Lands Unknown

Chapter 6

Rix

I feel frustrated and guilty. I shouldn't have exploded on her, I needed to vent out my anger on someone and it wasn't supposed to be her. It was supposed to be him, that disgusting creature I call 'dad'. The time will come, and when it does I will make it slow and painful for him. My thoughts return to Aariq's resolve.

Aariq knows the risk, he chose this. He isn't a child, he knows what he is getting roped into, right? He is as old as I am, surely he thought this through before coming to this decision, right? No, he wants this, he craves for Victor's death as much as I do. The ministers might not support this, we must be careful. We must be careful about everything, we must be discreet about what we are set on doing, we must be observant, we must take it slowly, brick by brick. We should start planning today. No, now. I am halfway to the Arledgean wing when he comes to me, panting. A grin starts blooming across his face,"I've got a plan." I smile at him, " Go on."

𖠁𖠁𖠁𖠁𖠁𖠁𖠁𖠁𖠁𖠁

I never apologized. Not even when I punched Hector's nose, nor when I spit at Sen's face. They deserved it. For the first time in my life, I feel the urge to apologize. I tap my feet as I wait outside her dorm. Should I knock? Or should I not? I'll knock in a minute, or two, or three. It was hard for me to get here, no student is allowed to enter any other wing other than theirs without a companion belonging to that wing. No boy is allowed to enter the girls' side of the wing, no matter what. It took a lot of bribing and flirting. I doubt that Veronica is ever going to leave me alone again. I practiced my apology in front of the mirror in my dorm last night. Right after our planning. Aariq's plan was good, if everything went right, that is. And there were many things that had to go right. No Rix, focus!

"I'm sorry." Uh no, " I am very sorry for exploding on you." Really Rix, can't you do better than that?, " Amaira, I shouldn't have yelled at you. I was frustrated, and I never actually meant those words. I really shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry." That was a bit better, I think.

I knock on her door. No response. I knock again. I stay there fidgeting with the ribbon on the box of the apple pie I made her ( The head cook, Mrs. Mino, was very generous and had allowed me to bake. After a lot of begging and convincing of course). Finally, I give up and make my way towards the stables, guessing she would be there, pampering that annoying horse of hers. Crackle and I do not get along, he tossed me into the mud the second I laid my finger on the saddle. I took revenge by stuffing a lemon into his mouth. I was satisfied by the murderous glare he threw at me. How does my revenge taste horsey? Sour?

I find her braiding Crackle's obsidian mane. She is talking to him in soft affectionate murmurs. His eyes sparkle, until he sees me. He starts stomping and his tail starts swishing in anger. So he does remember the lemon... Amaira isn't too happy to see me either, but when her eyes rest on the box I am holding, she turns...a little less upset. That is a good sign. "It's apple pie with extra cinnamon." She loved cinnamon "I was hoping I'd have someone to share it with," I can see that she is trying hard not to smile.

"I'm sure Aariq will enjoy it."

"He would have gobbled it all. That's not sharing, is it?"

"You said, extra cinnamon?"

"Yes, extra cinnamon."

The next second, she has the box in her hands and the filling is dripping down her fingers and chin. She I take a small bite. It's exactly how we used to make it, my mom would instruct and I was to follow. She taught me many others as well, like strawberry tart, lemon meringue pie, frosted blueberry pop tart etc.etc. I miss my baking lessons. I miss her.