Amara’s fury hadn’t diminished at all by the time she reached home. Fuming, she stormed through the open front door and into the tool cupboard. She began to rummage through it, trying and failing to focus on collecting what she would need for a long journey.
I don’t owe any of them a damn thing, she thought angrily. It would serve them all right to starve! I’ve gone hungry loads of times, all while they had plenty to eat!
She heard hurried footsteps approaching from the parlor, and instantly knew who they belonged to. Demetria soon appeared in the kitchen, wearing a look of urgent concern.
“What’s wrong—”
“What the hell are you thinking, mom?!” Amara shouted. “You really want to become the Seeker?! After everything they’ve done to us? Have you lost your damn mind?!”
“That’s exactly why I decided to do it,” Demetria replied calmly. “If I’m the Seeker their opinion of us will improve—”
“Fuck their opinions!!! I don’t give a damn about them, and neither should you!”
“Then why did you protect them last night?”
Amara opened her mouth to reply, then shut it after realizing she didn’t know how to respond.
“...I don’t know,” she reluctantly admitted.
“I do,” Demetria said. “It’s because you’re a good person. Despite all the unkindness and cruelty they’ve shown us over the years, you still weren’t willing to let them die.”
“I’ve changed my mind since then,” Amara said angrily. “I don’t care what happens to them.”
“I told you when you were a little girl. If doing the right thing were easy, no one would ever do anything bad. You did the right thing last night because you know just how badly doing the wrong thing can hurt others.” She paused, and gave Amara a small smile. “I thank God everyday for giving me such a kind and intelligent daughter.”
“Let’s leave, mom,” Amara said, begging. “Please! We don’t have to keep living here! We’ll be happier elsewhere!”
Demetria shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere. Your grandparents are buried here. I won’t abandon them.”
“They’re dead, mom! They wouldn’t want you to suffer like this!”
“I’m not suffering,” came Demetria’s quick reply. “I’m not. Do you know why?”
Amara let out a heavy sigh, then shook her head.
“It’s because I have you! You mean the whole world to me, Mara. You’ve been the source of all my strength right from the moment you were born. Do you know what happened right afterwards?”
“...No.”
“You cried for a little while, but then you opened your eyes, and when you saw me you smiled. You smiled! And the whole world finally, finally made sense!”
She approached Amara, resting her hands on her shoulders. “I didn’t understand why so many terrible things had happened to me. And I was angry too, just like you are right now. First your grandparents passed, and barely six months later I became pregnant. I thought my whole world was ending, but in reality it was only the beginning!”
Amara wrapped Demetria in a hug, and they squeezed one another tightly.
“I don’t know what your destiny is, Mara, but what I do know is that your world is just beginning, too.”
They separated, and Amara abruptly blurted out the question that had been weighing on her for her entire life.
“Who is he?” she asked. “Who is my father?”
She'd been expecting Demetria to get angry or upset, but instead she went silent, obviously thinking hard about what to say. When she finally responded she was doing her best to sound casual, but Amara could hear the suppressed emotion in her voice.
“He wasn’t from Shiloh. We only spent one night together, and when I woke up the next morning he was gone. I never saw him again. The only thing I know about him is his name.”
“What is it?”
“He said it was Casmilus. It’s a very strange name, but I didn’t question it at the time.” Demetria paused. “I’m fairly certain by now that he gave me a fake name.”
Amara nodded quickly, and her gaze dropped to the floor. A powerful feeling of guilt was beginning to bubble up through her.
“I don’t regret it, Mara, and I never have. How could I? You’re the greatest gift I’ve ever been given.”
“Okay,” Amara said, her voice cracking with emotion.
“Oh, don’t be upset, honey! Everything’s going to be fine.”
Stolen novel; please report.
Demetria placed her hands on Amara’s shoulders again, giving them a gentle squeeze. Amara’s vision was blurry from tears, but even so she could see that her mother was smiling.
“I completely understand if you don’t want to help us. I know how hard it’s been for you.”
“I can’t lose you, mom, but the thought of staying here any longer is unbearable. I’m so sorry.”
“I know.”
“I wish you would come with me.”
“I know you do, and I’m sorry too.”
“Alright,” Amara said, sighing. “Alright. If I can’t convince you to leave, then I’ll just have to do whatever I can to save this place.”
“In that case, I’ll work to make Shiloh a place you’ll actually want to come back to someday. But in the meantime, you have to follow your heart. If there’s any reason that you’ve been given this power, any at all, then you owe it to yourself to go out in the world and find it.”
“I will.”
They embraced once again, and this time Amara tried to engrain the feeling of her mother’s warmth into her memory. Leaving her would be terribly difficult, but if that was what she had to do, then so be it. There was no obstacle that she wasn’t willing to conquer for her.
----------------------------------------
She spent the rest of the day preparing for the journey ahead. There were some things she would need that they already had, and some they didn’t. When Demetria realized this, she disappeared for a while, and afterwards a trickle of people began to show up at the house bearing gifts. They gave Amara pots and pans, various tools, even a stout rucksack she could use for carrying everything. Before long Amara had more much than she needed, and Demetria had to politely turn down everyone else who showed up at their front door.
