East to Eden pt. two: EDEN
By Katlynn Chrans
Seven Years on Eden
“Ara, come here right now I need to finish braiding your hair” the kind-hearted woman yelled after me. I smiled and darted behind the large berry bush, twigs and leaves finding their way into my semi-braided hair.
My breath left my lips heavily, the slight chill creating a chapped cover. I peered through the gaps as the plump woman bounded out of the cabin, hawking around the camp for me. I created an ‘O’ shaped with my lips and chirped, hoping she would play the game, giving her a small indication of my hiding spot.
“Ara I am serious, you know today is a big day, and Uyre will not be pleased by your behaviour young lady” she called in my direction.
Rolling my eyes I slowly made my way out from behind the bush, pulling the soft red berry off its stem and plopping it in between my teeth.
“Roslix, I was only getting some breakfast, isn’t that the most important thing for the day?” I replied sarcastically, slowly making my way back to her.
“Mhm sure, quickly now, I need to finish you up before Uyre returns from the mission” she said gently grabbing my arm and pulling me back into the wooden home.
She gently pulled the half-finished braid from the front of my face and pulled it back, she pinned it loosely to the back, leaving the rest to join the other soft curls. She moved her way to the other side, beginning to braid the second section.
“Are you excited to see Uyre again?” Roslix asked, securing the second braid.
I looked into her soft brown eyes, the way wrinkles formed around them when she smiled. She moved to stand in front of me, lightly pulling strands of my silver grey hair to frame my face, the curls tickling my cheeks.
“Extremely excited. I can’t believe he managed to make it for my 10th year” I replied back to her. I looked into the glass, looking back at myself, the twigs and leaves were still intertwined like a storm in my locks, Roslix went about removing them. “No leave them, I look like I belong with the rest of you” I said softly.
I had struggled as I grew, understanding my true family and home. It only became harder as my body adapted to a new environment while everyone around me had the appearance of Tweiran. My skin tanned and my hair grew lighter while my friends, my family and everyone else had beautiful pale skin like it was glowing. Their dark mysterious hair contrasted with my light silver, I was the complete opposite of all of them…and I was supposed to one day rule them. My eyes were the only indication of me belonging to their race, Uyre always told me I had my father’s eyes, and that when I was younger I had my mother’s beautiful pale skin. Obviously, that had changed. I barely had enough time to breathe for myself, constantly being told the things I had to do, but not completely letting me in. I matured faster than all the other children, in a way; I never got to be a child.
I stood outside, waiting at the edge of the woods, impatiently tapping my foot as little dust storms flew up. My eyes scanned the woods, looking for any movement.
“Young princess” a deep voice called from behind me, I whirled around, my hair swinging over my shoulder as my eyes landed on my best friends face.
“Uyre” I yelled running up and hugging his waist, he was tall and strong, my guess as to why my father and mother chose him to look after me.
“Ara, how are you? How is Roslix? Are you healthy?” he fired questions at me, lifting my arms and checking for injuries.
“Yes! We are both well and I am fine just as I always am” I laughed hitting his hands away.
He laughed with me, as I helped him remove his heavy armour.
“I am ready to begin training” I said excitedly while walking to his small cabin…hut. He wanted the people to focus on securing the camp when we first got here, so I have been told, so the labour went into building the large wall around the camp, and the housing for me as well as the other children and families. His home was a tented hut for awhile before he finally built wooden pillars on each corner and walls, but the roof remained a tent-like structure. He still hasn’t gotten around to building a proper roof; I always tease him about it when he comes out after a rainy night soaking wet.
At the mention of training Uyre’s face dropped, he let his sword thump onto the large wooden table that took up the centre of his hut.
“Ara, I know you’re eager to train and fight, but you’re still so young, I cannot let anything happen to you, I promised the Queen and King I would keep you safe at all costs” Uyre replied not looking at me.
I peered out the window, the rest of the men were greeting their friends and family, hugging their children and laughing.
