Leaf studied her, worry etched in his features, but he graced her with a slight bow. Without a moment’s hesitation, she marched along the worn path with head held high. The people in the crowd parted for her as they continued to gossip into each other’s ears.
Upon reaching the wood, she had broken into a sprint and had raced the leaves that flew in the bio-breeze through the forest, running as fast as the wind could carry her, away from the North Cave and from the memories of Coal’s kiss...
Oaklee now stood among the trees, her chest still rising and falling in exertion and grief. She blotted the sensitive skin around her eyes with the underside edge of her sleeve. Branches swayed with each breeze, like a mother comforting a child in her protective, nurturing arms. The scene captivated Oaklee’s imagination as memories of the meadow, of The Door, of Coal faded into the shadows of the forest. The trees whispered their consolation as the bio-breeze came through again, a rare mild wind storm that mimicked autumn weather, so she was told.
She surveyed the undergrowth and focused on a cluster of fern fronds curled tightly against the new life they had been given. She often wondered why a fern’s new existence was so firmly wound up. But she questioned its response no longer. Oaklee felt every muscle in her body want to curl up in self-protection, to comfort the pain, anger, and fear. With reverent touches, she pulled off two new fronds from the parent cluster and wrapped them around her ankle. Her fingers gently caressed the tender green leaves, and then she stood and walked as gracefully as she could toward her apartment to begin her new life.
“Willow.”
She jumped, placing a hand upon her chest, and gulped in a large breath. Skylar leaned on a tree opposite from her on the path, arms crossed, a withdrawn expression lining his features. Sandy brown hair lifted in the breeze as his youthfulness aged before her eyes, and she ascertained he heard the news of Leaf and Ember’s union.
“My Lord,” she said, dipping her head respectfully.
The Son of Wind approached her with stiff strides and arms crossed against his chest.
“Are you well?” Skylar looked to the gash upon her forehead.
“Yes, ’tis but a scratch. I bumped my head upon the Cave wall.”
“Most unfortunate. I am sorry to hear it.” He regarded her carefully before continuing. “You are fired up. I can see it in your eyes. Did Leaf or the Outsider offend you? How may I avenge your honor, Willow Oak Watson of the Wood?”
A crooked smile slowly appeared and she almost smiled in response, especially as he used her childhood nickname. But his body language confused her. She could not tell if he jested or spoke in earnest. Not wishing to add to his injuries, she decided to smile politely.
“You are kind to concern yourself with my welfare.”
“Pray tell, who are you offended with? If you will not permit me to avenge your honor, perhaps we can commiserate together. Misery loves company, does it not?”
“I am most sorry for your pain, My Lord. Please do not hate my brother. Leaf’s actions are most peculiar.” Oaklee issued a pleading look, and a shadow crossed over Skylar’s features as he maintained a tight smile. “As his friend, you know Leaf would never use another for his own personal gain, especially through elopement. Nor would he wish to betray you.”
“Leaf is fortunate to have such a dedicated sister. Mine are too young to give advice on matters of the heart.”
Oaklee grew uncomfortable with the awkward atmosphere between them. Another gust of wind rushed by her and long tendrils and braids covered her face. His hazel eyes searched hers with intensity for several heartbeats before he broke away and diverted his attention in the direction of the North Cave.
He cleared his throat. “I wish to maintain my offer from last night. Should you need anything, you have but only to ask. I am entirely at your service.”
“I thank you, My Lord. You are generous.”
A relieved smile lightened his features and some of the youthfulness returned to his face. “Forgive me, I am not myself at present.”
“There is no need for forgiveness, I assure you.”
“May I escort you to wherever you were running off to?”
Oaklee blushed. Racing through the woods in a wedding dress was most unladylike. “I wished for a rest prior to the celebration this evening. My apologies, but I shall call upon your services another time, Skylar Kane of the Four Winds.”
