Stories by the Fire

As far as Adea was concerned, there had been nothing to worry about. The brief but strange occurrence had not repeated itself when she drifted back to sleep, and by the morning, she had all but forgotten about it. That is until Lyda said something to her.

It was a Saturday morning, which meant Lyda would not be going off with Iris and their mother would be taking a break from working in the garden, so Lyda and Adea were free to sleep in and do whatever they wanted today. Adea woke when the fresh smell of breakfast flowed in beneath her bedroom door. Like any other free day, she did not bother to get dressed but simply fixed her hair and headed downstairs in her nightgown.

It was an ordinary morning as Adea situated herself at the table just outside of the kitchen. As usual, Lyda had been the last to join them, always coming up from the cellar looking gloomy and tired. Though she denied, their father was sure that she was not enjoying sleeping in the cellar anymore. That did not feel right to Adea. The look in Lyda's paling eyes every morning did not seem like someone who was miserable, but rather like she was overworked and exhausted, even if she had done little to no work the night before.

There was always a conversation being held at the table. During breakfast, they usually talked about what they had planned for the day ahead. Adea was extra excited this morning as she couldn't help but ramble on about their plans to go camp out with their friends on the southern ridge that looked out toward the mountains to the far south. It was one of the several hills that surrounded the valley near where Eran and Ellis lived. It took a lot of pleading and promising of extra chores before Adea convinced their parents to let them go, and to her surprise, it took even more convincing to get Lyda to come along. The two of them would never miss a chance to go out with their friends now that they were both busy with their training, so Adea was shocked that Lyda, for whatever reason, seemed as though she did not want to go with them.

LIke always, Lyda was quiet as her sister projected enough excitement for the two of them. It was not until their parents got up from the table to leave their dishes on the kitchen island to be washed that Lyda spoke her first words of the morning, and they caught Adea completely off guard.

"How was your dream?"

Adea turned to face her sister, almost forgetting that she was sitting next to her. She hesitated to respond at first as her mind lit up with curiosity over what Lyda asked her. She said dream, not dreams. Adea always had several dreams each night which she remembered vividly, anxious to tell her sister all about them, but Lyda had long since lost interest. Adea wondered why she was asking about it now, and why it sounded like she wanted to know about one dream in particular. She was sure that it was nothing. Perhaps she simply misheard her.

"They were alright," Adea finally answered, not mentioning the peculiar occurrence in the middle of the night. "I just wanted to sleep peacefully last night."

"You haven't spoken much of your dreams lately," Lyda said in a caring voice. "You're not having any bad thoughts at night, are you?"

"No, of course not. I just thought you were tired of me talking about them."

"I am," Lyda replied with a smile as she placed a hand on Adea's shoulder, "but you're still my sister and I want to make sure you're still sleeping well. I did what I did to help you, remember?"

"I could never forget that," Adea said. Though her words came out with an expression of gratitude, her face had gone cold and pale as her mind flashed images of her sister's blood-stained hands holding the heart of the dead hen. It was a memory that continued to haunt her to this day. Her only escape was at night when she controlled every thought that conjured into a dream.

Adea's mind was taken off these thoughts as soon as her mother asked her to help with the dishes while Lyda immediately retreated back into the cellar. When they were done, Adea ran back up to her room to change into the garments she would wear when they hiked out across the ridges, packing a small sack with a few extra things, including her coat in case it got too cold at night. Once she had everything she needed, Adea hurried out of her room, slamming the door behind her as she bounded down the stairs. She headed out the front door and sat on the steps of the porch, waiting anxiously for the rest of their friends to show up.

It was not long before Eran, Ellis, and Jay made their way up the hillside. Eran and Ellis were carrying the bulk of their supplies in large packs on their backs. Attached to Eran's pack were his bow and a quiver of arrows, just in case they needed it, he had insisted. As for Jay, well, she carried nothing, not to Adea's surprise. She was quick to run over and meet Adea on the porch as she always did. She was nearing 13-years-old now. Her blonde hair was still cut short but slightly longer than it used to be. She met Adea in a quick embrace before sitting down beside her on the porch steps.

"Thanks for waiting," Ellis panted as he and Eran caught up.

"Suck it up, Elli," Jay teased him. "You're gonna need your strength!"

"Easy for you to say! I don't see you carrying anything."

"Why bother when she carries enough attitude for all of us?" Eran remarked. Jay was speechless as everyone else laughed.

Eran sat down on the steps on the other side of Adea, resting back against his pack. "How are you doing?" he asked her.

Adea looked at him with a wide grin. "Better than ever!" she exclaimed, but her smile faded as quickly as it had spread. Eran took notice to this and Adea awkwardly looked forward, struggling to repress the brief but vivid memory of the eyes she thought she saw in her dream last night.

