"Bonds Between ch 4" by Sarah E Askew

"Do you ever visit the spot where you and Ellorah used to be alone?" Tek asked after a lengthy silence. Raven looked at the leaves and sighed.

"I did once. I couldn't bare the memories, even if they were happy." Raven paused a moment in thought. "You remember that last day we were all together?"

"Not fully. I've been catching glimpses of it every now and then. Do you?" Tek turned his head to look at Raven.

"Yeah. I remember hearing from Caseerna, you remember Aiden's love. She instructed me to call out the word leit when I felt a tingling sensation in my hands. I didn't know that anything was going to happen to my Ellorah. I supposed it was just another one of the girls' spells." Raven shrugged. "Why didn't they tell us anything do you suppose?"

"I don't know. Maybe they were trying to keep us from feeling as sad as they must have been. They must've really wanted this world to exist if they were willing to give their lives for it. I guess they also didn't want anything to interfere with the plans." Tek stopped as a new memory flashed in his mind. "You know, I just remembered,"

"What?"

"Aiden knew about it the whole time."

"He did?" Raven was puzzled.

"Yes he did. I was the only other one awake when he revived. He told me that Caseerna had explained everything to him. That the girls would die…everything." Tek trailed off into his own memories.

"Boys! I've just had a vision!" Armouren said sticking her head out the door. Tek and Raven both looked at her and then out into the woods where her eyes darted. Within seconds she zipped back inside and kept quiet. Raven peeked through the window at her as Tek looked anxiously around the wooded area.

A moment later there was a crack in the woods and both Tek and Raven turned their heads toward the sound. They strained their ears to hear anything else, but nothing came. They sat back thinking it was probably just an animal. But then, from out of the forest walked a tall red haired, freckle-faced boy.

"Hello!" He said cheerfully and waved. "I'm looking for Armouren Thelem, is she here?" Aiden asked trying to peer inside without the two boys noticing.

"Yes, she's here." Raven said after a long pause. Tek had retreated into his cloak as always. "Please come inside." Raven stood up and shook hands with Aiden. "I'm Raven, and who might you be?"

"Name's Aiden!" He turned to Tek and held out his hand to shake. "Hi!" Tek looked at Aiden's hand for a moment from under his hood and then stood up and walked into the cottage. "Um, did I say something wrong?" Aiden's smiled faded as his hand dropped.

"Oh, no you didn't. That's Tek. He's not too friendly. He just takes time to get used to everyone. You see his face-"

"Raven!" Tek yelled from inside the house, cutting him off.

"Maybe I should let him tell you." Raven said and led Aiden into the little home. At the table sat Armouren, Tek was nowhere to be seen. Armouren stood up and smiled at Aiden and ran to him with open arms.

"Aiden, it's been such a long time child!" She said as they embraced. She then stepped back and held him at arm's length. "My! You've gotten so much taller! How's the sea been treating you?"

"Just great! And how have you been?"

"Fine as always! Oh and by the way, how has that girl been faring on the ship? She liking it?"

"Hm? Oh Casidee? She's still getting her sea legs. She's been having these nightmares though. Your brother thought it best that we should come here."

"But only you are here." Armouren noticed.

"Well, Cassy's here too. I just don't know where." Aiden laughed nervously as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"I see. Well I think she'll be fine. In fact I see her coming to this clearing right about now." Aiden turned around and saw through the open doorway a girl with straw colored hair and mens breeches and a loose shirt on walking into the clearing as if dazed. Aiden ran out to her.

"Cassy! Where'd you go?" He asked her as he grabbed her hand and led her to the little house.

"I-I don't know." She said in a dazed voice. "What is this place? This is exactly like the place in my dreams." She looked around in amazement. "I could have sworn I've been here before."

"You couldn't have been here before." Aiden assured her.

"I know I have. Let go!" Casidee pulled her hand from Aiden's grip and ran inside.

"If you've been here before then prove it." He dared.

"Alright I will!" Cassy looked around. She saw the hallway to the right of her and ran through it into the adjoining room; everyone followed. Tek was startled to see everyone run into the room at once, he nearly fell of Emiri's bed. He stood up and brushed himself off and pulled his hood lower over his eyes so Casidee couldn't see any part of his face. He quietly moved toward Armouren.

"Is that Caseerna?" He whispered to her. Armouren nodded her head in reply and touched her finger to her lips to ask for silence. Cassy moved towards the bed with a plant-type symbol carved into the dresser sitting next to it.

"I don't know how I know this, it totally goes against all I believe in but here goes. I can prove to you I've been here before." And with that she pulled the dresser away from the wall and tapped a part of the wood behind it. The wall began to crack around where she tapped and the wood melted away slowly to reveal a hole. Cassy stuck her hand in and pulled out a leather-bound book. She stood up and thrust the book into Aiden's hands. He looked at it.

