The Chosen

by K. J. Nessly

  “Hey I’ve got melons down here!” Amy announced excitedly. Both Jenna and Kathryn hurried over to see for themselves.

  “This is redine,” Jenna said as she turned the growth over, the red rind glinted off the sunlight where she pointed over two rows. “That’s breceia and further down is lemine.”

  Amy looked at her. “How do you know all of this?”

  “I’m an herbalist as well as a healer,” Jenna explained. “I’ve spent years learning about different plants and their uses. I spent radians in my parent’s garden growing up.”

  “So are plants your second gift?”

  Jenna nodded. “Yes. We actually knew about my gift with plants before my healing gift.”

  Amy stood and noticed an orchard at the other end of the garden. Another small gate led to the entrance. Passing through she noted what kind of fruit the trees bore. “We’ve got amere and orchere growing next to each other!” she cried looking at the red and orange fruits. “How is that possible.”

  Kathryn and Jenna hurried over, then Jenna grinned. “I’ll bet a Guardian with the gift of plants put it here. After all, a plant Guardian can make just about anything grow anywhere.”

  Kathryn thought back six years to when she saw an oak-like tree grow before her very eyes and considered it very likely and quite possible Jenna was right.

  “Ooh, pumera!” Amy called after a few more minutes. “I love pumera!”

  “How about liera and menei?” Jenna called back. “I’ve got a tree full of them.” Liera and

  Menei were often used to lessen the sweet flavor of certain drinks or add flavor to fish.

  “Both?”

  “Yes!”

  Amy raced over to see the tree that had two different kinds of fruit. “That is remarkable!”

  Kathryn, by now, was on the opposite side of the orchard. She leaned against the fence that surrounded the trees and looked out. “Come look at this!”

  Directly in front of her, perhaps twenty feet, stood another fence. Inside were eight pigs, all fully mature, one very possibly pregnant.

  Beyond the pigs perhaps thirty sheep roamed the grass inside another pen. Their white coats in need of a shave and the bells around their necks tinkling like wind chimes.

  Next to the pigs was a chicken pen with more chickens than Kathryn wanted to count.

  Jenna pointed, fingering over the chickens. “What are those?” Beyond in a separate pen were several dozen large chicken-like birds with legs nearly as long as hers. They were cloaked in feathers dappled with different shades of gray and a bright yellow strike on the underside of the plumage. They had immense pale green eyes set in a flat-billed elongated head that was strikingly similar to a gooses’.

  “I have no idea,” responded Kathryn. “But if they are good eating one will feed all of us with plenty of leftovers the next day. Pausing she added, “Or a week for that matter.”

  It wasn’t long before the birds had displayed their annoying habit of baying like a troop of bellows horns and stomping their feet when alarmed. However, they were quite gentle and particularly enjoyed the company of people, sheep, and goats. It was their dullness of mind that persuaded the Dragons to name them pribbles.

  “Nice,” Amy commented as she stood next to her friend. “All the amenities without having to go into town for the market.”

  “That’s the idea.”

  The girls turned at Jasse’s voice. He smiled at them from his position midway through the garden. “Come on back to the house. I’ve got some things to tell you before I leave.”

  He turned and they followed. “What do you think of the garden?” He asked.

  Jenna smiled broadly. “It’s astonishing. I would never have expected to see such variety or such spaciousness.”

  “I’m glad you like it.”

  Destiny called to Kathryn, who whistled a reply. Jasse looked at her curiously.

  “She’s wondering why we left her alone,” Kathryn explained as Destiny came towards them at full speed.

  Jasse laughed, “So much for the ever vigilant eagle.”

  Destiny perched on Kathryn’s outstretched arm and clicked a reply to Jasse’s comment.

  He sighed. “You’re a bad influence on her, you know that right?”

  Once Jasse had corralled all of the Dragons around the kitchen table at the same time, a feat of no small measure by any means, he addressed them.

