The Sacred Rhythm Of The Moors

Chapter 2

The gentle glow of the morning sun peeked through the canopy of the forest with droplets of dew falling on the windowsills. I sat down on my desk listening intently to the sounds of the birds chirping and the carts moving along the bumpy village road toward the market.
I stood in front of my closet, trying to find fresh pieces of clothing for the day when I heard a small knock on the door.

"Can I come in?" Eva said with her grumpy morning voice.

"Yes."

She opened the door steadily and dragged herself inside.

"Mom said she and dad were called urgently somewhere. Something about new market policies. Anyway, she asked me to tell you that we have to remain in the market till they come back." She said, placing her hands behind her back, a habit she picked up from dad I believe.

"What? Why? Why can't we just stay home?" I asked.

"Well, I don't know," She said, raising her eyebrows at me.

I waited for sometime hoping that she will say something else but that was it I assume.

"Fine, " I said sighing.

"The caramel dress looks good on you, the one with the long sleeves," she said, pointing towards my closet.

I smiled, nodding at her. "Thank you."

When I reached downstairs, mom and dad were already packing their food inside the small bamboo basket I made. It was a cozy and well furnished room, with two candles over the table and two over the mantlepiece. The morning light was hardly distinguishable through our closed curtains. No one acknowledged my presence untill I was standing right beside mom. I cleared my throat to make sure I don't startle them.

"Why can't we just stay at home?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, we don't know how late we are going to be and moreover, I don't want any misshappenings in the house while I am gone. And Eva, you seem to do that quite frequently," Mom said, with her usual stern voice.

Eva glared and opened her mouth to say something but decided against it.

"I can take care of her, can't I?" I asked mom.

"Of course you can, Aurora," she said casually and picked up the baskets.

I turned to dad with a penurious expression.

"A lot has been going on lately. She's just worried, okay?" dad said, giving me a gentle kiss on my forehead.

While I was growing up I assumed that as the older one, I will be able to attend their consultations and they will include me in their conversations. But lately I have realised that the chances for that to happen are pretty slim. The things they talk about are difficult to understand but I made myself believe that I would try my best to be useful. Well, I don't have any clue of what's happening at this point. But I guess I should.
All of us headed outside one by one. Mom closed the front door behind her and gestured us towards the cart.
I sat down with Eva and watched as dad held out both his hands to help mom get up. They looked like the perfect married couple everyone was so eager to become one day. We had never heard stories of how they met or when they got married. Yet another matter we had no clue whatsoever.

"We are going to drop you in the market, okay? Make sure you both have something," Mom said.

"Okay," Eva said. I stayed quiet.

"Aurora, while Eva is still in the market, I want you to go to the moors and check on the horse. Make sure she is fed," she said, now looking directly at me.

"Sure," I said.

We all sat in silence as we moved. I looked outside where the first faint shoots of green were breaking out upon the elms, and the sticky spear- heads of chestnuts were just beginning to burst into their five- fold leaves. Eva rambled about with dad while mom and I were silent for the most part. I looked at her every once in a while and noticed her eyes searching something in the distance. Her blue eyes sparkled as rays of sunlight fell on them.

"Okay. Take care of yourself, both of you," Dad said, as the cart came to a stop.

"Will do," I said.

I looked at Eva who seemed lost. I gave her a little nudge with my elbow.

" Oh, I am sorry. Yes dad, we will," she said, smiling.

We watched them go as the cart turned around a corner towards the mid east, moving unvarying and distinctly. As the cart got smaller and smaller, the remains of my spirit of enquiry grew with every second.

" You know where to go, don't you?" I asked Eva as I walked.

"Yes. Why?" She might be little, but she is definitely not naive.

"Well, you heard what mom said. I have go keep an eye on the horses. You will be okay, right?" I asked her.

"Yes. I will be with Theresa," she said, pointing towards a little girl, shorter than Eva, wearing a blue dress with white stockings.

"Good," I said.

Theresa came running the moment she caught sight of us. Her hair was cut short. She looked younger than my sister, with her dark brown eyes and dark skin. She lived with her mother in the village in the east. Her dad died when she was only one, in an accident that occurred by the river. Both our mothers had been friends for as long as I can remember.

"Hey!" She said when she came closer.

"Hey Theresa. Listen, I will be gone for a while, okay? I want you both not to roam around," I said, clear and with precision.

"Yes. We won't," Theresa said, nodding at me.

Both of them walked towards a group of people where I noticed Theresa's mother standing. She smiled as she spotted me and waved her hands. She was a placid woman, independent. Her dark brown eyes reflected the sorrow she had boldly battled throughout her entire life. I waved back and headed towards the destination I am supposed to make my way through.

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