Alysium

by Tiffany Pelletier

  Eager to be on her way, Ranelle glanced behind her to make sure she was still alone in the hallway, then she raised a shaky hand to the door handle and turned it. As she did, a soft “click” sounded. Ranelle waited breathlessly, half expecting Wilma to pop out and scold her. When no one came, she pulled slowly, using her weight to pry open the massive barrier. Gradually, the door swung open soundlessly on well-oiled hinges. Taking one last look at the hallway behind her before closing the lid on the lamp to extinguish the flames, she exited the house, pulling the hefty door shut behind her.

  Ranelle took in a deep, steadying breath of cold night air, gazing out at the rest of the burrow down below. The Regent’s manor was perched atop the hill that overlooked much of Ashbourne. It was a fitting place for the leader of the people’s home. Bubble Hill, named for the smooth waves of bubbled rock formations that covered most of its surface, donned a curved pathway that led away from the manor and back toward the heart of the burrow. The Regent's Manor was positioned at the highest point of the hill. As she traveled down the worn path, she couldn't help but gaze back up at the manor with curiosity.

  One of the highest windows was lit from the inside; someone in the house must still be awake. As Ranelle stared up at the window, a figure appeared, blocking some of the light. Panicking, Ranelle picked up her pace, now moving through the darkness in a soft jog.

  As she finally reached the youth dormitory, she was winded, and her head ached. Quietly, she slipped into the entryway, which was pitch dark, the pyrus lamps long since extinguished. Her heart nearly leapt at the prospect of not having to confront her governess in the late hour. As she tiptoed breathlessly amongst the vast sea of sleeping children, finally finding her cot, she took a quick second to pull her feet from her work boots before sliding into her bed. Gratefully, she pulled her blanket up over her exhausted body.

  As Ranelle was drifting to sleep, back at the Regent's Manor, a single room remained lit. Obadiah Warren paced back and forth across the room, his crooked shadow following him, unwavering as a pyrus lamp cast his distorted image across the stone walls. Eventually, he stopped and took a seat at the small desk table he’d spent many nights and days working at. Obadiah glanced down at the note his manservant had given him earlier that day, reading and rereading the words scribbled on the parchment. This note confirmed a genuine threat to everything he had been working toward. This note changed everything. He rubbed his face in his hands as he thought about all the work he had to do. Staring down at the paper, he felt uneasy. It didn't help that his son had his head in the dirt over some girl.

  A handsome creature for sure.

  In his day, perhaps he would have tussled with the miner girl, but as an old man, he was weary and didn't trust her.

  He could see the flame between them, his son, and this Ranelle, but he couldn't let Gideon get distracted. He had to prepare his son for what was to come. Things were changing, and there was so much work to be done. Obviously, he couldn't do the work himself, he’d have to use the young miners to do it for him, and Gideon would be at the head of it all. He had to keep him far from the mines, though, and far away from that girl.

  Gideon was a handsome lad, his father had to give him that. He wasn't sure where his brains were at–getting caught up with someone unprivileged.

  Obadiah had been tempted in his earlier cycles too, but this was different. He was suspicious that Gideon was much more attached to the girl than he let on. The effect girls had on young men was not lost on him, even with his advanced cycles, and he knew he needed a backup plan in case his son faltered.

  He went over the details of today’s altercation down in the mine. Perhaps the other miner could be useful, the one who’d caused the injury. He tossed the idea around in his head before deciding on his next move.

  Young love.

  How easily teenagers could be manipulated, using their feelings against them. Normally he coached Gideon to make decisions without sentiment; to keep a steady head when facing a challenge. This time, however, he’d have to use his son’s emotions against him. Going over the next step of his plan in his mind, a satisfied smile spread across his wrinkled lips.

  He knew what he had to do.

  Satisfied that his plan was well thought out, he retreated to the window to inspect the grounds as he’d done earlier. When he peered down at the pathway that snaked back and forth toward the center of the burrow, it was empty this time. The shadowy figure he’d seen earlier was most likely safely back where she belonged.

  At least tomorrow she’ll return to the mines and Gideon will be nowhere near her.

