The earth was alive this morning, pulsating with an energy all its own. It seemed that all of nature was joyfully urging Isaac and Eve forward on their gallop to the sea. A flock of snowy white seagulls flew on either side of them, a winged escort, their cawing voices announcing Isaac and Eve's approaching presence to the listening ears of the world.
        Everything was so vivid today, bursting full force on all the senses. The colors of the surrounding vegetation and plant life were a particularly vibrant green; the songs of the birds rang throughout the air in melodic perfection. And everything smelled refreshed and renewed, the enlivening scent of wet earth after the rain.
        The sound of Ava's pounding hooves thundered beneath Isaac and Eve. They were galloping along the rugged coastline now, heading toward a jutting green peninsula where the Solstice festivities would be held. Eve looked down from their course atop the rocky cliffs to far below where waves crashed violently on dark, jagged boulders sending columns of white spray upward to the heavens.
        Eve turned her eyes skyward and gasped softly as she took in the sights around her. A thin cloudy haze turned golden by the sun covered the sky, making all the world seem like one peaceful, warmly glowing sphere. Beams of sunlight pierced the hazy cover, each shaft of light spotlighting different parts of the land, making for an ethereal and dramatic effect.
        Eve breathed deeply, inhaling the smells of the dewy morning air mingled with the exhilarating smell of the cool sea. She untangled her fingers from Ava's mane and slowly raised both her arms outward. Closing her eyes tightly, she let her head roll backwards as her remaining senses roared to life.
        The wind whistled in her ears and through her tresses of rich brown curls. Birds' far-carrying melodies trilled brilliantly in her ears. Beneath her, she could feel the steady, smooth gait of Ava's gallop. She could feel the mare's long legs in full stretch as the horse strained for the next step; she could feel each hoof colliding with the earth and leaving it again. But most of all she could feel Isaac behind her, his lean muscled arms encircling her waist, his breath warm on her shoulder. And she could smell the scent of him, faint and tantalizingly sweet.
        Ava was slowing to a moderate walk and Eve slowly let her arms down and opened her eyes, her feelings of exhilaration subduing to a serene contentedness. They were now but a few scant steps away from the plateau where the festivities would take place. The area was surrounded by a rough fencing of logs stacked only three or four feet high, with a short swinging gate tended to by a villager. The fencing was not meant to keep people out, the very opposite, in fact. It was but a tradition of Solstice, cheerfully kept up over the years by the citizens of Lavenhill, the small highland village of Isaac and Eve's birth.
        A handful of amicable-looking men, all in high spirits, sat on the fence near the gate. They were a lively bunch, bantering and laughing gregariously, heads thrown back in hearty guffaws, hands slapping knees in jollity.
        "...and then he says 'Well, I'm sorry, Ather, but I ain't got no more bulls!" The men all burst into roaring laughter, some bending over, holding their stomachs in glee, others hollering and chortling.
        "Hey there, Fergus," one said to the thin man closest to the gate, "Me thinks that you have some new company," he said, nodding his head towards Isaac and Eve.
        The thin man scrambled off the fence and hobbled over to the gate. Like the other men, he had the look of a farmer. A broad-brimmed hat was perched atop his head and a long strand of wild grass was clenched in his teeth. He wore simple clothes, bland in color yet sturdy in build, worn and faded from years of use. He looked a bit past middle-aged, his dark hair becoming sparse and gray. Twinkling gray eyes regarded Isaac and Eve from beneath his hat.
        "Top o' the morning to ya folks!" he said, swinging the gate wide open with a tip of his hat and a flourishing bow. His tanned face creased into a beaming smile as he watched Isaac and Eve guide Ava through the gateway. "Hello, lad! Miss Eve! 'Tis a beautiful Solstice morning, don't ya think?" he said in his characteristic way of calling all the village boys "lad" and all the young ladies "Miss so-and-so."
        "That it is, Fergus," Eve replied, smiling sweetly down at the man. Isaac clasped the man's hand in a warm handshake and greeting, then nodded his head to the other men waiting on the fence. He was instantly regaled with a chorus of "Hallo's" and "How-do-you-do's."
        Isaac replied with a laugh and a "just fine" and waved back at the group as he and Eve continued onward toward the festival.