She bestowed what she hoped was a playful smile and began to move away. Skylar touched her arm and she paused while keeping her eyes on the ferns and grasses that grew near the tree. Their pliable stems bent with the invisible pressure as another breeze stirred the atmosphere.
“Please be careful.”
She looked up and found him regarding her with sincere concern. “I have heard it on the wind that a faction is forming, and the dispute supposedly involved your father. Fear can lead people toward ... regrettable decisions.”
Timothy’s words to Leaf in the meadow echoed in her mind. “Whatever do you mean?”
“Oh, Leaf did not share with you? I am surprised, although, he is clearly distracted.” Skylar tensed and then let out an angry breath as his eyes roamed over the ribbons and leaves in her hair. She grew dizzy as the blood drained from her face, and she met his worried eyes, determined to not faint. “I would not wish to overstep your brother’s authority as head of your home.”
Oaklee struggled as she knew he was right, though she wished for the details he honorably withheld. Familiar resentment brewed against her brother and she spun a strand of hair onto her fingers in an effort to distract her thoughts. “I understand, and shall ask Leaf at first opportunity.”
“Please do not share that I spoke of such matters with you. I would not want to add to our grievances, nor place you in the middle of our affairs.”
“Nor would I wish to add to them. You can trust me.” She folded Skylar’s hand in hers. “You are a good man and so is my brother. We have all lost our senses this week from grief and The Exchange thrust upon our community. I shall pray for your comfort, My Lord.”
“Leaf is indeed lucky to have such a sister,” he said, and attempted an encouraging smile, although she knew it pained him to do so. “Hurry away, Willow. Find your solitude.”
Oaklee nodded and then dashed away down the wooded path, tree branches beckoning her to hurry. Despite the scramble of voices and thoughts shouting in her head, she heard the willow oak call to her from the forest, and she longed to answer. Perhaps once she changed she would pay a visit to crawl into the branches and sit high above the community and escape the pleasantries, smiles, and polite conversations in celebration of a new resident, one whose presence caused her further grief.
Thoughts of Coal flashed through her mind. Memories of their times together—perched high above the world they called home—drew the poison from her heart and into her blood stream. She had killed her friend. The only residents who had ever left the biodome had died and her heart did not know how to feel otherwise.
Did her father know the truth of what she had done?
Could he see her from heaven?
Shame burned through her, and Oaklee imagined his grave disapproval. She had kissed an honorable man whom she should marry but never would; and she gave her heart to a dishonorable man who had mocked and manipulated their family.
She continued to run—running even harder to escape her thoughts. The willow oak appeared at the bend and she halted abruptly, gasping for air as leaves swirled around her body. Longing to touch something tangible from her past that would remain in her future, Oaklee trailed her fingertips along the coarse bark of her mighty tree. With a last fortifying breath, she sprinted toward the apartment once more, allowing the wind to wipe away her tears.
Her legs burned as she climbed the stairs, and she limped into her home. Oaklee shut her bedroom door with force and stomped over to her small vanity table and screamed. The fury and pain churned until she was certain guilt’s madness would consume her completely
. Frantically, she pulled the pins and braids from her hair, gritting her teeth against the ache. The wild storm stilled, however, when she removed her mother’s intricately carved dragon comb. Her knees gave way and she sank into her chair, gripping her stomach as she wept.
Surrendering to the grief, she crawled over to her oak chest, lifted the heavy lid and rummaged through her belongings until she found her father’s Harvest token. The embroidered linen felt smooth against her cheek as she cradled the rag to her face.
The next time she would wear her mother’s comb would be in a few weeks—the twenty-ninth day of October moon—when she would stand before the community on her sixteenth birthday. It was a day she dreaded, especially in light of her confessions to have refused Coal’s hand.
“Kiss Father for me,” she whispered to the dragon, caressing the polished bone with her thumb.