"Why'd you give me this? So, ok, you proved to me that you've been here before. But why give me the book?" He asked holding the book up.

"Because I can't read the writing." She said simply. Aiden looked the cover over and opened the book and flipped the pages.

"Well I can't either, this is old Mahathrean no one can read this anymore." He said and handed her back the book. Casidee ran her fingers over the pressed characters on the cover thoughtfully.

"Here, I can read it, well some of it." Armouren took the book from Casidee and looked at it. "The word on the cover reads: Caseerna." She opened the book and studied the first page a while. "There's no date on here, but this looks to be from what I can read a journal entry." She began to read bits and pieces of the writing. "Got their first…" She trailed off trying to read the next word. "Dream. Ah yes that's it. Um, This next part I can't really make out. So, I… began this journal…." Armouren closed her eyes in frustration. "Ugh! I can't read this too well. This appears to be the original form of it all." She closed the book and sat down on a bed.

"You see, for those of you that don't know, a long time ago there were five chosen ones. Each of them were girls, destined to create this world we live in. This was their home after they all became witches. Caseerna, the one who wrote this diary, was the one who built this cottage and lived in it first. She welcomed the other four girls with open arms. This room we stand in was the product of their friendship, and their families betrayal. They built this room so they could all sleep comfortably."

"I thought you said there were five girls? There are only four beds here." Aiden commented.

"Right you are. You saw that bed in the corner there that I sleep on?" Everyone nodded. "That bed belonged to the fifth girl. She never really thought she fit in much so she decided to sleep in there. That girl was Sorena. She is the one who made the Mahathrean language. All of the old scripts you see written in the history books were actually wrote by her. She was really the only one who mastered the art."

"How come no one can read this anymore?" Casidee asked.

"Well, I can read the letters but I can't translate the words too well. Sorena had the characters and also she had a few made up words. To help her with those words the elf of the five girls, Kaelynna began helping her make up words that pleased the ear. They created an entire language of new words and characters and used them to speak to each other so that no one outside their knowledge could understand them. The words can be a little tricky at times, that's why I have such a hard time translating them, and why people stopped using them, so they don't teach it anymore."

"Could you read us something out of the book in Mahathrean?" Aiden requested.

"Sure. Ok let's see here." She skimmed through the book looking for something to read them. "Ah, here looks like a pretty one," She began, "Thenae trenaes errah beauwen otoudunay. Thenae niere ees emeron, anie armouren eet!"

"Do you know what that means?" Casidee asked. Armouren was about answer when a voice came from the shadows in the corner.

"The trees are beautiful today. The rain is silver, I love it." Everyone looked over at Tek who sat huddled in a corner. "That is what the sentence means."

"How do you know?" Cassy asked curiously.

"Because unlike a lot of other people my Aunt Rose was alive when the five girls died. She knew the old language well and taught it to me. Although I still don't know very much."

"Who are you?" Casidee asked stepping closer.

"Just call me Tek." He said quietly.

"That name sounds almost familiar." Tek snorted and looked away.

"Don't mind him Cassy, he's just rude like that." Aiden sneered at Tek. Armouren looked around at all the children and cleared her throat and stood.

"Well, I believe that will be enough of this book for today. How about we all sit down to a nice meal. Aiden I'm sure you and Casidee are famished from the long journey across sea and land." Aiden nodded his head vigorously and Cassy politely nodded. With that they all stood and walked into the dining area of the cottage and sat down to eat.

Aiden and Raven were sitting inside talking about the world and the many things in it, at the table, while Tek lazed around Emiri's old bed and Casidee and Armouren sat outside in the willow chairs casually chatting. The night was cool and breezy and the sound of crickets filled the air. The moon rose high above the trees casting an eerie silver-blue glow on the wooded area. "Armouren?" Cassy began.

"Yes dear?"

"You know I still don't believe in any of this."

"Any of what?"

"This, the magic, the old clothes, the creatures, everything. I still feel as if I am in a dream."

"I can see how you feel. But Casidee," Armouren turned to Cassy and placed a hand on her shoulder. "That is not how you feel deep down. Search your heart. You know that secretly you feel you belong here that your friend Taylor is right." Casidee hung her head and sighed.

"I guess I do. But how can I? All my life I was taught that there is no such thing as magic; dragons are just people's imagination run wild. Am I supposed to forget everything I learned and believe what I think I'm seeing?"

"No, I guess you aren't. But someday you will realize that what you were taught was only because of the world you lived in. There is not only one world my dear Casidee."

"Armouren?"

"Yes child?"

"Can I stay with you? I know you have the boys here and all, but I just, I just feel at home here. I never even felt at home with when my mother was still alive. I feel like I belong here. So, can I?"

"That would be a splendid idea Cassy! I need another girl around this house to help me keep the boys in line. Especially when we take a trip to visit my brother." Cassy smiled and sighed as she looked back up at the trees.

