Teanne awoke with a start, and wiped the beading sweat from her forehead. Looking around she sighed with relief as the room came into focus. She was back in Kera's chamber.
Laying back she slowly lifted her arm to look at her hand, it hadn’t been a dream. There it was, the glow of the Estrus gleaming through the layers of her skin, flexing her fingers open she smirked as the glow brightened. Closing her eyes Teanne tried to replay out the last weeks, the memories were confusing, but she had to admit that even she couldn’t make up such a farfetched tale, no one would believe her, she giggled to herself as she thought how she would even begin to tell this story to Jacob.
Jacob. He was always in her thoughts, but as each day passed she felt further and further away from him, she wondered if she would ever see him again, his smile, his beautiful eyes, his floppy hair. She thought about his father at the banquet – and thought how proud he would have been of his son – Jacob was an important man.
She was important too - well she was now. Throughout her whole life she was happy to remain in the background, and had never had any thoughts about progressing, about lifting her station, she was content.
Sitting up, Teanne brushed the long locks of red off her face, and slowly traced the outline of the face she was trapped behind, was this to be her face, was this to be her life; she needed to know why she was chosen, what was the purpose?
Shivering as a gust of wind blew through the room, she turned to look out the window; there standing in his black cloak was the same man she had seen on the hill outside the surrounds of Luia on the day after it fell.
Surprisingly she didn’t cower or feel any fear; she simply smiled as the man approached. He pulled the cloak off and threw it onto a nearby chair; looking around the room he moved to the end of the bed and with a raptor like gaze fixed it to her hand. Teanne followed his gaze then looked back up. There they were, those captivating piercing blue eyes, she felt her breathe catch as she saw his face clearly for the first time, he was simply beautiful, his light hair was gently falling against his neck; his skin was almost luminous in the morning light. She looked closer; he suddenly seemed so familiar.
'Are you well child?' his voice was like silk, smooth and seductive.
‘Well enough’ surprised by her calmness Teanne continued ‘have you come to explain what you said on the hill?' The man smiled, his eyes brightening. He lowered himself onto the end of the bed and looked at her,
‘It would seem the girl is growing more confident’.
Teanne relaxed and leant against the headboard, and returned his smirk with a glare, her voice was steady ‘And’? Teanne felt a growing impatience as she looked at the man. He relaxed his smile and returned his gaze to her hand. Protectively, she covered it with the other and the man rose from the bed walking to the table on the opposite side of the room; he begun thumbing through the parchment scrolls laid out across the table,
‘The time has come Teanne, for you to return the Estrus to its rightful owner.’
Aggressively, Teanne leapt from the bed and stood glaring at the man, her hands firmly planted on her hips, ‘I know that part, but who, what, where, WHEN?’ her rage grew as she heard him stifle a laugh,
‘Are you so eager to leave this place, you seem comfortable here, you want for nothing.’
‘I have my own life. Friends that need me; that I need and I need to know what is required from me. I am growing tired of all these games’
The man spun around and crossed the room in long strides stopping mere inches from Teanne; his eyes now void of any kindness.
‘You carry the Estrus, your friends, your life, your betrothed do not matter – they are no longer of any importance” he stepped back from Teannes startled gaze ‘sit down child, I am not here to hurt you.’
‘Stop calling me child’
The man laughed at her defiance, ‘you have much to learn Teanne. Your purpose has yet to be set in motion, but you must let yourself develop skills and you must remember, and WHEN you are ready I will answer any and all questions.’
Remember – what am I supposed to remember?
‘Who are you?’ she asked. He smiled softly,
‘I am a friend’ he crossed the room and picked up his cloak ‘be warned though, do not reveal anything from this moment forward to the sisters, they will stop at nothing to claim what is now home, trust no one’.
Teanne looked down at her palm and lightly rubbed it, and looked back up; the man in black was gone. Sighing she slumped back onto her bed yelling in frustration at the ceiling.
LUIA – morning