BEYOND

11

Robert Loune {28th day of first moon, 754Q}

Robert was really tired, it's been 6 days they have been travelling, he needed rest, and from the looks of it, his companions too needed rest, when he looked into the carriage, he saw both Mrs. Higgins and Gienne dozing off, despite being tired he was also excited, his heart was pounding hard, he was restless, and he knew the reason for it, Jane, Jane was the reason, his mind was now filled with only one thought Jane, his Jane. Now that he was in Ottingel he could not wait to see her.

It has been two years since he realized that Jane was his other half, it was hard for him at first to confess to her, the feelings that he had. And every time he tried to tell her how he felt, he feared that he will lose his best friend.

Jane, Gienne and he were childhood best friends, and at last when he gathered up the courage and told Sara his feelings( he was confused, troubled and anxious), but when Jane told him that she too had the same feelings for him, he was in the seventh heaven, he felt like the happiest man alive in the world. But due to his financial conditions, he had to move to Skinera in search for a job, where his friend Gienne helped him get one, as a helper at the Cavendish estates.

Seeing the condition of his friend Gienne now, made him feel sad and helpless. He had known her since childhood, he knew how hard it must have been for her to lose her mother, but seeing her now, completely out of memory, he didn't know what to do. His only hope was, maybe staying here in her hometown Ottingel and spending some time with Jane, getting some fresh air, will bring back his old friend, that goofy, energetic and caring Gienne.

He knocked on the carriage window, so as to wake up the sleeping heads. Mrs. Higgins was the first to wake up; she then called Gienne, and woke her up.

It was almost dark, and Robert had stopped in front of an inn, so that all of them could take rest and continue their journey next morning.

"We have reached Ottingel Mrs. Higgins, I think we should take some rest, it had been a really long journey, and we can go visit the witch Liera, tomorrow morning" said Robert.

"Yes , I am tired, and it won't be good if we knock on the old witches door when its dark, we can take rest now" Mrs. Higgins then turned to face Gienne, who was now looking, no ,more like as if she was staring at the town and the people who were rushing back to their homes before it got too dark.

"We have reached Ottingel dear, can you remember it" asked Mrs. Higgins with a hint of expectation in her voice, maybe a little bit of hope too. But to her disappointment all Gienne did was shake her head, in a no.

"Oh, its fine, we have only reached here, you will slowly get back your memories, come now we can stay at the inn for today, and head to Sara's house in the morning" said Mrs. Higgins

Robert looked at his friend, when he saw Gienne's face, something struck his mind, and something told him that this was not the old Gienne but someone else, someone new. But he just brushed his thoughts away and told Mrs. Higgins, to go to the Inn, while he parked the Carriage and took the horses to a nearby stable.

"Robert, we will wait for you at the Kalbothy's" said Mrs. Higgins.

"OK" said Robert.

While dropping of the horses in the stable and walking back to the Inn, one question disturbed him, Is Gienne, 'Gienne'?