Hiraeth

Hiraeth (chapter 2)

Chapter 2

I think I fell asleep about an hour after we set up in the field.

Isabella is beside me, engrossed in a book. I nudge her with my elbow.

"It's getting dark," I tell her, "we should head back. You can only live in the past for so long."

She agrees, closing her book and standing up. She smoothed her dress down and I pulled the ribbon out of my hair. I had incessantly curly hair and normally kept it out of my face in a bun. We rolled the blanket back up, and I tucked it under my arm.

Isabella shivered. It was getting cold and dark out, the crickets had already begun to chirp. I'm not lying when I tell you it was a little spooky.

I handed my jacket to Isabella, who gratefully took it without arguing.

"Do you hear something? Oh god." Isabella trembled as we walked. To the right was a row of brush, large enough to fit a couple of people. It was very unnerving to be hearing noises coming from it at night.

"It's only your imagination, Is. There's nobody there." Still, though, I quickened my pace.

"No, I definitely hear something..." Isabella said, more frantically this time.

"Is, I'm serious. Let's just get ho-"

"SHHHHHH!" It came from the bushes.

I jump. Isabella jumps too, practically running into me.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" She yells, and I clap a hand over her mouth.

"Izzy, shh. We don't know what's in there." I whisper.

Another voice floats out of the bush, "I AM BEING QUIET!" it's practically yelling.

"Soren, shut up!"

"Oh my god," I say, backing away.

I am admittedly curious, though.

Isabella is freaking out. "IT'S A VAMPIRE. No, A BEAR! No, A VAMPIRE BEAR!" She clings to my arm with a death grip.

"Isabella, bears don't talk," I suddenly get a surge of bravery. "But I want to know what does!"

With one swift motion, I kick away the foliage in front of whatever it is.

Two guys, around my age, staring up at me. I have never felt this mix of awkward and disappointed.

"JOHN, LOOK WHAT YOU DID!" The younger one yells, "I was about to pounce!"

"For the last time, Soren, we are not hunting them." The older guy says, with a countenance.

I clear my throat and they both focus on me again, seeming to have forgotten their situation in the midst of their bickering.

"Well no kidding, we're not. She's hot!" The younger one, 'Soren', says.

I kick him, "Excuse you!"

The older one stands, and brushes leaves off of his surprisingly nice clothes. "My lady, I apologize for the previous... erm... comments. My little brother can be a little straightforward at times. We don't know what went wrong with him. His heart is in the right place, though."

Isabella, who was previously cowering behind me, seems to have recovered enough. "Dude, we don't want your life story, just tell me who the hell you are and why you were spying on us!"

"Well, it all started when my fath-" The older one, John, covered his brother's mouth, panicked, cutting him off.

"What my brother means to say, my lady, is we have come in order of the king. We are messengers bearing news to you. His Highness has requested an audience with you two, in the name of public affairs."

"What are you talking about? You mean... like, a king?" Isabella asks, puzzled.

"They're clearly trying to kidnap us. There hasn't been a monarchy in Italy for years." I say, more quietly, "Just walk away slowly, Is, walk away slowly."

"NO, NO!" Soren pipes up, "We are not!" he whines. I'm going to take a wild guess and say he's not too much of a help.

"We assure you, we come bearing no falsities. We have a scroll to prove it. Soren?"

Soren began to fumble in his bag. A fancy bag, too. "Oh yeah! The scroll! I think I have it, uhh... here!" He pulls it out and holds it triumphantly with a smug look.

John plucks it out of his hands, "Let me see that!"

There was a silence.

"Soren, this is a water bill."

"Oh! Sorry. My mistake." He digs in his bag more.

"Found it!" He holds another document out, this looking much more official.

"Good." John presents it very officially to me, as if he and his brother didn't just get caught hiding in a bush.

I look over the scroll. It looks alright, but it could be forged.

His Royal Excellency, King Jonathan Edward II requests your presence, Elena and Isabella of the Wruya Empire, to his Royal Court upon receiving this scroll.

Signed,

Jonathan Edward II

There was a fancy looking royal seal at the bottom, and it all looked pretty official. But...

"How does 'the king' know our names?" I say, suspiciously. I lean in intimidatingly.

"He is the King, he has access to the records of everyone in and out of the world!" John sputters.

"Isabella! Let's talk." I gesture away from the guys. "Alone!" I add when Soren attempts to follow us.

We turn away from them to discuss.

"I say we go," Isabella says, abruptly.

"What?" I stage-yell, "You have got to be kidding. How can we trust them?"

"What have we got to lose, Elena?" she says, looking at the ground.

I hesitate, stunned.

After a moment, she adds, "I want adventure. Please, El. If you won't go, I will."

I take a breath.

"Fine."

She grins.

"I like your dress!" Soren pops up, seemingly out of nowhere.

"AAH!" Isabella jumps away, "DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT!"

"Sooorrrryyyyyy..." He whines, "John was being mean."

"WAS NOT!" John jumps in, making me flinch, " I- I mean, Soren, telling you not to bring 6 silk robes in your bag on a journey to Italy is not mean. It is common sense." He says, more calmly.

"I thought we were gonna share!" Soren mopes, "Plus, you brought so many hair products, I thought it would be okay!"

John sputtered. I rolled my eyes.

"So, what's the plan, buckaroos?"

- -

Elena and I have lived in the trailer for as long as I can remember. I can't help but feel a sentimental connection. The thought of leaving the trailer is terrifying. And huge.

"Woah! You guys have a GIANT TOOTHBRUSH in your trailer?" Soren said in awe. "How do you fit it in your mouth?"

"Soren, put that down. It's a toilet brush." Elena informed him, annoyed, before he tried to put it anywhere.

We had let the boys stay with us in the trailer overnight. They had had a long journey. We began to regret it, however, when they started messing with absolutely everything.

"So, where should we sleep?" John queried. There was something about his voice that made every question sound fancy.

"Isabella and I will sleep in one bed, you two in the other. No offense."

"WHAT?! NOOO, this is not what I signed up for! Me and whats-her-face are sharing!" Soren complained. I was beginning to get tired of his antics. And I had only known him for an hour.

Well, at least he was kinda cute.