Chapter One
I kept my head down as I walked through the busy cobblestone streets, careful not to get in the way of anybody. Cart drivers yelled at each other, trying to make themselves the one to go first, for the narrow streets were too small for carts to pass side-by-side. It was a windy day, nothing unusual, as it was the middle of fall. I shivered, pulling my shawl tighter over my shoulders. The dress and petticoats I was wearing did nothing to shield me from the cold. The winter season was coming up, and soon people would string garlands of crystals from their houses, a way of celebrating the new year.
Mother had sent me out to buy new crystals, for our old ones were cracked and dirty. Another girl my age would probably have thought of the task as an insult to her dignity, and that’s probably how Mother meant it to be. But for me, any time I could get away from my horrible family was a treat. Willow, my older sister, was demanding and perfect, Mother was beautiful and flirty, and Father was strict and respected. Not to mention that they were all rich and selfish. They were the perfect little white sheep, and I was the black sheep.
I didn’t understand why I was so different, though. I looked different, I thought different, I acted different, and my personality was anything except like theirs. My grandma was the only one who ever appreciated me, and she had died two years ago. I had only two things to remember her by; a blue and purple crystal bracelet, and memories. I remembered her giving the bracelet to me, saying that the purple looked perfect with my blue eyes and black hair. Actually, she had called my eyes crystal blue. I loved the way it sounded, crystal blue. And she was right, my eyes were a beautiful light blue, so pretty they looked like sky-blue diamonds.
When Grandma had died, Mother and Father had talked with me. They had said that because she was no longer around to make me different from everyone else with her unusual ways, I should start being a proper child. But I had been with her for so long, I couldn’t change. I had been raised like that -different and free and wild- for so long that I couldn’t change myself completely, nor did I want to. I liked how I was, and I had no plans to change.
Again, nobody in my family was like me. I was in their family but not in their family. My life was eventful, but all the ‘events’ were horrid. For instance, if I was late to my lessons Father would slap me. That was one event that happened a lot. Another was getting scolded by Mother about my clothing. I liked to wear boys’ clothes; leggings and a tunic. The fancy dresses and corsets girls wore were so uncomfortable, I couldn’t breathe when I was wearing one. I mean, how was I supposed to? It was like the dresses were designed to suffocate girls so badly that they had to learn not to breathe. Who could wear something like that?
Even now, in the simplest dress I had, I was gasping for breath. I hurried into the nearest alley and wrapped my arm around and up to my back and unbuttoned the corset. I took in a grateful breath, relieved to be comfortable again. Well, I was still wearing the dress; I couldn’t take that off in the middle of the road!
I buttoned up the back of the dress again but left the corset undone. As I turned around to leave the alley, I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye. I whipped around, searching for whoever was here with me. “Who’s there?” I whispered.
“You don’t remember us?” A boy in ragged clothes came out of the shadows, with two others flanking him. “Too bad.”
It was Dax Cricket and his minions. Dax was a bully, and he pushed around anyone smaller and weaker than him. I was on the top of the Bully-To-The-Death-Each-Time-You-See-Them list. The Cricket family had been servants to my ancestors, and the two families had never really gotten along. The grudge between us was still standing today, even though people from both families had tried to solve the problems. It was as though Dax being a bully to me was planned out, not only because I was a black sheep but also because I was a Rea.
“Go away,” I said, standing up straight and looking right at Dax, hoping that my face looked menacing. “I have done nothing to you.”
“Actually, you have,” Dax said.
“And what is that?”
“Being alive. Existing. Just being.” Dax examined his nails. “You are a nuisance to the world, Rea. All of those stupid Reas are. And then you had to come and be worse than them.”
I may not have liked my family, but the way he talked about them and said my surname just wasn’t acceptable. “I am proud to be a Rea, I am not a nuisance, and I will not tolerate this behavior.”
“Trying to be big and important like your daddy, huh?” Dax asked, giving me a mocking look. His minions snickered. “Well then, come be like that. Prove your worthiness.” He looked me up and down. “And say something, something that’ll make us scared of you.”
Oh no. Dax Cricket wasn’t scared of anything, let alone me. How was I supposed to scare him? And oh, I was scared. What would they do to me if I couldn’t scare them? What would happen if I did? Dax must have known that all these questions would be on my mind. He had probably planned his attack like this to scare me.
But I wouldn’t let it come to that. I would be strong, and I would scare them. I still pretended to be scared, though, leading them away from what I was going to do. If this was going to work, I had to do it surprisingly.
“Oh, look at the time,” I said, glancing around. I hoped they didn’t notice there wasn’t a clock anywhere to refer to. “I’d better get going.” I started walking out of the alley again, but Dax grabbed my arm.
“Scared, aren’t you?” He whispered. I looked straight ahead, at the street, not at him. “Just go on, say something mean. Say something rude. You’re different, right? If that’s what you are, then do something to prove it. A girl scaring a boy, ha! If you can do it, everyone will love you. You’ll be different, sure, but not hated.”
I felt his breath on my face. I stayed standing there for a minute, Dax gripping my arm, his minions watching intently behind us, and myself standing there, not moving, not talking, just thinking. What if I really could scare him? I at least could try. Nobody would like me more, but it was practically impossible for them to like me less. Right?
I would have taken a deep breath, but that would have only made them taunt me more. So I didn’t. I did the exact opposite of what he expected me to do. He wanted me to run back to my house, or scream for help, or beg mercy. That’s what all the little girls did. But I was smarter, and much more daring if I wanted to be. And right then, that was the only thing I could be.
“Hey, Dax?” I said.
“Yes?” His voice still had that mocking, rude tint to it. He still thought I was going to give in.
“Get lost.” I yanked my arm away from him, and slapped him on his upper leg, just like Father did to me.
Dax yelped and jumped back. “Why’d you do that? It didn’t hurt at all!” He was trying to stay mean and loud, but his face gave him away. It was covered in pain and fear and shock.
“Don’t mess with me, I won’t mess with you. We go our separate ways, do our separate things, live our separate lives. Got it?” I said fiercely. I was practically growling. I now had no doubt that Dax was scared of me. “Oh, and don’t forget, I passed your test. I know you’re as scared as a mouse is of a cat.” I turned on my heel and walked out of the alley, leaving the three boys in their shock.
I had finally completed a challenge from Dax, and flawlessly.
***
Now, just because I defeated a feared bully didn’t mean that I was completely carefree. I still had to finish my chore before sundown, and Mother and Father would definitely beat me when they found out what I had done to Dax. I just knew that Father would gather my Mother and sister into the lounge and slap me outright, then give me a grueling task to complete by the next week.
Usually, the task was something like cleaning out the cupboards or making the beds (There were eight double beds in the Rea mansion so the task took longer than one would think). I was thinking about what the lecture and task would be like this time when a small, pitiful sound brought me back to the present.
I stopped walking, listening with all my might. The wind was howling through the narrow streets, making it hard to hear, especially over the city noises. But there it was again.
“Mew!”
It was a cat. I loved cats, and anytime I heard a cat being sad or in need of help, I would do anything I could to soothe it. I started following the sound, tracking it.
“Mew!”
It led me to a small alley between two buildings, a gap so dark and small someone passing wouldn’t even know it was there unless they were looking for it. I crept in and looked around, my eyes adjusting to the dim light. “Kitty-kitty? Where are you?” I called quietly.
“Mew!” Was the response. “Mew, mew, meow!”
I walked to the very back of the alley, where there was a cardboard box. Inside were a ragged blanket and a tiny bundle of fur. I reached down and touched the bundle. The tiny kitten stretched out and looked at me with big, scared amber eyes. “Hello, little guy,” I whispered, picking it up gently. “What are you doing out here in the cold all alone? You’re a pretty little boy, aren’t you?” I said, scratching his ear. The kitten started purring, digging into my shawl trying to get warm. He had a beautiful black coat, smooth as silk and fluffy at the same time. His amber eyes stood out against the black in the cutest way possible.
“What should I call you, huh?” I said, thinking and staring at the kitten. “Well, something meaning strong, because you’re a strong little guy. With a short nickname too… Ezekiel, how about, with Kiel for your nickname?”
The kitten purred louder.
“Okay then, hello Kiel. Where’s your mommy?” I took off my shawl and wrapped up the shivering kitten, careful not to hurt his tiny body.
Kiel seemed surprised by this and started biting and licking the cotton shawl, over and over again.
I laughed, but not too loud because I didn’t want to scare him. “You’re a funny little thing, aren’t you? So you want to come home with me? I’ll take care of you. It doesn’t seem like you have a very good home here.”
Kiel looked up at me, eyes wide and purring. When he licked the laces on the front of my dress, I giggled and kissed his forehead. “I guess that’s a yes.”
I bundled him snuggly in the shawl and set off to get the crystals and back home. It was late afternoon, and Mother would be wondering what was keeping me. I quickly stopped by a decorating shop to pick up the crystals, put them in my basket next to Kiel, and set off home.
I didn’t attract any attention on the way, nor did I see anyone I knew. It was kind of nice not to have any hold-ups, even though I was dreading the punishments awaiting me.
Even though the trip back was nice, as soon as I stepped into the foyer Father came stampeding down the stairs and came up to me.
“Where are the crystals?” He barked.
I said nothing as I fished them out of my basket and handed the crystal strands to him.
“Come into the lounge. Your mother and sister are waiting.” Father said gruffly, then stomped out of the room without another word.
I gulped silently. “It’s going to be okay, Kiel,” I whispered to my kitten. I had hidden him in the basket, still covered in the shawl so that nobody would see him. I just hoped he wouldn’t move and that Mother wouldn’t take the basket with her before I could take him out.
I ran my hand over his fur, ruffling it up in a playful motion. His throat emitted a tiny purr. “Good boy.” I cooed, taking my hand away. Then I smoothed my dress, breathed in a couple of times, and went to meet my family in the lounge.
Mother had sent me out to buy new crystals, for our old ones were cracked and dirty. Another girl my age would probably have thought of the task as an insult to her dignity, and that’s probably how Mother meant it to be. But for me, any time I could get away from my horrible family was a treat. Willow, my older sister, was demanding and perfect, Mother was beautiful and flirty, and Father was strict and respected. Not to mention that they were all rich and selfish. They were the perfect little white sheep, and I was the black sheep.
I didn’t understand why I was so different, though. I looked different, I thought different, I acted different, and my personality was anything except like theirs. My grandma was the only one who ever appreciated me, and she had died two years ago. I had only two things to remember her by; a blue and purple crystal bracelet, and memories. I remembered her giving the bracelet to me, saying that the purple looked perfect with my blue eyes and black hair. Actually, she had called my eyes crystal blue. I loved the way it sounded, crystal blue. And she was right, my eyes were a beautiful light blue, so pretty they looked like sky-blue diamonds.
When Grandma had died, Mother and Father had talked with me. They had said that because she was no longer around to make me different from everyone else with her unusual ways, I should start being a proper child. But I had been with her for so long, I couldn’t change. I had been raised like that -different and free and wild- for so long that I couldn’t change myself completely, nor did I want to. I liked how I was, and I had no plans to change.
Again, nobody in my family was like me. I was in their family but not in their family. My life was eventful, but all the ‘events’ were horrid. For instance, if I was late to my lessons Father would slap me. That was one event that happened a lot. Another was getting scolded by Mother about my clothing. I liked to wear boys’ clothes; leggings and a tunic. The fancy dresses and corsets girls wore were so uncomfortable, I couldn’t breathe when I was wearing one. I mean, how was I supposed to? It was like the dresses were designed to suffocate girls so badly that they had to learn not to breathe. Who could wear something like that?
Even now, in the simplest dress I had, I was gasping for breath. I hurried into the nearest alley and wrapped my arm around and up to my back and unbuttoned the corset. I took in a grateful breath, relieved to be comfortable again. Well, I was still wearing the dress; I couldn’t take that off in the middle of the road!
I buttoned up the back of the dress again but left the corset undone. As I turned around to leave the alley, I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye. I whipped around, searching for whoever was here with me. “Who’s there?” I whispered.
“You don’t remember us?” A boy in ragged clothes came out of the shadows, with two others flanking him. “Too bad.”
It was Dax Cricket and his minions. Dax was a bully, and he pushed around anyone smaller and weaker than him. I was on the top of the Bully-To-The-Death-Each-Time-You-See-Them list. The Cricket family had been servants to my ancestors, and the two families had never really gotten along. The grudge between us was still standing today, even though people from both families had tried to solve the problems. It was as though Dax being a bully to me was planned out, not only because I was a black sheep but also because I was a Rea.
