The Realms of Thrice (Lesbian Fiction)

Chapter II - Family

Chapter II - Family

Fifteen years past, in the year of 1e99 on the 23rd day of The Eclipse of Dawn.

It had been many, many weeks since Nora had last seen the eccentric yet adoring girl. She had to be very mindful in plotting her escapes. The last thing she wanted or needed was to be discovered by her mother. She would be confined to her chambers for days. A thought she’d just assume not have.

They met at the old tree. The same place they had first met all those days ago. Emri greeted her with a bright smile and a ‘hello’ before climbing up on her horse and heading to her home.

The trip seemed shorter than before; of course they weren’t under the duress as they were last time. Emri didn’t have a gaping wound to attend to. But it was a pleasant ride nonetheless.   

When they arrived at the home, Nora followed the young girl up to the rickety house. This would be the first time she met the rest of Emri’s family. The house stood small, well kept but showing its age due to the warped and swelled planks of wood. The house seemed to be leaning slightly making Nora question its stability. A small stone chimney rose from the roof and wisps of gray smoke floated out.

The garden and firewood stash outside appeared well maintained, and the windows and stoops looked freshly cleaned and swept. It was really quite quaint.

Emri ushered her in through the side door right into the kitchen.

Nora swallowed nervously as she looked around, surveying her surroundings. An undersized hearth and kettle were to her left and she could tell the main living quarters flowed from the kitchen to the den not but a few yards away. The house seemed to only have two rooms: the one she stood in, and another tiny room she guessed for beds. Her stomach knotted as she realized her private washroom chamber equaled the house as a whole in size. What little furniture lay scattered about looked mismatched, broken, or in such disrepair it held little use. Her mother would be furious if she knew she had set eyes on such a place let alone visited, dined, and acquainted herself with the inhabitants. To her mother, these kindhearted people were not people at all, merely urchins that of whom she took money and services from.  

“Ma! Me and Nora are gonna walk the stream!” Emri called out into the house. Emri glanced at her with a shy grin and mirth in her eyes. She returned the smile but startled when a loud thud came from the backroom. A young boy, probably around Emri’s age rounded the corner in excitement.

“Oh!” he exclaimed. “Can I go too?”

“No!” Emri said with a look of annoyance. Her tone said it too.

Nora watched the boy’s disappointment as it fell to his shoulders. He looked to Nora with a sad smile and went to walk back to his room, obviously knowing an argument with his older sister would not turn to his benefit.

She squeezed Emri’s hand that she had yet to release, before she spoke. “Let him come with us,” she implored, eager just to spend time with others.

Emri just shook her head animatedly with a childish pout. “He’ll get in the way,” she said and it came out whinny. Nora looked at her disapprovingly and Emri conceded, mumbling a ‘fine’ under her breath. Danny heard her loud and clear as he ran off to slip on his shoes. Emri shook her head in mild annoyance as she yelled after him, “Grab your rod! You can catch us supper!”

“He loves you so. You’re lucky to have a brother.”

Emri huffed. “You want ‘em? I’ll be happy to trade him for silence.”

Nora diverted her gaze as she settled on her hands, wringing them nervously as she spoke, “Silence becomes deafening after so long.”

Emri was about to respond when her mother walked in from outside. “Oh, girls!” she greeted. “I was beginning to worry.” She thought nothing of it to pull Nora down into a friendly hug. “Pleasure to meet you, Nora. Emri has spoken of little else than her new friend these past weeks. She tells us you’re a skilled bow woman. She loves hunting. Stays out most of the day … I’d imagine she would love your company. Perhaps she could even take a few lessons from you.”