Soul Song ~ Book One

Chapter Six

The next day. Dania was wakened early by Lyla who seemed distressed to be waking her. Or, Dania wondered, if it was something else? The voice inside of her whispered things to her of fear and pain. Something was wrong. She went to the kitchen for breakfast and found, not a happily cooking Lyla, but a very worried Lyla that didn't seem to be capable of putting a meal together. Dania offered to help, but was shooed away. Dejected, Dania decided to go out to the garden.

The fresh air helped her disposition a bit, so that she was almost not disappointed to have the peace interrupted by Lucas.

"Lovely day, isn't it?"

Dania squinted up at him from her perch on a stone bench as the sun was right behind his head. Without waiting for an answer or invitation, he sat next to her.

"Are you ready for this evening?"

Confused, Dania shook her head. "This evening?"

"You know, the town meeting. Everyone will be there. I think even the Healers will be coming down from the mountains."

"Why?"

"The plague. My father has a plan to save everyone."

"How?"

"It's a mystery. The Elders have been working day and night coming up with a solution. The Healers aren't doing their job. People are dying and they just sit in the mountains and do nothing."

"That's not true," Dania scowled at him. "They came to my house and they tried."

"And yet, you still ended up here with no family, didn't you?"

Something inside her growled up like an angry wolf. True, the Healers hadn't saved her family, but she didn't like someone like Lucas saying bad things about them. "Well, maybe if the Elders did their part, they might have been able to do theirs."

"Elders?" Lucas laughed. "The Elders are the only ones doing anything. Your precious Healers sing to sing the souls of the dying away. They can't save them, not like the Elders can."

"How do you even know the Elders can save them?"

"My father can do anything."

Dania glared at Lucas. "I can think of a few things he can't do."

"Oh? Like what?" Lucas countered.

Jumping up, Dania's height put her at the same level as Lucas sitting down. "He can't make a nice child." Huffing, she turned and left Lucas to fume.

That evening brought more confusion and trepidation to Dania's heart as she was fed, cleaned, dressed and taken by Lyla to be approved by Klellen. When he muttered something about how the villagers could not help but see things his way when they saw 'the little girl,' Lyla had grown angry and stated she would not be going to the meeting and didn't think Dania should either.

"She's just a child, Klellen."

A distracted Klellen took a moment to flash his steel blue eyes at his wife. "Exactly why I need her, wife. Take her downstairs to be taken to the dais with the Elders. Do with yourself what you like."

Hurt and anger shut Lyla up as she escorted Dania down the stairs.

"Lyla, I don't want to go. I want to stay here with you. Please?"

At the bottom of the stairs Lyla knelt and looked at Dania, her lips trembling, holding back tears. "My dearest Dania, I don't have the power here. I must do what is asked of me. The people must be allowed to decide what is best for them. Klellen feels as though it would be helpful if you were there with him to help them decide."