Dirt (The Dirt Trilogy) (12 page)

The
white marble
floors glisten. Enormous
ceilings are
supported by massive marble pillars crowning the room. As we
enter a leprechaun hurries to meet us. “Master Alder, Ms. Ivy,
welcome to Acrimony. Please follow me. His lordship has been
expecting you.”
His short legs waddle down the hall keeping a pace equal to
ours. My hand trembles in Rowen’s, as we enter a dining hall with a
table that seats twenty.
“Please.” The man pulls out a chair, and gestures Ivy to sit.
“Everyone
have
a
seat and his lordship will
be
with you
momentarily.” He bows and exits the room. We sit at the table
waiting in silence for quite a while. The awkwardness and boredom
become annoying.
“What do we do now?” I whisper to Rowen.
“We sit and wait.”
“For how long?”
“Until he lets us leave.”
“Excuse me?” I ask.
“Arcos is here. He’ll reveal himself when he decides. Be
patient,” Rowen calmly instructs. I sigh in attempt to stay calm.
What are we waiting for? He called us here
. Is he watching us?
Moments later, food is brought in and we’re served a warm
soothing soup, fresh baked bread with butter. Vegetables and fruits
release their scents as they are placed on the table and everyone eats
intently.
No one says a word and I follow along. At the far end of the
table, a man appears sitting in the chair farthest from us. He slurps
soup from his bowl. His white hair is braided in one long strand and
reaches to his waist along with his braided beard. Still, the room is
quiet except for the slurping and clinking of utensils against china.
No one looks at him except for me. He sits in an elaborate armed
chair and no one seems aware of him. I peer into my bowl eating
the last spoonful. When I glance back down at the far end of the
table, the man is gone.
“Looking for me?” a deep-throated voice asks.
With the blink of an eye, the peculiar man is sitting at the end
of the table closer to us. Everyone continues eating, as if they were
in a trance totally oblivious to the old man and oblivious to me.
“Are you my grandfather?”
“Yes, my dear, I am.”
“What’s wrong with everyone? Can’t they see you?”
“Not yet, they’re enjoying their meal. I’ll invite them to join us
in a moment.” His grey eyes stare at me with a tenderness I’ve
never felt before. “You don’t look anything like your mother, but
then I can see her in every inch of you.”
I don’t know what to say, so I sit here unsure of what is to
happen.
“My dear, Ashe, I’m truly sorry for the situation we’ve put you
in. I’ve tried to protect you, but it seems The Dark Thorn wants
your blood as much as I want your safety.”
“What will become of me?”
“Of that I am unsure, but I can promise I will do everything in
my power to protect you.”
“The soup is delicious,” Ivy comments uneventfully. She’s
coming out of whatever spell she’s in and the others begin to join
reality.
“How long have you two been talking?” Rowen whispers in
my ear.
“Long enough to introduce ourselves, Master Rowen,” Arcos
answers.
“Yes, my lordship.”
“I’m sure you know why I have summoned you here. The Dark
Thorn is thirsty for the blood of my granddaughter. Her protection
is of the utmost importance. However, there’s been a breach in the
code of sentries which has placed her blood at risk.”
Coll gapes at Rowen, with a grin of delight. Everyone knows
what Arcos is referring to.
“In order to protect Ashe, in order to protect our future, we
must face Straif head on. We will not be able to depend on one
sentry alone to protect her anymore. This will have to be a group
effort.”
“My lord, I …” Rowen stops midsentence by the raising of
Alder’s hand.
“The celebration of Congramaid is in five days. We’ll be there
with Ashe. Straif will come. We’ll take him and his men down,”
Arcos says with confidence. “I’ll prepare our people and those at
Congramaid.”
“Master Rowen… Ashe, I wish to speak to the both of you
alone,” my grandfather orders.
As we leave, those remaining stare
down at their plates avoiding eye contact as if they know something
we don’t.
We follow him through a long corridor, into a room of green
and gold. “Sit,” he instructs as he points at two high back chairs
covered in green velour. He sits facing us.
