Thieves Alike

     -*- Reopening Old Wounds -*-

     Zena peered nervously out the window again to survey the damage caused by the storm. There wasn't much visible from her vantage point, though it appeared there were several trees in the distance that were no longer standing.

     ​“What happened?!” she snapped, glaring at Nathan when she looked back that way. Anxiety began to fill her lungs like burning embers and she found it hard to catch her breath.

     ​“What did you see?” Nathan asked, still light-headed. He attempted again to shake the fogginess out. Another knock at the door interrupted their conversation, this time much more aggressively.

     ​“It’s a complete mess! I think we’ve destroyed our village!” Zena’s shaky voice matched her quivering body. Things were becoming much too surreal. She just wanted to wake up.

     ​“Okay!” Nathan hushed, “Let’s not get too excited. I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think.” He looked towards the door that still closed off the muffled voices then back at the Green Ixi who was staring his way with piercing eyes. His heart sank. Maybe he had gone too far this time.

     ​“I’ll get the door and you hide the book! Quickly!” Nathan ordered. Zena bit her tongue. Now was not the time to tear into him. She grabbed the book and slid it under the couch. She turned off the portable oven that supported the still-bubbling cauldron and covered it with a thick throw that was folded over the couch. She was in the midst of blowing out the candles when she heard voices enter the room.

     ​Three townsfolk rushed into the living room while the angry voices of many others remained gathered outside the front door. The three citizens stopped when they saw Zena and her guilty expression.

     ​“You!” A middle-aged Yurble snarled, pointing a crooked finger her way. Morris Tachi’s large mustache raised as he momentarily tightened his lips before speaking again. “Whenever you two are together, there's trouble. Well, young lady, this time it’s gone much too far!”

     Nathan ran back into the room. He had managed to close the front door, leaving the angry mob in wait. "I’m telling you it wasn’t us!” Nathan started.

     ​“You expect me to believe you had nothing to do with that bewitched storm?!” Morris snarled again, changing the direction of his crooked finger towards the window. “Those were no ordinary clouds, coming and leaving without a trace!”

     ​“Those clouds were hexed!” An Eeyrie impatiently interrupted behind the Yurble.

     ​“Yeah! And they was circling ‘round this house,” a grungy Grarrl added. “Saw it with my own eyes!”

     ​“Why is it that this house remains untouched, while every other building in its vicinity is in need of repair?” Morris added. Both Nathan and Zena felt moisture build up on their brows. As Nathan desperately attempted to charm his way out of the situation, Zena noticed a corner of the book sticking out from under the couch. She side-stepped slowly over and casually kicked it under the couch. The Yurble turned his attention to Zena with a skeptical glance. She didn't know what to do except smile awkwardly back. Morris twitched his moustache and returned his attention back to Nathan.

     ​“Why all the candles?” Morris questioned. The cauldron that was now covered with a blanket resembled a small coffee table. Zena watched nervously as Morris slowly approached the pseudo table; so intently that she didn't notice the short gasp she produced when the Yurble's hand nearly touched it. Again, Morris gave Zena a suspicious glance. She quickly masked her face with a tight-lipped smile.

     ​“Uh, my grandmother burns lots of candles. That doesn’t mean she’s up to any mischief,” Nathan said in an attempt to gain Morris’ attention back to him. Morris was about to challenge the statement when Nathan’s father made a dramatic entrance, followed shortly by his mother.

     ​“What’s going on here?!” Nathan’s father demanded to know. Nathan huffed in frustration and began to scratch nervously at his forehead. Zena barely paid attention to the new commotion. Her eyes were still fixed on the imminent threat of the cauldron and the steam that was now trickling slightly from the ends of the blanket. Morris couldn't help but notice her odd behaviour.

     ​“Is there something you need to say, Miss?” Morris asked.

     ​“No. Nothing.” Zena made an awkward noise like a wheezing laughter. Morris’ moustache twitched twice before he diverted his attention to Nathan’s parents.

     ​“It seems as though we caught these two kids red-handed-” Morris began to explain the situation, but was interrupted when he leaned his arm down towards the covered cauldron for support.

     ​“FREEZE!” Zena shouted abruptly, swinging her right hand up towards the cauldron. The room instantly went quiet. Morris pulled his hand away from the blanket and slowly crossed his eyes as he and everyone else in the room watched his moustache slowly freeze over with ice. It no longer twitched. Everyone then looked over at Zena with blank expressions.

