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kawebbwritingOnce Aurora was across the border she felt a weight lift from her shoulders. It had been longer than normal since the last time she’d managed to visit her father and Griffin, which made her feel guilty, but there seemed to be more work to do than ever before. Thanks to her help more people had been surviving blooming, so she was spending more of her time attempting to learn about the different powers. Her notebooks were slowly filling with information that had been lost when all the books on magic had been burnt. Everything had to be fitted in around her work at the library, which was getting harder because no one had any control over when someone bloomed, but she couldn’t just stop working. She knew she needed some time out more than she ever had done before. It was just a case of trying to work it in around her shifts, people blooming, and all the research she was doing.
Harrison had been helping as much as he could, which was more worrying than it was helpful. He said it was because he didn’t want to leave Aurora to deal with everything by herself, but she knew he was also learning how to control his own powers. Being born on the longest day of the year gave him some sort of special power, much like the power that someone born on Sauin’s Day got, but he didn’t know what it was. When Aurora had tried to look it up in the mountain people’s records she found that the pages that might have held something useful had been torn out. That terrified her even more, and she spent as much time with Harrison as she could in case something happened.
The only reason Aurora had chosen to cross the border was because Harrison was in a meeting that he couldn’t get out of, no one was meant to be blooming and she had a day off from the library. That made her feel even more guilty but Griffin didn’t have powers, so he didn’t need her as much as everyone else did. After a long walk, longer than she remembered, she arrived at the clearing she usually met Griffin in. Of course that was when they planned which day they were going to meet, so she hadn’t expected him to be there.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” he said, as he stirred the pot they used.
“You shouldn’t have.”
“What else am I supposed to do? There’s no way for me to contact you, and I want to know that you’re safe.” Griffin looked at her. “I can’t just not care, Aurora.”
“I know that.”
“Sometimes I wonder. I know that you’ve got a lot to do, but it would be nice if you could book me in occasionally.”
“It’s difficult…”
“Because of Harrison; because of the library; because of people blooming. I’ve heard it all before.” He focused on the pot again. “That doesn’t stop it from hurting. You’re my best friend, and I worry about you. One day we’re going to hear that you’re going to be executed because someone has found out about what you do.”
“I won’t let that happen,” a male voice said from behind Aurora, and her heart sank.
Griffin looked up. “Exactly what can you do about it?”
“I’ll have prior warning and I’ll get her out.”
“Or break her out of the dungeon?”
“If I have to. I care about her as much as you do.”
“Why did you follow me?” Aurora asked, turning to look at Harrison.
“I wanted to meet my brother.”
Aurora felt a hand rest on her shoulder. “Is this really Harrison?” Griffin asked.
“Yes, it is.” She put her hand over Griffin’s. “I told him you weren’t ready to meet him.”
“When would I have ever been ready, Aurora?”
“I don’t know, but I wanted to wait until I thought you were ready.” Sighing, she looked down at the floor. “Before either of you say anything I know I’m being overprotective.”
“It’s what you do,” Harrison said, and she could hear the smile in his voice. “Did you think I was ready?”
“No,” Aurora replied, “but then I’m not sure that I know either of you as well as I believe I do.”
“I was never going to hurt him,” Griffin muttered, sounding suddenly grumpy. “He never had anything to do with what happened.” There was a moment of silence. “Aurora tells me that you’re the son with powers.”
“Yes, I am. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t. There’s no point in apologising for something that neither of us had any control over.”
“Your name isn’t Griffin in the records.”
“Whoever left me out here didn’t give me a name tag. The woman who raised me gave me the name Griffin.”
“It should have been Phoenix.”
“Maybe, but I am happy to have a name.”
“Would you like to know your recorded name?”
“Some day, yes, but not now. For now I’m happy being Griffin.”
“I don’t suppose you have enough for three in that pot. It was a longer walk than I was expecting.”
“You don’t get enough exercise when you live in a small town. The mountains are over five miles away from the border, and, from what I know of the country on the other side, they’re believed to be the border.”
“When did the border move?”
“The day magic was outlawed,” Aurora answered, looking at Harrison. “It was the first thing the King at the time did. On the other side there’s another mountain range which is also believed to be the border, but again there’s about five miles difference.”
“Why don’t I know this?”
“It’s not written about in the history books. The only reason I know about the other mountain range is because we went looking one day, trying to work out exactly where the border was in relation to the mountains.”
“From what we’ve read in some of the older journals,” Griffin said, “it seems as though a lot of the towns in that five miles between the new border and the mountains held groups of mages, most of them with the ability to control fire. We think that it’s likely that the villages were destroyed when magic was first made illegal for some reason.”
