Alysium

by Tiffany Pelletier

  “I didn't think the patrols would be out so early,” he muttered as he reached out to help Ranelle and Fraine on the slippery river rocks.

  “Can't you just be like, I'm Gideon,” Fraine teased, pulling herself up to stand tall, mimicking Gideon's manly tone, “If we want to be out, we will be!”

  Ranelle scoffed into the night air.

  “Yeah, I suppose, if I wanted to attract everyone's attention,” Gideon retorted.

  Ranelle could tell his cheeks were reddening, even in the near darkness.

  He’s sensitive about being privileged.

  After several more minutes, Gideon, Fraine, and Ranelle finally arrived at the head of the river. The waters erupted from a massive void within the burrow wall, spraying forcefully, growing calmer as the river ran across Ashbourne. The waterway eventually exited the cavern through an open crevice at the far end of the city.

  “Where are we going?” asked Ranelle with a frown. She shivered; her clothes had gotten wet while they walked across the riverbank, and she was beginning to get a chill.

  “It's not far,” Gideon practically had to yell as the water roared loudly from beyond the rock wall. He motioned for the girls to follow as he slid his hands along the flat part of the rock face. A moment later, he disappeared into the mist produced by the churning of the turbulent water.

  Ranelle gasped, her heart leaping into her throat. Her breath caught in her chest as her eyes grew wide. Before she could yell out for him, ghostly hands appeared from beyond the spray, gently encircling her wrists and pulling them and the rest of her shivering body into the mist.

  She was blindly led as she stumbled, her boots soggy, toes nearly numb from the cold. Ranelle could feel Fraine’s small hands frantically gripping the back of her overshirt as she tried to follow along with her.

  Suddenly, Gideon released her hands, leaving Ranelle and Fraine standing alone in complete darkness, the roar of the river just inches away from them.

  “G–Gideon?”

  A few steps away, Ranelle heard the tap-tap of two rocks striking each other. Afraid to move in the pitch blackness, the girls stood frozen until a faint light appeared quite suddenly just feet in front of them. As the glow grew brighter, the girls were bathed in the warm light of pyrus fire. Holding out a portable oil lamp, Gideon’s face was illuminated as he moved toward the girls. His eyes were wide and curious as he caught the look of fright on Ranelle’s face.

  “Sorry, I guess I should’ve told you what to expect,” Gideon placated sheepishly. He held out the hand-lamp, which was nothing more than a miniature, heat-resistant stone basin that held a small pool of burning pyrus. Pocketing the two spark stones he’d used to ignite the lamp and the small flask of oil he’d filled it with, he held out the bowl so that its light could shine outward, illuminating their surroundings.

  “Whoa,” Fraine gawked, “I never knew this was here!”

  Ranelle tore her eyes from Gideon, turning her attention to the small, shallow cavern they now stood within. The walls around the cave were pitted, most likely the result of cycles of mineral buildup as well as uneven erosion from the spray of rapidly moving water.

  “Most people don't,” answered Gideon, shrugging his shoulders.

  Ranelle understood how this could be true. She’d lived in Ashbourne her entire life. She’d never had an inkling that there was anything other than solid wall where they were currently standing.

  As they walked further inside, the waters calmed, and the tunnel widened into a spacious cave that was capped with a smooth, low ceiling.

  “The water gets rough near the opening of the tunnel because it gets squeezed through the smaller opening. Back here where it’s wider, the water’s very calm,” said Gideon, walking slightly ahead.

  “I can't believe we never knew about this place!” Fraine gushed.

  “There's more.”

  Gideon motioned for the girls to follow him to the backside of the cavern, where the river waters flowed out from beneath a broad shelf of rock.

  “Dig around a bit...see what you find, Fraine.”

  The young girl eyed him with suspicion. However, her curiosity was overpowering as she began kicking rocks over with the side of her small boot. “Wait, what are these?” Fraine positively squealed as she scooped something out of the fine sand and ran to present it to the others. She held up the items excitedly so that Ranelle and Gideon could see.