“Go away,” I said, standing up straight and looking right at Dax, hoping that my face looked menacing. “I have done nothing to you.”
“Actually, you have,” Dax said.
“And what is that?”
“Being alive. Existing. Just being.” Dax examined his nails. “You are a nuisance to the world, Rea. All of those stupid Reas are. And then you had to come and be worse than them.”
I may not have liked my family, but the way he talked about them and said my surname just wasn’t acceptable. “I am proud to be a Rea, I am not a nuisance, and I will not tolerate this behavior.”
“Trying to be big and important like your daddy, huh?” Dax asked, giving me a mocking look. His minions snickered. “Well then, come be like that. Prove your worthiness.” He looked me up and down. “And say something, something that’ll make us scared of you.”
Oh no. Dax Cricket wasn’t scared of anything, let alone me. How was I supposed to scare him? And oh, I was scared. What would they do to me if I couldn’t scare them? What would happen if I did? Dax must have known that all these questions would be on my mind. He had probably planned his attack like this to scare me.
But I wouldn’t let it come to that. I would be strong, and I would scare them. I still pretended to be scared, though, leading them away from what I was going to do. If this was going to work, I had to do it surprisingly.
“Oh, look at the time,” I said, glancing around. I hoped they didn’t notice there wasn’t a clock anywhere to refer to. “I’d better get going.” I started walking out of the alley again, but Dax grabbed my arm.
“Scared, aren’t you?” He whispered. I looked straight ahead, at the street, not at him. “Just go on, say something mean. Say something rude. You’re different, right? If that’s what you are, then do something to prove it. A girl scaring a boy, ha! If you can do it, everyone will love you. You’ll be different, sure, but not hated.”
I felt his breath on my face. I stayed standing there for a minute, Dax gripping my arm, his minions watching intently behind us, and myself standing there, not moving, not talking, just thinking. What if I really could scare him? I at least could try. Nobody would like me more, but it was practically impossible for them to like me less. Right?
I would have taken a deep breath, but that would have only made them taunt me more. So I didn’t. I did the exact opposite of what he expected me to do. He wanted me to run back to my house, or scream for help, or beg mercy. That’s what all the little girls did. But I was smarter, and much more daring if I wanted to be. And right then, that was the only thing I could be.
“Hey, Dax?” I said.
“Yes?” His voice still had that mocking, rude tint to it. He still thought I was going to give in.
“Get lost.” I yanked my arm away from him, and slapped him on his upper leg, just like Father did to me.
Dax yelped and jumped back. “Why’d you do that? It didn’t hurt at all!” He was trying to stay mean and loud, but his face gave him away. It was covered in pain and fear and shock.
“Don’t mess with me, I won’t mess with you. We go our separate ways, do our separate things, live our separate lives. Got it?” I said fiercely. I was practically growling. I now had no doubt that Dax was scared of me. “Oh, and don’t forget, I passed your test. I know you’re as scared as a mouse is of a cat.” I turned on my heel and walked out of the alley, leaving the three boys in their shock.
I had finally completed a challenge from Dax, and flawlessly.
***
Now, just because I defeated a feared bully didn’t mean that I was completely carefree. I still had to finish my chore before sundown, and Mother and Father would definitely beat me when they found out what I had done to Dax. I just knew that Father would gather my Mother and sister into the lounge and slap me outright, then give me a grueling task to complete by the next week.
Usually, the task was something like cleaning out the cupboards or making the beds (There were eight double beds in the Rea mansion so the task took longer than one would think). I was thinking about what the lecture and task would be like this time when a small, pitiful sound brought me back to the present.
I stopped walking, listening with all my might. The wind was howling through the narrow streets, making it hard to hear, especially over the city noises. But there it was again.
“Mew!”
It was a cat. I loved cats, and anytime I heard a cat being sad or in need of help, I would do anything I could to soothe it. I started following the sound, tracking it.
“Mew!”
It led me to a small alley between two buildings, a gap so dark and small someone passing wouldn’t even know it was there unless they were looking for it. I crept in and looked around, my eyes adjusting to the dim light. “Kitty-kitty? Where are you?” I called quietly.
“Mew!” Was the response. “Mew, mew, meow!”
I walked to the very back of the alley, where there was a cardboard box. Inside were a ragged blanket and a tiny bundle of fur. I reached down and touched the bundle. The tiny kitten stretched out and looked at me with big, scared amber eyes. “Hello, little guy,” I whispered, picking it up gently. “What are you doing out here in the cold all alone? You’re a pretty little boy, aren’t you?” I said, scratching his ear. The kitten started purring, digging into my shawl trying to get warm. He had a beautiful black coat, smooth as silk and fluffy at the same time. His amber eyes stood out against the black in the cutest way possible.
“What should I call you, huh?” I said, thinking and staring at the kitten. “Well, something meaning strong, because you’re a strong little guy. With a short nickname too… Ezekiel, how about, with Kiel for your nickname?”
The kitten purred louder.
“Okay then, hello Kiel. Where’s your mommy?” I took off my shawl and wrapped up the shivering kitten, careful not to hurt his tiny body.
Kiel seemed surprised by this and started biting and licking the cotton shawl, over and over again.
I laughed, but not too loud because I didn’t want to scare him. “You’re a funny little thing, aren’t you? So you want to come home with me? I’ll take care of you. It doesn’t seem like you have a very good home here.”
Kiel looked up at me, eyes wide and purring. When he licked the laces on the front of my dress, I giggled and kissed his forehead. “I guess that’s a yes.”
I bundled him snuggly in the shawl and set off to get the crystals and back home. It was late afternoon, and Mother would be wondering what was keeping me. I quickly stopped by a decorating shop to pick up the crystals, put them in my basket next to Kiel, and set off home.
I didn’t attract any attention on the way, nor did I see anyone I knew. It was kind of nice not to have any hold-ups, even though I was dreading the punishments awaiting me.
Even though the trip back was nice, as soon as I stepped into the foyer Father came stampeding down the stairs and came up to me.
“Where are the crystals?” He barked.
I said nothing as I fished them out of my basket and handed the crystal strands to him.
“Come into the lounge. Your mother and sister are waiting.” Father said gruffly, then stomped out of the room without another word.
I gulped silently. “It’s going to be okay, Kiel,” I whispered to my kitten. I had hidden him in the basket, still covered in the shawl so that nobody would see him. I just hoped he wouldn’t move and that Mother wouldn’t take the basket with her before I could take him out.
I ran my hand over his fur, ruffling it up in a playful motion. His throat emitted a tiny purr. “Good boy.” I cooed, taking my hand away. Then I smoothed my dress, breathed in a couple of times, and went to meet my family in the lounge.
Chapter Two
Father sat me down on the easy chair, and I placed the basket on the ground next to me, Kiel still hidden inside. Mother and Willow were seated on the couch across the room, and Father paced on the rug. “Whatever were you thinking, just going and slapping that poor boy!” He yelled. “I don’t want any lies, any excuses, or any of your normal nonsense. Tell me the truth, tell it well. It had better be a good reason, too, young lady, otherwise, you won’t be so happy.” He stopped walking and stared straight at me.
“I was simply doing as he had asked,” I replied. Father would never believe it, but at least it was the truth.
Father’s face was so red, I thought it would explode. “What did he tell you to do? Say his exact words.”
“‘Say something, something that will make us scared of you.’ That’s exactly what he said.” I remembered. I tried to focus on just those words, willing the rest of the fight to stop replaying in my head.
“Hmm.” Father considered this. “Lilany?” He spun around to face my mother. “What do you think? Is our irresponsible daughter lying, or not?”
“Maybe,” Mother said, her voice quiet but firm as ever, “Twilight is in fact telling the truth.”
Father raised his eyebrow.
“But,” She continued, “she got into trouble on purpose so that she might get a chore that could give her answers.”
The way Mother emphasized the words ‘answers’ made me curious. What answers? To what questions? I had so many questions, that the chance of me guessing which one had the answers was about one out of one hundred. Or maybe Mother was just saying that to make me more curious and careless so that she could punish me again. That would be right up Mother’s alley.
“Possibly.” Father started pacing again. Either he was really good at playing along with whatever lie Mother had made up, or she was actually telling the truth. Willow seemed to be in on whatever it was too, as she was watching Father and Mother intently, waiting to see what they would do.
“Either way, she is a disgrace to our family.” There Mother went again, talking about me but not to me. And in my presence! Talk about bad manners. I honestly wasn’t sure if I was the one being bad, or if they were the ones who were different and ill-mannered.
Willow cleared her throat, the polite way of interrupting someone.
“Go ahead, darling,” Father said. Ha! He addressed her as ‘darling’. Never once had he -or anyone, come to think of it- called me anything like that. The two things he addressed me by were my name, Twilight, and ‘his irresponsible daughter’.
“Perhaps Twilight doesn't deserve this,” Willow waved her hand around the room as she talked. “But a good slap and punishment. If you don’t mind, Father, I could slap her myself.”
Blah blah blah, of course it was Willow who volunteered to perform the punishment. She always leaped at chances to hurt or scold me, because it made her look better; not only to our parents but to the rest of the kingdoms too. Since our family was rich and owned a lot of land in the neighboring kingdom, Grazen, we were known throughout Dankalise. Except for me- Mother and Father made sure I didn’t reflect poorly on them.
“That is quite alright, Willow,” Mother said quickly. “It is not ladylike to perform a punishment. I think your father would be the best option.”
“Of course, Mother,” Willow said quietly. She didn’t show her disappointment, for it was not ‘ladylike’, but I knew that she was upset.
“Alright. I think we know what the punishment is.” Mother nodded to Father. It was time for the slap.
Father stalked toward me and yanked my arm straight. He rolled up the long sleeve and readied himself. Then he lifted his hand, and SMACK. I felt nothing when he first brought his hand down, but once he let go of me my arm started to sting horribly. It spread through my upper arm, a red bruise appearing. I bit my lip to keep from crying out.
“There.” Father decided, satisfied. “First part of your punishment served. Now you are to clean out my study by tomorrow at sundown, or you will get another beating.”
With that, Mother stood and linked her arm through Father’s and they walked out of the room, Willow walking right behind them, leaving me alone to do my chore.
***
I sifted through a folder of papers, looking for another interesting form about Dankalise and my parents’ property in Grazen. Father’s study was catastrophic, papers strewn about and books left half-open on their spines. I had already been cleaning it out for an hour, stopping every once and a while to catch my breath, but the room was still covered in dust and paperwork. Apparently, Father hadn’t been in here in a while and no wonder since he had just remodeled one of the rarely used rooms into a super fancy office.
I sighed and closed the folder. Dust flew off the table as I dropped the folder onto it, making me sneeze. Why couldn’t Mother at least have given me a rag to wipe all the dust off with? When I had asked her she had said that this was my chore -my punishment, more like- and that I would be receiving no help.
I picked another book up off of the desk and shoved it in the bookcase. As I pushed it in, my finger got caught on something and when I pulled it back I saw a thin line of blood. “A paper cut?” I murmured. “One of the pages must have torn out of a book. I should probably dispose of it before it cuts anyone else.”
I pushed the books aside and saw a thick packet of paper. I didn’t bother to read it as I tossed it in the trash, but when it landed a word on the front caught my eye. It was my name. I kneeled down and gently took it out of the wastebasket, and studied it closer. I couldn’t believe what I saw. It was about me!
I read the first line.
Child’s Real Name: Twilight Izana
Child’s Disguise Name: Twilight Rea
That was my first name, but Izana? My last name was Rea, not Izana. I started racking my brain. Had I ever known anyone with the last name of Izana? Then I realized my uncle’s surname was Izana. Well, it wasn’t anymore, he had died when I was just a baby. I scanned the page, and my eyes stuck to one spot.
Parents: Jose Izana and Fern Century
This was… interesting. Apparently, I was right about Izana being my uncle’s surname because his full name was Jose Izana. But who was Fern Century? I thought back to my history lessons. The Century Tribe was a group of natives who had been forced into the Unknown Territories years ago. I remembered that they didn’t have last names, so everybody just said they shared one surname: Century.
But how could they be my parents if I didn’t know them? And why was I living where I was if this wasn’t my family? Why hadn’t I been living with my real parents? Well, I guess my Uncle Jose had died years ago, so I would have been living with my mother in the Century Tribe, probably. But then, why? That was all I could bring myself to think. Why? And what if this was just a trick from Willow, meant to mock me? I shivered. If I believed this, and it really was a trick, I would be giving her the best possible moment to laugh at me, point at me, to mock me, and tease me. But still, how could she have known that my punishment would be in Father’s study? It was not as if Mother and Father would have told her, and there hadn’t been enough time before I came in from when she left the lounge for her to set all of this up. And if she had, how could she have even known I would place the book in that exact place and find the paper? No, it couldn’t be a setup. It had to be real. But it was all just so confusing, with so many things to doubt...
