Nicholas Taylor - Legon Awakening

Harper interrupted. “You are not going now, and your family may have enough for you this year. This paperwork is just a precaution so that when you go into the care, or I should say if you do, it saves time.”

Without another word Harper started in on the paperwork, asking Sasha everything from how tall she was to what she could do. During the entire interview Laura and Edis sat in stunned silence. Finally the interview was done.

“Thank you, miss.”

“So what does this mean?” Sasha asked.

The collector spoke. “What do you mean? You say here that you have been turned down for an apprentice healer’s license because of your affliction, and being a good cook isn’t much of a skill now is it? You will most likely go into a service field.”

“Service?” asked Edis for the first time.

“Maid, cook, farmhand, escort, things of that nature,” said the collector coldly.

Sasha blanched at the last one on the list. Edis’s face glowed with sweat.

“Well, we have taken up a lot of your time today. Thank you for the help, and we will see you in January,” Harper spoke, and he got up.

The collector followed him but turned back to face Sasha at the door. “Dear, I would not think to leave if I were you. We will find you if you try, and I can promise you, you will not like that. I will be the one to collect in January, and I look forward…” he paused as his eyes looked Sasha over again, “…look forward to getting better acquainted at that time.” The door clicked shut.

There wasn’t much talking after that, and Sasha went up to her room. Legon followed, wanting to see if she was ok. He poked his head in the doorway. Sasha was sitting on the bed with her arms around her knees, a solemn look on her face. Legon knew that she hated not doing anything all day and that she felt like she was a burden on the family, and today’s visit must have only confirmed those feelings. He walked into the room and sat at the foot on her bed.

“How was your day?” he asked as he leaned back on the wall. He knew that neither of them would want to talk about the appraisal, but he didn’t want her to be alone.

“It was fine. I just watched mom all day. She wouldn’t let me do anything. I know she means well, but it’s still annoying.”

“Yeah, I can see that. Hey, I’m going to pick up that cleaver from Kovos tomorrow. Do you want to come?” He hoped she would say yes. It would be good for her to get out of the house.

Sasha’s face brightened a bit. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, of course I am. I’m going to head over in the morning. Don’t worry about waking me up, I’ll be fine.” He said this last part with a smile.

She laughed. “Are you sure? I don’t mind helping.”

Legon’s face darkened a bit as he reached up and felt the lump that was still on his head. “I know you don’t.”

They sat quietly for a while. Legon closed his eyes, thinking that he may have been a little overzealous at work today. He reached around his neck and rubbed the top of his shoulders a bit.

“Had a long day?” she asked.

“I think I may have strained something today, but it shouldn’t matter. I got ahead, so I’ll have most of the day tomorrow.” His neck and shoulders were really starting to hurt now that he was thinking about it. “The perfect end to the perfect day,” he thought. Sasha scooted around behind him and started rubbing and pushing at his neck and shoulders.

“Sash, you know you don’t have to…”

“I know, but I haven’t done anything today and the muscle does feel tight. Let me fix it now so you’re not hurting for the rest of the week.”

“You’re the best, you know that?” he said, turning his neck to her.

“You’re just lucky I haven’t done anything today. Don’t expect this to become a regular thing. Besides, I owe you from this morning on the hill.”

He reached up, stopping her hand, “You don’t owe me for that.”

She didn’t answer, but he heard her sniff and knew what she was thinking.

Sasha was surprised at how knotted his back was. “He must have had a hard day,” she thought. She moved her hands along his shirt along the top of his shoulders to try and get a better fix on a knot. In truth this was as much for her as him. She needed to be doing something. She just wanted a semi-normal evening. She paused and looked down at his slightly exposed back, at the tattoo that had been on him from before Edis found him in the woods. Normally it was a dark green that was almost black, but tonight it was a deep purple.

It wasn’t like any other tattoo she’d seen. Most tattoos were of names and pictures, all the lines coming together, but not on this one. None of the lines touched, and if they overlapped the image would end right before the other and continue again just past the other side. In the center of the tattoo was a circle that was filled in. Three curving branches came from it, spaced out and symmetrical and covered in little leaves that were amazingly detailed. The circle and branches overlapped what appeared to be a triangle that was filled in except where the circle and branches went over it. There was another circle surrounding everything, with only the tips of each branch breaking out from it. In whole the tattoo was about three inches wide and three inches tall.

Nobody had been able to figure out why someone would do this to a baby, but now Sasha knew the question was not why but how. Tattoos didn’t change color and they distorted with growth. This one had not, and that meant one thing: magic.

She continued working on the knot, Legon blissfully unaware of her momentary pause. She should say something to him, but what would she say? He, like everyone else in the family, was at the breaking point today. She would wait until tomorrow, wait and collect her thoughts. After a bit she stopped rubbing his shoulders and sat back down. She was still thinking about the tattoo. If it had been made by magic, then why? And did that mean that there was more to it than just decoration? She never worried that much about her brother. He was tough and could take care of himself, but if he had been marked with magic…

“Thanks Sash,” said Legon with a yawn. “It’s getting late. I think I’m going to go to bed.”

Sasha smiled at him and nodded her head. “If you must. I will see you in the morning.”

Legon got up and stretched his arms above his head, then leaned over and gave her a huge hug. He walked out of the room, shut the door, and walked into his own. The bed was bathed in soft moonlight and looked wonderful. There was a slight breeze outside that made the room feel cool and nice. He undressed down to his undershorts and slipped under the covers. His mind drifted from thought to thought in a haze as oftentimes happens when one is falling asleep. Legon drifted to sleep in what felt like moments, never knowing that next door his sister lay awake, thinking and worrying.

Legon was walking in a misty field of soft heather. He couldn’t see the sky through the mist, but there was enough light to tell that the sun was up. He could barely see five feet in front of him. He could feel the mist fill his lungs with each breath and feel the weight of it. The mist was cool and felt good. Legon knew that he was not anywhere he’d ever been before. The weight and moisture in the air made his skin feel moist, like after a heavy rain storm. He was in the lowlands somewhere. I’m probably by the sea. Arkin told me they get… what did he call it? Foggy. Fog down by the sea, that’s what this mist must be, he thought.