For My Sister

Chapter 7

We sat in silence all the way to Millcou. The wharf where we finally beached was quiet. Only fisherman or two sat around mending their nets so Jolene and I had no trouble coming ashore and drowning our canoe so that no one would be inquisitive. We really wouldn't need that canoe anymore anyways. It was definitely too dark to try to make it to the Ice Palace that night. It wasn't even safe to try to make it to the House of Regency, which was a good deal closer, and try to get a hold of our mother that night. Our only chance of survival was to find an inn and rest there and then try to make our parents see us the following day. We had little time to lose. A storm was coming in rather quickly and our cloaks were already wet with the snow coming down and from the night before. Thankfully, there was a decent looking inn, the North Star Inn, which was only several blocks away.

The inn itself was a rather new experience for us. It was warm in there to be sure. And it looked like a lot of middle-class subjects and a few rich people had come to spend the night there. There was a lot of shouting and some rather loud and dis-harmonic music playing somewhere in the corner. But the smell of soup and bread came from the kitchen like a warm welcome and a good omen. There was a thick red carpet on the floor everywhere and the tables were all spread out so as to make the whole place look bigger than it actually was. Every chair and sofa in the room was covered with fur. The smell of pine was everywhere and did make the place feel more cheerful. As it was, Jolene and I didn't have too many other options for that night. I don't think Jolene knew quite what to do so I went up to the counter.

"What can I do ye fer, lad?" The bristly bearded fat man behind the counter asked me as I approached.

"My sister and I are in town to...visit some relatives of ours and just need a place to spend the night so that we can safely reach our relative's home come morning. We have enough gold to pay for a room for the night so long as you can provide us with two different beds or at least a cot for me."

"No problem, lad. What be the name?" The landlord asked kindly getting out his fat guestbook.

"Julian, son of ...Malcolm." I didn't dare say anything that might reveal whose son I really was and then get sent back to Millween.

"Welcome to Millcou, lad," the landlord said handing me a room key. "Can I order ye a coach fer the morning?"

"Oh no, thank you, kind sir. My sister and I would prefer to walk and it's not a very long walk at all." With that, I took Jolene's hand and went upstairs to our room. There was a roaring fire on the hearth and a polar bear skin rug on the floor and wholly mammoth blankets on both beds. In one corner was a small dresser on which sat a bowl and pitcher of water.

"Do you mind if I freshen up a bit before supper?" Jolene asked motioning to the dresser.

"If you want, sure. It's your face not mine but I'm going on back downstairs immediately and grab us a table and some food. I'm starving."

Leaving my sister with the key I went back downstairs into the pub. Finding a small table for two, I ordered two bowls of beef stew, warm bread, and a couple cups of hot chocolate. As I sat there, I just looked around at the various people who had come to the tavern, the old and the young, the beautiful and the ugly, and the ones who were just straight up weird. There were those who looked like they despised the building they were in and the people they were with. There were people whose faces had been weathered from the cold wind and days at sea. There were also the silent ones who kept their hoods on and merely sat there smoking. I had to wonder what kind of stories some of these people could tell about how they came here and why they were here.

"Excuse me."

I looked behind me and saw a blonde girl standing there in a pink gown. The gown looked a little tight for her around the waist and it didn't exactly look warm enough to keep out winter's bite.

"Might I sit with you, kind sir? I do not care to keep company with ruffians such as these that roam the inn."

There weren't too many rough-looking characters around so that was just a little weird but a lot of the men were muscly and did look like hunters. Maybe she was just uncomfortable around big men like that. "For the moment, sure." I said. I was about to add that my sister was going to join us shortly but the blonde quickly kissed my cheek and bounced down in the other chair and both actions surprised me so much that I stopped talking.

"Oh thank you so much!" she said quickly. I nicknamed her Bouncy in my mind because of her, well, bouncy behavior. "It's rather a scary thing to be all alone in an inn without knowing a person in all the world, as is our case." She continued demurely running her fingers on my hand.

"Well, the scary things we do are what make us brave."

Bouncy gave a little giggle. "And you, look like the bravest, not to mention handsomest one here. Especially given the fact that you are so young. And no ruffian either. That is so rare to find these days. I don't see a lot young men such as yourself frequent the inn, especially all by themselves."

"Okay, Bouncy," I thought to myself. "I'm starting to wonder exactly if you were really bothered by all these other guys around. Which 'see' do you even mean: the observation kind of seeing or the other seeing?"

"In fact," Bouncy continued getting up and running her hand along my arm up to my shoulder and neck. "I am in desperate need of your help, more so than just allowing me to sit with you for a meal. I am alone in the world. My mother and father were killed in this very inn not a fortnight ago and I am afraid that someone will come back for me as well. I would feel so much safer if there was someone with me at night to help protect me."

By now, Bouncy had my face cupped in her hands and was giving me a very seductive look. It was really uncomfortable for me to be in that situation not to mention a very tempting situation. I have to admit that I kind of did want to go up with her. I would just have to come up with an excuse to give Jolene. Jolene! My twin sister! Whatever one twin does will affect the other somehow. If I was to do something like this, my sister might come across as another plaything that likes sleeping with men. I couldn't let that become her image. Not to mention that would also look bad for my parents and whole family. I knew what I had to do. Gently, I removed Bouncy's hands from my face.

"I'm sorry," I said looking her squarely in the face. "If you're that desperate for protection, go to one of the hunters who is tough and no doubt battle ready. I cannot do what you want me ask of me, for I was born to be a king."

Suddenly the room changed, everybody still went about their business as if they couldn't see what was going on. The room's color shifted to shades of red and black. Bouncy's hands grabbed my neck as if she was going to choke me to death. Her body became more flowy and transparent and soon took on an orange aura. Her dress went from pink to black and her hair went from blonde to red. Her eyes went from blue to deep green and an ugly mole appeared on her face below her lips.

"Bhavani! You're alive!" I screeched gasping for air and trying to free myself from her hold, which for a transparent body was really strong.

"My life force is keeping me here thanks to the fact I signed the book of Vladwick with my blood, a thing my father never did. I waited twenty-five years to kill you, son of Rowan. I will wait twenty-five more. In twenty-five years on this day, I will take everything from you, just as your family took everything away from me."

With that, she let go of my neck, disappeared and the room returned to its normal color. I doubled over coughing trying to get my breath back. Another skirt came and its owner kneeled in front of me. This time it was Jolene.

"You okay?" She asked. "I felt that you were having a hard time breathing. You looked like you were going into an epilepsy attack just now."

"I'm good," I hacked. "Just an empty threat from a dead Bhavani."

"Aw, don't worry about her," Jolene shrugged slapping me on the back in an attempt to help me breath better. "She's as dead as a doornail and doornails can't hurt you."

"Unless they get shoved really good into your skin." I countered finally feeling like my breath was back. "Let's eat."