by K C Norrie
Riene looked from Gabel to Bereitha in affection. She thought of them as her family now, though she never told them. Together, the two of them had placed her on the same path with the rest of the world. She no longer felt lost. A future lay in front of her now as clear as day. All she had to do was take a step.
Chapter 17
Silas was eighteen when the great storm of 1841 came to Saint Ange. He sat at the window on the top floor of the turret room in the Chateau and watched the storm strike the mountain behind them. It was magnificent. It matched his mood exactly. For a short while he pretended to throw lightning bolts with his hands, and it worked amazingly until he grew bored. Then he just watched the lights land and wondered what they were. He would have to investigate tomorrow and make a hike up into the mountains. The lights looked like little fires, but they didn't flicker, and they didn't grow or dim the way fires should; but the heavy rain would keep any fires from burning. How were those lights able to survive at all?
BAM!
Silas jumped startled. That was the loudest yet. He was tired now and wanted to sleep. BAM!
The storm was lasting too long. It should have ended hours ago. He climbed down from the turret room and returned to his bedchamber, a little angry.
He lay on his bed with his hands behind his head just thinking.
His parents expected him to go away to school soon. They had been discussing this for months now. "Your future" was what they called these discussions. They also expected him to marry and had introduced him to many young women over the last several months through a series of dance receptions held in the Grand Hall of the Chateau.
Silas let himself be led in these directions for now, but it was growing wearisome. On one hand, he couldn't wait to leave. They should rename the Chateau la Montagne, the Chateau La Sombre. On the other hand, the universities they visited seemed just as dismal. It seemed his parents were trying to get rid of him as fast as they could. He knew this was imaginary, but the thought helped him feel better. It stirred up anger and feeling angry was better than feeling nothing.
Bam!
The storm grew stronger. Silas got out of bed and looked out the bedchamber window facing the village.
Bam!
The sky lit up and lightning struck near one of the church towers. It didn't catch fire though, there was too much rain. There were a few of those glowing lights in the village also, Silas noted. He briefly considered sneaking down to investigate, but when a large tree branch flew past the window, he changed his mind.
"Tomorrow," he whispered.
****
Gabel watched the storm from the attic window near his bed at the farm. His father had built two windows for him because Gabel loved to watch the night sky. One faced east and the other west. There were heavy shutters to close when the windows were not in use, or during harsh weather like tonight. Gabel watched from the east window as the storm ravaged the west side of their house. The east window faced Saint Ange and the Chateau and the mountains behind.
The night was blackness itself. When lightning struck, he could see as clear as if daylight had come. Gabel watched as lightning struck over and over up near the Chateau and high up in the mountains. The sound of the rain pelting their house mingled with the howling wind, but loudest of all were the explosions of thunder. Gabel jumped in startlement at every one. The light illuminated the sky above with its swirling dark clouds and the sparse trees below, grotesquely bent or broken in the relentless wind. Every window of the Chateau held the light of a lantern, a beacon for travelers to find their way, though Gabel could not imagine anyone traveling in this storm. A single streak of light shot down from the sky hitting the mountain and continued to burn in the darkness that followed. It hadn't looked like lightning. It was different. Were those other lights little fires? They continued to glow. Why didn't the rain put them out?
As another bolt of lightning seemed to strike Saint Ange, Gabel thought of Riene and wondered where she slept. She would never tell them how she managed when she was not with them. Was she safe and able to keep dry? Was she frightened? She was such a strong spirit. He could not imagine her frightened of anything, but there had never been such a storm.
****
Riene lay awake on a pew in the church staring up at the beautiful stained-glass windows. With every crash of thunder, she worried that the glass would shatter and fall on top of her and the others who had no other shelter tonight.
Father Pierre was a kind priest. He had given her a blanket, and she used part of it to cushion her head. It left her feet cold, but such was life. Such was her life anyway. The ends seemed destined never to meet.
Another rumble and crash and still the glass held intact. The window lit up brightly and darkened in unison with the storm. She watched it through the stained-glass scene of the baby Jesus in the manger, as the angels illuminated repeatedly, in crashes of thunder and lightning. As the storm raged, so did the angels.
Bam!
Another crash and the stained glass with the flashing angels still held strong against the storm. She wondered how the storm sounded from the Chateau. She got from the pew and tiptoed to the back of the church. She climbed the stairs and a ladder to the bell tower. The sound from the storm up here was deafening. Riene could not hear herself talk. She screamed, just as a test, and still could not hear herself.
She looked out toward the Chateau and surrounding mountains during the brief flashes of light. She saw a star fall from the sky and hit the mountain behind. She made a wish. She also made a note of the place it fell. The star still burned in the rain and so did a few other little fires. Were the stars falling from the sky? Tomorrow when the rain stopped, she wanted to adventure up there to see where her star had landed.
She climbed down the ladder and lay back down on the hard pew still thinking about her wish.
****
It continued to rain for nearly two weeks after the storm. They stayed home from the market— there was too much mud to haul the cart.
Things will be different when we move into town, thought Gabel.
At last, the sun rose into a clear blue morning. The rain must have stopped during the night and things seemed drier. Gabel told his mother he was going up into the mountains.