“Master Rowen, do you know the gravity of the trespass you
have committed?”
“Yes, my lord, I do.”
“What a great disappointment this is to me. Look at her. My
daughter, my own daughter, broke the laws of nature, and my own
granddaughter will possibly be the destruction of the world. Have
you not learned from this? Have you not learned from anything?”
his voice thunders across the room.
“Hold on. I’m sitting right here. I thought you cared about me,
Grandfather. I’m your flesh and blood.” The old man can’t look at
me, breaking my heart even more.“Have I brought that much
shame on you?”
He turns away. I want his acceptance, but I want Rowen more.
“I’m Nuin’s daughter. I didn’t ask to be born. I didn’t ask for any of
this, but I love Rowen and I won’t let him go.”
“He has been removed from his position.” He faces Rowen as
he gives his orders, but the old man avoids any eye contact with me.
“Rowen, you are exiled from the brethren. You must leave at once.”
Rowen isn’t at all surprised.
The door opens and two men stand waiting. “Come with us.”
As Rowen walks away, he turns and gives me a reassuring
look. I know this isn’t the end of things. This isn’t the end of us. I
want to scream, but I know my ranting would do nothing to help. I
feel exactly as I did in the first grade. Alone, but totally responsible.
The man they call my grandfather, is nothing more than a
coward. He doesn’t want to hear our side of the story. He doesn’t
want to understand anything more than his mind already believes.
“You couldn’t control my mother and you can’t control me.” I
say as I get up from my chair. He looks down to keep from facing
me.“Can’t you even look at me?” I’m not about to beg for his
acceptance, nor his approval, law or no law.
A small, redheaded woman in a floral dress and apron meets
me at the door. “This way,” this she says as she escorts me to a
massive white room, with floors covered in white, marble. I lie on
the bed and gaze out of the stained polished glass window. I realize
wherever he is, Rowen is looking at the same two lavender moons
adorned by the same beautiful stars in the same sky. I’m tired of
living my life as if I exist for everyone else. I realize now what
happens to me can affect the existence of everything and everyone.
But if I’m going to live, there has to be something in it for me. That
something is Rowen.
The door rattles. “It’s me.” Ivy enters, but I continue to stare at
the walls with indifference. “Ashe, you know he loves you?”
“Who?”
“Arcos, your grandfather.”
“He couldn’t even look at me.” I turn my eyes toward the night
sky. “Where did he send Rowen?”
“To be with his family. A week’s ride from here.”
“To face humiliation,” I add.
“He’s old and set in his ways, but he does love you. You
remind him so much of your mother. He doesn’t want to lose you,
too.”
“He can’t lose something he’s never had.”
Ivy knows I’ve had enough. I’m tired of listening to excuses.
At this point, I don’t care about anyone else’s feelings. I’m being
selfish and it’s about time.
“Get some rest, dear, and we’ll have tomorrow to prepare for
Congramaid.” She kisses my forehead with a mothering gesture and
leaves me to fester in the annoyance of my circumstances.
I know he’ll be back for me.

The
castle
bustles
as
everyone
prepares
to
leave
for
Congramaid. Coll won’t leave my side. I’m vexed by the way he
hovers over me, as if he has something to prove. He’s exactly
where he wants to be, in Rowen’s place. No one will ever have the
space in my heart that’s filled by my true defender.

“
You’re in good hands,” he says smirking. I do my best to
ignore him, but his pride covers him like mud.
“You keep your hands to yourself,” I respond. I make sure he
knows where I stand.
He towers over me, his beautiful blond hair strapped in a
ponytail like a strand of velvet. “I’m here to protect you. Nothing
more.”
“Rowen will protect me.”
“He’s in exile. He can do nothing.”
“We’ll see,” I say with poise as I lean back against the barn.
My lack of commitment to the mission and to the brethren’s plight
rubs him the wrong way.
