The Purlieu Experiment
Chapter 12
Copyright 2015 & 2021
Celyn watched the desert from the wall around the palace every day for hours. She was at her sentry duty the day the group of camelus emerged from the desert. She caught her breath and turned to Glyn, her guardian, who was reading in the garden below her. "They're here!"
Glyn stood and shielded her eyes from the hot sun as she searched the desert for the men. "Yes, I see," she finally said.
Celyn watched until the group approached the gates. At that point she leaped down from the wall and raced to the gate, Glyn in hot pursuit, cautioning her all the while to stay back from the gate while the group entered.
The big gates opened and the camelus plodded into the enclosure. Caretakers collected the camelus and led them away as the men dismounted. When the camelus carrying Donte and Akira entered the gate, Celyn dismissed all the others from her mind. She wouldn't have recognized him if it had not been for the red-headed woman with him. He wore a white robe and sandals, like all the rest of the men, and the hood covered his hair. He dropped to the ground first and held his hands up to help Akira down. Akira smiled at him in a way Celyn didn't like. When Akira spoke to Donte, it was in a language Celyn couldn't understand. It was obvious that the woman liked him, and that he liked her.
"Celyn!" Her father's voice interrupted her thoughts.
She ran to him and hugged him. "I missed you," she said.
He hugged her. "I missed you too." He turned and looked at the two newcomers. "It was exactly as you told us it would be. But there was more. I will tell you later. I must tend to our guests." He glanced at Glyn. "It is good to be back."
Glyn’s eyes smiled up at him. "It is good to see you are safe. We will see that your chambers are ready. You must be exhausted." She turned to Celyn. "Come on, Celyn, let's help in the kitchen. They will be hungry."
Celyn followed Glyn, her head twisted as she continued to watch Donte. Probably feeling her gaze, he glanced at her. Celyn was mesmerized by his eyes. They were exactly as she had seen them in the vision. With her head turned, she didn't notice when Glyn stopped, and she ran into her. Donte's eyes flashed with humor before he looked away.
"Glyn took Celyn's hand in hers. "He is magnificent, isn't he?" She said.
Celyn smiled up at Glyn as she fell into step beside her. Glyn always understood her feelings and never made fun of her.
Celyn and Glyn helped with preparing the table that they would share with their guests, Neirin and Clud. Everyone in the palace ate at the same time in the large dining area.
"I want to sit next to him," Celyn told Glyn.
Glyn smiled. "Your father?"
"Between father and Donte."
"I don't know if that can be arranged, but we will see."
The hour before meal time dragged by, but finally arrived. Father arrived first, with their guests immediately behind him. Both Donte and Akira were wearing fresh robes, and Donte's hair had been cut so that it was all the same length. It was a short cut and he kept running his hand over it, as if it bothered him. Their hoods were down and Akira's red hair was swept up in a pile on top of her head. She was very pretty, for an old woman.
Celyn grabbed her father's hand and led him to the table. "You sit here." She said. Skipping a chair, she turned to Donte "You sit here beside me."
Glyn gave Neirin an apprehensive look, but he merely chuckled and pulled the chair out. Donte helped Akira into the chair on the other side of him. Turning to Celyn, he held the chair for her. She plopped into it and he pushed it closer to the table. Father sat on one side of her and Donte on the other. She smiled at Glyn, sitting across the table from her. She breathed a contented sigh and glanced up at her father. He looked happier than she had seen him since mother died.
Akira watched Donte every time he did something and imitated him. Donte didn't seem to notice, though. As they talked, Donte would turn to Akira and speak in her language. She would say something and he would tell the others what she said. At first, she looked uncomfortable, but after a while she was smiling. Donte's voice was deep and gentle sounding. Everyone had questions to ask him, about the Nyumbani, Bergen, Libertad and his travels. Occasionally they asked him questions about Lochfowk and he would turn to Akira, ask her and then tell them what she said. Even Celyn was able to ask a few questions of him. By the end of the meal, she was certain that she wanted to travel with him. He had been so many interesting places and he knew everything.
After the meal, Neirin took Donte and Akira to his office. Celyn would have liked to go with them, but knew better than to go to his office uninvited. They were in his office for hours - until after her bed time.
