Waking hours later, Teanne was now alone. The sun outside was starting to set. She slowly sat up in the bed, her head was still thumping but it had eased. Teanne looked down at her clothes; she was now dressed in a nightgown, the fabric soft to the touch. She shivered as a breeze filled the room.
Taking a breath against the shooting pain in her head, she rose from the bed, and as her feet touched the floor a tingling sensation shot up her leg. Even the act of walking felt foreign. She moved to the mirror.
The eyes looking back at her studied the body. Teanne watched as the arm rose to brush its fingers through the hair, it was long and soft. She watched as the fingers pushed at the features on the face. It was a beautiful face. She slowly watched as the hand moved down the neck across her chest, she watched the body turn to the side. She was not used to having an ample breast, and she caught the face looking back smiling shyly. This body was not hers, but as she stood there looking at the reflection, it mimicked every gesture her mind demanded.
Teanne moved towards a desk, and thumbed through the pages upon it. She instantly recognised the teachings for an Elite Sister. Teanne slowly pulled a large parchment from the bottom, it was a letter addressed to someone whose name she did not recognise. At the bottom a wax seal was placed next to the name—Kera. Teanne traced the seal lightly with her finger, and slowly wiped away the tears welling in her eyes. Teanne had never felt so alone, and she could not begin to comprehend what was happening. As she took a long breath she placed the parchment back in its place. She wanted to go home, but she didn’t know where that was, or rather, when, that was. She reminded herself of her promise to the dying woman.
To return the Estrus to its rightful owner.
The Estrus. Teanne stopped short, and looked around trying to find her clothes, to find the pouch; she could not see them anywhere. Hurriedly she started pulling the sheets from the bed; she threw open the doors of a wardrobe, her clothes were nowhere to be found. She turned to a bedside table, and something familiar caught her eye, there lay the pouch. It was empty. The Estrus was gone.
A knock at the door made Teanne jump. She watched fearfully as it opened. Lin walked in looking around the room then fixed her with a confused stare.
‘What’s going on?’
Teanne looked at Lin, and angrily spoke ‘Take me to the Mother Sovereign.’
While Lin led them from the bed chamber into the temple hallways, not a word was said as Teanne looked around trying to make sense of everything. They passed a group of Sisters who all bowed. Teanne followed, noting that Lin looked over her shoulder occasionally with confusion—she too was trying to make sense of her friend’s strange behaviour. Teanne returned a smile every time. Stopping suddenly, Lin grabbed Teanne by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes,
‘Are you all right? You’re starting to scare me Kera.’ Teanne could do nothing but stand there gripping the empty pouch that had held the Estrus. She tried to smile again, but could not work out if the lips were working. Everything felt alien, her surroundings, her body, she could only nod her head; a strand of the red hair fell across her face; now she wanted to scream.
A faint whisper made her look around, it sounded like the voice she had heard the day on the hills overlooking Luia; this time it was calling a name. Kera. But her name was Teanne. Again the whisper came, only this time, louder. Kera. A hand reached out and grabbed her shoulder. She screamed.
‘Kera?’ Teanne stared up into the most captivating blue eyes. ‘Hello in there?’ The man lightly knocked on her forehead. ‘Is anyone home?’ He smiled. Teanne felt the body react.
‘She’s not herself, Alexander.’
Teanne turned to Lin, then the man. She wanted to run. He slowly pulled her towards him and gently pressed his lips to hers. She pushed him away.
‘I need to find my…. mother, excuse me’ she pulled herself free from his embrace and hurried off down the hallway. The man stared speechless after her.
‘I told you.’ Lin said offhandedly as Alexander glared,
‘Wait, where are you going?’ Lin finally caught up as Teanne was heading towards the large wood doors. The panic was overwhelming her.
‘I need . . .I need air.’
Teanne pushed open the doors and ran down the stairs; she lifted her head and took a breath, trying to fill her lungs. Teanne turned to Lin, who looked worried and had a hand placed on her shoulder. Calming herself, Teanne slowly said, ‘Take me to the Mother Sovereign now, please.’
The door opened to Lin’s knock. Teanne noticed a group of older women crouched over scrolls discussing its content in depth. The room was small and simply decorated, with only bookshelves the width and height of three walls. Teanne had walked past this room on many occasions during visits to the Mother Temple; it was known as the Great Study. Teanne searched her memory, why did she think this room was important? This was the room that only the Elite Sisters and the Mother Sovereign were allowed to enter—it was where many a decision was made, where the training manuals were created. What did she have to remember?
The Mother Sovereign stood staring out the opposite window, she slowly turned towards the two women as they entered, and smiled. ‘Ah, praise be, you had me so worried.’
The Mother Sovereign moved swiftly to Teanne and pulled her into an embrace. She smiled into her daughter’s face. Motioning them further into the room, the Mother Sovereign moved toward the doors. Teanne jumped as she heard the lock snap.
