Eden

Did I just miss the last exit to Eden? Did I just miss my only way out of here? - Amanda Marshall
* * *

"You, keep moving. There’s work to be done and no time to chat. That goes to the Lower Caverns, down the stairs and to the right. I thought I told you to set the tables? Don’t give me excuses, just start moving. Gallin stop fooling around, if you make me say that one more time..." The tall, blond girl let the threat trail off. She shook her head and the last of her hair slipped out of the pony-tail. She sighed, re-bound her annoying hair and continued her work. Visitors were coming to the Hold, important visitors, and Eden would be threadscored before she let them see the Dining Hall like this.

She rolled her eyes as she watched a girl her age struggle with a large load of pottery. The pile toppled and would have fell if Eden hadn’t been there to catch it. "Sorry milady." The drudge bowed to the Holder’s only daughter. "I’ll be more careful next time."

Eden bit back her harsh words and smiled at the girl as she took the load. "That’s okay. Don’t carry so much by yourself next time, get someone to help you." The girl bowed again quickly and ran off to her next task.

"Maybe I’m being to hard on them..." Eden murmured to herself as she easily carried the pottery to it’s place and quickly put it away. "But I don’t ask any more of them than I ask of myself..."

"Of course you don’t sis. But unlike you, they’re not gods." Her older brother smiled and grabbed the over-worked 19 year-old in bear hug.

"Gars!" Eden quickly wiped the smile from her face and donned a mock stern look. "I have no time for your silly games, brother."

The easy going youth smiled and clutched her tighter. "You will always make time for your favourite brother. Especially since I’m only here for the winter fesitval."

Gars was Eden’s elder by 5 years and an apprentice Harper. He’d always been laid back, easy going and a disappointment to his mother and father, the Lord and Lady Holders. His going had been a relief to the embarrassed adults and the biggest disappointment of Eden’s life.

"You’re not my favourite brother...I’ll never forgive you for leaving me with the terrible trio." Eden smiled up at the almost Harper. "It’s been hell without you Gars." The terrible trio were Eden’s three younger brothers, Damien, Drowen and Devo. They were stuck up, spoiled rotten little snobs and their parents’ pride and joy.

"Speak of the devils..." Gars murmured and let Eden go. As she quickly returned to her work, Damien, Drowen and Devo entered, smug looks on all their faces.

"Hey Eden," Damien, the oldest of the pests, said. "Mom’s coming here to inspect your work. Hope you’re finished soon." He grinned smugly, well aware that nothing Eden had ever done was good compared to her mother’s high standards.

Seconds later the Lady Holder burst into the Dining Hall in her best dress and looked about. She sighed the sigh of a long suffering master, forced to put up with complete inadequacy. The drudges quickly cleared out, leaving Eden to her fate. Gars put a comforting hand on her shoulder and whispered to her. "I’d love to stay Eden, but my visit was solely for your benefit. I didn’t come back to receive a lecture on the dishonour I’ve brought to our Hold." He smiled a quick smile for her and followed the drudges out. The Lady Holder made no move to indicate that she’d even noticed her first-born. The terrible trio smirked and left. They had better things to do. Like play, since they never so much as lift a finger around here... Eden straightened up, and smiled at her mother.

Vienna looked sympathetically at her daughter. "I know this is very hard for you honey, but this is very important to me. Couldn’t you just try harder to get these decorations right?"

Eden bit her lip to keep from swearing at the older woman and tried to smile. "I’m sorry mother. I’ll try harder next time." She clenched her fists behind her back.

"Now that’s the attitude you should have deary. Now fix this mess before they get here." The Lady Holder quickly left Eden to her work.

"That’s the attitude you should have deary..." Eden mocked her mother as she set about ‘fixing’ the decorations. "Why don’t you get your precious sons to help you old witch." Eden continued to mutter to herself as she finished the entire Dining Hall herself.

