Ashlee - Chapter 2

Mummers and whispers danced just out of reach. I felt the comfort of my bed as I pulled my blanket closer. What a horrible nightmare! A sharp pain shot through my head then calmed to a constant throb. Daisy sounded a distressed mew somewhere from my right.

Something wasn’t right, the sheets felt itchy and smelled of lavender. This isn’t my bed, I opened my eyes to find myself in a cozy but plain room. There was a light knocking at the door, and I sat up and immediately regretted it. The throbbing in my head grew worse and shuddered through my whole body. "Roxy, you awake?" It was Mark, and like Daisy he sounded distressed. Something defiantly was wrong. He opened the door and I saw his eyes were tiered and wiry. He reached my bed and handed me a glass of water and some aspirin. What was going on?

"Mark..." I could barley find my voice. "Mark, please tell me it was just a nightmare." He didn’t answer and tears rolled down my cheeks as my breath quickened to match my pulse.

He reached out and held me upright, afraid I would faint again. Yes, I fainted when I found out she was dead. I remember now. I let out a shuddering sigh and sat up at the edge with him.

"I am all right" I had to stop myself from repeating those words because I wasn’t sure if I believed them. Would I ever be okay? Surely not in the way I ever wanted to be.

A million things went through my mind but at the same time I couldn’t think of anything but the pain.

"Roxy are you feeling better honey?" As he walked into the room I couldn’t even think how my father could stand there knowing what just happened. How I wish I was as strong as him or my brother.

“Yeah, I think." I swallowed the aspirin Mark had given me and washed them down with a mouthful of water before looking back at my father. I couldn’t describe or even recognize the look on his face; I just knew he wasn’t telling me something.

"What is it?" Mark and I both looked at our father who gave a slight smile that only made me sadder. What thoughts could make him smile such a way at a time like this?

"Were not having the best of times but I know your mother would have wanted this..." What was he talking about? Glancing at Mark I found out this was as much as a surprise for him as it was for me.

"There is something your mother and I had never told the two of you, something that you may not believe with just words....So I’m going to show you before I explain. Roxanne do you fell well enough to walk?"

Still in awe I looked up at my father; He stood tall and proud of his words and his upcoming actions. What was it that made him look so strong and at peace? Unable to find words I nodded and stood ready for whatever was about to happen.

"Come then, it’s not too far from here, we can walk."

My father strode far ahead of my brother and I, I still had no idea where we were when we walked out of a small farmhouse. We headed towards the woods at the back of the house as Damen and Daisy followed. No one talked, we just walked further and further into the forest full of tall trees and wildlife. It was so peaceful and distracting that I almost ran into my father when he finally stopped at a small clearing.

"Here we are..." For some odd reason I wanted to smack him upside his head for dragging us all the way out here for nothing, had he gone mad!?

"Where exactly are we dad?" I was surprised Mark even spoke up. He was as bemused as I was, but then again it had to be asked.

"Ashlee of the Other Worlds." He said it so proudly, and confidently I almost believed the absurd words he spoke.

"I think he is in shock...we should take him back and call the doctor" I whispered to Mark he was surly thinking the same. Obviously our mother’s death was too much for our father to bear.

"Yeah...but he sounds so sure of himself, it’s not going to be easy to get him back to the house." Apparently we went quite enough because our father turned with a frown on his face.

"Surely you two don’t think so little of me? I told you wouldn’t believe me with just words so I will show you." 

"There isn’t anything here dad" I walked to the middle of the clearing with my arms stretched out before me, trying to let him see I was speaking the truth. He only frowned again and walked up behind me and motioned for Mark to join in beside him.

"Please trust me you two, I only want to let you be a part of what your mother lived for other than her family." With his words I trusted he hadn’t lost his mind. We all gained hands and stood in a small circle.

"Now what?"

"Daisy, Damen get in the middle please" They did as ordered and Daisy responded with a hast meow.

"Now you remember the stories your mother use to tell you guys when you were little?"

Of course I did, sometimes even at my age now I would ask her to tell us the fairy tales at dinner. Never a night went by when we were little did she go without telling us of the people of the ash trees, how they fought an everlasting war between worlds. We nodded in unison as I fought back tears at the thought of my mother.

“I want you too to think of those stories as hard as you can, hold each others hands and don’t let go no matter what until I say so okay?" We nodded again unable to talk, I shut my eyes and thought of the place I dreamed of every night.

