Emerald And Aharon

Chapter Five

I had grown close to Desiree and Fire both, but closer to Fire.  There were a few times Desiree and I were at odds with each other because of the way she acted when that same man who had fought with me came around. He always left whenever he saw me coming, and left in a hurry so I tried to stick around. 

Desiree would often have me watch Fire for her while she did some chores around the house or would head to the market so she could carry the basket home easier without having to make multiple trips. 

Sometimes I would watch Fire at her home, but most of the time I took her out to the woods with me.  Whenever Desiree asked me to watch Fire I had a hard time telling her no, she was a sweet child. Being with Fire made me think about the little girl I had to leave behind with her father.  If I had known what Desiree would be doing while I was out in the woods with Fire, I would have stayed at the house.

The day started like many others, Desiree making breakfast as I changed Fire’s diaper.  “I have to head to the market today, and then want to get some stuff done around the house, would you mind taking Fire for me today?”

As I finished with Fire’s diaper and got her dressed I grinned at her and glanced at Desiree, “of course I’ll take her.  I was going to take Ember out for a run; she can come along and supervise.”

Desiree nodded her head, smiling to herself as she laid breakfast on the table and we ate.  Soon after I left, Fire bundled up into her riding bunting and strapped to Ember’s pack and me with a pack of diapers and such to keep Fire happy for the day.  I waved to Desiree as I climbed onto Ember’s back, “see you tonight Desiree, and don’t get swindled at the market.”

I heard Desiree as she laughed and squeezed Ember with my legs and she started off at a trot and we headed into the woods. We rode around the outskirts of the village and passed the fields that the villagers used to grow grains and corn. As we rode I talked to both Ember and Fire.

“I have been to many places, but this village is different from most of them.  I haven’t seen this many druids, elves and halflings in one place in a long time.”

Fire gurgled at me and I laughed, “yes, your father is a full blooded druid, and your mother is no elf, she’s only human but that’s no bad thing. “

Ember snorted through her nose and I patted her neck, “I know your opinion about humans Ember, we don’t need to drag Fire into that discussion now do we.”

And so the day continued, it was a warm summer day, the weather was beautiful and we stopped for lunch. I fed Fire and myself and afterwards played my pipes to which Fire fell asleep. I let my mind drift back to the day I meet Aharon, the weather was similar today and I shook my head, brushing him to the back of my mind where he seemed to live permanently.  He was never far from my thoughts, I often found myself chastening myself for thinking about him as much as I did.

After Fire woke up from her nap I bundled her back up onto Ember and we headed back.  The sun was dipping low as we came into the village and as we neared the house the sun had dipped beneath the horizon.

As we came near the house, I could see a large black horse standing outside the fence.  I slid off Ember’s back and patted her neck. “I’ll whistle if I need you Ember.” I got Fire down off of Ember’s back and Ember pawed the ground a moment before heading into the woods.

As I came closer to the house I could hear Desiree sobbing and a man’s voice.  After a few seconds I recognized it, Aharon’s voice. Before I could try and piece together what was happening, Aharon burst out of the door and headed off into the woods.

I headed into the house and saw the aftermath, Desiree sobbing and a male body on the floor, his head at her feet.  I gritted my teeth as I took in what Desiree was wearing and what the man wasn’t wearing. I quietly went into Fire’s room and tucked her into her crib.  “Sleep well little one,” I whispered, “I’ll be back.”

As I walked out I stopped in front of Desiree, “you foolish woman,” I hissed, “You have what women would kill for and you had to throw it away!”

Desiree glared at me, “Don’t you dare judge me,” she said in a quivering voice. “You don’t know the life I live.”

“You are right, I don’t know, but with the Great Immortal Mother Cresaia as my witness I wish I did. To have a husband that loves you, 2 beautiful children and a home to be proud of.”

“My husband doesn’t love me” Desiree wailed. “IF….” I cut her off by hitting her.

I didn’t even realize I had balled my fists up until Desiree gasped and looked back at me with a mix of shock and hurt on her face as she held her cheek. “He obviously feels something for you, or he wouldn’t have done that.” I pointed at the body on the ground and stormed out.

