Chloë (2 page)

Chloë
nodded, “I’ve been walking in the rain for two days.  Today was the first
time I’ve seen the sun.”

Maria’s
fur bristled, “Oh, why didn’t someone find you before now!  That must have
been terribly cold and miserable!”

Chloë
would have responded but she was too busy soaking in her surroundings: it was a
beautifully cultivated trail that led to the largest timber frame house she had
ever seen.  Such houses were a novelty back home, but here, among the tall
trees, a timber frame seemed to fit so perfectly in place.  Balance. 
That was what Chloë noticed.  Their whole habitat seemed to flow in with
the forest rather than standing out in harsh contrast.  Oh, what a
difference this was from home.

The
trio quickly entered the massive structure through a mud room and a set of
dutch doors into a beautiful and elegant home.  It was definitely a home
not just a house; it had that sense of warmth and comfort Chloë had not felt
since she was a small child.

“Mind
your claws on the wood floor,” Maria offered reflexively as they quickly
marched down the hall past a massive staircase leading to the other
floors.  They were soon in a large, simple but efficient kitchen. 
“Chloë was it?  Have a seat, I’ll see what I can find you right quick.”

A
second solid white adult lady entered the room with some curiosity.  She
was obviously younger than Maria but was still just as obviously an adult in
the house.  “Oh my word,” she began. “Was that girl out last night dressed
like that?”

“Yes,
Moira.  Two days in fact.  I’m going to fix her something to
eat.  Can you tell Ivy we have a guest and then see if you can scrounge up
some clothes that might fit her?”

“I’ll
help with the clothes,” beamed Heather.

Without
missing a beat, Moira and Heather quickly went about their duties.  Maria
frowned as she pulled items out of the ice box and fired up the stove, “I’m so
very sorry.  I forgot to introduce you.  That was Moira, she is our
Fourth Mother.  Bacon over bread sound good to you?  It does tend to
be a favorite for quick hot food.”

Chloë’s
mind spun as she struggled to soak everything in, “Bacon.  That sounds
wonderful, ma’am.  Pardon my ignorance, Fourth Mother?”

“Oh,
just call me Maria.  Never took to ‘ma’am’ very well,” she smiled. 
Chloë needed that.  Not the familiarity in itself, but rather the comfort
and warmth that Maria just seemed to exude.  “Well you are a lowlander or
off-worlder so many of our customs will probably seem different to you. 
We will sort that out for you later, once you’ve had something solid on your
tummy!  You are doing quite well with our language, I might
add.   Dawn’s the polyglot around here; she and her family live in
town.  Oh, there I go again, throwing around more names.  Dawn is our
oldest daughter; she’s married and moved out.  Well, moved out was obvious
I guess, if she lives in town, now isn’t it?”

Chloë
laughed, “Yes, ma’am. I mean Maria.  I now only wished I had studied your
language better.”

Maria
blew a raspberry and grinned, “You are doing fine, girl!  Now here you go,
eat up!” 

The
plate in front of Chloë smelled wonderful and tasted even better.  She was
making a bit of a mess of herself and half her table manners were shot at this
point, but she didn’t care: the food just felt so wonderful!

Maria
laughed as she watched Chloë eat, “Well then, I’ll cook you some more right
quick!  Try not to eat too fast, you can make yourself sick if you wolf
food down too fast after not eating for two days.”

Chloë
nodded as she
tried
to slow down.

“Good
girl.  Eat up and then we’ll see about getting you a nice hot bath and
some proper clothes.  There is time enough for questions on both sides
later.  Eat, enjoy!” 

Maria
was the exact ray of sunshine Chloë needed.  She and Heather both. 
Actually everyone she had met so far had been just so open and honest, it was a
welcome respite.  But the food beckoned and so that was her first
priority.

Chloë
smiled as she looked out her bedroom window.  A hot bath and some fresh
clean clothes later, she felt like a new person, and her hosts had offered her a
bedroom just down the hall from Heather for the length of her stay, no matter
how long that was.  There was a caveat to that of course.  She was
going to need to speak with the mayor about her situation.  She was a
displaced minor after all.  Chloë just hoped she could plead her case not
to be sent home.  Everyone around her so far had been so wonderful;
hopefully the mayor was half as nice as the rest.

There
was a quick knock on the door.  Chloë laughed, she could already tell it
was Heather.  It was almost as if that girl was radiating giddiness. 
“Come in!”

Heather
poked her head in with an
almost
serious expression, “The mayor is here
along with my older sister.  Come on, let’s go talk with them and be done
with it.”

Chloë
smiled at the concept of ‘us.’  She really needed Heather’s support. 
She was very nervous but, worst case scenario, she could start running
again.   She hated that idea though; these people were so nice. 
“I’m following you, Heather.”

Heather
smiled back as she took Chloë’s hand and squeezed it lightly.  “Maggie is
a wonderful lady.  If there is any way she can help, she will.  Don’t
be nervous.”

“Maggie?”

“Oh
sorry. The Honorable Mayor Maggie,” Heather replied with mock drama.  “My
sister Dawn will be there.  She’s a serious polyglot; if there are any
questions about precisely what is being said, she is sure to help.  You
aren’t speaking your native language and no one wants any confusion.”