The people of the ash trees. It seemed the harder I thought the harder it was to remember, I don’t know why but I got scared as the wind picked up to tremendous speed. I wanted to open my eyes and see what was happening but I was too scared.

"Dad?..."

"I know, it’s okay just trust me" He squeezed my hand tighter and I felt a little better.

I thought of the fairy tales again; I soon began to feel numb and I couldn’t hear anything but the wind which was ripping at my running shorts and tossing my hair about. All of a sudden the wind stopped and I didn’t fell numb. I heard the rustling of tree branches and heard birds chirping. At first I thought we were still in the clearing but then I heard voices and footsteps around me.

"It’s the Captain!" Captain? Where were we? My eyes were still closed when my father and brother both let go of my hands. Finally I forced myself to open them.

"Oh my!" I gasped covering my mouth amazed by the sight I now saw.

We were still in the forest, but not in the clearing we were in just moments ago. Instead we were in a village within the forest, houses were built around the trees as well as high up in them a well ways above our heads. Bridges led from one house to the other and spiraling stairs that led up into those houses in the trees.

People gathered around and greeted my father like they were all good friends. They were all dressed in a sort of old fashioned manner I guess you could call it, but with a touch of modernness to it. Most men wore tunics showing off their chest with breeches or leather pants, and the women wore dresses or skirts. Some people were accompanied by animals varying from cats and birds like Daisy and Damen, to other wildlife such as owls, raccoons and a wolf or two, and other creatures I couldn’t name that didn’t even look of this world.

 Where are we? I asked myself again. Just then my father turned his attention back to me and my brother, who was also gaping at the sight of the strange village and the people in it

"Roxanne, Marcus....I would like you to meet the People of Ashlee." Something stabbed at my memory as I realized what my father was saying.

The People of Ashlee, The people of the ash trees. I realized I couldn’t just sit there and gloat, I had to use some manners no matter if I had traveled into a real live fairy tale land or not. So I walked to stand beside my father and smiled as best as I could in my state of awe.

"Hello...t'so very nice to meet you all" My voice sounded far too innocent and naive for my age but could you really blame me?

I had to laugh at my brother’s expression as he walked to stand beside me and our father. I let a sinker escape my lips, then, unable to keep it to myself,  let it all out. My father followed my gaze and saw Mark gaping at the people, mouth wind open and eyes big and unblinking. Father elbowed him and brought him to his senses.

"Yeah, what she said." I snickered once more, then shut up when the villagers standing before us all gave a slight bow and a woman courting a small child spoke.

"Oh no my dear! We should be the ones honored to meet the two of you. Never had I thought the day would come when the Captains children’s would show up in the village!" I glanced sideways at my father asking for an explanation.

"All in good time my dear." Was all I got.

People started whispering and waving, making their acknowledgments, while the children came running about. Three little girls came up tugging on the ends of my shorts for attention.

A young girl with strawberry blond hair drawn back in pigtails bounced up and down. She was wearing a pale green dress that fell to her knees with a brown belt tied around her waist into a big bow in the back. I fell to my knees to look her in the eyes. She gave a little gasp and a big smile before she spoke.

"Oh my Miss Roxanne, I think you may even be more beautiful the kind Lady herself!" The other girls laughed and agreed, then introduced themselves. The girl with the pigtails was named Amira, and the other two girls were Rebecca and Samantha. Then, with out another word they ran off to Mark, pestering him about Damen who sat on his shoulder.

"Yes I would say so myself." The woman courting the young girl came to stand in front of me. Then turned back to my father as others nodded in agreement as well.

"By that word Sir, Where might Lady Susan be?" Susan? Was she talking about my mother? Apparently so because my father grimaced before answering.

"In fact Mrs. Kathrine that is why we are here..." He took a few steps forward and cleared his voice so he could talk for everyone to hear.

"I am sorry to inform you all, but Lady Susan just this morning passed away in a fire." Everyone gasped and shook their heads in disbelief, then grew quite as if in mourning. A long moment passed before anyone spoke again. This time it was a very tall and built man who stepped forward.

"Now we all know Lady Susan would not want us mourning all day and night, we shall pray for an easy passing to the Nether Worlds for her and have a feast in her honor, in thanks for all she has done for us over the long years." Slowly everyone agreed and began to shuffle about.