"I want to investigate the storm damage. I thought I noticed a few little fires up there during the storm."
"I want to go with you," answered Bereitha. "People may need help with the damage. You can leave me at the church."
They left on the horses.
Saint Ange was muddy and filled with debris. People were outside their homes and businesses cleaning and repairing. The market area was deserted. Gabel kept an eye out for Riene, but she did not appear.
He left his mother at the white St. Mary's church, along with his horse and proceeded on foot, promising to help with the cleanup when he returned.
By the time he reached the mountains, clouds were building up again. A breeze stirred at his approach. The paths up were still muddy and slippery from the rain, so Gabel trudged up slowly. He investigated, the meadow on top finding nothing out of the ordinary; no burned patches or areas where fires may have started and drenched out. Many tree branches were strewn about. He stopped and looked down upon the village. Outside a lot of cleanup, there didn't seem to be much damage. He looked up at the sky, dismayed to see more darkening clouds, and as he was doing so, he felt a sting on his ankle. He looked down, seeing nothing but a budding vine trailing around his feet. He looked closely for thorns but saw none. The wind picked up madly.
Bam!
A loud crack of thunder opened the skies and torrential rain pelted him. Large rocks of hail came down with the rain, stinging his back and arms. He needed shelter and headed for a cave he knew to be in the area, keeping close to the trees for protection. It was not safe out here with the falling branches and hail. The sky became darker, and the wind fought hard against him. Then Gabel felt a sharp pain on his head and darkness overtook him.
****
Riene was up on the mountain the same day and time as Gabel. She came up a different mountain path and never saw him. When the hailstorm hit, she found shelter in the cave that Gabel sought but never reached. A few moments after her arrival a young man entered the cave. They eyed each other curiously and turned back to watch the hailstorm.
"You are Silas Montrell from the Chateau la Montagne," said Riene turning toward the man. It did not take a fortune-teller to know this. Everyone knew who Silas was. He often rode through the village with his father. Sometimes on a beautiful white horse, other times on an even more beautiful black one. He carried a sword in a sheath beside him as he rode. Riene lost her breath every time she saw him.
Silas nodded mutely.
"My name is Riene Gardin. I am sixteen years old. I was born on November 22nd in Paris. My parents are both dead."
"I am pleased to meet you," answered Silas politely. He held out his hand. Riene took it. She thought something magical happened when they touched.
Silas was tongue-tied around young women. Not knowing quite what to say to an introduction like this, he responded in kind.
"I am eighteen years old, my birthday is July 30th, and my sister is dead."
"I am so sorry about your sister. I haven't any sisters I know about. I forgot to ask that of Gabel. He is a fortune teller or maybe a wizard."
Riene told Silas all about Gabel and his mother in Saint Ange and how she had spent years as an orphan, not knowing who she really was.
Silas was instantly jealous of Gabel and the way Riene seemed in awe of him. He thought fortune-telling foolery. He didn't believe in such things as magic and fortunes. Riene looked to be about sixteen and anyone could have pulled a birth date from out of the air. It was also safe to assume her parents were dead as she'd been an orphan for so long.
When Riene asked him what his sister was like, he began to talk.
Despite being dressed in worn clothing, Riene was the most beautiful girl Silas had ever met. She raptly listened to him, hanging onto his every word. He looked into emerald green eyes, as he talked about Darlena, and how she would have been right here in the cave with them, eager to find the after-effects of that big storm. He looked down at his ankle as he'd felt a sting. All he could see was a leafy vine he had somehow put his foot through. He kept talking. Riene kept listening, hungry to learn everything about an enchanting life she could not even imagine. She felt something sting her ankle and didn't even look down, fearing if she lost eye contact, Silas would quit talking.
Silas thought of the dance ball scheduled for the following weekend. Introductions to giggling girls. He wouldn't know what to say to any of them. How wonderful if he could attend with Riene. He swallowed and gathered courage.
"Would you like to attend a dance at the Chateau with me Riene?"
For Riene it was a dream come true. Silas promised that his mother would help her dress if she didn't mind borrowing a gown. She didn't mind at all. How else would she get a gown? How foolish to refuse. When the storm cleared up Silas took her hand and walked her to safety leaving her at the door of the church. For Riene, the journey to the church was dreamlike and enchanting.
****
When Gabel awoke, he didn't know where he was. People peered down at him. He was propped up on a soft bed with a blanket. Someone spooned a yellow syrup into his mouth. Another held a cup of hot tea for him to drink. The tea was red. Gabel sipped finding it reviving. It had an unusual but familiar flavor he could not place. He warmed up as he drank and realized how cold he had been. He stared back at the people wondering who they were. Not only were they the most colorful people he had ever seen, but he had seen none of these colors before. He couldn't find his voice to speak to them.
He must have been smiling because one by one they smiled back at him. Then one reached out and closed his eyes.
Chapter 18
As soon as the next market day arrived, Riene rushed out to find Gabel and his mother. She made her way to the stall with the big red canopy, but no one was there. The stall stood empty and desolate in the light of its missing occupants. They hadn't been back since the storm and it both worried and disappointed her. She had news to share and questions to ask. She prayed no harm had come to her secret family. She couldn't bear to lose them.
