RYLIE
I had unwillingly settled into a routine; I would exercise all morning and in the afternoons, I would be taught to handle weapons. I was finding out that I was quite good with swords.
Early evenings were for walks with Rayah, and I had been almost everywhere in the trees. They were a beautiful people with a rich culture and many little traditions. I was getting used to their different foods and ways. There was a school where children and teens were taught; they were taught languages and history, how to become one with the wind, and further become a part of the trees.
We had also been to the markets. I was able to get my clothes and many other things to add a homely feel to my cottage. And Silas was right; there was the constant threat of falling to my death, so I was always very careful.
Some evenings were spent with Rayah's mother and sister Jobi who was just six, instead of walking. I had come to love those evenings as they reminded me of my home with my mother and my sisters whom I terribly missed, and spending time with them also helped me gather more knowledge. On one of those evenings, I learned more about my presence in the trees.
Rayah's house was located on the northern edge of the trees, close to the northern border.
"Jobi sit still and give me your hand," Geneva said to a fussy Jobi. And yes I had discovered that Geneva was indeed Rayah's mother on my first visit.
Rayah's house was bigger than mine; everybody's house was bigger than mine, I had come to realize. We were seated in their dining area; which was just a small area within the kitchen. The cooking area was a marvel like almost every other thing up here in the trees; I had thought about how they used fires as everything was wooden, and it was quite easy and amazing; stems of thick trees were dug out till a hollow space was created and the base and edges covered with mud. That hollow space was dug to the top of the said trees whose top parts were always outside the house like a chimney.
Fires for cooking were made in that resulting hollow space and the smoke always went up through the chimney. My house didn't have one of those yet, but I definitely was going to get one; perhaps I would move to another cottage if there was any.
The small table in the kitchen could comfortably sit the four of us, and dinner was mashed potatoes with an assortment of berries; they loved potatoes. The aroma of mashed potatoes and fresh berries filled the air, mingling with the earthy scent of the wooden beams.
We all linked hands, and Geneva said the customary prayer that was repeated every time, "We thank the goddess for this bountiful meal and a happy family; we also pray that she keeps us safe and continues to provide for us."
I muttered an amen, and we all let go of each other's hands. Grabbing my spoon, I had the first taste. It tasted good as usual.
"How does all this food even get up here?" I mumbled around a mouthful of potatoes.
"We do our own farming, Rylie, and what we can't farm, Orion provides from the outside world in addition to all the other things we need." Geneva smiled. "You are yet to visit the farms?"
I turned to Rayah with a look. "No, I believe Rayah is saving it for last."
Rayah's face was devoid of emotion and she continued eating calmly like she had not heard our topics of discussion. I looked closer and then saw it: the heavy twitching of her eyebrow's tip, and I knew then that it was on purpose.
Luckily for me, I had caught on to that little behavior on time. I stared hard at her until she gave in and looked at me.
"What? There are other places we must see first." She laughed, taking a drink of water. "And there's nothing to see there; what is interesting about a group of plants? You are so boring." She clicked her tongue, going back to her meal.
"Well, I want to see it." I insisted, staring still. Jobi's spoon fell to the floor at that moment, breaking my concentration and I picked it up, giving it back to her. I ruffled her hair a bit, and she gave a resulting giggle, looking up at me with warm brown eyes.
The warmth of Jobi's eyes reminded me of Gab, and a pang of homesickness hit me hard. I missed my family more than I could admit.
"The goddess provides for us, dear," Geneva started, breaking my reverie. "She uses nature to bless us in abundance." I turned my eyes to her.
"I mean no disrespect," I inclined my head, knowing where this would lead. "But where was your goddess when everything was going on with the god Aizaleh all those years ago?"
All eating movements at the table ceased, and Geneva's eyes bored into mine.