Deft fingers wrapped the treasured comb within the folds of the Harvest token she had made long ago for the man who now resided in the fields boasting his life’s labor. As she closed the trunk, the lid moaned with protest as if to echo her heart, and she pressed her cheek to the wrought iron tree as tears splashed across her cheeks once more. Time slipped by with each tear, and she forced herself to let go of the oak chest and crawl beneath the covers of her cot, wrapping weary arms around her knees.
The cup of tea Coal had brought her earlier in the week still rested upon her nightstand, and Oaklee wrinkled her nose. In all the drama, she had forgotten to return the vessel to the Great Hall. Its presence both disturbed and comforted Oaklee. Within moments, she fell asleep while gazing at the earthen cup, desperately wishing Coal sat in the corner chair as he did so faithfully four days prior.
***
If there were problems inside, residents would leave and more would use the communications system we have provided. Their silence shows us that all is well, that they are happy and content and already forgetting the world they left behind. Is this not the result we are seeking? LARP has proved the best psychological breakthrough for isolation, confinement and extreme [ICE] environment syndrome and my wife, Dr. Della Jayne Nichols, should be commended for her theory that has paved the way for interplanetary homesteading.
— Hanley Nichols, interviewed by Richard Ramsey, “A Brave New World,” Ecopreneur Today, August 21, 2051
***
A large glass box, filled with percolating water and a rainbow assortment of fish, was positioned neatly against a cob wall with hewn timber framing. The offense that consumed Coal moments ago turned to reluctant curiosity as he stood before the aquarium. The sight drew him in and he inched closer, jumping back when his nose touched the cold glass.
The water was not boiling?
How did it bubble so?
He rubbed his nose and shook his head, baffled by the engineering enigma. Settling on his haunches, Coal continued to watch the fish with wonder. Then, he frowned.
Until this day, he was a fish that swam in an unnatural environment. Coal was currently in a room emulating the look of New Eden, yet it was painfully obvious it was not—the aquarium being one of those obvious signs. Pulling out Oaklee’s leaf, he twisted it in his fingers and reflected on all the events leading to this moment. Part of him felt like the little blue fish that came to the surface, gasping for air, and he prayed he did not become like the brown fish, belly up in the corner.
The countless unknown items, strange sensorial experiences, and new pieces of information further dulled his drugged mind. So to calm his burning thoughts, Coal tracked the patterns the fish made as they swam around happily, seemingly ignorant of their glass house. He was a blissfully ignorant fish not too long ago, swimming around in his glass aquarium. He had known life existed beyond the panes of his home, but his world only revolved around New Eden Township. There had been nothing to compare it to and, therefore, no reason to feel ashamed of his confined existence. Nor to question it.
Callused fingers tucked long strands of hair behind his ears as he contemplated his faint, ghost-like reflection in the glass box. He felt completely out of his element, like a fish out of water. More so upon experiencing just how vastly different his world was compared to the world he had just entered. His hand pressed against the glass, and he shifted his focus from his reflection onto his charcoal stained fingers. New Eden Township and The Forge lay a short distance from the biospherics lab. But watching an aquarium bubble from a mysterious power source made him feel worlds apart from his origins.
How had his father taken the news?
As Coal was under eighteen years of age, a lawyer was speaking with Jeff to obtain parental permission and temporary release of guardianship. This much he remembered prior to falling under the effects of the sedative. If permission was not granted, he would return to New Eden with the shame of being treated as a child. Coal did not realize his leaving would create such a flurry of activity. For nearly two years, he had walked New Eden Township as a man no longer under the governing authority of his parents.
Did youth mature more slowly beyond the walls of his home?
By age fifteen, he had completed an apprenticeship and was a full-fledged blacksmith, was a titled Noble son who represented the Fire Element House, spoke three languages, and was well versed in The Classics. This year, he was given rights to marry and was aware of several maidens from the village who would be honored to have his hand. Now, he was back to being considered a child although he was two months shy from turning seventeen.
Would his father grant permission?
Honor Coal’s decision as one made by a grown man?
