Brighid's Blood - Chapter 2 - A'mara Books

2
The lift came to a stuttering stop and the doors opened to let the two women out.

“I have a couple of things to try,” Rachel said as they walked into the hallway on the 5th floor.

“What’s that?” Katja asked. “You can’t just make Ewan materialise, can you?”

“I would if I could for you, my friend,” Rachel said. “Doesn’t matter though, Ewan’s married.”

“See...all the good ones are gone!” Katja lamented dramatically.

“There must be some left somewhere,” Rachel reasoned, her voice echoing outside their door. “Besides, we’re only 20...”

“I'm 21 now, don't forget!” Katja interrupted.

“Yeah, yeah, okay,” Rachel conceded, quickly trying to return to her train of thought. “Anyway, we have plenty of time!”

“Doesn’t seem like it sometimes...So what’s your idea?” Katja asked as she opened their door.

“Wait a moment,” Rachel said in a hushed tone.

Katja closed and locked the door behind them.

“Well, I have two ideas, so far. First one first, however. You know that piece of rose quartz I got you?” Rachel asked filling the kettle and setting it to boil.

“Yeah. For unconditional love, I seem to remember you saying...”

“It works for romantic love too. We are going to write down what we are looking for in a man and put it under the crystal,” Rachel continued as she set up two mugs; one with tea, the other with coffee and a scoop of sugar.

“Sounds a bit weird,” said Katja as she fetched the crystal and put it on the coffee table in the living room.

“Yeah, I know, but it can’t hurt to try,” Rachel said pouring boiling water into the mugs and stirring them.

“I suppose,” Katja said doubtfully, grabbing her mug of coffee and putting it on a coaster near the crystal.

Rachel put her tea on the other coaster and then hunted for paper and pen. “Hey, if it works, you won’t be complaining, if not, nothing lost...as they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained, eh?” Rachel sat on the sofa across from Katja. She put on the table two pieces of paper and prepared to write with a red pen. She wrote her name on one piece and her friend's on the other.

“Height?” Rachel asked.

“5’8,” Katja said, holding her hot mug between her hands.

“Ok. 178cm for me,” Rachel said scribbling the info onto the paper. “Hair?”

“Long and dark.”

“Good. Blond for me, medium length, I think.” Rachel scribbled a moment. “Blue eyes?”

“Definitely,” Katja agreed.

“How about silver steed? Knight in shining armour? Prince Charming?” Rachel asked looking at her friend, merriment in her green eyes.

“I’m pretty sure the Palace is clean out of dashing princes for our generation!” Katja mourned.

“I’m sure there’s still some in other countries!”

Katja giggled delightfully and spoke into her coffee between daring sips. “Kind, gentle, sensitive, romantic.”

“Good lover?” Rachel asked, also giggling a little.

“Doesn’t that just follow if the rest is right?” Katja asked naively, daring another hot sip of coffee.

“Don’t know. Not sure if they follow,” Rachel said. “Do you know?”

“No experience there,” Katja admitted, feeling a bit dour.

“Me neither. Maybe we’re fated to be spinsters all our lives. Virgins to the death!” Rachel moaned fatalistically.

“Do you think it’s grounds for going into prostitution?” Katja asked.

“And have to sleep with fat and ugly businessmen who pride themselves in being horny?! No way!!” Rachel exclaimed with distaste.

“I’d rather give my virginity to a man I truly love anyway!”

“Agreed! Add anything to your list?”

“No,” Katja said. “Do we have any ice cream?”

“You and food!,” Rachel exasperated. “Yes, we have ice cream, but you're going to have to wait a few minutes if you can manage!”

“Just need a bit of comfort food, that's all,” she answered.

“Okay,” Rachel said, returning to the matter at hand and folding up the two pieces of paper. She tilted the quartz crystal and slid the paper underneath. “I’m putting our lists under the quartz. It is supposed to be quite powerful, but just in case, we’ll try something else too.”

“What’s that?” Katja asked.

Rachel went to her room and rummaged through one of her special boxes. She came back out, bringing a pink candle in a crystal candle holder. She placed it on the coffee table and flicked her lighter to light the wick.
2
The lift came to a stuttering stop and the doors opened to let the two women out.

“I have a couple of things to try,” Rachel said as they walked into the hallway on the 5th floor.

“What’s that?” Katja asked. “You can’t just make Ewan materialise, can you?”

“I would if I could for you, my friend,” Rachel said. “Doesn’t matter though, Ewan’s married.”