I did know one thing for sure, though. I knew that I was going to figure this out and that I would do anything I could to get the truth out of my parents- no, Lilany and Sherban Rea. They were not my parents, and for once in my life, I was saying something truthful and likable about them.
“You are not my parents. You are liars.” I whispered to a picture of them on the desk. “And you will tell me the truth at last.”
***
“Mother, Father,” I said that night at dinner.
“Yes?” Father said, obviously grumpy. “Did you finish your chore?”
“Not yet, but I don’t have to,” I replied. I glanced at Willow, who was staring daggers at me.
“You don’t, do you?” Mother asked skeptically. “And who gave you permission to do that?”
“Nobody. Myself. I don’t know. But then, I also don’t have to listen to you.”
“And why is that?” Father said, glaring at me.
“Because you aren’t my parents,” I said, acting like it was no big deal. “You never have been.” Mother, Father, and even Willow started yelling at me.
“Not true!” Willow cried, but I saw shock and fear on her face.
“What a preposterous idea!” Mother exclaimed, but she sounded more desperate than angry.
“What made you come up with that?” Father yelled, but he was obviously covering the shock with anger.
They finally quieted down, and I took my chance to ask the biggest question on my mind. “Why have you kept me all this time, if you didn’t have to and you could just tell me and get rid of me?”
Mother turned pale, Willow froze and stared at her father, and Father himself suddenly looked very scared. He suddenly jumped up, grabbed my arm, and yanked me to a different room.
“Listen, girl,” He hissed. “You’d better not tell anyone about this, understand? It could get me into some real big trouble, and I can’t do that to my family.”
“What- what do you mean trouble?” I asked. I was scared, too. I had never seen Father- I mean, Sherban, acting like this. It was as if he was somebody different entirely.
“That doesn’t concern you,” He said firmly.
“But I need to know, don’t I? If you tell me then I won’t ever bother you again, I swear.” I pleaded. Why wouldn’t he just tell me? He was easy going about ‘yes it is the truth,’ so why not this? If he could get rid of me now, why wouldn’t he just jump at the opportunity? He had acted like he wanted to be rid of me all of the years I had lived with him. So why hadn’t he? “Why are you so scared to tell me now if you’ve hated me since forever?”
“I said all I am going to say.” He said. He sounded pretty made-up, but I was going to try one more thing.
“If you don’t tell me, I’ll run off and find my mother myself. I’ll tell her what you’ve done to me and tell her to punish you severely. But if you just tell me, I’ll go and find her, yes, but after that I’ll tell her not to punish you, not to tell anybody anything, and you can live your silly lives as if I never existed.” I was pretty sure that that would work, and it did.
“Fine. You win. But you have to keep your word,” Sherban growled.
“Yes, sir,” I agreed. “Definitely.”
“Fern,” He cleared his throat. “Your mother has been blackmailing me. I did something a long time back, and Fern found out about it through my brother, your dad. But since Fern lives as part of the Century Tribe, and Jose is one of us city folk, it was thought badly of them being together in Fern’s tribe. But then Jose died a bit before you were born, and that messed up their plans. Fern was going to hide you with Jose as his ‘adopted daughter’ so that none of you would get in trouble, including her. But that wouldn’t work out anymore, so she gave you to us. When we resisted, she said that she knew what I had done. She said that if we didn’t raise you as our own, that she would tell everyone about my crime. That would ruin our lives. That is why you can’t tell anyone. That is why we kept you, and why we haven’t kicked you out. That doesn’t mean we didn’t have temptation, though. There have been many times that I want to stomp up to Fern and throw you at her. So. There you go.”
Sherban let go of me and walked quickly out of the room, back to Lilany and Willow, leaving me. I crumpled to the floor, hugging myself. So it was true. These people really weren’t my family. Well, I guess they would be my aunt, uncle, and cousin, but I didn’t want to think about that.
There really was someone out there somewhere who cared about me. Someone who cared about me so much that she had decided never to see me again if it meant I would be safe. Someone who was my mother. Not like Lilany and Sherban, the people who had lied to me and said I was their daughter. My real mother.
I had a mother. I had known her and I would get to know her again. I would see her someday. But then, what if she didn’t want to see me? Maybe she had given me to this family for more than just protection? I didn’t want to think about that right now. I had to believe one thing, and then just hope it would come true. Because otherwise, I was sure I would fall apart. So maybe believing just one thing wouldn’t hurt. And anyway, I couldn’t change my mind now. Not anymore. Because I would not stay here at this house any longer. I was going to go home, and nothing could change my mind.
“I was simply doing as he had asked,” I replied. Father would never believe it, but at least it was the truth.
Father’s face was so red, I thought it would explode. “What did he tell you to do? Say his exact words.”
“‘Say something, something that will make us scared of you.’ That’s exactly what he said.” I remembered. I tried to focus on just those words, willing the rest of the fight to stop replaying in my head.
“Hmm.” Father considered this. “Lilany?” He spun around to face my mother. “What do you think? Is our irresponsible daughter lying, or not?”
“Maybe,” Mother said, her voice quiet but firm as ever, “Twilight is in fact telling the truth.”
Father raised his eyebrow.
“But,” She continued, “she got into trouble on purpose so that she might get a chore that could give her answers.”
The way Mother emphasized the words ‘answers’ made me curious. What answers? To what questions? I had so many questions, that the chance of me guessing which one had the answers was about one out of one hundred. Or maybe Mother was just saying that to make me more curious and careless so that she could punish me again. That would be right up Mother’s alley.
“Possibly.” Father started pacing again. Either he was really good at playing along with whatever lie Mother had made up, or she was actually telling the truth. Willow seemed to be in on whatever it was too, as she was watching Father and Mother intently, waiting to see what they would do.
“Either way, she is a disgrace to our family.” There Mother went again, talking about me but not to me. And in my presence! Talk about bad manners. I honestly wasn’t sure if I was the one being bad, or if they were the ones who were different and ill-mannered.
Willow cleared her throat, the polite way of interrupting someone.
“Go ahead, darling,” Father said. Ha! He addressed her as ‘darling’. Never once had he -or anyone, come to think of it- called me anything like that. The two things he addressed me by were my name, Twilight, and ‘his irresponsible daughter’.
“Perhaps Twilight doesn't deserve this,” Willow waved her hand around the room as she talked. “But a good slap and punishment. If you don’t mind, Father, I could slap her myself.”
Blah blah blah, of course it was Willow who volunteered to perform the punishment. She always leaped at chances to hurt or scold me, because it made her look better; not only to our parents but to the rest of the kingdoms too. Since our family was rich and owned a lot of land in the neighboring kingdom, Grazen, we were known throughout Dankalise. Except for me- Mother and Father made sure I didn’t reflect poorly on them.
“That is quite alright, Willow,” Mother said quickly. “It is not ladylike to perform a punishment. I think your father would be the best option.”
“Of course, Mother,” Willow said quietly. She didn’t show her disappointment, for it was not ‘ladylike’, but I knew that she was upset.
“Alright. I think we know what the punishment is.” Mother nodded to Father. It was time for the slap.
Father stalked toward me and yanked my arm straight. He rolled up the long sleeve and readied himself. Then he lifted his hand, and SMACK. I felt nothing when he first brought his hand down, but once he let go of me my arm started to sting horribly. It spread through my upper arm, a red bruise appearing. I bit my lip to keep from crying out.
“There.” Father decided, satisfied. “First part of your punishment served. Now you are to clean out my study by tomorrow at sundown, or you will get another beating.”
With that, Mother stood and linked her arm through Father’s and they walked out of the room, Willow walking right behind them, leaving me alone to do my chore.
***
I sifted through a folder of papers, looking for another interesting form about Dankalise and my parents’ property in Grazen. Father’s study was catastrophic, papers strewn about and books left half-open on their spines. I had already been cleaning it out for an hour, stopping every once and a while to catch my breath, but the room was still covered in dust and paperwork. Apparently, Father hadn’t been in here in a while and no wonder since he had just remodeled one of the rarely used rooms into a super fancy office.
I sighed and closed the folder. Dust flew off the table as I dropped the folder onto it, making me sneeze. Why couldn’t Mother at least have given me a rag to wipe all the dust off with? When I had asked her she had said that this was my chore -my punishment, more like- and that I would be receiving no help.
I picked another book up off of the desk and shoved it in the bookcase. As I pushed it in, my finger got caught on something and when I pulled it back I saw a thin line of blood. “A paper cut?” I murmured. “One of the pages must have torn out of a book. I should probably dispose of it before it cuts anyone else.”
I pushed the books aside and saw a thick packet of paper. I didn’t bother to read it as I tossed it in the trash, but when it landed a word on the front caught my eye. It was my name. I kneeled down and gently took it out of the wastebasket, and studied it closer. I couldn’t believe what I saw. It was about me!
I read the first line.
Child’s Real Name: Twilight Izana
Child’s Disguise Name: Twilight Rea
That was my first name, but Izana? My last name was Rea, not Izana. I started racking my brain. Had I ever known anyone with the last name of Izana? Then I realized my uncle’s surname was Izana. Well, it wasn’t anymore, he had died when I was just a baby. I scanned the page, and my eyes stuck to one spot.
Parents: Jose Izana and Fern Century
This was… interesting. Apparently, I was right about Izana being my uncle’s surname because his full name was Jose Izana. But who was Fern Century? I thought back to my history lessons. The Century Tribe was a group of natives who had been forced into the Unknown Territories years ago. I remembered that they didn’t have last names, so everybody just said they shared one surname: Century.
But how could they be my parents if I didn’t know them? And why was I living where I was if this wasn’t my family? Why hadn’t I been living with my real parents? Well, I guess my Uncle Jose had died years ago, so I would have been living with my mother in the Century Tribe, probably. But then, why? That was all I could bring myself to think. Why? And what if this was just a trick from Willow, meant to mock me? I shivered. If I believed this, and it really was a trick, I would be giving her the best possible moment to laugh at me, point at me, to mock me, and tease me. But still, how could she have known that my punishment would be in Father’s study? It was not as if Mother and Father would have told her, and there hadn’t been enough time before I came in from when she left the lounge for her to set all of this up. And if she had, how could she have even known I would place the book in that exact place and find the paper? No, it couldn’t be a setup. It had to be real. But it was all just so confusing, with so many things to doubt...
I did know one thing for sure, though. I knew that I was going to figure this out and that I would do anything I could to get the truth out of my parents- no, Lilany and Sherban Rea. They were not my parents, and for once in my life, I was saying something truthful and likable about them.
“You are not my parents. You are liars.” I whispered to a picture of them on the desk. “And you will tell me the truth at last.”
***
“Mother, Father,” I said that night at dinner.
“Yes?” Father said, obviously grumpy. “Did you finish your chore?”
“Not yet, but I don’t have to,” I replied. I glanced at Willow, who was staring daggers at me.
“You don’t, do you?” Mother asked skeptically. “And who gave you permission to do that?”
“Nobody. Myself. I don’t know. But then, I also don’t have to listen to you.”
“And why is that?” Father said, glaring at me.
“Because you aren’t my parents,” I said, acting like it was no big deal. “You never have been.” Mother, Father, and even Willow started yelling at me.
“Not true!” Willow cried, but I saw shock and fear on her face.
“What a preposterous idea!” Mother exclaimed, but she sounded more desperate than angry.
“What made you come up with that?” Father yelled, but he was obviously covering the shock with anger.
They finally quieted down, and I took my chance to ask the biggest question on my mind. “Why have you kept me all this time, if you didn’t have to and you could just tell me and get rid of me?”
Mother turned pale, Willow froze and stared at her father, and Father himself suddenly looked very scared. He suddenly jumped up, grabbed my arm, and yanked me to a different room.
“Listen, girl,” He hissed. “You’d better not tell anyone about this, understand? It could get me into some real big trouble, and I can’t do that to my family.”
“What- what do you mean trouble?” I asked. I was scared, too. I had never seen Father- I mean, Sherban, acting like this. It was as if he was somebody different entirely.
“That doesn’t concern you,” He said firmly.
“But I need to know, don’t I? If you tell me then I won’t ever bother you again, I swear.” I pleaded. Why wouldn’t he just tell me? He was easy going about ‘yes it is the truth,’ so why not this? If he could get rid of me now, why wouldn’t he just jump at the opportunity? He had acted like he wanted to be rid of me all of the years I had lived with him. So why hadn’t he? “Why are you so scared to tell me now if you’ve hated me since forever?”
