13Alwen is a river in Clwyd, North Wales
This is important later on in the story.
Also, Ie means yes in Welsh, and is pronounce yeah, and Pob Hwyl means best of luck, pronounces Pob Hoyiul. Afon means river and is pronounced avon. I'll try to translate any other Welsh phrases or words used as I go along. Anyway, Enjoy!
I tug absently at my necklace. Its something I find myself doing a lot recently. Maybe its because I'm know what it really is, I'm not sure. Maybe its just because the stuff happening to me is , its funny, but it helps. Ever since Mam gave it to me, I've never taken it off. Its comforting, knowing that I have that little bit of constancy. And it seems to be the only thing that is constant now.
Looking down, I see my shoe lace is undone. I move to the side of a building and bend over to tie it. Seconds after I'm down, I hear a whistle, followed by a dull thud and something drops in front of me. An arrow: poisoned, most likely. I know perfectly well that its dangerous for me to come here. Had I been standing, I'd be dead. It's the little things like that that still surprise me. If I hadn't been tugging my necklace, I wouldn't have looked down , that would have been the end of my story.
Maybe I should explain. I hope you have the time. It's a long story.
*********
The beeping of the alarm broke into her sleep, startling her. The sunlight was already filtering through her thin curtains. Glancing at her clock, she sat up in her bed. It was still early, but that had never bothered her. She woke up early most of the time, anyway. Today was a little different though. Her bags, already packed, were lined up against the wall. Jeans and a pale blue t-shirt were lying over the back of her chair.
Her room was pretty bare, but then, it always had been. The only thing on her wall was a oil painting of her mothers. The picture had been painted near her home, and, when she looked closely, she could make out a little girl sitting in the field of pale purple heather. Herself. There was one bookshelf, stacked with books of mythology, and fantasy. Stories set in her homeland, ranging from the traditional Mabinogion to her favourites, the Dark is Rising series. Her mother had always taught her to pay attention to the old stories, like the environment. "There's truth in them you can't find in our world nowadays," she had always said.
Once she had pulled on her jeans and t-shirt, she took a last glance round her room. On her desk stood a small glass bowl, filled with dried lavender and rose blossom. She had grown up with it, the gently smell filling her bedroom. It was something she would miss, but she'd have to get along. Even dried flowers wouldn't last long were she was going.
She quickly made her bed, another long-lasting habit, and picked up the alarm clock and the book she had been reading. The alarm clock she stuffed into one of the bigger bags, the book into her knitted shoulder-bag. There was nothing else she needed to take. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she realised that she hadn't yet combed her hair. Not that that was any easy task. Fishing her brush out of her shoulder bag, She tugged it through her thick rusty brown hair, then pulled it back into a braid. Her hair colour, like her pale complexion and slight stature, came from her mother. Most of her family were darker, more welsh looking. She didn't really mind. She had always like the colour, if not the curls.
Satisfied that she had everything, she carried her bags down to the kitchen, where the stove was already lit. Her father and brothers would be out in the fields already, but they had promised to be back to see her off, and Aled said he would drive her down to the station. She was glad that she'd be able to say goodbye to them, at least.
She poured herself some cereal, and put some bread onto the grill to toast. In between mouthfuls of breakfast she put together a couple of sandwiches for her lunch. Da had said he'd give her money for lunch on the train, but she was still a little unsure about the quality of such food. She preferred good old home made bread and local cheese.
She was just finishing a cup of tea when the door of the house banged open. The four men thumped into the kitchen and settled themselves around the table. There was quiet for a moment, then Aled, the eldest brother, spoke.
"Well, Eleri, I suppose this is it." Eleri glanced up at her brother's face. He, like his father an the other two brothers, Merfyn and Gwyn, had dark hair and dark eyes. Quite unlike her own red and blue. She sighed.
"Ie, I guess it is. I wish I didn't have to go." She turned to her father, but he shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Eleri. You know I wish you could stay, but a farm in the middle of nowhere is not the place for a little girl, especially now your mother is gone."
