Eydeth brushed off his mud-stained pants and tunic and turned to his sister with a sneer.
“I pulled her down, of course.”
Ellysian was taken aback and donned a patronizing look.
“What?” demanded Eydeth, annoyed at his sister’s condescending glare.
“Oh, I’m not disappointed that she fell, that was a nice little trick you just came up with,” she answered haughtily, crossing her arms smoothly.
“Well, what’s the problem then?” Eydeth growled.
“If mother and father find out what really happened . . .” began Ellysian angrily.
“They won’t!” Eydeth cut her off. “And if someone tells them, I’ll just say it isn’t true. Who’re they going to believe, those three Nesnan-lovers or their own children?”
Eydeth looked like a prize rooster who’d just lost the first fight of his life and Ellysian would have laughed at him, but it wasn’t worth the effort.
After thinking about the situation for a while, Ellysian saw that her brother was right. She wasn’t about to concede however, without adding her own thoughts. She screwed up her mouth in an unpleasant smirk and said, “Too bad your plan completely backfired.”
“How do you mean?” Eydeth asked, pausing in his attempt to scrape off the layers of moss and icy mud. Jahrra may not have been hurt, but she had been ridiculed.
“Now everyone is sympathizing with her, and she’ll most definitely tell them the whole story. Mother and father we may be able to fool, but everyone else knows how much we despise the Nesnan and her friends.”
Eydeth stood up straight, dark, muddy water dripping from his hands, and narrowed his eyes. Slowly he began to see the truth in what his sister said and his expression turned from disappointment to anger.
“Don’t worry,” Ellysian added as they walked back to their house in the growing darkness, “we’ll find a way to get back at her, somehow.”
-Chapter Fifteen-
Friends in Unexpected Places
The sight of Jahrra being half carried, half dragged back to the house by her friends and one of the servants must have been quite a sight for the lord and lady of the great house to behold. Fortunately, they were too busy indulging their adult guests to notice not only the large party now approaching, but also the fact that they had been short twenty or so children for quite some time now.
The knowledge that she might’ve been missed didn’t bother Jahrra one bit. In fact, she was greatly pleased by it. The last thing she wanted to do was draw more attention to herself by causing a scene among so many disapproving people. The large, strangely-silent mob stopped at the bottom of the staircase leading up to the back patio, eyes still wide with shock from what had happened in the canyon.
The young man who had come to the rescue turned, left Jahrra to lean against Scede, and addressed the other children, “Now, I’m going to take this young lady into the kitchens so she can clean up. I suggest the rest of you return to the party and enjoy the rest of your night.”
The Nesnan man, who didn’t look much older than Jahrra’s oldest schoolmates, had a kindly tone of voice and seemed genuinely concerned about Jahrra’s recovery. He also seemed quite aware of how this scene would be received by the host and hostess. Jahrra had a feeling that he knew the master and mistress of the house would be more horrified at the idea of a girl covered in mud than at the fact she’d nearly been killed.
The young servant looked over the children once again, his eyes dark and his mouth set sternly. He clasped his hands casually in front of him, as if patiently waiting for an unruly party guest to finish a long-winded complaint. It seemed to work because gradually the school children began shuffling their way up the stairs, leaving only Scede and Gieaun remaining.
“Now, how about it?” he asked, jerking his head toward the stairs after the other children.
“She’s our best friend,” Gieaun said, tears swimming in her eyes as she hugged Jahrra’s overly-abused jacket. “Can’t we go with her?”
She looked up at the young man with pleading eyes, and he sighed, dropping all pretenses. “Of course, of course. I just hope you three don’t mind spending the rest of the evening in the kitchen with us lowly servants.” He smiled warmly and Jahrra cheered up a bit.
The young man went on to explain to them that the two children who came and got him told him all about what had happened.
“It just isn’t right, treating people so. I know how you feel.”
He patted Jahrra on the shoulder and instead of heading up the stairs they took a narrow stone path leading under the raised terrace and across a narrow footbridge over the creek.
“Where exactly are we going?” asked Scede cautiously.
“To the lowest level of the house, where the kitchens and servants’ quarters are,” he replied. “Don’t worry. The partygoers won’t venture down here. You’ll have a chance to clean up and get something to eat. And if you wish to stay, you’re welcome to partake in our own humble celebration of the Solsticetide.”
He smiled down at the younger boy and Scede returned the gesture weakly.
Jahrra thought her rescuer had a charming smile and although his face showed that he was tired, his dark brown eyes laughed when he grinned. At the other end of the footbridge there was another stone deck, one that was attached to the north wall of the house. The young man led the children up to a wooden door and knocked at it strongly. A few seconds later a short, rather round woman jerked the door open in alarm.
“Lahnehn! Where ya’ been? We been lookin’ all over for ya’!” she exclaimed.
She seemed quite perturbed and relieved at the same time. Her face was pink and shining with sweat as if she’d been slaving over a stove all day. Her light brown hair was streaked evenly with gray and was tied back tightly in a bun, all except for a crown of lose tendrils that floated around her tired face. Her brow was furrowed and her small russet eyes were narrowed.
“Many sorrys Mrs. Addie, but you see I was called away for an emergency of sorts,” the young man explained guiltily as he gestured towards Jahrra. “This young lady was enticed up the falls at the end of the canyon by our young master, and she fell only to be caught by a patch of oak branches.”
“Oh, my!” the older lady retorted.
Her stern demeanor softened for a heartbeat but hardened once again as she placed her hands on her hips.
“That youngin’ is too brash I tell ya’, far too brash gettin’ others into trouble. Come in dearie, we’ll fix ya’ up. I’ll call in some of the younger ‘uns to get ya’ cleaned up and then we’ll fetch ya’ somethin’ to eat. Thank goo’ness for the oak tho’. Ethoes herself musta been watchin’ out for ya.”
The woman shoved her sleeves farther up her plump arms and fluttered off in a flurry of skirts while the young man led the children into what could only be the kitchen. The warmth of the room was welcoming to Jahrra, who was dripping and freezing from the cold mud that coated the entire front of her body.
As she stood waiting to thaw out, she scanned the large room now surrounding her. There were three long, heavy wooden tables stretched across the floor, all of which were covered in food awaiting preparation. Four great stone ovens were set deep in the wall at the far end of the hall with a doorway and staircase, presumably leading to the upper levels of the house, placed on either side of them. On the right hand side of the kitchen was a great basin for washing and preparing food, and on both sides of this basin was a door leading to another room.