It had been several weeks since Pa's arrival and Lucy was seeing less and less of her brother on account of the fact that he was enjoying having someone so similar to their father to bond with.
To Lucy, it seemed that Pa filled a void in Jared's heart, and Jared was doing the same for Pa. It was showing not only in Jared's consistent good mood, but also in Pa's health.
Each and every day, Pa grew stronger. His sadness had slowly ebbed away, and while Lucy could tell that he missed his son terribly, it was a comfort to him to have both her and Jared in his life.
It was mid-September now – almost exactly a month since they had returned to Eleos, and things had settled into an easy pace.
Life was quiet here. No-one seemed to be anxious or in a hurry. People went about their day without a care in the world. And while it was such a wonderful change from their old life, once again, Lucy couldn't help but feel that they should be doing more.
When they first arrived, it seemed as though Lucy and her friends were going to be a part of something so much bigger than themselves, but it had been over a week since she last saw or spoke with Cora, and nothing had been mentioned about them heading to the city to learn more about their powers or how they could assist in or contribute to rebuilding Eleos.
"What are you worrying about?"
Lucy gave a start when Tristan walked into the kitchen – almost spilling her tea down her front.
"Nothing, why?" she replied, putting her cup down to wash the tea off her hand.
"Because the sun hasn't even risen yet and you're awake." He leant against the kitchen bench with sleepy eyes, scratching his head and yawning.
She smiled up at him. "I'm fine, honestly."
Tristan raised his eyebrows. "Liar."
She sighed and rested her head against his bare chest, wrapping her arms gently around his waist. "It's nothing, really. I just feel like..."
"We should be doing more," Tristan finished for her.
"Exactly," she replied. "I just want to... I don't know, maybe learn something new or help fix something, or..." she trailed off and pulled away to look up at him, silently willing him to hear what she was trying to say.
"I get it," He responded, brushing one of her stray curls out of her face. "I've been feeling that nervous energy pent up inside you for days now, which is why I can't sleep." He finished his sentence with comically wide eyes – making fun of her, but only gently, because Lucy was well aware of the fact that he could feel her worry.
"I'd like to go and see Cora in the city today," she said, taking a deep breath at the end of her sentence. "It's not that I don't love living this incredible, peaceful life, but I just want to do... something."
Tristan kissed her gently on the forehead. "Of course," he replied. "I'll come with you." He stepped around her then and grabbed himself a cup out of the cupboard. "We can take Storm and Lady if you like?"
Lucy smiled. Lady was Tristan's horse from back in Montana.
Lady wasn't particularly thrilled that Tristan rode Storm now, and she let him know that regularly. Thankfully though, she had taken a liking to Lucy, and had therefore, and with quiet joy, become Lucy's horse.
Lady would protest loudly if Lucy came to visit Noah and Eden's without at least stopping by to see her.
"I'd like that," Lucy said as she watched Tristan make himself a cup of tea. "I think lady would too."
Tristan chuckled. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little jealous of how much she loves you now." He took a sip of his tea before placing it on the bench beside Lucy, where he rested his hands on either side of her. "Now, it's still really early, and we don't have to leave for a while," he grinned and bent his head down to whisper in her ear. "I think we should go back to bed."
Lucy giggled and was about to respond when the sound of footsteps stopped her.
Jared rounded the corner and stopped, smacking his hands over his face. "Oh gross... no, that's not ok. Yuk."
Lucy rolled her eyes and Tristan stepped away quickly – returning to his tea.
"Oh, grow up, Jared," Lucy said. "Why are you even up so early anyway?"
Jared peaked through is fingers before dropping his hands. "I'm going to meet Pa." He crossed the room and grabbed a cup out of the cupboard, proceeding to make himself a cup of coffee – which he had managed to convince Scarlett to get for him from back home. "We're going fishing," he finished with a grin.
Lucy smiled. "Sounds like fun."
"Why don't you guys come along?" He said as he inhaled the contents of his cup. "Oh yeah, that's good," he added with a look of euphoria.
"You're so weird," Lucy replied, shaking her head. "Thanks for the invite, but we're actually going to head into the city today."
Jared's eyes brightened with interest. "Really? Why?"
"I just want to see Cora," Lucy replied.
Jared looked confused for a second. "Why don't you just call? I mean, it's probably a lot quicker. She'll be here in a flash."
Lucy shook her head right away. "She has more important things to worry about than dropping everything to come here every time one of us calls her. And besides, I want to go."
Jared shrugged. "Fair enough. What do you want to see Cora about anyway?"
Lucy looked at Tristan before answering. She didn't want to make her brother feel bad. He was having so much fun. The last thing she wanted was for him to start feeling like he needed to do more too. This was her issue. "Nothing exciting. I just want to help out a bit, that's all."
"Okay, and?" Jared added – his brows creasing together.
Sometimes Lucy forgot that he could read her like a book.
"Honestly, Jared. That's it. I just want to do more."
