Leaving Home - Again (Chapter 4)

((Continued from "Enter Anthony (Chapter 3)" ))

In the morning, Jamie and Anthony prepared to leave and go back to the estates of House Ilotan. The trip took them two days, and when they arrived, they were met with anxious guardsmen and Calioner.

"We were beginning to worry about you!" he said. "What took you so long?"

Jamie cut him off with a wave of her hand. "Sir, as a healer, I must insist that the first priority is Biaren's health. Is the chief Healer around?"

An older man stepped forward. "I am Master Healer Vitark. Healer, please tell me what conclusions you came to..." he said, leading Jamie and Biaren away. Aeric stood there, dumbfounded.

"Come with me," Anthony said gently. "Calioner, call a council. Now." He moved into his meeting room before Calioner could sputter any protests.

Fifteen minutes later, Anthony's Captain of the Guard, the Head Servant, the Head Groom, and anyone else in positions of power assembled in Anthony's meeting room.

Anthony surveyed them, looking every bit the Lord of House Ilotan.

"Biaren will be better than ever," he said to open. Sighs of relief went all around the room.

"Healer Jamie has diagnosed him and prescribed a treatment," he continued. "She has assured me that the recovery process will take no more than a month."

His tone grew deadly serious. "I have decided to travel with Aeric and give him more experience on the world. In case either Aeric or myself becomes sick, Healer Jamie will accompany us."

The murmurs grew. He knew they would. He had anticipated this. He knew what they would think of him. He was a widower, traveling with an unattached woman. Perhaps the fact that his thirteen year old son was traveling with him would dispel some of those rumors...

But it was a credible excuse to have Jamie along. She was the only one that any of these people knew of that was able to diagnose and prescribe treatment for Biaren's illness. The healers here were competent enough to follow the instructions she would give them. And if Aeric was going to inherit his late father's House, then he had to know something about the world it was in.

"Sir, what other sort of escort will you be taking?" his Captain of the Guard asked

"An armed force to be selected by you, Captain," Anthony replied, having decided that it would be safe and would appease some of the stuffed shirts.

"How soon will you be leaving?"

"As soon as we can arrange it," Anthony replied.

"Who will be in charge while you're gone?" Calioner asked.

Damn. There wasn't anyone but Calioner to leave. But he could make sure that there was a House for him and Aeric to come back to.

"I expect that I will trust you, Calioner," Anthony said, "with the safeguarding of House Ilotan for myself and Aeric to come back to."

There. That would put it in everyone's mind that House Ilotan belonged to Anthony and Aeric, but he would also speak to several servants and instruct them to keep an eye on Calioner. Of course if Calioner found out, he'd throw a fit, but Anthony was justified.

"More questions?" Anthony looked around the room. "Good. Captain, I'd like you to start the selection process as soon as you are able. We'll take a guard of ten, I think. Pilokat," he said to the Head Servant, "begin packing for Aeric and myself, getting us all the necessary goods, and seeing into provisions for the soldiers." He turned to the Head Groom. "Make sure there are fresh mounts for all. Healer Jamie, Aeric, the soldiers, and myself." The people he spoke to went off to do as they were instructed.

"Calioner," Anthony said, "I'd like you to come with me while I show you some of the things you'll need to know." This would further fix Calioner as a temporary replacement who wouldn't be serving full time.

Calioner fumed, but followed Anthony to his office.

-------------

The next day, all rose bright and early to make preparations for the journey.

Pilokat had come through magnificently, loading the horses with clothing and food to last a lifetime. At least that's what Jamie thought, who'd been living off of bare minimums for the past five years. But Anthony kept inspecting the bags over and over again, saying that they needed more of this and more of that. Jamie was amazed, watching him work.

Finally around midday they were ready to leave. They ate the final meal at House Ilotan and set off. A large crowd gathered to watch them leave. Biaren was among them, his face still pale but full of energy. He'd wanted to go, but had accepted the fact that he had to stay.

They stopped in the evening in a town called Yyndris. Anthony dismissed half the ten soldier escort and kept the other half with him. They went up to the Mayor of Yyndris's mansion and were shown in. The Mayor was delighted to have the head of the ruling House in this area for his guest. A feast was arranged, to be held later that night. It was last minute, but the Mayor made sure everyone who was anyone in Yyndris would be there.

Eridan, a soldier in Anthony's escort, was one of the five given leave to wander the city. He decided to check up on his friend and fellow soldier Jalikan. Eridan knew the city, he'd been a member of the Town Guard before Anthony had offered him a position in his Guard.

