Chapter Fourteen
Mabraant, Mabra System, Fazaal Sector, Gaashox Quadrant
Ellarna’s sisters constantly involved themselves in whatever she did at home, or disturbed her tranquillity when she just wanted to be alone, which she found infuriating and oftentimes suffocating. Even though she loved them dearly, she was pleased to be able to get away from them occasionally by spending the evenings with her friends, which was what had been arranged for this particular evening.
They were intending to visit the Klaret Diner in the Merrand District of Herloan City, somewhere she had not frequented before. Ellarna had been to the neighbouring city on many occasions, either shopping with her mother and sisters, or attending a diplomatic meeting or function with her father. She had not actually been to the Merrand District, which she had been told was a delightful area of the city.
Earlier that day, she and several of her friends were discussing where to go for an evening out as a group, and Lereena suggested the Klaret Diner. She had been there a few times before, and confirmed its reputation for excellent food and fine drinks was well deserved. All of the others agreed without hesitation, but Ellarna knew she had to be up early the following day, so was unsure about the idea of going outside Stellant City. When her friends tried to persuade her, she agreed to think about it, and let them know about her decision later.
When Ellarna arrived home after work, she went into the library, which was situated at the back of the house, and was always warm and cosy in the afternoon. She sat in the armchair facing the large window, and while gazed admiringly at the landscaped garden with its myriad of flowers and bushes, she thought about the evening her friends had planned. Ellarna was not entirely happy. She enjoyed her work at the Senate, her friends, and the few interests she had, but longed to find a pleasant young man to fall in love with. A couple of her friends had recently become attached, and another had become engaged, which added to her sense of loneliness.
There were a few handsome men working in the Senate offices, but they were not adventurous or exciting. She thought of the men her friends had become attached to, and shuddered at the prospect of getting involved with someone like them. They were nice enough, pleasant, kind and friendly, but just not what she wanted in a man. Ellarna sometimes dreamed of meeting a pilot from the MDF, or an officer from the land forces, or even an engineer, someone who was not afraid to get his hands dirty and relished a little excitement or danger.
With a gentle sigh, Ellarna thought about the man she would love to meet, and where she might like to literally bump into him. Before she became immersed in her dreamy thoughts, she felt an impulse to go outside and sit on the bench among the Rosanda bushes. It was a place she often sat and pondered her future, and what she hoped to achieve. On this occasion, as she walked along the stone path, thoughts of distant places came to mind, places she had heard of and places she did not recognise.
The scent of the Rosanda flowers filled the air. They were her favourite out of all the flowers in the garden. Ellarna breathed deeply, savouring all of the scents, and was still able to pick out particular ones: Petulara shrubs, Freesion Poppies and Gayleera Blossom. The scents always seemed to help her relax, and she often found her ability to think more clearly was enhanced. She knew it was not the scent or the effect the scent had on her that helped, such as a drug would be able to, but it felt as if her mind was more open to the influences of nature, or the spirit world, which she believed in.
Sitting down on the bench and stretching her legs out in front, Ellarna let her mind continue to drift with the thoughts of distant places. Some of those she saw were covered with mountains, lakes, vast open prairies and meadows. Others were predominantly oceanic, and some were barren and probably inhospitable places.
After a few minutes, Ellarna felt a strange tingling sensation in her mind. As she closed her eyes and attempted to discern what it was, she had the distinct impression someone was whispering from behind a nearby bush. She turned to see if anyone was there, such as her sisters playing tricks on her again, but there was not. The whisper sounded again. She was convinced it was telling her to go to the Merrand District with her friends. The young woman shivered, looked around again, but there was still no one there.
Voices sounded from the house, indicating her sisters had just arrived home, which proved it was not them playing tricks on her.
Ellarna shivered as the thought of spirits prompting her entered her mind. She shook her head dismissing the notion as foolish, but kept her mind open and receptive. Nothing more happened, so she shrugged her shoulders, sighed and thought no more about it. Instead, she enjoyed the warmth of the sun on her face, the scent of the flowers, and the quietness of the moment.
Ellarna felt so calm and peaceful in spirit at moments like this, so close to nature, and sometimes thought she sensed the presence of small creatures scurrying through the bushes. Unfortunately, Ellarna had many things on her mind, and her thoughts turned to her work, preventing her from realising the truth.
Her father was a very important Senator, highly respected, and commanded much influence in the Senate, and whose work she admired very much. It had been this admiration and passion for what he represented that led Ellarna into pursuing a career in politics. She was studying economics, sociology and politics while attending to her duties as her father’s assistant. She also held the position of junior representative of the Senate, much to the jealousy of several other women who worked there. Few women of Ellarna’s age secured such an important position in the Senate, but she had a unique ability in diplomacy and could debate as well as an experienced Senator twice her age.