Chloë
nodded as she followed Heather down stairs.  She had so many questions
about the family here, but first things first: the mayor.   Heather
directed her back down to the first floor and to a massive room just off of the
kitchen.  The room had two-story ceilings, an enormous fireplace with
elegant furniture nearby and a pair of ebony pianos by the far wall. 
Already waiting were Maria and three other adults.  One was a spitting
image of Heather, right down to the spritely red hair.  Another was solid
black with black hair, just like several of the children she had seen in the
field, but this one in her mid-twenties.  The fourth was an older lady in
what Chloë guessed was in her fifties.

Maria
began the introductions formally, “Hello again, Chloë.  You look like you
are doing much better.”

“Very
much so.  I do appreciate the hospitality your family has shown.”

Maria
smiled broadly, “You are very welcome.  This is Ivy Stratford.  She
is First Mother of our family and is therefore the head of the family.” 
The redhead nodded politely and Chloë bobbed politely back.  “This is
Dawn,” she began nodding to the lady with solid black fur and hair, “She is our
oldest daughter and is a linguist in her own right.  As you are working
across languages, she is here to make sure everything is crystal clear to all
parties.

“Delighted
to meet you,” began Dawn.  “I’m guessing you are from the Altshea
Confederation.  Your accent sounds Tisamarir.”

Chloë
was delighted and nervous at the same time; the lady had nailed her in one
stroke.  She was loathe to disclose more than she had to, but she was a
guest here.  “Yes, ma’am.  I’m Altshea and Tisamarir was the main
language at the… at home.  But I’m fine with this tongue for now.” 
Chloë was hoping she could give away as little as possible, but Dawn was
sharp!  Very sharp.  She wanted to like her but was afraid what might
slip.

The
older lady’s eyes just sparkled, “Don’t worry, young lady.  We will do our
best to help you, no matter what your background is.  But you are a minor
and some things need to be known.”  Her voice was reassuring and honest
sounding; that helped.  A bit.  “I am Maggie, the mayor of the town
and it is my responsibility to make sure treaty and custom are honored. 
You do not need to say any more than you feel you must.  But some things
must be answered.  Are we clear?”

Chloë
swallowed hard and nodded, “Yes, ma’am.  I understand.”

Maggie
smiled as she chose her words carefully, “Are you trying to get back to home or
family members?  Or are you instead requesting sanctuary?”

Chloë
bit her lip, “I am requesting sanctuary, ma’am.”

Maggie
nodded, “For the record, how old are you?”

“I
am sixteen, ma’am.”

“You
realize, since you are a minor we have a fundamental duty to get you back to
your proper parents or guardians.  Requesting sanctuary
from
them
is fairly serious.”

“Yes,
ma’am.  I understand that I am putting you in a situation, and I do
graciously appreciate that and request protection.”

Maggie
nodded, “Well put.  Did you have reason to fear for your life or safety
back home?”

“No,
ma’am.”

“Do
you fear for your life or physical safety if you are returned to your home?”

“I
do not anticipate physical retribution if I am returned home, but I do beg that
I am not returned there!”

Maggie
just smiled again, “Don’t worry young lady.  We understand there may be
many complicated situations.  And we will do our best to help you. 
However, since you do not feel it is your physical safety you fear for, why do
you not wish to return?  If there are too many people here and you wish to
just talk with Dawn and me in private, that is perfectly understandable.”

Chloë
smiled in spite of herself.   The lady was just doing her job, but
she could tell there was a sincere warmth and honesty in her air.  “No,
ma’am. Anything I need to say I will say in front of my hosts as well.  They
deserve to know who they have shared their house with.”

“Well
spoken again, young lady.  Now to the point at hand; you may keep things
vague as you see fit, so long as we have a clear understanding of the basic
facts.  I can always ask you to clarify if I think you are being too
vague.”

“You
have been nothing if not obliging, ma’am.  I am hoping to avoid a
prearranged marriage.”

“As
in you were being forcibly married to someone you do not wish to marry?”

“Correct,
ma’am.  We were to be married a week ago, and so with the help of my
governess, we fled.”

“Married,
against your will, at age sixteen?  Is that the simplest form of
it?”  Maggie’s fur flared and rippled.  She was calm in her voice,
but it was obvious she was angry underneath.

“Yes,
ma’am.  That is the short version of it.”

“Dawn,”
snarled Maggie, “it was my understanding that such a marriage was fundamentally
illegal in Altshea lands.”

“That
is correct, Maggie.  While each of the cantons has their own individual
laws and customs, forced marriages are universally illegal, much less ones
involving a party not in her majority,” replied Dawn expertly.  “Even if
she was declared an emancipated minor, she would still have the option of
leaving her current canton with compensation and no legal reprisal.”

Maggie
smiled to Chloë, “I see from your expression that Dawn’s words run contrary to
what you have been told.”

Chloë
nodded, “Yes, ma’am.  It was made quite clear to me that the situation was
well beyond anything that I might say or do.”

“So
you and your governess snuck out of the palace and fled as far as you could
go,” offered Dawn.