  “As I’m sure you’ve noticed this place has everything you need to sustain yourselves without going into town,” he began and they nodded. “It will continue to supply you for the rest of your livesif you live on what you have.”

  “What does that mean?” Lindsey asked.

  “Basically it means you don’t eat huge meals and don’t have a huge wardrobe.” He looked at Natalie when he spoke about the wardrobe.

  “Why are you looking at me?” she protested.

  Matt laughed. “Come on Natalie. You’d shear all those sheep down to their skins and still not have enough fabric for your extensive wardrobe.” The girl had brought no less than twenty satchels with her to their new home. And all had been near to bursting their seams.

  She pouted and Jasse continued. “This meadow is your sanctuary. Only Guardians can enter and only you can see it.”

  “How is that possible?” David asked. “We couldn’t see it until we entered it.”

  “The magic of the Elves distorts the forest around the meadow to make it appear to be a sheer cliff, a large mound of rock, or not even to exist at all. It’s never the same thing twice in a row. The magic now knows that you have been assigned here and will grant you the ability to see it when you are close enough”

  Kathryn’s mind was sent back in time to the day Jasmine had taken her from the Blackwoods and remembered the house that had appeared out of nowhere. At leastthat mystery was now solved.

  “Won’t that make people suspicious?” Tyler asked.

  “Normally it might, but the magic also distorts their perceptions so that they believe that they’ve traveled different distances.”

  “So,” David said slowly. “Only we can see it, but other Guardians can enter?”

  “Exactly. You can see out and observe travelers around, but they can’t see in. You can make as much noise as you want to and they still won’t notice you’re here. Smoke from your cooking fires won’t be seen or smelled.”

  “That is awesome!” Natalie exclaimed.

  “That doesn’t mean you can be totally reckless when returning to the meadow. You must make every effort to keep from being followed,” Jasse said sternly. “There are those who have gifts, those who were not fit to be Guardians, and out of bitterness use their gifts for malevolence. They can move through the barrier,” he warned.

  “Can the shield ever be removed?” Tyler asked suddenly.

  Jasse hesitated. “It is possible to remove the shield, but it would take the combined power of two or more Elves, therefore it is highly unlikely that an enemy could remove it.” He paused, then continued, “It is required of the Guardians to patrol every radian there is daylight. How you choose to do it is up to you.”

  “No night patrols?” David asked quickly, “None at all?”

  Jasse winked at him. “Oh you could throw a couple in here and there, you know, keep the locals guessing. There’s also one other…organizational issue, if you will.”

  “Oh?” Matt lifted an eyebrow. “I can’t wait to hear what this new rule is. Is it any like the crazy ones back at school that were utterly useless and ridiculous?”

  Jasse lifted his own brow in response. “Contrary to what Matt believes,” he said, amused, “Every rule we imposed on you had a reason. You just never took the time to postulate what that reason might be?”

  “What possible reason could there be to telling us to ‘pick up our sword’ and then immediately ‘put down our sword’ over and over a million times?” Matt demanded.

  “Keeping to the original discussion topic,” Jasse said smoothly, ignor
ing the redhead, “this may seem a bit detail managed, but when it comes to room assignments there are two rooms that are specifically set aside for the family leader and his lieutenant.” At his words, Natalie’s face took on a pout which only soured more as he continued, “David and Kathryn’s rooms will be on the second floor. Everyone can pick whichever other room they would like, but the rooms on the second floor must be reserved for the family leader and the lieutenant.”

  When he finished, Natalie wasn’t the only one upset. “How can a room be reserved for the lieutenant when most families don’t know who that will be until after they’ve lived together for several months?” Kathryn asked, speaking for the first time.

  “Most families get a general sense on the journey to their new homes,” Jasse replied. “And the room assignments can always be flexible…so long as the lieutenant is in that particular room.” He eyed Kathryn for a moment before adding, “and don’t even think of trying to switch rooms once I leave. The Council chose you and David to lead this family,” he took a moment to look David in the eye. “That means you two will have additional duties and responsibilities. The rooms are furnished to serve those needs.”

