The bond we share

21. The Journal

                                 

  With the Book in hand I move to find a shady place, that's when I notice the massive Bloom tree that dominates the platform, it is so big and beautiful, it rivals the one back home, Aiden's gaze follows my own.

"That began to grow not long after you went into the maiden, you would not believe how fast that thing popped up and grew, it wasn't until just before you came out that it went into full bloom."

I smile. "I could think of far worse things that could have taken its place." I say looking up at it. Aiden smiles back. "It looks as though I have a new place to read" I say with a laugh.

Aiden does not seem to appreciate my joke. "The one back home is far closer, far more convenient and it has far more history." He pouts.

I giggle a little as I find myself a comfortable spot under the trees immense shade, as the others join me.

I have the book in my hand. Besides being a little water damaged and smelling a little moldy, the book is in particularly good condition; I open it and begin to read.

Journal of Kate Larson.

(3 weeks 2 days) We have been here a few weeks now and nothing is as it seems.

On our way to Egypt, our car was filled with a blinding light and when we could finally see, we found ourselves in this swamp. Thanks to Mark's military experience, he managed to keep us safe for now. He built us a small cabin to protect us from what lurked out there in the fog.

When we first got here, we got out of the car and looked around. Luckily, Mark heard some people coming and hid us, not knowing what to expect. They spoke in a strange language we could not understand.

The fact that they went straight to our car and got angry, I assume because they were looking for someone in it. I believe with all my heart they brought us here, not wanting to know how or why, we stayed quiet and hid.

{5 weeks 4 days} It is getting harder to count the days now and I'm not even sure the day's work the same here. I saw magic! Real magic! We found ourselves wandering into a marketplace. The people there were like something in a dream, a lady with hair of a beautiful black danced a breath-taking dance and every time her hair shifted the fire in her hair showed.

Just as I thought her dance was the most incredible thing I had ever seen, she flung her hands out, producing a chain of fire she weaved through the air, dancing with it with such grace.

When the dance was done her fire changed from a chain to an adorable wolf of some kind. It pranced around the crowd of people collecting a currency, I believe. When she looked at us, she noticed we had nothing to give her and was exceedingly kind to offer us some food, clothes, and a bed for the night.

We have been with Tallulah and Mandel for a while now. They have been very wonderful to us. It is a little snug with Tallulah, Mandel and their two boys, Logan and Metikye, but it is amazingly comfortable.

Mark is not picking up the local language very well, but Tallulah is very patient with me. I have come extremely far since we started with pictures and can now hold a decent conversation with Tallulah at my side helping me when I mess up, like today when I tried to ask if the fruit stall owner had some fresh berries, but apparently, I asked her for her shoe in a barrel. I was horrified but they both laughed and helped me with what I should have said.

I am fluent with the language here now and Mark is getting good too. I have to admit I enjoy it much more when Mark is messing up words and not me, so many times he has had me in stitches and now I know how much my mess ups amused Tallulah, but unlike her I am far less gracious when Mark messes up, leaving him annoyed at me, until I nuzzle up to him apologizing, he always breaks, forgiving me.