The Chronicles Of The Council #1: The Sun's Tears

Chapter 61: Laelia - Atarah

Her round eyes with broken creases have a violet hue in them. The tips of her glossy hair are a dark purple. She is shorter than I am - at least by a head and a half, but she seems to float in the air. Parts of her white and purple dress wave up and down. 

“You are here to help me, aren't you?”

“Yes! I am. I would love to help you. I rarely have new visitors.”

“I am Laelia.” I extend my hand to her.

She grasps it and shakes it vigorously. “I know! I have wanted to meet you since forever! I am Atarah. I keep the Library in order. I am sort of the Keeper of Knowledge.”

“It's an honour to meet you.”
I smile at her.

“You have probably never heard of me,” she says sadly.

“Sorry, no.”

I wonder why Aedan hasn't come over to us yet.

“Oh, your brother can't see me. He only sees you looking at the shelves. I only appear to those I want to.”

That makes sense.

“You said that I have to ask for the book?”

“Yes, I am here to help visitors, but I rarely get any.”

She looks so sad. I just want to hug her - which isn't something I normally want to do.

“We are looking for a diary that my father wrote in the time of the Second War.”

She smiles, but for the first time it doesn't reach her eyes. “That is the only book I can't give to you, but you can ask for any other one? What about Healing without herbs? You are a healer, right?”

For a moment all I can think about is how advantageous that knowledge could be. “Yes, I am.”

She hands me a book. It is a heavy leather bound volume. I start to page through the book.

“This one doesn't have any pictures. You should read it from the first page.”

I turn back to the first page. I read about three pages before I realise that she is trying to distract me from my mission.

“It has to be the diary.”

“There are a lot of other diaries you can look at. Do you want me to show you?”

I do not like reading diaries, but who knows what I might find? “Yes, please.” I let her take my hand. I walk a few steps with her and then stop abruptly.

“Atarah, I like you, but I do not appreciate you trying to distract me.”

“I am not distracting you. I am showing all the books you would like. Come take a look at this. It is a history of Ligtland and Darkeland before the Council came.”

I follow her without protest. I realise that I have read the name Atarah once. Her name appeared in some thick volume about the Council, but there were barely two sentences written about her. I try to recall the sentence.

“Atarah is the keeper of knowledge and secrets. She has the power to induce a state of forgetfulness,” I say out loud without realising it.

She halts her steps.

“Atarah, please help me find my father's diary.”

She sighs. “I cannot make you forget, because your mind is full of forget. You have too many memories.”

I have no idea what she means, so I frown.

“He won't like it. I tried to steer you away, but it is my duty to help the Library's visitors. Here it is.”