Chapter Aena

Chapter Aena

 

 

We sat behind a bush waiting for her to buy her apples. “Thank you.” She told the man behind the cart. She was about thirteen, my age. She wore a white wrapping around her body. She wove it around her neck and head, shielding her skin from the piercing sun and making it unable to see her hair. Now that I thought about it, I’ve never seen her hair before.

 

“Do we make our move now?” Claudius said. He was so tempted I had to pull him back.

 

“No not yet. Wait for her to get to the hill.” He sat back with a sigh and I heard him mumble, “Who made you Achilles?” I could only smile to myself.

 

I watched her go further down the hill. She was just rounding the corner when I yelled, “Now!” Claudius, startled, jumped up and stumbled on a rock. He went tumbling the hill, hitting every stone and bump on his way.

 

I ran up beside Dominica, our prey. “Lame.” She said holding her bag of foods. I stared at her, “Don’t call my brother lame.”

 

She looked back at me, stern in her eyes, “Well that’s what his name means. What else should I call him, “clumsy”?” I looked at her then at Claudius, just getting up from the terrible tumble. He had cuts all on his legs and arms. Cuts that would need tending soon. I saw some bruises and rocks stuck in his mop of a head. He looked up and yelled at us, “That was fun!” Then tumbled backwards unconscious. I raced towards him, hoping he wasn’t “gone.”

 

When I reached him I felt for a heartbeat. He had a slow steady one, but at least he had one. I picked him up and turned around to face Dominica.

 

“Um, Zander. Is he okay?” She asked looking at me. 

 

“Yeah, I’ll just take him to father for rest.” I started to walk up the hill. I could feel her worried eyes watching me. I turned around, but only to see that she was gone.

_______________________________________________________________________

Claudius was in his bed still unconscious and my parents were at a friend’s house visiting a new born. My father put me in charge of making sure his wraps are fresh and that I give him water.

 

I had just changed his wrap when I decided to go for a walk. I would only go for a short one, because I would have to be back to help Claudius again.

 

I saw many flowers painting the edges of the road. Some were pink, some were violets. I put this spot in my mind so that when I come back I can pick some for mother.

 

I passed a few farms with lots of cattle and sheep. I saw a new born and rubbed it between the ears. It bleeped in happiness.

 

I walked further and saw no sign of life. I started to turn around and start for home when I heard screaming. I rushed back to the hill and saw a girl on the ground. She was wearing a white? No blue, wrap that had once covered her head, but was ripped revealing long, beautiful, curly golden hair. She was clutching something to her chest which I couldn’t see and the attacker was trying to take from her. She kicked at him at her hardest, but he wouldn’t leave. She kicked him hard in the chest and he slapped her on the face. She fell to the ground dropping what she was holding. She wasn’t moving so I knew I had to help.

 

The attacker bent down to pick up the thing she dropped and I started to throw rocks at him. I just picked up as many rocks as I could and hurled them at him. I kept getting mostly his legs and arms, but I wanted to hit his face. He put his hands up to protect himself when I found a large rock, as big as my foot, and hurled it at him.

 

It hit him right in the nose and he bent to the ground in screaming pain. I ran down to help the girl.

 

The thief had dropped what he was trying to steal and I picked it so that the girl may have it back. I put it in my front pocket and bent down to help the girl. As I was about to pick her up I felt a cold hand wrap around my ankle. I immediately turned around lifting my foot and hit the attacker right in the face. He dropped to the ground motionless. I spat on him in disgrace.

 

I figured he was unconscious and picked up the girl. I couldn’t see her face, but I figured her family was worried. I would bring her home and let father see what he could do.

______________________________________________________________________

I finally got home and laid her down on my bed. I put the blanket over her and walked to the well in our kitchen. I pumped water for the girl, Claudius and I. I put her cup on my little side table. I tried to see her face, but still couldn’t. I thought about dangling a candle, but the wax could drip and burn her.

 

I laid Claudius’ cup on the floor. His hand was hanging over the edge and he was mumbling. I rolled my eyes and walked back to my room. I figured mother and father would be home soon, and I had to explain it to them, so I waited. How long does it take to look at a new-born anyway?

 

I started to make a bed out of straw on the ground in the corner by the small window, when I felt something in my pocket. I took it out and held it in the moonlight. It was a small vial. It was attached to a leather string, probably to hang around your neck. It had a glass bottle filled with some gold liquid, and had a carrier made of pure silver. No wonder the thief tried to take it.

 

On the carrier was a pattern that looked like a vine. The leaves had little tiny grapes on it.

 

Perhaps it was a new kind of wine. I opened the top and put it over my mouth when someone hit me hard on the head. I fell to the ground, face first, and could feel a small cut on the top of my head. I had dropped the vial and saw someone picking it up. I looked up and saw the long curly blonde hair. She smiled closing the top and put her hand to her head. She started swaying and I stood up and caught her before she fell to the ground. I laid her back on the bed and left the vial in her hand.

 

“Okay, maybe it wasn’t wine.” I said to myself. I felt my the little gash on my head and could feel the blood still coming out. I walked to the kitchen and took some of Claudius’ wrappings and wrapped a small bit around my head.

 

I held on the wrappings and lit a candle. I walked into Claudius’ room and knelt beside his bed.

 

“That is right peasant, kneel beside your king.” I felt him laugh and I did a little too.

 

“Oh great, the lord has come back from his tumble down the hill.” I felt his laugh go away, but I didn’t stop. Soon enough he started laughing too.

 

I had his cuts and scratches and bruises all wrapped up and I noticed all his water was gone. He started to get up to go get some more, but I pushed him back down, revising the rules Father had said. He sighed and laid back down with his arms crossed on his chest.

 

“Who made Father Achilles?” I smiled walking out of the room.

 

I filled his cup and started to walk back, when I heard tiny footsteps walking.

I went to my room and saw the girl sitting up and turning around. Instead of walking out the door, she walked into me. She looked up in surprise and smiled, looking down.

 

“And where might you be going?” I said. She backed up and sat on the bed.

 

“I guess no where now.” I walked over and sat by her. The moonlight was coming through the window, but I could only see a long scratch on her face from when the attacker hit her.

 

She started to play with the vial.

 

“What is in it?” I asked. She looked at me.

“I cannot say.” She said. It seemed as if she was crying. Then she fell into my arms and I could feel the tears seeping through my shirt. I put the water on the floor and put my arm around her.

 

About an hour or so had passed and she had fallen asleep. I laid her down on the bed and put the blanket over her again. I sat beside her for a while and started to get up. I felt a hand tug at my shirt. I turned around and saw her eyes partially open. She beckoned me to come towards her. She got me so close that I could feel her breath. She tilted her head up and kissed me.

 

I felt lightning hit me. She was smiling. She had felt it too, I hope. She cupped her hand on my face and said, “Thank you.” Then she turned over and fell asleep.

___________________________________________________________

I laid down on my straw bed dreaming about my first kiss.

 

Author's Note

this is the second version

Reviews

[Aggie Skeleton]

It was fast paced in some parts, and I was confused about the main charecter's gender, but I did enjoy it. Just try to explain it more and I won't have any comlaints.

[Havatara]

I was a little confused. On some parts you went really fast, and I had trouble telling who everyone was. Why did they attack the girl? Also, you never said the main person's name, and I couldn't even tell if it was a boy or a girl until the end, and you still can't be sure. It would help if you made it clearer. But it was still a good story that kept my attention throughout the entire thing, which is actually really hard to do... =)