The Atheil Chronicles: A Call to Fire

Chapter 2

It was a little after noon the next day when Ariana padded into the kitchen, letting out a yawn as she ran a hand wearily over her eyes. Pulling out a wooden chair from the table, she sat down heavily on it, the old wood creaking ominously beneath her shifting weight. Her mom, who had been busy wiping down the counter when she walked in, turned around at the sound, leaning back against it as she smiled down at her.
"Good morning, honey, how'd you sleep?" She asked, but she had barely even finished speaking when Ariana let out another huge yawn. "That good, huh?"
Ariana, who wasn't particularly in the mood for joking quite yet, simply nodded, sniffing the air. "Are those bagels I smell?" She asked, and, right on cue, her stomach let out a rippling gurgle.
"Yepp. Just put them in a minute ago. I figured you'd be making your way out here sooner or later."
A moment later, the toaster made a metallic clicking sound and the two bagel halves popped, saturating the room with their aroma. "See," she said, pointing at them, "perfect timing."
As her mom began to meticulously spread butter across the bagels, Ariana watched her silently, her mind still foggy from her night of unrest. It was only once her mom set them in front of her on the table that she finally snapped back to reality, sitting up a little straighter as she silently reached for one of the piping hot halves.
"Thanks." She said quietly, biting into it and closing her eyes with a sigh. "Man, these are good."
Her mom laughed, pulling out a chair and leaning back in it. "You'd think that you would be used to them by now, you eat them every morning."
Ariana pointed her half eaten bagel at her, somewhat defensively. "Hey, don't knock it until you try it. I could eat these every day for the rest of my life and still never be sick of them. You know that I'm a creature of habit."
"That you are." Her mom said, smiling.
As silence ensued, Ariana started on her second half of the bagel, leaning forward on her free hand as she surveyed her mom. "What time did you get up this morning?" She asked, sure that she already knew the answer but deciding to ask anyway. Like Ariana, her mom was also a creature of habit.
"Oh, I don't know," she said, tilting her head as she squinted over her shoulder thoughtfully, "maybe 6, 7 am. I woke up early so that I could get in some gardening before it got too hot out."
Ariana repressed a smile, not responding but instead choosing to glance out the window over the sink. As a child, she had heard all of the stories from her mom about growing up in a house full of boys and the first come-first serve mentality that came along with mealtimes. It was apparently because of this that her mom had gotten into the habit of waking up so early in the first place, choosing to forgo the extra sleep in order to have some fighting chance at breakfast.
Thinking this, she glanced up at her mom, taking her in as she poured over the newspaper that spread out in front of her. It had been over 8 years since she had seen anyone from her moms side of the family, the last time having been at a family reunion up-state. They had never been particularly close to her family, having only maintained contact at holidays and birthdays, but even from a young age Ariana had understood why. In a family of loud, outgoing individuals, her mom had been the black sheep, quiet and thoughtful despite the chaos around her.
The breaking point, truth be told, had involved Ariana, herself, though she hadn't known it at the time. While her grandparents had never approved of her moms choices, moving so far away, choosing to become a vegetarian, and using that knowledge to become an editor for a well-known lifestyle magazine, they had always kept their comments to a minimum, really only bringing it up when they saw her in person. This time, however, it had been their daughter's "ill-advised" decision to adopt a child while single that had pushed them over the edge. A relatively religious family, they had disapproved of bringing a child into a house with only a mother to guide her, insisting that Ariana needed a father if she was going to be "well-rounded." This had, for the most part, been the reason for her mom going low-contact, which worked most of the time. The family reunion, however, had been the final straw, and a fight had broken out shortly into it involving the fact that her mom still hadn't told Ariana where she had come from. It had been years later when Ariana finally found out the truth about the fight, having asked over and over again why they didn't hear from her grandparents anymore. While she hadn't been sad over their departure from their lives, she couldn't help but feel some sort of guilt; she knew that it had been because of her that it was now just the two of them against the world.
Perhaps perceiving the sudden shift in her mood, her mom set down her newspaper, squinting suspiciously at her daughter. "What's up?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "You have that look on your face."
Ariana, who hadn't realized that she was being so transparent, swallowed the last bit of her bagel, turning away. She moved her gaze once more to the window just above the sink, peering out to where the trees bordered the yard. "It's Henry." She said, using the half-truth to conceal her lie. "He's gone again. Have you seen him?"