Jared looked at her for a moment, weighing up if it was worth the fight – she could see it all over his face. "Alright," he finally replied. "But, you'd tell me if you needed me to be there, right?"
Lucy waved him off. "Don't be silly. Go have some fun with Pa. This is just a visit, I promise. Whatever I find out or decide, I'll let you guys know."
"What are you deciding exactly?" Jared pressed, putting down his cup.
"I just mean that if there's something I, or we can do to help out more, or maybe learn, I'll tell you guys before going ahead with it. Is that okay?"
Jared's brows pinched together deeper. "Fine, but don't make any rash decisions without the rest of us."
"I would never do that," Lucy replied, a little hurt. "You should know that by now."
Jared shook his head. "Of course, I was just saying."
Lucy nodded. "I promise not to commit to anything until I've spoken to the rest of you."
"Thanks," Jared replied, smacking his sister on the arm. "Have fun." He pulled a second cup out of the cupboard and poured out some tea for Rachel before heading back upstairs, still inhaling his own cup of coffee.
Tristan yawned, rubbed his face and grinned at Lucy through his messy hair.
"What?" she asked, slowly taking a sip of her tea.
Tristan took the cup from her hands, placed it on the kitchen bench and quickly grabbed her, throwing her over his shoulder.
Lucy had to put a hand over her mouth to stop herself from squealing.
"We have a few hours to kill," he said before quickly making his way up the stairs with a giggling Lucy trying to make her escape.
* * * * *
Several hours later, Lucy stood outside the stalls where she could hear Lady stamping her foot impatiently as Tristan led Storm out with his saddle on.
She quickly made her way in to where Lady's head hung over the gate – waiting for Lucy to let her out.
"Hey girl," Lucy said as she stroked her long nose. "Are you ready for a long ride today?"
Lady tossed her head and nickered.
"I'll take that as a yes," Lucy replied with a grin.
Tristan returned then and they saddled Lady and led her out to stand beside Storm.
She was so much smaller than him, and yet between the two of them, Lady was most definitely in charge.
Storm would lean his big head down to nuzzle her, and she would quickly push him away, stomping her foot in the process.
Tristan chuckled. "She still hasn't quite forgiven him, yet."
"You're just letting him know whose boss, aren't you girl," Lucy cooed as she stroked Lady's neck.
Lady tossed her head.
Lucy grinned over at Tristan and quickly climbed up into the saddle – a much easier movement on Lady.
Tristan adjusted his back pack, stepped up onto one of the fence railings and gracefully hopped into Storms saddle, winking at Lucy when he was set. "Ready to go?" He asked.
Lucy nodded, smiling up at him. "Let's go."
They plodded through the village, waving and greeting the locals as they went.
"Hey guys!"
They were just passing Sarah's store when they were stopped by Lilith, who had wandered out with a girl they hadn't yet met.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"Just in to the city. I wanted to see Cora," Lucy replied. "And before you get worried, I just wanted to do something productive today. I promise to bring back any information I find out, okay."
Lilith grinned up at her. "Sure thing, Luce."
Lucy and Tristan shared a look before turning their eyes back on Lilith. "So... are you going to introduce us to your friend?" Lucy asked.
Lilith's face reddened. "Oh, right, of course. Um... this is Margot. She's from the next village over."
Lucy grinned. "Hi Margot."
Margot smiled up at Lucy and Tristan. She was of Asian descent and had soft, fair skin with long, straight dark hair. Lucy could tell right away that she had a kind soul and she really liked Lilith. "Hi Lucy," she answered, her tone full of joy. "It's so nice to finally meet you guys."
"It's nice to meet you, too," Lucy replied "What are you guys up to today?"
"I was actually going to ask if it would be alright if I took Margot to our swimming spot?" Lilith asked sheepishly.
"Of course," Lucy replied. "It's a great day. Definitely perfect for swimming."
Lilith beamed up at her. "Thanks Lucy. You guys have fun, okay."
"You too," Lucy replied. "We'll see you again soon, Margot," Lucy added, and Margot's face lit up. She gave them a wave before she and Lilith walked off toward Lilith's place.
Lucy quickly pushed Lady to trot up beside Tristan. "That is so great," she said, practically buzzing with excitement. "I'm so happy for Lilith."
"Me too," Tristan replied. He took one last look back and smiled. "She deserves it more than any of us."
Lucy nodded. "So much."
Over the last couple of weeks, Riley had plucked up the courage to indeed speak with the new girl in their village and it turned out she was a big fan of his. She was also heavily into computers and computer games, which meant that a lot of his spare time was spent with the girl who they now knew as Charlie Croft.
A charming and quick-witted girl who had drifted back into Eleos from London, where her family had been living since the blast. She had thick, flaming red hair that reached her waist and green eyes that practically sparkled whenever she was talking about computers. She was just as interested in everything around her as Riley was, and if they started talking about a topic they were both curious about, there was no interrupting them.
They were practically perfect for each other.