        The plateau was teeming with the assorted villagers of Lavenhill, all friendly and familiar faces milling about, smiling and chattering away. The women were dressed in their best, most colorful clothes, some gathered in groups, talking away, others scurried about, chasing their energetic young children.
        The unmarried girls, who always decorated their tresses with wreaths and crowns of white flowers for Solstice, had their own version of this. They too stood in groups to socialize, except their circles were tighter and they seemed to focus all their energy into flirtatious glances and excited whispering about nearly every young male who happened to walk by.
        Every type of person was here today: the young, the old, farmers, blacksmiths, storekeepers, mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, children, infants, adolescents, singers, storytellers, loners, sheep herders, relatives, and friends. All here for Lavenhill's centuries-old celebration of Solstice.
        Eve gently guided Ava over alongside part of the fence, away from the bustle of the crowd. She let out an inaudible sigh as Isaac slipped his hand from around her waist and they prepared to dismount. They shifted sideways and slid off opposite sides of the mare simultaneously, as they always did. It was their usual dismount.
        "You've been such a good girl, Ava! Yes, you have," Isaac cooed, burying his face into the horse's neck. "Now go take a little rest-you deserve it!" He gave her a gentle swat on the rump and she jogged a few scant paces before stopping to turn back and give him a rueful look over her shoulder. She tossed her head, snorting, and then bent low to contentedly chomp on a few strands of long grass as if Isaac had never existed in the first place.
        "Good morning, lovely people I know," a loud jesting voice sounded behind the pair. Isaac and Eve turned to face a young man close to their age of moderate height and stocky build advancing towards them with arms stretched wide. A mischievous half-grin was spread across his face.
        "Jonathan!" Eve replied delightedly. "How are you enjoying another fine Solstice morning?"
        "Oh, it's not just another Solstice morning, Evie dear! This one's special," he whispered in a mock conspiratorial tone. Eve grinned at him in wry amusement, watching him nod confidently as if to bolster his claim. Jonathan was a close friend of both Isaac and Eve-a confidante to Isaac and a verbal sparring partner to Eve. He was alive with wit and sarcasm, and a dry, rather twisted sense of humor.
        Isaac let out a quick, short chuckle as he peered at the newcomer. "Oh really," he said flatly, "how's that?"
        Jonathan bent down to scoop up a long stalk of grass to chew on before leaning casually against the nearby fence. "Well, you see, there's a new arrival here in town, just in time for Solstice."
        "An outsider, eh?" Isaac said, moving to lean back against the fence next to Jonathan.
        "A peddler, actually. He's got this huge wagonload of...stuff... that he's trying to sell to everyone." Jonathan lowered his voice, "And you wouldn't believe some of the things he's got stored away in there!" He nodded, giving it the two thumbs up as though impressed by the peddler's bounty.
        "What time did he get here? The whole village would have been buzzing if he had arrived last night," Eve asked.
        "He got here about an hour before dawn. He didn't even go through the village! He just went straight here to the plateau," Jonathan said, shaking his head incredulously.
        "So the magistrate doesn't even know he's here yet?" Eve asked.
Jonathan shook his head silently.
        "Should be interesting," Isaac muttered thoughtfully.
        Jonathan was bobbing his head in absolute agreement. "Oh, yes. Should definitely be interesting." He fell silent for a moment, then suddenly rounded on Isaac with a devilish smile. "Speaking of interesting, I think that there's something...ah...someone that I know you definitely want to see."
        Isaac let out a nervous laugh and tried to speak. He lowered his head, his cheeks flushing crimson. "Ah..."
        Jonathan stroked his chin pensively. "Hmm...I think somebody's already ahead of me!" Grinning, he peered at Isaac who was still staring at the ground, red-faced. He grasped Isaac's shoulders firmly and led him a few steps away from the fence, toward the crowd.
        Once he directed Isaac's sight accordingly, Jonathan pointed a finger to the center of the milling mass where a slender girl with a stunning combination of wide hazel eyes and flawless porcelain skin gracefully walked through the midst of the crowd.
        "Behold the fair Chantelle," Jonathan spoke in low tones into Isaac's ear. "You are going to talk to her, aren't you? Your last conversations seemed to go rather well. And I think that today, my friend," Jonathan said, patting Isaac's shoulder, "is your lucky day."
