The Chronicles of the Tower -1-

Chapter 1 -Kai- (pt.2)

However, at dawn the next day, Kai was there, punctual as always. 

He was sitting on the fence with a happy smile plastered on his lips. Dana left the house after breakfast, same as always. 

But she passed by Kai without looking at him, and went to the hen house completely ignoring him, as if he didn't exist. The boy went after her.

What's wrong? He asked  Are you mad? Dana did not reply. With the basket under her arm, she began to collect the eggs without paying attention to him.

 At first Kai followed her, not quite knowing what to do. After a while, he began to collect eggs himself, and to deposit them in the basket, as he had been doing every morning.

Dana let him do it, but she wondered then for the first time, if Kai didn't have a farm in which to help, or parents to tell him the work he should perform. 

But, as she was still angry, she did not ask the question aloud. 

Sorry Dana, Kai whispered then, and his voice sounded extremely close to the girl's ear.

You just disappeared, she accused. You made me look bad in front of my mother and sister. They thought I was lying!

Sorry, he repeated, and the tone of his voice was sincere; however Dana needed to know more.

Why did you do it?

It was for the better

Why?

Kai seemed awkward and somewhat reluctant to continue the conversation.

They don't know you're my friend, Dana continued. Is it that you don't want to meet my family?

It's not that. Kai didn't know how to explain it to her. It's better if you don't talk about me at all. Or let them not know that I am here.

Why?

Kai didn't reply right away, and Dana's imagination shot up. 

What did she really know about him? Nothing! What if he had escaped from a dangerous place? What if he was a thief, or something worse? She quickly rejected those thoughts. 

She knew Kai was a good person. She knew she could trust him. But was she really sure? She stared at Kai, but the boy seemed very rushed.

Trust me, he said. It is much better that they don't know anything about me. Better for both of us.

Why? she repeated.

I'll tell you one day, Kai promised him. But it is still early. Please trust me.

Dana treasured him too much to deny him that, so she didn't ask any more questions. But in her heart the flame of doubt had been lit.

**************************************

The seasons passed quickly; Dana grew almost without noticing, and Kai with her. At eight years old he was no longer a skinny kid, but a healthy and well-shaped boy.

Meanwhile Dana grew taller and bolder, and her braids, black as the wing of a crow came up to her waist. They were still friends, and spending most of their time together. Dana couldn't help but be amazed every time she thought that she was the only one in the farm who knew of Kai's existence. 

Sometimes she had tried to ask him who he was, where he came from, why so much secrecy; but he always responded evasively or changed the subject. Until one day the events rushed.

It was a cloudy day. After completing their daily tasks, Dana and Kai ran to their shelter in the woods. 

That day they distracted themselves, following a deer and spying on the new bait of cubs that were already trotting after their mother by the weeds. 

Not having the reference of the sun, time rushed. Also, she full from eating blackberries, so this time not even her stomach gave her the warning.

When she realized it was already sunset. She quickly said goodbye to Kai and ran. The boy watched her go, very seriously, but he didn't follow her. 

Dana crossed the forest entangling herself within the bushes, tripping over the roots and swatting away the branches, without care about the scratches, scrapes and bruises that marked her skin. 

When she went out into the open field the last nail of the sun rays was hiding behind the horizon. 

She crossed the meadow like lightning and jumped over the farm's stockade as the first stars began to color the sky, half hidden by the last shreds of the cloud cover that had covered the sun all day.

She reached the door of her house breathless. 

The sun had hardly set, but she had been out since late in the morning, and she hadn't shown up at the farm for lunch, nor had she participated in the tomato picking in the afternoon. 

When she entered the house, panting but shrunken with fear for the possible grounding, she stood at the door She did not dare take a step forward. 

She saw that her family had started dinner without her. She took a couple of steps forward, shyly.

Her mother raised her head to look at her, and Dana saw that she had been crying. 

She was touched by that sign of affection, but it also contributed to her increasing guilt.

Good evening, the girl whispered, a little happier when she saw that her entrance had brought a sense of relief to the faces of all the members.

We were worried, said one of her older brothers.

Where were you? We were going to go look for you after dinner. Dana was going to answer, but she stopped herself when she saw that her mother had gotten up and was now walking towards her.

She no longer seemed worried, but terribly angry. The girl sensed what was going to happen, but had no time to move away. 

The slap echoed throughout the house. Dana lifted a hand to her aching cheek and blinked several times to hold back the tears. 

She was too responsible not to understand that she deserved it. She had witnessed with her own eyes what wolves did with stray cattle. 

She understood the slap because in her absence, her family had feared that she had had the same luck.

Where were you? screamed her mother. Do you think it's pretty disappear like this, for good?

I lost track of the time, she whispered. I didn't notice what time it was. I am sorry...

A second slap made her fall silent. Dana looked at her mother, stunned and hurt. She admitted that she had done wrong, and regretted it. No, wasn't a single slap enough? Was the second necessary?

Where have you been? repeated the mother.

In the woods. Now, Dana was trembling violently, and her words were barely audible.

All day in the woods? her mother crossed her arms, incredulous-. And can I know what you were doing there?

Dana hesitated a brief moment.

Explore, she whispered. Follow a deer, eat blackberries... we have even ... she stopped suddenly and rectified: I have even seen the new bait of cubs.

But her mother did not overlook her slip.

'We'? she repeated. Who was with you?

Dana was slow to respond. Her mother's hand went up again,and she hastened to say:

Sara, the girl from the northern farm.