"Da, I'm not a little girl. I've managed till now."
"This is not a debate." Her father frowned at her. "Your Aunt Maggie has agreed to pay for your education. She thinks you should go on to university. You're smart, 'Leri."
"But Da, I'd rather stay on the farm with you."
"No buts 'Leri. Its to late to change now. Eat your breakfast."
"I've eaten."
"Then you and Aled should start going. It's a long drive. We can finish breakfast later."
Her brothers all stood up, and moved out of the room, each one picking up one of her bags. There were only three, including her shoulder-bag, so they only took one trip.
*********
All to soon, Eleri, her Da and two brothers were standing by the truck. Aled was already sitting inside, trying to rev up the engine, which had a habit of not starting unless it had rained the night before- which it hadn't- and was being difficult. There was a rather uncomfortable silence. Not only were the family all quiet, they were also awkward with feelings. It had been Eleri's mother, Alwen who did the talking, the saying goodbye, the crying. they had to manage.
It was Merfyn, the middle brother, who made the first step.
"Well, goodbye little sis. It'll be strange having no women around the house. But you'll be back at Christmas."
He stepped forwards and picked her up into an embarrassed sort of hug. Eleri was only 5"3, a good five inches shorter than any of her brothers, and they could easily lift her off the ground. Gwyn did so.
He was the closest to Eleri in age, only three years older, but they had never really been that close, save when they were children and played together in the hills. "Take care, 'Leri. We'll miss you. Don't forget to write."
"I won't. Make sure you go down to the post office regularly to check." She grinned up at him, then turned to her Da.
"Pob hwyl Da."
"Pob hwyl, 'Leri. Don't forget, you're very lucky to have Aunt Maggie so concerned about your welfare. Don't cause problems, be good, work hard." He coughed, cleared his throat, then hugged his daughter. "Take care of yourself. I'll miss seeing you every morning. You and your Mam, you're so alike. Go make the most of life."
"I'll miss you, Da. I'll miss all of you. Don't work too hard!" She grinned, then, with a last look round, climbed into the truck beside Aled. At last, it gave a choking splutter, and started up.
"It sure likes you." Aled smiled at her. "It always starts when your inside. I expect we'll be stuck up this hill with you gone."
"Don't be silly, Aled." She waved at the rest of the family, and the sheepdogs, Meg and Dew, who had joined them. "I'm going to really miss all this; the farm, and the sheep and the dogs, and everything. Especially Afon Eleri."
Aled laughed. "You and that river! Anyone would think that in naming you after it, Mam had put some of it in you. You're always up there."
"I just like it."
Her tone was defensive. She didn't mind her brother's teasing, most of the time, but she didn't like them making fun of the Eleri. She was proud to have been named after the little stream that tumbled through their farm, and she had spent a lot of her time there as she grew up. She had even talked her Mam into going for a hike upstream, and camping those memories were still to painful.
She watched through the window as they moved away from the house, through the fields. Eventually, they reached New Quay, the nearest big city, from where Eleri would take the train up to Aberystwyth, to meet Aunt Maggie, and then to England, and boarding school.
*********
At the station, Eleri hugged her brother goodbye, and made her way to the train. Despite her small stature, she had no trouble carrying her bags. For one, they weren't very heavy. And anyway, she was used to heavy work. She had grown up on a farm, after all, and everyone had to pull their weight.
Finding her train wasn't difficult. There were only two platforms at the New Quay station, and the only train for several hours, which also happened to be hers, was leaving from platform 2. It arrived about half an hour after she did, and she managed to get her bags on and find an empty compartment.