“See...all the good ones are gone!” Katja lamented dramatically.

“There must be some left somewhere,” Rachel reasoned, her voice echoing outside their door. “Besides, we’re only 20...”

“I'm 21 now, don't forget!” Katja interrupted.

“Yeah, yeah, okay,” Rachel conceded, quickly trying to return to her train of thought. “Anyway, we have plenty of time!”

“Doesn’t seem like it sometimes...So what’s your idea?” Katja asked as she opened their door.

“Wait a moment,” Rachel said in a hushed tone.

Katja closed and locked the door behind them.

“Well, I have two ideas, so far. First one first, however. You know that piece of rose quartz I got you?” Rachel asked filling the kettle and setting it to boil.

“Yeah. For unconditional love, I seem to remember you saying...”

“Sounds a bit weird,” said Katja as she fetched the crystal and put it on the coffee table in the living room.

“Yeah, I know, but it can’t hurt to try,” Rachel said pouring boiling water into the mugs and stirring them.

“I suppose,” Katja said doubtfully, grabbing her mug of coffee and putting it on a coaster near the crystal.

“Height?” Rachel asked.

“5’8,” Katja said, holding her hot mug between her hands.

“Ok. 178cm for me,” Rachel said scribbling the info onto the paper. “Hair?”

“Long and dark.”

“Good. Blond for me, medium length, I think.” Rachel scribbled a moment. “Blue eyes?”

“Definitely,” Katja agreed.

“How about silver steed? Knight in shining armour? Prince Charming?” Rachel asked looking at her friend, merriment in her green eyes.

“I’m pretty sure the Palace is clean out of dashing princes for our generation!” Katja mourned.

“I’m sure there’s still some in other countries!”

Katja giggled delightfully and spoke into her coffee between daring sips. “Kind, gentle, sensitive, romantic.”

“Good lover?” Rachel asked, also giggling a little.

“Doesn’t that just follow if the rest is right?” Katja asked naively, daring another hot sip of coffee.

“Don’t know. Not sure if they follow,” Rachel said. “Do you know?”

“No experience there,” Katja admitted, feeling a bit dour.

“Me neither. Maybe we’re fated to be spinsters all our lives. Virgins to the death!” Rachel moaned fatalistically.

“Do you think it’s grounds for going into prostitution?” Katja asked.

“And have to sleep with fat and ugly businessmen who pride themselves in being horny?! No way!!” Rachel exclaimed with distaste.

“I’d rather give my virginity to a man I truly love anyway!”

“Agreed! Add anything to your list?”

“No,” Katja said. “Do we have any ice cream?”

“You and food!,” Rachel exasperated. “Yes, we have ice cream, but you're going to have to wait a few minutes if you can manage!”

“Just need a bit of comfort food, that's all,” she answered.

“What’s that?” Katja asked.

Rachel went to her room and rummaged through one of her special boxes. She came back out, bringing a pink candle in a crystal candle holder. She placed it on the coffee table and flicked her lighter to light the wick. The flame grew and both young women felt its warmth and light.

Rachel instructed, “Stare at the candle and think about the man you described...no, NOT Ewan Baker, you already said he’s not quite perfect...”

“He would do, I’m sure!” Katja interrupted insistently.

“No. Think of what you had me write as we watch the candle a few minutes.”

“Spoil sport!” Katja teased. But then, she visibly calmed herself and concentrated on the flame and her list.

Katja and Rachel stared at the candle in silence. Then Rachel spoke some words.

“Powers that be, please do your best
For us, please bring a love to bless
You see our lists, our hearts are true
Bring us our loves, for us, please do
We know they're out there somewhere
Bring them to us, to breath in our air
We desire the match sent from above
For our poor hearts, send us our love!
So may it be!”

At this, Rachel stood up and went to the kitchen, leaving the candle burning.

“What did you do?” Katja asked. “Was that a spell?”

“We made a wish,” Rachel answered simply, returning with two cartons of luxury ice cream and two spoons.

Katja leaned forward to blow the candle out.

“Don't!” Rachel shouted, handing Katja her ice cream. “Don't blow away the wish!”

“Did you make up that spell?” Katja asked.

“I read it in a magazine,” Rachel replied.

The two young women sat, staring at the burning candle, eating their indulgent desserts.

Suddenly, they seemed free to discuss other matters.

“Did you see how little Alek poured glue in the fish tank today?!” Katja asked.

