The Lost Enclave

by Fredric Shernoff

  “To the lake?”

  “Aye, as we planned. But I suppose not much else went as planned…”

  “You know?”

  She nodded. “I saw your bruises heal themselves as you slept. I do not understand. I thought you had to go through with the closing ceremony.”

  “I thought the same. I refused the ceremony and escaped. But perhaps the ceremony is more of a show than the actual conclusion of the exile.”

  “You became a Great One again because the week was over?” Amara asked.

  “Perhaps. Or the Authority or my parents had some way of granting my abilities from a distance. I know not which is the truth, but it does not matter.”

  “Aye,” she said sadly. “What do we do now?”

  “Amara,” he began, “have you burned your bridges at home? Is there no way for you to return?”

  Tears formed in her eyes. “You…you want me to return home? To Eli?”

  “Nay. Of course not. But I do not seem to have the freedom of destiny I had sought. I am a Great One, for all the good and bad that entails. And I am this forever. I cannot offer you the life you deserve.”

  She shook her head. “What gives you the right to decide what I deserve? I know how this will go. I will grow old, and I will die. And you will still be young. But I will have spent all my days and all my nights with the man I love. I will choose my own path. And my path is with you.”

  “The Authority will hound me. Will hound us. The other Great Ones…they will not give us peace.”

  “Will you protect me?”

  “With everything I have.”

  “Then I have no fear.”

  She jumped into his arms and kissed him. “I love you, Nate.”

  “And I you, Amara.”

  Nathaniel had worried that an onslaught of Authority guards or Great Ones would come down on them, bringing a quick end to their time together. He knew he would fight to protect Amara, and prepared himself for such a conflict, possibly against those he knew and loved.

  But time passed, and nobody came.

  “Why do you think nobody has sought us out?” Amara asked on their fourth day together, as they strolled along the lake.

  “We are far from the Central Enclave,” Nathaniel said. He pointed in the distance at the towering Wall that protected the world from the damnation beyond. “We are as far as we can go. And the fishermen do not ask questions or tell tales.”

  She studied his face. “You think there’s more to it than that, do you not?”

  He nodded. “Aye. They think that because my abilities returned, however that happened, this whole situation will resolve itself in their favor. They will find that they are very wrong.”

  “What will happen to you? To your abilities?”

  “They will grow. My aging has already slowed down. I will likely age a year for a normal man’s two. And with each of those years I will gain power until I reach full maturity. That could be a decade or so.”

  “I see. Nate, do you miss them?”

  “Who?”

  “Your parents. Your friends. The whole life you knew.”

  “I do. But they would not understand. They could not understand. And you?”

  “I feel the same. I miss them terribly. My parents, I mean, not Eli. Saying goodbye to him was scary and reminded me that I was right to be leaving. But my parents, though they mean well, they are stuck in their ways.”

  “The ways of this world are ancient,” Nathaniel said. “I know not whether the Prophet decreed the laws or the original Authority, but those laws have held forever. It is hard to change one’s ways. Perhaps it gets harder with age.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “I am glad I found you before my wits hardened and became less malleable.”

  12

  Nathaniel found there to be some positives to living his quiet life with Amara as a Great One. For one thing, he required very little nourishment, something that Amara often commented on. She believed he must be receiving some sustenance from a source beyond the visible world, and he did not have any reason to doubt her, nor any information to refute her theory.

  This made it easier on them, as did his enhanced ability to fish. The catches he hauled in provided for ample trade in the lake town market. Attitudes were very different in the lake town, as it was one of the only settlements outside an enclave. As the weeks went by, the small crowd of locals went from viewing the young couple as a curiosity to accepting them as their own—a regular and productive part of the town.

  Amara had taken to weaving along with some of the other women in town. Though she was by far the youngest, the older women had taken a liking to her and were teaching her an array of skills and crafts. Nathaniel did not find it surprising in the least that the town had embraced Amara. She was genuine and likable…though he could admit to some bias.

  Their backstory was not far from the truth. They were runaways who wanted a life together that their parents did not support. In some parts of the world such a story would raise suspicion and even make the couple seem unlikeable, but in the lake town there were no questions asked. People were who they were, and the locals wanted no news from the outside world, even news involving the young generation of Great Ones and the infamous exile proceedings.

  Life with Amara was sweet, peaceful, and wonderful, brimming with fun, deep conversations about the nature of the world and humanity. Truly, his abilities could be an asset, and in most cases were just a quirk to be ignored. Sex was one area that was taking a little practice, as Nathaniel had no experience performing the act as a Great One. He was careful, and they had ample time to garner the necessary experience.

  Often, after they had made love—the term he preferred to use for it—he would lie awake, watching Amara sleep, and he would think of his family and his friends. Life had taken a sharp turn, and it had made him actually feel alive for the first time. But still, he missed the people he loved and he regretted that he had to leave them in such a wild, humiliating manner. He knew he had brought shame on his family.