Eridan hadn't heard from Jalikan in a while, but last he heard, he was married to a girl named Amata, a mostly introverted person, but a nice gal once you got to know her. Eridan was envious.

He knocked on Jalikan's door, and it was Amata who answered. She was a twenty-three year old woman, on the short side. Her brown hair fell to her shoulders, the red and gold sunstreaks gleaming in the late afternoon light. Eridan found himself wishing he'd met Amata first.

"Good evening, milady," he said with a bow. "Is Jalikan at home?"

"Hey, it's Eridan! I didn't know you were in town!" Amata said, smiling warmly and allowing him to give her a chaste hug. Chaste, he reminded himself.

"No, Jalikan's up at the mansion. Apparently there's some big high-and-mighty Lord in town."

"Hey, you're talking about my employer," Eridan teased. "Yes, I'm escorting Anthony, Head of House Ilotan, and his son Aeric, heir to House Ilotan, and a healer, Jamie I think her name is, as they travel the continent."

"Isn't Anthony the one who married the widow of the former head of Ilotan?" Amata asked. The look on her face was as confusing to Eridan as she looked to be. He decided it was better not to try and figure it out.

"Yes, and there's some sort of feast being planned for later tonight. I'm sure that they'd let you come," Eridan said.

Amata grinned. "In that case, let me change into something more presentable." She was wearing work clothes that were torn and dirty. "Don't you think?"

"Amata, I would earn the wrath of your husband if I answered that question honestly." Eridan tried his best to keep a straight face.

Amata laughed. "Let me change, and I'll let you escort me."

"Gladly!" This was going to be an interesting evening.

----------

About half an hour later, Amata appeared, dressed in all her finery. Eridan did his best not to gape at her, just smiled kindly and offered her his arm. "I've arranged for horses to take us there," he said. "They're right outside."

"Good," Amata said with a smile. "You remembered I like to ride."

"I did indeed," Eridan said. "Jalikan will be there, waiting for us."

Amata's face brightened considerably. Eridan could tell that she really did love Jalikan, and envied him even more.

The ride to the Mayor's mansion was short, as the guards were encouraged to live close to their Mayor in case of an emergency. Eridan stabled their horses and escorted Amata to where Jalikan was on guard.

If Eridan thought Amata's face was radiant when he first spoke of Jalikan, then she was positively glowing as husband and wife embraced. Eridan resisted the urge to wipe a tear from his eye as he watched the pair.

What the hell ... "Jalikan, I'll take your place here, go on and eat dinner with Amata," he said.

"Eridan? Gods, I didn't even notice you!" Jalikan said, wrenching himself away from Amata and giving his fellow soldier a brotherly hug.

"It's alright pal, the power of love'll do ya any day," Eridan said, pushing his friend away. "Go enjoy the night with Amata."

The couple smiled and waved happily at Eridan, going into the Great Hall where dinner was just starting.

----------

Ailarn, the Mayor of Yyndris, was sitting at the head of the table. As the honored guests, Anthony, Jamie, and Aeric were seated to his right. Several other dignitaries were seated to the left. Jalikan and Amata took unobtrusive seats towards the middle of the table. They tried not to really be noticed, but Anthony noticed.

His mouth fell open in shock, and he hastily closed it. His hands were shaking, and he felt his back wet with sweat.

"Rebekah." The name escaped his lips like a gasp of air, so soft that only Jamie heard.

Memory flooded his mind...

Anthony watched her every day, a goddess walking among mortals. It was freshman year, and her name was Rebekah. She sat next to him in his English class, her brown hair teasing him every time she moved. It didn't matter that she was a sort of outcast and nerd, her glasses only enhanced the pure beauty of her face. The freckles that dotted her cheeks were like little beauty marks, and Anthony always found himself getting lost in her brown eyes.

It was Jamie who poked and prodded him endlessly until one day...

"Hey Rebekah," he said with a goofy smile on his face.

"Hi Anthony," she said, returning the smile more hesitantly.

"I was just wondering," he said slowly, then sped up. "If you, uh, wanted to go to the movies with me, this Saturday."

Rebekah didn't respond for a minute, and Anthony's heart sank to his toes.

Then -

"I'd love to," she said, her face splitting into a smile.

Anthony could have cheered. "Great! I'll uh, swing by your house about 7, is that okay?"

"Sounds awesome," she said.