  “Understood,” David said calmly before Kathryn could try to argue her way into a room on the fifth floor.

  That discussion ended, they began the arduous task of assigning rooms. Natalie insisted on sharing a tower with Lindsey while Amy wanted to be close to Kathryn’s room. Tyler refused to be in the same wing as Matt and then came the inevitable discussion of which guy would share a tower with two girls. Finally it was decided that Natalie, Lindsey, and Rachel would share the southwest tower; Jenna, Cass, and Amy would share the northeast; Daniel, Tyler, and Luke would take the southeast; and Matt, Leia, and Elizabeth would live in the northwest tower.

  “Good luck,” Tyler muttered to Leia and Elizabeth. “If you smell smoke, get out as fast as you can.”

  Elizabeth stared at him. “What does that mean?”

  “He,” Tyler pointed to where Matt was in a lively discussion over school regulations with Daniel, “is a pyromaniac. Be careful.”

  Elizabeth and Leia exchanged worried looks.

  Jasse stayed until sunset, advising the new Guardians as to how to meet the expectations of the council, as well as the nobles, then he was off, bidding them farewell as he rode away.

  “We might as well turn in,” David said as he closed the door. “We’ve got a lot to do tomorrow.”

  The family said goodnight to each other and each went and claimed their bedrooms.

  Kathryn entered her room cautiously, half expecting something lurking within the flickering shadows brought to life by her candle’s small flame to leap out and attack her. Or maybe that was just the aftermath of feeling Natalie’s enraged glare on her for the entire evening. It had started when Jasse had announced the two rooms reserved for the family leader and his lieutenant and had gotten worse throughout the evening. She’d been careful about training it on Kathryn when others were looking, but Kathryn would swear that she still felt it burning between her shoulder blades.

  Granted it had taken her a few minutes to figure out why Natalie had been giving her glares that she hadn’t seen since the Black—No, she told herself sternly Don’t go there. Thinking about it would only make the nightmares stronger. Squaring her shoulders she stepped further into the room. It wasn’t her fault that she’d been permanently assigned to the room Natalie had wanted.

  Although, why Natalie had wanted this room was a mystery to her. It was plain and sparsely furnished. A bed and a wooden chest at its feet sat against one wall with a desk and chair positioned opposite it. Bracing the door on either side were an armoire and a washbasin. The last wall was dominated by a large window with shutters, currently open to catch the last ray of the dying sun. There was nothing within the four walls that gave it any sort of character and the furniture, while sturdy, was as plain as the walls themselves.

  Setting her own meager belongings on the floor, she began a methodical inspection of every nook and cranny. A few floorboards were loose, creaking under her feet as she walked, those would have to be repaired. Opening the chest at the foot of the bed, she lowered her candle to inspect the interior. The polished cedar gleamed from years of use and loving care. At first glance it appeared empty, but closer inspection gave hints at what had been stored within. The smell of oil and weapon polish suggested smaller weapons had been kept in the chest. Nestled in the corners were piles of what appeared to be dust, but when Kathryn raced her fingers through were revealed to be small animal hairs.

  Confused, she closed the lid. Crossing the small expanse she took a closer look at the desk.

  And found herself staring at a note.

  I highly recommend cold weather furs, boots, and cloaks.

  Beneath was a sketch of what Kathryn vaguely recognized as the landscape in front of the house…only covered in meters of snow. Included in the drawing were caricatures of people, whom she could only assume were the previous family, struggling valiantly through the cold and wet snow. The courtesy of the previous occupant, as well as the humorous faces carefully inked onto the paper surprised a soft laugh from her. At least that explained the animal furs in the chest.

  Setting the paper down, she sat down on the floor and began the process of organizing her belongings. It was a short task, she carried very little with her, and Destiny had already claimed a bedpost for the night, her head tucked quietly under a wing. Following her companion’s example, she crawled beneath the foreign sheets.

  Before the moons had fully risen all fourteen were fast asleep.

