The girl who would wear green

Chapter Sixteen

Essie and Esmeralda stood together quietly. It was very late now, and Essie thought she should be tired, but she wasn't.
Her mum had dozed off in the chair next to Amelia, and her dad was still at the lookout. Seb had been moving back and forth between Essie and Esmeralda and the lookout.
Randolph had moved closer to the river's edge and returned saying that the group trying to cross the river had been putting together a raft and soon would be able to attempt the crossing.
Essie and Esmeralda turned to face each other, and at the same time they both began to focus on what was around them.
For Essie there was nothing, and then a gradual murmur that slowly gathered into words and intentions.
She looked at her grandmother. "Yes, Essie" she said "I can sense the danger and you can hear it, can't you?"
Essie nodded. She was hearing a lot of things that scared her. Did people really think those things? Lots of nasty swear words for a start, but she also knew that they meant to cross the river to find them and cause them harm.
The thoughts she found entering her head were about Esmeralda. About making sure she could never interfere with their plans again. Angry thoughts that maybe she could have an accident, and so could the whole family for that matter, after they had made sure they had gotten what they wanted from her. This time Esmeralda would do as they wanted.
Really nasty scary thoughts that made Essie wish she could not hear them at all.
This made Essie start to feel just a little bit angry, they were threatening her Grandmother! Well, they were thinking of threatening her, same thing really.
What she did not hear was whether they knew Essie was like Esmeralda, there were some confused thoughts floating around about her, she felt. Not that it mattered because she was starting to get her dander up.
How dare they threaten her Grandmother?? Round and round her thoughts swirled with all the noise from other thoughts and intentions. It seemed to go on for ever.
"Now Essie" said her grandmother. "It is time for you and I to put our heads together and try to stop this before it goes any further. These people mean a great deal of harm to all of us, as well as to our King and Country, and I do not intend to let them get any further with their plans to rule us all."
She then asked Randolph to take Seb and keep watch on all the movements outside and to let them know as soon as the raft was completed.
"What do we need to do?" asked Essie, "my head is full of confusion and I don't know how to use anything, and I know I have to do this right. I'm scared". Esmeralda put her arms around Essie and held her tight.
Her dad returned from the lookout. "It won't be long before it becomes light again, and as soon as they can see, they will be moving towards us. Essie, I need you to think about all the things you have noticed and all the things you have attempted to change successfully with your gift" said her dad.

"What did you notice most about the results of using your gift? Did you change anything at all, and what did you make happen differently?"
Essie thought. Her results of her efforts weren't all that amazing really, and she said so.
Esmeralda looked at Essie for a while and then she said "Essie I don't think you realise how effective your processes have been. My gift allows me to sense danger, and avert danger and to heal. My strongest power is healing. I was able to stop Lord Leopold only by using his own actions to turn back against him, and here he is again, trying to overcome us.
But you are different. For one, you are younger, which means you will be stronger. Also you have the ability to change people's thoughts as well as their intentions, and your changes, from what you have told us so far, seem to be permanent."
Randolph came into the room. "They are crossing the river now" he said. "We will have to do something soon, as they will find us once they start looking properly."
Esmeralda looked at Essie and said, "I am going to concentrate on keeping danger away from us here for as long as I can. Essie, just relax and wait and see if something comes into your mind at all. Hold onto your rock, and let's see what we can do, and don't forget, we have the extra strength of our lockets to help us as well."