Dreamwalker 3
-Do you ever get the feeling that there is so much more to us, to our past, than just the Unknown? I believe there is. I see it in my dreams. I search for it there.-
AsaHi sighed as she shuffled the papers to a more hidden side of the table. She didn’t feel right in reading SoYa’s notes, but sometimes she couldn’t help it. Not when he absentmindedly left them out on the middle of the breakfast table.
If only you’d put as much effort into the known as you do the Unknown.
She stopped herself sharply at the end of the thought, scolding herself quickly.
That’s not fair. SoYa does what he does to help people. And he does the best he can for me and for Fu.
AsaHi walked to the open doorway, peering out into the green and gold beyond. Afternoon was settling quickly, yet there was no sign of SoYa’s return for the night. There was only the distant shape of Fu, tucked away under a tree, engrossed in his newest book.
The boy took after his father so much, from his looks to his quizzical nature. Though still so young, his wavy white hair was already long enough to pull back. Not quite touched by the intensity of his father’s curls, it hung like an unruly curtain over his down-turned face.
Trees of many shapes and sizes spotted the horizon, some taking light for the oncoming night. Somewhere in the far distance lay the Manor. Sometimes AsaHi thought she could see the lights of the city, but it was mostly her imagination.
Unlike most of the families that had loved ones who worked within the Manor, SoYa had chosen to make their home far outside the city walls. This was always strange to AsaHi. Though SoYa spent so much time working and teaching within the Manor, when it came to allowing her or Fu to travel to the city or remain near for too long, SoYa responded with an unnerving disapproval.
I wish I knew what happened there… Why he keeps so much to himself. Why he is always so uneasy. The Manor is there to protect us, right?
AsaHi’s sigh sounded louder than she meant it to, carried on the still night air. Fu’s head popped up above the worn jacket of his heavy book, two bright green eyes focusing on her from across the yard. As if noticing the lack of light and the oncoming twilight, the boy blinked around quizzically.
Then he got to his feet, brushing the grass from his trousers, “Is something wrong, Mother?”
Fu always spoke with measured formality. As much as AsaHi disapproved, the boy seemed to believe it made him sound older and more mature. Knowing the phases of children, she gave up trying to correct him anymore, letting him speak as he pleased.
“No,” she answered. “Just looking for your father.”
“He is late coming home again,” he spoke surely, walking towards her, back to the house. “That concerns you.”
“And you have to be a Mr. Know-It-All,” AsaHi teased, brushing a hand through his already undisciplined hair.
“Mother!” Fu complained, trying to undo the damage with his free hand, juggling the large tome in the other arm. Despite the formal word, he sounded no more than the boy he actually was. “I am not a know it all.”
“A Know-Quite-A-Bit, then?”
“Noooooo!” he protested, face screwing up into a comical half-pout. “You know what I mean!”
“I know you’re my smart and handsome young man,” she reassured him, looping one arm around his neck to give him a quick-hug-and-peck-kiss. It was as much mothering as his boyish pride would allow from her now days. He was growing up far too fast. “Now, why don’t you get cleaned up and we can get supper started for your father.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Fu nodded, still obedient, even in the phases of his approaching adolescence.
AsaHi watched as he vanished into the washroom, and then turned to make her way into the kitchen. She was just pulling down the large kettle when the sound of a voice came to her from outside the open door. AsaHi paused, knowing at once that it was not SoYa – the quality of the voice was different, and it called in an unfamiliar way of one hailing a stranger.
Drying her hands on the nearest rag, she walked to the doorway. AsaHi was greeted with the sight of three men, all dressed in the robes of the Manor. Their official badges glittered with the last fading light of the day, reflecting it with a malevolent gleam.
Pursing her lips, AsaHi walked out to greet them, “Good evening. SoYa isn’t at home just yet, but if you’d like to come in, we’re about to fix supper.”
“No thank you,” the man nearest her answered, shortly. “We aren’t here to speak with SoYa.”
“Oh?” she couldn’t keep the sound of surprise and worry from seeping into her voice. “Is there something wrong? Did something happen?”
“No, nothing like that,” he replied again. Underneath the direct tone of his voice, he was hesitating.
“I see… then… is there something I can do for you?” she prompted, brow furrowing.
“We are here to escort your son to the Manor,” he finally clarified.