.

I can't believe it. I've been home for less
than a day and they're already trying to pull me into their world
of trivial drama.

I shook my head, absently kicked a rock
across the grass, and started walking towards town.

And on top of that she's trying to hook me
up with Garret again.
He had never been interested in me and I
was glad for it, because I didn't like him much either.

I continued walking until I reached a cobble
path. Our house was on the outskirts of Tiver, but the whole city
was pretty condensed, so we weren't more than a few hundred yards
away from the heart of town. The path I was following now connected
most of the homes to Tiver.

The city itself was nestled into a valley
amidst monstrous green hills. Like me, most of the people lived in
scattered houses towards the back of Tiver. But there were some
that lived in the middle of the city which I was approaching now.
It was a two story maze of plain, stone, buildings that was already
bustling with morning activity. For such a small city we had a
ridiculous variety of shops and cafes, which was the reason for all
the early morning activity.

As I walked through, everyone acknowledged me
with a nod or a wave . . . just like always. A few times in the
past I’d watched the residents of the city start their morning
ritual, I’d soon realized that it was always the same. Enough to
drive a person crazy really, but I guess there was some comfort in
the fact that things would never change.

By the time I made it through town my cheeks
were sore from smiling. My destination, the Fallstone Inn, stood
just outside the city. A beacon to a wandering traveler, though
there never were any.

Forgoing the winding road that led towards
the building, I cut across the dewy grass, heading straight for the
stables. After my morning thus far, I had half a mind to hop on the
horse and ride away to . . . anywhere really. Unfortunately when I
got on my tippy-toes to peer into Sil’s stall there was no horse to
be found.

I sunk back down for a moment then shook my
head and leaned up to look through the window again. No Sil.

What the heck?

It wasn't long before my surprise turned into
irritation. It didn't help that I wouldn't allow my mind to
consider the obvious.

I walked quickly to the other side of the
barn where I found Trendon, the innkeeper's son, throwing feed out
into a pile of chickens. The young boy acknowledged me with a smile
and I returned it with a slight wave.

“Hello, Trendon.”

When I got closer he responded. “Good
morning, Evelyn. Fine day, isn't it?” I managed a smile and a nod
before he continued. “You missed quite the party the other night.
And I, myself, was only able to stay out till ten.” He chucked a
handful of kernels as he shook his head. “Still too young to be
awake for the real fun.”

I smiled again and opened my mouth to speak
until he continued on.

Trendon was twelve, but had a mind and mouth
well beyond his years. I was used to being outmatched in
conversational confidence, and Trendon was no exception. I nodded
and listened to him talk about his views on underage curfew until
his curiosity afforded me an opportunity.

“Hey, why are you out here this early
anyways?”

I gestured my thumb towards the barn.
“Actually, I was coming to check on a horse I dropped off
yesterday. I didn't see him in there though, do you know if your
dad moved him?”

He walked a couple of feet to feed another
group of chickens.

“Let me guess: small, chocolate brown, and
silky as all get out.” I nodded enthusiastically. “It wasn't a hard
guess considering that he's the first we've had here in week. Oh,
except for Garret's horse. He just got back you know. My sister was
swooning
over him earlier . . . I can't say that I blame her
though, he is rather—”

“Trendon,” I interrupted, momentarily too
distraught to be polite, “about the horse?”

He waved a hand. “Oh, right, right. A guy
came and got it earlier this morning. I know, 'cause I handed her
off myself.”

Already?
The final shred of hope in me
dropped, and as it did the emptiness I'd learned to live with for
years returned. I leaned back against the log.

“Evelyn? You okay?” came Trendon's voice. “My
dad said that a guy was supposed to come pick it up, was that
wrong?”

I shook my head, loosening some of my hair
from its twist. “No . . . that's what I told him.” I looked up at
Trendon and smiled. “Thanks for the help, I'd better get going
now.”

“Okay then,” I started walking away as he
continued. “Hope everything works out. See you around!”

I lifted a hand in acknowledgment, but kept
walking.

*

“Evelyn, we need a dozen more crumb cakes and
two batches of cocoa buns.”

“Got it.” I shouted back.

After my encounter with Trendon I'd headed
straight for the pastry shop, grabbed a cup of coffee, and started
work. When I arrived Lina, the shop's owner, put me to work right
away in the back. She was the first person that didn't make a
mention of my three day disappearance, and I was glad for it.

Lina was a straightforward woman. She cared
little for anything besides pastries. She had started teaching me
her business when I was just fourteen. For a year or two there I
did little besides baking for Lina, and the experience had turned
me into quite a master dessert chef.

The kitchen I worked in was small, perfect
for my size, in fact I could almost reach everything. It consisted
of mostly wooden countertops, shelves of course, and a few
fire-heated ovens in the wall. I loaded a tray into one of these
and yelled to Lina.

“Cakes are in.”

She poked her head through the doorway.
“Evelyn, dear, I have to be honest with you, you're going much to
slow.”

I lifted my hands and imitated an exasperated
huff.

“Don't worry, you're just out of practice.”
She walked into the kitchen. “Why don't you go work in the front
for a while.

“Oh, yay, my favorite.”

Despite my obvious lack of enthusiasm, she
began to push me through the door.

“Okay, okay, I'm going . . . sheesh.” I
walked out into the packed cafe and took in the crowd of people.
How are there even this many people living here?

The shop wasn't small, but it wasn't big
either, I liked to call it cafe-sized. In front of me was a counter
that held a wide assortment of doughy goodness on leveled tiers.
Beyond that, a mixture of booths and tables occupied with Tiver's
finest filled the room.

I watched them absently for a moment,
catching different bits of conversation. It seemed they were all
either talking about the new road, the social the other night, or
Garret's return.

I really dislike these people.

I saw a hand go up in request and, with a
heavy heart and light pot of coffee, I headed into the fray.

*

A couple hours later it was nearing two. I
was very tired and very hungry. Lina must have noticed this because
at that moment she patted me on the back and told me to take a
break. I gladly accepted, grabbed a small cinnamon roll, along with
another cup of coffee, and sat down at a booth in the corner.

Things had quieted down substantially since
this morning. Lucky for me.
The last thing I want to have to do
right now is socialize.

The thought had barely passed my mind when I
heard the door click open. I looked up expecting a regular and saw
instead two girls. Gwen and her friend Selene. Though I was the
farthest thing from it, they always treated me like a friend. Then
again they did that with everyone . . . I guess that's just how
they were. One thing for certain though, I had nothing in common
with either girls. I continued to chew my food as they ordered,
hoping that they wouldn't notice me.

Next thing I knew they were sitting across
from me in the booth.

After the initial pleasantries Gwen spoke up.
“So Evelyn, dear, how are you? Where have you been?”

I was trying to remember the story I gave my
mom when Selene interrupted.

“Come on, Evelyn, tell us, it's a boy, isn't
it? From another town!”

A boy, what else? It's always boys with these
girls.

“Of course it's not a boy,” I stated
incredulously. “The closest town is more than a three day journey,
anyways.”