  When he peered down at the brightly colored stones Fraine held within her hand, Gideon smiled. “You found the treasure!”

  “Treasure?” Ranelle repeated curiously. Leaning forward, she glanced down at the gems, her eyes growing wide as she saw them. She’d never seen anything as beautiful. Each stone was a different color; there was pink, yellow, green, and even a few that were completely clear. As Gideon held his pyrus lamp up to brighten the stones, Ranelle took a clear gem delicately between her thumb and pointer finger, holding it up to the light. As she gazed into the rock, the pyrus firelight danced within it, and for a split second, Ranelle thought she spied colors that she’d never seen before. The colors were layered side by side, dancing and spinning as the light shone through the small stone. As quickly as the colors had materialized, they swiftly vanished as the pyrus lamp began to flicker.

  “These rocks can't be found anywhere else in Alysium. None of the other burrows have them.”

  “Really?” Fraine grinned, peering down at the gems in her palm with elation as Ranelle dropped the clear stone back into her hand.

  Gideon nodded.

  “This is going to make for such a great story!” Fraine clutched the stones in her fist and started running back up to the mouth of the cave.

  “Wait a minute,” Gideon yelled with a frown, “you have to swear not to tell anyone about this place!”

  “Oh, don't worry,” the small girl replied over her shoulder with a grin, “my story will be even better than the truth!” Fraine giggled as she ran back up through the cave entrance, leaving the others lagging.

  “She won’t tell, will she?”

  Ranelle shook her head.

  As she glanced at him, she caught him staring at her. Immediately, her cheeks burned with heat, and she looked away; to the ceiling, the walls, the cave floor...anywhere but at him.

  “Is there anything else that you’ve found here in this cave, besides those stones?” She pushed rocks around with the edge of her boot, her gaze downward as she sauntered back toward the entrance. She sensed that Gideon was trying to close the distance she was struggling to keep between them.

  “Nothing as beautiful.”

  Ranelle had the nagging feeling that he wasn't referring to the colored stones. The heat flared in her cheeks again, and her heartbeat began to quicken in her chest. Gideon took another few steps toward her, the pyrus lamp still burning in his hand, albeit dimmer than it had been after he’d first lit it. She thought to move away but was frozen on the spot as if her feet had abruptly grown roots. She realized at that moment that she might actually enjoy his company; she was just too afraid to admit it.

  Ranelle could still feel the pull from the governesses’ knife as it had sliced through her hair. She’d let her guard down on that day too.

  Feeling Gideon’s hand graze her arm, she jumped, but before he could finish his gesture, Ranelle twisted away from him quickly.

  “Um, I should probably make sure Fraine got out of the cave okay,” she sputtered stupidly, grasping for any excuse to escape. She started walking toward the cave entrance. Quickly, before she could stop herself, she hazarded a glance back at Gideon. He was following her, his gaze directly on the ground in front of him as he walked, his free hand jammed into his pocket, his shoulders drooping miserably.

  A few weeks ago, she would have jumped at the chance to irritate or disappoint him. Now, as she saw him so despondent, she couldn't help feeling upset with herself. Why did she always push people away? Maybe Gideon was different.

  Something inside her suddenly bristled at
the thought.

  He’s the same as all the rest.

  The next morning, Ranelle made it to the washroom before most of the other dormitory kids. She had gotten up before the bell, hoping to avoid bumping into Gideon. Whenever she closed her eyes, she kept seeing him and the hurt look on his face again. She didn’t want to have to look him in the eyes and feel her heart race. It all made her so uncomfortable. Luckily, she managed to avoid bumping into him all morning–in fact, she didn’t spot him once at the washrooms or in the food hall.

  After breakfast, she slowly strolled toward the mines, expecting to run into Gideon on the way into their busy work area. To her surprise, he wasn't there either. She looked around, scanning the crowd for him as she made the long descent to mineshaft eight.

  When she got to the pile of rubble that their team had been working on clearing, she was met by a scowling Abree.

  “Here's the princess!” she said scathingly.

  “Where's Gideon,” Ranelle asked darkly, ignoring Abree's comment completely.

