The Tale of Amaretto

Thirty Eighth Grain

In Which The Chase is Introduced and a Dangerous Hand is Played...

Amaretto crossed her arms across her chest and frowned at her aunt. "No. I don't think so. No hiding behind curtains and not paying attention to the people behind them. I want to know who it is that is helping us this time."

A strange voice answered her and spoke in a rather throaty voice, "And so you shall."

Amaretto turned to the sound of the voice and saw a tall woman standing there. Her skin was bronzed form many a day in the sun and was all but a golden color that sparkled in the sun. Her hair was a black tangled and curly wave that had been tied only slightly at the base of her spine to show how much there actually was in a strange and elaborate braiding technique. She too was wearing a shortened blouse in a a color almost like a plum, with pants to match as well. A shawl had been wrapped around her waist and then tied off to the end of her hands where large bangles clinked together in golden obscurity. Large rings of gold dangled from her ears and from them, several small red gemstones and in between it all, a single black onyx stone.

The woman's eyes were intense however and were a deep shade of indigo. This shade was hardly common from where Amaretto came from and as she stared at the woman's eyes, she also noticed that there were flecks of red in them as well. The woman smiled and then said, "Illustrious omens that you fell out of the sky when you did. I assume that you are here to answer my prayers? I know that I prayed to the Sky, but to have you here so soon makes me very happy."

Amaretto stared at the woman and tried to hide the confusion on her face. Her aunt however, did nothing of the sort, she raised her chin high and then said. "Even if we deign to answer your questions, we have still not been told as to what we have been summoned for." Katherine looked over at Amaretto and winked and then looked back imperiously at the woman in front of them.

The woman seemed taken aback and then said, "Forgive me Bright Ones. I did not mean to offend. Blessings of the Bright upon thee and allow me to introduce myself as Sharazad. I have called up into the heavens and Skies for help in my bid this week."

Amaretto broke in at that moment. "Your bid?" The questioning tone in her voice was made to sound imperious too, almost like her aunt's, and Katherine smiled just slightly.

Sharazad smiled and then said, "I am hoping that you are here to help me in becoming the next queen of Pesok."

Amaretto looked at Sharazad who had a twinkle in her eye. Almost like a robot, she allowed her head to spin slowly and face her aunt and she could feel the twitch in the left corner of her left eye. "Aunt Katherine," she said in as sickeningly sweet a voice as she could manage, "Whatever does she mean?"

After she had said it, she watched her aunt's face very closely. She felt almost outraged when she was graced with her aunt's surprise that was all over her face. Katherine looked appalled and then said, "I have no idea what you are referring to. I really must say that I had no idea of where we would be going less, mush less what the Sky Father would require of us. So you think I could have chosen this path for us?"

Amaretto was shocked and surprised at what her aunt had said. Not once had she ever had she heard her aunt talk like this. However, she had never before been in a place that seemed to have more sand than the beach. This was ridiculous. She frowned and then went over the facts in her head. It was only a few moments before she realized that her aunt knew where they were and was trying to play the part. She smacked herself internally and vowed to trust her aunt a little more.

Sharazad looked at Amaretto and then smiled and said, "The Crown Chase. I should have realized that as servants of the Sky Father, you would not be interested in the mortal realm below. Forgive me for my presumption."