“You promised me, that when I reached my 10th year, I could train and fight, as my parents did” I said quietly, fighting the tears threatening to fall. “You told me time and time again to be patient and just wait until the big 10, well it’s here now and I am ready” I added, feverishly wiping my cheeks, a flush breaking its way out as my anger rose.
“I know what I said Ara, but you have to understand that your father was a good man, and if I ever broke my promise to him, if you ever got hurt…” he stopped to look at me, grief passing his features quickly before the hardness returned.
“But what if I get attacked? If I can’t fight how am I supposed to keep myself safe” I bit back, my frustration rising.
“I will protect you, always” he replied calmly, sensing the fight.
“But you won’t always be here Uyre you know. Everyone keeps telling me about how I am going to take us home one day, how I will be this strong woman and fight for our race, but how am I supposed to do that if I don’t even know how to hold a sword” I yelled back, tightly closing my fists, willing myself not to cry. “How am I supposed to know if my parents survived if I can’t even do what I was born to do?” I silently added before turning and storming from the tent.
“Ara dear, are you okay?” Roslix asked as I passed by, my feet kicking up a storm.
“I’m fine” I replied still walking away. I felt betrayed; I had been waiting for this year since I was in my 6th year. I wanted to be like my mother, Roslix had told me about her sacrifice, how she stayed with my father, refusing to leave his side, fighting with him, for me.
“Ara what’s going on?” she asked again catching my upper arm. I swung, trying to shake her off with no use.
“Why don’t you ask Uyre” I shot back finally breaking free and folding my arms over my body.
“What about Uyre?” she pried.
“He isn’t training me, at all” I replied. I watched her face fall; she knew how much I had been looking forward to the training, learning the art of combat.
“Wait here” she said coldly, I watched her turn and furiously walk towards Uyre’s hut, and of course I wasn’t going to stay.
I made my way to the side of the hut, pressing my ear between a gap in the wooden logs.
“Uyre, how dare you do that to her. You know Ara is continually struggling with growing up here, without her parents and being completely alienated.” Roslix slightly raised her voice to Uyre. I held my hand up to my lips, hoping to silence my heavy breaths.
“Roslix you don’t understand if the King and Queen did survive the Holivee invasion and I let absolutely anything happen to that girl I would be betraying my word.” Uyre fought back, I peeked through the gap as Uyre leaned back on the large wooden table. His emotions restless on his features.
“But you know how long she has been looking forward to this. I believe that if Ara were to have grown up in Tweiran as she should have, she would have been given training, intensively. You know that and so does she; you can’t keep her away from what she is supposed to do.” Roslix countered. She crossed her arms over her chest, intolerance strong on her face. “She is constantly being told about how strong her parents were. Almost everyday people talk to her about how she is supposed to take us back to Tweiran, she feels helpless Uyre.” She whispered slowly.
I sucked in a quick breath, Roslix understood how I felt. I did feel helpless. I didn’t feel like I was destined to do any of the things I am supposed to. On my 17th year, I am to assume the throne, well sort of. When it comes time and I am of age, my 17th year, I will rule over these people, in seven years. I know I should have started learning things, I had little knowledge about Tweiran’s past, how we came to be, my family’s past. Everyone tiptoes around me afraid that I’m going to blow, and I will if I keep getting left in the dark.
“I know, I am just too afraid to lose her, not just for Erastus and Deidre, but for myself too.” Uyre replied quietly, his features softened, the familiar hard shell broken down. “In a way, she saved me just as much as I saved her. I was haunted by the wars, the things I saw, the betrayal, innocent women and men dying in front of me, fighting wars for kings. I had no compassion left, for anyone. Until Ara.” He added moving to sit on a handmade chair.
I had made the chair two years ago, when I began to learn wood skills, so I could help, I had wanted to. He kept it and it was his favourite place to read to me.
“Oh Uyre, I understand, I see how close you have both grown, but she is not a fragile doll, she is growing up and if we keep treating her like a child she is going to break.” Roslix replied, she walked over to the sitting man and rubbed his shoulder. “I love her too, so much, but we need to let go and stop controlling her every movement” she added smiling to herself.
“Do you think she’ll be like Deidre?” he asked.