  Satisfied with his plan, he hobbled to his bed, slowly sliding his aging body into the comfortable sweetgrass filled mattress. He pulled the rushes over his backside and closed the lid on the lamp atop his bedside table, casting the room into darkness.

  Chapter Eight

  The next morning, Ranelle woke to find Fraine sitting on the end of her cot, staring at her expectantly.

  “How come you didn't make it home the other night?” she asked with an accusatory look on her face.

  Ranelle grumbled and tried to wave her small friend off, but apparently, she wasn't going away without answers.

  “I asked the governess, and all she said was that you had official permission to be away,” said the girl quickly, her eyes bright.

  “I was at the manor,” she replied with bleary eyes as she wiped her face with her hands, trying to wake herself up.

  “The Regent's Manor?” exclaimed Fraine, her eyes wide with shock. “Are you working for the Regent?”

  “No, don’t be stupid. I had my butt handed to me in the mines, and Gideon patched me up, that's all,” Ranelle explained as she bowed her head, showing Fraine the wound that Abree had given her.

  “Ooo, I knew that girl had it in for you,” said the young girl matter-of-factly as she shook her head.

  “Oh really?” asked Ranelle with a grimace, “well, you're the only one it seems because she surprised the hell out of me!”

  “Bigger girls always push smaller girls around,” said Fraine shrugging, “especially when there are boys involved.”

  “Fraine, every girl is bigger than you, and what boys are you referring to?” asked Ranelle, her brow furrowed.

  “Well, I meant boy...you know, Gideon,” said Fraine plainly.

  “What about Gideon?” snapped Ranelle, losing her patience. She sat up and shoved her bare feet into her work boots.

  “Um,” said Fraine, hesitating upon Ranelle's sudden change of attitude. “There are rumors that Abree likes Gideon.”

  Ranelle struggled to process what the redhead girl had said for a moment.

  It figures.

  Not only did Abree blame Ranelle's parents for her parents' death, but now she probably saw her as competition for the Regent's son.

  “That's great,” said Ranelle, rolling her eyes.

  “At least she won't be in the mines anymore,” said Fraine with a smirk, “I suppose that's because of you, huh?”

  “Yep,” said Ranelle, who couldn't help but crack a smile when she looked at her friend and saw her grinning stupidly at her. As the girls laughed together, the bell rang, and the sounds of stirring kids filled the morning air. As the bell sound died after its customary six tolls, Fraine got to her feet and slipped Ranelle a quick hug.

  “Be safer next time,” called Fraine as she disappeared into the crowd of kids.

  “Bye,” Ranelle called out to her halfheartedly, unsure if she heard her or not. Eventually, Ranelle rose to fight the crowd of kids until it was her turn in the washroom. As she slid inside and pulled the rushes shut, she noticed Gideon's absence once again. She sighed as she undressed, lowering her aching body into the hot spring pool. For several minutes, she soaked the back of her head in the water. The injury was still tender, but the warm water felt blissful. When she'd had as long a soak as she thought sufficient, she climbed out of the water, dried off quickly, then dressed in her mining uniform.
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  On her way to breakfast, she couldn't help but notice eyes on her as she crossed the food hall. After getting her bowl, she retreated and leaned against the far wall, watching the room as she ate. Since the attack from Abree, she’d decided not to turn her back on anyone again.

  While she ate, she saw a group of young girls giggling and pointing towards her. Ranelle could only guess what was drawing their attention, but she decided she didn't particularly care. She finished her meal quickly, returned her bowl to the serving line, and left for the mines.

  Usually, she dreaded the walk down to work. With Abree gone and Gideon preoccupied with other matters, however, Ranelle was looking forward to an uneventful mining shift.

  When she reached the section of mineshaft number eight where their team had been working, she saw Charlie and Lara waiting anxiously.

  “Hey Ranelle,” said Lara with concern. “How’re you feeling?”

  “Better,” she answered honestly.

  “At least we don't have to deal with Abree’s attitude anymore,” said Charlie sounding brave. Somehow, Ranelle guessed that the small miner would be singing a different tune if their female team leader was there.