        Isaac just smiled slightly-he had not said a word since laying eyes on the girl. Chantelle was a standout-dressed in fine clothes far beyond the scope of even the most well-off villager. Her brown hair glistened in the sun, falling softly around her shoulders in gentle waves. The rest of the crowd paled in comparison.
        "I..I..." Isaac stuttered, as Jonathan just chuckled in amusement behind him. "Actually," Isaac said, trying to change the subject, "I think I'd like to see this peddler of yours. What do you say?" He spun around to face Eve. "Eve?"
        She looked up at him, her face unreadable. "Sure," she said quietly.
        He shot her an amiable smile, and the three of them, Isaac, Jonathan, and Eve, began walking toward the far side of the plateau where the peddler's wagon awaited.
        The morning was turning into a beautiful day, the sky a cloudless blue canopy overhead. Nearly everyone the trio passed offered a friendly smile or a boisterous "Lovely day, isn't it?" They were all such familiar faces. Lavenhill was a small town-rarely did anyone leave it and rarely did anyone new move here. The people here were like an extension of your family, people you knew since childhood, ones that would spoil you with sweets or chastise you when you did something wrong.
        "Looks like business is booming," Jonathan remarked, indicating the tight crowd that had clustered around the peddler's wagon. All that was visible of the peddler himself was the very top of his head, sparsely covered in thin white hair. One could hear the man's voice, surprisingly clear and strong, over the din of people ooo-ing and aaah-ing at whatever he was doing.
        "Ah, look who's here!" Jonathan began elbowing Isaac in the ribs, pointing to somewhere within the cluster of people. "Go talk to her!" he said, nudging Isaac's shoulder.
        Eve peered in the direction that Jonathan and Isaac were gazing, her eyes falling upon the slim figure of Chantelle who was dividing her attention between watching the peddler and chattering away with her knot of worshipful girlfriends. Eve stared over her shoulder at Isaac, who didn't look back. He was far too enraptured with Chantelle to pay her any heed. Eve nodded her head solemnly and began pushing her way deeper into the crowd, her heart sinking slowly.
        She wove her way through the maze of people, trying to get a better view of the peddler and what everyone had become so fascinated with. They were gathered around a moderately large sized wagon, opened to display an array of colored cloths, books, pottery, jewelry, and a collection of miscellaneous goods of every kind imaginable.
        A worn wooden table, a little taller than waist-high, had been set up in front of the wagon, and behind the table stood the peddler. He was an older man, hunched over in stature with hair turned pure white by age. His eyes, however, were bright and alive, undimmed by a life of many years. His gaze pierced into the crowd as if searching for someone in particular.
        "Anyone else?" the peddler asked. "Anyone at all! Is there another young lady out there who thinks she can stand up to the test?"
        A group of raucous boys near the front shoved a timid-looking girl of around twelve years of age toward the table. Her face immediately turned a bright red as she tried desperately to find a way back into the crowd. The boys just laughed and pushed her back out, forcing her to turn to face the peddler in a panicked embarrassment.
        An encouraging smile crossed the man's wrinkled face as he waved her towards him. She trudged to the table hesitantly, looking back to her former place of safety and anonymity in the crowd.
        Eve nudged a heavy middle-aged woman standing next to her. "What's going on?" she asked, confused.
        "Well, honey," the woman replied in a chatty voice, "the peddler, he's been giving out tests to just about all the young ladies in the crowd. Not quite sure what it's for, but if you pass it you're obviously somethin' very, very special."
        "How many have passed so far?"
        "Not a one," the woman said, shaking her head. "And I'm not so sure that anyone will." She leaned closer to Eve, whispering to her in a gossipy tone, "Most of the girls here have already gone. Even the magistrate's pretty little daughter didn't make it," she said, speaking of Chantelle.
        Eve nodded thoughtfully and turned her attention back to the girl in front. She was standing at the peddler's table now, looking only a bit less apprehensive. On the table atop a silken blanket sat a dark blue crystal, about half a foot in diameter, shaped into a sphere. The girl looked at the peddler for reassurance, then closed her eyes and slowly placed her hands on top the crystal. The crowd grew silent in expectation.