Celyn got up early the next morning, barely in time to talk to them before they left. Father and Clud were in the stable with them when she entered. Donte glanced up and smiled at her. He had a way of looking at a person that made them feel like they were the only person in the room. His eyes were kind, his voice gentle.
"Good morning, sleepy-head." He said. "I hoped we would be able to say goodbye."
Celyn glanced at her father as she spoke to Donte. "I didn't get to talk to you last night. I had to go to bed before you came out of the office." She looked at Donte. "You are supposed to exchange vows with me."
He looked startled and the smile evaporated. His troubled gaze shot to Neirin. "Now?"
Father chuckled. "She had a vision that she would exchange vows with you when she was nineteen." He patted Celyn on the head. "I told her we had more pressing things right now."
Donte looked relieved. "She is a seer?"
"I am an elw – a prophet. I told him where to find you," Celyn said. "I saw you and her." She pointed to Akira, "In the ravine near Two Fingers Rocks."
"We owe you our lives." Donte said.
Celyn looked into his eyes, trying to discern whether he actually believed that or if he was being condescending. It was impossible to tell.
"You don't believe me." She said.
Donte reached down and picked her up by the waist, setting her on a barrel so that their eyes were on the level. Celyn stared at him in surprise. No one had ever been so familiar, especially not a stranger and outsider. In her peripheral vision she saw her father and others watching, but they made no move to interfere. Donte's voice was deep and gentle when he spoke to her. He touched a finger to her chest.
"Do you believe it?"
She lifted her chin in defiance. "Of course I do."
He smiled, his eyes kind. "Then why does it matter what I believe? If it is true, it will happen."
"But you are going away. Maybe you will not come back."
He nodded. "Perhaps, but I plan to be back very soon."
She eyed him with suspicion. "Why?"
He lifted his brows and a twinkle came into his eyes. "If I am to exchange vows with you some day, I should get to know you, don't you think?"
"You are making fun of me."
He sobered. "I believe you had a vision, and I believe you saved our lives. But it will be a long time until you are nineteen and one day you will find a boy your age. There is nothing as special as growing up together and one day realizing you want to exchange vows with your best friend."
She shot a look at Akira. "Is she your best friend?"
He glanced at Akira and returned his attention to Celyn. "Ten years is a long time. Who can say if I will even be alive by then?"
"You will be…and you will be mine."
He smiled and stroked her head. "Perhaps you are right. Now hug me goodbye."
She leaned forward and put her arms around his neck, resting her cheek against his. "Will you be back for my birthday?"
He lifted her and set her on the floor. "When is that?"
When she told him the date, he stoked her hair. "I will try to be here on your birthday."
Celyn watched as the camelus filed out the gate. She climbed on the wall and watched until she could no longer see them. They had been given flasks of water and sacks of food. They would be taken to the Lochfowk border and they would walk from there on.
"Come in Celyn," her father said. "They are gone now and we must talk."
He helped her down from the wall and they walked together to the palace. There he surprised her by inviting her to his office. Instead of sitting behind his desk, he sat on a chair in front of her.
"You must not speak to Donte about this exchange of vows again." He said.
"But it is true. I saw it in a vision."
He nodded. "I do not deny that you had this vision, but Donte has been a captive for six years. We do not want to say anything that would make him feel uncomfortable about returning, do we?"
Celyn stared at him for a moment. "No."
"As he said; ten years is a long time. If he finds love and wants to exchange vows with another, you would not want to stand in the way of his happiness, would you?"
"But he is supposed to exchange vows with me."
Neirin sighed. "I understand that, but maybe you will have more visions. New visions may not be the same."
It was true. Sometimes she had updates. Hopefully this wouldn't be one of those times, though, because she liked Donte a lot.
"That's my girl. Now let me tell you all about the rescue."
Neirin told her about the rescue of Donte and Akira from the Nyumbani raiders. He told her how Donte captured the raider who got away and how he talked to the new Nyumbani colony leader. Finally, he told her of his plan to have a conference and how he wanted to learn the Nyumbani and Lochfowk languages.
"Donte could teach us," she said with enthusiasm.
"Us?" Neirin said.
"You and me," Celyn clarified. "He will be back soon and I want to learn as well."
Neirin smiled. "I had not thought of you learning, but it is an excellent idea. Young people learn languages much faster."
"When he comes back, may I go riding with him?"
Neirin thought about it for a moment and then shrugged. "We shall see."
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