Stolen

Chapter 2-1

Chapter 2

I rose quickly and searched for Renée to tell her the news. Bebe had already risen and gone to fetch the water and my friend prepared a simple sustenance to break our fast. I rushed over to her and she asked, “He came to you last night?”

“I have much to tell you.” I offered the note to her.

She took the note and did not open it yet, turning it over and over in her hands. “He is powerful to be able to send this to you in your dream.” She sniffed the piece of paper and added, “Or he’s closer than we think.”

“I know. We should pack up and leave soon. He could be within a few miles of us.”

When Renée finished reading the note, she dropped it and she looked more afraid than I had ever seen her be before. “We must leave immediately.”

“Surely, there is time to finish breakfast.”

“The queen would never have spoken so freely to us unless in desperate circumstances. And la petite Reine,” she picked up the note and then handed the note back to me with haste as though it were hot to the touch. “Without help, I will not toy with the likes of her. We must leave now.”

“But who is this la petite Reine? I do not understand.”

Renée grabbed a stick and began writing in the dirt. “You must never say her name. She has more power when she hears it spoken and will come to find you.” She pointed down to the hastily written letters in the ground. “Q-U-E-E-N M-A-B.”

And like magic, her name crystalized in my memory and I remembered her from the dream. Some great magic had held back my remembering her and I became frightened. “I remember now. She’s been in my dreams. I’ve seen her. But isn’t she just a fantasy invented by children?”

“No, she is as real as we. And if she has visited you in your dreams, her power grows.” Renée threw away the stick.

“What would she want from me?”

“We must not find out and leave before she finds us here in America.”

“But go where? If la petite Reine is searching for us, where can we go that’s safe?”

Renée pointed to the note in my hand. “To England. We have to return and I must speak with my sisters.”

Without another thought, I tore the note in two. “Bebe and I are not returning to England. That is what they all want. I will not sacrifice our safety to go back home to become entangled with them.”

Renée looked to retort my statement but then she smiled. “Home. See? Even you cannot deny that we are simply travelers here.” She pointed at the ripped letter I held. “That note is a sign that it is time for us to return. We cannot run any longer. It is time to turn back.”

“Why? So that we can save the king and queen, become heroes and put Phoebe at risk? I will not do it.” I threw the note onto the ground.

“You and your mother have such a stubborn side. My patience cannot take this. I have followed you for years around this country, but now it is time to return. I ask that, for once, you listen to me.”

“Do not bring my mother into this. If you are not happy being on the road with Bebe and me, then perhaps we should separate. I do not have you chained here.” I turned my back on Renée and saw Bebe standing behind me. In my anger, I had not heard her come around the wagon.

She had rested a pail of water on the ground and watched us arguing, not certain what to say. But in seeing me turn away in anger, she said, “Mama, I want to go to England. I have never been. And once we return, I can meet Father. We will have a good time!”

“We will not be returning to England. I will have none of this folly.”

I walked off and headed in a random direction away from the wagon. I could not think with clarity because of the anger that clouded my vision. I knew she was right, but needed time to settle my thoughts. Renée knew me well enough not to engage me any further and out of the corner of my eye I could see her calling Bebe back to her. I nearly lost my life and sanity all those years ago and I did not want to go back as a pawn in their games. Not looking back, I kept walking and needed to find the words to apologize for my bad behavior and to come to terms with my fears. But first, I needed time to deal with my anger.

***

When I returned a while later, Renée had the wagon loaded with all our belongings. Two horses were hitched to the wagon and the third she had saddled for her. I walked up to the wagon and she came over to me. “I have taken a third of the king’s gold that is left. You and Phoebe will need it more than I will, but I will need my share to get back to England.”

“I want us to go with you. I spoke too rashly and think it best for Bebe and me to go with you.” I kept my arms crossed and then looked down at the ground, worried that too much had been said to change her mind.

“It is too late for that now. I have thought it through and you are right that I best go on my own. The danger is too great and there is darkness in my past that I have not yet shared with you.” Though her hair had much gray, she still had plenty of fiery red in it.

I ignored her trap for I knew her well and asked, “If you’d not have us go with you, then tell me why.”

She put her arms on her hips and glanced up at the blue sky and said, “La petite Reine killed my mother, my brother, and father, and tortured my sister long enough to drive her insane.” She dug in her pocket and handed me back the note that the witch hunter had given me in the dream. Miraculously it was no longer torn in two. “Do you want to know why she did all this to my family?”

I turned the note over in my hand and could see no seam from where or how it had been made whole. “Yes.”

“My sister told me that la petite Reine wanted an offering of milk from my father and he refused to give her part of his hard labor. So she destroyed my family in return.” Renée grabbed the note from my hand and ripped out the section that read “la petite Reine.” She then handed it back to me. “She is selfish, twisted, and capricious. I spent most of my youth chasing her down trying to inflict my revenge on her. And I failed. I tried for years until she tired of toying with me and moved on. Where I go is not safe for you and Phoebe.”