Her mom shrugged. "He came out of your room a few hours ago for food but, as far as I know, he went back in there."
Ariana let out a sigh. "He must have gone out the window again." She said, taking in a large breath as she rapped her fingertips gently against the table, thinking. "Mom," she said slowly, choosing her words carefully, "have you ever seen a spring in the forest?"
Just as she had thought, her mom immediately looked suspicious, her green eyes surveying her carefully from across the table. "No," she said, her voice low, "there aren't any springs in the forest, at least none where you should have been."
Ariana swallowed. She had known that was coming. "It's not like that," she said, thinking quickly, "I just wondered if you had seen any. I was thinking of taking my camera with me today and-and I wanted to get some shots of it if you knew about one." She finished lamely. It was a stupid lie, probably not all that convincing, but she also knew that it was better than the alternative, which was surely a lecture about not respecting boundaries.
Her mom furrowed her brow, her bright eyes fixed on Ariana's face as she tried desperately not to look as guilty as she felt. After a moment, though, her mom let out a soft sigh. "Oh," she said, clearly relieved, "I don't think there are any, sweetie, but you could get some good pictures of that creek a mile or so in."
"Yeah," Ariana agreed quickly, "that would be nice."
They fell silent, then, both of them seeming to withdraw into their own thoughts. It was a minute or so later when her mom spoke again. "So where did you find Henry yesterday?" She asked, her voice cutting through Ariana's thoughts of the pond like a hot knife.
Ariana looked up at her, taking in her innocent expression. "Oh, um, he was just laying outside next to a tree. You know him, he walks for a bit but then he gets too tired and falls asleep. He's far too lazy for his own good."
She tried to look amused as her mom studied her carefully. "You were gone for a long time." She said, simply.
Ariana shrugged. "It was nice out, I decided to sit down next to him for a while."
Her mom nodded, clearly satisfied with that, and then they both fell silent once more. After a little while, her mom got up to start running some dishwater, her hands playing absentmindedly in the stream as she waited for the sink to fill up. Ariana watched her for a few moments before turning away, her mind racing as she moved her gaze out the window. She couldn't get the image of the pond out of her head, nor could she stop thinking about the bizarre circumstances that had led her to its discovery. The more she considered it, the stranger it all was; the hidden path beneath the rocks, the density of the trees which perfectly disguised it all from the outside, the tucked away clearing, and the pond, itself, with its still, crystalline waters and strangely meticulous circle of rocks that made up its outer edge. There was something unnatural about it, as if it had been dropped there rather than formed.
Almost without thinking, Ariana stood up from her seat and wandered over to the screen door, peering outside at the line of trees that were bending gently in the breeze that blew through the yard. She had thought that the forest held no more secrets, that she had explored every inch of it throughout her time in its labyrinth-esque borders, but she had been wrong. If she could be wrong about this, what other secrets was it hiding from her, what else remained concealed from her sight? The thought of it both exhilarated her and frightened her for some reason. It made her wonder, not for the first time that day, if she had been meant to find the pond or if it had simply been a fluke. The circumstances of that day seemed almost too perfect, too coincidental, for her to believe it was anything other than fate. Then again, maybe she was just thinking too much into it.
Leaning forward, she pressed a hand against the screen, sucking in a breath as her thoughts raced within her. She wanted to go back, to peer into those clear, crystalline waters and run her hand through them, feeling its icy coolness against her skin. She wasn't sure why, but it felt like some desperate need inside of her, some impulse that was beyond her control. Another part of her, albeit a small one, was telling her to stay away, that her mom was right and that she shouldn't have ventured so far from the path, but the larger part of her was urging her forward, to explore beyond what she now knew.
That had always been both her greatest strength and weakness; her need to know things. She had never been satisfied, even as a child, by the strict boundaries her mom had placed on the forest. In her mind, it was all or nothing; either she would know every inch of her forest or she would know none of it. There was no in between with her, no gray area for her to negotiate, but simply that black and white way of thinking. It was because of this knowledge of herself, though, that she was finally able to make up her mind.  If she was to regain her peace, she would have to take action, though it wasn't something she was likely to share out loud. Tomorrow she would finally put this all to rest; she was going back to the pond.