At the time, Lucy had worried terribly about Lilith, because it seemed that Riley was completely distracted by Charlie, but seeing Lilith now with Margot, she felt so much better.
"I really hope that we don't all drift apart," Lucy wondered aloud.
Tristan shook his head. "Not going to happen. It's not possible."
"Do you think?" Lucy asked.
"Close your eyes and focus on the link between us, then you tell me," Tristan replied with a grin.
Lucy closed her eyes and thought of her friends. She thought about how much she loved them and how important it was to keep them close.
There, in the darkness, each of their colourful links began to emerge, connecting them inextricably to Lucy's heart, and she smiled.
"See," Tristan said. "Not possible."
Lucy settled into her saddle then and allowed herself to drift along with the gentle plod of Lady's steps – each one taking them closer to the city.
As they continued along the path, they began to notice the difference in the world around them from their last trip into the city.
The path was cleared now and there were more people travelling back and forward.
The overgrown forest now gave way to homes and fields filled with villages that they hadn't noticed before.
Everything was alive and flourishing.
People waved and called out to them as they passed, and Lucy felt overjoyed each and every time someone said her name.
"I don't believe it," she said with a laugh as she waved to a little girl who was standing with her mother, jumping up and down saying, "Lucy! Lucy!"
"It's pretty amazing, right?" Tristan replied. "I can't wait to see how the city looks now."
They rode on with excitement, allowing the horses to canter where they had space to do so, and with each village they passed, they drew more attention.
Storm on his own was enough to make people stop to watch them ride by, but when they saw who was riding, their excitement only magnified.
By the time they reached the clearing before the city, Lucy and Tristan were buzzing with exhilaration.
"Would you look at that," Tristan said breathlessly.
The city opened up before them, gleaming in the morning sunshine – The Goddess Eleos standing over it with her arms spread wide in welcome.
The park was flourishing with wildflowers now and the gardens around the city gates were perfectly manicured and lush.
Hundreds of birds flew through the tree tops and above the city, singing and chirping their songs, and people were everywhere.
Children were running through the grass, chasing butterflies and laughing – their families watching on with so much joy that it was practically visible in the air around them.
The waterfalls beyond the city rushed down the giant mountainside, flowing gracefully through the city, and perched elegantly amidst the drifting water were dozens of giant, white swans.
"I just..." Lucy began, but she was unable to put into words exactly how she was feeling in this very moment. There was just so much to take in.
"I know," Tristan replied as he reached out to take her hand in his. He took one last look around before continuing. "Should we go take a look?"
Lucy nodded. "Definitely."
They rode toward the city, stopping on occasion to say hello to people, or to watch birds fly by, and as they reached the city gates, they were greeted by several large dogs, who bounded along merrily beside them as they made their way through the streets.
"Has it really only been a month?" Lucy asked as she looked around at the gleaming sandstone streets and beautifully constructed buildings that had all but been destroyed the last time they were here.
Tristan was looking around in utter disbelief. "I think so," he replied, shaking his head.
Elijah was outside of his Graceglass store as they passed and he waved at them flamboyantly. "Hello you wonderful people," he exclaimed, blowing them a kiss. "It's lovely to see you both again. Be sure to stop by and see me before you leave."
"We will," Lucy called, waving back at him.
They made their way through the now crowded streets and eventually reached the castle gates, where they slipped off their horses backs and led them into the main courtyard.
"It's funny that nothing is guarded here," Lucy said, looking back at the gates. "People just come and go."
"I suppose it's not the kind of place where they need to worry," Tristan replied.
A woman approached them then and asked if they would like her to look after their horses. She explained that they would be taken to the castle stables until they were ready to leave.
"Valet parking," Lucy whispered to Tristan as the woman led Lady and Storm away.
Tristan snorted loudly, causing a man to look up from his gardening. "Sorry," Tristan said, waving to the man.
"No trouble at all," the man replied with a smile.
They tentatively walked through the castle doors – that were open wide for all to enter and exit at their leisure, and there at the base of the stairwell was Cora.
She smiled brilliantly at them both and walked quickly toward them to take their hands in hers. "It's so lovely to see you both here in the city."
"It's great to be here," Tristan replied. "We can't believe how much has changed since we were last here."
Cora pressed her hands together in front of her chest, joy radiating out of her like sunlight. "Isn't it incredible. I truly had no idea how many of us were out there, and now, the city is full again. It's such a blessing."
"It's amazing," Lucy replied.
"Now," Cora said, taking their hands again. "What brings you here on this beautiful day?"
Lucy couldn't help but laugh a little. Cora's enthusiasm was contagious. "I just wanted to see if there was something we could do to help, but it seems you have everything under control here."
"That doesn't mean that we aren't very excited to have you both here," Cora replied. "And there are so many things that you still need to learn."
Lucy smiled and nodded.
"Come," Cora said, heading off toward the dining hall. "Let's get something to eat, and you can tell me if you and your friends are ready to get started learning about all of the wonderful things you can do with your power."