Emerald And Aharon

Chapter Nine

And so life with Aharon began, I stayed with him and his 2 girls but like I had stated we were friends first so I had my own room.  The fact that the house had 4 bedrooms worked out, each girl had her own space, and with Alleyne coming into teen years, she was going to need it.

Soon after the move Alleyne and I talked and I explained to her that I wasn’t going to take her mother’s place.

“Desiree will always be your mother Alleyne, nothing will change that. I can’t take her place, and I have no desire to.”

Alleyne hugged me while she didn’t always get along with her mother, she still loved her.

A few months passed and I was surprised at how easily I was falling into a somewhat settled life.  I rarely stayed in one place for long, either the people who lived near me would drive me off for being immortal, or another immortal would show up and I’d kill them and have to move on because mortals just didn’t quite understand.

Aurianna and I became close friends, and if I wasn’t at home, I was at her house helping her teach her girls the finer points of fighting or also helping Auron teach his boys how to sword fight.

I took the girls weekly over to see their mother, and the girls and Desiree both looked forward to the visits. 

This is the way life passed for about 8 months, when Desiree announced at our visit that she was getting married again. I met her soon to be husband and wanted to spear him through with my sword.  There was just something about the way he looked at Desiree and me that made me uneasy, and the way he looked at Fire and Alleyne made my blood boil.

I tried to warn her that it wasn’t a good idea, that the village would leave her in peace because of the children, but she was determined.

She invited the girls to the wedding, as well as Aharon. Aurianna mentioned that Desiree had asked her to come as well, but they all refused.  They didn’t like the man, and thought Desiree foolish to marry him.

I stopped taking the girls over to see their mother because of her new husband.  I didn’t trust him and if a fight broke out, I didn’t want the girls in harm’s way because I had a feeling they would be the ones he would go after.

I still visited Desiree, and when I was there he was polite enough, but Desiree always looked like hell.  Sometimes large bruises would be on her face and she’d just murmur “Oh, I tripped last night when getting up to get a glass of water,” or some other murmured response while glancing at her husband with what looked to be fear.

I admit it got my curiosity up so I started snooping. Staying a fair distance away I could hear screaming.  Both his voice, though I couldn’t make the words, and Desiree’s, no words just wails. After snooping it bothered me even more so I talked to Aurianna.

“That man your sister married is going to kill her.” I said to her.

Aurianna looked up from chopping vegetables, “what do you mean?”

I shrugged my shoulders, snagging one of the carrots off the counter and bit into it. “I know when people are around he acts decent enough, but I’ve watched the house, and I can hear him yelling about something, and then Desiree screaming. Something is not right.”

Aurianna went back to chopping vegetables, “You’re right, but there isn’t much that we can do right now, for 2 reasons.”

I nodded, sighing, for now, those 2 reasons were Auron and Aharon, and they both believed Desiree deserved whatever she got.  Though I had a gut feeling that if Aharon knew about how bad Desiree was having it, he might not object to something being done. I took another bite of carrot, “there has to be something we can do.”

Aurianna shook her head slightly, “just wait, that’s about it for now.”

I grimaced and shook my head, “let’s just hope Desiree survives the wait.”

The opportunity we had been looking for came about 2 months later; Desiree approached Aharon at the market, asking for help. He refused to help her at the time, but he stopped by Aurianna’s afterwards. 

Aurianna in turn told her oldest it was time to act and Desiree became a widow a few days later.

I was glad to hear of the funeral. Desiree deserved punishment for her actions, but not that bad and not from a man like her dead husband.

I got a surprise visit from an old friend, Talatiana; she said she was going to stay near the guild Sherata Herata to see what they would say about a member that had been there for over 1000 years. 

She and I grasped wrists, “Tala! What are you doing here?”

Talatiana grinned, “On a mission, handpicked and all that.”

“Fine, but what has that to do with this village?”

“Nothing actually, just sensed you and decided to stop by and say hello.” She looked me up and down, “and perhaps a few of the members have been complaining about your retirement. Course, they would be just echoing Sherata’s weighted comments.”

I rolled my eyes, “Sherata knows why I left, as do you.  And if any of them including Shereta still have any problems with me being retired then they can talk to me about it personally.”

Talatiana barked out a laugh, “that bunch? They’d rather face Sherata’s wrath and harshest punishment then approach you about the sensitive subject of your retirement. And Shereta knows the price if she comes out against it.”

I couldn’t help but smile at Tala’s words, and saw Aharon approaching. “Aharon, come here, I want you to meet an old friend of mine.”

Aharon came over and I gestured at Tala, “Aharon, meet Talatiana.  Talatiana, Aharon”

Talatiana nodded her head slightly as she sized up Aharon, “well, well, well, what do you know, a druid.  Aren’t you supposed to be off chasing Isilk and shadows?”

Aharon didn’t bat an eyelash, “no more then you should be getting your head sliced off.”

Talatiana opened her mouth to retort and I interrupted her, “Tala, say one more word and I will cut your tongue out with my dagger.”

Tala glared at me, but she closed her mouth and she extended her hand to me.  I gripped her wrist, and she gripped mine, “until next time, under good terms.”

Tala nodded her head and smiled a real smile, her brown eye and blue eye reflecting it, “aye, Emma, under good terms, and truce.” She let go of my wrist and stepped back and as she did she faded out of sight as she stepped onto the ghost paths.