Chapter Five: Cori

       The house was quiet once we all sat down for dinner. The Archmage was sitting at the head of the table next to Sargent Orion who had joined as my mother insisted since he had helped me.

        “This is a lovely meal Josephine.” The Archmage said while eating the roasted duck with blueberry sauce my mom had slaved over all day for.

“Oh, thank you Alistair.” My mom said helping my sister to not get anything on her nice dress; mom had made us all dress in our nicest clothes for tonight.

Claudia smiled as she continued to talk to the Archmage about new healing remedies they had found out about. The Archmage smiled listening yet, every now and again he would look at me.

 

        I looked around and tried not to scratch where my purple cotton dress was bothering me.  I ate slowly tuning out the crowd until the Archmage spoke.

“You, know Cori that dress is lovely on you.”

I sit up and tried to smile

“Thank you, Archmage.”

I heard Sargent Orion snicker, as The Archmage continued.

“I have watch you and your siblings grow, and I must say Josephine has raised you to be a fine young woman.”

I coughed a tad at the statement.

“Well mother has always made it a point to teach us manners.”

Alistair frowned at me

“Did Josephine not talk to you about why I have come here?”

The whole house went still as my mom’s face turned red.

“I did not have a chance, and I thought we could all wait till the little ones went to bed.”

        Claudia and I eyed each other; I patted my mom’s leg as I sat next to her.

“What is it Mom?”

Mom started to tear up and she looked at the Archmage

“Please Alistair can this wait?”

The Archmage sighed

“Fine I will wait till after the small ones go to bed.”

My mom mouthed thank you.

The rest of the dinner was slow and dead quiet to where you could here the autumn leaves fall outside. Finally, dinner was done, and everyone helped clean the small kitchen that always looked like a tornado had hit it.

        My mom and dad helped the children to bed, changed them and we all waited until they came down confirming they were asleep.

  My mom came down the stairs and sat in the middle of my sister and I; my father sat on the other side of me. My sister and I held our mom as she looked pale.

 “You girls, are my babies… I have raised you and will always love you.”

I smiled

“We know Mom.”

Mom took a deep breath.

“You two however are adopted.”

The world around me went silent as I went still. Claudia held onto her as she started to cry.

“What do you mean Mom?” she asked

I looked at mom hoping for an explanation.

“Your father and I were barren; we wanted a big family. I could not carry children though, then I met your birth mother. I was her best friend and when she died she wanted your father and I to take you in.”

I held my mom’s hand.

“What does that have to do with The Archmage Mom?”

    The Archmage coughed breaking up the intense moment.

“I am your uncle, I have come to take you girls in as my apprentices as I promised your mother.”

The house went quiet as we all waited to hear the story of our mother and the history of this small camp.