It had been two weeks since I had started coming out on the rooftop at the break of dawn. As I squatted and jumped and sweated, I realized just how out of practice I was. There had been a time when I could outrun even the boys higher my age; I had honed my skills with the crossbow, aimed the daggers and cut the branches of trees in perfect symmetry. The elementors always paid more attention to the boys when it came to physical training, but I had always spied the techniques that they were taught, and practiced them back at home. It seemed like a different life entirely.
But now that Amelia was in the last quarter of her schooling, I found myself with a little more time to spare. My small garden was flourishing better now that I paid more attention to them. I looked down the house's backyard. There were the roosters who had been rousing every one of our neighbors with their early morning crowing and the hens clucking away lazily with their eggs and chicks. The poultry business was a steady source of income and I congratulated myself every time I saw them.
I sat back down on the soft mat and stretched my legs. I laid back slightly and raised my feet up and brought them down slowly folding them to my chest. I let go slowly and repeated it all over. I managed some extra rope-jumping and core exercises until my body gave itself up. I focused my breathing for a while and as my breathing returned to a steady pace, I reached out to pick up my sundial that was lying a little distance away from the mat. It had been past an hour since sunrise. I clutched my pretty little reliable sundial and held it to my chest. It felt like an old friend to whom I turned every time I felt low or content.
The golden hour had made the sky pinkish and I rested my back on the mat yet again to stare away at the sky. The glow of the morning would never not deter to put me in awe. As I lay silently before the day arrived in all its entirety, I allowed myself a soft smile. I was going to step out of my country for the first time in my life. To the majestic Winter Realm. I had only read about the snow and rains, but had never witnessed more than a brief shower once in a while. Also, that the High King Maris was now passing on his crown to the next champion, the Winter Realm is supposedly expected to put on a good show.
I had heard stories, read books about the last Conquest. I clearly remembered the sub text of an article that I had calligraphed months ago for a Spring Journal about the Conquest –
It had felt wonderful writing about it. But now to actually witness it and maintain steady reports on the progress of the challenges, was just like the fulfilment of a dream that I never even dared to dream.
***
"Why aren't you allowed to bring a younger sister with you? It's not like the ship will sink with just one extra person on it." Amelia was at it again.
"Amelia, look we talked about this. It's not possible. And besides you are not of age, you're barely sixteen. I don't want you near all the creatures, and the Princes, or you out in the cold with strangers."
"I am not what you think, Eleni. I will do as you say, I promise. I will be fine." She pleaded yet again.
"There are some rules. You have to understand. Why are we still having this conversation?" I felt my voice raising and tried to chunk it down. "Besides you have three months of school left and also assessments."
"Well yes. I could reappear the next quarter. But the Conquest and the Winter Gala won't be there for a reattempt." Her eyes were pooling with tears and I glimpsed a flicker of a different emotion on her face. Hatred? "I want to witness the Conquest and see the Winter Realm too. Also, I don't know how you are going to manage looking out after yourself with people full of magic all around you."
She didn't mean this with concern, it was a dig. I could see it on her face.
"I will manage. I only have to write what the writers want me to and that's that..." I said looking sideways to the boiling tea. I reached out and pulled a hand-fan from under the kitchen platform. I swooshed it to turn off the fire of the stove. But Amelia beat me to it. She produced a storm of cold air and the tiny heat vanished. I turned to look at her. She had her chin held high, "That's how the Air elementals do it."
"Amelia..." I started.
"What? You think the training that you give your body is sufficient to keep you safe from predators? You think you have got it all figured out, don't you? But let me remind you Eleni, at the end you will be nothing else but a Vacuusha." As she said the last word the mean glint of her eyes disappeared and she realized she had spoken too much.
I stared at her for a while longer than needed. I found myself speaking with a calm I didn't know I possessed. "Go to your room, Amelia. And remember nothing has changed, you are still going to live with Uncle Barak and Aunt Julia and travel with little Carlos to school daily from downtown until I come back. This is final."
She stomped out and smashed the door of her room shut. My head was buzzing with thoughts. Not that word again.
And as usual, I found myself walking out of the house and turning left; there was my small patch of garden. I opened the fence gate and walked in. The creepers growing on the wall, the shrubs beautifully snipped, the flowers in purple, red, yellow and white, and the soil so rich with nutrients, that all my plants flourished with a grace. They soothed me with a language I had only felt my mother speak to me as she put me to sleep. It was her legacy and I had kept it healthy and thriving. I sat down on the wet soil, and felt my anger recede.
***
"Mother, why can't I lift up my toys like you lift up your gardening tools with the wind? Mother, why can't I make things fly? Why doesn't the air listen to me?" The small girl cried with tears dropping down her rosy cheeks.
"Hush now, my little girl. Not everyone is born with the same power. Don't blame yourself." Her mother said softly and held her close.
"But the other children laugh at me. They call me something and I don't know the meaning of it. It's Vacuu... Vacuusha. They laugh. A lot. They throw rocks at me and ask me to shield myself with my wind."
The mother looked a bit taken aback. "They are mean children, my dear. Don't pay any heed to them. I will have a talk with the head elementor. Don't you let them get you down! You are father's precious sunflower and mother's little sapling. Always remember that you're special no matter what."
She whispered a little lower, "You need to find out what you can do and leave behind what you cannot. I am sure you will someday."
The child sobbed a bit longer and drifted off to sleep.
***
There was a lot to pack and a lot more to buy as the day of sailing grew closer. I had asked Serena to come with me to shop for the winter essentials and she had been more than happy to oblige. I generally shopped with Amelia but something had changed between us after the big blow up. Anyways I didn't have time to think of anything since I had been busy with the poultry business. I had struck a deal with Danny from two rows below my settlement to look after my hens and trade the eggs well. He had his own poultry and dairy and had promised he would send one of his errand boys daily to check on mine. I knew Danny would handle these matters better than I ever did.
I had dropped by to the district market with a sulking Amelia in tow with all her essentials and study material carried away in a carriage to the central Liberan. We didn't speak a single word as Aunt Julia took her in the house. Aunt gave me a few woolen scarves that she had knitted for me and I took them gratefully. I hugged both Uncle Barak and her a farewell and treaded towards the fabric area of the market. I found Serena in a stall already haggling with a shopkeeper over the price of a long woolen overcoat.
We bought gloves as thick as mittens, well-fitted socks, cardigans and knit caps. They felt warm and fuzzy. Being in the Spring Realm had never needed buying any woolen clothing. They made me sweat with just holding them. How cold must it be there to wear this all and still be freezing?
It felt like a normal day when we were led up on the Narcissus, the strongest and largest ship of Liberan. The ship was being loaded with food grain, burners, quilts, and luggage of the passengers. I had been on smaller ferry boats but this seemed daunting. The ocean liner was huger than any building I had ever seen. It was very clean and felt almost regal. The women were given a separate floor and the room that I shared with Rosa and Serena, had a window that gave me a view of the approaching sunset. The ship sailed on slowly to the north and I felt my head getting lighter, the worries of home retreating back.
After two days of travelling, we felt the onset of chilly wind. We got out our scarves and coats day after day and layered ourselves. I stood on the railings in the evenings and looked at the large snow-capped mountains as they came closer and closer bringing something with them that I couldn't name.
***
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