  “He’s busy with more important matters today,” Abree spat, “It's just us today, so get to work.”

  Ranelle sighed and began her daily tasks, although she couldn't help but wonder where Gideon was. As she worked, the events of the night before replayed through in her mind. Each rock that she split, each load she moved made her feel more and more guilty.

  Maybe I should have handled things differently.

  By lunchtime, she was really feeling Gideon's absence. The work seemed so much more enjoyable when he was around, more bearable. As Ranelle sat in the mineshaft with the other workers as they ate lunch, she let her mind wander again. It had become her little trick to keep from going mad with the endless tap tap of ax upon stone.

  Maybe he’s mad at me, she thought to herself, why isn't he here.

  As they ate, the other miners seemed to be wondering the same thing. After all, he was the more likable of the two leaders; the others must have felt his absence as well.

  “So, will we be getting a new team leader then?” asked the scrawny miner boy named Charlie, stuffing his face with food.

  “Not sure,” snapped Abree, eyeing the boy with irritation as he indulged like an animal.

  “Why isn't he here then?” asked the other girl plainly.

  Ranelle raised an eyebrow with surprise and looked over at her. She’d hadn’t heard her speak before now.

  “You know what Lara,” Abree rebuked, “if your father ran the burrow and he asked for your help with something, wouldn't you rather do that than work in the mines?

  “My father’s dead.”

  Abree gave her a look of distaste before replying, “Yeah, aren't they all.”

  “Yours too?” asked Charlie, not looking at Abree.

  “Yeah, so what?” she snapped. “Waa, my parents are dead...there's no reason to cry about it.”

  “How'd it happen?” asked Ranelle, who until now had kept herself out of the conversation. As Abree looked over at her, the older girl’s demeanor changed from irritation to anger.

  “How'd it happen, you ask?” spat Abree, her nostrils flared.

  “Yeah,” Ranelle said slowly, almost afraid to ask from the girl’s sudden change of mood, but she was tired of keeping to herself just to avoid Abree’s wrath.

  “It's pretty simple, actually,” Abree growled, “your parents killed them.”

  Ranelle was taken aback for a moment. “What?”

  “First time hearing about it?” Abree hissed. “I’m not surprised.”

  “That’s not true,” said Ranelle coming to her feet,” my parents never hurt anyone!”

  “Until the day they killed my parents!” spat Abree as she leaped to her feet, fists clenched. “They led the mining team my parents were on. They led them to their deaths!”

  “That's a lie!” yelled Ranelle, pointing her finger at Abree accusingly, “Mayge told me they were excellent team leaders.”

  “Of course she told you that, Princess,” jabbed Abree as she slowly walked across the mineshaft toward Ranelle, her stance and presence like an animal on the prowl. “They brought in lots of ore, cleared lots of shafts, but let their team DIE!”

  “I'm sure it was an accident, Abree,” piped up a nervous Charlie, appearing astonished at his own daring, “they happen in the mines all the time.”

  “This was no accident; it was ignorance!” Abree yelled, her cheeks were red, her forehead sweaty.

  “You're crazy,” Ranelle declared, turning her back on the ridiculous girl to grab her ax and head back to the surface. She wasn’t going to stand around and let Abree tell lies about her family. She was going to find out the truth.

  If Ranelle had only waited a moment before turning her back, she would have seen the look of pure loathing in Abree’s eyes. She would have noticed as her hand moved for something.

  “Watch out!” one of the others yelled a split second before she felt something hit the back of her skull with great force. Ranelle grunted, falling to the ground on her hands and knees, eyes tearing. Unable to see, she retched, bringing up her breakfast as gentle hands reached out, steadying her and reassuring words were whispered into her ear. She attempted to sit up unsuccessfully as she finally succumbed to the darkness, fading into a thoughtless sleep.

  Chapter Six

  When Ranelle eventually came to, she was sprawled out on a spacious and comfortable bed. She slowly slid her fingers back and forth on the bedspread, feeling the delicate stitches on the fabric. Her head pounded, feeling heavier than usual. Slowly, she tried to lift it but was overcome with sharp pains at the back of her skull, causing her to retch. She coughed a few times painfully before blacking out.