     “I- I didn’t mean to freeze him,” Zena stammered. Nathan’s father glanced at the blanket.

     “What’s under the blanket?” He asked as he walked over and uncovered the steaming cauldron. Zena’s face flushed a deep red. She rushed out of the house, humiliated and crying, leaving Nathan behind to explain what happened.

     Zena’s feelings of humiliation intensified as she ran through the front porch doorway and observed the growing crowd in the front yard. She could have left through the back entrance, but she would have sooner died than turn around and walk through the living room again. She continued on, tears streaming down her face. To her surprise, no one followed or even hollered at her. She assumed they were probably preoccupied in their own murmurings to even notice her.

     Dusk was settling in with the lowering sun as Zena stormed to the streets, her vision blurred. Tears welled up in her eyes no matter how often she wiped them away. Wiping gave little relief other than a momentary glimpse of her route ahead.

     She paused a few minutes later to catch her breath and looked around. The sight in front of her was ugly: fence boards, lawn furniture, tree branches and scraps of metal littered the streets. Shingles were scattered around like a game of 52 pick-up, revealing patches of bare plywood on several roof-tops. Muddy trails meandered throughout the neighbourhood, creating a series of temporary streams that washed out paths and gardens along their routes. Zena closed her eyes. Her head was pounding harder than the rain she had heard earlier. When she opened her eyes again, she looked up into the sky. There was not a trace of cloud, not even to the east where storms typically retreated. To the east. Where her brother’s ranch was located. A jolt of panic struck her dead in the heart.

     “Hector!” she shouted upon the stark realisation that her brother was outside and she made a mad dash towards his ranch.

     Upon arrival, the sight Zena observed baffled her. The Capriors were calmly resting and locked up in their pens for the night. There were no signs of distress or damage anywhere. The storm had somehow completely missed the ranch. She looked around for Hector, but he was nowhere to be seen and was assumed to have headed home for the night. Zena debated whether or not to head home herself. Everyone in town would surely know by now about her involvement in creating the storm. Including her brother. But could she keep running? She reluctantly turned around and headed home.

     It was dark by the time Zena reached her front door. An eerie stillness covered the village like a thick fog. She expected an angry mob to pop out at any moment, but there was no one in sight. The extent of damage to her house was masked by the night, but the pieces of vinyl scattered by her feet suggested that her house wasn't left unscathed. She decided to wait until the morning to do a thorough surveillance of her property. She couldn't stomach it now.

     A single light in the living room was on in her otherwise darkened house. Hector was home. Zena could feel the muscles in her body tense up as she slowly opened the front door. She avoided turning on any lights and walked over to the living room where Hector was sitting. He was seated in his favourite armchair, distracted by deep thought. Zena could imagine the images that must have been reeling through his head. Her impulse was to sneak to her room, but she needed to know if her brother was okay.

     Hector was sitting mostly with his back to her, but a slight turn of his head would put her into plain view, yet he remained motionless. She approached hesitantly towards him and softly cleared her throat.

     “Not now, Zena!” Hector said. Zena decided not to engage. She had never seen him so upset before, except once when she was little and she was certain some of those memories were running through his head. She went into her room and Hector remained motionless in his chair. She never found out how long he sat there. He hadn't moved before she fell asleep and he was gone by the morning.

     **********

     Zena’s sleep was restless and she was up long before the sun. After searching the house, there was no trace of Hector. Not even a note. Before she could make up her mind what to do next, she heard a steady and firm tapping coming from her bedroom.

     “Hector?” she called, knowing in the back of her mind that it wasn't him. She jogged to her room. At the window was Nathan looking impatiently in. Zena’s jog turned into a livid march as she approached the window and forcefully slid it open.

     “Hi, Zena,” Nathan started.

     “What makes you think that I want to see you?!” Zena said, trying hard to control the urge to slam the window shut again.

     “Hey, I’m sorry,” Nathan said.

     “That’s it? You’re sorry?!”

     “I didn’t prepare a song and dance if that’s what you mean.” Nathan tried humour. It didn't work. She returned an unimpressed glare. “I really am though. I’m not sure what happened.”

     “What are you doing here?” Zena asked.

     “I wanted to see how you were doing,” Nathan said, looking nervously around.

     “I’m managing,” she lied. Far from it.