“Why was the border moved?” Harrison asked.
“That’s something we don’t know, but there are theories.” Griffin sighed. “One of the theories is that a king wanted space between the mountains where the banished were sent to and the border, in case of invasion by magic users.”
“The borders are heavily patrolled in most known crossing points,” Aurora continued, “which does make that theory seem logical. Over the years I’ve found my own crossing points and none of them would be big enough to bring an army through, even if the banished wanted to attempt a take-over. Most seem pretty happy in the mountains.”
“It’s a safer life than living in a town,” Griffin explained. “Over the years we’ve made our own little village in the mountains with our own laws, we grow some crops, and then there are some people like Aurora who help us. A few are from the country on the other side of the mountains, because their Royal family also outlawed magic and banish people to the same mountains. It may not be an easy life, but it’s a life and that’s better than being dead.”
Harrison nodded. “I can understand that. Every day it’s a fight for survival for Aurora and I, but it’s a different kind of fight. We have to make sure that no one finds out what we are otherwise we’ll be dead.” He sighed. “If I wasn’t worried about my cousin taking the throne then I think I’d head for the mountains, but, as Aurora has reminded me, I can use my rule for good. My cousin has been brainwashed by those who believe that all magic is bad.”
“When Aurora told me that you were the son with magic I couldn’t help feeling angry. Not at you, but at the way things are in general. I was put out on the mountainside to die because I was the second son, and I didn’t even get to have the powers that the second son is meant to have.” Griffin squeezed Aurora’s shoulder. “I wonder what happened to the real first son.”
“It was probably a miscarriage,” Aurora said, quietly, “before the Queen even realised there was a baby. I’m surprised it hasn’t happened before.”
Harrison looked at her. “I think it probably has, but every time it’s been wiped from the history books. If you look closely there are places where it seems like something isn’t quite right.”
“That’s the way things are,” Griffin muttered, “when you live under someone like the Kings of your country. How about we have something to eat?”
Aurora nodded. It would be the first time she’d had something warm to eat for several weeks because most of the time she just didn’t have the energy to cook for herself. Usually she’d grab an apple at the market for breakfast and then that would end up being the only food she ate all day for one reason or another. She knew it wasn’t good for her, but there was nothing she could do about it when she had so much to do. Both Harrison and Griffin would say that she should find time to eat, so she didn’t tell either of them that she wasn’t eating properly. Both of them suspected though, and she knew that there would come a time when one would find out.
“What’s in the pot?” she asked, grabbing Griffin’s hand.
“Rabbit, onion, some wild garlic, a few carrots, and potatoes.” Griffin shrugged. “The usual really.”
“Rabbit?” Harrison asked, looking into the pot.
“Please don’t tell me he’s never had rabbit,” Griffin said to Aurora, making it loud enough for Harrison to hear.
“Of course he’s had rabbit. Do you really think I can afford any other meat?”
“I just haven’t had rabbit for a long time,” Harrison explained. “Aurora doesn’t seem to cook any more.”
Griffin looked at Aurora and she could see the suspicion in his eyes. “You’re not eating properly, are you?”
“It’s not your problem.” She looked at Harrison. “Or yours.”
“Don’t start that, Aurora. There’s two of us now,” Harrison said, shaking his head.
“What exactly can either of you do?”
Harrison looked at Griffin. “I was thinking that you could move in with Aurora.”
“No,” Aurora said, glaring at Harrison. “I’m not letting you put Griffin in any danger.”
“It’s my choice, Aurora,” Griffin replied. “You can’t keep trying to protect us all the time. How would it work?”
“How long have you been planning this?” Aurora asked, sighing.
“A while.” Harrison reached out and gently stroked some of the hair off her face. “You need someone there to look after you permanently, and I can’t do it.” He looked at Griffin. “If you come into the town as a traveller then I should be able to get you into Aurora’s cottage.”
Griffin laughed. “We need to do more planning than that, brother, but I think we should be able to make your idea work.”
Aurora turned to look at Griffin. “I don’t want you to do this.”
“It’s hard to be on the outskirts all the time, Aurora. You’re in that town putting your life in danger every day, and there’s nothing I can do to help you. If we can work out a way to get me in safely then that’s what I want to do.”
“You’ll have to leave everyone you care about behind.”
“That will be painful, but it will be much more painful if something happens to you and I’m not there to do anything about it.” Griffin squeezed Aurora’s hand. “You know how I feel about you.”
“Is that really a reason to put yourself in danger? I know you’re safe in the mountains but in town you won’t be, especially if you’re living with me.”
