Sisters, Iana's Story #30

I try to keep these posts short, under 1000 words; I aim for around 600-800, although sometimes they come out longer. I make all these plans about what will happen next and then the story expands all of a sudden. Gah. My general rule is, whatever the story wants, the story gets. That's why I had to split Roderick's latest adventure into Part1 and Part 2. Chapter 4 of Iana's story ended with a startling declaration by Joli, and now chapter 5 begins right where we left off.  

Sisters

I looked at my sister, noticing her hands clenched tighter than before. "I will go. Iana can stay," she said as if that decided the matter.

"You can't mean that," I declared.

"I do mean it. I'll go. In ten days time, when he - when they return I'll go with them, back to the forest to appease their Kings however I can. If one of us must go then it should be me. I have to go." Her voice trembled as she spoke.

"No, you don't have to do anything. You can stay here in Winding and I can go." I told her, though saying as much terrified me.

She shook her head vehemently.

"Girls," Mother stepped in between us, placing one hand to my shoulder and the other on Joli's. "That's enough. I said we'll discuss this later."

Joli stood up, pulling away from her. "There's nothing else to talk about because I'm going. I won't back down. I'm going." She turned and ran from the room, leaving me, Mother and Father stunned.

I couldn't bear the thought of losing my sister like that - or any of my family - not to these horrible, heartless creatures, whoever or whatever they were. After my brief encounter with the fire rose in my strange dream I knew how tempting it was, and couldn't really blame Father for falling into the trap. I might have fallen just as easily. I couldn't fathom Joli's reaction to all this. Why would she insist so immediately that she would go? It didn't make sense to sacrifice herself, her life, without thinking it over. She spoke as if she wasn't afraid, although her voice betrayed her. There was something more to it, something driving her to act in this reckless way.

The last few weeks, since our return from the Circle Kingdom, I'd felt a distance growing between us. Now it felt more like a dark chasm. While we no longer shared a bedroom as we had in Catha, there was a door that connected our chambers. That night I discovered she'd locked the door. We never locked it, and no matter how long I knocked on it she never opened it. I could hear her inside the room ignoring me. It forced me to take matters into my own hands.

I once had a pleasing view of the eastern fields from my tall bedroom windows, but the glass was removed to sell it and boards placed over them. A wall hanging that is so old and faded I can't tell what it once showed hung over the boards to prevent icicles from forming. I yanked it down and with a little help from a hammer tore down the wooden boards. I climbed out onto the narrow ledge and looked over toward Joli's room. It wasn't far. It may sound reckless, but I had to speak to Joli and there was little chance of breaking down the door.

I crawled along the ledge, clutching at the stones and grasping the edge of the window frame. Joli's windows were boarded up tightly like mine. Taking care not to slip or lose my balance I kicked the wood into her bedroom. Hearing her shriek at my sudden violent intrusion I called inside. "It's only me."

"Iana! What are you doing?"

to be continued...