        Nothing.
        Eve could almost hear the audience breathe out a collective sigh of disappointment. The boys in front began whooping and laughing again and the girl ran into the crowd. "Whoooo's next?!?" someone shouted from the back. The people in the crowd began talking and chattering excitedly, waiting impatiently for the next volunteer to be tested.
        The peddler appeared to be oblivious to all the noise-he was gazing into the crowd again, his stare penetrating, searching. He scanned the face of every person, standing on his toes and looking side to side to see between everybody. His eyes whisked over the large woman next to Eve and then Eve herself and began to continue on down the row. But in a split-second his eyes were back on Eve again, searching her face, a surprising look of faint expectancy growing in his gaze.
        His stare was so intense-it was as if he was looking into her, trying to find something. Eve stared back, mesmerized, the sound of her heart pounding in her ears. The old man nodded, as if satisfied, and the expression in his eyes changed from expectation to absolute recognition, as if he knew something she didn't.
        He raised his hand to Eve and waved her towards him. She opened her mouth and scanned the crowd, half looking for an escape and half looking to see if anyone else had noticed the peddler's gesture.
        They had.
        The audience clapped and hollered, glad for another person to test. The woman next to Eve patted her on the back. "Looks like you're next, honey," she said, pushing her forward. "Good luck!"
        The crowd parted as Eve walked through. Despite their cheerful smiling and waving, Eve felt strangely apprehensive. The peddler watched her closely as she approached the table. She stared down at the crystal for a long moment at then looked at the peddler. He gave her a small nod, calm anticipation written across his face.
        Eve lowered her head and slowly placed her hands on the crystal. It was smooth and cool. The audience grew silent and Eve could only hear her shallow breathing and the rushing of blood through her veins.
        A faint breeze came from behind her, lightly brushing her hair forward. Beneath her hands, the sphere suddenly began to grow warm. A faint blue glow emanated from the crystal, pulsating. The crowd gasped.
        Eve closed her eyes and let herself float in a world of darkness. Indistinct feelings and sensations suddenly began to flood her mind.
        Flash.
        Soldiers marching into a small country town. Screams of terror and betrayal fill the air.
        Flash.
        A tall, regal city overlooking a splendid harbor suddenly bursts into flame. People start pouring out of the city by the front gates, only to be met by a hostile enemy army that comes via the harbor by ship.
        Flash.
        Isaac. He looks a few years older, an adult. He's alone, searching desperately for something. Something dear to him. He's destitute. He lovingly fingers something that he carries on a small necklace chain that falls across his heart. He calls out a name and waits for a response. And waits.
        Flash.
        Eve forced her eyes open and looked down at the crystal. Her hands began to tingle. Suddenly, bolts of lightning began flashing wildly inside the sphere. White. Blue. Purple. A hot electric sensation shot up her hands and through her arms.
        Eve gasped and yanked her hands free, jumping a few steps backward from the table. The crystal instantly returned to normal. Eve stared at the peddler, chest heaving.
        He nodded to her and said, "Congratulations, you passed," assurance and something like fulfillment evident in his eyes. The crowd broke its silence and burst into applause and cheering, sounds of amazement echoing through the audience.
        "Oh, come on! It ain't nothing but a trick!" someone shouted.
        "Yeah, he did something to it!"
        Laughter erupted and the crowd immediately forgot about Eve and began a wild discussion on the validity of the test.
        Eve turned toward the peddler who was still scrutinizing her closely with his unwavering stare. She rubbed her hands and arms slowly, which were still tingling, and turned her back to him, fighting her way out of the crowd.
        She sprinted away until the din of the crowd was but a distant sound and sat down on a large flat rock. She put her head in her hands and breathed deeply in an attempt to calm her racing mind.
        "Happy Solstice, Eve!" a cheerful voice said.
        Eve looked up to see the face of a tall boy about her age beaming down at her. She smiled in spite of herself. "Why thank you, Avery," she replied warmly.
        Avery grinned wider, ecstatic by her response. He was considerably larger than most people his age, but complications during birth had left Avery with the mind of a child. Other people had teased him when he was young, but Eve had always adored him. He was always cheery and happy and had such a kind heart.