  He wondered if he could go back some day, if only to visit. There were no guidelines he was aware of that dictated the fate of a fully powered Great One who leaves the palace. He presumed an argument could be made that he had every right to walk right back in. Then again, they could find him to be some kind of traitor. He knew not.

  He still had reservations about the long term with Amara. Not that he doubted her continued devotion to him, or his to her, but he could envision a time when her body would begin to age while he remained young. Would she resent him then? Hate him? He worried about that, but knew that those were thoughts for a long-off day. As long as he could keep her safe and happy, they had many good years ahead, and he would cross the bridge to the unknown when such a moment arrived.

  One night, Nathaniel dreamt of a spectacular and terrifying sight. In the dream, he and Amara were on their backs in the grass looking up at the night sky. Suddenly, giant orbs soared overhead, glowing bright with an unnatural light that overwhelmed the stars themselves.

  “What is it?” Amara asked.

  “I know not,” he replied, “for I have never seen something like it before.”

  The spheres zigzagged across the sky, more and more appearing with each passing second. Then they slammed into each other and the explosion sent shockwaves and blinding energy down toward them. Nathaniel looked at Amara and saw the fear in her eyes just as the wave reached them.

  He awoke from the dream and realized he was still in bed. Amara sat next to him, staring at him with deep concern.

  “Are you okay?” she asked. “You were screaming in your sleep.”

  He stood up. “Aye, I am fine,” he said. “A dream haunted me.”

  “A nightmare. I have never seen you react like that.”

  “I do not usually have such experiences,” he said.

  “What was it about?”

  “I…I am not sure. The heavens speaking of disaster and destruction.”r />
  She put a hand on his arm. “Twas but a dream, Nathaniel, and it is not for you to worry about the fate of the heavens. Let the Klaus oversee the motion of the stars.”

  He nodded. “I wonder sometimes about what all of that is up there.”

  “What? The stars?”

  “Aye. Beyond the myths, I just do not understand how there can be such an expanse when the world itself is so limited.”

  “Nate, it’s not that the world is limited. Just most of it is hellfire.”

  “I suppose so.”

  “Does it matter?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Does all of that emptiness up in the sky matter to our lives?”

  “No,” he said.

  “Good,” she said, kissing him. “Then come back to bed.”

  The first week of the cold arrived, and the lake began to ice over. Nathaniel took to hunting in the woods surrounding the lake town. Deerkin were plentiful, and even the strangest and most distorted of them were fine to eat. Amara seemed to have less energy than usual and spent a good amount of time in bed. He worried about her, but she assured him it was just lethargy brought on by the shorter, colder days.

  He was in the woods when a woman from the lake town found him. “Nathaniel,” she called frantically, “you must come at once!”

  “What is it, Sarah?”

  “A man has arrived at your home. He is demanding to see Amara. She has barricaded the door, and the men are trying to talk him off but he persists in yelling.”

  Nathaniel leapt into action without reply, moving in a blur past Sarah and out into the village. He crossed the distance to his and Amara’s home in a minute.

  Eli stood outside the door, pounding on it. “Amara!” he called. “You can’t hide from me forever! Open the door and face the consequences for what you have done!”

  “Eli!” Nathaniel called. “Enough!”

  The man whirled around. “You! You have brought shame on multiple families with your actions! Stealing away the woman who should be my wife!”

  “I did not steal her. She made her own choice. I do not command her to do as I wish.”

  Eli rushed at him. Nathaniel stepped aside and the man stumbled into the frozen dirt. “You do not want this conflict,” Nathaniel said.

  Eli reached down and unsheathed a knife. “I certainly do, monster!” He charged again, and Nathaniel grabbed him and tossed him a good distance away. The knife came loose from Eli’s hand and tumbled to the ground.

  “I am a Great One,” Nathaniel said. “Amara is under my protection, now and forever. I know not how you found us, but I will let you leave. Do not return, or you will find me far less kind.”

  Eli cursed under his breath as he got to his feet. He brushed off his pants, grabbed the knife off the ground and pointed it at Nathaniel. “You think this is over…it will never be over.” He turned and ran off into the woods.

  Nathaniel turned to his neighbors. “Forgive me for bringing this down on your heads.”

  “You…you are a Great One?” a man asked.

  “Aye. Does that change things? If we must leave this place, we will.”

  “It changes nothing,” another man said. “You stand with us and we stand with you.”

  “Thank you,” Nathaniel said, bowing his head.

  The door opened, and Amara emerged. “Nate!” she cried, rushing to his arms.

  “I am sorry you had to contend with that,” Nathaniel said. “I do not believe he will return. And if he does, I will protect you.”

  “All of us will,” Sarah said. “We did not know your history, and that is your right. But that angry man means you harm. Someone who wishes ill on one member of this community wishes ill on all of us, and we will all rise up in defense.”

  “Thank you all,” Amara said, wiping tears from her eyes.

  When the villagers had left to return to their homes, Nathaniel and Amara walked back into theirs. “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Aye. I am fine. How did he find us?”

  “It does not matter. You heard the others. This is our home now and they are our people.”