On the day of the dance, Riene trudged up the road to the Chateau. No one on the road paid her much mind. Her stomach fluttered with nervousness.
What if Silas forgot about her? They had arranged to meet at a back entrance that led into the kitchen. If Silas forgot to tell anyone she was coming, then they might think she was a beggar or thief. She might be chased away. How humiliating that would be. Even worse, she might be captured and locked in the dungeon. Surely, they had one. Who else to put into the dungeons but beggars and thieves?
She kept trudging along despite her fears. She'd been dreaming about this day for a week now and would not give up because of her nervousness. By the time she reached the kitchen door she was prepared for every imaginable outcome.
First, she would demand to see Silas. Surely, he would see her even if he'd forgotten that she was coming. If he refused to see her, she was prepared to turn and run.
She swallowed and set her expression to one of confidence and determination. She raised her hand to knock, but the door opened before she ever made contact with the heavy wood.
It was Silas. Silas with a smile that reached all the way to his ears.
****
Silas told his parents about Riene as soon as he returned to the Chateau from the mountain the previous week. They couldn't deny him what he asked for. He was genuinely happy for the first time since Darlena died.
On the day of the dance, Silas woke up early and tried to behave as an eighteen-year-old man instead of the child he felt inside. He couldn't wait to see Riene again. He watched for her from the window of his bedchamber and was relieved when he saw her coming slowly up the road. He should have gone to meet her, they could have walked together, instead he fretted he might scare her away by appearing too eager.
When she was close enough, he ran down the two flights of stairs to the kitchen and waited by the door as they had arranged. When he could wait no more, he flung it wide, finding Riene on the other side, poised to knock. She was even prettier than he remembered. Silas grinned at her, but Arlene, his mother's maid sneaked up behind him, and snatched her away.
She had instructions to bring Riene straight up to his mother when she arrived.
"You will see her at the dance," Arlene told him. "I promise to be kind to her." and they disappeared up into the women's salons, leaving Silas alone wondering what to do with all the empty time he had until the dance.
****
Riene was bathed and scrubbed in scented bath oil. A gown was brought out and hastily pinned then sent to the sewing room for refitting. Soft slippers were found for her feet and her hair was brushed dry and piled high atop her head, adorned with glittering gem-studded combs. While the gown was being refitted, they gave Riene quick dance instructions. After a few hours, there were three simple dances she could do well.
"You will sit out the rest," said Arlene sternly. "You will look too much out of place if you attempt the more complicated dances."
Riene nodded in agreement but she was curious to see the complicated dances. The only dance she knew was the one in that long-ago memory.
Finally, it was time... Silas greeted Riene with a smile most worthy of her beauty.
Riene was too excited, had too much energy and could not sit still the way the other girls had been taught.
The Grand Hall was just as decorated as Riene felt. She admired all the beautifully adorned people who filled it. Someone handed her a resplendent red colored drink laced with wine. She drank it too fast and became heady. When it came time to sit out the more "complicated dances," Riene ignored Arlene's limitations and danced them all anyway — and she danced them all with Silas. She stumbled here and there as she tried to ma
tch her own steps with the more experienced dancers but was having too much fun to realize she was being judged.
Her gown was a little too plain and outdated. Who was this girl? Where did she come from to act like a wild gypsy and remove her slippers to dance barefoot?
Riene never noticed. This had been her falling star wish. Tonight, she lived a fairytale wearing the most beautiful gown she had ever even dreamed of wearing.
She gave life to the gown. If the women emitted disapproval, the men emitted something different. Silas noticed the appreciative looks and smiles from the others as they tried to catch Riene's eye and he became possessive of her.
When the music stopped, Silas took Riene to a buffet filled with more food than she could imagine in all of Saint Ange. She thought some dishes so beautiful; it seemed a shame to eat them.
When most of the women drifted away to freshen up, and the men retreated to a smoking room to light up pipes and cigars, Silas and Riene slipped outside to the gardens. It was a warm night, and they strolled out into the darkness under the stars where Riene was kissed the kiss of a fairy-tale princess. Silas held her close as they both looked up to watch the stars.
"Did you know they see the same stars all the way across the ocean?" asked Riene. "It used to comfort me, when I thought my parents were still alive, to think we looked at the same night sky."
There were so many stars. Riene continued. "Do you ever wonder if anything is alive up there among the stars? Is there someone like us, looking right back from somewhere on the other side of our stars? Did you know our sun is a star? I always imagine someone gazing into the sky at our Sun and making a wish. I wonder what they would wish for on the other side of the universe."
Silas had never thought about it before, but he thought about it now. He thought about his life. It had split into two again—like when Darlena died. There was life before Darlena died, and a different life afterward without Darlena in it. An empty life. Now there was life before he met Riene and life after he met her. A happier life. He didn't think he could go on without Riene. He couldn't live in that gray life anymore. Silas looked up into the sky and picked out a star he thought comparable to the sun. He made a wish. Then he turned to Riene.