The Mother Sovereign then led them to the table to sit, and gently squeezed Teanne on the shoulder and waited till the four older women sat. Teanne could feel the Sovereign’s breath on her neck.
‘Who gave you the stone, child?’
Teanne felt like she was on trial and could only whisper a response.
‘Elder Lin, on her deathbed.’ Teanne replied then heard Lin laugh,
‘I did what? How hard was that knock to your head?’
The Mother Sovereign silenced Lin with a glare. Teanne quickly retracted her story and smiled at Lin.
‘I’m only joking, Lin.’ the two shared a laugh. Teanne sighed. The Mother Sovereign moved to the other side of the table and sat between the four women, she clasped her hands together. Looking over her clenched fist, she smiled. Teanne looked at the other four women who were huddled in discussion, mumbling amongst themselves, they slowly stopped. Teanne tried to move as far into the chair as possible but felt uneasy at the cold looks devoid of any emotion or warmth sitting across from her.
Teanne slowly straightened in her chair and looked at the four women in turn; she moved her gaze and settled on the Mother Sovereign. The woman waved her hand at one of the Sisters, who then pulled the Estrus from her pocket, careful not to touch the stone itself but only the material it was wrapped in— it was still silent and black.
Teanne felt the hunger rise in her once again as she watched the woman place it on the table. She wanted to grab the stone and run but instead relaxed in her chair and looked up at the Mother Sovereign, whose gaze was fixed on the stone lying lifeless on the table. Teanne suddenly recalled that the woman in the below world could not touch the stone unless she presented it to her—she smiled triumphantly.
‘Kera, this is important – where did you find this stone?’
‘I cannot remember mother, my mind is a little jumbled after I hit my head’ Teanne looked at the Mother Sovereign accusingly. The woman smirked then gestured to one of the elder woman to push the stone closer to Teanne.
‘Do you know what this stone is?’ The Mother Sovereign asked.
‘I’m sorry. I don’t know anything about it’ Teanne’s smile widened. ‘I just thought it looked pretty, don’t you think it’s a pretty stone… mother?‘ Teanne could not believe the tenacity in the way she was speaking to the Mother Sovereign. The four Sisters quickly rose and headed for the door, their faces angry. The Mother Sovereign finally sighed and looked at her daughter; her smile was forced as she reached for the stone, but then slowly withdrew her hand. She sat back an
d lifted her hand showing Teanne and Lin her palm, a red burn was evident across the inside of her palm and her fingers. Teanne tried to conceal a smile, by the look on her mother’s face – she had not succeeded.
'Can you tell me why, such a pretty stone would leave a mark like this?' Teanne's smile faded. 'What no smart retort sweet-ling?' Teanne lowered her gaze 'You are lucky you are my child, anyone else who kept such a secret from me would be thrown into the cells. We both know what it is, don't we?' Teanne nodded. 'Well until we prove its validity you are to be the keeper of this stone, it allows you to carry it, for some reason. You must keep it safe until the Elite and I discover how we can harness its power.' Teanne could not believe her ears; she smiled and nodded at the Mother Sovereign. 'Next time you keep something like this from me Kera, I will not be so tolerant. I know your heart was in the right place – and you know how important this stones discovery is to me, and to Luia.'
The mother sovereign rose and walked around the table and gently squeezed Teannes shoulder,
'Never lie to me again, is that understood!' Teanne lifted her gaze and smiled softly, the Mother Sovereign reached for the stone again and stopped, she smiled softly at her daughter gesturing her to take it.
Teanne almost snatched the stone from the table. She drew it close to her chest as she waited for the Mother Sovereign to leave the room. Looking at it as it lay in her hand, she smiled. A subtle heat emanated into her open palm.
'So what was that all about?' Lin asked,
Teanne looked at the woman next to her – she had almost forgotten she was there.
'Nothing that concerns you, Lin.' Teanne disliked the tone in her voice toward Lin, but she needed to keep the stone safe and must never reveal it to anyone – she had failed that part of her mission with the mother sovereign and the elite sisters, no one else will know.
Lin shrugged and stood 'Are you hungry?' Teanne nodded, she was starving, she had not eaten in days, she almost laughed out loud and smiled – she hadn't eaten in over a hundred turns.
Teanne entered her chamber and bade Lin goodnight. She moved to the mirror once more to glance at her reflection. Her whole life she had wanted to be like the norms—beautiful, accepted— but now she missed her short white hair, her dark eyes. She moved to the bed and lay back, looking up to the ceiling. She did not like lying, but even she was not sure what was truth and what was a lie.
Memories slowly began filling her mind, they were all still jumbled, she tried to concentrate but nothing came easily. She wanted desperately to put a face to the green eyes that filled her thoughts. She searched every corner, opening every part of her memory - the feelings were strong, she just wanted to see his face to look into those eyes. Turning on her side, she pleaded to her memory to give her something to cling to.
Finally, somewhere in the recesses, she found a name. Curling up in a ball she wept, whispering his name.
Jacob
Aelia -Night