"We haven't always worshipped the goddess; we worshipped Aizaleh himself, you see." She shifted slightly in her chair. "gods had the fates of those that worshipped them in their hands, and Aizaleh had ours in his hands because we chose to worship him. When conflict arose, the other gods and goddesses could only watch from afar as we had chosen our fates, and we had to then bear them. Mother nature, the goddess of nature and the elements did her best by ensuring the safety of the amount of our people left; she bestowed upon us powers of the wind." Geneva moved her hand through the air and a light breeze moved through the cottage.
"We are grateful to the mother and it shows in our worship of her. Our people have been happy ever since and she visits us from time to time, once a year on our summer solstice, taking the form of one animal or the other and blessing our people." She ruffled Jobi's dark hair as well and the little girl giggled again.
"It's coming up soon, our solstice. I wonder what form she'll take this time." Rayah added. I was already enthralled by these people, but it did seem there was more space for amazement.
"I can not wait for this solstice," I said to her.
"Well, I can't wait for it either." Rayah chuckled softly. "I finally get my powers." She exposed, her eyes gleaming with excitement. That was surprising, I thought she had them already.
"Mama, when will I get my powers?" Jobi queried, her face twisting up in a frown.
"There is something for everyone at the solstice, Jobi, just be patient." She patted the little girl's head and turned to me, "Perhaps there's something in store for you as well, Rylie."
"Hmm, we'll see." I was doubtful, though, as I picked up my spoon and kept on eating.
Silas went on to become my closest friend aside from Rayah; he was the first face I saw every day when I woke, and most of my time was spent around him.
Late evenings were for meditating with him; he stated it was very important to center my being and move me closer to becoming me.
Night after night, I meditated, and day after day, I trained, and there was still nothing. Orion did show his annoying face to me from time to time, 'checking on my progress'. He claimed not that I had any. I felt the same. I was now more agile, more nimble on my feet, and could probably beat up Rayah at swordplay if I tried hard enough, and she didn't use the speed thing, but there was no shift or anything. I did not feel different.
I knew this would be the case; nothing would happen, they would realize they had the wrong girl, and I would ask them to save my family, but it was still disappointing.
The night of the solstice was almost upon us, and after meditation that night, Silas and I spent extra time seated on a bridge outside my cottage.
The air was fresh as it usually was, and the chirping of insects and distant hoots of an owl filled the air; the moon smiled down at us today, her white light radiating from the ocean of blue that was the sky.
"I feel nothing yet, Silas," I stated to him, dusting a twig off my shorts, while he picked another from my loose hair.
"Well, it is not something you can rush, you're just being an impatient little thing." We both chuckled at that, any tension that may arise already diffusing. It was one thing I liked about Silas, there was comfort around him.
"I wish I could speak to my family for even a moment." I blurted.
"Me too Rylie, me too." He sighed.
"Tell me about this solstice, Silas. I need a distraction," I said, trying to push away the growing longing for my family.
"You need to be meditating, so start." He ordered, switching to trainer mode.
Narrowing my eyes, I eyed him in mock annoyance. "There has been enough meditating tonight and one night of slacking off won't undo all the work we've done, will it?" I snorted.
"No, it won't." He chuckled softly, his eyes locking on mine in a suddenly intense stare. Everything except him faded away for a moment and something I did not expect came next.
"I like you Rylie." He uttered honestly.
There was a rush of emotions inside me, it was new, and I was unsure of it. I did like Silas, and in the time we've spent together, he made me tingle in areas I knew nothing about, and that was about it; I felt there should be more, but maybe there wasn't; maybe this was all there could be.
"And I like you, Silas," I whispered shyly, a smile on my lips. "Now about this solstice." I yawned, willing the conversation to move to other topics.
He faced forward, but I could tell there was a smile on his face; he would not push for now, and that was okay; there was enough time to explore our feelings, but for now, he would focus on the task at hand.
I stared at his masculine features. I was not entirely sure of my feelings, but I was going to use his; it was wrong, and it was vile, but it was all I had, and it wasn't the time to be fair; life wasn't fair to all of us.
"The solstice?" I pried again, urging him to speak.