Any person may leave New Eden for any reason per The Code, and age was not a stipulation.
Perhaps his worries were for naught. His father guarded the Watson family’s secret and would, therefore, tread carefully, not wishing to tip the apple cart. Several times this week he had overheard his father and Brianna discuss the forming faction and their concerns for the Watson household. And then Coal’s twin sister had married this morning before the break of day. He was not invited, nor was he given any knowledge of the act until after the hand-fasting was complete. Now the Hansen blood was tied to The Aether, his father’s grandchildren given the ability to secretly lead the biodome city as invisible monarchs.
Was this his father’s plan?
Did Ember marry Leaf out of obedience?
Even if she did, Coal knew his twin sister loved Leaf and had for many years. The Son of Earth would make an excellent husband for Ember. Coal did not object to their union. He objected to his father’s request of an elopement that would further alienate Leaf from Skylar and pit the Wind Element House against the Fire and Earth Element Houses.
Was his father the faction leader?
Coal pushed thoughts of his father away in order to bank his heated insecurities, which now colored thoughts of his home and prior life in a strange light. He would glean whatever truths he could find when his head was less muddled, as he had taken Leaf’s place with an intent to garner information.
All he would endure, experience, and learn was for Oaklee. He wanted to protect her from harm and further pain. Coal knew his behavior this week was ungentlemanly. Consternation drove him to such measures. If anything happened to her whilst he knew he could prevent it, he would never forgive himself.
Why did she not wish to marry?
Her romantic disinterest began before Joel’s death, and he knew she fiercely clung to the last vestiges of girlhood while womanhood forced changes upon her that she resented. Willow Oak Watson did not have a fondness for change. Nevertheless, she needed another guardian and protector as she was next in line should anything befall Leaf, a fact that terrified him. Joel Watson did not die of natural causes, he was sure of it in light of how Joel had urged his children to leave New Eden with his dying breaths. The guarded comments he overheard regarding the Watson family as well as a forming faction only confirmed Coal’s trepidation.
Although ungentlemanly, Coal did not regret that he had kissed Oakle
e and pledged himself to her against her expressed wishes, with Leaf as witness. He welcomed the shame of being branded as dishonorable before the community if it meant Oaklee had a greater chance of surviving any future planned attacks against her family.
Closing his eyes, he rested his head against the aquarium and thought of their kiss, enjoying the sweet rush. For the first time, Coal faced an adventure without her, and it filled him with a new form of emptiness.
A fish nipped another in the tail. The offended fish urgently swam away to perceived safety.
Whose fins were being nipped in New Eden besides the Watsons?
Who was the territorial fish?
A click pulled Coal’s attention toward the door. Michael and two other men walked in, each offering friendly smiles. Coal stood from his crouched position. He recognized one of the other men from his initial entry into the lab. The third he did not recognize, and Coal experienced a slight twinge of anxiety as the tall man approached him. Remembering the leaf, he tucked it away safely into his pocket.
“Coal, nice to finally meet you. Je vous souhaite une cordiale bienvenue en touchant le sol de la terre pour la première fois.”
Coal regarded the man warily, surprised by the welcome to Earth in French. “Acceptez mes humbes remerciements pour l’invitation et l’experience,” Coal said. Although he felt insulted by the insinuation that he was an alien to their land rather than a neighbor, Coal thanked him for the opportunity nonetheless.
The man’s hazel eyes reflected the confidence of the intelligent as they swept over Coal from head to toe, and a satisfied smile crept along the man’s face. The stature of the man suggested he was of an older age, but his appearance was oddly youthful. Light brown hair was kept in a shorter style with the front longer and fashioned to the side with care. An expression of warmth radiated over his features while sharpness cut through the air around him. It was a perplexing atmosphere even Coal could sense, and he a perfect stranger. Then Coal noticed that the man’s skin appeared to glow.
Elements (The Biodome Chronicles series Book 2) Page 3