Soul Riders ~ A Forgotten Secret

Chapter Two: In Jarlaheim

Marina was looking around nervously and inched closer to the shade. It wasn't long till the bus had arrived and Marina had paid the bus driver to take her towards Jarlaheim. Marina sighed and inched closer to her seat, she looked over at the window next to her.
The landscape had changed dramatically. The Cape West Fishing Village was long gone behind her. The bus had went its way through a mountain pass. She watched as the bus drove through a thick and huge forest, in which casted yellow-white sunbeams through the branches of the trees and some hills with some mushrooms that looks like it was making some fairy circles. But as the bus cleared the forest, she saw some craggy gray-brown mountains looming overhead, a few still have some last vestiges of snow on the peaks. It wasn't long till she saw the strong fortress besides the mountain and some houses outside of the huge, castle-like fortress. She knew the history of Jorvik, but some things are still shrouded in mystery.
She had seen astonishing pictures of Jorvik. High mountains, gentle rolling hills and slopes, and a rich shade of emerald green that almost looked photoshopped. The sparkling, vast blue sea around the island seemed endless. It brought the stories of colorful fairy tales she'd read when she was little to life. She inched closer to the window, not willing to be seen by anybody. Marina waited a few more minutes and watched as the others they either gotten off the bus or had gotten onto the bus. But it wasn't long till she had arrived to Jarlaheim.
She got out of the green bus with her suitcase and backpack before she looked at the area with admiration and wariness.
"Marina!" She turned to see Aunt Liliana with a small smile and hugged her eagerly, in which she returns. Aunt Liliana has warm green eyes and dark brown hair that's tied into a ponytail with some flower decorations. She's wearing a green cape with flower-like crests underneath it is a red dress with red-orange buttons, and dark brown boots for her gardening skills and her adventurous spirit. "It's been so long since we've seen each other." Marina flushed as Aunt Liliana ruffled her hair. "You've grown up so much."
"It's great to see you again Auntie," said Marina with a smile.
Aunt Liliana had took the suitcase from Marina's hands and led her to the apartment that's in the town square. The closest neighbors lived next door. The apartment that was now theirs — Marina felt quite comfortable calling this home — it stands tall and straight, with about four or five windows, no weeds and a pair of wide vases with planted flowers on the fence.
Once they had finished packing, Marina had went upstairs to her new bedroom with her suitcase. She fiddled around, unpacking her belongings. She liked the special window seat that has the sight of the sea and the city of Jarlaheim.
The bedroom was spacious, but not much bigger than her old one. The bed looked looked new and comfortable. She had added her white pillows and blue flowery checkered bedspread blanket. Freya sniffed the air to check for any perfume from Aunt Liliana, but she had only caught the scent of wildflowers and the sea breeze.
The bathroom was sparklingly clean — almost sterile.
Sitting on the sink was a small hand soap that looked cheap and luxurious. When she peeked behind the shower curtain, she discovered sea shampoo, flowery conditioner, lemon liquid soap, and shower gel. Big, fluffy white towels were stacked up on the towel rack, folded like in a hotel.
She lingered in front of the bathroom mirror. The girl looked back at her looked weary, but filled with hope and excitement. Otherwise, she was the same as always and walked towards the window. Marina looked away from the window, and resumed unpacking her belongings.
When done, Marina smiled and wiped off the sweat from her brow. She placed her books in a round part of the room corresponding to the study table with four chairs and two bookshelves. The room has a storage chest at the foot of the bed, a nightstand with an electric lamp by the bed. She saw a white table with a chair and a silver computer on the table by the window and across an armoire. A mirrored vanity table with a stool at the same side as the door. Marina had also placed her telescope by the reading nook. She had put her unique collection of colorful and reflective crystals hanging from the ceiling. She placed a stuffed blue snow leopard on her bed, and various trophies and medals won from her former schools on the mirrored vanity table. She lastly placed her decorative pillows onto the blue cushioned reading nook.
"Marina! Lunch!" She went to the kitchen, but as soon as she sat down to join her aunt at the table and smiled at the pepperoni pizza on their plates and in the center of the table. She noticed that Aunt Liliana wants to talk to her about something.
"You're going over to Jorvik Stables tomorrow, right?" Marina nodded and Aunt Liliana smiled warmly. "It would be good for you to meet some friends your own age again." Marina flinched at that reminder. "Maybe be around some horses." Marina smiled at that. "I put some money on the counter for you, and a map of the island." Aunt Liliana chuckled softly as Marina ate her slice of pizza.
"Can I look around the town now?" asked Marina.
"Once you're done eating sweetie," Aunt Liliana countered.
After Marina was done eating, she had went outside and started looking around the town from the sidewalks. Marina admired the strength of the massive fortress that surrounded the town and remembered that Aunt Liliana had showed her some pictures of Jarlaheim. But she kept a fair distance from other people and from the road when she saw some people riding on their horses. Marina couldn't shake off the feeling that she has been here before, but she hasn't... Maybe she was babysat by Aunt Liliana at Jarlaheim when she was younger, mystery solved.