“I said all I am going to say.” He said. He sounded pretty made-up, but I was going to try one more thing.
“If you don’t tell me, I’ll run off and find my mother myself. I’ll tell her what you’ve done to me and tell her to punish you severely. But if you just tell me, I’ll go and find her, yes, but after that I’ll tell her not to punish you, not to tell anybody anything, and you can live your silly lives as if I never existed.” I was pretty sure that that would work, and it did.
“Fine. You win. But you have to keep your word,” Sherban growled.
“Yes, sir,” I agreed. “Definitely.”
“Fern,” He cleared his throat. “Your mother has been blackmailing me. I did something a long time back, and Fern found out about it through my brother, your dad. But since Fern lives as part of the Century Tribe, and Jose is one of us city folk, it was thought badly of them being together in Fern’s tribe. But then Jose died a bit before you were born, and that messed up their plans. Fern was going to hide you with Jose as his ‘adopted daughter’ so that none of you would get in trouble, including her. But that wouldn’t work out anymore, so she gave you to us. When we resisted, she said that she knew what I had done. She said that if we didn’t raise you as our own, that she would tell everyone about my crime. That would ruin our lives. That is why you can’t tell anyone. That is why we kept you, and why we haven’t kicked you out. That doesn’t mean we didn’t have temptation, though. There have been many times that I want to stomp up to Fern and throw you at her. So. There you go.”
Sherban let go of me and walked quickly out of the room, back to Lilany and Willow, leaving me. I crumpled to the floor, hugging myself. So it was true. These people really weren’t my family. Well, I guess they would be my aunt, uncle, and cousin, but I didn’t want to think about that.
There really was someone out there somewhere who cared about me. Someone who cared about me so much that she had decided never to see me again if it meant I would be safe. Someone who was my mother. Not like Lilany and Sherban, the people who had lied to me and said I was their daughter. My real mother.
I had a mother. I had known her and I would get to know her again. I would see her someday. But then, what if she didn’t want to see me? Maybe she had given me to this family for more than just protection? I didn’t want to think about that right now. I had to believe one thing, and then just hope it would come true. Because otherwise, I was sure I would fall apart. So maybe believing just one thing wouldn’t hurt. And anyway, I couldn’t change my mind now. Not anymore. Because I would not stay here at this house any longer. I was going to go home, and nothing could change my mind.
Chapter Three
That night I stayed awake. Every time I felt myself nodding off I would jab myself in the arm with a pencil. Once I was certain everyone else was asleep, I packed my bag. A blanket, enough food for a week, warmer clothing (which was tunics and leggings that I had found in the attic), water, the papers about myself that had started the whole thing, a map of Dankalise, a small knife, and of course Kiel.
Kiel was small enough that if I packed up my things in the knapsack just right, he could sit on top of it and I could still tie it shut. He seemed very content in there, and I convinced myself that he would be okay.
Then I set out. I crept through the quiet house, not making a sound except maybe squeaking in terror a bit when Willow sleep walked out of a room and right past me. Once I finally got outside, I realized what I was doing.
This was dangerous for a girl. Boys did it all the time because of course they were never satisfied with their lives. But a girl… anybody who found runaway girls would usually take them back to wherever they came from without even listening to one word of protest. I couldn’t have that, not with how important this mission was. I went back into the house and into the restroom. I got Lilany’s scissors out of a drawer and looked in the mirror at my hair. I sighed. I guess it would help a bit if anyone found me. Then, before I could change my mind, I snipped off my hair. I watched as the long, black locks fell to the ground. I looked back in the mirror at my now ragged and messy hair. It was cut about to my ears as if I was a young boy in need of a haircut.
I ran my hand through the mess of black strands and sighed. I guess it would be easier to take care of it now. In fact, if I had just glanced at myself without knowing about myself then I would have thought I was a boy. I laughed quietly. I would have to practice a deeper voice and come up with a name. Twilight definitely wasn’t a boy’s name.
I sighed and put away the scissors. Then I sneaked back outside and onto the streets. “Alright,” I murmured. “No turning back now.” I started running down the lane, careful not to trip on stray stones. By the time I got to the other side of the neighborhood, I was panting. At least my destination for tonight wasn’t far away. As I got to the next street, I looked across and scrunched my eyebrows together.
I had forgotten about how I was going to cross Hawksfire River, which separated Dankalise from the Unknown Territories. There wasn’t a bridge for a while. Trettu Crossover was the closest, but even it was still five more miles downriver. I would have to either swim or build a raft. “Well, Kiel, should we go the cold but quick way, or the easy but slow way?”
Kiel was apparently asleep, so I answered for myself by taking action. I walked over to a shallow part of water, and took my knapsack, holding it above my head so it would not get wet and ruin my food. Then I started to walk across, biting my lip to stop from yelping when the cold water met my skin. Kiel felt me tense and woke up. When he heard the running water, he hissed and dug his claws into the knapsack.
“Sorry, buddy,” I grunted, thrashing my legs to keep my head above water. Once I got across, I was shivering madly. I pulled out my blanket and tried to dry myself off, but pretty unsuccessfully. I also stopped when I remembered that the blanket was the only thing to keep me warm at night. Once in the shelter of the trees, I took off my knapsack and picked up Kiel. He was cold and his fur puffed up, glaring at me with an expression that said: Seriously? You had to go in the water?
I smiled and ran my hand through his fur. “Sorry again,” I murmured. “You know I would never hurt you on purpose.” Kiel smacked his lips as if reminding me that I had jumped into the river on purpose.
I rolled my eyes playfully. “Just a little farther, then we can stop for the night.”
I continued walking, thinking hard. What had Sherban done that was so terrible he did as another person ordered to keep it a secret? Did he murder someone, or say something behind a person’s back that could never be forgiven? He had definitely said some things like that about me.
I sighed, shaking my head. Things like this were so confusing. And hard. Nothing in my life had ever been as hard as this day had been. I had defeated a bully, found out groundbreaking secrets, confronted a family that had been lying to me for years, transformed myself to look like a boy, and ran away; and all in one day! I didn’t think anybody had ever had to do that before.
I stopped and scanned the trees around me. It was hard to tell, but I thought I could make out the shape of a huge, towering tree surrounded by saplings. I had learned about this place in my history lessons, it was called the Cursed Clearing. It was said that the clearing had been a beautiful place, filled with color and flowers and animals. But then there had been a mysterious fire, and only in the clearing. Everything except the big oak tree in the center had burned. When the Century Tribe had tried to restore it by planting saplings all around the oak tree, but they had never grown. It had been years and years, but the trees never grew. I never thought of it as a permanent curse, though. I believed that it was a curse waiting to be broken. Not like a true love’s kiss or anything, but a villain to be defeated.
I walked through the field of saplings and settled down under the oak tree, pulling my knapsack off my shoulder and taking out Kiel and the blanket. I wrapped myself in the blanket, resting my back against the tree and putting Kiel on my lap.
I stroked his soft fur as his breathing grew deep and steady, falling asleep. When sleep started to take me too, I was grateful to rest.
***
A poking in my side woke me up. It was still dark out, but traces of pink light were starting to peek over the horizon. I sat up. Kiel was still asleep, and I was only half awake, but I jerked upright when I saw a man looming over me.
“What’re you doing all that way out here, son?” He said. His voice was deep and melodic, and his beard wiggled around his chin when he spoke.
It took me a minute to figure out why he called me son, but then I remembered I had disguised myself as a boy. “I, sir, uh,” I stammered, not sure what to say.
“You’re wet. Come with me. I can get you cleaned up. The name’s Cavern,” The man grinned at Kiel, still on my lap. “Nice kitten you got there.”
I picked Kiel up, plopped him in the knapsack, and started to stand up. “Where’s your cabin, sir?”
“Just call me Cavern, please,” He took off his fur coat and wrapped it over my shoulders. “There. A little thing to keep you warm ‘til we get to my place.”
I suddenly remembered what Lilany would say about trusting strangers. “Wait,” I said, not moving. “Why did you just show up out of nowhere and now you’re taking me to your house? How do I know I can trust you?”
Cavern chuckled, a deep, happy sound that could brighten anyone’s day. I may not have known who he was but he sure seemed to be a happy, friendly kind of guy. “What’s your name, son?”
This took me by surprise. I still hadn’t figured out what my name would be, so I chose the first one that came to my mind. “Dax.”
“Really? You don’t look like Dax Cricket at all.”
“Oh, no. Different Dax. Very different Dax.” I said quickly. I did not want to talk about that boy if I could avoid it, and I certainly didn’t want to be confused with him.
“Okay, Dax,” Cavern studied my face. “You can trust me because I help everyone in need. I’ll show you, I won’t do anything to hurt you. By the way, you keeping an eye on any girls? I’m certain they would jump for a boy as handsome as you. And you got that stary look in your eyes, too.”
“What?! No!” I yelped. “I don’t have, I mean, I don’t, really,” This was one thing that I would never have thought possible to be asked.
Cavern laughed again. “You sure?”
“Yes!” I said again. “I don’t care about- about girls!” That was definitely a lie. Of course I cared about girls! I was one. Except, Cavern didn’t know that so I had no choice but to lie. I wish I could have been truthful but in this part of Murlou, anybody no matter who they were would grab a runaway girl by the arm and drag her all the way back to whomever she was running from. I always made a wish in my prayers every night before I went to sleep that maybe, just maybe, when I woke up things would be different. No discrimination, no mean people, a kind, good-hearted family instead of the selfish aristocrats I had been placed with.
“Okay, okay,” Cavern put up his hands, still grinning. “Now let’s get going.”
He started walking out of the clearing. I wasn’t sure which direction was which, so I could only hope it wasn’t back toward the city. I followed him, staying a pace behind so that I could watch him. I had pulled my knife out of my knapsack just in case, but so that he wouldn’t be suspicious I also grabbed a rock and pretended to be sharpening the blade. After about thirty minutes of this, I finally looked up from the knife and rock. “How far have we gone?”
“Oh,” Cavern said, startled. “I thought I told you where we were headed?”
“No.”
“Well then,” He turned and grinned at me. “We’re going to the Century Tribe village.”
Kiel was small enough that if I packed up my things in the knapsack just right, he could sit on top of it and I could still tie it shut. He seemed very content in there, and I convinced myself that he would be okay.
Then I set out. I crept through the quiet house, not making a sound except maybe squeaking in terror a bit when Willow sleep walked out of a room and right past me. Once I finally got outside, I realized what I was doing.
This was dangerous for a girl. Boys did it all the time because of course they were never satisfied with their lives. But a girl… anybody who found runaway girls would usually take them back to wherever they came from without even listening to one word of protest. I couldn’t have that, not with how important this mission was. I went back into the house and into the restroom. I got Lilany’s scissors out of a drawer and looked in the mirror at my hair. I sighed. I guess it would help a bit if anyone found me. Then, before I could change my mind, I snipped off my hair. I watched as the long, black locks fell to the ground. I looked back in the mirror at my now ragged and messy hair. It was cut about to my ears as if I was a young boy in need of a haircut.
I ran my hand through the mess of black strands and sighed. I guess it would be easier to take care of it now. In fact, if I had just glanced at myself without knowing about myself then I would have thought I was a boy. I laughed quietly. I would have to practice a deeper voice and come up with a name. Twilight definitely wasn’t a boy’s name.
I sighed and put away the scissors. Then I sneaked back outside and onto the streets. “Alright,” I murmured. “No turning back now.” I started running down the lane, careful not to trip on stray stones. By the time I got to the other side of the neighborhood, I was panting. At least my destination for tonight wasn’t far away. As I got to the next street, I looked across and scrunched my eyebrows together.
I had forgotten about how I was going to cross Hawksfire River, which separated Dankalise from the Unknown Territories. There wasn’t a bridge for a while. Trettu Crossover was the closest, but even it was still five more miles downriver. I would have to either swim or build a raft. “Well, Kiel, should we go the cold but quick way, or the easy but slow way?”
Kiel was apparently asleep, so I answered for myself by taking action. I walked over to a shallow part of water, and took my knapsack, holding it above my head so it would not get wet and ruin my food. Then I started to walk across, biting my lip to stop from yelping when the cold water met my skin. Kiel felt me tense and woke up. When he heard the running water, he hissed and dug his claws into the knapsack.
“Sorry, buddy,” I grunted, thrashing my legs to keep my head above water. Once I got across, I was shivering madly. I pulled out my blanket and tried to dry myself off, but pretty unsuccessfully. I also stopped when I remembered that the blanket was the only thing to keep me warm at night. Once in the shelter of the trees, I took off my knapsack and picked up Kiel. He was cold and his fur puffed up, glaring at me with an expression that said: Seriously? You had to go in the water?