     “I don’t have much time. I had to sneak out while my parents were sleeping. They just fell asleep a couple of hours ago. They don’t know what punishment to give me and I’m sure ‘Mr. Moe-stachio’ has plans for me too,” he said. Zena cringed at the thought of freezing Morris Tachi’s moustache. She wished she could shake the thought away, even though Nathan was clearly very amused by it.

     “I don’t think I can live in this village anymore,” Zena said. Nathan rolled his eyes and almost chuckled. He stopped himself because he knew Zena was being serious and would probably close the window on him.

     “You don’t have anything to worry about. I’ve straightened things out for you. I told everyone that you ran inside to escape the storm and that you weren’t involved. I don't mean to brag, but I was very convincing,” Nathan smirked, polishing his knuckles on his shirt.

     "I used magic in front of people! I froze Morris' moustache! Oh my goodness," Zena said, covering her face from the embarrassment of it all.

     "He had it coming. Some people will even praise the day you did that," Nathan said, trying not to laugh as he talked. "Besides, people already suspect we do light magic. You may get spoken to, but you won't be blamed for what happened."

     “I don’t think it will take a genius to put the pieces together,” Zena said.

     “Lighten up, will ya? The overall damage is not as bad as you think. Sure, some people may need some slight renovations, but no one got hurt.”

     “I’m not so sure about that,” Zena said, thinking about her brother.

     “Again, I’m sorry,” Nathan said, breaking a near awkward silence. “I gotta go now before my parents wake up. I’ll talk to you later.” Nathan gave a quick wave and ran off. Zena was not comforted by the conversation, but felt a little more at ease. She decided to make herself a quick bite to eat before heading out to find Hector, when it suddenly dawned on her: The house!

     “Curse of the Dark Faeries! I forgot! The house!” Through all of the self pity and excitement, she forgot to assess the damage to her own house. Zena ran outside fearing the worst, and it was bad. In fact, worse than she had imagined. She understood in an instant why Hector was upset.

     **********

     Zena never had much time to get to know her parents. They passed away not long after she turned six. Now, over a decade later, many of her memories with them had faded. Occasionally, specific scents or conversations would trigger brief images or memories of them, but just like the brief moment in time she spent with them, they were gone.

     Maya and Roland Lexley were not originally from Silver Hills. As Zena understood, they moved into the mountainous region of Shenkuu before Hector was born to live a quiet life away from the bustle of Neopia Central. Her dad was a carpenter and built their house with his own hands. It often troubled Zena that she knew so little about them. She wasn't even sure what happened to them, other than being casualties of the war. The people of the village who knew them respected and missed them.

     Hector was twelve at the time and to this day never quite told the story about what happened to their parents. Even after multiple inquiries. He knew far more than he let on. It wasn't a subject he felt comfortable discussing and Hector never did anything he didn't want to do: A stubbornness he apparently inherited from his father.

     The only vivid memory Zena had of her mother was an image of her using magic to turn a pinwheel. Her laughter alone appeared to make the breeze blow. She could still feel the soft strokes of the wind caressing her cheeks. It was a much simpler time when magic was not frowned upon. Her memories of her dad consisted mainly of him tending to his Capriors at the ranch. She would help out where she could and watch Hector enviously as he learned to round up the Capriors. A childhood memory. That had surely passed.

     It was getting harder by the day to recall memories of her parents. Because she could only recall a few memories, very little around the house reminded her of them. One thing that was precious to her was an obsidian locket that she received from her mother on her sixth birthday. She kept it hidden amongst a few other trinkets she collected over the years.

     There was one other thing that mattered to her and Hector, and that now lay broken in their backyard.

     The tree that her parents planted when her dad finished building the house wasn't overly large, but she and Hector cherished it, and it would have remained standing if one of the large spruce trees along the perimeter of her backyard had not toppled over and snapped the tree in half.

     Zena stood motionless for a few minutes as her head tried to process what had happened. The wreathe they had replaced on the trunk in the Spring was now resting against the steps of the deck as if placed there. Zena wanted to cry, but couldn't muster the energy to do so. She was completely overwhelmed with emotions. She wondered how Hector was handling the situation. She snapped out of the haze and ran to the ranch to check on him.