"Where's Lyda?" Jay asked, breaking the silence. "She's coming with us right?"

Just as she finished speaking, the cottage door opened and Lyda emerged to join them. She was dressed warmly for their trip. Her hair was cleaned up and she had applied the makeup that Iris taught her to make. Adea could see that she was wearing a bit more makeup than she usually did, confused considering they were going out into the wilderness for the night. Who would she be trying to impress?

"There you are," Jay jumped to her feet. "I thought you were going to forget!"

"Of course not," Lyda replied. She headed over to sit down on the steps on the other side of Eran, forcing Adea to move over where Jay had just been. "What all do you have in the packs?" Lyda asked, nodding toward the sack that Eran was leaning back against.

"Materials for shelters, tools for fires, blankets, extra food, everything we take with us when we go out hunting. It's all we'll need for one night," Eran answered.

"That is if Adea can last more than one night," Jay joked, "what with all the snakes and spiders out there."

"I can handle them just fine, Jay!" Adea fired back. "I just don't like killing them."

"Are we going to sit here and argue?" Ellis cut in. "Or are we going to get moving? The sooner we set up camp, the more time we have to do whatever we want."

Everyone agreed as Eran pulled himself to his feet and stretched out his limbs. Adea stuck her head inside the front door to yell goodbye to whoever might be listening before leaping back down the steps to join the others as they made their way toward the surrounding tree lines heading south.

The five of them hiked through the trees and straight as they could across the ridgeline. The last of the morning fog had lifted by the time they stepped back out of the trees and the great hills of the south became visible. They called them the Dividing Mountains; an enormous, rugged mountain range that stretched east to west for many miles, separating the northern territories of Ravenna from the south. It was not often that Lyda and Adea came this far south to get a good view of the mountains, at least not on their own, and Adea was soaking it all in.

The sun was nearing midday as they made their way into a clearing atop the southern ridge, following a large, running creek that flowed out of the trees and cut down into the rocky clearing before splitting off toward opposite ends of the ridgeline. Adea found it to be a stunning sight with the mountains in the distance, and they decided this was the perfect place to set up camp.

Eran and Ellis set down their loads and began to unpack. The two of them immediately went about erecting the shelters while the girls organized the tools and other equipment they brought with them for the night. Lyda began by helping with this effort, but eventually, she went to help Eran lash the shelter tarps to the frames he and his brother had erected. Part of Adea wanted to go over and help as well, but the annoyed look on Eran's face seemed to imply that Lyda was only getting in the way, but Adea shrugged it off and continued about her business.

The rest of the afternoon was theirs when they were finished setting up camp. Between splashing around in the creek, lying drowsily on the rock as the sun dried them, and just wandering aimlessly around the area, everyone was having the time of their lives. Adea had all but forgotten her disturbing thoughts about her previous dream and was in a state of absolute bliss, as was everybody else, including Lyda for a change. Adea would glance over at her sister to see the brightest smile on her face as she continued talking to Eran, though he only seemed to give her short responses if not ignoring her altogether.

By midafternoon, they found themselves rambling through the woods near the edge of the ridge, soaking in the surrounding nature and talking amongst each other. Eran and Ellis shared stories of the times their father took them out to hunt. Lyda talked about everything she was currently learning from Iris, like what herbs to use to slow the venom of a rattlesnake. Adea shuddered as she found this both fascinating and disturbing, not wanting to imagine ever getting close enough to a rattlesnake to be bitten. Jay hated farm work, so she had nothing better to do than pick apart everyone else's stories for fun.

At one point, they emerged from the trees and were met by a closer view of the grandiose mountains in the distance. The closer they got, the more Adea felt a curious chill go up her spine as if she was venturing nearer to the unknown.

"What do you think is really on the other side of those mountains?" she asked.

Eran stepped up beside her and leaned back against a large tree. "Our father always told us a whole other civilization lived on the other side of those hills, similar to our people, but the unscalable terrain prevents us from interacting with one another, so we just pretend that they don't exist."

"That's lame," Jay remarked. "My father once told me that a great war was fought between our two peoples, and the mountains were raised by the Spirits to keep us separate from each other."

"That's a myth," Eran retorted. "You're thinking of the war with the crimson men."

"What's that?" Adea asked curiously, sitting down against the tree next to him.

Eran hesitated for a second as he looked over at her. "You've never heard that story?" Adea shook her head, so he continued. "A long time ago, before our people settled here in the mountains, the tribe of our ancestors was decimated by a horde of men who came from across the seas to the east, known for their crimson garments that struck fear into the hearts of all who saw them. It was a story our parents told us growing up. Have you really never heard it before?"

