Ascension (43 page)

He said that they
weren
’
t
completely opposed to the idea, but they didn
’
t want to cause more trouble,
didn
’
t want to
jeopardize their people.
“
I
don’
t think they believe we have a
chance,
”
he confessed.

We brainstormed some different
arguments we could use to get them on our side, but eventually we
started talking in circles, so we changed topics. I could tell that
he was tired and tense, and I was grateful that he was here to keep
me entertained while I recovered. Eventually, though, Ma came back
in and shooed him out, saying that she needed to check my head and
take care of me, which was impossible with him here to distract
her. After he left, she looked at me, and I was slightly frightened
by the hungry look in her eyes.

“
So, what did you
talk about?
”
She asked as she unwound my
head, reminding me of the servant girls begging to hear the latest
gossip.

“
Nothing,
”
I laughed, and then clarified,
“
well, nothing you would be interested in
hearing.
”

She groaned and I
caught a murmur that sounded something like,
“
You kids don’
t know how to have
fun nowadays
”.

She
didn
’
t wrap my
head back up, saying that all the wound needed at this point was
some fresh air. And for myself, she thought I could use some more
soup.

While we ate, and I was able to feed
myself this time, I asked her if she knew anything about what Erik
was discussing with the council.

“
Well, before you
told me about the other colonies, I hadn
’
t heard anything at all. But it
had me thinking, so I went to the council while I was out and
talked to them.
”

“
Really? And what
did they say?
”

She was silent
for a few moments, simply sipping her soup. Eventually, she
reported,
“
Not much. They really
don
’
t know what
to think of things at this point.
”

“
But we
can
’
t wait for
them to decide! They need to make up their minds before it is too
late!
”
I said, my voice rising in
volume.

“
Child, you
don
’
t seem to
understand how things work around here. It has been the same
routine day in and day out, and suddenly you two appear, somehow
convince the guards to leave, speaking some crazy that there are
more colonies in Ahrenia and that you want us all to join together
to fight against the King. It
’
d be crazy if we accepted it
without thinking about it first.
”

I sighed. I knew
she was right, I just didn
’
t want to come to terms with
it.
“Okay, I
’
m
sorry. But if you could think of any way to convince them that this
was the right thing to do, what would you do?
”

She looked up
from her bowl, having finished all her soup, and stared into my
eyes.
“
You can
’
t convince people to do
something they don
’
t believe in. You have to prove that it is worth believing
in.
”
With that, she stood and took my
dish, which wasn
’t quite empty, but I
didn’t complain.

As she walked away to set down the
bowls, a woman came rushing in, nearly hysterical. Her face was
tear-streaked and her eyes were frantically searching around for a
target. I was surprised when they finally found their mark, me. She
rushed towards me, and started shoving something in my
face.

“
Where did you
get this? Where did you get this!
”
The
question sounded more like an accusation, and I shrunk away from
her as much as my position would allow.

Ma, meanwhile,
had dropped her dishes with a clatter on the chair and came rushing
towards me, pulling the woman off.
“
Yasmia, stop it! Get a hold of yourself!
”
She grasped Yasmia
’
s shoulders and held her back,
and slowly Yasmia sunk to the ground, pulling Ma into an embrace as
she sobbed into her shoulders.

With the attack
over, I was able to focus on what it was the woman was pressing on
me. I instantly recognized it as Jean
’
s doll, because its purple dress
was stained with blood. It must have fallen out of my shift when
Erik was carrying me.

“
Are you Jean
’
s mother?
”
I asked, coming to the only logical conclusion I could make
about the situation before me.

Yasmia turned her
puffy eyes up towards me.
“
How do you
know her name?
”

“
She was my best
friend,
”
I stated, but before I could
expand, Yasmia started to wail again.

“
My goodness,
child, what has you in such a fit?
”
Ma
asked the woman.

“
My sweet Jean is
gone! Forever, gone!
”

“
What led you to
believe that?
”

“
The doll, her
doll, the one I made for her when she was a child out of her
father
’
s cloak,
the one I sent with her when she was taken to the surface, is
covered in her blood! And now this girl,
”
she wept, pointing at me with a shaking finger,
“
she says that Jean
‘
was
’
her best friend. Was means she no longer
‘is
’
. Don
’
t you see? Jean is
dead!
”

“
That
’
s
not true!
”
I had to repeat it three times
before I could be heard over the sobs of Jean
’
s mother. She sniffled, quieting
a bit.

“
What?
”

“
I said, it
isn
’
t true.
Jean isn
’
t
dead. Your daughter, your strong, brave, inspirational daughter, is
very much alive.
”

Yasmia
’
s chest was still jumping with
the erratic breaths that come from crying too hard, but she no
longer had streams coming from her eyes, which I could now see were
the same hazel as Jean
’
s. I could only imagine the intensity of emotions she must
be feeling right now.

