October 7, 1534
Mornedealth

ornedealth was a city made of wood that was its staple in trade, weathered, silver-gray wooden palisades, wooden walls, wooden buildings; only the foundations of several buildings contain any amount of stone. The outer wall that encircled it was a monument to a man's ingenuity and Mornedealth's woodworkers; it was two stories tall, and as strong as any corresponding wall of stone. Granted, it would never survive being set afire, as it would inevitably happen in a siege, but the people of Mornedealth built their wall without sieges in mind. They had built it to keep the beasts of the forests out of the city, when the hardships of winter made their fear of man less than their hunger.

Since the only city I have been to was Haldor's crossroads--less than half the size of Mornedealth--I was suitably impressed by the sheer size of Mornedealth long before we entered the gates.

We turned our beasts once more into the road and within a candlemark were under the scrutiny of the sentries on the walls. The guards gave Izzrah a steady, measuring regard that weighed him and judged him unthreatening at the moment. Then they turned their gazes upon me.

"Would you please remove your hood, miss?"

I threw a nervous look at Izzrah, but he nodded, seeing no harm in letting the guards see my face. I pulled off my hood, freeing a cascade of dark brown tresses. I heard one guard make a weird sound in the back of his throat. I turned my gray eyes upon him, and he stepped back a pace. He whispered a word that sounded like 'Austra'. I could smell his fear excluding from his body. I smiled, hoping to put him at ease. That did not help either, and it seemed to frighten him all the more. I admit It baffled me when he backed away from me and ran as if his life depended on it.

"Dom! Dom!" One of the guards shouted, concerned about his friend. He turned his attention back to us shook his head as if in apology.

"I'm sorry about that. It's just that our Dom is a very superstitious man, constantly talking about vampiric nonsense....your sister must have remotely resembled the 'blood suckers' he talks about all the time...Oh well, I guess you may enter the gates now."

We urged our mounts forward. I looked back and saw one of the guards wink at me. I frowned and turned back to Izzrah.

"Izzy, what did that man see in me that got him so frightened?" I asked, furrowing my brow. Izzrah shrugged,

"Look at yourself in the river and you will see why." He said, a look of mischief in his blue eyes.

I gasped in outrage and tried to hit him with the bow I took out from my pack, almost falling out from my mule's back in the process. Izzrah laughed and steered himself away from my reach before I could regain my balance.

"We have to begin our search right away." Izzrah said, interrupting my murderous thoughts.

"What search?" I asked.

"For our living relatives. Last thing I heard from Mother was that our Aunt Marcellina lived here, in Mornedealth.

"But Mornedealth is such a huge city....how will we ever find them?" I cried, losing hope rapidly by the minute.

Izzrah smiled, "We'll have to ask some officials of course. I'm sure they have a record of everyone living here, no matter how large the city is."

"Oh." I said, feeling stupid, but doubtful, nevertheless.

The Official's House had an iron portcullis as well as a pair of massive bleached wood doors, all three now standing open. When we reached the entrance, we found ourselves stopped by a chain that stretched across the three wooden doors. One of the men standing sentry approached us and asked to follow him to a tiny office built right in to a wall. The guard that sat behind the desk was a captain, judging from the insignia sewed on his uniform.

"Name?" He inquired, not bothering to look at us.

"Izzrah and Isabelle Rose."

At the mention of our surname 'Rose', the guard did look up. "Any relation to Isaac Rose?" He asked, his gaze riveted to Izzrah. Izzrah nodded, "Oh yes, he is our father." The captain looked incredulous, "Your father! Why you don't look anything like him!" He exclaimed. Izzrah shrugged, "I may not look like him but some say my sister does." The captain then turned his scrutiny upon me. I fidgeted nervously under his gaze.

"Smile lass." He commanded.

I smiled.

He stood up from his desk and examined my teeth. Seemingly satisfied, he sat down his chair once more.

"No, your sister is the exact copy of your mother when she was that age...except in one aspect...Well, nevermind. By the way, where are your parents?"

"They're dead sir." Izzrah said curtly, without any emotions. The captain looked surprised. "I'm sorry to hear that, son." He said with sympathy, "Never fear. I heard that you have an aunt living right here in Mornedealth. Yes, I believe her name is..." he trailed off shuffling through the unruly mass of papers cluttered in his desk. "Ah, here it is. Marcellina Austra Brigges. You two are lucky, she lives just across the church, not far from here."

