Ander - Part 1: Subchapter 7
7
Kiana didn't want to hear all this again. She knew perfectly well what had happened, even more so than they did, but she couldn't very well tell them to shut their filthy mouths, could she? No, not if she had any sense left in her stupid, empty head. How could she have been so foolish? So childish! She should never have left home.
Home...
She could feel those memories rushing up to engulf her like a black torrent, the memories of her last night at home, the one she so carelessly threw away, and for what? For nothing. Even the life she so desperately tried to run away from would have been better than this. At least there she had friends and family, a roof over her head. And something she only now realized in its absence, something she's taken for granted her whole life.
Safety.
She's never actually feared for her life before today. The very notion of it was so foreign it never even crossed her mind as she lay in her bed that night, waiting... waiting for just the right moment, for the moon to appear in the corner of her window... waiting...
*
...waiting for that damn moon!
Kiana lay in her bed, the blankets pulled up tight over her muzzle so that only her eyes peeked through, and they were fixed on the corner of her window, where the moon would appear at any moment.
Unless the gods themselves decide to send you a message, she thought. "Dear Kiana, we don't want you sneaking off in the middle of the night, so no moon for you. PS: Stop being such an ungrateful little bitch. Love, the gods who apparently know everything." Oh, Mother would just love that.
When Kiana first thought up this little scheme she was deathly afraid of falling asleep. Turns out she needn't have worried. She was so keyed up she could barely keep from shaking herself out of bed, and she was sorely tempted to do just that. Why not leave right now, at this very moment?
Because it's still too early, you silly girl! she berated herself. What are you going to do if Father catches you downstairs? Tell him you're just going out for a midnight stroll? Going out to pick some flowers for the ceremony, perhaps? Just be patient. It can't be much longer.
So she waited, and waited, her eyes never leaving that spot in her window, but never growing tired, either. Until, finally, a single slice of moon slipped past the window frame, tiny, but there. An irrevocable signal.
Time to move.
Kiana threw back her blankets and quietly got out of bed, fully dressed except for her travelling cloak, which was hanging over her chair. She put it on, wincing as the clasp clicked into place, the minuscule sound amplified to extremes by her anxiety and - dare she even think it - excitement. She grabbed a small pack of provisions she had squirreled away over the past week, spared one last glance out her window to make absolutely sure there weren't any stragglers out wandering the streets, then left her room. She considered closing the door all the way, but she didn't want to risk any unnecessary noises, so she left it ajar. At least, that's what she told herself.
In reality, it felt like a bad omen, closing the door all the way. As if she was closing the door on this part of her life... forever.
Maybe, if she left it open, she would be able to come back one day, once everything had blown over, once she'd been forgiven for what she's about to do. Silly superstition, of course, but it felt right, so she descended the stairs, taking care not to step on any of the boards that creaked, and left that open door to her back, where it would patiently wait for her return.
If she ever made it out of the house, that was.
"Wow, I can't believe you're actually doing this."
Kiana froze with her hand against the front door, certain that if she was to turn around, she would stare right into the unforgiving face of her mother, looming out of the darkness like a spectre. How could she have been so stupid? Of course Mother would have predicted she'd try something like this!
"I... I..." she stammered, trying to think up an excuse that wouldn't sound like utter cock-and-bull.
"Well? Aren't you going to say goodbye, sis?"
That voice. Kiana spun around, but it was difficult to see in the dark. "Layla? Is that you? You scared the Living Soul out of me!"
"Who else would it be, silly?" Layla said, and suddenly Kiana could feel her arms around her, a loving embrace in the dark. "Who else knows you well enough to think you'd do something as stupid as this?"
Kiana returned her little sister's hug, knowing that she might not feel the touch of another Fox for a very, very long time. "Are you going to tell Mother and Father?"
"But apparently you still don't know me all too well," Layla chuckled, albeit very quietly. "Of course I won't tell."
"Thank you, Layla," Kiana said, releasing their embrace. Layla, however, still held on to her shoulder.
"I know you feel that you have to do this, that you have no choice," she said, "but won't you please reconsider this foolishness? Just think it through one last time, for me?"
Kiana reached up and gently removed her sister's hand, taking it in her own. "You know I can't do that, Layla. I just can't."
"But where will you go? Where will you sleep? What will you eat? What if you get hurt? What if you - gods forbid - get killed? Have you given this any thought whatsoever?"
"Yes, Layla, I have given this some thought. In fact, I have given this a lot of thought. I may not know what's out there waiting for me, but I do know I can't stay here."
"This just seems like such an overreaction to me. Mateo is a good Fox. Why not go through with it? You'd be the envy of many a vixen, I can assure you that."
"I know Mateo is a good Fox, but I don't love him! I barely even know him!"
"He has money, land..." here her voice trailed off, but not enough for Kiana to miss what she said next, "... a cute tail..."
"And now you're starting to sound just like Mother."
Layla shook her head, a sad smile lingering at the corners of her mouth. "Isn't the older sister supposed to be the wise one?"
"And isn't the younger supposed to be carefree?"
"Oh, Kiana, I'll miss you so much!" Layla said and practically threw herself in her big sister's arms, weeping like she hasn't done since she was very little.
"Shush, girl!" Kiana said, startled by this sudden rush of emotion. "You'll wake Mother and Father!"
Layla backed up, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry, sis," she said between sniffles. "Just don't get yourself eaten by Wolves, all right?"
Kiana opened the door and stepped out into the freezing night air. It felt so good on her face. "Oh, Layla," she said, turning back to her little sister standing in the doorway, her tears reflecting the moonlight she had so patiently waited for. "Those are just stories to keep the pups from climbing the mountain. Everyone knows that."
"Heh, yeah," she said, shifting her weight from foot to foot. She looked so small and innocent, just standing there in her nightgown. "Goodbye, sister. I hope you'll be happy wherever you end up and... and I love you very much."
"I love you too, Layla," Kiana said, and softly closed the door, unable to say goodbye herself. Something about that word just seemed so... final. She leaned her head against the door and imagined her sister doing the same on the other side. She wouldn't be gone forever, just for a few months. Maybe a year, at most. Then she'll come back and everything will be as it once was.
Happy.
A sudden gust of wind came out of nowhere and slapped her with its icy fingers, as if to remind her to get a move on. This night wouldn't last forever.
Kiana pulled her cloak tightly around her body to ward off the chills and started on her way down the road that would lead her out of their little village, into the woods and beyond, into parts unknown. Perhaps even to the other side of the mountain.
This thought cheered her up considerably. Yes, she was sad to leave her father and sister behind, and maybe even her boorish mother, but this is something she's never done before. She's setting off on an actual adventure! Something those snide vixens at Othello's would never dream of, or even understand the reasoning behind such dreams.
"This is the best idea ever," Kiana whispered, and walked just a little bit faster.
I'm back, and here are two subchapters for your enjoyment, just as promised. :)
This has been the seventh subchapter in my serial novel, "Ander". If you enjoyed it, please help keep my face un-mauled by irritable ostriches by dropping me a donation. Thank you! ^_^
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