“
Jean is
alive?
”
She asked, and then repeated it
to herself quietly, over and over, as if trying to convince herself
it was true.
“
But the blood, on the
doll,
”
she protested.

“
Doesn
’
t
belong to her,
”
I explained.
“
I promise you, Jean is alive and
fighting.
”
I paused before I went on,
considering what I was about to tell her, but I realized that, at
this point, the truth would be the best for everyone.
“
At least, last time I saw her she was. She was
helping me plan the rebellion. Actually, she gave me the idea. But
someone betrayed us, and she was captured before she could
escape.
”
I watched her mother carefully,
not wanting to send her back into hysterics.
“
She believed in what we were fighting for, and she
didn
’
t hesitate
to stand up against the King. I know that she expected Grundale to
fight as well. But each day that you all wait and deliberate, she
sinks deeper and deeper into trouble. To rescue your daughter, we
need to act quickly.
”
I felt guilty for
manipulating a mother
’
s grief in such a way, but there was no way around it. It
was the truth.

Suddenly,
Yasmia
’
s face
grew hard and she looked straight at me. I watched as her eyes
strengthened, and I suddenly knew where Jean
’
s fighting spirit came
from.

“
I
’
m not going to let them take my
daughter away from me again,
”
she said,
gripping the doll tightly. She stood, Ma helping her up, but Yasmia
was no longer shaking. She walked to the edge of my bed and pulled
me into her arms. I could feel every ounce of worry, relief, and
determination in that embrace, and it brought tears to my own
eyes.
“
Thank you for bringing a part of
her back to me,
”
she whispered. She
released me and strode out of the room.

As soon as she
left, I felt my body slump with exhaustion. My head pounded and I
couldn
’
t seem
to keep my eyes open. Ma helped me lean back and pulled the blanket
over my chest.

“
Now you rest,
child. Things will be different in the morning. I can feel
it.
”

Ξ

“
Fara,”
I felt
someone gently shaking me.
“
Fara, wake
up.
”
I blinked my eyes open and saw Erik
standing before me.

“
What is
it?
”
I yawned, sitting up slowly. I
noticed that my head was much improved, and that the motion only
made me slightly lightheaded.

“
I
don’
t know what you did last night, but
you saved us!
”
I looked at him in
confusion, not understanding.
“
That woman
that you spoke to? She came storming in to the council meeting last
night and practically demanded that her people get up and fight.
Her rally was incredibly effective. After about an hour of
deliberation, the council decided that they would join
us.
”

“
Erik,
that
’
s
great!
”
I was thrilled at the news, and I
marveled at the power of a mother
’
s love for her child, for that
is what truly turned things around to our side.

“
Now, they
didn
’
t agree to
send everyone. The children and elderly will of course stay home,
so some of the women will have to care for them. But these people
are strong, Fara. And I can see it in their eyes. Once they pick up
a cause, they won
’
t stop fighting for it.
”
Erik sat
down next to me.
“
Fara, we are going to
leave around mid-day.
”

“
What time is it
right now?
”
I asked.

“
It
’
s early in the morning. At
least, according to them. I
’
m not sure how you all can keep
time down here.
”

“
We
’
ve had to
adjust.
”

He winced.
“
Sorry, my bad. So, do you think you can get
up?
”

I rotated my head around to test it
out, and I found that as long as I kept it relatively straight, it
was fine.

“
Yes, I think
I
’
ll be okay.”
I gave him my hand, and he eased me out of the bed one foot
at a time. I was a little wobbly on my feet, but otherwise I felt
much better. My stomach growled, and I found that I was hungry for
something much more substantial than soup.

Erik must have
been reading my mind, because at that moment he offered me some
bread. I looked at him questioningly while chewing on it, relishing
the feeling of something with actual substance. He pulled off a
piece, and while he ate, he explained,
“
I
got it from the storage. I
’
ve been helping them all night
with the packing and preparations for the trip.
”
As if to emphasize his point, he yawned and I got a nice
glimpse of chewed-up bread mush in his mouth.

“
Yuck,”
I said,
jokingly nudging him, but I overestimated myself and lost my
balance, ending up having to hold on to him for support. I tried to
steady myself, but before I could push away, he had me wrapped in
his arms, kissing my forehead, then my cheeks, then my lips. I
looked up at him, dazed for a few moments, when suddenly a voice
interrupted my trance.

“
What do you
think you
’
re
doing out of bed?
”
I gasped and turned my
head to find Ma standing with her hands on her hips, looking cross.
I quickly squirmed my way out of Erik
’
s grasp, and he just chuckled,
keeping a hold on my hand. He let go, however, when Ma walked up
and gave him a resounding clunk on the head. She pointed her finger
at me and threatened,
“
If I
wasn
’
t treating
you for a head injury, you
’
d be getting one too!
”
She reached for my face and I flinched away, but
she was too fast and quickly had it firm in her hands. She yanked
my head down to inspect it, turning it from left to right, clicking
her tongue as she did so.