We thanked the captain and went on our way, to meet this aunt of ours. The confrontation frightens me, for what if our only relative rejects us? We are not really fond of housework, and my cooking is just plain terrible. My domestic skills are a bit limited, too. I sighed and shifted my position on Kessira's back.

The ancient stone church looked very much out of place within the wooden theme of the city. Its glass windows depicting saints looked positively scary and it made me wonder if the city folks ever went near this monstrosity. I shook my head and tried to picture in my mind the worship place back home in Valdemyr. I remembered a beautiful building, not large, but certainly not small. The windows, unlike the Church of Mornedealth, were friendly and bright, inviting everyone to come in and pray. When you enter your feet touches thick red carpet, and when you look ahead of you, an altar greets your vision, glimmering in all it's golden glory. Beautiful priestesses with flowing black hair and long pale hands fluttered about, arranging the candles and some even sat beside you to join you in prayer.

I opened my eyes and tenderly hid that memory in the back of my head. It would be no use to think about anything back home in Valdemyr, specially the beautiful priestesses, for when I think of them I remember my bosom friend, Gwyn. Gwyn who wanted to be a child of the temple. Gwyn with her quick laugh and good heart. I would have cried for her, for all her ruined dreams, if Izzrah did not interrupt the flow of my thoughts.

"Isabelle, I think this is it."

I looked up and saw a quaint white house, with flower beds at each window and vines creeping up on a trellis in the garden. A swing hung from one of the huge oak trees in their lawn. I dismounted and approached Izzrah. We both stood there for quite some time, just staring at the house. When we recovered from our trance, we took halting steps towards the front door. Izzrah knocked, and the door opened so suddenly we both gasped.

"Hello."

I looked down and saw a little girl with white blonde braids and slanting blue eyes, clinging at the door. She looked up at me and grinned. "You look like grandma!" She exclaimed happily. You look like my brother, I thought at the same time.

"Ella Mae! You don't go around greeting people by saying they look like someone's grandmother!"

A woman about our mother's age, with the same hair and eyes as her daughter (and Izzrah, for that matter), came to stand by the doorway to cuffed Ella Mae by the neck.

"I am sorry, she is quite a little outspoken..." She began looking up at Izzrah, who stood nearer at the doorway. When the woman transferred her gaze to me, a look of horror passed across her face. The girl, Ella Mae, giggled. "I told you she looks like grandma but you won't believe me!" She said . The woman just stared at me as if I am some kind of ghost.

"What is wro--" I started to say reaching out to steady her.

"Don't touch me!"

I froze. Izzrah stepped infront of me, lending me his protection, for the woman looked right about to gouge my eyes if I ever so much touch a strand of her hair. "Excuse me," He said coldly, his eyes like two pools of blue fire, "I suppose you know who we are, judging by your reaction. I'm assuring you we would not impose ourselves upon you, so there is no need for violence. Good day, Aunt Marcellina." Izzrah took hold of my hand and started to walk, talking long strides.

"Izzrah?" I asked, the wished I haven't for I saw a muscle twitch in his jaw, a sign that he was really angry. I swallowed and tried to keep up with him, quite upset at what happened. When we saw our mules I broke away from him and tried to mount Kessira. Izzrah stopped me and pulled me into his arms, "We don't need her, Isabelle. We can make it on our own, I promise you. I'll work as a woodworker and I'll take care of you, that much I can say." I nodded, surpressing the urge to bawl like a baby.

"Wait! Don't go yet!"

We both turned our heads to see our Aunt running towards us.

"I am sorry. It's just that your sister looked so much like your mother, Bellinda," then to me, "Would you mind opening your mouth?"

Again, the teeth inspection. These people have a frightening obsession with hygiene. Yet still, I obliged.

Aunt Marcellina nodded, though she still looks as if she might run if ever I went an inch near her. "I understand your parents had died." She said to Izzrah, pointedly ignoring me. "You two can stay at my household for as long as you like." Izzrah smiled at her and gave her a hug. I stepped in to embrace her too, and I felt her stiffen within my arms.

Circles within circles......