As I walked the direction Aharon went I fumed. How could I have been such a fool?  I should have known there was something going on, she had made it by herself before I had come along.  I paused a moment, taking a deep breath, Aharon was already upset and it would do no one any good if I went looking for him just as upset. I closed my eyes as I reached the edge of the woods where Aharon had disappeared and closed my eyes and opened my senses.

Everything changed subtlety, but it was disorienting, and I could feel trails of power for lack of a better word.  I stepped cautiously forward, checking each trail I came across, most were just animals or mortals, not who I was looking for.  I soon came across another trail that was stronger than the others, and followed it.

After a bit I came to a natural clearing and the cold sense blasted at me and I closed off that sense. It was handy when you were on the hunt for another immortal or for someone, but was not something I was comfortable leaving on. Aharon sat in the middle of the clearing and I cautiously approached him.  I placed my hand on his shoulder and softly said his name, “Aharon?”

He jerked away from my hand and looked over his shoulder to glare at me.  I placed my hand back on his shoulder again and said just as gently “it's Emerald.”

His eyes focused on my face but he didn’t say anything.  Emotions flitted through those dark eyes before vanishing again. I pulled my hand back for a second and hesitated before touching his cheek then letting my hand fall. “You can’t go back tonight; there must be somewhere that you can go...” I paused looking around.  “Where is Alleyne? Did she come back with you?”

He finally spoke, “no.  She is with my brother.”

“Then that is where I am going to take you and Fire to.  Tomorrow will be another day and you can start to work through this.”

He shook his head but I ignored him and headed back to Desiree and Fire. It was quicker getting back then getting to him and I walked in, passing Yarov’s body, carefully covered with a sheet. As I came in Desiree stood up, covered in a robe.

Her eyes were red and puffy and her cheek where I had hit her was swelling and starting to turn color.  “Where is he?”

 “Somewhere away from you,” I shot back as I walked past her into Fire’s nursery and soon came back out with her.  She opened her mouth to protest but I shot her a look that silenced her protest.

I paused at the door, looking back at her, “think hard Desiree, at what your actions have brought about. Who knows how this is going to end, I just pray to the gods that will listen it ends with no more bloodshed.” I walked outside and whistled through my teeth sharply.

I was answered by another whistle and I smiled and my eyes fell on Aharon’s horse.  I knew by looking at him, there was no way I could have Ember follow me while I rode him with Fire in my arms.  It’d be like a stranger trying to ride Ember, soon bucked off as soon as your backside touches her back.

Ember came into view and stopped a short distance from me, her ears flattened against her skull as she eyed the large black stallion.  The black stallion arched his neck and seemed to stand up straighter on all fours. Ember’s ears perked back up away from her skull and she came slowly forward and stretched out her nose to touch his nose and I shook my head, what a foal these 2 would produce.

I climbed onto Ember’s back after tucking Fire into her riding bunting and clicked my tongue and led her towards where I had left Aharon, his horse following us. I soon reached Aharon, and I pulled Ember to a stop, “Aharon, come on, let’s get going.” Aharon didn’t move and for a few seconds I thought he had passed out sitting like that.

As I came a little closer I could see his eyes watching me, and the reason why he wasn’t moving was because of the pain. 

“Aharon, come on, move. Move for your kids, they need you more now than ever.” He started to rise, but stopped himself. He shook his head slightly and looked like he was determined to stay in that one spot for the rest of his life.

I shook my head, I couldn’t leave him here, nor could I just walk away from the situation, though it didn’t really involve me. A small voice whispered to say what I was feeling so I did.  “Fine, if you won’t move for yourself or your kids, move for me, and what we may have.” As the words left my mouth I almost cursed my idiocy, it wouldn’t work, but to my surprise it did.

Aharon rose, but the motion was almost mechanical, like he wasn’t thinking about it. I looked at his horse after he was on his back, “you’re going to have to lead us, I have no idea where we are going.”

Aharon’s horse shook his head and pawed at the ground.  Ember nickered softly back and his horse started forward at a trot and Ember was close behind. Soon we were at a full gallop and after a semi-long ride we came to another village.  The horses pace slowed as we reached a large house and as we came to a stop outside the gate to the small fenced yard a lantern was lit and a slender figure stood in the doorway. “Who goes there?”

