Esveldza: 'The Lonely Child of Fire'

Chapter VII- Power of the Staract

Chapter VII

Power of the Staract

I told Staarla and Samre everything, how I had lost my memory, how as soon as Herri was born I had become worthless and how Johnro and Jemro hated me. Samre told me about his little sister, Analyssie and how he never wanted to teach but he did it for her.

I slept on their couch facing the fireplace, Staarla slept on the other couch and Samre slept on the floor. I told them I was fine with sleeping in the room by myself but they said they would sleep there anyway.

The next day Staarla made pancakes, we ate together happily, like a family. At training that day Staarla came to watch and Samre had a talk with Johnro and Jemro. I was pretty sure it worked because they ignored me the rest of the day.

I didn't return home to my real family, instead I went back with Staarla and Samre. I knew I could get in serious trouble but the thought of returning was too terrible to even consider, I just wanted to enjoy the bliss for a while. So, I pushed it as much as I could but, a week or so later my temporary family dissolved. Staarla was ordered back to the troops and I was forced to return to reality, I couldn't burden Samre anymore, even if he said I was welcome.

As Staarla left, I met the other man in the photo; his name was Lukarian (luk-aree-an). He was tanned with straight black hair and blue eyes. He was relatively quiet but by no means rude, his eyes smiled at me when we greeted, as if I were someone else he was looking at. Samre said that he and Lukarian had been in a group when they were younger.

So I returned home to my family. I expected them to be angry with me for not coming home, to scold me harshly but as I walked through the door with my nerves making me almost ill with fear, the reaction I recieved was incredibly static. My mother only gave me a small glance before continuing to nurse Herri, I wondered why I expected more.

I sighed sadly and made my way across the house to the stairway. It's not like I wanted to get in trouble but at least then I could know that I meant a little to them. I stopped at the beginning of the stairs and turned to look at my mother.

"Where is father, mother?" I asked quietly. She didn't reply for a while until she finally looked away from Herri's face and to mine.

"Where were you, for all these days? You do not know how much I stressed!" She shook her head furiously, her blonde hair flipping around her head.

My heart leapt, she did care! She had worried where I was, she had worried if I was hurt, she had thought about me for once instead of Herri.

"The house was a mess and I had to do everything myself! I do not have time to do such tedious things; they are for you to do." My mother said crossly, tapping her free hand on the table to add expression to her words.

My hopes were dismissed only seconds after they appeared, of course she had never really cared about me, how could I be so naïve as to think she did? Yet it still hurt to be shut down by her like that.

"So you did not miss me, just my ability to do the chores?" I softly questioned. I didn't know what I was hoping for, perhaps a short "Just do not do it again".

She didn't have to say out loud she had missed me; just a tiny hint of worry would have been enough for me. What I got instead was far from what I had wanted.

She frowned and her face contorted to a disgusted one. "Akaiya you are hardly my daughter why would I care when I have my lovely Herri?" She kissed Herri's forehead before adding; "Your father is in the study, he will want to speak with you."

I clenched my fists and ducked my head. So now I am not even a proper daughter to her? How could she be so cruel! What had I ever done? 

I walked hurriedly away from her. I was hoping father would care. If he was angry at me then that could mean he does care, I didn't mind if I have to get beaten up at least I'd know he worried about me.