  “So, anyone mention who our new team leader is?” Ranelle inquired, desperately hoping that it was someone easier to deal with.

  “Actually,” came a familiar voice from behind her, “they haven't found a replacement yet.”

  Ranelle's heart nearly dropped out of her chest as she spun around to face Abree who was standing smugly in the mineshaft, holding a pyrus lantern out in front of her.

  “I thought they weren't letting you come back,” sputtered Charlie, looking shocked.

  “Hah,” laughed Abree harshly. “Hardly! You really think that they would kick me out of the mines because of Ranelle's accident?”

  “My what now?” asked Ranelle, setting her helmet and ax down on the ground.

  “You know, when you fell the other day,” said Abree as a smile spread across her smug face. She bent down, placing the pyrus lantern on the cavern floor, then straightened to look at the others.

  “I won't make that mistake again,” said Ranelle, clenching her fists as the anger built up inside of her. The pit of her stomach churned, and she could feel the injury on her head begin to throb.

  “You didn't get in trouble?” asked Lara, a look of horror on her face. After all, if the team leader could hurt Ranelle the way she did, she could do the same to anyone.

  “Of course not,” said Abree with a wicked grin. “They’re only reassigning me.”

  “Yeah, to another burrow if she does it again,” came a voice from behind Abree in the mineshaft. The miners watched as Gideon walked up in his typical miner's garb, clutching his own pyrus lantern.

  Ranelle felt a flurry of emotions rushing through her the moment she laid eyes on him. She was mad at first, but then relief set in as she realized they no longer had to deal with Abree alone.

  As Gideon approached, the female team leader shot him a look of loathing.

  I don't think Abree is infatuated with him anymore. The thought amused Ranelle greatly.

  “What do you mean, another burrow?” Charlie asked with interest.

  Abree flashed Charlie a furious look before rounding on Gideon. “It's no one's business what-” Abree started as she walked purposefully towards Gideon, but he held up a hand, cutting her off mid-sentence.

  “If she threatens someone again,” Gideon said forcefully, setting down his lantern and ignoring Abree’s challenge, “she will be sent to Cinder.”

  “I thought you were gone too,” said Lara as she set her mining helmet on top of her head in preparation for the day's work.

  “I am,” he said thoughtfully, “I just came back until they can replace her.” Gideon looked pointedly at Abree. The miners all seemed satisfied with the explanation, as well as the fact that Gideon was there to supervise. As they all separated to start their mining duties, Gideon walked over toward Ranelle. When he reached her, he bent and picked up her mining equipment, handing it to her.

  “Thanks,” she said, unwilling to make eye contact.

  “What did my father tell you?” he whispered forcefully, catching Ranelle off-guard.

  “Your father?” she whispered incredulously, “I won't talk about that here.” She gave him a stern look, steadily placed her mining hat upon her head, and walked to the cave-in site to begin removing debris.

  Gideon watched carefully as Ranelle worked. He watched as each rock she moved caused her pain. Gideon could tell by the way she winced every time she lifted each load. He observed how she altered her movements, trying desperately to make up for her increasingly pounding head.

  By the first break, Ranelle could barely keep her eyes open. As the other miners snacked and rested, Ranelle sat against the mineshaft wall and closed her eyes. She felt the pulse of her heart thump, thump, thump inside her head wound. She tried to relax to get the pounding to ease up, but nothing she tried worked. A few minutes later, unable to stand seeing Ranelle's obvious pain, Gideon walked over and sat down beside her.

  “Please don't,” she whispered, her eyes clamped shut tightly.

  “Here,” said Gideon as he pulled a small tin out from inside his pocket. Ranelle lifted her eyelids slightly and watched him open the lid of the container to reveal what looked like an ointment. “This will help.”

  “What is it?” Ranelle grumbled.

  “It's a salve that Wilma makes from the herbs down by the river,” Gideon explained quietly so that only she could hear him. As he listed the ingredients off, he smeared some of the salve on to his fingertips.

  She looked at him with raised eyebrows.

  “You have to rub it into the temples.”

  Ranelle really wasn't in the mood to placate him, but since her head was beginning to make her stomach feel sick, she nodded slowly for him to proceed.