“No! Are the fish okay?”

“They seem to be. I don't know what he was doing. He only speaks Polish, of course, so I can't even tell him off, you know.”

“Well, good on the fish, anyway,” Rachel said seeming relieved.

“Those kids are sure fun, even though they are a lot of work,” Katja said.

“They are both of those things,” agreed Rachel. “Do you think our kids will do things like that?”

“I sure hope not,” Katja said. “Assuming we ever have kids, that is. I can imagine one hell-of-a grounding for doing something like that though!”

“Assuming they understand what they've done wrong,” Rachel added.

“I suppose that unless Alek had already learned about fish, he might not understand that putting glue in the water could harm them.”

Rachel nodded.

“All the same,” Katja continued. “It is sure going to be nice to have an extra day off just before the weekend.”

“I agree there!” Rachel replied. “I hope it's not too hot tomorrow. July has brought a lot of it this year. I'm just not used to it, I guess.”

“You know, Rach. The heat here is very different from that which I grew up with. There, it got hotter and hotter throughout the late spring and summer. Here, it doesn't do much and then suddenly gets hot and muggy. I find that much more tiring.”

“I am glad to hear that from you,” Rachel answered.

The candle was flickering near the base of the holder now. Then, it went out. It seemed sad and final somehow. They didn't wish to linger. So, the candle was left and the remaining ice cream returned to the freezer.

Then Katja and Rachel each readied for bed and retired to their rooms.

Rachel wandered through the misty wilderness on a dappled grey mare. She didn’t know how she knew it was a mare, she just knew. Somehow she also knew that the mare’s name was Melodia. She rode past a little lake surrounded by manicured lawns bordered by a rich assortment of flowering shrubs. Many were in flower, though some were already spent. It must have been late spring.

As she neared the village, she approached a flower-covered arch. As she neared, she knew the flowers were amongst her favourites, bougainvillea...and quite rare where she lived. Pink and purple, the flowers well-clothed the clumsy wooden arch as she rode underneath and into the village. As Rachel rode, she noticed the village was very busy with villagers hustling and bustling about, yet no one noticed her. Excitement was rife.

“For the Royal wedding...,” came an excited voice from the tailor’s shop.

“Need the perfect shoes for the wedding!” came another voice from the cobbler’s shop.

“I need the best fiddle...I’m playing at the Royal wedding,” from a music shop.

As she passed the fruit stand, the stall-holder was haggling with a middleman. “The caterers must have all the best for the wedding.”

Rachel wondered about all she saw. She had never been to such a beautiful village...lots of green land nestled in a valley between high, snow-capped mountains... Yet, somehow, she knew that she belonged here.

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Supplemental Materials
Prologue, map, character list
The Legend of the Sacred Trio

Please catch up!
Birth of the Neví – 829 T.C.E. It is a tumultuous period of Terrenden history. As is all too common, there are those who wish to profit from the misfortune of others. Some of these come together in a new "charitable organization" and step on the toes of the notorious Uugli. Combine this with draconian new measures to combat pollution and Terrenden has a situation ripe for a power struggle.

Rebound of Power –
Meet Iyva, a homeless teenager in Irola with a strong connection with the leya. Totally untrained, her power rebounds catastrophically, leaving her close to death. A Nameless hero saves her life, but hides. Anyone would be proud to teach her, but will she choose the safe, trustworthy A’mara or the shady ones who teach her what she wants to learn? Can she trust her hero… the Nameless One?
This story actually wraps around four other stories: Friendship on Fire,Courage to Trust, Elect to Change and Ocean of Empathy. Currently, they're only available separately, but I do plan to republish the collection as a whole - I just haven't got there yet.

sword_shaze.jpg

Don’t forget!
I’m still offering 1 Steem Basic Income share for any minnow who asks me a question which prompts an “Ask the Author” post! I’m thinking about putting these into a Dbooks ebook all its own, actually.

Image Credits:
Brighid's Blood cover art based on:

Mountain background shot (on the border of Slovakia and Poland) – PublicDomainPictures.
Village shot from Hanover, Germany – Flickr

Cave and river shot - Pixabay

All three images were under the creative commons licensing, (no attribution required.)

Shaze picture developed from PXhere
Shaze divider based on:

Sword image from Wikipedia Commons
All maps/editing by myself on GIMP and Photoscape, both free programs.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Although the penalty of knowing me in real life is that you will influence the creation of my characters; any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Lori Svensen – A'mara Books & Viking Visual