“Yes, it really is. Harrison has been putting himself in danger for years because he cares about you, and it’s finally my chance to do the same thing.”
Aurora shook her head. “This isn’t some sort of contest. You don’t have to do the same things that your brother’s been doing.”
“I know I don’t, but I want to.”
Harrison had been helping as much as he could, which was more worrying than it was helpful. He said it was because he didn’t want to leave Aurora to deal with everything by herself, but she knew he was also learning how to control his own powers. Being born on the longest day of the year gave him some sort of special power, much like the power that someone born on Sauin’s Day got, but he didn’t know what it was. When Aurora had tried to look it up in the mountain people’s records she found that the pages that might have held something useful had been torn out. That terrified her even more, and she spent as much time with Harrison as she could in case something happened.
The only reason Aurora had chosen to cross the border was because Harrison was in a meeting that he couldn’t get out of, no one was meant to be blooming and she had a day off from the library. That made her feel even more guilty but Griffin didn’t have powers, so he didn’t need her as much as everyone else did. After a long walk, longer than she remembered, she arrived at the clearing she usually met Griffin in. Of course that was when they planned which day they were going to meet, so she hadn’t expected him to be there.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” he said, as he stirred the pot they used.
“You shouldn’t have.”
“What else am I supposed to do? There’s no way for me to contact you, and I want to know that you’re safe.” Griffin looked at her. “I can’t just not care, Aurora.”
“I know that.”
“Sometimes I wonder. I know that you’ve got a lot to do, but it would be nice if you could book me in occasionally.”
“It’s difficult…”
“Because of Harrison; because of the library; because of people blooming. I’ve heard it all before.” He focused on the pot again. “That doesn’t stop it from hurting. You’re my best friend, and I worry about you. One day we’re going to hear that you’re going to be executed because someone has found out about what you do.”
“I won’t let that happen,” a male voice said from behind Aurora, and her heart sank.
Griffin looked up. “Exactly what can you do about it?”
“I’ll have prior warning and I’ll get her out.”
“Or break her out of the dungeon?”
“If I have to. I care about her as much as you do.”
“Why did you follow me?” Aurora asked, turning to look at Harrison.
“I wanted to meet my brother.”
Aurora felt a hand rest on her shoulder. “Is this really Harrison?” Griffin asked.
“Yes, it is.” She put her hand over Griffin’s. “I told him you weren’t ready to meet him.”
“When would I have ever been ready, Aurora?”
“I don’t know, but I wanted to wait until I thought you were ready.” Sighing, she looked down at the floor. “Before either of you say anything I know I’m being overprotective.”
“It’s what you do,” Harrison said, and she could hear the smile in his voice. “Did you think I was ready?”
“No,” Aurora replied, “but then I’m not sure that I know either of you as well as I believe I do.”
“I was never going to hurt him,” Griffin muttered, sounding suddenly grumpy. “He never had anything to do with what happened.” There was a moment of silence. “Aurora tells me that you’re the son with powers.”
“Yes, I am. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t. There’s no point in apologising for something that neither of us had any control over.”
“Your name isn’t Griffin in the records.”
“Whoever left me out here didn’t give me a name tag. The woman who raised me gave me the name Griffin.”
“It should have been Phoenix.”
“Maybe, but I am happy to have a name.”
“Would you like to know your recorded name?”
“Some day, yes, but not now. For now I’m happy being Griffin.”
“I don’t suppose you have enough for three in that pot. It was a longer walk than I was expecting.”
“You don’t get enough exercise when you live in a small town. The mountains are over five miles away from the border, and, from what I know of the country on the other side, they’re believed to be the border.”
“When did the border move?”
“The day magic was outlawed,” Aurora answered, looking at Harrison. “It was the first thing the King at the time did. On the other side there’s another mountain range which is also believed to be the border, but again there’s about five miles difference.”
“Why don’t I know this?”
“It’s not written about in the history books. The only reason I know about the other mountain range is because we went looking one day, trying to work out exactly where the border was in relation to the mountains.”
“From what we’ve read in some of the older journals,” Griffin said, “it seems as though a lot of the towns in that five miles between the new border and the mountains held groups of mages, most of them with the ability to control fire. We think that it’s likely that the villages were destroyed when magic was first made illegal for some reason.”
“Why was the border moved?” Harrison asked.
“That’s something we don’t know, but there are theories.” Griffin sighed. “One of the theories is that a king wanted space between the mountains where the banished were sent to and the border, in case of invasion by magic users.”
