Dark Queen: The Cybelline Prophecies

Chapter 9

"Cyd!" A little cannon struck Cybelline in the back. Cybelline turned around and ruffled Miri's hair, "What are you doing here?" The precocious five year old girl with pigtail tales and ruddy cheeks grinned up at the taller child.

Miri asked Cybelline the same question, "Cyd, what are you doing here?"

Cybelline looked at the beautiful landscape and said softly "I like it."

When she had been a covert operative, she didn't own anything. Her apartment could've been packed and cleaned in twenty minutes, her life could be erased in seconds. Even her few friends didn't really know enough about her to pose as a problem. She couldn't have likes, dislikes, preferences, or tastes.

But as she stood here, her feet in the rich earth, the smell of the cool air in her nostrils, with almost nothing to her name, she felt free.

Miri looked at her like she was crazy, "There's nothing here, Cyd." She pointed around here, "Ma says Pa can't grow things to save his life. " She thought about it for a moment and then brightened, picking up a rock in her giant hand, "I understand now. Cyd likes rocks!" That brought Cybelline out of her reverie, it was like being hit with a frying pan in the face. 

Cybelline looked at the small piece of farmland Ithos owned and sighed. As the the home farthest from the village and closest to the highlands, it was much more difficult to grow things here.

Other people in the village had land that could produce corn and grain by the cartload. Ithos's land could produce only rocks.

Cybelline chuckled, "Yes. Cyd likes the land and the rocks."

Miri looked shook her head and tugged at Cybelline's hand, "Silly Cyd, let's go home."

Ithos was busy cleaning the chicken coops when Cybelline and Miri walked into the little yard. Miri tottered over to the old man, "Pa! I brought Cyd back!"  She jumped into Ithos's arms, "Cyd told me she likes land and rocks. But Miri likes candy more." She eyed her father slyly, "Pa has candy?"

Ithos gave her a tiny piece of candy, "Don't tell yer ma." Miri grinned conspiratorially and ran off to play.

Cybelline followed in, "Myrai will find out sooner or later. Miri can't keep secrets to save her life."

Ithos only shook his head, "It's a problem when children are too truthful."

Cybelline hid a smile, "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Ithos scratched his head, "Yer been out on that land, fiddlin' for a few weeks now. Are ye sure ye want to waste yer time on it? It ain't produced anything for decades." 

Cybelline grinned, "Ithos, have you ever thought it's because you don't know how to farm? If you cleared the rocks and irrigated the land, maybe you'd have a chance?"

Myrai had come out the house then and chuckled, "I've been tellin' him that for twenty five years."

Ithos swelled up like a bullfrog, "I can farm, what do ye know!"

"Ye lost the oxen that pulled the plough!" Myrai glared at her husband, who instantly deflated, he muttered, "That old thing ran away."

"Then ye broke the plough." Myrai pointed out flatly, "Ye used it to build a bonfire for the children. Sayin' it'd be more useful that way."  Ithos scratched his head, "It did make a great bonfire." Myrai looked slightly exasperated, "Ye old whallop."

Ithos grinned at Cybelline, "If ye'd want, take the land and do what ye want with it. I'll put it in yer name when i see the headman."

"No, it's your land." Cybelline protested. Myrai laughed, "Child, Ithos has tortured that land long enough, take it and do some good with it."