  Chapter 8

  The next morning Kathryn woke early as was her habit. Letting Destiny out, she dressed quickly and threw her hair back into a bun. Quietly, so as not to disturb anyone, she slipped downstairs to the kitchen and made herself some herbal tea. She sat quietly for several minutes, contemplating all that had happened in the last week before she was joined by David.

  “Good morning.” He ran a hand over his sleep tousled hair and down his face as he pulled out a chair and sat down. Slightly annoyed at having her peace and quiet disturbed, Kathryn masked her displeasure by pouring him a cup of tea.

  Before Jasse had left, he had reserved a few words for her; asking, nobegging, her to try and accept this group of strangers as her new family…as well as cautioning her that being cold and distant would not assist in forming relationships.

  As she handed David his cup she was determined to try and follow Jasse’s advice. “Did I wake you?” she asked quietly, while the rest of her mind tried to convince her that the words that just come out of her mouth had been inane and utterly ridiculous.

  “No. For some reason I just woke early today.” He took a sip of the tea, thankfully unable to hear her mental war. “Thanks.”

  Kathryn nodded an acknowledgement before returning to her own cup. Now came the difficult part. Never one for small talk, Kathryn was comfortable sitting in complete silence however she had noticed that very few shared her preference. Unfortunately when it came to initiating a conversation she had little to no experience. As the silence lingered she studied him out of the corner of her eye. If she didn’t know any better she would have thought David was Jasse’s son, they both had the same black hair, green eyes, and build. She shook her head mentally. He even had some of Jasse’s mannerisms down perfectly, like the raised eyebrow Jasse would give her when he expected something of her.

  “Did you sleep well?” His unexpected question felt like a thunderclap in the tiny room.

  Kathryn nodded. “Yes, thank you,” she paused a moment and then asked, “You?” That was what normal people asked, wasn’t it?

  David shook his head. “I felt like I was up all night trying to figure out how to manage to cover an entire day without exhausting everyone.”

  “And did you?” She sipped at her tea.Why can’t you just enjoy the peace and quiet of the early morning?

  “I’ve got a rough idea. I wo
uld appreciate it if you would listen and give me some feedback.”

  Kathryn put down her cup, prepared to listen. He wanted to talk about work—thatshe could handle. However the minute he, or anyone, brought up personal issues, and inevitably they would, she wasout of there. There was only so much conversation she was willing to play a part of.

  “I’ll want your honest opinion,” David warned.

  “You’ll get it,” she assured him, wondering if she had evernot given an honest opinion since joining the Guardians. The days of silence for her were long over.

  “I was thinking of dividing up the family into four teams of three. Each would have an equal shift.”

  Kathryn frowned slightly. “That’s only twelve members, what about the other two?”

  “That’s you and me. We would each take two teams a day, alternating rotations. This enables each team to have either you or me present in case an executive decision needs to be made.”

  Kathryn nodded slowly, thinking his logic through thoroughly. “It could work,” she said finally.

  “The first team would begin at dawn and the last team would return at nightfall,” he explained.

  “What do you plan to do when the seasons change and the daylight lasts longer?” Kathryn was finding work to be an easy conversation topic. As long as David stayed on this topic, she could handle it without feeling inept.

  Taken aback, David paused. He obviously hadn’t considered that. “Good point,” he conceded. “I didn’t even think about that.” He paused, thinking carefully. “I guess we could add half a radian, or whatever amount is needed, to each shift to compensate for the extra daylight.”

  “Who do you have on each shift?” she asked, standing. Moving to the kitchen, she rummaged through the cupboards until she found some nuts and dried berries. Grabbing a bowl she scooped two handfuls of the snack into the wooden dish and brought it back out to the table.

  David ran a hand through his hair. She was beginning to suspect that it was his tell for when he was hesitant or uncomfortable. “I’ve got a preliminary idea, but it’s not solid yet.” He eyed the food as well as Kathryn. To take his attention off of her, she pushed the bowl more within his reach. He grabbed a handful, but didn’t raise his hand to his mouth.