“Oh, I think she’ll be stronger” she replied instantaneously.
Five Months Past
“Keep your eyes on the opponent, remember that’s the first rule if you get distracted that is their chance to attack” Uyre grunted swinging towards me.
I held the heavy bamboo stick in my hands, gripping it until my knuckles had gone white. Over time I had tried various weapons: Sword, Bow, Knives, Whip and even the slingshot. But I had favoured stick fighting, Uyre trained me solo, he also used different weapons so I had experience with several kinds, to better defend myself.
“Stop getting distracted Ara, it will get you killed” he said slashing down with his sword. I crouched, bringing the weighted stick above my head blocking the blow.
Sweat glazed my forehead as I spun and landed a hit on his side.
“Ugh” Uyre groaned dropping to the ground and holding his hip.
“That wasn’t even that bad” I said laughing. After Roslix had convinced Uyre to train me I ran into the hut and made my presence know, jumping and screaming. From there I celebrated my 10th year with the community; we also announced that on my 17th year I would be taking my position as princess.
Uyre had told me that I would be announced as Queen, but I refused. I couldn’t take that role without knowing whether my mother was still alive or not. He understood and we came to the decision that I would remain princess, but I would take responsibility for our people and make the plans to return home. I had already begun working with the captains of Adam and Eve and brainstormed ways to fuel the ships and make repairs.
“You’re not the one getting whacked in the side” Uyre replied laughing and standing.
I smiled up at him, squinting as the star shined bright here, I had also started to accept my place and appearance, sure I looked different from my people, but I had their heart, I had their blood and most importantly, they still loved me.
“I am so proud of you Ara, you have thrown everything into this training, and you have definitely advanced more than most of the boys I’m teaching.” Uyre said smiling back at me, his kind eyes looking into mine.
“Thank you. I think…I think I am going to do it you know, take us back to Tweiran. I can’t keep wondering about my parents and I just want to know, if they’re alive or dead I mean.” I replied to him quietly. I looked over to the woods bordering our training spot and then to my arm. I had grown a lot stronger in the months I fought. When we began Uyre had me on an intensive schedule to gain muscle.
“I know you will Ara, you have fought extremely well, better than I thought.” He replied holstering his sword. “That’s why I had Roslix help me make this for you” he said walking towards his hut.
“Make what?” I asked eagerly skipping up to his fast walking figure.
“Patience, I’m showing you now follow me” he laughed at my interest. He pushed aside one side of the cloth that makes up his door. I followed quickly behind as he walked to his bed opening a box he turned to me.
I gasped, in his hands laid a crown, my crown I assumed.
“It’s…magical” I said shocked. I walked towards him and gently pulled it into my grasp. Flowers created the band, purple and blue ones, silver metal ran through it, representing the twigs that the flowers would have grown on, parts of the metal ‘grew’ upcoming to soft points towards the front, each one going higher until the centre one. On the centre, and highest, point a murky white stone was set.
“You and Roslix made this” I asked slowly, turning it in my hands slowly to set my eyes on every inch of the beautiful creation.
“Well, we had some help from Vinet, he helped to make the seal on the flowers so they don’t wilt, everlasting, like your reign will be” he replied smiling at my obvious joy. “The stone was your mother’s, I found it tucked into the blanket you were wrapped in when she put you in my arms” he added gently removing it from my hands and placing it back into the box.
“I don’t know what to say” I said, tears spilling over my cheeks.
“Oh well don’t thank us yet, you can’t have it until your 17th year when you’re crowned, I just wanted to make sure you liked it” he said chuckling. After placing the box back on the small table he embraced me in a hug.
“I know, thank you so much Uyre, you have been the best part of my life growing up in this foreign place” I told him, squeezing hard to try and show him how much he meant to me, I was never good at expressing any feeling besides anger, but even that has dwindled away with training.
“Oh stop getting soft on me” he said pulling away.
“Shut up, I was the one that just beat you with a stick” I laughed wiping my tears away.
“Yeah that was luck” he said walking out of the tent.
It was then, at that moment, that I knew,
I was going home.
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