I glanced down at the note and saw that it had already healed itself. The rip was no longer there. “But if we come with you, we can help. You will need us.”

“I will need help, but not from either of you.” She came close to me and put her arm around me. “You two are all who remain left alive that I love. You are right that you should not go. I do not wish to lose you both as well. If la petite Reine wants you for something, then it is best that you run. And I will go back to England and help the queen defeat la petite Reine.”

“I do not want to run away in fear. I can’t let you take this risk for me. You mean too much to us. Please, let us come with you.” I saw her preparing to walk away and added, “Will you not change your mind for me?”

I could see that I had affected her greatly. Her face paled and drained of all color. Renée turned away from me to hide her tears, and caught Bebe peeking out of the wagon. “You must trust me that it is not your place to go with me. Do not ask this of me again. Please.”

She walked over to Bebe and hugged her and then kissed her on the forehead. She murmured a few words of a protective spell and then offered me her hand. Startled that she would leave so, I did not accept and stood still with not knowing what to say.

“After many years, I stopped chasing after la petite Reine because I had nearly lost my way in trying to find my revenge. It was your mother who taught me to let it go. I had searched for years but could never find her. Now, I have been given a sign. It is time for me to return and it is best that you not get involved.”

I had to try one last time. “Renée, do not go like this. I know I’m a fool and often let my anger get the best of me, but we need you.”

“There is much that you need to learn and maturity is one of those things. I cannot live your life for you and shield you any longer. It is enough that you have kept much from me of your nightly journeys back to him. What you try to do is not right.”

I froze in place. The words cut me deep. I had not known that Renée knew of my secrets. I had never spoken or written of them to anyone. She picked up her hat from the back of the wagon and placed it on her head. I called after her, “How did you know?”

“Do you think me a fool? I am a witch and know when magic is being used.” She waved and went to her horse. “My advice to you is as it always has been. Let him go before you truly make yourself a fool.”

Bebe ran to me and pulled at my skirt. “Say something, Mama. Do not let her go!”

“Go inside the wagon. We’re leaving.” My stupid pride spoke more than reason.

Bebe began to cry and she ran to Renée who had finished tying down her saddle bags and her water skins. Renée held her tight and kissed her again and then pulled herself up onto the horse. She waved to me and then turned away, urging her horse to head east.

In my head, I yelled for her to stop, but I never spoke the words. Bebe chased after Renée but she quickened the pace of her horse and Bebe stopped running. I went to my daughter and put my arms around her to comfort her. The two of us walked to the wagon and headed off west. I kept waiting to hear Renée turn back around having changed her mind, but she did not. She had made her decision and I had made mine many times late at night over the last ten years. That Renée knew of my secret life shamed me. I cast off my thoughts and fears and focused on riding onward. Our journey stretched long that day and I did not stop until after the sun had set. Bebe and I had a simple meal of dried meat and some stale bread, but neither of us complained. We were tired and both had not much hunger. After Bebe went to sleep, which took longer than normal, as I needed to comfort her much in her sorrow, I sat on the ground and closed my eyes.

My hand glowed brilliant white and with thought and purpose I focused my power and reached out to the sky above, following the trail of stars until I could find Renée. I had known her for many years and could find her easily with my magic. I kept my eyes closed and in minutes I had found her. I had expected her to be somewhat close to us still, but she had journeyed much farther than I had thought possible. I knew not how she had done this, but some great magic had been used. When I opened my eyes, I could see her talking with someone. I took a deep breath, held a moment, and let my mind relax. I gathered the threads of light from the sky and imagined I could be there and saw …

Renée hugged another woman and said, “Thank you for taking me in. Months have passed since my last night in a bed. I will sleep well tonight.”

“You are always welcome in our school.” The older woman hugged her back and beckoned her into her home. “What brings you to Philadelphia?”

“In a few days, I head back to England. With being away so long, I could use your assistance in finding passage.” Renée sat down in the offered seat in the sitting room and accepted a glass of water.

“I can have one of my teachers help you with that. Tomorrow morning I will introduce you to Eliana and she can act as your guide, helping you with your affairs. She is keen on learning so I suspect you both will get along nicely.” The old woman sat down on a sofa and added, “I wish I would have known of your coming. I would have prepared a better dinner for you. It is not often that my best pupil comes to visit.”

Renée lowered her head in embarrassment and spoke low. “Thank you for the kind compliment. I have missed you.”

“You last wrote me months ago. How does your own teaching go?”

“Hannah, I fear that I have failed her. She does not listen to my advice and uses her magic to try and change the past and the present.” Renée placed her glass down and rubbed her temple. “I question whether I should have stayed to help her.”