19
Rachel, meanwhile, was on horseback with Breyind and some other men to fetch her things from her flat in her world.
“How are we going to get these wagons through the portal?” Rachel asked. “It was barely large enough for the two of us!”
“The Guardian will let us through,” Breyind answered.
Sure enough, before they reached the cave, Rachel realised they were passing the waterfall already and onto another well-worn path which seemed to run parallel to the one they had traversed a few days previously. Yet, Rachel knew they had not seen any other paths when she and Katja had first explored along the stream.
Reaching the town, Breyind and Rachel kept riding to her block of flats. “Aren’t the horses just a bit conspicuous?” Rachel asked feeling slightly silly. Yet no one had paid them more than a glance of attention.
“I see nothing odd. Isn’t everyone riding horses?”
Rachel then understood that the magic was two-fold. The people here did not notice how odd the Velantians looked and the Velantians did not notice they were odd.
“Breyind, why DO people stare at us in the village?”
“They know you are the most beautiful woman in the world and are jealous of me,” he answered.
“Come on now,” Rachel said quietly trying not to blush. They had reached her flat now so had to stop the conversation. Rachel led the group of men up the stairs to her small flat which she had shared with Katja. She wasn’t sure how they’d cope with a lift. Stairs, at least, existed in Velantia!
Entering the flat, there was a large pile of letters on the floor. Upon looking at a newspaper, she realized that they had been gone longer than she had thought...nearly two weeks already. In fact, she and Katja were officially missing.
“I can’t have been gone this long already!” Rachel said to Breyind.
“Time is different in Velantia though I have no first-hand experience I confess.”
“There is no electricity in Velantia, is there?” Rachel confirmed.
“What’s that?” Breyind asked.
“Evidently not,” Rachel surmised. “Well, then, I can give most of this away.”
“If I can make a suggestion, m’lady,” said one of the other men. “You can trade some of your unneeded items for livestock or things which can be used in our world.”
Rachel nodded. For the next hour, she busied herself sorting everything into a pile to take and a pile to sell or give away. When that was completed, she looked at Katja’s things. “I wish we could finish the job right now.”
“Katja has to make her own choice,” Breyind said gently. “She needs to fall in love with Velantia on her own.”
“How can we convince her?”
“She will do it on her own...maybe with Adrick’s help.”
“Adrick seems to be the man of her dreams, just as you are the one from mine.”
“Then she will come around, but we are forbidden to bring her things until it is more certain.”
Rachel turned to him for a comforting hug. He grabbed her and kissed her hungrily.
“Everything going is packed, Lord Breyind,” one of the men interrupted before seeing the moment of passion. “Excuse me, m'lord.”
Breyind ignored the disruption. “Thank you. You may head back to Velantia with that load.”
“Yes, m'lord,” the servant replied.
Breyind turned to Rachel. “Your turn to help with selling your things. We do not understand the value of items in your world, otherwise I’d have the servants do it for you.”
“It’s okay. I’m not used to people helping me this much,” she confessed.
They took the saleable items and with the aid of several of the servants, went to sell much of her possessions. Taking the money, she then enlisted the help of a local feeds merchant to help the men purchase things that would be of use in Velantia. She allowed herself to be persuaded by a trio of goslings.
“I have never seen that sort in Velantia,” Breyind told her as she cuddled the babies.
There was a pair of goats as well, which they went to examine before settling on them. “Can never have too many kinds of goat,” Breyind agreed. “You will do very well in Velantia.”
Rachel smiled at him.
The livestock were loaded immediately onto a small wagon pulled by a single black horse. The driver then headed for the portal.
Finally, things had been purchase and loaded.
“You are too tired to ride. Why don’t we ride in a wagon instead?” Breyind said to Rachel.
She nodded numbly and Breyind helped her onto the wagon. He sat next to her and pulled her into his arms. “Emotionally tiring?” he asked gently.
