Daughter of Ogden

Chapter 5 - Dead Elephants

The drive to Dorchester, a small town that I had never heard of, felt much longer than it should have. The long minutes during which no one spoke were torturous. I shrank in my seat, taking as little space as possible. Still, it wasn't enough, thighs brushing with both passengers.

      While I waited for an explanation, I considered different escape plans; even in my mind, none were successful. When I concluded that there was no escaping, I huffed in defeat and became impatient for answers.

     "If I'm to be completely honest, I think the both of you and your stories ludicrous," I began casually, as we reached a red light. "But would you at least like to try to convince me otherwise?"

      Grey eyes narrowed as Aadya's grip of the steering wheel tightened, but through the front mirror I thought I saw Nathaniel's lip twitch upwards.

     "You ought to watch the way you speak," Aadya warned. "Especially in the presence of a Council member."

     "You're part of the council that's putting me on trial?" I demanded. "Pray tell, dear council member, what am I being accused of?"

     "We're not aware of you doing anything that breaches the Legion's laws... Your mere existence and the fact that we didn't know of it, is the problem."

     "So, I'm being punished for your lack of knowledge?"

     Aadya sighed, fingers tapping the wheel impatiently. I didn't need to search her mind to know she was irritated. I thought it irrational that she be the irritated one, when I was the one who seemed to be awaiting punishment for being born.

     "Hopefully the trial will go well, and no punishment will be warranted," she said.

     I wanted to ask about the form of punishment; to know my options and the potential outcome of my future. I was near ready to pull out my phone and contact the nearest lawyer. I wanted desperately to know more of the trial, but to my dismay she questioned me first.

     "What do you know about your birth mother?"

     So, they had concluded that the Irish woman hadn't birthed me.

     "Other than the fact that she left me on a riverbank for my father to find? Nothing."

     Aadya's gaze briefly flickered from the road to watch me curiously. Even Nathaniel's fixed attention had been removed from the endless corn fields. They waited silently for more.

     "My father claimed she was a nice woman," I continued. "Beautiful and clever, but very mysterious. They dated for a few months and then she disappeared. He hadn't seen her in months, but still my dad visited the valley where they used to meet... One day he found me, under the willow tree, small bassinet dangerously close to the river."

      Aadya stared straight ahead; grey eyes glossy in thought. Nathaniel watched his aunt cautiously, a mixture of shock and concern in his eyes. I realised, much to my chagrin, that the fear was not for himself. Again, he regarded me with a flash of pity.

     "You don't think—" he started, words dying as if his theory was too absurd to speak.

     "Not good," Aadya muttered, distracted gaze fading to study me carefully. Her eyes roamed my features; slowly moving to my hair, my thin nose, round cheeks, and dark eyes. Something specifically in my brown, nearly black eyes captivated her.

     "You're the spitting image of your father," she said. "But your eyes... They're so similar to Lahila's."

     "Who?" I croaked, panic gurgling deep in my throat. It seemed like this resemblance would bring nothing but trouble.