October Prompted Fiction: Aurora's World collection: Aurora - Blooming on Sauin's Day: 527 words

[k_a_webb]

Written for forgottenspirits prompt about blooming on their equivalent of Samhain.

Blooming on Sauin Day wasn't something Aurora would wish on anyone, even her worst enemy. Along with the ability to use water magic and memory magic they could also converse with the dead. It was rare, which meant that when the dead found someone with the ability they wouldn't leave that person alone and that could easily overwhelm the magic user. Since the day Aurora had taken on the responsibilty of looking after all the users in the country she hadn't met anyone who had bloomed on Sauin Day. She was grateful for that, because she didn't know how to help someone in that position. In several books a form of crystal was mentioned that could help to shield the user from the dead but it was one that hadn't been seen in hundreds of years.

 

Aurora knew that the day would come when it would happen. When she looked in the records that the banished kept, records that were more detailed than she'd expected, she found that the last user to have bloomed on Sauin Day was a man called Reynard who had died in the same year that Aurora's father was born. Nearly a hundred years before Reynard was born there was a woman called Cynthia. Both had died young in accidents that may not have been accidents. It had been impossible to tell.

Then that unwanted knock came. It was just after midday, right when the celebrations were about to begin, and Aurora knew exactly who it was. Sighing, she went to answer the door, wishing she was wrong, but once it was open she found that her wishing had been in vain. Margery's mother stood on the doorstep, tears trickling down her cheeks.

“It's going to be fine,” Aurora said, grabbing her cloak and the small suitcase she always took with her to bloomings. “I will do everything I can to make sure that Margery can cope with this.”

“Margery's not the only one.”

“What do you mean?”

“Opal was born on this day eighteen years ago and her mother never said. They're both in the same state.”

Aurora nodded, locking her front door. “Go to the celebrations. Tell everyone that Margery and Opal are home ill.”

“I can't leave them.”

“You have to. If you want them to both stay safe after today you have to pretend that everything's fine.”

“What will you do?”

“Don't worry about me.”

“I can't help it, Aurora. You've done so much and with no mother it can't be easy.”

Aurora smiled at the woman. “It's not easy, but people like you make it worth the danger. Keeping your daughters safe is just as important to me as it is to you.”

“Thank you.”

As she walked away Aurora muttered, “Don't thank me yet.”

Dealing with one person blooming was difficult enough and Aurora had never looked after two people at the same time. Trying not to let herself worry she walked towards Margery's cottage, trying to look as though she was just going to look after an ill friend. People knew that she never went to the Sauin Day celebrations so it didn't even look suspicious.

©  K A Jones 2011

 

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[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

>>taken on the responsibilty <<

That should say "responsibility" above.

>>Trying not to let herself worry she walked towards Margery's cottage, trying to look as though she was just going to look after an ill friend.<<

This sentence has two clauses that begin with "trying" -- it's better to delete one.

Overall, I like this story. Magical talents really can be overwhelming.