"Great!" He really had to stop repeating himself. "I'll see you then."

Eight months.

The best eight months of my life were spent as her boyfriend.

She's here.

Jamie had noticed by this point. "Anthony, what's going on?" she hissed under her breath.

Anthony didn't answer directly, just leaned and murmured something to Ailarn. Then he stood and dragged Jamie out into the hall with him. She could hear him starting to talk - "Lord Anthony felt unwell, and is being attended to by Healer Jamie-" before they were out of earshot.

Amata had wondered what was going on when that Lord Anthony made his disappearance so quickly. Just before he'd gone, she had a glimpse of his face.

All that was in her field of vision was Anthony's face. He just smiled at her, his arm protectively around her shoulder, and she felt her stomach doing flip flops.

"I don't know where I'd be without you, Anthony," she heard herself saying.

"Miserable and lonely. So would I, without you, -"

There was a name there, and it wasn't Amata. She shook her head once to clear it. Was that a dream? A fantasy?

Or a memory.

Her hands shook uneasily as she diced her meat.

--------------

"Anthony, what in -" Jamie began, but was cut off by her friend's frantic gestures.

"She's here," he said.

"Who's here?"

"Rebekah," Anthony said.

"Your ex-girlfriend? I didn't see her," Jamie replied.

"She's here, I saw her when she sat down with one of the Mayor's Guard," Anthony insisted.

Jamie shrugged. "Take your word for it, but what are you going to do? It's been five years since you last saw her, and it was two years before that you guys broke up."

"I know," Anthony said, sighing sadly.

"Anthony, get over it, alright? Didn't you just hear me? It's been seven years since you meant something to her more than just her friend," Jamie said.

"I still want to talk to her," he said quietly.

"Of course we have to talk to her," Jamie said soothingly. "Isn't that what we took this trip for? To find more of us?"

"I guess you're right," Anthony replied sheepishly. "Say, how'd you get to be so good at that sort of thing? You never used to be."

"Years of practice," Jamie replied. "You'd be surprised how many people let their problems out when they come to the Healer. I guess they feel that I'm someone they can trust, and they feel comfortable talking to me." She shrugged. "Let's not worry them overmuch," she said, referring to the people back in the Hall.

"We're going to talk to her after dinner," Anthony stated.

"Yes, Anthony," Jamie said, rolling her eyes. Anthony punched her playfully in the arm. She grinned and rubbed the hit. "I'll get you later for that one. For now, let's assure them you're in good health."

---------

The rest of dinner passed without much excitement, Anthony and Jamie making small talk with their neighbors and being generally bored about it. Finally everyone retired to the drawing room. Jamie was first to approach the woman that she did recognize as being Rebekah.

"Good evening, madam," she said with a smile. "I am Healer Jamie, most recently of River Towne. May I share your fire?" Rebekah happened to be sitting in front of the fireplace.

Amata felt a jolt run through her body, much like when she'd seen Lord Anthony's face. Except this was much more profound.

"I know you," she replied in a voice barely above a whisper. "Don't I?"

Jamie glanced around to make sure they were alone, then said in a voice that echoed Amata's, "I should say you do, Rebekah."

"I'm Amata," Amata replied. "I ..."

Jamie was beginning to get an idea of what had happened. "Reunion time can wait. I'm a healer, perhaps I can help you." She'd seen this before.

For whatever reason, Rebekah/Amata didn't remember her past. Jamie was willing to bet that her story would start with her being eighteen and being found somewhere, unconscious, and with no memories.

Sure enough, that was how Amata began her tale. She was found outside a farmhouse, lying on the ground. When she woke up, she didn't remember anything.

Maybe something happened to her in transition, Jamie mused. Or perhaps she wasn't as lucky as Anthony and I and landed on a rock, which did something to her brain.

"The old couple who lived in the farmhouse were very nice," Rebekah continued. "They didn't have children, so they decided to adopt me. They gave me a place in this world, because although I had one before, I didn't when I came to them."

Not in this world, Jamie thought, but said, "Go on."

"I grew up and moved to Yyndris," Rebekah said. "Then I met Jalikan. He's a guard for the Mayor," she said, a dreamy sort of look coming over her face. "He's the love of my life."

"Anthony'll be disappointed," Jamie muttered, but Rebekah caught it.

"I do know him," Rebekah said. "When I saw him, I had a ... I guess it was a memory," she said. "We were ... together," she blushed slightly.

Jamie nodded. "Rebekah, come with me."

