Chapter four
Sudden Truths
The energy that had called me to the woods in my youth called to me now from Joshua’s cabin at midnight. I walked down the grassy knoll to the creek nearby and sat down waiting. It was not long until I felt many little things gathering around me. I looked up to find little twinkling lights gathering around me in a circle. The familiarity of their warmth made me smile.
“Divine…” the lights whispered.
“Little Ori you’ve grown.” The warmth of the single voice identified Val.
“Val?” It started out excited but doubts filled me and muffled my excitement. “Why are you here?”
“We’ve missed our little Goddess.”
“Stop that.” I hissed suddenly then looked down ashamed of my outburst. “I…I am not a Goddess and I am not divine. Please stop saying that.”
“Ori…there is a reason to it.” I blinked confused, perhaps angry. The lights started to turn in a circle around me. I smiled remembering the “old days” and outstretched my arms and turned in the opposite direction. I could still remember how much I loved it when I was little and how much I still loved it. I turned until I thought I was flying.
I opened my eyes looking and it still felt as if the earth had fallen away from my feet. I felt light. I had stopped spinning but the lights had not. I turned behind me to see a man standing before me. I gasped and drew my arms in against my chest. What had me confused was the fact that the lights had not gone. When another human enters they run away. This time they had not.
“Little Ori you’ll always be a spirit to me.” I blinked recognizing the voice again.
“Val?!” I looked at the man who stood before me. He was tall and strong. Long dirty blonde hair that was pulled back in a ponytail framed a well-tanned face with light hazel eyes. He wore the proper high society attire. “How…”
“A spirit has many forms and no true form. I thought this would make…this…a little more easy.” A piece of his hair fell out of his ponytail and over his eye, which made my heart jump slightly. He came up to me only a few feet apart. “Come I want to show you something.” He turned me to face a mirror.
“Where…?” I blinked. He put his hands on my shoulders lightly touching warm hands to my skin.
“No more questions…just look.” I looked at the reflection but found my eyes wondering over to Val. I was mystified by his form. “What do you see?”
I looked for a minute. “I see myself…a tired self…and you.” I felt his breath on my neck, which made me shutter.
“And?”
“That is it.” He sighed.
“Come Ori there is so much more to you than a reflection. Do you not see the noble woman with a lavish background?”
“I do not wish to see her.” My tone was bitter. “She led a horrible life. Too sheltered, to riddled with death. This girl lost the love of her life and her mother. She lost her whole family and her whole world. Why would I want to see that poor wretch?”
“There was so much more to that girl. Look at what she has become. You gave up a life of luxury, for what? To escape? I think not. I believe that you thought you belonged with the real people of this earth.” I turned to him, shrugging off his hands.
“You have read that girl wrong, Val. She ran to escape. She couldn’t face reality and she ran. That ‘lavish background’ you speak of is not so peachy. There are things in that life which you could not…begin to comprehend from my point of view.”
“There is more to you than ruin. Close you eyes Orianna and I will show you a part of you that you did not know even existed.” I frowned and he raised his eyebrows. Shaking my head I closed my eyes uncertain. “Think Orianna about a life you once knew but…at the moment…no longer remember. Remember the life, which you were divine. Now Orianna open your eyes.” I sighed heavily and opened my eyes. Val was gone and so was the mirror.
“Val? What did that accomplish?” I felt a little heavier but paid no attention to it. I heard a noise behind me and turned to face it. The mirror reappeared and the lights fluttered closer to me still in their circle. When I looked into the mirror I gasped. I stood there surrounded by sparkling lights and my own wings. I blinked and moved toward the mirror, staring at the wings, and touched it tentatively as if the glass were water.
“Does it feel familiar?” Val broke in walking through the lights and toward me again. I looked at my self again. It did feel familiar. Everything about it felt…natural.
“Yes…” I tested them by stretching them full span then tucking them back against me. I brought them around me finding that I could wrap myself in them. I touched them feeling the silkiness of every white plume.
“Am I dreaming?” I finally asked.
“Yes.” Val replied. I moved my wings back behind me and dropped my arms to my side.
“Then I was never out in these woods?”
“Yes.” I looked down saddened.
“Then the wings are part of this dream. They are not real.” That thought weighed heavily on my heart. There was a hint of longing to have the wings back, though they were there now.
“Yes and no.” He came up next to me standing between the mirror and me. “They are just a part of the dream for now. They are real they were real. You see these wings were a part of you once and they will be again when you take your place…there was a time when you would never hide them. You loved them so much.” He kneeled down in front of me bowing. “This is why we call you ‘divine’ and ‘Goddess.’”
“This is all a dream—“
“Yes Ori it is a dream but I am controlling it. Everything I say is true and you know it. Deep down inside you know it.” And I did. I knew he would never lie to me. “Meet me by the creek two nights from this night. Next time will not be a dream.” He vanished and I woke up, left to my thoughts, unable to sleep.
e
A day past and I had finally convinced Manning to “teach” me to fight. Unbeknownst to him I had been taught many years ago in my days in the French courts. Never was there a fighter quite like Monsieur Claude. Such a fighter was he that many would not dare to go against him…yet there were some fools…like myself. He was also very charming, even enough that my father could not resist his charm.
I fumbled with the bow and arrow acting naïve. I smiled slyly up at Manning when he wasn’t looking. I had finally accepted my attraction for Manning and decided to act on it. Almost every second my thoughts turned to Nicolaus, even when I thought of Claude.