A couple of turns later, Vienna returned to the Dining Hall, looked around. "Is that what you’re going to wear honey? You look like something the feline dragged in! Really, you’ll never find a good husband looking like a drudge. I honestly don’t understand how you get so dirty. Go change before our guests arrive and see you looking like that." The Lady Holder dismissed the entire morning of work without so much as a well done.

Eden nearly hit the older woman, but managed to contain her anger and stomp off to her room. Tears immediately flooded her eyes as the blond whirled to face her closed door. "You don’t understand how I get so dirty?" Words failed her as she screamed at her imaginary mother. "I’ll show you how I get so dirty!" She pounded her fist into the door, cracking one of her knuckles open. Her anger was quickly replaced by pain. She threw herself on her bed, sobbing.

"Honestly sis." Gars sat beside her on the bed. "I don’t know why you care so much. You’re not her servant. Tell her to sod off."

"I can’t." She stood and quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. "I just..." Tears welled up again, Eden blinked them back. "I have to get ready. Will you excuse me please?"

Gars sighed. "I hate to see you do this to yourself Eden. You know you’ll never measure up to her standards." He got up and began walking towards the door.

"I gotta keep trying." Eden replied and quickly began getting ready to greet the guests.

Gars sighed again and shut the door behind him. He looked back sadly at the closed door. "Good luck sis."

* * *

"There you are honey." Vienna smiled and began to fix Eden’s hair. "You should have asked me to put your hair up instead of trying to do it yourself honey."

Eden held in her sigh and let her mother re-do the hair that Eden had spent half an hour on. "Thanks mom. I didn’t want to trouble you."

"I know you don’t try to trouble me Eden, it’s not your fault." The Lady Holder didn’t notice her daughter’s flinch at her words. "There. You look much better."

Karat, Eden’s father, approached and examined Eden closely. "If that’s the best you can do Vienna. I suppose she’s presentable."

Damian, Drowen and Devo smirked as Eden ground her teeth together. "Thanks dad."

Karat smiled at his children. "Today you’re mother and I have a surprise for each of you....and an extra big surprise for Eden."

The Holder’s only daughter’s jaw hit the floor. A surprise...for me... She smiled broadly at her father, all past grievances forgiven. "What?"

He grinned back at her. "You’ll see. You’ll all see." He took his wife’s arm and led her into the Dining Hall. Their four children followed quickly behind.

The room was beautiful, covered in the decorations Eden had so painstakingly hung and filled with the scents of the meal being prepared by the drudges and cooks in the kitchen. On the head table was a large pot and behind it was a young man that Eden recognized as the heir to a nearby Hold. She paid him no heed and approached the pot with her brothers. Inside was a lot of warm sand and small eggs....firelizard eggs. Eden stared in amazement at her parents. "You got us firelizards?" She couldn’t believe it, someone must have kidnapped her parents and replaced them with these strange people.

"Well..." Her father started, but he never got to finish. Eden interrupted him with a hug.

"I can’t believe it! This is so wonderful! This is..." She stopped as she recounted the eggs. "Why are there only three?"

"As I was going to say, we got your brothers firelizard eggs. We got you something better." Karat and Vienna were both smiled broadly.

Now Eden was suspicious and confused. "What?"

"Turn around." Eden had never seen her mother look so pleased.

She turned around and came face to face with the young man. He was also smiling. Eden felt the smile fall from her face as she began to get the picture. "Yes?"

The youth laughed. "My name is Ronarian."

Eden tried to smile. "I’m Eden."

Vienna smiled. "You really don’t get it, do you honey? Your father and I have done a lot of talking with Ronarian’s mother and fathers and it’s all decided for you darling. You’re going to be married.

If Eden was a weaker girl she would have fainted, as it was she did need to sit down, but managed to stay conscious. "I’m going to be married?!?"

Karat was grinning as much as Vienna. "Yes Eden. We’re so happy we finally found someone who’ll have you, you’re so headstrong sometimes."

Something within Eden snapped. "Headstrong sometimes? Married? I can’t believe you did this to me."

Ronarian was obviously uncomfortable and began fidgeting. Karat glared at her. "I knew you’d make a big deal out of this."