“Rowen broke the law. You have no idea what it means to be a
sentry.” Coll’s jaw clinches as he stares down into my face.If he’s
trying to intimidate me it’s not working and I think that angers him
even more.
“And you have no idea what it means to be in love. And you
will never know, because you are so in love with your laws.” The
skin on his face tightens. “I feel sorry for you, Coll. You are empty
and you’ll always be alone.”
Fury builds in him like a volcano. If steam could come out of
his ears, smoke would fill the barn.
“You bithling,” he says with degradation.
“I may be a bithling, but apparently my blood has the power to
destroy you and everyone else,” I remind him.
He lowers his voice and peers in my face about an inch away
from the tip of my nose.“Yes, but you can so easily be destroyed.”
He walks away, fair complexion beaming red with irritation.
I watch the fanfare going on around me. Leprechauns scurry
about preparing for our flight. All of this is because of me. How I
wish to be human again. But I was never really human in the first
place. I never belonged. And I still don’t.
The ground rumbles as Ruamna pounds the ground in her stall.
She’s not going anywhere. She’s being punished too and for no
reason. The other horses are groomed, prepared to leave. The
massive sorrel is frustrated, wanting
her master. She
knows
something is up.
A huge white winged horse, larger than any of the others, is
lead from
his stall by
several leprechauns.
Iridescent
scales
covering his flank look like mother of pearl. He’s regal standing
with his head held high, proud.
Arcos, glides toward the stable in a long, flowing white linen
robe, his long, white hair flowing behind him as it’s carried by the
breeze. A stable hand snaps his fingers toward the ground and
Arcos walks up what seems to be invisible stairs to straddle his
horse.
Everyone has mounted; Coll rides up and reaches down to pull
me aboard. “Let’s go.” I hesitate to follow his direction.
“Let’s GO,” he says this time with more demand. I concede
and without effort he lifts me onto the black stallion. Coll is as
beautiful as Rowen. In fact, they have many of the same features,
but Coll’s beauty is buried by his personality. He’s obsessed with
becoming the one who’ll save the world. I’m nothing, but a trip
down his road to heroism. I hold on to his waist to keep from
falling. His body is firm and masculine. I sense the definition of
every muscle under his black t-shirt, but touching him makes me
uncomfortable.
Arcos is behind the crew on his magnificent stallion, whose
mane is so long rider and horse appear as one as they fly. He’s
nothing like a grandfather, at least not how I think one should be. A
cold sense of disconnection and vapidity shroud him. When I found
out I was to meet him, I wanted his love and acceptance. I wanted
to be a part of someone who was a part of my mother, but after our
meeting, I realized he doesn’t care about me. Protecting his world
from my existence is his only concern. He seems lonely, but
comfortable that way.
The sky is our highway for a good part of the day. The air is
cool. Coll’s horse follows behind Alder and Ruis. Coll and I don’t
speak. I only hold on to his narrow waist out of pure necessity. In
the distance, I see a crimson flag perched on the top of a castle’s
pinnacle. Congramaid. As we get closer, I see thousands of people
on the ground. Either the Congramaid celebration is huge or they
are preparing for a huge battle. We land behind a colossal white
castle, away from the crowd.
Coll’s feet hit the ground hard. He holds his hand out to me and
I refuse it. I attempt to dismount on my own, but as I come off the
back of his black stallion, Coll grabs me around my waist on my
way down; our faces catch a glimpse of one another. He pauses and
stares at me, his hands still around my waist. Coll’s arrogant
demeanor
softens for a
brief
moment. His glance
waivers
as
gentleness seeps beyond his eyes into mine.
I’m uncomfortable. I push his hands away, ridding myself of
the awkwardness. Coll then quickly realizes the discomfort of
human feelings and his foul manner returns.
He reaches into the bag that’s draped across the horse’s back
and pulls out a brown cloak, complete with a burly hood. It looks
like something a monk would wear-a monk with bad taste.
“Put this on,” he says as he throws the robe at me.
