Chapter 19A Given Moon

Khuna sat close against me as I finished reading the story from the book. I read it out loud by her request and she seemed to like it. It was almost morning. Even here, enclosed by walls, I could feel the sun nearing the horizon. A strange feeling that was. A sort of awareness I had yet to get used to.

Her weight felt nice as she almost dozed against me. I wondered if she was still awake but I hesitated to get up to put the book away. I was looking at her when she spoke.

"I'm still awake." She sat up straight but gave me a light kiss on my cheek in passing. "Though..."

I smiled and closed the book. "A very strange report that brother wrote. Also I wonder if it's on purpose his name is not in there."

Khuna nodded. "It seems far to deliberate. It is as if he didn't mind being told about as long as his name is not known. I wonder..."

I smiled as I had the same thought. "If it's him?"

She looked serious. "I think so. I also wonder why that book was there. Some things just don't add up yet." She shrugged. "I guess we'll put it together sooner or later."

I nodded. "I'm sure we will."

Khuna suddenly looked me in the eyes. "I have another question for you. The bracelet. What is it?"

I looked at the bracelet, it had felt so natural since I put it on I almost forgot it was there. Even in this low light the blue moonstone was almost glowing from within.

"It's a kind of strange story. My grandmother gave it to me and told me a bit of it's history." I kept looking at it, as if I still didn't believe it was real somehow. "She told me that when she was young, only sixteen or fifteen or so, she was walking through the forest around the farm she used to visit and she met a girl there."

"The girl was about her age and crying. She was dressed in a very simple dress my grandmother said, a dress that could have been from almost any age. My grandmother knelt next to her and asked her if something was wrong. The girl said she had to find flowers to heal her mother but couldn't find as many as she needed. So she almost gave up looking for them. In the basket with her were two flowers with the most beautiful blue petals my grandmother had ever seen. She smiled and said her that they'd look together for them and she helped her up. They did look for them and took a few hours to find more of those flowers. My grandmother noticed it wasn't as easy as she'd thought but at least they had a full basket after all their searches."

I smiled. "The girl thanked her and asked her to close her eyes and hold out her hand. My grandmother, having spent almost the whole day with this girl, smiled and did as she asked. She felt something put in her hand and as she opened up her eyes the girl was gone and this bracelet was all that was left."

"And the curious thing was, while she wore it she never became sick. Not even when she tended to the sick in the hospital she worked in for most of her life. It had made her happy and she decided, the last time I saw her before she died, to give it to me and tell me the story."

I looked at Khuna and smiled. "But I never dared to wear it or show my parents. It felt... too sacred to openly show the world. As if I wasn't supposed to wear it yet."

Khuna smiled and gave me a little pinch in my arm. "I think I understand."

She looked up and sighed. "It's almost dawn."

I nodded as I felt it coming too. I wanted to ask something, but I wasn't sure I dared. "Khuna?"

She looked back at me. "Yes?"

I hesitated. Could I really ask this?

I swallowed and tried. "Will you stay here?"

Khuna had a look of surprise on her face that slowly melted to a warm smile. "Yes."

I put the book under the bed carefully. I didn't want the cover to be scratched or anything, even though it looked quite old already. In a way I wanted to undress because it felt strange to sleep in my clothes. Even though I had done so yesterday, if only because I was so tired. But I decided against it, I was too close to Khuna to show myself like that to her. Another time perhaps.

Khuna said nothing as I lay down and she laydown next to me. She didn't speak but simply looked at me and very softly gave me a kiss on my lips. She then closed her eyes and just snuggled against me. It felt nice.

I let myself drift away as well, my arm around her as we both lay on our sides. It was warm, it was safe, it was home.

And from the world I drifted into my dreams...