I smiled and ran my hand through his fur. “Sorry again,” I murmured. “You know I would never hurt you on purpose.” Kiel smacked his lips as if reminding me that I had jumped into the river on purpose.
I rolled my eyes playfully. “Just a little farther, then we can stop for the night.”
I continued walking, thinking hard. What had Sherban done that was so terrible he did as another person ordered to keep it a secret? Did he murder someone, or say something behind a person’s back that could never be forgiven? He had definitely said some things like that about me.
I sighed, shaking my head. Things like this were so confusing. And hard. Nothing in my life had ever been as hard as this day had been. I had defeated a bully, found out groundbreaking secrets, confronted a family that had been lying to me for years, transformed myself to look like a boy, and ran away; and all in one day! I didn’t think anybody had ever had to do that before.
I stopped and scanned the trees around me. It was hard to tell, but I thought I could make out the shape of a huge, towering tree surrounded by saplings. I had learned about this place in my history lessons, it was called the Cursed Clearing. It was said that the clearing had been a beautiful place, filled with color and flowers and animals. But then there had been a mysterious fire, and only in the clearing. Everything except the big oak tree in the center had burned. When the Century Tribe had tried to restore it by planting saplings all around the oak tree, but they had never grown. It had been years and years, but the trees never grew. I never thought of it as a permanent curse, though. I believed that it was a curse waiting to be broken. Not like a true love’s kiss or anything, but a villain to be defeated.
I walked through the field of saplings and settled down under the oak tree, pulling my knapsack off my shoulder and taking out Kiel and the blanket. I wrapped myself in the blanket, resting my back against the tree and putting Kiel on my lap.
I stroked his soft fur as his breathing grew deep and steady, falling asleep. When sleep started to take me too, I was grateful to rest.
***
A poking in my side woke me up. It was still dark out, but traces of pink light were starting to peek over the horizon. I sat up. Kiel was still asleep, and I was only half awake, but I jerked upright when I saw a man looming over me.
“What’re you doing all that way out here, son?” He said. His voice was deep and melodic, and his beard wiggled around his chin when he spoke.
It took me a minute to figure out why he called me son, but then I remembered I had disguised myself as a boy. “I, sir, uh,” I stammered, not sure what to say.
“You’re wet. Come with me. I can get you cleaned up. The name’s Cavern,” The man grinned at Kiel, still on my lap. “Nice kitten you got there.”
I picked Kiel up, plopped him in the knapsack, and started to stand up. “Where’s your cabin, sir?”
“Just call me Cavern, please,” He took off his fur coat and wrapped it over my shoulders. “There. A little thing to keep you warm ‘til we get to my place.”
I suddenly remembered what Lilany would say about trusting strangers. “Wait,” I said, not moving. “Why did you just show up out of nowhere and now you’re taking me to your house? How do I know I can trust you?”
Cavern chuckled, a deep, happy sound that could brighten anyone’s day. I may not have known who he was but he sure seemed to be a happy, friendly kind of guy. “What’s your name, son?”
This took me by surprise. I still hadn’t figured out what my name would be, so I chose the first one that came to my mind. “Dax.”
“Really? You don’t look like Dax Cricket at all.”
“Oh, no. Different Dax. Very different Dax.” I said quickly. I did not want to talk about that boy if I could avoid it, and I certainly didn’t want to be confused with him.
“Okay, Dax,” Cavern studied my face. “You can trust me because I help everyone in need. I’ll show you, I won’t do anything to hurt you. By the way, you keeping an eye on any girls? I’m certain they would jump for a boy as handsome as you. And you got that stary look in your eyes, too.”
“What?! No!” I yelped. “I don’t have, I mean, I don’t, really,” This was one thing that I would never have thought possible to be asked.
Cavern laughed again. “You sure?”
“Yes!” I said again. “I don’t care about- about girls!” That was definitely a lie. Of course I cared about girls! I was one. Except, Cavern didn’t know that so I had no choice but to lie. I wish I could have been truthful but in this part of Murlou, anybody no matter who they were would grab a runaway girl by the arm and drag her all the way back to whomever she was running from. I always made a wish in my prayers every night before I went to sleep that maybe, just maybe, when I woke up things would be different. No discrimination, no mean people, a kind, good-hearted family instead of the selfish aristocrats I had been placed with.
“Okay, okay,” Cavern put up his hands, still grinning. “Now let’s get going.”
He started walking out of the clearing. I wasn’t sure which direction was which, so I could only hope it wasn’t back toward the city. I followed him, staying a pace behind so that I could watch him. I had pulled my knife out of my knapsack just in case, but so that he wouldn’t be suspicious I also grabbed a rock and pretended to be sharpening the blade. After about thirty minutes of this, I finally looked up from the knife and rock. “How far have we gone?”
“Oh,” Cavern said, startled. “I thought I told you where we were headed?”
“No.”
“Well then,” He turned and grinned at me. “We’re going to the Century Tribe village.”
Chapter Four
“How did you know?” I gasped.
“Know what?” Cavern seemed to be confused. “I live with the Century Tribe.”
“So you’re a Centuran? Cavern Century?” I asked, staring at him.
“Yes, I am.” He said matter-of-factly. “What’s your last name, by the way?”
I was still gawking at him. How could this man, who found me and woke me out of pure kindness, be a Centuran? It was as if I had bought myself a ticket to my mother without even knowing it. And, now that I knew who he was and where he was from, could I tell him the truth? Was it safe? Would my mother and I still get in trouble for what my mother did? I decided to risk it. I couldn’t lie anymore.
“I, um,” I stuttered. “My name isn’t Dax.”
“What?” He wasn’t angry. More confused, nervous. “It’s not? Who are you?”
“I’m not a boy either,” I said, hesitating a bit before saying the next part. “I’m looking for my mother, Fern Century.”
“Fern?” Now Cavern was completely terrified. “Fern doesn’t have a daughter! She would have told me! She said that we wouldn’t keep secrets from each other!”
“You know her?” I asked.
“Yes. Fern is my wife.” He blushed. “She’s perfect, Fern is. And I know that our son will be perfect when he’s older, too.”
“You have a son? I have a brother?” I yelped. How many things were there that I didn’t know about my family? “But I thought my father was dead. His name is Jose Izana.”
Cavern’s face twisted into sudden fury. “That man,” He hissed. “He stole my Fern from me. For two whole years, he did! We were stuck, me and my son. Then she came back, sad and smaller, looking so terrified. Like she had lost everything.”
My eyes clouded. She had lost everything. The man she loved, her daughter. They had been torn from her in one foul swoop. I had been torn away from her. Suddenly I was mad. Fern, my mother, had hurt her family. Her son, and his father. She had hurt me, put me away for my safety, helped give my father a horrible, sad ending. But none of that would have happened if I wasn’t born. At the same time that it was her fault, it was mine too.
Cavern shook his head, clearing his eyes. “What is your real name?”
“Twilight. My name is Twilight Izana.” I said quietly. How would he react? Would he leave me here, because of how I related to things that my mother, his wife, had done to him? “I’m sorry about Fern. I shouldn’t be here.”
Cavern looked at me sympathetically. “Look, kid, it’s not your fault about who you are. Sometimes people judge us because of who our parents are, but that’s not what they should be doing at all. They don’t even look at who we are. Everybody can have a second chance, though.”
“Why do I need a second chance? What have I ever done to anybody?” I asked, sitting down with my back against a tree, holding Kiel close.
“Now, I never said it was you I was talking about-”
“But you made it sound so much like it. You said that everybody can have a second chance. Are you talking about the people who misjudge us or the people who are misjudged?” I was having trouble understanding anything right now. Everything was coming at once, as if the lock had finally given in and the secrets were coming as fast as bullets out of a rifle.
“Well,” Cavern shook his head. “Nevermind. Let’s just keep going, shall we?”
I nodded. It was time to drop the subject and keep going before I had a major break-down.
***
We walked for about an hour more. Then Cavern stopped at a small cabin in a clearing. “I’ll take you this far, but the chief’s gotta decide if you go any farther. I’ll be back in an hour, you get yourself cleaned up.”
I nodded and walked inside the cabin. I hoped that the chief would like me, but I thought I had seen a hint of a smile on Cavern's face so I wasn’t too worried. Maybe the chief was him, and he just had to tell the rest of the tribe? Or he knew the chief and was positive that I would be welcomed right in? But then there was always the chance that he didn’t like me and was happy because I would for sure be turned down. I really hoped that wasn’t true.
I pushed the thought out of my head, eager to just clean up and get ready to meet my mother, and, apparently, brother. I wondered what he was like, and why he hadn’t been on the form I read. Maybe it just didn’t bother mentioning him because he sort of faded into the background? No, it couldn’t be that. Nobody except me really faded into the background. Everybody I knew wanted everything to be about themselves and wanted everyone else to think they were the best.
But for me, I just wanted to blend in. I didn’t want to be noticed or talked about, or anything of that sort. But now, if I was accepted into the Century Tribe, I would never truly fit in. Everyone else there had grown up with the tribe and knew all the customs by heart. I would have to ask about everything, otherwise not understand or get to be excited about a certain ceremony and whatnot. I hoped my mother would understand.
I thought about this as I showered, fed myself and Kiel, and got into new, comfortable clothes. I was eating a piece of cornbread I had found in the kitchen when Cavern came in.
“You look better,” He commented.
“Thank you,” I set the cornbread on the table and stood up, picking up Kiel, who had been sitting on the table next to me. I held him up to my face, tapping his nose with my fingertip. I was in a good mood, and Kiel liked it anyway.
Cavern smiled. I guessed that he was feeling good, too. “So, we go to the village in the morning. Tonight we get to sleep up, no worries whatsoever.”
“Oh,” I said, a bit disappointed. I had been looking forward to meeting my mother today, but oh well. I guess I was tired, anyway. Maybe it was a good thing, waiting until I was rested and completely ready. “Well, while we have time, can you please tell me about the Century Tribe and my family?”
“Ah, well,” Cavern sat down at the table, and so I sat back down too. Was this going to be a long talk? I sort of hoped it would be because then time would go by faster and I could meet my mother sooner. “Let’s start with my strong little boy. He’s fourteen, about two years older than you. He’s a strong, determined boy who will never give up on anybody. Everyone knows him, and he’s a good guy to have around in a tough situation. He helps everybody whenever he can however he can, and loves all his family and friends like they’re as much something that makes him himself as his body is.
“Then Fern, she’s more of the quiet type. She’s real pretty, with blue eyes like yours. She helps anyone who needs it, no matter what she’s doing. Once, she came home from a long trip to the well, and there was no water in the bucket. She told me that a mother had lost track of her three-year-old boy and that Fern had helped to find him and return him to his mama. You know who I am, of course. I don’t think we need to get into that, so let’s jump right to the Century Tribe. You do know about the wars, right?”
I smiled ruefully. “Yes. My tutors told me about them. The cityfolk wanted more land than what they had and they forced you across Hawksfire River, warning you to never come back again. Isn’t that right?” I asked. I wondered if he understood, by the look on his face he didn’t. Did he even know what a tutor was?
“Erm, yes.” He said, sounding a bit uncertain. “Just from that sentence, I realize how much you don’t know about these things. You aren’t going to have servants, or tutors, or any of that. You’re going to have to learn how to keep a household acceptable, how to perform all of the Century Traditions and customs correctly, how to behave in school. It’s going to be… really different.”
“I know,” I said, looking down at Kiel as I pet his velvety fur. I didn’t want to meet Cavern’s eyes. I knew that there would be sympathy in them, and I didn’t want that. It felt wrong, getting sympathy from someone about something that I chose to do myself. I had chosen to run away and find my mother, not somebody else. I should be blamed if anything, not sympathized with. And I had also never had sympathy, or really even kindness in my life for the last two years, since my grandma died.
Then it hit me. My grandma! Had she only been pretending too, but doing it in a different way? Had she actually not loved me? “Um, Cavern?” I asked quietly, still not looking up from Kiel. Now I really was determined not to look at him.
“Yes?”
“My grandma. She died two years ago and was the only one who ever really appreciated me. Was she just pretending too?” I said, biting my lip nervously. I was pretty sure that if this was true, I wouldn’t be able to hold myself together. So much had happened in two days!
“Which grandma? You mean Ewan Izana?” Cavern asked. “If you're talking about Sherban’s mother, then no. She’s Jose’s mom too, remember? Ewan was the only one who actually liked having you in her care.” He was looking at me, but I had a feeling that he was actually looking through me.