“Yes,
ma’ma,” Chloë suddenly froze.  Palace. She hadn’t meant for that to get
out.  When had she said that?

“If
that is the case, then even the liberation of a craft is excusable, as it was
done to protect your liberties,” continued Dawn.  “You need not worry
about protecting your governess. If what you said is true, then she will be
granted sanctuary as well.”

Chloë
started to tear and Maggie melted. “She didn’t live, did she?  Your
governess.”

“No,
ma’am.  She tried to move the craft to a hiding spot after she had set me
down.  She couldn’t handle the craft well enough in the strong storms and
it crashed,” Chloë was starting to really tear up.

 Maggie
stood and gave Chloë a warm hug. “I’m so sorry my dear.   But here is
this: if what you have told us is true, I grant you sanctuary in the
Highlands.  If others wish to challenge it, we will do so in the Alshea
courts as well.  They have standards to maintain.”

Chloë
was crying proper now, “Thank you, ma’am.”

Ivy
stood next to Chloë, “Chloë, the only thing I ask is you do not lie to
us.  If you abide by that, we will happily take you in for as long as
you
see fit.”

Chloë
just bawled and hugged Ivy, “Thank you!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Ivy
hugged her and smiled back, “Now you stop that crying; we just got you all
cleaned up!  Go on!  Heather, show her around.  Take her to town
if you like.  Get her some clothes that fit properly.   It’s too
nice of a day to sit indoors blubbering.  We will do whatever it takes to
protect you.”

“What
if they send guys with guns?” Chloë was suddenly in a panic.  “I can’t put
you in danger!”

Ivy
let loose a sinister laugh, “You are in the protection of
my
house!  Let them come and try!”

Chloë
was taken aback; these people seemed a far way away from being able to handle
shock troops descending on the house from repulsar lift gunships.  These
were such a simple people.  But Heather started pulling her arm, and under
her infectious attitude it was hard to worry.

“Come
on!” called Heather.  “Let’s go to town.  Dad can take care of any
idiots if they show up.”

Heather
had pulled her clear of the house and soon the pair of them were walking
through the fields where the children had been playing just hours before. 
It was hard not to be in a good mood around Heather; it was almost unnatural!

“So,
Ivy is the First Mother.  How does all that work out?”

Heather
laughed, “I’m sorry.  I keep forgetting you are a lowlander.”

“Well,
I’m not a Highlander with this accent,” Chloë laughed back.

“Ivy
is First Mother, she’s head of the house.  If she says ‘yes’ or ‘no’ it
stops there.  Period.  She teaches music professionally and also
works in the instrument shop.  You’ve met Maria; she’s the Second
Mother.  She handles the schooling and general herding of the small
kids.  Gwen you probably saw in the field.  She’s a Second Second
Mother.  Kinda rare to do that, but we have a really big family. 
She’s all about taking care of the kids by day, and playing music by night.”

“She
did seem friendly,” replied Chloë.  Well, she wanted to say ‘odd’ but that
would have been rude.

Heather
beamed, “Yeah, she is a little different.  It’s okay, you can say that.”

“Well,
it is a little rude.”

“‘A
wise man isn’t offended by the truth.’ Well, that is what my father would
say.  Mind you, he’s
terrible
in social arenas, so take that as you
will!  Oh, yeah, you met Moira, Fourth Mother.  She’s kinda
young.  Barely older than Dawn; that still seems funny.  Oh! Third
Mothers!  How could we skip them?”  laughed Heather.

“Them?”

“April
and May, twins, gorgeous coats with rosettes.  They are luthiers and are
awesome up on stage playing for dances.  I guess it is music that ties
this whole family together.”

“So
the twins are both Third Mother?”  Chloë was more than a little confused.

“Yep! 
They came in as a pair.  I have a friend in town whose First Mothers are
twins.  Now
that
is hectic.”

Chloë’s
head spun, “Um, are there no guys around?”

Chloë
laughed, “Well, Dad is around.  I don’t have any brothers, with as big as
our family is, that is a little odd but not much.  Up here in the
Highlands there are about four girls for every boy.  I guess you were used
to about one to one or so.”

Chloë
nodded with a small chortle, “Yeah.  Normal was about half boys, half
girls.  I guess if the balance is different, then the culture would also
be different to go along with it.”

“Exactly!”
beamed Chloë.

“Um,
your First Mother is head of the house, not your dad?”

“Yep. 
That is odd to you?” grinned Heather.

Chloë
grinned, “Just a little.  But then again your mayor was a lady too. 
Different world, different customs.”

“Precisely…
oh crap… no birds,” mused Heather.

“Is
that a worry,” asked Chloë suddenly very nervous.

“Nah,
probably just means Dad has been through recently with a kill.  Fresh elk
would be nice,” smiled Heather.

“Meat
is taken wild?”

“About
half wild, half farmed.  Dad used to hunt all the time; doesn’t have as
much time nowadays, so it’s always fun when he does bring home something wild,”
Heather grinned as she strained her eyes looking ahead.  “Speaking of
which, I think that is Dad
and
Gavin up ahead.  Oh, Gavin is my
brother-in-law.  Dawn’s husband.”