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The days passed, long and monotonous. Kasha tried everything
within her power to find Jeran and Lisha's owner. Every spell she tried, every
herb she burned and every incantation she chanted seemed to fizzle and die. None
would give her the vision she desired.
Finally, Kaelyn the Zafara came up with a sensible
solution. "Why don't you just put up signs? 'Do you know this Neopet? Short,
yellow furred Aisha with squinty eyes and dorky glasses. Brother is a blue Lupe;
last seen when he was eight. He has scruffy fur and big ears. If you own them,
call 1-800- MERIDELL LOST'."
"I don't particularly agree with the phone number,
Kaelyn," said Morris. "Especially since there are no phones in Neopia."
"And my glasses aren't dorky!" protested Lisha.
Kasha Moonfang stepped between the arguers,
gently pushing them away from each other. "I actually like the idea of posters.
But we'll need a lot of paper and a decent artist. Let's get to work immediately."
And so, they began to work. Kasha was fairly
good at art. "I painted the designs on my tent myself," she explained. Morris,
Lisha, Kaelyn and Boris took the finished posters to Neopia Central and hung
them everywhere. In the window of the food shop, on trees, in the window of
the Soup Faerie kitchen and even one on the bucket of the wishing well. It seemed
like they had blanketed the entire city with their posters. Now all they had
to do is wait.
It was perhaps the most agonizing wait of Jeran's
life. Part of him didn't want to find his owner. He was happy being a knight
in Meridell, and he didn't want to be some owned pet with a collar being told
when to sit and stay. Yet a stronger and subtler part of him was curious to
know who had brought him up when he was a pup. Whether she was the hidden key
to unlock the memories of his past.
Three days later, a Draik messenger burst through
the oaken double doors to the throne room. Jeran and Lisha were there, talking
to King Skarl about politics. "Prince Borodere, Lady Lisha. I have joyful news!
Your owner has been located! She shall come to Meridell to pick you up in a
few hours!"
"Jeran isn't this great!" For once, Lisha didn't
mind that someone had called her 'Lady'. "We get to see our owner again!"
Sadly, Jeran gazed downward at his shoes. "I
still don't remember her. What's her name?"
"It's Hillary. You'll remember her when you
see her," Lisha said confidently. Too confidently.
Lisha was leaping about for joy, but Jeran knew
better. If he started to rejoice, his hopes would be shattered. It's best to
leave the dreaming to his sister, who hadn't seen her owner in months rather
than years. Ten long years… an entire decade since a naïve Lupe tripped over
a tree root and landed in a castle. A decade since he had seen his owner.
* * *
Lisha and Jeran had just finished packing when a teenage girl knocked on the
castle doors. From his bedroom window, Jeran saw her. She was about average
height, with chestnut-brown hair that fell slightly past her shoulders. A delicate,
pointy nose accented a thin face and dainty chin. Her eyes were as clear and
blue as the skies but now… were clouded. Clouded over with tears.
Slowly, as if his limbs were made of lead, Jeran
trudged towards the door. A hyper-excited Lisha sped past him. If this were
a cartoon, dust would be billowing in her wake. "Hillary! Hillary!" The joy-filled
Aisha flung the heavy oak doors open like they were light as a feather and threw
herself into her owner's arms. "Hillary, it's been so long."
"Lisha," Hillary wept openly, tears coursing
down her rosy cheeks and soaking Lisha's fur. "You've grown so much."
"More than you'll ever imagine, Hillary. I've
fought many battles and won and lost but I'm just so glad to see you."
"It seems we have a lot of catching up to do."
Then, Hillary looked up and saw Jeran. "Who… who is this? This knight?"
Jeran's eyes were dry, and his heart was thudding.
Sweat broke out on his brow, and a strange emotion filled his heart. The hollow
space that had been in him his entire life… suddenly seemed more hollow than
before. Fists of despair beat against the hollow space, ever-reminding Jeran
of its presence. Instead of opening the locked box, this reunion with his owner
made him so much more aware of how tightly shut it was. "Excuse me," he said
to Lisha, and fled to his room.
* * *
Fifteen minutes later, Lisha knocked on Jeran's bedroom door. "Jeran?"
"Go away," Jeran snapped.
Lisha ignored her brother, entering the room.
Much to Jeran's relief, she was alone. She had brought no human owner with her.
"I'm ashamed of you, Jeran. I never thought I'd see the mighty Sir Borodere
of Meridell running away with his tail between his legs."
The knight bristled. "My tail was not between
my legs!"
"You're a survivor, Jeran! You've looked evil
in the eye and never flinched! You saw the Spectre of Lord Darigan and even
Darigan himself! And you just leaned coolly on your sword, no fear or rage or
hatred ever showing. You're a knight who knows how to control your emotions,
Jeran. That's part of what makes you great. And now this human girl comes; not
even very formidable, and she sends you scurrying! It's the first time I've
ever seen you show fear."
"I'm hardly afraid of a human teenager."
"But you are afraid that she really is your
owner and that you might… get close to her? Leave all you love behind? I don't
know what goes through your mind anymore, Jeran."
The Lupe-knight thought for a moment. So much
had happened in a mere few months. Battles, fighting, hope and despair. And
an entire country's fate in his paws. In these last few months, he had grown
from a pup with a sword to a real Lupe warrior. "Neither do I," he admitted.