*        *        *        *        *
The next morning, Ariana felt her heart drop as she sat up in bed and gazed out her bedroom window. The sky just beyond it was dark and gloomy, with billowing black clouds stretched ominously across it, the pitter patter of the rain as it fell angrily against the roof just barely audible above the clapping of thunder. She let out a sigh, her heart falling with the realization that her trek into the forest wouldn't be happening today after all. She calmed herself, however, with the knowledge that she could always go tomorrow. The pond would still be there, she would just have to wait.
Unfortunately, her optimism was proven wrong once more when, upon waking the very next day, she could immediately hear the sound of rain drops pelting violently against the window pane. She sighed, moving to the window where she pushed aside her curtains, her gaze aimed moodily through the rain drenched glass.
As far as storms went, this one was a doozy. Though it was hard to make out through the stream of water that ran over the window pane, Ariana could just make out the trees at the edge of the yard bending precariously in the wind, their branches threatening to break under the intense pressure of the storm. Even now, she could see the movement of hundreds of leaves as they were ripped from their stems, suddenly caught up in the wind as it swirled and raged from above.
She pursed her lips, sucking in a sharp breath as she tried not to let her frustration get the better of her. Of course the weather would decide to commit mutiny when she specifically had something she needed to do. Of all the days that they could have gotten a mega storm, why did it have to be on a day when she wanted so desperately to go out? Why was her luck so crappy? Just as she was aiming to get herself really worked up, Ariana was pulled from her thoughts as she heard a creak, and she turned her head just in time to see her mom strolling into the room, a goofy smile on her face.
"Sweetie, isn't it wonderful? Look at that rain! It's going to be a whopper!" She pranced over to the bed before plopping down on it, kicking off her sandals as she flung her legs up after her.
Ariana fought the urge to roll her eyes but, honestly, she was still a teenager and it seemed as opportune moment as any to do so. She turned and frowned at her mom. "Don't you ever knock?"
Her mom let out a low chuckle, rolling her own eyes in return, before leaning back on the array of pillows that were strewn about the bed. "What's with you today, grumpy? You love a good storm. What did you do, wake up on the wrong side of the bed?"
Ariana stared at her, a snappy retort coming to the tip of her tongue before she stopped it. Her mom was right, she did love a good storm, and the thought made her feel a tinge of guilt at her tone. Her mom had no way of knowing what this storm was doing to her, that it had ruined her plans 2 days in a row. She took a breath, making an effort to sound less irritated.
"I do, mom, but this one had bad timing. I had-things that I wanted to do." She said, hesitating before she finished.
Her mom raised an eyebrow, positively amused. In fact, it was getting pretty irritating how cheerful she seemed to be today. "Things to do, you say? Like what? All you have ever do is go and sit under that damn tree every day. One could argue that you could accomplish the same exact thing here."
Ariana let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't want to do the same thing here, mom, that's the point." She turned away, her gaze once more moving to the trees beyond the yard, a yearning rising up inside of her that struck her as odd considering the circumstances. As strange as it was, the knowledge that the pond was out there, just within her grasp, but unreachable, was driving her mad. She needed to go back; why couldn't the universe seem to understand that?
In the reflection of the window, Ariana could see her mom watching her from the bed, her fingers wrapped absentmindedly around some of her curls as she tugged on them. "Sometimes I just don't understand you, Ariana." She said quietly.
Ariana turned around to face her, surprised by the sudden comment. "What?" She asked, furrowing her brows.
Her mom pulled her fingers out of her curls, leaning forward on the bed so that she could rest her elbows on her knees. "Sometimes it just feels like your head is in the clouds and, try as I may, I just can't seem to bring you back down."
Ariana raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with that?" She asked, not sure where her mom was going with this.
Her mom shook her head, a hint of worry flashing across her pale, freckled face. "Nothing..." She said slowly, but then she stopped, hesitating. "I just don't want you to get stuck...like I did."
Ariana sucked in her breath, about to say something back when suddenly a bolt of lightning cracked across the sky, lighting up the room with a flash of silvery light that bathed it in an eerie glow before fading back to normal. They both turned to look out the window, watching as the rain pelted against the flooded ground with a newfound fury.
