A Gust of Wind

Part 7 Amelia

"Aunt Cara, I can explain-"

"Amelia! What have you done?" Aunt Cara leans against the doorway for support and grabs her head. "No, no, no... may the holy Air Goddess protect our souls," she weeps into her hands, muttering to herself.

"Aunt Cara please-" I reach my hands toward her in comfort. 

She recoils from my touch and wraps her arms around herself. "Get rid of them!" She spits out. "I can't save everyone Amelia and I don't need any more strays, so get rid of them!" 

Henry flinches from her words and looks at the ground shamefully. Baby Eli begins to whimper from his spot on the floor. "We're sorry to impose ma'am," Henry mumbles to the ground, "We'll be heading off now."

"No!" I shout, "they're in danger and need our help..."

"Amelia, silence. You're too reckless for your own good. We'll pack some food for their departure and send them on their way." Leaving no room to argue, Aunt Cara turns on her heel and starts down the hall. "You have two minutes," she calls behind her.

Wrapping my arms around Henry's slight frame, I try to soothe his worries with quiet words. "Henry I'm so sorry. I'm going to do everything I can to help."

"It's alright," Henry sniffs, "I didn't expect a home or anything."

"How about we find some new clothes to send you off in?" I drift towards my shelves of clothes, desperate for an action to comfort the pair of children. Grabbing my plainest cloak, I drape a forest green hood over Henry's dark hair and secure the fabric around him with an ivory button.

Peering out from under his shaggy hair and heavy cloak, Henry's glassy eyes sparkle with gratitude. I don't linger on Henry's reaction, trying to utilize the time. Grabbing another cloak off the shelf, I place the hood on Eli's small head and watch the remaining fabric flutter against the ground. His chubby fingers wrap around the black cloak and entice the vines from my window sill to creep into my room towards his outstretched hand. 

"Oh gods," Henry mutters. I grab a set of fabric shears off my shelf and chop the crawling vines until Eli grows distracted with the fabric drowning him. He sticks out his bottom lip and begins to whimper. I stop his crying with a stream of wind that dances around his arms and lifts his hair into the air. Maintaining a playful gust of wind requires no concentration from me, because the air already has a mischievous nature. While Eli is distracted, I chop off a few feet of fabric from his cloak to create a more practical design. 

"Well, that's as much as I can do." I say while placing a maroon cloak on my own shoulders and slipping my black boots back on.

"Thank you for your help," Henry looks at me with eyes full of emotion, "I won't forget what you've done for us."

"Where will you go?" I ask. I pick Eli up from the floor and hold him against my hip.

"Probably West. I've heard rumors of the gifted people trying to gather at the Gods' temple and I want Eli to be with others like him. I don't know what they'll think of me but I trust that this is Eli's best chance." Henry picks at a loose thread on his shirt. I imagine myself at 12 years old, trying to cross the country with a gifted baby and no help.

"You're very brave Henry. Eli is lucky to have such a good big brother." A few tears roll down my cheeks and slow currents of wind dip around the room in a haunted dance.