The Boarding House

The rest of the day passed. It was full of mourning and mourning didn’t make me feel any better. That night it was too silent. All the mourners were asleep and it was the silence that bothered me…Javrhon and I had shared a room, not the horror most people think sharing a room with a brother is, and when we’d had the argument I’d grown accustomed to not hearing his soft breathing, or random movements. But tonight, tonight it was too silent. I couldn’t sleep in this. I threw off the silk covers and dressed. I was wrong, it wasn’t night, it was almost dawn. I knew where I had to go. To the place where Javrhon had been staying since we’d argued. His possessions would still be there, someone had to go pick them up. For reasons unknown to myself, I didn’t want it to be anyone other than myself.

I tiptoed past my parent’s room and down the old wooden stairs that held so many memories. I was just about to write a note to my parents to explain where I was when a small noise behind me made me jump.

“Skalett, go on, the horse is ready. Call us if you need a carriage for Javrhon’s things.” My mother’s voice shook when she said my brother’s name and I rushed over to hug her. We squeezed each other tightly and she let me go. I nodded and pulled my thick, fur lined cape from the stand in the hall. Throwing it around my shoulders I hurried to the stables, the platinum clasps doing themselves up naturally. One of the stable boys was standing at the head of my horse and I vaulted onto the strong back easily. A nod from me and the boy scurried out of the way as I clicked my tongue and my horse trotted neatly out of the stables. Once we were clear of the house I urged my horse into a fast gallop.

I rode all morning, ignoring the pain of hunger and grief gnawing at my body. Our pace never changed, our horses were built for speed and endurance. We covered good ground and were at the old boarding house around mid afternoon. My horse stumbled onto the grounds, trying not to hang his proud head and find the energy to pick up his feet just that little bit higher. I stopped him and dismounted to help him further. As I neared the gate a group of small boys appeared followed by two men. They seemed shocked to see me and poured their condolences on me. This wasn’t what I needed…I knew this would happen but right now I just wanted to get to Javrhon’s room. How would the stable boys and masters have acted if Javrhon was with me? Probably just the same but at least he would have known where to go and not have to be lead around. I wasn’t going to be lead around like some child. I refused to look helpless. I would see my horse was in perfect stabling conditions for his breed and then march straight up to that house and-

“Lady Skalett, what a most pleasant surprise in these tragic times. Come, I am sure you are in need of refreshment, do not worry we have had your magnificent horse breed in our stables before. Hop to it lads.” A voice called out, I was so lost in my thoughts I didn’t see the person who owned the voice until he took the reigns from my hand and raised my fingers to his lips lightly. I watched as his stable boys took my horse away and longed for its return, to be flying across the fields once again where I was lost to the painful grasp of reality. I felt a slight tug on my arm and looked down to see it linked through the man’s. I looked up and saw his face then, his blonde hair falling into gold eyes underneath a brown peaked hat. His hands were covered in white gloves and he looked young.

“I am Rorinn O’Leara, my brother Kenwynn runs the boarding house. He requests to see you but will wait for however long you need. You are more than welcome to stay here as long as you wish milady.” Rorinn told me with an easy smile. I was starting to like the boy, although he was too tall for his age. I was sure he was younger than me yet he was at least a head taller than I was. Some of these males, they grew so tall at such a young age and then grew even more as they aged. I swear that everyone has giant blood in them somewhere along the line, but it only shows in the males. Okay, stop thinking and answer Skalett.

“It is nice to meet you Rorinn; I must see your brother immediately. I do not intend to stay long.” My voice faltered; did I intend to stay long? I didn’t know. And why was I talking so formally? I never used to speak like this…only in public…I needed privacy, I needed Javrhon. And I needed to stop repeating myself. I allowed Rorinn to lead me although it didn’t appear that he was leading me because he was always half a step behind me. This was standard protocol for walking next to Mythicals. No one was worthy enough to walk beside us except for our own kind, if we were being shown somewhere of interest the people would be behind us, if the place wasn’t really of interest or it was more private they were allowed to come closer. The rules and regulations that came with my race had stifled my brother and I. We had sought refuge in the outside world, but still hadn’t fully escaped it. I knew that my brother had, with this boarding house. Javrhon had told me that he had felt so free there, that the people hadn’t treated him as if he were a god but as just another guest in the house. That’s why Javrhon had wanted to take me here, he had told me that there were plenty of rooms available and with so many different races passing through there was never a dull moment unless you wanted quiet. The boarding house had everything you could wish for and more. He lied. I thought bitterly, the boarding house couldn’t bring Javrhon back, nothing could. But it still held his presence and that was the closest thing I had to him right now.