There were some important debates being held during the coming week, many of which involved the ongoing problem with the Krelathans. This was something her father took seriously, considering a good friend of his had been killed during one of their attacks: Senator Alandra Talashon of Herloan City. The families had never met despite the two Senators being good friends.
While pondering the forthcoming debates, which Ellarna was excited about being part of, the compulsion to accompany her friends to the Klaret Diner became overwhelming. Unable to suppress it, she returned to the house to contact them. She did not know why, was unable to even begin thinking what purpose going there might have, but believed it was important and would affect her future.
An hour or so later, someone was ringing the door bell to Ellarna’s home.
Elloissa, her mother, answered the door, and then stood at the bottom of the stairs to call her. “Ellarna, your friends are here.”
“I’ll be right down,” answered Ellarna, feeling rather patronised by her mother’s tone.
Elloissa showed the five young women into the front lounge, and then went back into the hallway to wait for her daughter to come down. She was interested to know where they had planned to go for the evening. “Going somewhere nice dear?” she asked as Ellarna arrived at the bottom of the stairs.
“Yes mother, we are. We’re going to try the Klaret Diner in Herloan City.”
“All the way to Herloan City? Why not try one of the diners here?”
“We’re always frequenting the ones near home. We just want to go somewhere different,” said Ellarna, her frustration evident in her voice. ‘Why can’t you just stop worrying and trying to spoil my happiness,’ she thought angrily.
“I’m not happy about you travelling so far.”
Ellarna sighed heavily. “It’s only thirty minutes on the Citylink Shuttle.”
The shuttle was capable of travelling at two hundred and fifty Kmph, but was usually restricted to two hundred on the Stellant to Herloan link route for safety. Ellarna loved her mother dearly, but found her quite frustrating and infuriating at times, especially when she argued against her going anywhere outside the city unless accompanied by her sisters or parents.
Elloissa frowned. “You know how dangerous travelling can be.”
Ellarna was fed up of being treated like a little child by her mother, and was begi
nning to lose her patience quicker than usual. She was the eldest of three children, and at twenty-five was two years older than Hellan and four years older Debaara. None of the young women were attached, despite her mother’s and sister’s continued attempts at finding suitable suitors for all of them.
“I’m not a little girl any more, mother,” she said rather too firmly and received a stern glare in return. “I won’t argue with you. I’m old enough to debate major issues with Senators and Diplomats, and I’m old enough to leave home without being chaperoned, or with you interfering.”
Elloissa still treated her daughters as if they were fragile and vulnerable, and always required a chaperone when going out with friends or without their parents. She was constantly fretting about their safety, which not only infuriated her daughters, but also her husband, Blaith.
“My dear Elloissa, leave her be,” said Blaith, his voice calm but firm. He had just come from the drawing room having heard his daughter’s raised voice. “Now off you go Ellarna, but make sure you’re back before midnight. We’ve an important meeting on the morrow, and I need you to be astute as always.”
“Of course father. You can rely on me, you know that,” she said, and then kissed her father on the cheek before disappearing into the lounge to get her friends. She did not give her mother a kiss or a second glance.
Elloissa scowled at her husband.
“You bring it upon yourself my dear,” said Blaith sighing lightly. “You must stop treating her like your little girl. She is strong and confident, and we do not want her rushing to leave home, not until she has a decent suitor nor because of us and how we treat her, do we?”
His wife smiled and shook her head.
The two retired to the drawing room for the evening, and whereas Blaith enjoyed a drink of port and relaxed, his wife remained concerned the whole time.
Ellarna and her friends left the house and walked briskly to the local shuttle service stop point not far from her home, chatting excitedly about their impending visit to the Klaret Diner. It was still warm, so the women were wearing long cotton dresses, casual shoes, and a shawl draped around their shoulders.
They did not have to wait long for the shuttle to arrive, and were soon heading toward the main Citylink Shuttle station in the district shopping centre. The journey to Herloan City was fast, but smooth, and the young women chatted continuously, taking no notice of the scenery, the few stops en-route, or the other people seated in their shuttle car.
Ellarna had forgotten about the whispering that had prompted her into going to Herloan City and the Klaret Diner, and the images and thoughts she had had while sitting in the garden. She was so pleased to be away from her parents, and more importantly, from her sisters that she had completely blocked her mind to outside influence.