The Moon Calls

34

"So..." Rapunzel looked over Donella's shoulder. "Can you...make the antidote?"

"I'm still studying this tea but I'm sure I'll be able to." She said calmly. "You're in my light, Rapunzel."

"Oh, sorry." She stepped back, blushing a bit. "So...uhm...can you..." She looked around and went to close the door and windows. "Can you tell me about Saporia?"

Donella laughed a bit. "I don't know too much what it was like before, Princess. Only stories told to me as a child."

Rapunzel got comfortable on her bed, smiling eagerly.

Donella sighed and looked at her. "Well..."

The door opened and Cassandra came in. "Eugene's taking the reins." She told Rapunzel. "You want to go out there and keep him company?"

"Oh, okay!" Rapunzel got up. "We'll talk later, Donella."

Donella nodded and Rapunzel headed out.

Cassandra opened the windows. "Did I interrupt something?"

"No, we were just talking." Donella said, going back to her study of the tea. "I should really bring Varian and Hugo in on this, but Lance seems to be intent on teaching Varian how to gamble and Hugo is 'cleaning them out'."

"Why are you trying to learn how to make that tea, anyway?" Cassandra asked.

"If I can recreate it and its antidote, it might come in handy for when we need a bird's eye view of a situation." Donella said calmly.

"Hm." Cassandra nodded. "Okay, fair point." She stretched out and sat on Rapunzel's bed. "So..."

"Yes?" Donella asked, glancing at her.

"I don't know much about you." She shrugged. "Aside from your being from a nomadic tribe of alchemists and knowing Varian's parents."

"And I know nothing about you, aside from you being the adopted daughter of the Captain of the Corona Royal Guard." Donella pointed out.

"Fair point." Cassandra nodded. "How about we do this, then? I tell you something about me, and you tell me something about you?"

"Hm...alright." Donella nodded.

"Okay." Cassandra nodded. "Uhm...gosh, where do I start."

"What happened to your real parents?" Donella asked.

"Oh, wow. Uhm, I don't know." Cassandra admitted. "Everything before I was five years old and getting adopted is just...a blur. I keep hearing a song in my head, though. I think they sang it to me, or...I don't know." She shifted a bit "Your turn."

"What do you want to hear?" Donella asked.

"Why is the tribe nomadic? And does it have a name?" Cassandra asked eagerly.

Donella looked over at her. "Cassandra, that is two questions."

"Oh, fine. Uhm, I learned how to train Owl to work with me from my dad. There, that's two facts about me." Cassandra leaned forward expectantly.

Donella sighed. "They are nomadic because their land was stolen from them and they were driven out at sword-point." She said grimly. "Those that didn't escape were captured and enslaved."

"Oh...wow." Cassandra breathed. "And...the name?"

Donella smiled grimly. "Saporia."

Cassandra's eyes widened. "You were—what?!"

"Yes." Donella nodded. "I am descended from the survivors of the Saporia massacre."

"Massacre?" Cassandra stood up. "What do you mean?"