I do as he says and he grabs my upper arm and pulls me up
against his side. “Stay close,” he orders. Staying close to him is the
last thing I want to do. In a reflex movement, I try to jerk my arm
out of his hand, but his hold is to strong.
“What’s your problem, Ashe? You aren’t going anywhere.
What are you trying to do, get us all killed?”
“No, I’m trying to get away from you, but I feel more like a
prisoner than a secret.” I mumble as we continue to walk toward the
Congramaid Castle. His fingers press into my arm as we follow the
others. We forge on toward the castle’s arched entrance. Sentries
surround Arcos shielding him from the masses who want to get a
glimpse of the king.
A young man, dressed in an emerald green satin robe meets us
at the door, acknowledging my grandfather’s presence with a subtle
nod. “My lord, we’ve been waiting for you. This way,” he says as
he leads us down a long corridor.
We walk on pristine white marble passing palatial columns
perching the ceiling thirty or forty feet above us. The sound of our
footsteps resonates against the walls. We weave down several other
hallways each one narrower than the last.
“In here,” he urges.
We enter a quaint room full of people. Green and gold fabrics
drape the walls. As we enter, all eyes are on us. Arcos is escorted to
a huge throne at the front of the room. Ruis and Alder shake arms,
with others about the room. Ivy follows Coll as he herds me to the
back of the room his hand still latched to my arm. I am covered in
brown burlap, otherwise, I would stand out amongst the blond hair
and fair skin like a lit up billboard. If anyone sees me then the
secret will be out.
Alder stands at the front of the room and calls attention to the
crowd. “I’m sure all of you have heard rumors of the bithling that
has come of age. I’m
here to tell you the rumors are true.”
Rumbling emerges from the crowd.
“Quiet everyone,” Alder yells.
I scoot inches behind me until my back hits the wall, pulling
the hood of the cloak
toward my face to further protect my
anonymity.
Alder continues, “The bithling is here in Durt.”
“What?” several in the group shout.
“How could this danger have been brought upon us, Alder?”
another sentry exclaims.
“Calm down.” Alder tries to gain control of the room.
“This bithling must be put to death!” a voice in the crowd
shouts.
“Death to the bithling! Death to the bithling!”
I want to hide even more, but there’s no place to go.
Alder fails to contain them, as the chanting continues, until a
very small sentry dressed in a purple cloak steps on to the platform.
He stands beside Alder.
“Cy,” Coll whispers with a tone of regret.
“Who is he?” I whisper back.
“He knows you’re here. He can feel your presence. It’s his gift.
We didn’t think Cy would be here,” Coll informs.
“The bithling… is here! It is here in this room!” he announces.
The room grows silent and everyone looks around not knowing
what they might see in the ocean of people.
“Alder, where is this bithling? It should be destroyed,” the little
man speaks as if I’m vermin.
Arcos rises from his chair, moves toward the front of the
podium, approaching the crowd of men. The silence in the room is
deafening.
“No harm is to come to her. She is to be protected to the
fullest,” Arcos continues. Mumbling around the room stirs once
again. “Silence!” The walls shake with Arco’s resounding demand.
“If anyone harms…” his eyes wander toward me as he pauses. “If
anyone harms my granddaughter they will suffer death.” The room
roars. What my grandfather has done took everything he had. To be
able to admit I am his flesh and blood, he had to swallow his pride,
his title, and most of all his fear
. Does he truly care for me? Was I
wrong about him?
“Everyone quiet down!” Alder attempts once again to contain
the room.
Arcos returns to his chair. The room contains itself.
“Straif is after the bithling. My brethren have been to the
Caverns and rescued her once. He won’t stop there. She has had her
eighteenth birthday, so he wants her now more than ever. It is a
time of great celebration here at Congramaid, but this is also a time
of planning. We must make preparations to go against The Dark
Thorn. We’ll meet again tomorrow before the celebration.”
The sentries mumble amongst themselves. Alder pulls Cy
aside. The room clears and Arcos is escorted out. Alder and Cy
approach me.
I remain covered under itching burlap, my face hidden by the
oversized hood. I want to be kept a secret for as long as possible.