In the house Tek still lay on the bed with his hood pulled completely over his face. He had been listening to Casidee and Armouren talking on the porch. He sighed. How can she think that magic doesn't exist? He thought to himself. She is Caseerna, I know it. She looks exactly like her old self, well with the exception of the clothing. Caseerna was very much the opposite of Casidee. Casidee is the perfect embodiment of a Normal. Caseerna was the perfect example of a Mahathrean. She was so intuitive, so all-knowing. Now look at her. Tek snorted and rolled over in the bed. I wonder if Emiri is going to be like Casidee.

The next morning Tek awoke to the aromas of bacon and eggs. He had been sleeping outside on tree limbs so in case his hood fell off no one would wake up to such a horrifying thing. He made sure his hood was pulled low over his face and jumped down from the branch and strolled inside the little cottage. "Good morning Tek!" Armouren greeted cheerfully.

"Morning Armouren." Tek grunted.

"Have some breakfast. Sorry there aren't any pancakes today, I ran out of the flour I had made a few months ago and I don't have any wheat left." She explained as she shoved a few eggs onto a plate with a few strips of bacon and handed it to Tek.

"That's fine. Are you going to Grenen Flead soon to buy some more?" He inquired as he sat down at the table.

"Oh not today. We'll all go in about four days. Today's the day I plan to bring back Aiden's memories. He'll need a few days to adjust. Fortunately he already has his love with him."

"Won't he scare her a bit after he has them back?" He said through a mouthful of bacon.

"I've already thought of that. Casidee is going to be going into town at noon to see my brother."

"Uh, Armouren, she doesn't know this place anymore, how is she going to get to Grenen Flead safely?" Armouren stopped cooking and turned to Tek with a mischievous grin on her face. "What! Oh no! I'm not going to take her! I don't want to go into a town. I haven't been to one since I was ten and I don't intend to start going to them now." Tek refused.

"Oh come on Tek, it wont be as bad as you think it will be. You have that hood over your face all the time, no one's going to see your face. All you have to do is get her to the town and show her the way to the palace and then go around back. But watch her through the parts in the homes. We can't let anything happen to her." Tek sighed.

"Ok, ok, I'll take her. Will they know I'll be coming around back?"

"Yes, there's the wizard Master Emeron who lives there, his apprentice will be at the back door to the kitchens waiting for you. I sent word to them a few days ago. They know what you look like." She flipped a few pieces of bacon then added quickly, "And not what you really look like."

"Good. So where is everyone?" Tek asked as he noticed for the first time that he and Armouren were the only ones in the kitchen.

"Raven and Aiden are still sleeping, Casidee left before I woke up. I think she went to explore the area around here more. You know she has a lot more of her memory than we think. Someday soon she will be able to read that book, and when she does, she'll remember everything."

"I'm anxiously waiting that day. Caseerna was nothing like this Casidee. It's annoying seeing Caseerna but hearing this other person's thoughts and feelings coming from it."

"I know. But that is the result of what happens from living in the Normals' world and growing up remembering your own mother's death. We just have to wait." Armouren sighed. Just then the door opened and Casidee walked in. "Morning Casidee!"

"Morning Armouren." Casidee eyed Tek sitting there; she couldn't tell whether he was looking at her or not due to the shadow covering his face. "Do you enjoy always being in the dark Tek?" Cassy teased. Tek jumped up from the table.

"You have no idea what I've been through, I have to be in the dark like this Casidee! I would think you were taught more manners in that strict world of yours."

"I'm only returning the favor so lovingly bestowed upon me by you yesterday Tek." Cassy said coolly and she sat down at the table. Tek glared at Armouren, knowing she would know he was and what he was thinking.

"It's not going to be that bad Tek, honestly." Armouren assured. Tek stalked out of the cottage.

"What's not?" Cassy asked.

"Today you are going into Grenen Flead to see my brother in person this time. Tek is going to take you."

"Against his will right?"

"For the most part. He agreed after a while. I figured you two ought to get things straightened out."

"Well if we can I guess it will be easier to live here with him."

"Oh you won't have to worry about that, in about a month he's going to be leaving. Raven is going to be leaving as well. They have some things to attend to elsewhere. Aiden will have his choices of whether to stay here or go back to his ship. You may go or stay if you wish."

"I see. So what time are we leaving today?"

"Noon. It's not a very long walk. Only about ten minutes from here. Tek will take you to the entrance to Grenen Flead and point you towards the palace. He's going to be walking around the outskirts and keeping an eye on you until you enter the palace, then he's going to go around the back way."

"What happened to him to make him so irritable?" Casidee asked, curious.

"I'll leave that to him to tell you if he wants. You could ask him on the walk today if you like."