It felt strange, being on a train, travelling. She'd only ever left County Dyfed once before, to go visit her mother's parents, and that had been years ago. And with her Mam. Mam's parents, Ffiona and Gwilym, lived in Corwen, on the river Alwen, after which her mam had been named. Eleri had always found it funny that she and her mam were both named after rivers, but she shrugged it off. They were pretty names, and very Welsh. Back then, Mam and her had laughed about the rocking motion of the train, and the noise. Now, Eleri didn't feel like laughing. She was leaving her beloved country, and, even with Da's promises that she'd be back for Christmas, if not half-term, she felt a desperate longing to crawl under her blanket, on her solid wood bed, or let the water of Afon Eleri cover her head, so she could peer up through its flickering layers and the trees and the sun.
Of course, that was impossible, and she pulled out her book instead. It was still early, and she wouldn't be eating lunch till after Aberystwyth and Aunt Maggie. Settling down, she tried to block out the sounds and motion of the train. In doing so, she nearly missed the Aberystwyth station. She didn't, though, and she managed to get off. Standing on this station, which was a lot busier than New Quay, she felt a little out of place. She didn't remember ever being somewhere so big.
Shaking the feeling off, she looked around for her aunt. She had never met Aunt Maggie Hughes before, but Da had said she looked like Mam, and that she was quite tall. In the end, however, it was Aunt Maggie who found Eleri, and called out to her.
"Eleri? Eleri Ryan. Ah, ie I thought you looked like a Hughes and not a Ryan, and your da told me it was true. Good, lets go. I'll buy you a snack before we catch our train. You must be hungry." She talked fast, but her accent was less obvious than what Eleri was used to.
"Oh, I'm not hungry. Da gave me money, but I made some sandwiches anyway. I don't need a snack."
"Hmm. A book then, or a magazine. An aunt's entitled to buy her only niece a present the first time they meet. Come on, don't say you don't like reading."
"Oh, I do." Eleri said hurriedly. Mam had always told her to be proud of that, and she was.
"Good." Maggie smiled at her. Not the toothy grin of her father or brothers, which showed everyone how dazzlingly white their teeth were, but a more subtle smile, like Mam's. Eleri couldn't help smiling back. "Let's go get you a book then."
"When they emerged from the bookshop-slash-newsagents, not only did they have a book, but two magazines and a newspaper as well. "We have to get you acquainted with the outside world before dumping you in it." Aunt Maggie had said, and Eleri had to agree. She didn't like the idea of going to a place in which she had no idea what to expect. Maybe the magazines and paper's would help.
After a quick bathroom stop for Eleri (when she returned, she noticed that Aunt Maggie had an extra plastic bag, but didn't say anything) they made their way to the platform. The train was already there, as it was the last destination, and they climbed on board, found a compartment and settled down to wait. A few minutes after the conductor had passed through to look at their tickets, the train shuddered into action. Aunt Maggie had already pulled out the newspaper, correctly assuming that Eleri wanted to be able to think in silence.
For this, Eleri was very glad. She watched out the window till the train reached full speed, then glanced over one of the magazines. It was a teenage-orientated one, and, after reading through the contents page, Eleri decided to try the other. She really didn't want to read about someone being raped by their step-father, or try to figure out if her crush liked her. No, she wasn't completely naïve about the world, she just wasn't interested in that sort of thing. The other magazine was about the cinema and TV. Deciding she wasn't interested in that either, she turned her attention to the book. That was more like it. Aunt Maggie had picked her a copy of a fantasy book, set in a Tolkein-esque world, and Eleri was happy to slip into that instead.
They were on the train for about an hour before Eleri realised how hungry she was. Glancing up, she noticed that Aunt Maggie was still reading. Not wanting to disturb her, she checked her watch. It was quarter to twelve. She had eaten nothing since breakfast, and decided to have an early lunch. Reaching into her shoulder bag, she fished out the sandwiches.
Aunt Maggie noticed, and smiled again before finding her own lunch. "I find it much more companionable when both people are eating." Eleri smiled back.
"I'm sorry. I didn't want to bother me."
