Lela's Point of View
He just showed up. Just like that! What did she expect me to do, change my whole life around, drop everything, and forgive her for the horrible way she made my life turn out? I doubt even Faranth would expect that of anybody.
But I suppose I'll have to explain it all from the beginning, hm? Otherwise I just sound like the recalcitrant younger sister, the jealous one, the one whose fault it is, again? Because it was /always/ my fault. Never failed, something goes wrong, it must've been Lela. That's how I was raised, you see.
All right, all right. Born and raised, a Turn younger than Erika, my sister. Sure, I'll admit to being daddy's favorite. But that's only because I liked to go out and do the things he did: hunt, fish, camp. He felt more comfortable with me, but that didn't mean he trusted me any more than he did Erika. Just the opposite! I couldn't do anything right, it seems like. I'd never do any one chore for more than a month, since I wasn't 'as good as Erika was' at it. And sure enough, Erika would always take over, show me how poorly I'd done things, and to beat it, show everyone else, too. She always made me look bad.
So I turned to playing pranks. It was the only thing I was good at, and half the things I pulled, no one could've guessed was me. Trundlebugs in somebody's bed, or an unsuspecting cook with a crawler in his stew for spice. Things like that. For Turns and Turns, I played pranks, getting better'n better, and making marks off dares from stupid kids who thought I couldn't do them and get away with it. Unfortunately, one day a prank of mine backfired, and I've never been able to do one again. It was the same time that my own sister, the sweet and perfect Erika, betrayed me. Yes! She stabbed me in the back, her younger sister!
You see, I was good at sneaking around, at watching people who didn't know they were being watched. One day, a caravan from Keroon came through, and at night, the travelers would sit around a fire in their camp and talk. One night, I was watching them, and saw the most handsome man ever. It was the first time I'd ever had a crush, and what's a girl to do with her first crush but tell her older sister? I did this, but Erika was too busy thinking of herself and trying to get mama to throw her a Turnday party. I tried again and again, but Erika just couldn't think of anything besides her Turnday. Seriously, no one ever celebrated that around where we lived. I don't see the big deal, I mean, no one ever did more than make me a special dinner for /my/ Turnday. But, that was Erika. Had to be noticed by everyone, be the center of attention.
I wanted that man to stay, so I could show Erika just who it was who I'd had my first crush on, thinking that maybe would catch her attention. I placed a stake through a wheel of the last wagon of their caravan as they were leaving, and it worked! I heard one of the runner-drivers say it would take at least a sevenday, maybe two, to repair it. Mission accomplished!
Well, long story short, Erika fell in love with Ferint, the man /I/ had wanted to stay and get to know. He was so handsome, so... quiet and cultured. He listened to what people said, and was really self-effacing. Totally unlike what I was used to.
At her overly done Turn-day party, there was a dance. The only man I danced with was daddy, and when I told him that he was the star of the party, he laughed. At least someone paid attention to me. Erika danced with daddy next, of course. Probably danced much better than me - I don't know, really. I left to go set up a few pranks for my sister. By the time Jerint was ready to leave, I had several nasty things set up for her bed.
Then came the real shocker. I was all ready to hear her screaming, and just being a wherry about bugs like she always was. I waited all night. Nothing! As it turns out, she was sleeping with Ferint, if you can believe it. Next day, she left with him. I don't think she ever even knew I had liked him. I don't think she ever even cared.
So with Erika just running off, there I was - chore girl. I was assigned everything! And all I ever heard for all my trying, was "Erika used to..." and "Didn't Erika show you how...". My parents were so proud that their precious Erika had gone off and gotten handfasted. I doubt they ever guessed what had really happened. Anyway, I got tired of the whole "be like Erika' attitude, so one day it was my turn: I up and left with a trader caravan. Only, I didn't sleep with any of the caravaners.
Again, long story short, I somehow ended up at Tillek Hold. It was friendly enough, and after staying and helping out with various odd chores there, they granted me a knot and a small plot of land to build a cothold on. I especially enjoyed hanging out by the Seacrafters - they had a great lounge and some really trickster-type folks. Just my kind of place! There I lived, in and out of a few relationships with various men - usually out. Heh... well, one day, Turns and Turns after I'd even seen Erika, a caravan arrives. I don't remember what for, because I had the surprise of my life: a package for me, in the shape of an angry, resentful, rebellious nine Turn old boy. Better yet, my sister's son.
Now, I'd heard a few things here and there, that my sister couldn't conceive by Ferint. So when this boy showed up, I was so - well, suffice it to say I was rather less than cordial to the boy. I didn't even know his name until the next day. There was a brief hidenote that Lunan gave to me, from Erika. She thanked me for something, and said she just could not handle the problems of having Lunan and Ferint in the same cothold, that they argued all the time and Ferint didn't want the boy around.
It didn't take a Master of any craft to realize that the problem was Ferint, and that my sister had gone off and slept with someone else so that she could have a child and - again - be the center of attention. Well, I guess she sure got that, though the price seems a bit high to me. I wonder if they're still handfasted...
Lunan was bitter. That's all there was to it. And, I wasn't exactly experienced and child rearing. So we made an odd couple. I set down a few rules for him, but otherwise he ran wild. One thing we kind of got into the habit of was making bets with eachother. He tended to try to impress all the other boys his age by doing outlandish things, so I decided pushing him was the only way to figure out why. Various things we did were jump into the water by the docks in the middle of winter, climb piteously thin trees, and a few pranks. Lunan definitely had my knack for pranks, and I was constantly approached by the victims of them.
He made friends. He seemed all right, if a bit moody. Two Turns later, though, he told me he was leaving. We'd developed a shaky relationship, one of friends. I think I understood why he wanted to leave - there were Guards at Tillek, and Lunan would spend afternoons just staring at them, watching them drill, or stand watch. He wanted badly to be on his own, be independent and not have to count on anybody for anything. And more than all that, he wanted to be a Guard.
So, story of Lunan's life, at eleven Turns of age he hopped a caravan and rode away from the sea, away from me, and away from anyone he knew. I wished him well, and live still at Tillek. I've never once heard from Erika, and have never tried to get in touch with her. Why bother? If she doesn't even care about her son, why should she even think about her sister?