Raven and Aiden had been up for a few hours by the time Tek and Casidee had to leave. As he stood in the doorway about to leave Tek looked at Aiden. He walked up to Aiden and whispered to him, "Don't worry it's not going to be as hard for you as it was for me and Raven." Aiden looked at Tek bewildered.

"Um, if you say so Tek." He laughed nervously.

"Come on boy let's get moving!" Cassy called from outside. Tek left the cottage and caught up with Casidee, the two immediately started arguing.

"I had to say something, can't you be patient?" "Well sor-ry! I just really wanna get there. I've never met King Rahch. I've never even met a king!" Casidee explained. <p> "I've never met him or a king either you don't see me about to explode with anticipation do you?" <p> "You couldn't explode from an emotion you don't have. All you show is hostility, I'm surprised you even know what anticipation is." <p> "For your information I show a lot more emotions than I let you see." <p> "Oh that's right, you have this thing with people, I forgot." Casidee said sarcastically. <p> "Look, let's just not talk the whole time and we'll get there just fine. I don't want Aiden to kill me for killing you along the way." Casidee shot him a knife-filled glance and turned her nose up at him. Tek chuckled to himself. <p> <p>Five minutes had passed in silence as the scenery changed from that of a large forest to a vast field when Casidee broke it. "What happened to you Tek? What made you like you are?" Tek stopped and stared in surprise at Casidee's back as she kept walking. She stopped and turned around. "Will you tell me?" <p> "Why should I?" <p> "Please, stop with the front. Just answer me, will you tell me or not? I want to know." <p> "Fine." Tek breathed. Cassy walked back up to him and they began walking as he talked. "My mother died giving birth to me, which left me with the mid-wife, Rose. She raised me and taught me everything of what she did. When I was six she became ill and died soon after. I was left to help the scared women that came there expecting to find an old woman. I've had to help birth at least 50 children. Not all of them lived. I've had to bury many babies and a few mothers as well. When I was ten there was a woman named Merrilyn. She came to me almost as soon as she began showing her pregnancy. She helped me around the hut and even helped me birth a few of the babies. She was my only friend aside from the only mother I had known. When she too long into her pregnancy to help out I began doing thing's on my own again while she lay in bed and talked to me. One day I had just given her, her breakfast and walked into the main part of the hut when a witch came to the door. She demanded to know where Merrilyn was. I tried to keep the witch from her but she used her magic against me and tried to kill me. I blacked out after the pain became too unbearable." <p> "Why didn't she actually kill you?" Casidee interrupted. <p> "Hang on, I'm getting to that. When I woke up Merrilyn was gone and so was the witch. I knew it was my duty to protect all women who came to me for help. I packed a bag and left the hut in search of her. When I entered the first village I was greeted by screams of fright and angry village men. They told me to leave or they would kill me. So I left and went to the next town and was greeted the same way. I ran back to the forest for cover from them and there I met the Goddess Galexia. She told me what had happened. She needed me alive so she had kept me from being killed. Although she couldn't stop the magic the witch performed, she wasn't and still isn't that powerful. She had to change the spell to the closet thing it could become. That spell happened to be a deforming spell. It hit my face so that's the part of me that's deformed. That's why I wear this cloak. I have to if I want to be able to talk to people. I just decided not to talk to people anymore. I kept to myself and continued on my way, this time I had to go to Armouren's house. Galexia told me that Merrilyn and her child were dead now and that I needed to go where fate wanted me to. I didn't find Armouren until a few weeks ago." <p> "I'm sorry. I didn't know." <p> "Not many do. I prefer to keep to myself. That way I don't have to worry about people accidentally seeing me." <p> "Can-can I see your face Tek? I won't scream or run or anything. I promise." <p> "I don't know. No one's seen my face since those two villages when I was ten." <p> "Please. I'm a curious person and thing's rarely gross me out. I still have an ugly scar from the car wreck when I was five. See," Cassy pulled up her pant leg and revealed a burn scar that covered her entire calf and up to her knee. Tek winced. <p> "The stake." He whispered to himself. <p> "Huh?" She asked. <p> "Oh, nothing. I just knew a girl who was almost burned at the stake, she has a scar that looks exactly like that." <p> "Oh? That's horrible. I got this from when the car started to burn." <p> "Well, we're here." Tek said seeing that they had arrived to the town, and glad to have a chance to change the subject. "Now if you just go straight ahead you'll see the palace; actually you can see it from here. Just head there and I'm sure they already know you're coming today." Tek instructed her. <p> "Right. Well, I'll see you there." Cassy said and walked inside. Tek ran around the outside of the town and looked for Casidee at each space between the homes. <p>He reached the back of the palace and knocked on the door. It opened to reveal a tall boy with sandy blond hair and pointed ears. He wore a light green vest and a beige shirt with brown knee length breeches. Tek stared at him for a moment. <p> "Hi, you must be Tek, My name's Will follow me."