“Are you okay?” I asked tentatively. As though he were on a completely different planet, thinking completely different thoughts about a completely different subject, Cavern only nodded distantly. “Okay, this is odd.” I said, waving my hand in front of his face.
Cavern blinked and shook his head as if shaking away a disturbing thought. “Did you say something?” He asked, studying my face nervously.
“Uh,” I said, starting to worry. “Are you seriously okay? What happened?”
“Oh! That!” He smiled weakly. “Nothing, nothing to worry about. Except…” He didn’t finish his thought, much to my frustration.
“Except?” I prompted, trying to coax whatever was bothering him into words and out his mouth. What was going on? Was there another secret that I didn’t know about? Like I had said to myself so many times, I definitely couldn’t handle something like that. Slow down, Twilight! Part of my mind yelled. You found all of this out yesterday. You can wait a little bit to find out every secret in the world. I knew it was true. I had only found out yesterday that the place I grew up calling home wasn’t home. Just that I had two people inside my mind: one very patient, calm, friendly one. But the other- the wild, impatient one that's always in a frenzy to get what they want -usually had more votes and one the arguments. That was one of the reasons why I could sometimes change from a quiet peaceful girl to a crazy impatient fire of a kid so suddenly.
Cavern shook his head again, smiling for real this time. “No, please,” He said. “I meant nothing. Just a little lost in my thoughts. Anyway, shall we get to bed? There’s a bedroom in the back of the cabin, you can sleep there. I’ll be heading back to the village, and come to pick you up in the morning.”
He pushed back his chair, standing up and clapping his hands together. “Well. Goodnight, then. See you in the morning.” Then he left, and I sat dumbfounded at the table.
Had he just left? Like that? Now I really knew there was something up. What if this was all a trap and he was lying to me, and he was making all of this up, teasing me, planning to do something with me? But… what would anybody ever want with me? Why was this whole thing happening at all? I hated this feeling when I got didn't know everything, when something was happening that somebody else knew about and that concerned me but nobody would tell me. I tried to focus on something else, but the suspicion was like tar, pulling me back and sticking to me no matter how hard I beat it or tried to get out.
Forgetting about the kitten still sitting on my lap, I stood up abruptly and walked quickly out of the cabin, watching Cavern’s back disappear into the trees. “Goodbye,” I said huffily. Why did it always have to be that nobody gave me the answer I was always looking for? I had brought it on myself, sure, but so that I could get answers. Not to be brushed away like a pesky fly over and over again.
If only someone would actually tell me the complete truth and miss nothing. Everything would make so much more sense like that.
“Know what?” Cavern seemed to be confused. “I live with the Century Tribe.”
“So you’re a Centuran? Cavern Century?” I asked, staring at him.
“Yes, I am.” He said matter-of-factly. “What’s your last name, by the way?”
I was still gawking at him. How could this man, who found me and woke me out of pure kindness, be a Centuran? It was as if I had bought myself a ticket to my mother without even knowing it. And, now that I knew who he was and where he was from, could I tell him the truth? Was it safe? Would my mother and I still get in trouble for what my mother did? I decided to risk it. I couldn’t lie anymore.
“I, um,” I stuttered. “My name isn’t Dax.”
“What?” He wasn’t angry. More confused, nervous. “It’s not? Who are you?”
“I’m not a boy either,” I said, hesitating a bit before saying the next part. “I’m looking for my mother, Fern Century.”
“Fern?” Now Cavern was completely terrified. “Fern doesn’t have a daughter! She would have told me! She said that we wouldn’t keep secrets from each other!”
“You know her?” I asked.
“Yes. Fern is my wife.” He blushed. “She’s perfect, Fern is. And I know that our son will be perfect when he’s older, too.”
“You have a son? I have a brother?” I yelped. How many things were there that I didn’t know about my family? “But I thought my father was dead. His name is Jose Izana.”
Cavern’s face twisted into sudden fury. “That man,” He hissed. “He stole my Fern from me. For two whole years, he did! We were stuck, me and my son. Then she came back, sad and smaller, looking so terrified. Like she had lost everything.”
My eyes clouded. She had lost everything. The man she loved, her daughter. They had been torn from her in one foul swoop. I had been torn away from her. Suddenly I was mad. Fern, my mother, had hurt her family. Her son, and his father. She had hurt me, put me away for my safety, helped give my father a horrible, sad ending. But none of that would have happened if I wasn’t born. At the same time that it was her fault, it was mine too.
Cavern shook his head, clearing his eyes. “What is your real name?”
“Twilight. My name is Twilight Izana.” I said quietly. How would he react? Would he leave me here, because of how I related to things that my mother, his wife, had done to him? “I’m sorry about Fern. I shouldn’t be here.”
Cavern looked at me sympathetically. “Look, kid, it’s not your fault about who you are. Sometimes people judge us because of who our parents are, but that’s not what they should be doing at all. They don’t even look at who we are. Everybody can have a second chance, though.”
“Why do I need a second chance? What have I ever done to anybody?” I asked, sitting down with my back against a tree, holding Kiel close.
“Now, I never said it was you I was talking about-”
“But you made it sound so much like it. You said that everybody can have a second chance. Are you talking about the people who misjudge us or the people who are misjudged?” I was having trouble understanding anything right now. Everything was coming at once, as if the lock had finally given in and the secrets were coming as fast as bullets out of a rifle.
“Well,” Cavern shook his head. “Nevermind. Let’s just keep going, shall we?”
I nodded. It was time to drop the subject and keep going before I had a major break-down.
***
We walked for about an hour more. Then Cavern stopped at a small cabin in a clearing. “I’ll take you this far, but the chief’s gotta decide if you go any farther. I’ll be back in an hour, you get yourself cleaned up.”
I nodded and walked inside the cabin. I hoped that the chief would like me, but I thought I had seen a hint of a smile on Cavern's face so I wasn’t too worried. Maybe the chief was him, and he just had to tell the rest of the tribe? Or he knew the chief and was positive that I would be welcomed right in? But then there was always the chance that he didn’t like me and was happy because I would for sure be turned down. I really hoped that wasn’t true.
I pushed the thought out of my head, eager to just clean up and get ready to meet my mother, and, apparently, brother. I wondered what he was like, and why he hadn’t been on the form I read. Maybe it just didn’t bother mentioning him because he sort of faded into the background? No, it couldn’t be that. Nobody except me really faded into the background. Everybody I knew wanted everything to be about themselves and wanted everyone else to think they were the best.
But for me, I just wanted to blend in. I didn’t want to be noticed or talked about, or anything of that sort. But now, if I was accepted into the Century Tribe, I would never truly fit in. Everyone else there had grown up with the tribe and knew all the customs by heart. I would have to ask about everything, otherwise not understand or get to be excited about a certain ceremony and whatnot. I hoped my mother would understand.
I thought about this as I showered, fed myself and Kiel, and got into new, comfortable clothes. I was eating a piece of cornbread I had found in the kitchen when Cavern came in.
“You look better,” He commented.
“Thank you,” I set the cornbread on the table and stood up, picking up Kiel, who had been sitting on the table next to me. I held him up to my face, tapping his nose with my fingertip. I was in a good mood, and Kiel liked it anyway.
Cavern smiled. I guessed that he was feeling good, too. “So, we go to the village in the morning. Tonight we get to sleep up, no worries whatsoever.”
“Oh,” I said, a bit disappointed. I had been looking forward to meeting my mother today, but oh well. I guess I was tired, anyway. Maybe it was a good thing, waiting until I was rested and completely ready. “Well, while we have time, can you please tell me about the Century Tribe and my family?”
“Ah, well,” Cavern sat down at the table, and so I sat back down too. Was this going to be a long talk? I sort of hoped it would be because then time would go by faster and I could meet my mother sooner. “Let’s start with my strong little boy. He’s fourteen, about two years older than you. He’s a strong, determined boy who will never give up on anybody. Everyone knows him, and he’s a good guy to have around in a tough situation. He helps everybody whenever he can however he can, and loves all his family and friends like they’re as much something that makes him himself as his body is.
“Then Fern, she’s more of the quiet type. She’s real pretty, with blue eyes like yours. She helps anyone who needs it, no matter what she’s doing. Once, she came home from a long trip to the well, and there was no water in the bucket. She told me that a mother had lost track of her three-year-old boy and that Fern had helped to find him and return him to his mama. You know who I am, of course. I don’t think we need to get into that, so let’s jump right to the Century Tribe. You do know about the wars, right?”
I smiled ruefully. “Yes. My tutors told me about them. The cityfolk wanted more land than what they had and they forced you across Hawksfire River, warning you to never come back again. Isn’t that right?” I asked. I wondered if he understood, by the look on his face he didn’t. Did he even know what a tutor was?
“Erm, yes.” He said, sounding a bit uncertain. “Just from that sentence, I realize how much you don’t know about these things. You aren’t going to have servants, or tutors, or any of that. You’re going to have to learn how to keep a household acceptable, how to perform all of the Century Traditions and customs correctly, how to behave in school. It’s going to be… really different.”
“I know,” I said, looking down at Kiel as I pet his velvety fur. I didn’t want to meet Cavern’s eyes. I knew that there would be sympathy in them, and I didn’t want that. It felt wrong, getting sympathy from someone about something that I chose to do myself. I had chosen to run away and find my mother, not somebody else. I should be blamed if anything, not sympathized with. And I had also never had sympathy, or really even kindness in my life for the last two years, since my grandma died.
Then it hit me. My grandma! Had she only been pretending too, but doing it in a different way? Had she actually not loved me? “Um, Cavern?” I asked quietly, still not looking up from Kiel. Now I really was determined not to look at him.
“Yes?”
“My grandma. She died two years ago and was the only one who ever really appreciated me. Was she just pretending too?” I said, biting my lip nervously. I was pretty sure that if this was true, I wouldn’t be able to hold myself together. So much had happened in two days!
“Which grandma? You mean Ewan Izana?” Cavern asked. “If you're talking about Sherban’s mother, then no. She’s Jose’s mom too, remember? Ewan was the only one who actually liked having you in her care.” He was looking at me, but I had a feeling that he was actually looking through me.
“Are you okay?” I asked tentatively. As though he were on a completely different planet, thinking completely different thoughts about a completely different subject, Cavern only nodded distantly. “Okay, this is odd.” I said, waving my hand in front of his face.
Cavern blinked and shook his head as if shaking away a disturbing thought. “Did you say something?” He asked, studying my face nervously.
“Uh,” I said, starting to worry. “Are you seriously okay? What happened?”
“Oh! That!” He smiled weakly. “Nothing, nothing to worry about. Except…” He didn’t finish his thought, much to my frustration.
“Except?” I prompted, trying to coax whatever was bothering him into words and out his mouth. What was going on? Was there another secret that I didn’t know about? Like I had said to myself so many times, I definitely couldn’t handle something like that. Slow down, Twilight! Part of my mind yelled. You found all of this out yesterday. You can wait a little bit to find out every secret in the world. I knew it was true. I had only found out yesterday that the place I grew up calling home wasn’t home. Just that I had two people inside my mind: one very patient, calm, friendly one. But the other- the wild, impatient one that's always in a frenzy to get what they want -usually had more votes and one the arguments. That was one of the reasons why I could sometimes change from a quiet peaceful girl to a crazy impatient fire of a kid so suddenly.
Cavern shook his head again, smiling for real this time. “No, please,” He said. “I meant nothing. Just a little lost in my thoughts. Anyway, shall we get to bed? There’s a bedroom in the back of the cabin, you can sleep there. I’ll be heading back to the village, and come to pick you up in the morning.”
He pushed back his chair, standing up and clapping his hands together. “Well. Goodnight, then. See you in the morning.” Then he left, and I sat dumbfounded at the table.
Had he just left? Like that? Now I really knew there was something up. What if this was all a trap and he was lying to me, and he was making all of this up, teasing me, planning to do something with me? But… what would anybody ever want with me? Why was this whole thing happening at all? I hated this feeling when I got didn't know everything, when something was happening that somebody else knew about and that concerned me but nobody would tell me. I tried to focus on something else, but the suspicion was like tar, pulling me back and sticking to me no matter how hard I beat it or tried to get out.
Forgetting about the kitten still sitting on my lap, I stood up abruptly and walked quickly out of the cabin, watching Cavern’s back disappear into the trees. “Goodbye,” I said huffily. Why did it always have to be that nobody gave me the answer I was always looking for? I had brought it on myself, sure, but so that I could get answers. Not to be brushed away like a pesky fly over and over again.
If only someone would actually tell me the complete truth and miss nothing. Everything would make so much more sense like that.