“The borders are heavily patrolled in most known crossing points,” Aurora continued, “which does make that theory seem logical. Over the years I’ve found my own crossing points and none of them would be big enough to bring an army through, even if the banished wanted to attempt a take-over. Most seem pretty happy in the mountains.”
“It’s a safer life than living in a town,” Griffin explained. “Over the years we’ve made our own little village in the mountains with our own laws, we grow some crops, and then there are some people like Aurora who help us. A few are from the country on the other side of the mountains, because their Royal family also outlawed magic and banish people to the same mountains. It may not be an easy life, but it’s a life and that’s better than being dead.”
Harrison nodded. “I can understand that. Every day it’s a fight for survival for Aurora and I, but it’s a different kind of fight. We have to make sure that no one finds out what we are otherwise we’ll be dead.” He sighed. “If I wasn’t worried about my cousin taking the throne then I think I’d head for the mountains, but, as Aurora has reminded me, I can use my rule for good. My cousin has been brainwashed by those who believe that all magic is bad.”
“When Aurora told me that you were the son with magic I couldn’t help feeling angry. Not at you, but at the way things are in general. I was put out on the mountainside to die because I was the second son, and I didn’t even get to have the powers that the second son is meant to have.” Griffin squeezed Aurora’s shoulder. “I wonder what happened to the real first son.”
“It was probably a miscarriage,” Aurora said, quietly, “before the Queen even realised there was a baby. I’m surprised it hasn’t happened before.”
Harrison looked at her. “I think it probably has, but every time it’s been wiped from the history books. If you look closely there are places where it seems like something isn’t quite right.”
“That’s the way things are,” Griffin muttered, “when you live under someone like the Kings of your country. How about we have something to eat?”
Aurora nodded. It would be the first time she’d had something warm to eat for several weeks because most of the time she just didn’t have the energy to cook for herself. Usually she’d grab an apple at the market for breakfast and then that would end up being the only food she ate all day for one reason or another. She knew it wasn’t good for her, but there was nothing she could do about it when she had so much to do. Both Harrison and Griffin would say that she should find time to eat, so she didn’t tell either of them that she wasn’t eating properly. Both of them suspected though, and she knew that there would come a time when one would find out.
“What’s in the pot?” she asked, grabbing Griffin’s hand.
“Rabbit, onion, some wild garlic, a few carrots, and potatoes.” Griffin shrugged. “The usual really.”
“Rabbit?” Harrison asked, looking into the pot.
“Please don’t tell me he’s never had rabbit,” Griffin said to Aurora, making it loud enough for Harrison to hear.
“Of course he’s had rabbit. Do you really think I can afford any other meat?”
“I just haven’t had rabbit for a long time,” Harrison explained. “Aurora doesn’t seem to cook any more.”
Griffin looked at Aurora and she could see the suspicion in his eyes. “You’re not eating properly, are you?”
“It’s not your problem.” She looked at Harrison. “Or yours.”
“Don’t start that, Aurora. There’s two of us now,” Harrison said, shaking his head.
“What exactly can either of you do?”
Harrison looked at Griffin. “I was thinking that you could move in with Aurora.”
“No,” Aurora said, glaring at Harrison. “I’m not letting you put Griffin in any danger.”
“It’s my choice, Aurora,” Griffin replied. “You can’t keep trying to protect us all the time. How would it work?”
“How long have you been planning this?” Aurora asked, sighing.
“A while.” Harrison reached out and gently stroked some of the hair off her face. “You need someone there to look after you permanently, and I can’t do it.” He looked at Griffin. “If you come into the town as a traveller then I should be able to get you into Aurora’s cottage.”
Griffin laughed. “We need to do more planning than that, brother, but I think we should be able to make your idea work.”
Aurora turned to look at Griffin. “I don’t want you to do this.”
“It’s hard to be on the outskirts all the time, Aurora. You’re in that town putting your life in danger every day, and there’s nothing I can do to help you. If we can work out a way to get me in safely then that’s what I want to do.”
“You’ll have to leave everyone you care about behind.”
“That will be painful, but it will be much more painful if something happens to you and I’m not there to do anything about it.” Griffin squeezed Aurora’s hand. “You know how I feel about you.”
“Is that really a reason to put yourself in danger? I know you’re safe in the mountains but in town you won’t be, especially if you’re living with me.”
“Yes, it really is. Harrison has been putting himself in danger for years because he cares about you, and it’s finally my chance to do the same thing.”
Aurora shook her head. “This isn’t some sort of contest. You don’t have to do the same things that your brother’s been doing.”
“I know I don’t, but I want to.”