     **********

     When Zena arrived at the ranch, the Capriors were busy grazing on the fresh green grass as they did any other day. The sun was warm, but the gentle breeze made the heat of the warm Summer day tolerable. The air was quiet to the point that you could hear the Capriors munching at their breakfast. The silence was occasionally interrupted by the soft sound of a young Caprior being bottle-fed by Hector. The mother of the week-old Caprior was incapable of providing enough milk to feed it. Hector would have to take over the role of “mom” until it was old enough to survive solely on a grass diet.

     “Hi, Zena,” Hector said. Calm, without expression.

     “I’m really sorry, Hector,” Zena said, not beating around the bush. She paused for a moment, catching the breath that was trying to escape her. “About everything.”

     “It was you then,” Hector said, expecting as much. “I gathered the Capriors when I saw the storm approaching. It wasn’t easy because they were still a bit skittish from your friend’s prank earlier. The storm looked violent, but it suddenly disappeared. I still brought the Capriors to their pens for the night and walked back to town. I couldn’t believe the damage. I went home to find you, but you weren’t there.” Hector paused and appeared to be in deep thought again.

     “It got out of control. We didn’t mean to cause any damage," she explained.

     “So Nathan too?” Hector said. Zena lowered her eyes to the ground and didn't answer. Hector firmed up his lips and shook his head. The young Caprior was done eating and tried wiggling free. Hector let it run off into the field where its mother stood waiting. “I don’t think I can talk right now.”

     “It wasn’t supposed to be a big storm. We-” Zena started, but was quickly interrupted.

     “I can almost see Nathan doing something as careless as this, but you?! I thought you knew better than to bring so much attention to yourself. You could have really hurt someone, let alone breaking the laws against using magic in town!” Zena tried to talk, but Hector didn't let her. “And I literally warned you about the uncertainties of magic mere hours before you conjured up that storm! That’s the danger of meddling with magic when you don’t understand what you're doing! And now you’ve gone and disgraced our parents’ good names. I don’t understand this thirst you have to create something exciting out of 'nothing'!” Hector illustrated the last word with air quotes.

     “Open up your eyes, Zena! There are exciting things all around us that already exist! The hills around here are breathtaking. They are what keeps me and our Capriors alive! Breathing in this fresh air and watching over these amazing creatures that depend on me. It’s not conjured up! It’s all very real!”

     “I understand,” Zena tried, but was interrupted again, which was unusual behaviour for Hector, who rarely talked and always made a point to listen to others.

     “No, you don't understand and you take for granted the simplicities of life because you have your head so full of spells and nonsense. The reason why I love it out here is because this is where I feel most at home. Dad helped teach me to appreciate the simple things in life.” Hector suddenly grew quiet again as he wiped away a solitary tear that managed to trickle its way out. He undoubtedly had more to say, but decided not to share anymore.

     Zena went quiet. Hector had never spoken so sternly at her before. He was usually pretty good at suppressing his feelings. Hector closed his eyes and took a deep breath. As soon as his eyes opened, he seemed calm again.

     “I’m sorry, Zena. I didn’t mean that,” Hector said.

     “It’s okay. I deserved it,” she said, not looking directly at Hector and a bit lost in thought.

     “No, you didn’t. I know you wouldn't do anything so extreme on purpose. Nathan, on the other hand, I’m not so sure about.” Zena thought about defending Nathan, but she was still annoyed with him as well. Hector took a deep breath and huffed before continuing on. “I have a lot going on in my mind at the moment and that was unfair of me to say.” Zena was still quiet, but she nodded.

     “I’m moving my Capriors, you know,” Hector said, changing the subject as he often did when things got uncomfortable. Zena’s ears perked up and she glanced at him questionly. This was unexpected news.

     “What do you mean? I thought you loved it here.”

     “I do. I just need some time alone. I’ve actually been thinking about this for a while now. Yesterday helped me make up my mind.”

     “Wait. How far are you talking about?” Zena asked, feeling slightly sick to her stomach.

     “Far. A good day’s walk with the herd,” Hector said. Zena trailed off into thought again and didn't answer. Hector continued, ”I’ve been hanging on to our house and this ranch because I’m trying to honour mom and dad. But it’s not helping me heal. Everything still reminds me of them and sometimes I feel angry inside when I think about how soon they were taken from us.”

     “I’m sorry.” Zena had no other words at that moment.

     “No. You don’t need to be. That old spruce could have fallen in any storm. But it showed me how we needn’t hold onto things.”

     “Where are you planning on moving the herd?”