Vienna looked hurt, like Eden had purposefully done this to injure her. "It was supposed to be a wonderful winter surprise."

Eden was too shocked to register her mother’s pain. "You know what’s a good surprise? Cake, or a gather-day, or firelizards. A husband is not a good surprise!" She put her hands on her hips and glared at her parents.

"I guess I’ll just be going..." Ronarian started to sneak off towards the door.

"Wait a moment please, milord. We’ll just have a word with our daughter." Karat glared at Eden, grabbed her arm and pulled her into a small room just off the Dining Hall. Vienna sadly followed.

Eden opened her mouth to plead her case, but her father slapped her before she could utter a word. "What the hell did you think you were doing back there?" He tried to keep his voice down so Ronarian and Eden’s brothers couldn’t hear their argument.

"Dad, please... I don’t want..." Eden started, feeling the fury ebbing from her under her father’s cruel gaze and her mother’s sad stare.

"Don’t call me dad! No daughter of mine would embarrass me like that. You’re worse than Gars...running off to be a Harper..." Karat trailed off, obviously very angry. "You’ll marry that man and that’s that!"

"Dad! I don’t want..." This time Eden was interrupted by her mother.

"It would make me so proud Eden," She paused to stiffle a sob. "To see you married to this man."

She didn’t have a loud voice, but the words hit home....hard. Eden felt tears coming to her own eyes, but she choked them back. She’d never cried before her parents before and she wasn’t going to know. "Mom...I...."

"Please Eden. It would make us happy." Vienna took her daughter’s hand in her own. Karat’s stern glance even softened at his wife’s show of emotion.

Eden sighed, knowing she was beaten, but not wanting to surrender just yet. "Could I have a moment to think about it?"

Vienna smiled sadly at her only daughter. "Of course honey. We’ll go..."

"That’s okay." Eden interrupted. "I’ll just go for a walk outside..." She quickly pushed past her father and mother and ran through the Dining Hall to the cold outside before anyone could stop her. She didn’t get very far before she ran into Gars.

He grabbed her as she tried to storm past him. "Wait, sis, listen. I heard about what happened and I have a solution." Eden glared at him and he smiled. "Other than marrying the twerp."

She sighed. "What?"

"Come with me. I’ve got someone I want to introduce you to." The apprentice Harper started dragging his sister towards the outer limits of the Hold. Just as it began to snow, the two arrived in the large cleared spots that dragons used when they had to land in the Hold. To Eden’s surprise there was a giant blue dragon there now.

"Gars...what..." She planted her feet and refused to move at all.

Gars smiled. He knew his sister well. Once she planted her feet, she was immovable. "You’re too stubborn for your own good Eden."

She smiled at her favourite brother. "I know, but I’m not moving until you tell me what’s going on."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself." He motioned the dragon’s rider over to where they were standing.

Eden tried to look annoyed, but ended up laughing. "That’s not what I meant and you know it."

"Hey." Eden was surprised to see the blue’s rider was a female. "Apprentice Harper Gars, you’ve got me here quietly and in secret. Now are you going to tell me what’s going on."

Gars smiled. "Head Searchrider Nora, this is my younger sister, Eden."

As the Searchrider looked her over, Eden realized how silly she must look. She was wearing her best dress in the middle of what was turning out to be a snowstorm and her hair was, once again, falling out. She shivered, realizing how cold she was. She blushed slightly and offered her hand in greeting. "Hello."

Nora smiled and shook her hand. "A little cold for that dress, isn’t it?"

"I don’t normally wear...I mean....it’s just that...." Luckily for her Gars stopped her before she made a total fool of herself.

"I dragged her out of a party of sorts. She didn’t know that you were coming."

Nora nodded as her big blue dragon walked over and examined Eden. I think she’s beautiful. We should take her home right now.

"Take me where?" Eden was surprised to hear the blue’s voice.

Nora smiled and clasped the girl on the shoulder. "Take you home with us to Talor Cliff Weyr, Mitanth’s just searched you."

