~2~
Brillia jumped up, her hand flying to her mouth. “Brage! No! Please, you can’t go.” Steadily, Brage made his way up to the front of the room, ignoring Brillia’s pleas. Brillia sat heavily back down in her chair. There had to be a way to convince him that he could not go. Brillia’s green eyes began to fill with salty tears. No horse is worth my brother’s life she thought, even if it is a Horse of Brimleigh.
“Brage?” Lord Kyan said as his son bravely stepped up beside him. “I cannot let you go and risk your life for something that is of my own fault.”
Brage turned to face his father, a steely expression masked his face, and his bright eyes were full of pure determination. “You say I may not go, but you will willingly let another? A guard may go, but your son may not? If I did not know you better Father, I might think you are showing favoritism.”
Lord Kyan was shocked at his son’s sudden turn of attitude. Brage had never spoken like that during the course of his lifetime. “You dare accuse me of something that is not truthful? I am very sure that no Lord of Second World would let the heir to the Estate or Kingdom risk his life. If you are killed Brage, something I forbid myself of thinking, who will rise to the throne? One of your sisters?”
Brage’s expression was fiery. He clenched his fists together, and pursed his lips. Through clenched teeth, he managed a response, “Don’t you ever underestimate Brillia. She is just as strong, smart and capable as I. Why is she unworthy of ruling Brimleigh?!” Brage was outraged, and Brillia was touched by the devotion to her that he was publically displaying.
Lord Kyan was clearly distressed. Brillia could see that he was not pleased that his son was showing him up like this in front of the kingdom. “Very well… you may go.” Lord Kyan dismissed everyone, the decision had been made.
~~~~~
Brillia’s heart was heavy, and she no longer was able to cry. She had done plenty of that earlier, and her eyes were bone dry. Brage was somewhere off in the smaller stable readying his horse, and himself. If Brage dies, I’ll die! Brillia thought miserably. Aderyn tried to be helpful, doing Brillia’s share of chores, telling her that if something did happen to Brage, she would make a wonderful ruler. None of it was able to pull Brillia out of her miserable gloom.
“Brillia?” Brage said, and knocked on her door. Brillia instantly perked up at the sound of her beloved brother’s voice. Maybe he has come to say they he has changed his mind. No longer will he go. He has come to say that he will stay at the Estate, and not run out into the wilderness on a wild goose chase. Brillia thought. Her heart, weighed down with hope, opened her door, and plastered a smile on her face, forcing it to look genuine.
“Brage… come in,” Brillia ushered him inside the room and he took a seat on a large wicker chair by the window that over-looked the kingdom. “I need to thank you… for standing up for me like that, in front of Father. And the whole kingdom.”
“Do not think of it as a knightly gesture. What I said, I said because you are my sister…my twin,” Brage smiled, and Brillia took a deep, shaky breath. “You would do the same for me.” Would she? Brillia wondered. Would she have enough courage to stand up her father in front of everyone like Brage had done?
“I suppose so… Brage, I need to tell you something. I really don’t want you to go.” Brillia’s eyes filled with tears once again, even though she thought she was past crying.
“Brillia, my darling sister, it is my duty. My duty to Brimleigh and Second World. Can you not see that I must find Gracia?” Brage grabbed Brillia’s hand. Brillia slowly nodded her head. She was beginning to understand. But she wasn’t about to give in.
“No, Brage. It is not your duty. In fact, the duty is Father’s alone. Do you not remember him saying that it was of his own fault that Gracia was stolen? Do you not? Stay here Brage! Father can go and find her. You are not the Lord yet…Father is. Besides, Brage, Father is right… I am unfit to run the Estate and Brimleigh.” Brillia argued. She desperately wanted Brage to realize that she was not giving in.
“Father has fought many times. I have never seen battle, or tasted the tang of adventure! Brillia, you have to trust me! I will not be killed.” Brillia could sense that Brage would win this argument. Brillia despised fighting with Brage, for she felt it was not fit. They were twins!
“Then take me with you,” her expression softened, her tone was thick with urgency. “Take me with you…please.”
Brage was taken by surprise. “No Brill, it is much too dangerous for a girl like you.”
This angered Brillia. A girl like her? What was that supposed to mean. “And just what do you mean by that? A girl like me? What? Do you think I am weak; incapable? What happened to ‘Don’t ever underestimate Brillia! She is just as strong and capable as I.’ She squinted her green eyes and pursed her lips.
Brage put his hands to his face and took a deep breath. “I am sorry dear Brillia… I didn’t mean for it to sound so derogatory towards you.”