I shielded my eyes against the sudden light, and replied, “My name is Emerald, and I am looking for Aharon’s brother.  Do you know where he is?”

The figure came out and I could see it was a woman, “you have found his home, and I am his wife, Aurianna.” 

Aurianna, the name rang a bell but I shelved it for now. “Was worried the horse led me to the wrong house,” I grinned a little sheepishly and gently handed Fire down to Aurianna, “I will explain what I can after I get these 2 taken care of.”

Aurianna looked down at Fire, then back at me and nodded and turned her attention to Aharon, “inside,” she said, and they both headed into the house. 

I took Ember’s reins and tried to take Aharon’s horse but he snipped at my hands but I was quick enough to avoid him.  I shook my head and managed to lead him to the barn nearby and get him into a stall with Ember. I stroked her nose, “sorry girl, I would brush you down but I don’t think I’m going to be able to tonight.”

She pushed her nose against my chest and I chuckled, patting her neck affectionately.  I bedded down their stall with straw and placed hay in the manger as well as filling the water trough. After I was done, I headed back to the house and came in through the door I saw Aharon and Aurianna go through.

As I came in I saw Aurianna sitting at a large kitchen table with a steaming mug and a second one sitting across from her. Before I opened my mouth she said, “I put Aharon to bed with Fire and Alleyne, he’ll be ok for now. What happened?”

I sighed as I sat down across from her and lifted the mug to smell what was in it.  It was hot chocolate and I placed the mug back down and wrapped my hands around it. “He caught Desiree cheating on him.  As he came home, the other man was leaving.”

Aurianna digested that for a moment and then asked, “What happened next?”

“He killed him,” was all I said.

Aurianna nodded her head, and then asked, “What of my sister?”

“I hit her; I didn’t realize I was going to until after I had.  She was crying her eyes out, I am not sure if it was because her lover was laying on the floor in his own blood or because Aharon caught them, or that she was losing Aharon, I just don’t know.” I shook my head as I stared into the hot chocolate in my mug like it was a crystal ball. After a few moments I said,  “I caught them before, about a year ago. He avoided the house after that as long as I was around, perhaps afraid I would finish what I started that day.” I paused a few moments, thinking, and then shrugged, “I might have. But over this past year Desiree had me watch Fire a lot and I didn’t stick around the house when I did, I often took her out into the woods.”

Aurianna’s eyes widened and she opened her mouth to launch into a tirade but I held my hand up, “I may be immortal and know how to take care of myself but I never strayed far from the village, I wouldn’t take a risk with her safety.” I sighed, “She’s a delightful child.”

“It seems while I was away with her daughter, she had her lover come around and she dallied with him, always sure to send him away before I returned.” I shook my head and I pounded the table with my fist, “I was a fool!  I should have known something was up with the way she always asked me to watch her when she went to the market or had to do house cleaning.”

Aurianna gave me a sympathetic look but said nothing.

I leaned back in the chair and sighed again, “Poor Aharon, no man should be going through what he is going through. Neither should the girls.”

Aurianna nodded her head again and we continued talking.  We talked about where we had grown up and about Desiree and my sister Tresa.  Before I realized it the sun was peeking up over the horizon and 

I felt a cold chill run over me. “Who are you talking to Auri?” a male’s voice asked, rough from sleep.

“Auron, meet Emerald, she came back with Aharon last night.”

Auron studied me with his green eyes, “what did Desiree do this time?”

Surprisingly anger flared up and I shot back, “Don’t judge her until you’ve walked a mile in her shoes.”

Aurianna’s eyes flashed appreciation, she wanted to defend her sister even if her actions weren’t right.

Auron shrugged his shoulders, “whatever, it’s too early to argue,” and headed outside.

Aurianna and I continued to talk, and I helped her start breakfast for her family. Her children started trickling into the kitchen and sat down at the large table, watching me with curiosity.

I heard Aurianna say “did you wake him child?” and I looked up from flipping pancakes to see Aharon standing at the bottom of the stairs, Alleyne slipping into a chair at the table and muttering an answer.

“Good morning Aharon,” I said to him.