"Yes!" Gars cheered loudly and swung Eden around. "Did you hear that Eden? You’re searched. You have to go. Now you don’t have to marry that horrible Holder’s son, or put up with the terrible trio, or mom, or dad. You can leave forever, never look back and..." Gars stopped as he realized that Eden wasn’t smiling. "Eden?"

Eden wished she’d never come out here, she wished Gars had never come back. How could he put her in this position? Give her the chance to make a perfect escape...and end up like him. Her father’s words echoed in her mind... You’re worse that Gars....running off... She sighed. It would make me so proud Eden...

"I’m sorry." Eden forced her expression to be cold and uncaring. "I have other obligations. I can’t just run away right now. I hope you find someone else to take my place." She whirled around quickly and began marching back to the Dining Hall.

Now it was Gars’ turn to lecture her. He grabbed her arm and glared at her. "What the hell do you think you’re doing? You don’t turn down a searching?"

Eden smiled sadly. "You sound just like father."

"Eden, please..."

"And now you sound like mother. I’m sorry Gars. Tell Nora that would you, and Mitanth. It’s just I have a chance. I’m going to do what’s right."

"What’s right for you? Or what’s right for them?"

Eden bit her lip. She struggled for words, but then decided not to bother. She pushed past her brother and entered the Dining Hall. All eyes turned to her. She stood up straight and attempted a smile. "I’m going to marry Ronarian."

Vienna sighed sadly. "Look what you’ve done to your lovely dress..."

* * *

"How do I look?" Eden twirled in the beautiful gown her mother had made for her.

"Gorgeous, sis. Gorgeous." Gars smiled sadly at her. It was obvious that four months later, he still didn’t approve of his sister’s decision.

Eden sighed. "You think I’m screwing up majorly, don’t you?"

"I think you should have gone with Nora. You could always marry whats-his-name later." Gars stood and stretched.

Eden gave her brother a half-smile. "You’re just mad that mom and dad didn’t want you coming to my wedding."

"No. I’m mad that you turned down a searching. I had Nora come all the way out to our little Hold for nothing." He crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at her.

Eden hugged him quickly, careful not to wrinkle the dress. "And I’m amazingly grateful that you did manage to get her to come all the way down to our little Hold just for me. And stop making it sound like I signed my own death warrant. Ronarian’s not that bad."

"You could do better Eden."

She smirked. "Not according to dad. He’s amazed they found anyone who would have me."

Gars kissed her quickly on the forehead. "I’d better get going. If mom and dad find me here making a bad example they might disown me...oh wait...they already did."

Eden sighed. "Don’t be mad. You’ll make me start regretting things. Just wish me a long and healthy life."

"I won’t." The apprentice Harper smiled. "Long lives mean nothing. Have fun Eden." Gars kissed her forehead again and left.

Eden sighed. "Sometimes you can be depressing Gars." She turned to look at herself in the mirror again, fixing her veil for the hundredth time that morning.

* * *

"Mother." Gars grabbed the Lady Holder’s arm as she walked by. "Remember me?"

Vienna clicked her tongue at her son. "Gars. If your father sees you here he’ll throw a fit. And on Eden’s wedding day."

"Just thought I’d let you know what your only daughter is giving up to make you proud." He put his hands on his hips and refused to move.

"What do you mean Gars?" Vienna was genuinely confused.

"She was searched, by Nora for Talor Cliff Weyr. But she refused to go. She wanted to marry Ronarian for you." Gars glared at his mother, blaming her for Eden’s situation.

"What?" Vienna had obviously never heard about the searching. "Nora was in our Hold and no one told me? What must she think?" Vienna was horrified.

"Stop thinking about yourself for one minute mother and think about Eden!" Gars had to struggle not to yell at the Lady Holder. "Nora thought that Eden would make a good candidate, but Eden was thinking about you!"

Vienna sighed and looked sadly at her older son. "She didn’t run off with Nora? She’s such a good daughter."

"Have you ever told her that?" When Vienna didn’t answer, Gars shook his head and sighed. "Think about Eden, would you mom?" The apprentice Harper turned to leave.