Chapter Five
I stood to the side of the clearing, not wanting to interfere with whatever game the Centuran boys were playing. Cavern had taken me to the village earlier in the morning, but he had work to do and had said that I should explore and get to know some of the other Centurans until noon when he would take me to meet Fern and my brother.
The round, smooth stone that the boys had been tossing around suddenly flew from a boy’s hand and hit a tree. It bounced off and then flew straight at my face. Before I could react, it squared me in the cheek. It didn’t hurt, not really, but it had enough force to knock me over, and I dropped Kiel from impact with the ground, making him squawk in protest. And then every single boy who had been playing with the rock noticed me.
One of them, tall, with green eyes and blond hair, hurried over and helped me stand back up. “Are you okay?” His voice had a noticeable Centuran accent.
“Yes,” I replied, dusting my hands on my leggings and restoring Kiel to his place in the crook of my arm. When I looked up, the boy smiled.
“We don’t get a lot of cityfolk visitors around here. Especially a boy our age who doesn’t have anybody except a kitten for a companion.” He said, still grinning.
“Oh,” I said, looking down at my clothing. “I’m a girl, actually.” I hoped it was okay that I was telling these people the truth. I felt like it was okay, though, because this was going to be my home. I just knew it. I hoped, at least.
“Oh, cool,” he said. Then processed what I had said again and stared at me harder. “Then why in the name of the Elements are you wearing boy's clothes, and why is your hair cut so short and ragged?” Then his own eyes studied mine more closely, and he took a step back.
“Is something wrong?” I asked, noticing the new frown appearing on his face.
“No, I just,” He seemed to not know what to say. “You remind me of someone I knew a while ago. I’ll probably never see her again, though.”
“Oh,” I said, feeling sorry for him. “Was she a friend?”
“A sister, actually. You have the same color eyes as her.” he shook his head, smiling again. “Anyway, what’s your name? I’m Oakain.”
“Nice to meet you, Oakain,” I said. I picked up the rock from the ground and handed it to him. “My name is Twilight.”
“Twilight?” Oakain had a shocked expression on his face. “You’re sure? What’s your last name?”
“Well, I thought it was Rea, but I guess it’s really Izana. I’m pretty sure most people would still only recognize me by Twilight Rea, though.” I explained. At the same time, I answered this boy’s friendly questions, I was mad inside. He would never understand. None of these boys would. They thought they were being nice, but really they were just like everybody else; sympathizing and feeling bad for me, asking if I was okay. What I really needed, what I wanted, was somebody to love me, and for me to love somebody. Like a family, a mother, a father, a sibling. I had never really had that. It was one of the reasons why I wanted so badly to find my mother and brother. Because then I would have a real family. For the first time in my entire life, I would actually have someone who cared, who understood me, who would never laugh if I made a mistake, and if I was mean to someone they would scold me, yes, but they would ask why I did it, and they would look at my own side of the story too. A family was always on your side, no matter if you were wrong or right. That is what I wanted. Someone to stick by me no matter what happened.
And I guess that was about to happen, because right at that moment, Oakain said, “I think you might be my little sister.”
***
Now it was my turn to jump away from him. “What?” I yelped. “How can you know that?” Instantly all the doubt in my head went away. If this boy really was my brother, then, of course, he was going to be a real family, because he had come and helped without even knowing what my name was.
“My little sister’s name was Twilight. She’s my mom’s daughter but has a different dad than me. Also, her dad was a cityfolk, which is why Mom had to hide her with other cityfolk, her aunt and uncle and cousin, so that neither of them would get in trouble after their plans were foiled when her dad died. I saw her once, she had clear, light blue eyes and dark, ebony hair.” Oakain said. He made it sound all so true, and I guess it was. He was my brother.
“Wow,” I said quietly. “I think you know more about my past than I do.”
Oakain laughed. “Sure,” Then his eyes drifted to his feet. “Um, maybe I should take you back to my home. Mom should be there. She thought she’d never see you again, so…” His voice trailed off.
I smiled tentatively. “Of course we can go there. I would love to meet you and, um, Fern.” What was I supposed to call my mother? I hadn’t known she even existed for so long that mother might have seemed kind of weird. There was also another thing that my upbringing had affected me about. Whenever someone referred to my dad, they usually meant Jose Izana, but the first face that always came to my mind was that of Sherban’s, and the same with Lilany. Somebody said something about my mother, and if it was just a normal conversation that I was dragged into, it took me an annoyingly long moment to realize they were actually talking about Fern. Why couldn’t it just be that my mind automatically switched: mother equals Fern, father equals Jose, non-father equals Sherban, and non-mother equals Lilany? Why did it still feel like Sherban and Lilany were my parents and Fern and Jose were the strangers?
I explained this to Oakain as he led me to his house. Truth to tell, I found myself spilling everything to him. I had met him five minutes ago and already I was saying all of my secrets- without him even asking to hear them! He was also a good listener. The whole time I talked about my horrible life and self-pitied myself, he just walked along with me and listened, nodding sometimes, agreeing with me other times, even when I was making no sense.
“You know,” He said once I was done, “I’ve always wanted a little sister. Ever since Mom showed me you, wrapped in blankets with your tiny little hands curled around her fingers and your blue eyes staring up at me, I wanted to do everything I could to make sure that nothing bad ever came of you. I guess now I can start doing that.”
I smiled and looked around at the village. It was exactly the way I had envisioned it, there was the main courtyard in the center of the village, which had little sheds built in a circle around the yard, acting as shops and business stands, as well as the courthouse and church. In the middle of the yard was a well and there were small gardens betweens each shed. There were two smaller courtyards to the sides of the main one. One of them was a neighborhood, with small cabins around the edge like the one I had stayed in the night before. The last courtyard was a school, it had a large wooden building on one side and the rest was a large grass yard with trees and structures made out of wood to play on.
Oakain led me to one of the cabins in the Home Circle, as he called it. The cabin was decorated nicely in the front, with a garden of daisies, daffodils, tulips, ferns, and even some flowers that I had never seen before. A stone path led to the door, and the front of the house was covered in cute paintings that looked as though they had been done by a toddler. Remembering that Oakain had probably lived there his whole life, he must have done them himself.
Oakain walked up to the front door and poked his head in without knocking. I stayed back off the garden, not sure what to do. It was finally happening! I was going to meet my mother!
“Mom!” Oakain called into the cabin. “Someone’s here to see you!”
“Really?” A quiet, kind voice called back. I couldn’t see inside the cabin from where I was, but I assumed it was my mother. “We don’t usually get visitors. Who is it? I’m in the middle of making lunch, can they wait?”
Oakain glanced back at me. “I think you’d better come now.”
I heard a sigh from inside the cabin, and a woman walked out and stood next to Oakain, facing me. She was tall with dark hair like mine, and deep sea-blue eyes. She had freckles dotting her nose and a simple dress tied with a leather belt at the waist for clothing. On her feet were beautiful handmade sandals, and I hoped that I would be able to have some for myself soon too. I clutched Kiel close despite his protests, because if I didn’t hug somebody right now I might just have collapsed from happiness.
When the woman saw me she gasped and grabbed her son’s arm. “Bless the Elements,” Fern said quietly. “It can’t be.”
Oakain walked over and gently nudged me toward Fern. “Go on,” He whispered. “Don’t just stand there, you can’t hug her like that.” I smiled shyly at Fern.
Then I walked over to my mother and took her hand, holding Kiel tight with my other arm. “Mom,” I said.
“Twilight,” She smiled.
***
I sat at the small wooden table in the cabin, Kiel asleep on my lap. Fern sat across from me, and Oakain was sitting next to me, trying to start a conversation. Cavern just smiled and stayed back, not wanting anything to do with ‘soppy family reunions’.
“Well, one of you has gotta talk at some point,” Oakain pressed. He had been at it for at least twenty minutes, but I was pretty sure I was content right where I was, looking at the face of my mother with her staring right back. How often had this ever happened to me? Never before had I seen such love and kindness in someone’s eyes when they looked at me, not even with my grandma.
I nodded absentmindedly, agreeing with Oakain but saying that it definitely wouldn’t be me to break the silence at the same time. Now he tried a different strategy.
“Hey, Twi,” He whispered to me. I loved how he had started calling me that as soon as Fern had decided for sure that I was her daughter. “Why aren’t you saying anything? With me you were talking non-stop.”
“Yeah, I know,” I whispered back. “I’m just afraid that if I talk directly to her that it might all turn out to be a dream.” I don’t know why I was so open with Oakain from when I met him, it just felt like I could trust him no matter what. That he would keep my biggest secrets and not tease me or say a peep about it to anybody else.
With Cavern, things were a little different, but I still trusted him. I guess that since my real dad was dead, and the man I had thought was my real dad turned out to be a fake, he was the closest I would get to a real father. The way he acted with Oakain was amazingly sweet, he called him ‘son’ instead of his name, because he told me that his fear was almost the same as mine, that if he said something for real that it would make him wake up and realize that it was all a dream, and that his son didn’t exist at all.
And then Fern. I hadn’t even talked to her, but I already knew that she was absolutely perfect. The way her eyes looked at you, how she never missed a single detail about you, it was entrancing. It was like she loved you without even asking you name, just by looking at you. And the way she touched my cheek with her hand and played with my hair when I had gotten close enough to touch out there in the garden, it was like she was making sure that I was real, that I was actually there.
Then finally the silence broke. “I love you, Twilight. I love all of you.” Fern said in her quiet, gentle voice.
“I love you two, Oakain, Cavern. Mom.” I said.
Then Cavern laughed, his deep, melodic laugh, and pulled all of us in for a hug. Kiel, Oakain, Cavern, my mother, and I. All of us together.
I had a family at last.
The round, smooth stone that the boys had been tossing around suddenly flew from a boy’s hand and hit a tree. It bounced off and then flew straight at my face. Before I could react, it squared me in the cheek. It didn’t hurt, not really, but it had enough force to knock me over, and I dropped Kiel from impact with the ground, making him squawk in protest. And then every single boy who had been playing with the rock noticed me.
One of them, tall, with green eyes and blond hair, hurried over and helped me stand back up. “Are you okay?” His voice had a noticeable Centuran accent.
“Yes,” I replied, dusting my hands on my leggings and restoring Kiel to his place in the crook of my arm. When I looked up, the boy smiled.
“We don’t get a lot of cityfolk visitors around here. Especially a boy our age who doesn’t have anybody except a kitten for a companion.” He said, still grinning.
“Oh,” I said, looking down at my clothing. “I’m a girl, actually.” I hoped it was okay that I was telling these people the truth. I felt like it was okay, though, because this was going to be my home. I just knew it. I hoped, at least.
“Oh, cool,” he said. Then processed what I had said again and stared at me harder. “Then why in the name of the Elements are you wearing boy's clothes, and why is your hair cut so short and ragged?” Then his own eyes studied mine more closely, and he took a step back.
“Is something wrong?” I asked, noticing the new frown appearing on his face.
“No, I just,” He seemed to not know what to say. “You remind me of someone I knew a while ago. I’ll probably never see her again, though.”
“Oh,” I said, feeling sorry for him. “Was she a friend?”
“A sister, actually. You have the same color eyes as her.” he shook his head, smiling again. “Anyway, what’s your name? I’m Oakain.”
“Nice to meet you, Oakain,” I said. I picked up the rock from the ground and handed it to him. “My name is Twilight.”
“Twilight?” Oakain had a shocked expression on his face. “You’re sure? What’s your last name?”
“Well, I thought it was Rea, but I guess it’s really Izana. I’m pretty sure most people would still only recognize me by Twilight Rea, though.” I explained. At the same time, I answered this boy’s friendly questions, I was mad inside. He would never understand. None of these boys would. They thought they were being nice, but really they were just like everybody else; sympathizing and feeling bad for me, asking if I was okay. What I really needed, what I wanted, was somebody to love me, and for me to love somebody. Like a family, a mother, a father, a sibling. I had never really had that. It was one of the reasons why I wanted so badly to find my mother and brother. Because then I would have a real family. For the first time in my entire life, I would actually have someone who cared, who understood me, who would never laugh if I made a mistake, and if I was mean to someone they would scold me, yes, but they would ask why I did it, and they would look at my own side of the story too. A family was always on your side, no matter if you were wrong or right. That is what I wanted. Someone to stick by me no matter what happened.
And I guess that was about to happen, because right at that moment, Oakain said, “I think you might be my little sister.”
***
Now it was my turn to jump away from him. “What?” I yelped. “How can you know that?” Instantly all the doubt in my head went away. If this boy really was my brother, then, of course, he was going to be a real family, because he had come and helped without even knowing what my name was.