     “There’s a spot down the river called Sandpoint Cave. Merchants often travel through the cove en route to and from Shenkuu. It runs through a mountain and on the other side is a large valley with rolling hills, which is perfect land for ranching. I’ve visited after hearing about this spot and I think it would be good for me. I could deal with the merchants to limit my need to travel back to town, which I wouldn’t be able to do as easily anymore.”

     “Can I come?” Zena asked, though she didn't want to go. The idea of living off of the land wasn't her idea of a good time, but she would miss her brother.

     “You wouldn’t enjoy yourself, but I would love for you to visit lots. I’ve talked to Aunty Doreen and Uncle Jim, and they said they would check in on you to make sure everything is going well, or you could move in with them. This is just something I need to do. Sometimes you need to follow your heart, and this village is unfortunately slowly breaking mine.”

     “I’m going to miss you,” Zena said, wiping away a tear.

     “Me too,” Hector said. Zena grabbed him by the waist and squeezed hard. She spent the rest of the morning and the early part of the afternoon with Hector. Not performing magic like she usually did, but just hanging out with her brother and taking time to appreciate the landscape and what he did on a daily basis. When the heat became too much for her, she headed back to town.

     **********

     Zena was outside her house when Nathan returned. She was staring at the wreathe that she had just rehung on the lamppost near the back door.

     “Hey, Zena,” Nathan said. Zena turned around. She had obviously been crying, but her tears were already wiped away before Nathan had a chance to see them.

     “Hey, Nate. Running away?” Nathan was carrying a large camouflage backpack filled with essentials and a rolled up tarp fastened underneath.

     “Yeah, I’m leaving this town,” Nathan said.

     “You too?” Zena asked.

     “Who else?” Nathan was genuinely confused.

     “Hector is moving his Capriors down river somewhere. A place called Sandpoint Cave. I guess it's actively used by merchants.”

     “I know where that is. A bit of a trek, though, if you don’t take the river.” Nathan was very familiar with the region, having spent many summers camping in remote areas with his dad.

     “He has some friends that will help him herd his Capriors there. Where are you going?” she asked.

     “Anywhere, really. Mr. Moe-stachio has it in for me and wants me to attend an obedience camp in Shenkuu where you are kept under continuous surveillance and where they teach you how to honour your parents or some mumbo jumbo like that,” Nathan said, rolling his eyes. “I think being on my own for a while is a better idea. I just thought I would pop by so you could bid me farewell.”

     "Maybe we could go to Neopia Central," Zena said, surprising herself a bit as the words came out.

     “We?” Nathan asked, not expecting Zena to ever want to leave Silver Hills.

     “Sure. I was already planning on leaving. People everywhere have been giving me strange looks and it's only a matter of time before they put the pieces together. If they haven’t already. I mean, not one person has dropped by to see if Hector or I are okay. Including my Aunt and Uncle, who are the closest family we got here.”

     “I won’t say no. Just promise you won’t change your mind after we leave. And we have to leave right away. I’m sure my parents are on their way over here now,” Nathan said.

     “That’s okay. I’m already packed. I was planning on heading out alone. I’ve already written a note to Hector telling him where I'm going.”

     “Re-write it!!” Nathan urged. “I don’t want anyone knowing where we're going and we can’t travel on the river, because that'll be the first place they'll look.” Zena hesitated for a moment, but understood why Nathan needed it to be a secret.

     “Okay, but only because I could use the company,” Zena said. “Do you know how to get there if we don’t take the river?”

     “Sure. We’ll stay close to the river, but out of sight,” Nathan said, “So why Neopia Central?”

     “That is where my parents came from. I’ve always dreamed about going there one day. It is also full of Neopians and opportunities. I think we would fit in well.”

     “Neopia Central it is then. Now hurry up and write that letter. I’ll wait over in the trees until you come back out,” Nathan said, pointing to a forested patch of land behind Zena’s house.

     Zena ran into the house and rewrote her letter to Hector, stuffing the old one in her shirt pocket. She hurried to her room and pulled out the bottom dresser drawer, lifting out a small box filled with trinkets she collected over the years. She pulled out the obsidian locket her mom gave her. She allowed it to dangle on its chain in front of her for a few seconds. The locket housed a pair of pictures. One of her and another of her mom. She placed it around her neck, slipped the locket under her collar and left the rest of the trinkets behind. Zena quickly grabbed her backpack and flew out the door. Nathan waved impatiently by the tree line. She ran over and together they left Silver Hills.

     The End.