"No," Adea muttered. "Our parents don't tell us many stories of our people's history."

"I heard of a legend that says the other side of those mountains is a realm of the Spirits." Everyone turned their attention to Lyda as she spoke up. "It's said that the mountains cannot be traversed, so there are secret spots throughout these territories that may act as bridges to the other side. At least, according to legend."

Everyone was silent as all eyes were locked on her. Lyda's expression did not shift. Adea stared at her in astonishment. She had never heard anything like that before. "Who told you that?"

Lyda stared back at her sister silently for a second before giving her answer. "Iris."

Her response almost sounded cold, and it was at that moment Adea recognized a look in Lyda's eyes that she had seen before. It was the glare that said, "Never tell another living soul." Her blood was running over cold at the same time she felt something light and clammy wriggle over her hand. She looked down to see a small black snake slithering over the flesh on the back of her hand. Adea let out a shrill scream as she leaped to her feet, staring wide-eyed at the snake as Eran caught her.

It took a second for everyone else to register what happened, but eventually, Jay broke out laughing. Ellis took a step back in caution as the snake slithered in their circle. Lyda stepped forward and knelt next to it. "Relax," she said calmly as she pinned the snake gently behind its head. The snake's body struggled against her as she picked it up and allowed it to weave in and out of her fingers. "It's just a baby rat snake. They're harmless." Adea's heart was pounding in her chest as she watched the snake wrap its scaly body around her sister's wrist. Lyda took notice of the shocked expression on her face. "She's so pretty," Lyda said with a wide grin. "Do you wanna hold her?"

"No!" Adea screeched. "Keep it away from me!"

Lyda giggled as she enjoyed teasing her. She took a step forward but Eran put his hand out as if to ask her to back away. Lyda's smile faded instantly as she looked into his eyes as if in disappointment. Without another word, she dropped the snake carelessly on the ground and began walking back toward the campsite. Ellis followed after her, watching the snake until it disappeared into the bushes.

Adea allowed herself to catch her breath. She turned to look up into Eran's eyes, realizing she was still in his arms before they both broke away at the same time. There was an awkward silence as Eran looked from Adea to Jay. "We should probably start heading back before the sun goes down," he stammered before following the others.

When she was sure he was out of earshot, Jay stepped up next to Adea and muttered, "You handled that well."

Adea shot her a disgusted look. "It just startled me, that's all."

"I'm not talking about the snake," Jay responded. "I'm talking about Eran."

"What about him?"

Jay narrowed her eyes in disbelief. "Are you blind, Adi, or just plain ignorant? He obviously has a crush on you."

Adea was left speechless as her jaw dropped. She was quick to say the first thing that came to mind. "What are you talking about? That's crazy!"

"Tell yourself that, Adi," Jay replied, "but you were quick to jump right into his arms when that snake snuggled up to you."

Adea felt awkward as she glanced down at the ground, searching for the right words to say. "Lyda likes him, Jay," she said almost somberly.

"But he doesn't like her, not in that way. Honestly, who could blame him? I mean, no offense, but Lyda's gotten a bit weird lately, even for my taste."

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, Adi, open your eyes. She rarely ever hangs out with us anymore. She's become more and more reclusive every day."

"She spends a lot of time with Iris."

"And what exactly is Iris teaching her?" Jay prodded. "You heard that weird thing she said earlier, about the Spirits."

Jay did not seem to notice, but Adea's breathing was getting heavier at the mention of Lyda's descending demeanor. All she could think about was that single second in her dream last night - the eyes peering down at her from the stars. It was the moment Lyda had asked her about, she could not deny it. She knew what she saw in her sleep, or at least she knew that she saw something weird. Why did she want to know about it? The biggest question that was rolling around in her head, however, was exactly what Jay just brought up. What was Lyda truly learning from Iris, if it was even coming from her? Whatever it was, there was no doubt that it was having a continuous peculiar effect on her.

Lyda barely spoke at all for the rest of the day. As the sun went down, Eran and Ellis gathered wood and built a fire by the tents, where they sat for the rest of the evening eating their rations, laughing amongst each other, and telling stories to scare one another. Although she remained rather quiet, Lyda seemed to be enjoying herself as much as everyone else. They were all having a great time until Lyda finally decided it was her turn to speak.

"I don't like these stories."

Everyone else went quiet until the only sound to be heard was the crackling of the fire.

"Ghost stories are just meant for fun," Eran spoke up. "They're not supposed to be scary."

"I don't think they're scary," Lyda said, staring blankly into the fire. "I think stories that aren't real are like the light of this fire."

The others exchanged curious glances with one another. "What do you mean they're like the light?" Adea asked.

Lyda slowly turned her head and stared into her sister's eyes. "Lies."