“My little sister’s name was Twilight. She’s my mom’s daughter but has a different dad than me. Also, her dad was a cityfolk, which is why Mom had to hide her with other cityfolk, her aunt and uncle and cousin, so that neither of them would get in trouble after their plans were foiled when her dad died. I saw her once, she had clear, light blue eyes and dark, ebony hair.” Oakain said. He made it sound all so true, and I guess it was. He was my brother.
“Wow,” I said quietly. “I think you know more about my past than I do.”
Oakain laughed. “Sure,” Then his eyes drifted to his feet. “Um, maybe I should take you back to my home. Mom should be there. She thought she’d never see you again, so…” His voice trailed off.
I smiled tentatively. “Of course we can go there. I would love to meet you and, um, Fern.” What was I supposed to call my mother? I hadn’t known she even existed for so long that mother might have seemed kind of weird. There was also another thing that my upbringing had affected me about. Whenever someone referred to my dad, they usually meant Jose Izana, but the first face that always came to my mind was that of Sherban’s, and the same with Lilany. Somebody said something about my mother, and if it was just a normal conversation that I was dragged into, it took me an annoyingly long moment to realize they were actually talking about Fern. Why couldn’t it just be that my mind automatically switched: mother equals Fern, father equals Jose, non-father equals Sherban, and non-mother equals Lilany? Why did it still feel like Sherban and Lilany were my parents and Fern and Jose were the strangers?
I explained this to Oakain as he led me to his house. Truth to tell, I found myself spilling everything to him. I had met him five minutes ago and already I was saying all of my secrets- without him even asking to hear them! He was also a good listener. The whole time I talked about my horrible life and self-pitied myself, he just walked along with me and listened, nodding sometimes, agreeing with me other times, even when I was making no sense.
“You know,” He said once I was done, “I’ve always wanted a little sister. Ever since Mom showed me you, wrapped in blankets with your tiny little hands curled around her fingers and your blue eyes staring up at me, I wanted to do everything I could to make sure that nothing bad ever came of you. I guess now I can start doing that.”
I smiled and looked around at the village. It was exactly the way I had envisioned it, there was the main courtyard in the center of the village, which had little sheds built in a circle around the yard, acting as shops and business stands, as well as the courthouse and church. In the middle of the yard was a well and there were small gardens betweens each shed. There were two smaller courtyards to the sides of the main one. One of them was a neighborhood, with small cabins around the edge like the one I had stayed in the night before. The last courtyard was a school, it had a large wooden building on one side and the rest was a large grass yard with trees and structures made out of wood to play on.
Oakain led me to one of the cabins in the Home Circle, as he called it. The cabin was decorated nicely in the front, with a garden of daisies, daffodils, tulips, ferns, and even some flowers that I had never seen before. A stone path led to the door, and the front of the house was covered in cute paintings that looked as though they had been done by a toddler. Remembering that Oakain had probably lived there his whole life, he must have done them himself.
Oakain walked up to the front door and poked his head in without knocking. I stayed back off the garden, not sure what to do. It was finally happening! I was going to meet my mother!
“Mom!” Oakain called into the cabin. “Someone’s here to see you!”
“Really?” A quiet, kind voice called back. I couldn’t see inside the cabin from where I was, but I assumed it was my mother. “We don’t usually get visitors. Who is it? I’m in the middle of making lunch, can they wait?”
Oakain glanced back at me. “I think you’d better come now.”
I heard a sigh from inside the cabin, and a woman walked out and stood next to Oakain, facing me. She was tall with dark hair like mine, and deep sea-blue eyes. She had freckles dotting her nose and a simple dress tied with a leather belt at the waist for clothing. On her feet were beautiful handmade sandals, and I hoped that I would be able to have some for myself soon too. I clutched Kiel close despite his protests, because if I didn’t hug somebody right now I might just have collapsed from happiness.
When the woman saw me she gasped and grabbed her son’s arm. “Bless the Elements,” Fern said quietly. “It can’t be.”
Oakain walked over and gently nudged me toward Fern. “Go on,” He whispered. “Don’t just stand there, you can’t hug her like that.” I smiled shyly at Fern.
Then I walked over to my mother and took her hand, holding Kiel tight with my other arm. “Mom,” I said.
“Twilight,” She smiled.
***
I sat at the small wooden table in the cabin, Kiel asleep on my lap. Fern sat across from me, and Oakain was sitting next to me, trying to start a conversation. Cavern just smiled and stayed back, not wanting anything to do with ‘soppy family reunions’.
“Well, one of you has gotta talk at some point,” Oakain pressed. He had been at it for at least twenty minutes, but I was pretty sure I was content right where I was, looking at the face of my mother with her staring right back. How often had this ever happened to me? Never before had I seen such love and kindness in someone’s eyes when they looked at me, not even with my grandma.
I nodded absentmindedly, agreeing with Oakain but saying that it definitely wouldn’t be me to break the silence at the same time. Now he tried a different strategy.
“Hey, Twi,” He whispered to me. I loved how he had started calling me that as soon as Fern had decided for sure that I was her daughter. “Why aren’t you saying anything? With me you were talking non-stop.”
“Yeah, I know,” I whispered back. “I’m just afraid that if I talk directly to her that it might all turn out to be a dream.” I don’t know why I was so open with Oakain from when I met him, it just felt like I could trust him no matter what. That he would keep my biggest secrets and not tease me or say a peep about it to anybody else.
With Cavern, things were a little different, but I still trusted him. I guess that since my real dad was dead, and the man I had thought was my real dad turned out to be a fake, he was the closest I would get to a real father. The way he acted with Oakain was amazingly sweet, he called him ‘son’ instead of his name, because he told me that his fear was almost the same as mine, that if he said something for real that it would make him wake up and realize that it was all a dream, and that his son didn’t exist at all.
And then Fern. I hadn’t even talked to her, but I already knew that she was absolutely perfect. The way her eyes looked at you, how she never missed a single detail about you, it was entrancing. It was like she loved you without even asking you name, just by looking at you. And the way she touched my cheek with her hand and played with my hair when I had gotten close enough to touch out there in the garden, it was like she was making sure that I was real, that I was actually there.
Then finally the silence broke. “I love you, Twilight. I love all of you.” Fern said in her quiet, gentle voice.
“I love you two, Oakain, Cavern. Mom.” I said.
Then Cavern laughed, his deep, melodic laugh, and pulled all of us in for a hug. Kiel, Oakain, Cavern, my mother, and I. All of us together.
I had a family at last.
Epilogue
We accused Sherban, Lilany, and Willow about lying the next week. It wasn’t very fun, but all was forgiven. Mostly. Sherban had been the only one to speak of my old family, and he had said that they wouldn’t miss me in the slightest. His one question was if Fern would still tell everybody about his crime, but to my surprise, she said no.
Fern told me that Cavern had settled everything with the Council -the Council was basically the people who were in charge of the Century Tribe- about me being the offspring of a Centuran and a cityfolk, and that as long as I abandoned all the ways of the cityfolk and became an official Centuran that I could stay. I got my registry pendant, which was a necklace with a special bead threaded onto it that said even though I wasn’t fully Centuran blood that I was a Centuran and allowed to be in the village.
As I soon discovered, life with the Century Tribe was refreshing and fun after all the years of discipline with the Reas. We went to school every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to learn more about all the religious beliefs and history of the Century Tribe. Every day that we didn’t go to school was occupied by socializing with other Centurans and chores -which were actually fun. I got to know some of the other kids pretty fast, and they were very accepting of me even once they knew who I was and where I came from.
Kiel was accepted with open arms as well. He was still ‘Twilight’s cat,’ but his home was at any house anywhere. He paraded around the village as if he owned the place, and made friends with everybody. He visited everybody everyday, but only slept in his bed next to my own. His title in the village was Yulend Fyr Kiel, which meant Kiel the Master Cat in the ancient Centuran language.
The biggest belief of the Centuran people were the Elements. There were four different kinds: Water, Fire, Earth, and Air, just like one would guess. They were the children of life and protected all creatures from evil spirits like the Death Elements. I had heard a little bit of talk about Elements from my history tutor when I was a Rea, but Fern said that cityfolk got it all wrong and that I should forget everything they ever taught me.
And that crazy thing that happened with Cavern at the cabin that night before I met Fern and Oakain? Fern told me that it was exactly what Cavern does all the time. He gets wrapped up in his thoughts more than anybody, and sometimes he gets so caught up in them he doesn’t realize anything happening around him and will say random things. That makes three problems solved; finding Fern, why Lilany, Sherban, and Willow are all so crazy, and what in the name of the Elements happened to Cavern.
Sometimes at night, instead of crying myself to sleep with self-pity like I did in the Rea household, I would be so happy to finally be with my mother that I would be wide awake until midnight, but in the morning I was never tired. Life in the Centuran Village was just too happy and lovely to be too tired to do it. I loved my new life. Everything was just the way it was supposed to be, and I was sure that nothing could ever change the love I felt for my new family.
Because Oakain, Cavern, and Fern made were a part of me now. If they were taken away, I wouldn’t be able to live. They were my supporters, the building blocks in this new way of life. And our love made me soar higher each day, because love is the most powerful thing ever.
If you don’t believe me, you should. Because, trust me, one day you’ll understand. Nothing is given to us on a silver tray. You have to look for it. But sometimes the journey that gets you there is the best part, because it’s the thing that made you strong enough to find what you were looking for.
Fern told me that Cavern had settled everything with the Council -the Council was basically the people who were in charge of the Century Tribe- about me being the offspring of a Centuran and a cityfolk, and that as long as I abandoned all the ways of the cityfolk and became an official Centuran that I could stay. I got my registry pendant, which was a necklace with a special bead threaded onto it that said even though I wasn’t fully Centuran blood that I was a Centuran and allowed to be in the village.
As I soon discovered, life with the Century Tribe was refreshing and fun after all the years of discipline with the Reas. We went to school every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to learn more about all the religious beliefs and history of the Century Tribe. Every day that we didn’t go to school was occupied by socializing with other Centurans and chores -which were actually fun. I got to know some of the other kids pretty fast, and they were very accepting of me even once they knew who I was and where I came from.
Kiel was accepted with open arms as well. He was still ‘Twilight’s cat,’ but his home was at any house anywhere. He paraded around the village as if he owned the place, and made friends with everybody. He visited everybody everyday, but only slept in his bed next to my own. His title in the village was Yulend Fyr Kiel, which meant Kiel the Master Cat in the ancient Centuran language.
The biggest belief of the Centuran people were the Elements. There were four different kinds: Water, Fire, Earth, and Air, just like one would guess. They were the children of life and protected all creatures from evil spirits like the Death Elements. I had heard a little bit of talk about Elements from my history tutor when I was a Rea, but Fern said that cityfolk got it all wrong and that I should forget everything they ever taught me.
And that crazy thing that happened with Cavern at the cabin that night before I met Fern and Oakain? Fern told me that it was exactly what Cavern does all the time. He gets wrapped up in his thoughts more than anybody, and sometimes he gets so caught up in them he doesn’t realize anything happening around him and will say random things. That makes three problems solved; finding Fern, why Lilany, Sherban, and Willow are all so crazy, and what in the name of the Elements happened to Cavern.
Sometimes at night, instead of crying myself to sleep with self-pity like I did in the Rea household, I would be so happy to finally be with my mother that I would be wide awake until midnight, but in the morning I was never tired. Life in the Centuran Village was just too happy and lovely to be too tired to do it. I loved my new life. Everything was just the way it was supposed to be, and I was sure that nothing could ever change the love I felt for my new family.
Because Oakain, Cavern, and Fern made were a part of me now. If they were taken away, I wouldn’t be able to live. They were my supporters, the building blocks in this new way of life. And our love made me soar higher each day, because love is the most powerful thing ever.
If you don’t believe me, you should. Because, trust me, one day you’ll understand. Nothing is given to us on a silver tray. You have to look for it. But sometimes the journey that gets you there is the best part, because it’s the thing that made you strong enough to find what you were looking for.
THE END
About The Author
|
Maisy D. Winling lives in Sacramento with her two cats, Amelia and Connor, and miniature schnauzer dog, Fredraro. She loves spending time in her own room writing stories or sitting outside reading a book. As well as writing, Maisy plays piano and dances. She also likes drawing, but doesn’t think she’s very good at it. She lives with her parents, grandmother, and three siblings in a large house. They are a happy family and are trying to make the best of Covid-19. Maisy encourages everyone to be brave and not give up in this hard time, but to stay safe at the same time. She wishes you all good fortune and hopes you are able to live a happily-ever-after of your own! "May you always belong," She says.
|
|