Amata/Rebekah was surprised that this woman, who was so clearly her age, would order her around like that. But it made sense, and she was a Healer. Maybe she could help her.

The two women walked outside to where Anthony was waiting. Anthony's face shone brightly, expectantly, but Jamie shook her head gently.

"Raina, my mentor, tried to show me how to heal without using herbs," she explained. "With magic. I could never do it though. But I'm going to try again. I think it's easier for you if you have your memories back. The truth about your past is not going to be easy for you to accept," she cautioned. "But you have to accept it."

Rebekah nodded warily.

Jamie took a deep breath, calming herself. She remembered Raina's countless lessons on this.

She felt her aura extending, digging into the Earth itself, and tapping the power of the Earth.

She almost lost concentration with her surprise. She had never gotten anywhere near this before, and she plunged in.

She felt her aura getting small and large at the same time, entering Rebekah's mind and looking around cautiously. There were huge gaps in her memory, memories from her life with Anthony and Jamie that were buried underneath the present day memories.

Jamie restored those memories to Rebekah's consciousness. Then she retreated from the other woman's mind and returned to her own. She felt dizzy and tired when she got back, but plunged her aura further into the Earth and replenished herself.

It was the first time that exercise had actually worked for her. And she had done it flawlessly. She watched dimly as Rebekah clapped her hand to her head, mouth hanging open.

"That should do," Jamie said softly, sitting down in a chair nearby.

Amata - no, it really was Rebekah - relived eighteen years of experience in minutes. She saw everything she could ever remember from her old life, and gasped as she realized the truth of where she came from.

Memories sprang up, events pushed to the far back of Rebakah's mind. Getting on the bus, that very first day of school. Growing up and entering middle, then high school. She saw her friends change and fade, even as new friends took their place. She remembered the first time she ever got behind the wheel of a car - she ran over a shrub. She saw her looks change, from girlish to mature. Words that would have meant nothing to her hours earlier now had complex definitions, along with memories attached. Computers. Talking to people over the internet. "Car" had meaning to her. She relived her trip to Florida, and the pain she'd felt when her grandmother died.

And then she saw the same memory Anthony had, of him asking her to the movies. The flash of a scene she'd experienced when she first saw him was expanded upon. She could almost feel the night breeze through her hair, even as Anthony's fingers ran through it. She savored the memories, basking in the ... life they gave her. She had a past. She had a name. The memories were as new as a CD being played for the first time, and yet had the old familiarity of her stuffed bear she'd gotten when she was three years old.

The thought entered her mind, that perhaps she had been set up by these people, but - it was so real! She was Rebekah Carmyle. She saw how happy she'd been as Rebekah. And if they were pulling some sort of stunt on her, she was happier with the memories of being someone, of actually having twenty three years worth of memories instead of five.

I have a life...

----------

Rob sobbed as he watched Jamie use her magic for the first time.

"Why?" he asked, crying in anguish to himself. "Damn you, why her?"

"Because," the smooth, elegant voice of his Master answered, "she has the most potential."

Rob fell to the ground and scrambled to kiss the hem of his Master's robes, though his mind screamed in violent protest. His Master chuckled. It amused him when Rob did what was so deeply ingrained inside his mind, yet loathed his actions.

"Yes, she does," he continued. "Though she chose the path of the healer, her magic can be used for so much more." A glint tinted with lust emerged in the Master's eye.

"Master, you have me ... you have the Betrayer," Rob said, refusing to use the real name of his other classmate. "What do you need Jamie, Anthony, and Rebekah for?"

"You disappoint me, slave Robert," his Master replied. "How many times have I told you, I need all of you. Not just you and 'the Betrayer', as you so term him." His Master laughed softly, a bone-chilling laugh nonetheless.

"The Betrayer will reach them soon," his Master commented. Rob shivered involuntarily.

"You will tell her part of the truth tonight," he continued.

"I'll tell her all of the truth!" Rob shouted. "I'll tell her what you plan to do, why she's here -"

"You forget, Robert," his Master said smoothly, "you don't really have any say in what you do and do not tell her." He extended a slight crackle of his power.

"Of course, Master," Rob's mouth said. His mind wailed. His Master chuckled.

"You see, your words don't have to be your own," his Master said. "They can be ... mine."

If the walls had not been magically soundproof, as Rob's mouth was returned to him, the countryside would have echoed for miles with the sounds of Rob's mental and physical screams.


((Continued in "Invalid Item" ))