"It really is quite beautiful." Her mom said suddenly, breaking the momentary silence that had fallen between them.
"Yeah," Ariana said quietly, "it is."
Unbeknownst to her, her mom had gotten up from the bed and came to stand beside her, nudging her gently with her shoulder. "Where's your head right now?" She asked, her brows crinkling in concern. "You've been so strange these past few days... Are you alright?"
Ariana stared at her, taking in her serious demeanor, and tried to give her a small, reassuring smile. "Nowhere mom. You know how it goes; gloomy weather makes for gloomy people." She knew that it was a downright lie but she couldn't stand the concern in her mother's eyes as she looked down at her. She would rather fib a little than let her be worried.
Just as she expected, she saw her mom's face instantly relax, and she gave her daughter a comforting smile. "Oh honey," she said, running a hand over Ariana's head, "you should have said something. I'll go make us some chamomile tea. You'll feel better soon, I promise." She let her hand trail down Ariana's hair and over her back, patting it gently before walking away.
As she watched her mom walk slowly down the hallway, she felt herself begin to smile for real. She was humming quietly to herself, her head swaying from side to side as a song played silently in her head, her hands tapping gently at her sides. She disappeared momentarily in the kitchen before Ariana saw her come back into view with the tea kettle in her hands, turning on the hot water as she filled it swiftly. Before she lost sight of her again, she saw her reach up to throw her mess of curls into a lopsided bun, her thin fingers moving over it to tuck in the strays.
Though she could no longer see her once she moved back over to the stove, Ariana could still hear the soft crooning of her voice drifting down the hallway toward her room, the melody soft and sweet. Ariana closed her eyes, letting it wash over her as the sound of the rain seemed to fade away beyond the window pane. Hearing her now, she was reminded of all of the times as a child when she had woken up from a nightmare, terrified and calling out for her mom. Every time, her mom used to come into her room and pull her onto her lap, singing quietly to her as she ran her hand through her hair, only stopping when she had settled down and fell asleep. While Ariana had long ago outgrown the need to be comforted like that, it didn't stop her from feeling some type of way when she heard her mom's lilting voice echoing through the hushed halls of the house.
Between her mom's singing and the constant twang of the rain as it bounced off of the house, Ariana felt a sense of grogginess beginning to take her over and she moved to the bed to lay down. This feeling of tiredness wasn't unusual; for as long as she could remember, she had always had trouble sleeping through the night. If it wasn't a nightmare or a bizarre dream, it was just plain old insomnia keeping her up. Whatever the reason, she couldn't seem to sleep more than 4-5 hours at a time, making up for her restless nights by dozing off during the day. As long as she was comfortable and the environment wasn't too loud, she could usually fall asleep anywhere. It was a bit of a running joke in their house, with her mom claiming that Ariana was worse than the cat was about falling asleep everywhere.
Almost as if he had known that she was thinking about him, Ariana heard the familiar tip tapping of Henry's paws as he shuffled his way across the hardwood floors. A moment later, she watched as he leapt easily onto the bed, settling his large form into the space between her arm and torso. His fur was slightly damp, with rain drops sliding off of him onto her shirt as he adjusted himself, most likely from a mad dash back into the house through the rain.
Blinking slowly, Ariana brought up a hand, running it groggily over his damp fur. "Couldn't stay out of the forest, could you?" She asked quietly.
Purring lightly, Henry blinked his large eyes up at her.
She watched him quietly, running her hand absentmindedly over his back. He had the strangest eyes that she had ever seen in a cat, with a thick band of gold bordering the pupil and a softer gold on the outside with flecks of orange throughout. When they caught the light just right, they almost seemed to shimmer. As she stared down at him, Henry's golden eyes turned upon her, watching her without blinking. He was sitting perfectly still beneath her hand, barely moving except to breathe.
"You really should stop wandering off, you know." She said, slurring the words as she fought to keep her eyes open.
After a moment, she tucked her face to the side, moving her arm up to rest under her chin as Henry moved even closer, setting his head gently on her shoulder, a few inches away from her face. She blinked groggily at him, feeling the warmth of his body radiating into her side as the peacefulness of sleep fought to take her over. As she finally gave in to it, the last thing that she saw before she drifted away was Henry's strange golden eyes watching her, the irises shimmering as if they held the stars themselves within them.