Twenty-Nine - Tarka

It was so dark in Alden's room. Really cold too. And quiet.

Even though I was used to the quiet, and even though I was a cold-blooded creature, it still didn't feel natural to me. Maybe it did, but I was too busy thinking to even feel comfortable and fall asleep.

Alden was lucky. He at least had his mother. I would give anything to have my mother back. To feel her embrace and to hear her say, "Tarka, I'm proud of you, and I love you!" I will never be able to hear those words in that sweet voice again.

I wondered where his father was. Was he killed? Will he ever come back? Why do I even care?

Poor Alden. His brother was dead, his father missing, and his mother probably heartbroken. At least she still has him.

I still have him, too. I wonder, does she think we're "together"? What does she think of a Viridian in her house? She hasn't expressed any hard feelings towards me yet. Just her grief. Maybe she doesn't know what we know. Wait, of course she doesn't! . . . What would I talk about with her? Would I even have a chance to talk to her? Would Alden introduce me? He didn't when we walked in and saw her. We had all gone straight to bed.

I couldn't handle it anymore; I couldn't sleep, so I got up from the bed, and opened the door. Only one light was on in the kitchen. The door creaked so loudly when I tried to open it slowly, so I just swung it open and stopped it before it slammed into the wall. I tiptoed as quietly as I could to Alden's brother's room where Alden was sleeping. I cracked open the door and peeked in. He was passed out on his brother's messy bed, with his clothes still on. Laying on his back made him snore. I stared at him for a few seconds to take in the precious sight before I closed the door again.

"I can't believe he came back," a voice whispered behind me that made me jump. I turned around and let out a huge sigh of relief. "Could you not sleep either?" I asked his mother.

"No, I almost never sleep at night anymore. I've always been afraid of the dark, but my husband has always been here, and he made me feel safe. He was my rock and safe haven. Now, he's gone," she shook her head slowly as if she didn't believe it herself.

My heart went out to her. "I've lost someone I loved, too. Two people in fact."

"From the war?"

"You could say that one of them was. The other was my mother; she fell very ill and passed away less than a year ago."

"Oh, dear, I am so sorry . . ."

There was a slight awkward silence for a few minutes. Then, I stated, "I guess you know that I'm a Viridian. You must hate me."

"No, I don't, dear. You seemed to have protected my boy while he's been banished, and I am truly grateful."

"Do you love him?"

"Of course I do. He's my son. However, I know he has hard feelings towards his father and I because when his brother was alive, Alden was the lesser of the two in both of our eyes. And for that, I am sincerely sorry. I hope he will forgive us, especially me," she said quietly, looking straight ahead with tears brimming in her eyes.

"He seems grateful to be here; at least he has a home to go to."

More silence.

Then, she turned to face me again. "So, my question never got answered. Why did he come back? And why are you here with him?"

I let out a deep breath. "It's a very long story, but I'll try to sum up. We met in the Viridian jungle when he was just wandering around, and we met up with a Brackin man --"

"A Brackin man!" she gasped, then hushed her voice again. "Was he dangerous? Did he try to hurt both of you?"

"Oh, no, no! He never tried to hurt either of us. He had been banished from his own people, too. He had murdered someone, on accident."

Alden's mother's eyes got wide, then relaxed again. "I wonder . . . No, it couldn't be."

I didn't know what she meant by that, so I continued. "Anyway, we ran into a man, a really old man named Rhythmus. He is not part of any of the three tribes, so I don't know what kind of a creature he is exactly. But he told us that we had to go back to our own lands and try to stop the war, because Lesion, the Viridi elder, is trying to convince both lands to go to war with each other. Once that's done, and they've turned on each other, he plans to take over both tribes and rule everyone!"

Alden's mother stared blankly at me. After the story had seemed to sink in, she asked, "Really? Can it be true?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed in a whisper. "I know Lesion personally. He's responsible for my . . . friend's execution. He is very evil and must be contained or destroyed before it gets worse."

She sighed. "I know I've only just met you, but I trust you. I like you."

I smiled bleakly. "Thanks."

She started to stand up from the cushion she had been sitting on and yawned. "For once in a good while, I'm feeling sleepy. I guess I should head to bed. You should do the same, and both you and Alden should explain more in the morning."

"That sounds like a plan," I nodded.

"Goodnight dear girl," she said. "Oh, I never asked your name, what is it dear?"

"Tarka."

"That is one of the most beautiful names I have ever heard. Goodnight dear Tarka."

"Goodnight," I echoed. I slept more peacefully that night than I had in months, now that I had found a friend in Alden's mother. For a moment, I had two friends in the same house as me. Two more were out adventuring who knows where.

For a moment, all was right with the world.