  “That is a nice thought,” she said. She put a hand to her midsection. “Nate, I need to tell you something.”

  “What is it?”

  “The way I have been feeling lately…”

  He felt panic rise up in his chest. “Are you unwell?”

  She shook her head. “No. No. Last week while you were out, I sent for Gloria. She confirmed what I already suspected.”

  His eyes widened. “You…you are with child?”

  She smiled her enchanting smile. “Aye.”

  “How? I did not think…I did not know…”

  “I do not understand it myself. I believe this happened when you were still mortal. It took a long time before I noticed, and then I was so sure I was imagining things. But this is not my imagination. I am with child, and you, Nathaniel of the house of Mansfield, you are going to be a father.”

  13

  The air grew colder, the lake froze over completely, and inside the little cabin Nathaniel and Amara’s love continued to blossom as they focused on the new life growing inside Amara’s womb.

  Their status in the village had not changed much, despite the revelation of Nathaniel’s identity. The fishermen and their wives still cared little about where the couple had come from. All that mattered was the unity of the lake town, and they found little to worry about with Nathaniel and Amara, who had dedicated themselves to their new home and new friends.

  One snowy day, there was a knock at the cabin door. Nathaniel opened it and saw his friends, Patrick and Maxwell, studying him with perplexed looks.

  “It is true…” Maxwell marveled. “Even with the return of your abilities, you have attempted to carve out a life as a normal.”

  “Aye,” Nathaniel said. “Would you come in out of the cold?”

  Patrick scoffed at the offer. “You know as well as I that none of us requires protection from the elements. Save the hospitality for your mortal friends.”

  Nathaniel sighed. “Patrick, it was not my intent to quarrel with you the way I did. None of this should have gone down the way it did.”

  “Aye. On that we are agreed. You overstepped, and dismissed not only our friendship but the kinship of the surviving Great Ones. And you besmirched the name of your family.”

  Nathaniel winced. “My parents? Are they well?”

  “They mourn you as if you had perished,” Maxwell said sadly. “For in our land it is as good as true. This person you have become is not representative of the Great Ones.”

  “I am sorry. I made the only choice I could.”

  “Nate?” Amara called. “Who is at the door?”

  “Tis nothing to worry about,” Nathaniel said, but Amara appeared anyway, looking radiant even in her modest village clothes. The loose fabric did little to hide her growing belly.

  Patrick’s eyes went to her midsection, then back to Nathaniel. His mouth opened, but for a few moments nothing came out. Then, “She is with child.”

  “Aye. You see? I am making a life here. A family.”

  His friends seemed stunned. “I worry, Nate,” Maxwell said. “You have set unprecedented things in motion and I know not where they will lead.”

  Nathaniel managed a thin smile. “That is for me to worry about, Max. You have your lives and I have mine, and I will see it through wherever it leads.”

  “Very well,” Patrick said. “Peace then, Nathaniel. And peace to you too, m’lady. I wish good tidings. Truly. We will report back to the palace that you are well.”

  “Thank you,” Nathaniel said. “How did you find me?”

  “It was not particularly difficult,” Patrick said. He frowned. “You would be wise to bear that in mind, as I am sure not everyone would choose to leave you in peace.”

  “Aye. Thank you for the warning. We will be fine. I wish you well.”

  His friends nodded politely as they parted. Nathan
iel walked to a nearby chair, shoulders slumped, and dropped into the seat. Amara stepped behind him and embraced him. “That was difficult for you, wasn’t it?”

  “Aye. I did not expect to embrace them, and this polite ending was better than how things went when I left the Central Enclave. But still… it is not what I would have intended. I never thought through the impact my leaving would have on Patrick and Maxwell. And of course I considered my parents, but to hear that my absence has hurt them so…”

  “Perhaps we should try to convince them to let you back into the palace. It is your right as a Great One to be there, is it not?”

  “Amara, they would not let you live there with me. And a life without you…without our child…that is no life at all.”

  “So we stay here then. The village, rather than the Central Enclave.”

  “Aye. I prefer this to any enclave I’ve encountered. It is a lost enclave, with a culture all its own, and that is far more powerful than any of the wonders of the palace.”

  Slightly more than a month passed after Nathaniel’s friends visited. Thoughts turned to the excitement of the impending arrival. The village, which Nathaniel and Amara had taken to calling the “lost enclave,” bustled with energy.

  Nathaniel was sleeping better than he had in as long as he could remember, and so it was strange when he awoke in the middle of the night. He looked over and saw Amara still sleeping. He looked around the room, and saw nothing out of place. Nathaniel rested his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes.

  Suddenly, he heard a scratching sound. He sat up instantly. Now he could hear conspiratorial whispers.

  “Amara,” he said, waking her.

  “What…what is it?” she responded groggily.

  “Remain here, but be vigilant. Something is not right.”

  “Will you be okay?” she asked.

  “Of course,” he said. He placed one hand on her swollen belly and kissed her passionately. “I will simply search the grounds. If anything concerns you, call out for me.”