  Sometime later, how many hours later she couldn't tell, she woke again. This time, in the faint light provided by a solitary burning pyrus hand-lamp at her bedside, she could see the figure of a person sleeping in a chair at the far end of the room. Even in the near darkness, she could tell who it was; Gideon Warren was draped over the chair, snoring slightly.

  He looks exhausted.

  Realizing she must be in Gideon's house, she slowly and delicately pulled her body into a slightly elevated position so that she could see the room better. Looking around, she was amazed by all the luxuries she saw. The bed was made with fine linens, and there was a wooden chest of drawers. Beautiful tapestries hung on the walls, which were made of wood instead of stone. Even the chair that Gideon slept in seemed alien to her. It appeared as if it was made of wood with fabric attached to it, some sort of cushioning stuffed underneath. She’d never seen such luxurious furnishings before. All residences in Alysium had beds and chairs and walls, but they were made from metal or stone. Everything was cold, hard, and dull. But here, in this room, everything was warm, soft, and beautiful.

  Wanting to examine the details of the tapestries better, she tried to sit up. This proved to be unwise as she was overcome with a wave of nausea, and she was forced to clap her hand to her mouth, whimpering as the room began to spin miserably. Luckily, the noise was enough to stir Gideon, who flung himself up and out of his chair, running to her rescue. He grabbed a leather satchel hanging on the end of her bed and thrust it out in front of her to be sick in.

  “Thanks,” she murmured weakly after she’d finished retching.

  “How do you feel?” he asked gently as he reached to check the back of her head. On impulse, she pulled away from his touch, causing more dizziness, more pain, and more retching. Gideon held the bag again as she vomited, Ranelle immediately regretting her decision to confront Abree in the mines.

  “I never should have turned my back on her,” Ranelle acknowledged with irritation as she wiped her upper lip on the sleeve of her shirt.

  “Yeah, probably not the smartest thing to do,” he agreed, hanging the leather satchel on the side of the bed. “Abree got in trouble for that, by the way. She's been demoted.”

  If Ranelle had been feeling better, she would have jumped for joy. “Really?” she asked we
arily, “I can't handle your jokes right now.”

  “Really,” Gideon affirmed as he sat down on the bed next to her, “the other two, Charlie and Lara, told Mayge how she came at you after you’d walked away.”

  “What did she hit me with anyway? Her ax?” Ranelle asked, gingerly testing the lump on the back of her head with her fingertips.

  “A rock,” Gideon corrected with a frown as he leaned back slightly, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “Feels like it,” said Ranelle, managing a weak smile.

  “You going to let me check your head now, or are you going to pull away and puke some more?” His candid question shamed her, making her feel guilty.

  “It’s not intentional, you know,” she said quietly, afraid to look him in the eyes, thinking back to the last person who she’d let touch her. The look of malice on the governess’s face as she clutched Ranelle’s hair in her twisted fingers was something Ranelle would never forget.

  Slower this time, Gideon leaned toward her, reaching for the back of her head. She watched his movements nervously, eyes wide like an animal about to bolt.

  “I’ll be gentle,” he said, this time waiting for a small nod of understanding before he continued.

  As he reached the top of her head, he slowly changed the dressing on her wound, the sweet smell of healing herbs meeting her nose. The sudden pain brought tears to her eyes, the flood gates welling up, eventually breaking free as they spilled down her cheeks. Before she could wipe them away, gentle fingers brushed her cheeks, drying them.

  “Thanks,” she sniffed.

  “Hopefully, you’ll be well enough to eat soon,” said Gideon softly.

  “How long have I been here?”

  “When Abree attacked you, I was already on my way down to the mines. When she realized how bad she’d hurt you, she tried to come back to the surface, but...” his story trailed off as he looked away from her.

  “But what?” she prodded.

  “I intercepted her.”

  Ranelle nodded gently. His tone suggested the confrontation had been an unpleasant one.