Rachel nodded. “I love you so much – but this was my home until only a few days ago!”
“Thank you for wanting to be with me that much!” he said pulling his riding cloak over them as the wagon moved off in the fading light. Slowly, the wagon, drawn by two horses made its way back to the portal their way lit by several bright lanterns.
“Time really does pass quickly in your world,” Breyind commented to Rachel.
“I can’t really tell yet,” Rachel replied and then fell asleep in his arms.
She awoke as they slowed. It was much brighter here, no sign of dusk. Not so much time had passed in Velantia, she realized. They were soon at Stella’s cottage. Rachel felt sad knowing she would be parted from Breyind again. “I love Stella, but I’d rather be with you tonight.”
“I’ll come back later, if that’s what you want,” Breyind said.
“I would love that!” she said kissing him.
“I’ll just take your things to where you will soon be living first,” he said kissing her again. Then, he returned to the wagon and continued on the way.
Rachel entered the cottage quietly, but hopefully.
Stella was tidying. Katja was asleep. Rachel’s hopeful face fell.
“It’s okay, Rachel,” Stella reassured. “She was awake earlier, but still needs her rest.”
Rachel sighed with relief.
“Adrick?” she asked Stella.
“Adrick has gone home,” Stella told her. “At my insistence – he was exciting her too much.”
“What are you hiding from me? Where do Adrick and Breyind live?” Rachel asked more insistently.
“It is for them to decide when to tell you and not a moment before.”
“Who are they, Stella?! They are more than I have been led to believe. Why do I have these weird dreams? Why do people stare whenever Breyind and I ride through the village?”
“Again, Rachel, it is for them to tell you when they feel it right. I am not allowed to disclose the information.”
“Why all the secrecy? They could be really terrible people and I wouldn’t know.”
“You would know, Rachel. You have ‘the Gift’. Take my word for it, they are the best sort of men as you will soon discover.”
Rachel knew Stella was right, but hated being kept in the dark. She went into the kitchen to help Stella with the supper.
Supplemental Materials
Prologue, map, character list
The Legend of the Sacred Trio
Please catch up!
Birth of the Neví – 829 T.C.E. It is a tumultuous period of Terrenden history. As is all too common, there are those who wish to profit from the misfortune of others. Some of these come together in a new "charitable organization" and step on the toes of the notorious Uugli. Combine this with draconian new measures to combat pollution and Terrenden has a situation ripe for a power struggle.
Rebound of Power –
Meet Iyva, a homeless teenager in Irola with a strong connection with the leya. Totally untrained, her power rebounds catastrophically, leaving her close to death. A Nameless hero saves her life, but hides. Anyone would be proud to teach her, but will she choose the safe, trustworthy A’mara or the shady ones who teach her what she wants to learn? Can she trust her hero… the Nameless One?
This story actually wraps around four other stories: Friendship on Fire,Courage to Trust, Elect to Change and Ocean of Empathy. Currently, they're only available separately, but I do plan to republish the collection as a whole - I just haven't got there yet.
Don’t forget!
I’m still offering 1 Steem Basic Income share for any minnow who asks me a question which prompts an “Ask the Author” post! I’m thinking about putting these into a Dbooks ebook all its own, actually.
Image Credits:
Brighid's Blood cover art based on:
- Mountain background shot (on the border of Slovakia and Poland) – PublicDomainPictures.
All three images were under the creative commons licensing, (no attribution required.)
- Shaze picture developed from PXhere
Shaze divider based on:
- Sword image from Wikipedia Commons
All maps/editing by myself on GIMP and Photoscape, both free programs.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Although the penalty of knowing me in real life is that you will influence the creation of my characters; any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Writing and artwork copyright myself 2005-2018 – all rights reserved.
If you are interested in helping me publish these works, please contact me on Facebook or Discord, viking-ventures#2883.
Lori Svensen – A'mara Books & Viking Visual