        Avery looked at Eve closely and quickly sat down next to her. "Oh, Evie, what's wrong?" he said, placing an arm around her shoulder. "Nothing that a wreath won't cheer up, I hope!" He reached for one of the many wreaths of interwoven flowers and leaves and held it out to Eve.
        She took it with a smile and placed it on her head, a crown of white blossoms. Avery clapped his hands in approval. "You look beautiful!"
        Eve smiled and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Avery. You're sweet."
        Avery grinned wider and bent down to give her a peck on the cheek. "You too," he said, standing up. "I've gotta go hand the rest of these out," he said, indicating the remaining wreaths. "But I'll see you later!"
        "Absolutely! Happy Solstice, Avery!" she called after him as he left. She watched him go, weaving around people and happily handing out wreaths to whatever young girl would take them.
        When he had gone out of sight, Eve let her gaze wander listlessly across all the various people wandering about and socializing. Couples were walking arm in arm, children were chasing after each other in private games known only to them, lone stragglers were wandering about, greeting acquaintances and marveling at the attractions of the festival. And there, no more than a couple hundred yards away, was Isaac.
        He's glowing, thought Eve. Sunlight was at his back, accentuating his golden hair and the natural light tan of his skin as he walked. He held a single white wildflower in one hand, and on his lips a slight smile played. A small tremor ran through Eve's heart as she watched him. An angel.
        Isaac's small smile broke into a radiant grin as he slowed to a stop and stretched out the arm holding the wildflower. A delicate porcelain hand reached for and grasped the flower from Isaac, lingering there for a heartbeat.
        Chantelle.
        She kissed Isaac on the cheek in thanks, smiling up at him. She sat back down on the rock on which she had been sitting, her dancing eyes glued to his face. Isaac began talking now, grinning and gesturing all over the place. Eve was too far to hear what was being said, but judging from the looks of it, he was being charming and dashing. And Chantelle was eating it up, giggling girlishly at every opportunity and batting her long eyelashes at him.
        Eve could watch no more, she tore her eyes away, focusing her gaze instead on the sea. It was near noon now and the sun was beating down on the water, its reflection blinding. She squinted, half closing her eyes, and let her mind wander.
        A Solstice like no other, she thought to herself. Something just doesn't feel quite right this year. Maybe it was the fact that Isaac wasn't by her side as he had been all the other years. He had been infatuated with Chantelle, as were several others, since she moved here a few short months ago and had spent much of his time trying to attract her attention.
        But in her mind she knew that that wasn't it either. Something in the air just felt a little off, a bit odd. Like the calm before the storm, she thought. She had felt this way for the past couple of months, but today, for some reason, the feeling was more pointed. She sensed it stronger than she ever had.
        "Eve. Eve!"
        Eve jumped, her thoughts fleeing, as she looked up at the pair standing before her. Joshua and Ryan, inseparable friends and partners-in-crime. And always a source of amusement. They were a definite contrast-Ryan was short and athletic looking with reddish hair and a fair, freckled complexion. He was always full of energy with an insanely wild and unpredictable sense of humor. Joshua, on the other hand, was taller, slightly heavier, with short blond hair and a rounded face. They did, however, share the same mischievous grin.
        They looked at Eve curiously. "What's wrong?" Joshua asked, one eyebrow raised.
        "Nothing," she replied, trying to force a cheerful smile on her face. Eve was known for being implacable, rarely emotional, and so it was seldom that anyone asked her that question.
        "Yeah right," they said in unison.
        Eve opened her mouth to tell them just how fine she really was, but her gaze slipped and fell once again on Isaac and Chantelle. They were standing up now, close together. Chantelle's hand was resting on Isaac's chest as she whispered something in his ear. He was still beaming, caught up in the moment, his hand resting on her back.
        Eve shook her head and breathed in sharply. Ryan and Joshua turned their heads to peer in the direction Eve was gazing, then turned to look at each other, thoughtful looks on their face. Eve could almost see the ideas churning inside their heads.
        "Come on," they said, each taking one of Eve's arms and pulling her off the rock. "Let's go have some fun."

. . . r e a d  c h a p t e r  t h r e e  n o w . . .
c l i c k  h e r e