"Gars..." Vienna murmured his name softly, but he heard and turned around. "I cried for days after you left. Karat yelled at me until I stopped blubbering."

Gars nodded once, turned and walked away.

* * *

Eden’s fidgeting was halted by a knock at her door. "C’mon in. It’s open."

"Never say ‘C’mon in", Eden. Say ‘Come in’, and let me help you with that." Vienna immediately began to fix the veil.

Eden sighed. "Thanks mom."

"There. You look beautiful honey." Vienna stepped back to let Eden see herself in the mirror.

"Thanks mom." Eden repeated herself softly.

Vienna smiled and ran her fingers through Eden’s hair. "I’d love to have hair like your’s Eden. I could do so much with it."

"I’m sure you could mom." Eden pulled away from her mother and went to sit on her bed.

Vienna sighed and went to sit beside her. "Your father is very proud of you, you know. He won’t say it, but he’s down there beaming with fatherly pride."

"Hmm..." Eden wished her mother would either get to the point or leave.

"I was married to your father through an arranged marriage. I didn’t even get to meet him until the wedding day. I was nervous, but my mother told me that I would learn to love him. I trusted her, completely, and she was right. I did learn to love him." Vienna smiled at her daughter.

"I didn’t know that mom. Guess that puts everything in perspective for me." Eden never knew her mother to be so open with her. She wondered if something wasn’t wrong.

"I hope it does, but that’s not what I wanted to say. I suppose I’m not very good at this, am I?" Eden remained silent, waiting for her mother to continue. "I know I’m hard on you, but that’s only because I want you to be perfect. I know that’s impossible and unfair, but that’s what my mother always expected of me. And I know I’m easy on your brothers, but they’re so young and we shouldn’t have problems finding them wives. Your father is proud of you because he found you a husband and because you’re getting married. I’m proud of you because despite my best efforts you grew up to be nothing like me."

Eden was now really confused. "What?"

Vienna grabbed her daughter’s hands in her own and smiled. "I married the man my parents chose for me, I never had the guts to question their decision. I would have never been searched and I certainly wouldn’t have ran off on my wedding day to impress."

"What?!?" Eden stood up, staring at her mother in wide-eyed astonishment. Vienna simply pointed to the window that faced out of the Hold. Eden walked to it and looked out. Standing there was Head Searchrider Nora and Mitanth. Eden’s jaw hit the floor. "Mom?"

Vienna grinned and handed Eden a bag full of her stuff and a rope. "My conscience decided to make a brief appearance today and got me thinking. Do I want a daughter who’s honourable, proper, a pride and joy to her father, and completely miserable? Or do I want a headstrong, stubborn, dragon-riding daughter who’s her mother’s pride and joy?"

Eden laughed and hugged her mother. "Mom...I...I don’t know what to say....or do.... What will you tell Ronarian, and father?"

"I will tell them that I fixed your veil for you and then left. I haven’t seen you since."

Eden grabbed the bag and tied the rope to the bed. She pulled on it once or twice to make sure it was steady and then turned back to her mother. "Thanks mom. Really this time."

"Just have fun Eden, and be careful." Vienna kissed her only daughter once on the forehead.

Eden smiled and hugged her mom again before strapping the bag to her back and lowering herself out the window. "Bye mom." She called as her head disappeared below the ledge.

"Eden!" Her mother called out when she was almost at the bottom. "Try not to get your good dress too dirty!"

Eden smiled up at her mother, a single tear running down her cheek. Some things never change... "I’ll try mom. I promise I’ll try. I love you!"

Vienna watched until the blue dragon carrying her daughter disappeared into between. "I love you too, Eden. I’m sorry I didn’t say that earlier."

Gars smiled and put his arm around his mother. "I think she knows mom. I think she realizes that she’s always known."

Eden at Talor Cliff...
* * *
Eden is a candidate at Talor Cliff Weyr.
Eden’s pictures are from Dolls of Flavour and Angel Dollz.
Background from Myrror Images.