Laying on his bed, everything that happened today ran through Aldrin's head once again. He couldn't figure out what everything was all about plus that woman, Verbena. What exactly was she talking about when she said many hearts to be broken, many secrets to be revealed and many lives to be lost. Prophets didn't speak plainly like Verbena did. They spoke some troublesome language not plain language like Verbena. And who was she?? What did she know about Hogan?? What exactly was she trying to imply??
Soon, these thoughts still running through his head, Aldrin fell into a deep sleep.
***************
"Huh??" Aldrin gasped, jumping from a nightmare, drops of sweat running down his forehead.
He sat up, clasping his chest and panting like a tiger that had just been chasing after a wide catch.
The nightmare he had just had was more like a vision. He was seeing the heads of his foster family, in the vision, scattered on the floor, the other parts of their bodies in a pool of blood, a distance away from their heads.
"Huff.... huff!!" Aldrin huffed.
"This can't be true!!That is not going to happen!! It's just a dream!!Calm down Aldrin!!Calm down!!" Aldrin inhaled, sharply.
Laying back on his bed, Aldrin closed his eyes so he could get some sleep. But that night, he couldn't sleep a single second. The nightmare he just had kept fighting its way into his head, stealing all the sleep he had left.
****************
Next morning....
"Another day has dawned!!" Aldrin sighed, sitting up.
The whole of last night,he couldn't sleep a single bit.His eyes were still heavy with sleep.
Luckily, today, Esteria was in her best moods and she didn't yell at him to wake him up.
Suddenly, Decloan burst into the room....
"Hey Aldrin!!You promised to take me with you today!!" the hazel haired boy said, excitement written on his cute little face.
"Boy I'm sorry!!Today, we aren't going anywhere!!" Aldrin groaned, flopping back onto his bed.
"But you promised!!" Decloan whinied.
"Oh yes I did!!But I'm not going anywhere today!!"Aldrin said, shifting on his bed.
Suddenly...
"Hey you brat!!What are you still doing in bed?? Quick,get up!!" Esteria burst into the room, holding a bucket of water.
"Okay mother!!" Aldrin said, standing up and reaching for his coat.
"Quick!!Hurry up!!" Esteria said, "there is a basket of baked potatoes on the table. Your father might want some!!"
"Okay mother!!Come on Dec!! Let's get going!!" Aldrin yawned.
They ran down the stairs and grabbed the basket of baked potatoes and ran to the stable where they harnessed Blister and sped off to the marketplace. Their father, Drook had already left with today's bread.
Soon they arrived at the workshop, where their father was melting steel, in a large pot, over a great fire.
"Hey father!" Aldrin greeted,placing the basket on the table.
"Oh hey there!!" Drook beamed, happiness written on his bearded face.
"What's the occasion today, father??" Aldrin asked, "you seem very happy!!"
"Is it wrong to be happy,lad??" Drook asked, taking off his leather gloves.
"No!!Of course not!!But you are unusually happy today!!" Aldrin sat on a barrel.
"Come here young man!!" Drook called on his son, Decloan.
"Hallo father!!!" Decloan greeted, hugging his father's thigh.
"Hey there, young man!!"Drook beamed, patting his son's head.
"Father, tell me what's the occasion today??" Aldrin asked,interlacing his fingers behind his head.
"Today is the day we go to the temple to pray to the gods for blessings!!" Drook said, inhaling a great gust of air.
"Uh oh!!" Aldrin groaned,clapping a hand on his forehead.
"Wha.. what's wrong??" Decloan asked.
"Nothing!!I just don't like going to the temple!!"Aldrin groaned, shutting his eyes tight.
"You don't!!" Drook asked, looking disappointed.
"I never did!!"Aldrin said.
"Then what are you going to do while we are away??" Drook asked, scratching his shaggy mane.
"I'm going to the woods!!" Aldrin said.
"Talking about the woods, what do you always do in the woods??" Drook asked, looking at Aldrin ironically.
"Nothing much!!Just catching some fresh air!!"Aldrin said, hiding his top secret from his father.
"Father, I'll be off to play with Pete!!" Decloan said, excitedly.
"Go ahead,young man!!" Drook agreed, looking around at his pot of boiling steel.
"I'll be off,father!!" Aldrin said, standing up.
"One day,I'll figure out what you always do in the woods!!" Drook warned.
"I hope so!!" Aldrin said,jumping onto Blister.
He sped off to the woods aboard the strong and fast stallion.