  “Turn toward me,” he said softly.

  Ranelle complied, slowly turning her body so that she was sitting cross-legged in front of him. Gideon rubbed the salve between both of his hands then slowly moved his hands up to either side of Ranelle's head. First, he smeared the substance onto her temples. Then, he slowly massaged it into her skin with small circular motions with his fingertips. Ranelle let out a grunt, causing Gideon to stop.

  “Am I hurting you?” he asked, concerned.

  “No,” she stammered, a bit embarrassed, “it–it feels okay.”

  Gideon smiled and went back to his task. Ranelle began to feel a tingling feeling spread across her skin from under his thumbs. It wasn't painful; it only felt as though her head was going numb. Eventually, the throbbing was replaced by the cool, tingling feeling.

  After the salve had fully absorbed into her skin, Gideon made softer and softer movements with his thumbs. Finally, feeling fully relieved, Ranelle opened her eyes slowly, as if just waking from a dream. When her eyes focused on Gideon's face, she saw the worry in his eyes.

  “What's wrong?” she asked with alarm.

  A moment later, her question was answered as she heard a large crack from the cave-in site they’d been clearing. Then, the mineshaft itself seemed to shudder as the floor started to shake violently. Ranelle scrambled quickly to her feet with Gideon's assistance.

  There were distant screams and the sounds of feet shuffling from the tunnel entrance.

  “It's a groundshake!” Lara screamed.

  “Evacuate!” Gideon hollered as he grabbed Ranelle's arm and pulled her toward the entrance. As they ran at the head of the group, Ranelle heard a shriek behind her. She looked over her shoulder, seeing a shower of rocks and dust fall around the others as they frantically ran for their lives. The same vibrations that had shaken the ceiling lose, rocked the tunnel floor, knocking Ranelle off her feet. She fell hard onto the ground as a cloud of debris fell around the other miners, veiling them from Ranelle's sight. Her heart leapt with sudden panic.

  “Wait!” Ranelle cried as she reached out toward the othe
rs. Gideon was at her elbow a split second later, already hauling her to her feet, but she pulled away from him, stumbling back into the cloud of dust.

  “Ranelle, we have to go!”

  “We can't leave them!” she retorted, reaching her hands out in front of her, trying to feel for the others. The dust hung thick and heavy in the air, causing Ranelle to cough as she felt around, nearly on her hands and knees.

  “Lara! Charlie! Abree!” Gideon called out, following Ranelle through the cloud of debris.

  “Wait!” Ranelle cried, her hand grazing skin instead of rock. “Someone's here!” Ranelle tugged on the person until she felt a reaction.

  “Ouch,” cried out a terrified voice.

  “Lara!” said Ranelle with relief. “Are you okay? Where are the others?”

  “We're all here,” said Charlie's quivering voice, “but Abree's hurt.”

  Ranelle crawled around their bodies, trying to get to her newly wounded enemy.

  “Don't…touch…me,” snarled Abree, sputtering as she tried to sound stern.

  She's in pain.

  “What's hurt?” asked Ranelle, trying to crawl in closer.

  “Get off me!” spat Abree as Ranelle finally reached her.

  “Abree,” Ranelle commanded, trying to keep calm and not overreact, “I know you don’t like me, but right now, we all have to help each other get out of here.” There was silence from Abree for several moments.

  “ABREE!” Gideon roared.

  “It's my ankle,” she finally responded, nearly in tears, “I can't move it!”

  “Okay,” said Ranelle sliding over rocks and mining gear to get to her ankle. As she ran her hand down Abree's calf, she discovered a large stone pinning her foot to the ground.

  “Gideon,” she cried into the cloud of dust, “I need help!” A moment later, he appeared at her elbow.

  “Let's count to three,” he said, but suddenly a low rumbling sound could be heard off in the distance.

  “Three!” yelled Ranelle, “lift!” The two of them heaved with all their strength, slowly lifting the rock. Abree didn't need coaxing; as the weight reduced on her foot, she tugged herself free, then clumsily rolled away to safety. Gideon and Ranelle dropped the rock to the ground then called out to the others.