Emerald And Aharon

Chapter Three

I entered the house with Desiree, “please sit,” she said as she gestured to one of the padded benches in the parlor.  “Would you like something to drink?” She asked as she headed into what looked like the kitchen.

“Yes, please, Iced Trecia Tea if you have it,” I replied as I sat on the bench.  As I waited for Desiree to come out of the kitchen I looked around. The house was immaculate, and carefully decorated.  A few paintings adorned the walls, as well as a shield and sword crest that I guessed was the family crest. The bench I was sitting on sat facing a low table, with a matched bench on the other side with a fireplace that took up the majority of the wall to my left.

As I studied the crest that hung above the fireplace mantle, the girl Alleyne walked in.  She glanced around and I pointed at the doors that lead to the kitchen, guessing that she was looking for her mother.

She nodded and headed in, and I heard her voice drift back towards me, “daddy’s leaving.”

My curiosity was piqued, and I stood, moving closer to the kitchen door but kept my eyes on the painting that hung on the wall to the left of the door, using it as an excuse to move closer.

“How long is he going to be gone this time?” I heard Desiree respond.

‘Good question,’ I thought to myself.  I was curious about him, though I really had no right to be curious about him.  I had already been down the path of the other woman, and I refused to go down that route again.

“I’m going with him,” Alleyne said instead of answering her mother.

“You can’t just take off and joy ride with your father! You are too little to be gallivanting off-.”

I stepped into the doorway, an urge to help Alleyne coming over me, “Desiree?  I think I heard a baby whimpering. Could Fire be waking up or am I just imagining things?”

Desiree glanced at her daughter, “Stay put,” she said as she exited the kitchen through a door on the other side of the kitchen.

I looked at Alleyne, “better get while the getting is good.  I’ll stall her when she comes back.”

Alleyne nodded and grinned at me as she ran past me and back out the front door just as her mother came back into the kitchen. “Now Alleyne,” she started and paused as she looked around and didn’t spot her.  “Now where did that child go?”

“Off with her father I would guess,” I said coolly.

Desiree stared at me in shock, “but she’s just a child! Her place is at home where it’s safe! Her father spends more than enough time away from home.”

“This is all the more reason she should take the opportunity to spend time with him when it arises.  I wouldn’t think you would stay married to Aharon if he proved himself to be a father that would allow harm to befall Alleyne or put her in harm’s way.”

Desiree stared at me and opened her mouth to retort when a baby’s wail stopped her.  She disappeared again and came out with a small bundle in her arms.

She was looking down at the bundle and cooing softly and when she glanced up at me the anger or whatever it was that had been in her eyes was gone.  “I guess you are right Emerald. I would like you to meet my youngest daughter, Fire.”

I came forward and held out my arms, and Desiree gently placed Fire in my arms.  The little baby opened her bright blue eyes and I could see she had the same fiery red hair that she clearly inherited from her mother.  I smiled at Fire and said quietly, “well hello there little one. Such beautiful eyes you have.”

Fire cooed at me and lifted a small hand and touched my face.  I chuckled softly and Desiree took her daughter back, as if afraid I may snatch her away.

I studied Desiree holding Fire for a few moments, and made a decision, “well, since it seems that Aharon is going to be gone for a bit, why don’t I stay nearby and keep you Girls company?  I can make camp nearby in the woods.”

Desiree studied me back, her eyes unreadable for a moment before she smiled, and nodded her head, “that would be nice.”

I smiled and headed off to set up camp, it didn’t take me too long, maybe an hour at most.  As I was coming back I heard a man’s voice, “Desiree, you’re beautiful.”

I heard Desiree giggle and respond, “Thank you, Yari.”

I slowed my approach and could just make out Desiree standing and facing a man.  The 2 of them were lost in their own world staring at each other. I came closer and watched them.  The man pulled Desiree closer and stroked her cheek, “I love you, Desiree, come away with me…”

I came a little closer and could see their faces, “Only a coward would ask a mother to leave her family behind.” I commented.

Desiree jumped and pushed herself back, blushing almost as red as her hair but her and the man were both glaring at me.  The man spoke first, “who are you to judge? He leaves her alone all the time!”

I narrowed my eyes at him and stood my full height, “maybe so, but a real man would wait for Aharon to come back and call him out to a fight, not slink around like some sick mongrel that no one wants.”

“b***h,” he hissed and drew a dagger from the sheath at his side.

“Far be it from me to show up a man with a small sword,” I snapped back, “I motioned him with my hand, “bring it.”

He charged at me trying to catch me in the middle with his dagger but I easily side stepped his charge and kicked him in the back of the knees, causing him to stumble. He caught his balance and whirled around again his dagger this time grazing across my middle as I grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm back, allowing his momentum to move his body forward so I had his arm yanked up his back.

“Stop it both of you!” Desiree yelled, tears welling up in her eyes.

I glanced at her, “I’m not going to kill him; he isn’t worth the effort.” While I may not have thought him worth the effort, he did think me worth it as he flipped the dagger around in his other hand and jerked it backwards, doing a deeper gash across my side and ribs.

“Bastard!” I hissed as I yanked his arm father up his back and shoving his head forward.  I jerked him forward, steering him by the arm I had firmly behind his back and glanced at Desiree, “he’s paying for this, Desiree, don’t bring any other men around.”

The tears that had pooled in her eyes threatened to spill out, but she slowly nodded her head and I steered Yari as she had called him back towards the main square of the village.

As we reached the fountain I gave a final shove and released his arm and he whirled around after gaining his balance back and came at me again, like I figured he would.  This time I let his dagger start to sink into my shoulder before screaming and shoving him back.

My scream drew attention, “he attacked me! I caught him trying to lead Desiree away from her home and bringing harm to her family and he attacked me!”

He froze at my words and he quickly looked around at the faces that were starting to gather, “That’s not true! She attacked me first!”

I held out my hands, “and where is my weapon?  It’s still in my sheath, no blood on it. While you have a dagger covered in blood, MY blood.”

He glanced down at his dagger then back at me, while I kept my face straight.  He looked around and saw the frowns on the gathering villagers’ faces and he swallowed.  One of them spoke, "we will deal with him, do you need treatment?”

I shook my head, “I’ll be fine, thank you,” and made a slight bow and headed back towards Desiree.  I don’t know what they did to him, but the next time I happened to see him in the market I noticed with some satisfaction he walked with a limp.

I came back to the house, and didn’t see Desiree, so went inside.  I saw her sitting on one of the benches changing Fire. She glanced at me as I came in, but she wouldn’t look at me for long.

I shook my head, “it's easy sometimes to forget what you have when it’s not around,” I said quietly.  I had been mad, but I had been in Desiree’s shoes before.

Desiree didn’t say anything but glanced at me again and I saw a haunted look flit across her face. Fire screeched at that moment and Desiree jumped slightly.  I laughed softly and came closer and scooped her up.

“Hello again small one,” I said quietly to her, “don’t worry, your mama is still here, I won’t let anything happen to her.” Fire looked at me and scrunched her face, as if thinking, and then gave me a toothless smile.

I smiled back and hummed to her, and smiled at Desiree, and Desiree relaxed slightly and smiled back.

A year went by, I stayed nearby, Desiree and I often talked about anything and everything.  We became close friends, though there were times we didn’t get along, but no one was perfect, I know I certainly wasn’t.