But Marina snapped out of her thoughts in the shade of a store when she suddenly heard a whinny and turned to see a wild mare tied by ropes! The mare's eyes darted fiercely as she struggled to pull away from four cloaked men on horseback pulling her up the street with ropes wrapped around her necks, the mare was kicking and bucking, trying to break free. But with the confusion, Marina couldn't see what type of horse that the mare was. People and horses stepped back from the confusion and were watching it all nervously, as if they were afraid if the wild mare would break free and cause a panic in the town.
But Marina doesn't feel any fear, she felt empathy and sympathy towards the wild mare. She felt her heart ached for the mare. For a while, she'd been running free as the wind, and now she was going to one of the stables. In a sense, the mare was representing how Marina felt. She feels trapped and lonely, she's living in a new place and she wasn't able to find any new friends with this "mysterious aura" surrounding her. Marina sighed with an empathetic pang in her chest as she watched as the cloaked people on their horses leading the wild mare towards the direction of Jorvik Stables. Marina knew that the horse handlers are going to try to tame the wild mare, which seems impossible.
"Poor mare," whispered Marina as she watched as the druids led the wild mare from the town and headed towards the stables.
She doesn't want the mare to loose that feisty spark in her, but getting her used to humans is to get her tamed. But Marina admires the bold attitude in the mare. Marina sighed, feeling conflict about this inner situation towards the wild mare.
She suddenly felt something from her amulet and took it out into the sunlight, gently holding it with a curious expression. Before she could study it, Marina saw Aunt Liliana coming towards her.
"Are you okay sweetie?" asked Aunt Liliana and Marina nodded when her aunt caught sight of her amulet. "May I?"
Marina tilted her head and narrowed her eyes warily, but she nodded to her aunt and let her check out the amulet too.
"This amulet is from the Middle Ages when Jon Jarl ruled over the island," Aunt Liliana explained to Marina softly. "The amulet is made by a druid and the piece of a stone is taken from a runestone. The Rune Stone script within the amulet is a protection formula and it should protect you from any dangers."
"How's that even possible?" asked Marina doubtful and her silvery amulet gleamed in the sunlight.
"Anything's possible in Jorvik." Aunt Liliana winked at Marina playful, while the teenage girl just rolled her eyes at her aunt's playfulness. "Never mind that. How about you go and meet some new friends?"
"Umm... I'm good. Thanks." Marina swallowed nervously when she saw some teens around her age by the water fountain. She walked towards them, but she hesitated when one of the girls looked towards her direction and led her towards the fence of the Mayor's garden.
She's around Marina's age and is slim as Marina. The girl has a slight olive complexion. Her bright hazel eyes shone with curiosity and her long brown hair is streaked in blonde and tied back into pigtails, aside from two beaded strands. She's wearing a purple hoodie over a bright green t-shirt, along with purple riding gloves, brown pants, and two dark brown tennis shoe-like boots. She also has a black string necklace with a turquoise pendant in the center around her neck.
Marina recognized the girl as Brooklyn and one of the relatives of the Jarlasson family. She probably lives somewhere around there and has a prized horse named Melody that's skilled in jumping competitions. She lives on a farm with her parents and older brother, somewhere outside of the town.
"Hi there, I'm Brooklyn Jarlasson." The girl smiled at Marina when she was about to shy away from her. "My older brother drives me crazy. He owns a Jorvik Warmblood named Buddy." Brooklyn looked at her curiously. "I have a horse at Jorvik Stables. She's a Trakehner and her name is Melody." Brooklyn sighed fondly. "We both like to hack out and do show jumping."
"Sounds fun." Marina looked towards the direction of Jorvik Stables, uncertain if she should follow the wild mare or not. "I wish I have a horse too."
"You're about to work at one of the best stables in Jorvik," said Brooklyn with a teasing smirk, which made Marina smirked back just as playfully. "I'm sure you're bound to find a horse around these parts."
"Very funny," Marina huffed playfully.
"Who said I was being funny?" asked Brooklyn innocently and her hazel eyes sparkled with mischief.
"You just did," Marina admitted playfully.
"You sneak!" exclaimed Brooklyn with a bright grin.
It wasn't long till the two girls has started playfully teasing each other and started learning about each other better for the next few hours, unaware that somebody has been watching them during those hours. Marina and Brooklyn both knew that it's going to take a while for their friendship to blossom even more. But it wasn't long till they both noticed that the sun was started to set and the night sky was coming across the sky.
"See you tomorrow Brooklyn," said Marina as she waved goodbye to her new friend.
"You too," Brooklyn said with a smile and ran off towards one of the apartment buildings that's across the street from Marina.
But on the opposite side of the road, halfway hidden besides one of the buildings, a rider in a long, gray cloak was riding a gray horse and watched the two girls in pure amusement. But neither Marina nor Brooklyn would have seen the women.