“It’s ok…I understand,” Brillia wrapped her arms around Brage and hugged him hard. “Do not leave on bad terms with me. I over-reacted.” When Brillia pulled away, she was struck by how mature Brage looked. His dark brown hair was smoothed back, brown stubble dotted his jaw and his green eyes were hard and full of determination.
“I’ll come back Brill, ok? I promise.” Brage looked up with her. Brillia believed him.
“Do you honestly swear it?” Brillia sniffled. Brage nodded his head earnestly, and sat up from the chair.
“It is time for me to depart. My horse is waiting, and I want to leave before the sun sets.” Brillia became dizzy and tears began to run down her cheeks.
“Please don’t leave, Brage. I want you to stay.” Brillia said quietly. She felt weak; small. Her heart was weighed down with dread. Earlier it had been full of hope, but now it was full of nothing but lead, and unhappy endings.
“Don’t cry, Brill. Please don’t cry for my sake.” Brage’s index finger brushed the tears from Brillia’s eyes. They said a final semi-hopeful goodbye. Brillia sat on the wicker chair that Brage had sat upon only moments earlier. She blankly stared out the window and watched Brage ride off, out of the gates of the Estate and into the unknown forests beyond. If Brillia had looked just a little closer she would have been able to see the tears that ran down Brage’s grim face. She was to overcome with grief to pay close enough attention. He was gone… just like that.
~~~~~
At dinner that night, Lord Kyan and Lady Bayla tried to engage Brillia in the conversation but all she saw were they’re lips moving. The sound did not process in her brain. All she could think about Brage. Questions raced through her mind. Where is he? Is he safe? Has he found Gracia? And one sickening question she couldn’t shake: Is he alive????
When Brillia went to bed that night, she laid her head down on her plush white pillow and let even more tears flow. When she finally did fall asleep, her pillow was soaking wet.
~~~~~
The next morning, Brillia awoke early. She stumbled out of her bedroom after dressing and rubbed away the yellow crusts which had formed around her eyes. Her lack of sleep made her yawn, and she sat down on her chair at the breakfast table with a loud thud.
“Good morning, Brillia.” Lady Bayla greeted her, and smiled. Brillia looked up, and could see that her mother too, had been crying over Brage’s leave.
“Hmph.” She grumbled, and trained her eyes downwards. While she pretended to be fascinated by one of the purple flowers emblazoned onto the plate, Aderyn made a desperate attempt at conversation.
“Isn’t the morning brilliant today? When I awoke, I was almost blinded by the sun. The brightness is so intense.” Aderyn commented while Brillia absentmindedly bit a piece of toast. Her little sister chattered on about the morning and her plans for the day.
“How can you be so happy?” Brillia suddenly cried, and unleashed the tears in her large eyes that had been pooling for the last five minutes.
Aderyn startled at the tone of Brillia’s voice, and closed her mouth. “Whatever do you mean?”
Instantly, Brillia regretted raising her voice so, but guilt was quickly pushed aside by anger. “How can you be happy?” she repeated. “Brage is out, risking his life trying to find Gracia, while you sit here, chattering about so without a care in the world, nor a tear in your eye!” She seethed, and took a vicious bite out of her toast.
“Because if I am happy, I cannot be sad and grieve for the absence of Brage…being happy is a distraction for the sadness that surrounds everyone else.” Aderyn explained quietly. Brillia struggled to see her little sister’s point. As silence began to surround them, Aderyn’s logic made sense. Brillia wished she was like her little sister; happy, energetic, positive…she always saw the bright side to dark things. Unlike Brillia who was drawn back, quiet and didn’t often see the light when darkness prevailed.
“I suppose,” Brillia bit her lip so hard it bled. All of a sudden, she started to feel claustrophobic. Her throat felt closed off and heavy. She needed air, and space to clear her head. “I’m going for a ride.” She announced abruptly.
“Brillia-“her mother’s sentence was cut short by a dismissive wave of Brillia’s hand as she fled the dining room. As she quickly walked down the hall way, she felt a tear fall down her cheek. Brillia figured it must have been the millionth tear she had shed. Her footfalls slowed as she left the building and walked down the grey, marble stairs, slippery from the rain that had fallen that night. She stumbled clumsily to the small, less grand stable where the riding and work horses were kept. But they didn’t live just in the stable. Lots of horses were kept outdoors in the bright, green pastures that surrounded the estate. To Brillia though, not much looked bright anymore. In her eyes, the fields and pastures were a dull hue, and lacked happiness.
