Peacebringer

Chapter Nine - Departure

    It was late, the sun had been down for hours now.  Asha was in her bedroom, pretending to be asleep. Her mother had looked at her strangely when she announced she was going to bed early, but hadn’t questioned it.  She just figured that the late night last night and walking to the market and back wore her out.

    Asha had spent the time packing in the dark, as quietly as she could.  She made sure to bring extra clothes, especially some warm layers. It would start to be cold at night soon, and she didn’t know how long she would be away.  She just hoped there would be a way to wash the clothes she had!

She also took all her savings, coins saved from birthdays and the few blankets she had sold herself.  It wasn’t much, but it would hold her over for awhile if needed. She also took a loaf of bread. She had told Finn to fill a bag with apples in the treehouse.  He had said that the resistance base was a half-day’s walk from here, so they should reach it by morning.

    She had agonized over whether or not to leave a note.  She didn’t want her mother to worry, and she wasn’t sure if leaving a note would make it worse or better.  On one hand, telling her mother that she had joined the resistance, a dangerous idea, would make her anxious.  On the other hand, not knowing at all could make her start a search. That would draw attention to the situation, and if rangers were increasing their presence in Stone Creek, it could mean putting her mother in danger.

    Asha certainly didn’t want that to happen, they needed as little attention drawn to them as possible.  Having a search party after her would not be ideal, especially if anyone had seen her watching the “ranger” in town today.  She scribbled a short note on a piece of tan paper, sure that her handwriting would be almost illegible because she was writing in the dark.

    Mom,

    Don’t worry about me.  I am traveling with a friend.  I know you never told me much about father, but I know that he was a member of the resistance.  I am joining their cause, and hopefully I can contribute some small part to leading our country to peace.  

    I love you always, Asha

    She rolled up the paper and tied it with a scrap of wool yarn, which was always all over the house.  She had made it very brief, not revealing where exactly she was going. She doubted that her mother would have any idea where the base was, even though it was relatively close to here.  

Finn had said that the base was west of here, closer to Gairadon’s castle in the western mountain range.  Asha found it odd that the base would be so close to the castle. It seemed like the base would have been discovered by now.    

    She tiptoed into her mother’s bedroom, stepping carefully to avoid making the floorboards creak.  She placed the rolled up note on her mother’s nightstand, next to her book and cup of water.

    Her mother looked so peaceful in her sleep, underneath one of the trademark woven blankets.  This one was shades of gray and brown, with white flowers along the edges. Asha felt the tears coming again.  

    On her way out of the bedroom, Asha looked at her mother’s stash of woven circlets on top of her trunk.  She eyed one in her favorite colors, burgundy and green, that she had never seen her mother wear. She picked it up, and felt the smooth thread under her fingertips.  She knew she had some others in her backpack, but she wanted one that was actually her mother’s.

    Without thinking, she tied it around her forehead and glanced in the tiny mirror hanging on the wall.  Asha felt like she looked more like her mother than ever, despite her greenish eyes and lighter, freckly skin.  While she knew that her leaving would hurt, and stealing was wrong, she couldn’t bear leaving without something to remind her of her mother.  She did seem to be falling into a pattern of taking things impulsively.