darker blue uniform than the
apprentices. The Master—the title given to the man in the highest position—wore
black, and the Under Master—who was second in command—wore charcoal gray. It
came back to her in spades.
She walked back up the hill, her mind teeming with memories
as if someone had opened a floodgate, and she remembered every moment with
Kellus.
She entered her little house once more, sat down on the
floor in front of the stove, and let her mind drift back to the beginning.
Annella Derlyn
Chapter 7
“Cora. Cora, can you come here please?” Annella yelled out
the kitchen window.
“What is it, Annie?” Cora called back.
“Can you watch the stove? I want to run down to Mrs.
Wellum’s house to return a book I borrowed from her.”
Cora walked casually through the back door.
“Where’s Max?” Annella asked.
“He’s gone fishing with a few boys from school,” Cora
answered, flopping into one of the armchairs.
“He did? Good,” Annie answered, pleasantly surprised. Cora
and Max were not as sociable as she would have liked them to be. Like her, they
were home birds, although it was not really a choice that Annie had made. She
had a house to run, and two teenagers to care for alone, leaving her precious
little time for a social life.
She walked out the front door, sliding into a light
cardigan, and breathed in the crisp ocean air.
She looked to the left and stopped in her tracks, her face
turning warm. Ten young men were marching up the hill, coming from the
direction that she was heading in, all wearing the uniform of the apprentice
peacemen.
Suddenly overcome with shyness, she was reluctant to walk past
so many young men at once. She tried her hardest not to make eye contact, very
aware that she stood there like a fool as they paraded past her.
The last man, who trailed behind the others, looked up at
her just as she looked in his direction.
Their eyes connected.
He had the most beautiful face she’d ever seen. His eyes
were lovely, the color of the sky on a cloudless summer morning. They stayed
locked in each other’s gaze, completely lost in the moment.
Quickly, she looked away, ran down the stone steps, and
gently pushed aside the little iron gate that was hanging on by one hinge only.
She propped the gate into place and made her way down the hill once they were
safely out of her path, but she decided to chance another look at him. She
turned her head around and instantly regretted it. He was walking backwards,
staring straight at her. She turned away sharply, embarrassed at being caught
ogling. ‘ What a pity he’s off limits,’ she thought, walking
briskly down the hill.
“You look happy,” Mrs. Wellum said, holding open the front
door.
“I just saw the apprentices walking past my house,” Annie
answered.
“Why would that be reason for such a big smile?” Mrs. Wellum
asked suspiciously. She took the book from Annie’s hand and replaced it with
another.
“One of them was so handsome,” Annie answered, giggling.
“What did he look like?” Mrs. Wellum questioned, smiling
warmly at Annie’s ridiculously girlish behavior.
“Tall, very fit, light-brown hair, beautiful blue eyes, and
a lovely face,” Annie answered in a dreamy voice.
“I don’t think I’ve ever noticed that one,” Mrs. Wellum
said, ushering Annie into her living room. “Actually, they all look alike to
me. Perhaps it’s the uniform.”
“This one stands out above the others,” Annie remarked.
“It’s a shame that they’re not allowed to have relationships.”
“I know,” Mrs. Wellum said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
“There are so few single men in Vistira; you may as well limit your choices
further.” She laughed warmly, sitting on the opposite chair from her guest.
“But seriously, dear, you do not want to waste your time thinking of one of
them, there’s no point. Besides, a beauty like you can have your pick of the
litter.”
They
apprentices. The Master—the title given to the man in the highest position—wore
black, and the Under Master—who was second in command—wore charcoal gray. It
came back to her in spades.
She walked back up the hill, her mind teeming with memories
as if someone had opened a floodgate, and she remembered every moment with
Kellus.
She entered her little house once more, sat down on the
floor in front of the stove, and let her mind drift back to the beginning.
Annella Derlyn
Chapter 7
“Cora. Cora, can you come here please?” Annella yelled out
the kitchen window.
“What is it, Annie?” Cora called back.
“Can you watch the stove? I want to run down to Mrs.
Wellum’s house to return a book I borrowed from her.”
Cora walked casually through the back door.
“Where’s Max?” Annella asked.
“He’s gone fishing with a few boys from school,” Cora
answered, flopping into one of the armchairs.
“He did? Good,” Annie answered, pleasantly surprised. Cora
and Max were not as sociable as she would have liked them to be. Like her, they
were home birds, although it was not really a choice that Annie had made. She
had a house to run, and two teenagers to care for alone, leaving her precious
little time for a social life.
She walked out the front door, sliding into a light
cardigan, and breathed in the crisp ocean air.
She looked to the left and stopped in her tracks, her face
turning warm. Ten young men were marching up the hill, coming from the
direction that she was heading in, all wearing the uniform of the apprentice
peacemen.
Suddenly overcome with shyness, she was reluctant to walk past
so many young men at once. She tried her hardest not to make eye contact, very
aware that she stood there like a fool as they paraded past her.
The last man, who trailed behind the others, looked up at
her just as she looked in his direction.
Their eyes connected.
He had the most beautiful face she’d ever seen. His eyes
were lovely, the color of the sky on a cloudless summer morning. They stayed
locked in each other’s gaze, completely lost in the moment.
Quickly, she looked away, ran down the stone steps, and
gently pushed aside the little iron gate that was hanging on by one hinge only.
She propped the gate into place and made her way down the hill once they were
safely out of her path, but she decided to chance another look at him. She
turned her head around and instantly regretted it. He was walking backwards,
staring straight at her. She turned away sharply, embarrassed at being caught
ogling. ‘ What a pity he’s off limits,’ she thought, walking
briskly down the hill.
“You look happy,” Mrs. Wellum said, holding open the front
door.
“I just saw the apprentices walking past my house,” Annie
answered.
“Why would that be reason for such a big smile?” Mrs. Wellum
asked suspiciously. She took the book from Annie’s hand and replaced it with
another.
“One of them was so handsome,” Annie answered, giggling.
“What did he look like?” Mrs. Wellum questioned, smiling
warmly at Annie’s ridiculously girlish behavior.
“Tall, very fit, light-brown hair, beautiful blue eyes, and
a lovely face,” Annie answered in a dreamy voice.
“I don’t think I’ve ever noticed that one,” Mrs. Wellum
said, ushering Annie into her living room. “Actually, they all look alike to
me. Perhaps it’s the uniform.”
“This one stands out above the others,” Annie remarked.
“It’s a shame that they’re not allowed to have relationships.”
“I know,” Mrs. Wellum said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
“There are so few single men in Vistira; you may as well limit your choices
further.” She laughed warmly, sitting on the opposite chair from her guest.
“But seriously, dear, you do not want to waste your time thinking of one of
them, there’s no point. Besides, a beauty like you can have your pick of the
litter.”
They
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