Aunt Maggie laughed, "There isn't much bother's me." She looked out the window. "We should be getting near England now. I know you've never been outside Wales before. Nervous?"
"Yes." Eleri had to admit. "I've only been out of Dyfed once before. And now." She let the sentence hang in the air, not sure what to add."
"I know what you're thinking." A small sigh escaped her lips, "I really feel bad about rooting you up so soon after your mam passed on. I promised her, though, a long time ago, that no matter what happened, you'd go to school in England when you were old enough. She didn't mind about the boys, said they were meant to be farmers, and that suited both her and them fine, but she worried about you. In the farming world, there isn't much of a place for women. She didn't want you ending up like her, stuck on a farm in the middle of nowhere." She looked at Eleri, "Oh, she loved your da, of course, or she wouldn't have been there, but she had ambitions- and common sense. She felt that if she could at least get you the education, you would be able to make your own choices. She loved you a lot, Eleri, and she wanted what was best for you."
Eleri turned her gaze to the window, and didn't say anything for a minute. She remembered Mam talking about her going to school in England, but she'd never really paid any attention to it. Now, two months after the car accident that had killed her, Eleri was leaving the comforting surroundings of her childhood to go to a place she had never even imagined before. But, if it was what Mam wanted.
"Here." Aunt Maggie pushed a chocolate bar towards her. "Eat this. Plenty of sugar in there, and, believe me, you'll need it when we get to London."
"Actually, I was wondering," Eleri took the chocolate bar, an Aero, and turned back to her aunt, "What are we doing in London before we go to the school?"
"Ah. I was hoping you'd ask. Let's see. It's Wednesday today, and we'll be at your school on Sunday. right. So, first, we'll go to the hotel and get settled, maybe go out shopping and then for dinner. Tomorrow we can do some sightseeing, and we're going to the theatre in the evening. we'll get your school supplies and maybe some new clothes.
"I."
"Don't interrupt. Its my treat. If I do this, I want to do it properly. Where was I. Ah yes, Saturday. We can decide then. Maybe take a trip out of town, to one of the royal homes, or.I don't know, go to the cinema or something. I'll let you choose. Sunday morning, we take the train to your school."
The train pulled into the station just as they finished talking, and Aunt Maggie helped Eleri get her bags down. Stepping out onto the platform was a bit of a shock for her. If she had thought Aberystwyth was crowed, then she didn't really know how to describe Victoria station, London. There were people moving everywhere, all seemed to know exactly what they were doing, and all seemed busy.
It took them a good ten minutes to leave the building, Aunt Maggie leading her niece through the crowds. Outside, she hailed a taxi and they climbed in. Aunt Maggie gave the cabbie the hotel address, and thy started off. Eleri spent the journey gazing out of the window in wonder. She had never seen so many cars. Even on TV, it hadn't looked this busy. By the time they reached the hotel, she was looking forwards to her sty in London, if not the prospect of a new school.
*********
Once they had reached the hotel, a smallish place, but clean enough in appearance, Aunt Maggie paid the cabbie and they went inside. Minutes later, they were in their rooms, settling in, as Aunt Maggie had said they would. Eleri sighed and collapsed onto her bed. It was a strange place, this, and it was definitely very different from Wales and her farm, and Afon Eleri. The air seemed thicker, smokier, than she was used to, and it burnt her lungs. The noise of the traffic was giving her a headache. Still, it should be interesting, their stay. Anything to lengthen the hours until she had to go to that boarding school.
She picked up the remote and turned on the TV, flipping through the channels. She had just settled down watching some comedy program about a dentist and his family when there was a knock on the door. Opening it, she came face to face with her smiling Aunt.
"Right then. Shall we get going?"
Eleri smiled back, switched of the TV and pulled on her shoes. Well, here goes nothing, she thought.
AN: so, do you like it? Well, do ya? Eh, eh, eh?
Okay, so I may seem a little to over-enthusiastic, but I would really, really love some feed back. Thanks in advance! Eleri