Eva's Journal

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

I looked to the woman standing before me rubbing her head. Her bright ginger hair was tied up into a bun, with a few loose curls lining her face. She had earth brown eyes and was very tall.

"Oh, I am really sorry. I didn't mean to let it out of control." She smiled and picked up the orb and it fell into tiny pieces before disappearing in the wind.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't realize it would do that." I nodded, smiling keeping my mouth tightly shut to avoid awkwardness.

"Are you okay?" She asked me and I breathed deeply.

"Yes of course. I have just been practising that magic for a while and I will need to start over."

She nodded and then turned back to the crops, using her hands to control their growth.

"You're an elf?" she nodded continuing her gardening.

"I've never met an elf before. Well, apart from the elder of course."

"Listen, did you want something?" I opened my mouth and for once nothing came out.

"Right, well I am busy so if you could go, that would be helpful." I shut my mouth and nodded walking away.

"Well, that went well, Eva." I muttered to myself.

"Don't feel bad about it. Not many people get along with Thalia." I turned to see Martha back with a basket full of food. She put it on the ground, laid a blanket and we sat eating the goodies.

"Thalia hasn't always lived here. She has a pretty rough history, especially with humans so don't be offended." I nodded eating the sandwich in front of me.

"What happened to her?" Martha looked over the fields at Thalia and then back to me.

"I'm not sure it's my place to say." I sighed, nodding respecting her loyalty to those in the village.

"Did you get the magic to work?" she asked me changing the subject, even though I kept looking at Thalia using her elf abilities to grow the crops keeping the village alive.

"I think so. I didn't think I did but then the orb broke. It's a sign that it found what it was searching for." I spoke and finished up my food. Martha smiled, nodding but didn't ask me anything more. Even though she had a loud personality, she never pried.

"You can sleep with me. I have a spare bed." I smiled and thanked her for her kindness and we walked to her house.

It was small and simple, made from white wood like the other houses and was thatched. There were small flowers on the outside and she didn't have a door, just like every house apart from the elders' hut.

Martha showed me my bed and I put my bag onto it before helping her tidy up the lunch she made for me. She said her goodnights and disappeared to bed.

I sat down and looked around the small room, with white walls and the small bed in the corner. From the bed, I could look out the small round window onto the fields, where the bright moon illuminated the ground. I was sure that this was the only place in the forest that the moon and stars could be seen.

In the fields, I watched as a woman walked onto the flat, cropless field and brought out a long staff. I stood from the bed and saw as the woman began to move around hitting invisible enemies around her. She never hesitated and continued to move around.

I grabbed my knives from my bag and walked quietly out of Martha's house towards the fields.

"Hey, mind if I join?" I asked the woman. As she turned, I noticed it was Thalia.

"Let's see if you fight better than you talk." I laughed sarcastically and brought my knives to my side.

"You're Thalia, right?" she nodded and began circling me.

"You are Eva, daughter of Agatha." I lunged forward and she sidestepped using her staff to trip me. I rolled and landed on my feet.

"Tell me about yourself, Thalia." She lunged and I caught the staff under my arm before she pulled it out.

"Well, I'm an elf with power blessed-" she lunged, "- by mother nature."

I dropped my knife, grabbed the staff and pulled it out of her grasp. She grunted and I threw the staff to the side along with my other knife.

"You?" she asked circling me, occasionally punching for me to block.

"Half-witch, half-human. Little control over my powers. Didn't realize I had them for about 18 years of my life."

She laughed and I kicked her knocking her to the floor. She grunted, tied up her hair and got up.

"Now, tell me something else."

"You first." I laughed and we began to fight closer together.

"Mother cursed me when I was a baby. Learnt about my curse whilst on the road rescuing my friend who was cursed to be soulmates with my soulmate. Found out I couldn't bear a child. Haven't seen my soulmate since."

She kept punching me and I kept defending, knowing it was helping her let out some anger.

"Brothers were killed by soldiers when I was five. Taken to the edge of the dark forest by a stranger and kept here. Learnt how to fight and have decided to enact my revenge."

I began pushing her back.

"Why did that orb break when I touched it?" I stopped and she looked at me, breathing deeply.

I ushered for her to sit down and she did, gulping down water from a container before passing it to me.

"It was a locator spell to find my friend's soulmate, which is you. Now I know you probably don't want to hear that but it's the truth."

She didn't say a word and then suddenly her eyes lit up.

"I have a soulmate? She's alive?" I nodded and watched as she smiled, the tears welling in her eyes.

"You're happy?" she nodded vigorously.

"Yes, of course. Not many people find their soulmates. What's she like?" I smiled and began to tell her everything I could remember about Anna. She never interjected and just let me explain it all.

"There is just one other thing. Her father killed your brothers all those years ago. She didn't know anything about it. Thalia!" she got up and walked away from me, screaming.

"No human is good, Eva! They are all evil." I shook my head and followed her.

"Thalia, believe me. Anna is good. She accepts me and my soulmate. She will accept you and she will love you. Please give her a chance. You could be happy, too."

She shook her head, crossing her arms.

"Please, Thalia. One conversation with her and you will be able to change your life and hers. She didn't forgive her father and she will do everything to apologize to you for what happened."

Thalia kept her back to me and I sighed.

"I will be leaving tomorrow. Please come with me. If you don't turn up on the gate late morning, I will never bother you again."

I walked away and back into Martha's house to see her sitting at the kitchen table, sipping on a steamy mug.

"Any luck with Thalia?" I shook my head, sitting down. She offered me tea to which I accepted. As we drank together, watching the morning come around, I explained everything to Martha. She was truly intrigued by the world outside of the dark forest.

"I want to go with you, out there." I nodded as she explained all the wonders she wished to see. From a simple stream to an extravagant party, Martha truly wanted to see it all.

"If the elders allow me to take you with me, I will. I however will not convince them. They only allowed me to stay here for a day after I said I was leaving." She sighed knowing they ruled hard but did what they have to for them to be safe.

"Come on, let's go and speak to them now." I smiled, taking her mug and the two of us walked into the village as others began waking up.