The riding horses of second world consisted mostly of thoroughbreds, Arabians, quarter horses, Hanoverians, andalusians and lippizanners. Lots of the other horse breeds had sadly died out over time. Between people losing interest in them, or the disasters that took place, few breeds remained.
Brillia yearned desperately for a day when other breeds would return. She had never seen a fallabella, however she had heard stories about the breed that used to be the smallest horse. Or a gypsy vanner, a large heavy breed of horse. Not as large as a percheron or clydstale, more breeds she had only heard stories about, but heavy all the same.
She breathed deeply as she entered the stable. The earthy smell of horses entered her nose, and she inhaled the scent. To Brillia, the smell of horses was like a drug. Aderyn wasn’t too crazy about horses. Brillia’s little sister liked them of course; however she wasn’t too big on riding. She did enjoy a small hack around the yard every once in a while, but Aderyn rather enjoyed grooming the horses soft coats, and mucking out stalls. Brillia loved every aspect of the equine species. Even the smell of manure was like a perfume.
Brillia’s feet automatically lead her to the stall of her horse, Thorn. The bay Arabian stallion was sweet and loving. Unlike the other stallions housed in the stable, Thorn was by all means the most gentle.
Stallions are known for having a fiery temper. Some people have even described them as dangerous and harmful. Every now and then though, you would come across a stallion like Thorn who meant harm to no one. And that is why he was Brillia’s favorite.
Thorn didn’t belong to Brillia, but the way he loved her, and she loved him he may as well have. Brillia tried to ride Thorn every day, but sometimes she found herself too caught up in the other things. Whenever she was unable to ride, she felt bad, but always made it up to Thorn the next day by taking him for an extra-long ride, and giving him more attention than normal.
“Hello Thorn,” she cooed as she let herself into his large loose box stall. Thorn whuffed softly and stepped towards her, his large hoofs leaving imprints in the dry woodchips. She ran her hand over his soft nose, and traced the white star on his nose. “I’ll be right back.”
Brillia exited the stall and bolted it and then opened the latch on the tack trunk that pressed against the wall attached to the stall. She lifted the heavy oak lid emblazoned with wooden carvings and rested it on the wall. From the chest, she pulled a gold and purple saddle blanket, woven by her great great grandmother, passed down along the generations. Then she also pulled out a deep red English saddle, and set both on the stall door.
Thorn was already groomed, brushed soft and shiny by the grooms that morning, so Brillia did not worry about brushing the stallion before tacking him up. Once the bay horse was ready, she snuck off into the bathroom where she lifted a floor board and snatched up a pair of brown pants and a sky blue shirt. Brillia was never excited about the change of attire, but riding in gowns was so tiresome. She shed her lovely dress, and then pulled the shirt over her head, and then put on the pants. After she was finished dressing, she stowed her dress under the floor boards and merrily went back to Thorn’s stall.
“Let’s go, handsome,” she led the horse from the stall and into the sunny outdoors where she clambered up onto the stallion. Her saddle was soft, and had molded to her seat over the years of riding. Brillia nudged Thorn forward into a trot, and turned him towards the forest. After the disappearance of Gracia, she wasn’t too sure that it was safe to ride in the woods, but she decided to take the chance. When she entered the woods, and was hidden under the veil of green, she began to sing.
Musical notes erupted from Brillia’s mouth as she sang. Low melodies, to high notes, Brillia sang of the forest, of life, of loss and death. She sang old songs, written before Second World existed. Her voice poured out like honey, sweet and melodic. Thorn pricked his ears forward at the sound of the sweet songs. Brillia stopped after some time, and sighed deeply. She loved to sing.
Not before long, she ran into a field. “Well, Thorn? What would you say to a bit of a gallop?” Brillia let out some rein and then kicked the horse into a swift gallop. Thorn gained speed as he flew across the field; his dainty legs stretched out and met the earth with a powerful force. Brillia was so happy, she forgot all about Brage.
Authors Note: So, here is chapter 2! Im really sorry it took so long to post. I haven’t really had a lot of time to write, since school has started up again!
Holy earthquakes! Did anyone else feel that 7.7?! It had over 40 aftershocks (there was a big one that occurred as I wrote this), all between 4.0 and 5.5! Tsumani warning last night too; my life has never been so interesting. My horse was slightly freaked out for a good while after the quake, but he is fine now. Im not riding him today, just in case we get another big after shock, and it scares him. Biggest earthquake in Canada since 1949 though!
Please vote and commentJ They make me happy!
Bella
PS: This isn’t edited!