Adea felt the hairs on the back of her neck shoot up. Lyda's expression was so blank that it gave nothing away, but Adea's mind rushed like lightning back to the first night terror that caused her to wake up screaming four years ago. Her blood went colder with each passing second as she soon heard the words of the shadowy demon that had taken the form of her sister.

"This light is a lie."

Adea swallowed anxiously, unable to look away from her sister's gaze. Suddenly, Lyda's eyes shifted up slightly, as if she was looking past her. Her face quickly grew an expression of fear. Her eyes widened and her mouth released a quiet gasp. "Adi," she whispered shakily. "What's that?"

"Wh-" Adea stuttered. "What's what?"

Lyda raised a trembling hand and pointed past her. "Standing behind you."

Adea was frozen where she sat, so much that not even the fire could warm her blood. For a moment, she forgot about the others sitting around the fire. Her attention was locked on Lyda, who continued to stare in fright at something Adea could not see. Unless she turned around.

Unable to control her frightened breathing, Adea turned her head to look behind her, despite every fiber of her being trying to resist. Terrified of what she might come face to face with, Adea struggled to adjust her eyes to the darkness behind her. Slowly the trees at the edge of the clearing became faintly visible in the starlight. Adea's eyes slowly panned across the tree lines, searching for whatever it was that had her sister almost too scared to speak, until at last…

Darkness instantly shrouded Adea's vision as a pair of hands planted over her eyes.

"Gotcha!"

Adea screamed and whipped around, throwing Lyda's hands away from her face. Lyda had broken out laughing. Jay was already rolling on the ground with her arms wrapped around her stomach. Even Eran was struggling to contain his laughter.

Feeling humiliated, Adea wiped a tear from her face and stood to her feet. "I'm going to bed," she declared before storming away into the tent reserved for the girls.

"Oh come on, princess!" Jay teased as she sat up.

"Adea!" Eran called as she disappeared behind the tent flap. With the atmosphere drained of all laughter, Eran looked at Lyda across the fire and shook his head. "You just couldn't resist, could you?"

Lyda stretched her arms and legs out in front of her, returning an innocent look. "I didn't think it was that mean."

"That's the problem, Lyda," he said hotly. "You didn't think. Now you probably ruined the rest of the trip for her."

"She'll be fine," Lyda fired back. She brought her knees up and rested her arms around them, staring back into the flames. "Trust me. She's happier when she's asleep."

Not knowing how to respond to that, Eran let out a sigh and stood up. "Maybe the rest of us should hit the hay as well, don't you think?"

"I'm not even tired yet," Ellis said.

"Me neither," Jay agreed with a giggle. "Not after that show."

"Suit yourselves," Eran replied, "but the earlier we wake up, the more time we have to kill before we have to pack up."

As he headed toward the second tent, Ellis rolled his eyes as he stood up to follow him. Jay exchanged a glance with Lyda before standing up herself. "Maybe I should go make sure Adi's alright. Are you coming?"

Lyda took a deep breath. "I'll stay out here for a little while longer."

As Jay headed toward the tent, she stopped by Lyda's side, placed a hand on her shoulder, and whispered, "I thought it was clever." Lyda snickered as they exchanged a quick goodnight before Jay ducked into the tent.

Lyda sat motionless by the fire, which was still burning strong, and let the thoughts flow freely throughout her mind. She did not understand why everyone was so upset with her. She didn't mean to scare Adea like that. In fact, it almost made her angry the way she reacted. What did she have to be terrified of? The nightmares? Lyda went out of her way, studying forbidden subjects behind their parents' backs, to help rid her sister of the devils that haunted her at night, and for four years it worked. Adea was 12-years-old now. She should have been above that kind of fear like she was.

Perhaps it was because Lyda hadn't told her everything yet. She hadn't told her the whole truth of what happened that night at the Crossing. She promised Adea that if she did exactly as she said, then she would be able to have control over the things she saw in her sleep, and she had been truthful about that. What Lyda never mentioned to her, however, was the ritual did not just work on her sister. Lyda realized the very next time she went to sleep that she had also gained the same control. It was a curious thing to Lyda. She was not having nightmares like Adea was, yet the ritual worked on both of them. Even now, it filled Lyda's mind with endless questions; questions she did not know how to have answered with Aunt Mara's book destroyed. It was only now she realized that perhaps she was looking in the wrong place for answers. If the ritual gave her control over her dreams like it did Adea, then perhaps it was time for Lyda to have the nightmares herself.

She did not know how long she had been sitting alone by the fire, lost in thought, but Lyda soon felt drowsiness come over her. She stared as blankly as ever into the flames and let the crackling blot all other sounds from her ears, and before long, quicker than she could register, Lyda nodded off by the fire.