The sound of footsteps on the stairs. The creak
of a door. "Jeran?" Hillary whispered. "I didn't recognize you. I'm sorry if
I've offended you."
Jeran made no move to hug his owner, nor did
he cry. But he did turn and smile at her. "You didn't offend me, Hillary. Now
let's go eat dinner. We have a lot of catching up to do."
"Bye!" Lisha called to the people of Meridell,
walking out the castle door. "I'll miss you!"
"Bye." Jeran waved his paw half-heartedly.
"Remember," Hillary said. "You don't have to
come home permanently if that's not what you want. You're just coming to Neopia
Central for a visit."
"Bye!" chorused Kaelyn the Zafara, Morris the
Quiggle and Boris the Blumaroo. They were coming to Neopia Central too, and
although they didn't have owners, they wanted to see their home again.
"Farewell, noble Sir Borodere, my son," yelled
King Skrarl from his balcony. He leaned forward and a passing bird nearly knocked
him over.
Jeran laughed. "Farewell Father."
Then, Jeran saw a gleam of white out of the
corner of his eye. Kasha Moonfang. The snow-white Lupess approached Jeran, tears
shining in her deep violet eyes.
"May the road ahead be smooth and paved with
happiness and wisdom, Your Majesty."
"You're one with words, Kasha," Jeran said,
smiling. "I'll miss you while I'm gone."
"Then take this to remember me by." The mystical
Lupess removed one of her chandelier earrings, the gold sun. Gold stars hanging
from the sun chimed as a soft breeze blew them. Then, she fastened it to a thin
gold chain and placed the chain gently around Jeran's neck. "You are of the
sun, a fierce survivor. I am of the moon, softer and more mysterious. Our ways
were destined to part at one time or another. Yet perhaps we'll meet again."
"Jeran!" Lisha called, "The portal is opening!
We're leaving!"
"Goodbye, Kasha," Jeran said hurriedly, darting
to be at his sister's side. "I'll return, I promise I will!"
Then, five NeoPets and a human disappeared in
a swirl of color and light.
* * *
Such noise Jeran could not remember hearing in his entire life! Horns of bikes
honked and Neopets shouted at one another. Shopkeepers loudly advertised their
businesses. "RARE AND EXOTIC BERRIES FOR ONLY 100 NEOPOINTS!" "TOYS! TOYS GALORE!
REAL CHEAP!" "WE HAVE ALMOST EVERY BOOK THAT EVER EXISTED IN NEOPIA!" Jeran
yelped and put his paws over his ears. "It's okay, Jeran. I hear worse noise
than this at home," Hillary grinned. "I have younger siblings."
"I sympathize with you," Jeran growled. "This
infernal racket… I think I'm going deaf!"
"Pity you weren't going mute," Lisha growled.
"You'd think you had never heard this noise before."
"I haven't."
"Oh."
"We're home!" Hillary gestured to a small 5-room
NeoHome. It was made entirely of wood, and a small garden had been planted in
the front. Not much grew in the garden, just a fire bush and some color lilies.
A red Kyrii lay in the yard, licking a paw. Then, he stood up in alarm. "Hillary,
I was watching the house really good, on my oath I was! I'm your faithful guard,
ma'am!" He stood at attention and threw a comical salute.
Hillary smiled. "Relax, Chuck. And look who
I brought home."
"Oooooooh. The famous Prince Jeran of Meridell!
Why's he here?"
"You may not know this, Chuck, but these are
your long-lost siblings! Lisha and Jeran, meet Chuck Foxpaw. I adopted him from
the pound about a week after you disappeared, Lisha. I figured I'd need a NeoPet
to keep me company, and he has been a faithful companion."
"Gee, you're sure tall Prince Jeran. Or should
I call you Sir Borodere? Or perhaps Sir Jeran Borodere. Or maybe you're real
name is Prince-Sir Jeran Borodere Lupemeister…"
"Just 'Jeran' would be fine," Jeran growled
at the annoying little Kyrii.
"Wow. You mean it, Prince Jeran Borodere? I
can call you by your first name, Prince Jeran Borodere?"
"Yes, I mean it."
"Aren't you the cutest little thing!" Lisha
saved Jeran's sanity by going up to the Kyrii and tugging at his cheek. "Only
seven years old or so."
"Gah! Leggo of my cheek, furball!"
"If you insist." Lisha pulled back on the cheek
and released it, knocking Chuck back. Chuck rubbed the sore area, glaring daggers
at Lisha. "Next time you'll know not to annoy Jeran," Lisha whispered in Chuck's
ear. "He's my brother and under my protection."
"Under your protection?" The frustration and
anger of the Kyrii quickly turned to ceaseless mirth. "The strongest knight
in Meridell, under the protection of an Aisha lady?"
"It's not funny." Now Lisha was the one glaring
daggers. "I may be a lady, but I'm a warrior too."
"No you're not. You're still just a soft-footed,
spoiled lady. But Sir Jeran is my hero. He's a knight, you know?"
Lisha restrained the urge to knock the Kyrii
brat head over tail. "Mind your manners," she hissed.
Hillary broke the argument. "Let's all go inside.
I have to show you the addition we built while you were gone, Lisha. Jeran,
I have tons of stuff to show you. Come now."
Lisha thought, Do I really seem as "soft-footed"
as Chuck says I am? I thought I had showed the world what I am worth.
But my brother always ends up the hero. And
I, the damsel in distress.
To be continued...
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