As Alder and Cy move closer, my muscles tighten as anxiety
becomes my second covering.
Cy is about a foot shorter than me, but intimidating. He peers
up at me. “So, you have finally arrived… Oh, dear…what will
become of our world?” His mousy, feminine voice is sullen.
I pull back the brown hood. “I didn’t ask to be here. I didn’t
ask to be born,” I respond in defense.
“Nor did we invite you.” His words are laced with acid.
Alder intercedes,“She was brought here for her protection as
well as our own.”
“The only way we can be protected is if she is dead,” Cy
responds.
“This was Rowen’s project.” Coll couldn’t wait to put his two
cents in.
Alder sneers, “Rowen was commissioned for this at five-yearsold. Her protection was determined eighteen years ago.”
“He put us all in danger by bringing her here.”
“Enough, Coll. He did what he had to do. There will be no
judging here. She is to be protected and so shall we protect.”
“Your mother has no idea what she has done to Durt,” Cy adds.
“Leave my mother out of this!” It’s bad enough that he’s
bashing me, but my mother is off limits. I have my hand on the
chair behind me, and it begins to vibrate for no apparent reason.
Alder senses the tension building between me and the little
man. “What do you foresee?” Alder intercedes.
While Cy stands there with his eyes closed in a trance, I
whisper to Ivy, “What’s he doing?”
“He has a gift. A magnificent gift. He sees the future, not
everything, just some things.”
“He’s coming here,” Cy says after a few minutes of deep
thought.
“Who?” Coll asks.
“Straif.”
“When?”
“I cannot be certain, but he will be here. I must go to my
chambers and stay focused. No interruptions. I will report to you
what appears to me.” His eyebrows twist in contempt as he turns
away.
“Go, Cy. I will stand a guard at your door to keep you in
seclusion,” Alder adds. “Coll, you will remain with Ashe.”
Ivy pulls the oversized hood back over my head and we
proceed down a small corridor. Ivy’s quarters are across the hall
from mine. Coll places his hand into my back, urging me into a
small room that looks more like a dormitory. There are set of twinbeds and two old wooden desks in the corners of the lifeless room.
Coll follows in behind me. “What are you doing?” I ask,
annoyed by his presence.
“I’m staying with you.”
“I don’t think so,” I insist.
“You really don’t have a choice in the matter.”
“It seems I don’t have a choice about anything,”
“Remember what happened last time,” Coll boasts, holding his
chest up in the air like some kind of body builder.
I sit on the bed and look at him from across the room. “Well, I
do have a choice in the topic of conversation and Rowen will not be
one of them. In fact, there won’t be any conversation.”
“Oh, are you going to act like you are five and give me the
silent treatment?” Coll says amused. I don’t respond. “Fine, then
keep silent. Suits me fine.” I don’t care if he thinks I’m being
childish. This will give me a break from having to deal with his
venomous attitude.
After a couple of hours of sitting in total silence and with
nothing else to do in this empty space, Coll attempts to stir up a
chat. I sense a slight flicker of compassion in his words. “Look, I
know this has to be hard for you.” He’s waving a white flag;
however, it seems to be a small one.
I’m cautious. I know what he’s like. I look over at him, as I lay
on one bed and he on the other. Then I turn my eyes back to the
ceiling with nothing to say, my expression flat and empty.
“You’ve got to understand the reasons for our actions.” He sits
up, frustrated he’s not able to convince me.
“Everyone here wants to kill me. Everyone except…” and I
stopped myself. I remember my rule and I wasn’t bringing him up,
not with Coll. I don’t want him bashing Rowen anymore.
“We have reasons.”
“To kill me? Really, Coll. I’m supposed to be okay with that?”
“I don’t mean that.”
“Then what do you mean?”
“You threaten our very existence. If Straif gets a hold of
you…If everyone decided to be like your mother and break the law,
there would be bithlings running around like mice. How would we
be able to protect them all? Straif would surely succeed.”