If Demetria felt like this redeemed them in some way, she was wise and said nothing. Amara did feel a sense of gratitude, but she was also angry that it took something so drastic to happen before they finally offered up some help.
Evander also showed up at one point, bearing food and good tidings. Amara had a million questions she wanted to ask him about his powers, and she could tell that he had similar questions for her as well, but they both refrained from asking. It didn’t need to be said that they both wanted to spend what little time they had left with their parents. Besides, they would have plenty of time for those kinds of questions once they’d left.
Throughout the day, Amara kept one eye on the sky, waiting impatiently for Mattias to make another appearance. When the sun went down, she was forced to accept that he probably wasn’t going to show up before tomorrow. It was very much like him to make an appearance whenever he pleased, regardless of Amara’s feelings. She had no clue who or what he really was, but quickly decided against telling anyone else about him, at least for the time being. She was certain that nothing good could come from telling people that her pet raven had started talking to her inside her head.
She went to bed right after the sun went down, as she agreed to do when Evander came over, so that they could get started at the crack of dawn. Rest didn’t come easily for her, but after laying in bed for several hours she eventually fell asleep.
Demetria woke her up before dawn, and after getting all of her things ready they had breakfast together at the kitchen table one last time. They tried to talk casually over their meal like they’d always done, but with everything that’d happened so far and Amara’s imminent departure hanging over their heads, the conversation was short and fairly awkward.
When she was ready, Amara put on her brown blouse and slacks—her normal work outfit—then put on her rucksack. It was surprisingly heavy, despite how hard she’d tried to pack it with only what seemed absolutely necessary, and the thought of spending the next week or so with it on her back began to fill her with dread.
Demetria joined her as she walked to the town square. Evander was already there, also wearing a rucksack, and was clearly the center of attention. The whole village had apparently woken up to see them off.
The crowd parted respectfully for Amara and Demetria once she entered the square, whispering to one another. When they finally arrived at Evander and his parents, the chief made a sudden announcement.
“People, listen up! Let’s give God our thanks for providing two Destined to us right at the moment of our greatest need.”
The crowd murmured with appreciation.
“...But we can’t expect Him to do all the work! So we have a gift for you.”
Grinning, he produced a small sack from his pocket, and shook it a bit. The clinking of coins sounded from the sack.
“We took up a collection for you so that you don’t have to show up at Lucyra empty handed. It’s not much—only two hundred lira. But it’s better than nothing!”
He handed the sack off to Evander, who quickly deposited it in his rucksack.
“Thank you, sir,” he said politely.
The chief nodded to him. “And with that, I think it's past time for these youngsters to get going. Time is most definitely of the essence. If you take too long out there, you may not have a home to come back to.”
The crowd began to part from the direction of the temple, and the Seeker emerged, walking towards Amara and Evander slowly with her cane.
“We must pray for them,” she said. “Bow your heads.”
The villagers obeyed, including Evander. Amara didn’t bother—she’d been checking the sky for Mattias. His continued absence was becoming frustrating.
“Holy father, grant our youngsters your wisdom, and be with them as they walk the paths you have laid down for them. Protect them as they brave the wilds which belong to strangers and beasts. Provide them with the courage to persevere on our behalf. May destiny unite us once more!”
“Destiny unite us,” the village murmured in unison.
With that, it was finally time to say goodbye. Aliza and Tye approached Evander first.
“Farewell, my darling boy,” Aliza said tearfully. “Please be safe, wherever you find yourself!”
She wrapped Evander in a hug before he could respond. He looked a bit embarrassed as her tears began to turn into loud sobs. Tye rested a gentle hand on her shoulder, and looked at Evander.
“Stay off the road for at least the first two days. And trust your instincts, both in the wild and with the people you meet. City folk don’t give anything for free.”
Evander nodded to him. “I will, dad.”
Amara felt Demetria’s hand on her shoulder, and when she turned to face her they wrapped one another in a fierce embrace. There was so much Amara wanted to say to her, and there wasn't nearly enough time left to say it. Fortunately, Demetria seemed to understand exactly how to say the things that were on both of their minds.
“I love you,” she said forcefully. “So much.”
“I love you too, mom. I’ll see you again soon.”
They remained locked in the embrace for a long time, and when they finally separated Demetria had tears in her eyes. Amara felt tears coming on as well, and forced herself to turn away before they could overwhelm her.
She approached Evander, who was trying and failing to extricate himself from his mother’s hug.
“Ready?” she asked him.
He nodded to her, then gave Tye a pleading look. Tye gently pulled Aliza back, and once freed Evander walked side by side with Amara east out of the square, following the road. The villagers parted for them as they walked, filling the air around them with whispers and a few respectful farewells.
Amara turned back to look at the crowd once they’d left the village square, and spotted her mother standing off to the side. She raised her hand to wave goodbye and Amara returned it, doing her best to keep the tears inside.
When she turned away for the last time, she saw that Evander was fighting back emotion as well. She wondered if she should attempt a joke to lighten the mood, but doubted she could say anything herself without sounding upset.
Walking in silence they left the road, heading north through the rows of dead wheat towards the forest. After reaching the forest’s stream, Evander led them to a small footbridge the hunters used to cross into the wilds surrounding town. They were now in territory Amara had never been in before, and a gnawing fear began to intermingle with her sadness.