“Now…bring it up and point it at the target.” He moved up against me trying to help me steady the bow. His closeness brought back…memories…
“Come Ori, concentrate.” I smiled seductively at the dark Frenchman pressed against my back. His steady arms overlapped mine trying to steady the bow. A piece of his long, wavy, black hair fell over his pale cheek that made my heart jump.
“But Monsieur Claude ‘tis dark out. Why can I only see you at night?” I looked up to catch him smiling at me.
“To keep away from prying eyes, Mon ami.” He whispered it in my ear playing as usual. He moved a bit closer and pointed the arrow at the target and nodded to me to shoot. I looked at the target trying to concentrate.
Right when I went to shoot Claude’s mouth lightly brushed my neck causing my arrow to go wild.
“Ah,” I turned to him putting my hands on my hips. “That was very well done Orianna.” He smiled slyly.
“You did that on purpose.” He nodded. “To teach me a lesson?”
“That was part of it.” His smile never faltered. I let my face go blank trying to hide my emotion, which always seemed pointless with him.
He held his hand out to me and I took it not knowing why it was extended to me. He gently pulled me closer to him until there was only an inch between us. My head felt heavy and my heartbeat sped up.
“Claude…” I whispered unsure. He gave me a reassuring smile and closed the distance between us leaning over to kiss me. I hesitated then rose up to meet him halfway.
That night was like a hazy afterthought of an amazing dream. After then our relationship grew, our meetings more frequent and…always…at night.
“Are you there? Ori? Hello?” Manning’s voice brought me back to the present, which I fought hard to cling to.
“Yes, sorry Manning…I’m hear now.”
“You’ve been wondering lately.” I looked down but quickly looked back up with a smile.
“I know I’m sorry. Certain…things…” I motioned to our closeness. “Brings back memories.” He blushed slightly backing up a bit. I found myself missing the touch of his skin against me again. He quickly changed the subject, embarrassed.
“Aim at the center and once you…” I let go of the arrow before he could finish his sentence. The arrow hit the bull’s eye perfectly. I turned and smiled. He blinked from me to the target.
“You’ve done this before…” He smiled as I nodded. “Why ask me to teach you if you already knew it?” My smile turned sly as he mouthed an “oh.”
I moved closer to him giving a couple of inches between us.
“Ori…” He whispered, his voice heavy as his face moved toward me almost against his will. There was a pounding in my head that I first dismissed as my heart but it grew louder and painful. I looked up at Manning…he was hearing it too. Val…
“What the hell is that?!” Manning shouted over the noise. The whole forest shook with the noise from the spirits.
“It’s the spirits!” I could hear the angry voices of the spirits calling to me yelling, only causing pain. I felt my knees gave and I fell against Manning who caught me despite his own pain. I couldn’t fight the pain that in the end only knocked me out. The last thing I saw was gray spots over Manning’s olive skin.
e
I woke up the next night with the feeling that it was time to go to the forest to meet Val. I went to the creek and sat down facing the water and waited but I did not wait long.
“Orianna.” I didn’t turn to see or answer. I knew Val was behind me.
“Is it a dream this time?”
“No not this time. This time it is real.”
“How do I know?” There was a pause.
“You’ll just have to trust me. It’s time to tell you more…not…everything…but more. You—“
“I am a Goddess right? Divine? Tell me what it means.”
“You are not just a Goddess. You are the Goddess’ only daughter.
“We are all the Goddess’ children.”
“You are her true daughter. Yes mortals are all her children but you are not mortal.” I finally tuned to him surprised.
“What?” He walked over to me and sat on a rock a few feet away from me.
“You, Orianna, are about as mortal as I am. You will always be reborn until the Goddess calls for you.”
“But if I will always be reborn…that means I can die. Mortality is death. immortals cannot die and that is what you claim I am.”
“Not exactly.” I frowned, confused. “The only way you can die is if someone kills you otherwise you live forever. Unfortunately you do not remember anything until you reach your hundredth year. In addition once you hit twenty-five you will no longer age.”
“That’s convenient.”
“You do not believe me.” He stated it obviously expecting my response.
“Why did you attack us?” I looked at him angrily which he looked away.
“You are changing the subject…”
“No shit…why?” He looked wide-eyed at me he hadn’t expected that response.
“You do speak of you and…that Sadler…man. I did not attack you we attacked…him.”
“Why?”
“To save you—“
“Save me?! From what?! Love?” I jumped up giving him my back and crossed my arms over my stomach. “You meddled with Nic and now you meddle with Manning. How dare you choose my men?” I turned back to see surprise littering his face.
“You knew of Nicolaus?”
“He told me…did you think he would not? What right have you?!” I demanded it to a slightly frightened man…spirit…whatever.
“I have none Goddess, I have the order to protect you from everything. Including men who would hurt or corrupt you.” He stood up and walked to me. “Listen, Orianna, there are people looking for the prophesy of the immortal mortal who lives among them, who will bring this earth back to peace. They mean to take you to their side to change you and if you do no submit they will kill everyone you love…then you.” Complete disorientation spread over me making me fall down to the ground.
“My God…” I whispered.
“I’m sorry Orianna.” I frowned disgusted.
“You’re sorry? You should be Val…what did you think you were doing anyway?” I felt Manning’s familiar energy floating in the air, which made me look around. Val changed to his light form hiding. I saw nothing but I knew he was near.
“Anyway Val…” I went back to our conversation ignoring the warmth. “I know what I have to do now. I have to leave. I‘ve caused too much pain. I can’t bare to hurt Joshua and Manning anymore.” I put a hand over my stomach. “I must leave this place.”
Val’s light disappeared without another word and a tear streamed down my cheek as birds cawed in the distance.
Copyright of PN Luciérnaga 2000-01