<html> <head> <style> .hmmessage P { margin:0px; padding:0px } body.hmmessage { FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:Tahoma } </style> </head> <body class='hmmessage'><div style="text-align: left;"> William and Emily<o:p></o:p> Part 3: In From the Rain <o:p> </o:p>                 Winter kept her icy grip on the land well into the year 706 CR, and the summer rains rarely came.  The Blackhams’ potato crop was sparse, at best.  There were no plans to sell in Metamor’s market.                 Emily hoped her father would take her anyway, but money was tight, and it was not to be.  Plans were made for the following summer, regardless of crop yields, but word came from the north of a terrible assault on the Keep in December of that year.                 William wrote to say he and his family were fine, but Douglas cancelled the planned visit.                 In March of 708 CR, Emily’s mother, Tamera, became pregnant.  She had a difficult time with it, and Emily was forced to take on the role of woman of the house, as well as continue to help her father with the crops.  Those were long and tiring months, and she hardly found time to write to William.                 William was busy with his schooling at the Keep.  He had decided to study civil engineering, or “road and bridge building”, as he described it to Emily.  He wrote to her about all the mathematics he was forced to learned, but Emily understood none of it.  Her days now were filled with cleaning, cooking, tending her little brother Bobby, and gardening.                 Winter came and little Garrett Rex Blackham was born.  Tamera was bed-ridden for weeks, but eventually pulled through.                 In 709 CR, another drought came.  This time it was much worse, and the delicate potatoes did not survive the strain.  Emily spent most of her days in Leilwahl cleaning house and tending to the elderly for some extra money.  Tamera spent her time with the baby, and Douglas paced the house in frustration day-in and day-out.                 Emily turned seventeen on August 9th.  The only recognition of her birthday was a short letter from William.  He wished her a happy birthday, and lamented that he rarely sculpted anymore.  His studies were becoming exceedingly difficult and time-consuming, but he was nearly finished.                 The new year came and went without another letter from him.  Emily, herself, had not written in months.                 She had hopes for the crop in 710 CR, but more for the financial relief than the chance to return to Metamor Keep.  For yet another year, it was not to be.  Douglas planted corn late in the spring in hopes to get some extra money from his land that year.  The crop was decent, and could be sold easily in Leilwahl and Komley, but there was little profit in it.                 He hurt his back just before harvest, saddling Tamera and the children with even more work.                  William’s next letter arrived a week after Emily’s eighteenth birthday.  She savored his gorgeous script hand and the few red hairs he had included in the envelope.  William turned twenty that year, and it had completely slipped Emily’s mind. <o:p> </o:p>                                                 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                                                                 Sweet Emily, <o:p> </o:p> I know things have changed for both of us, and it seems we have drifted apart and moved on with our lives.  I want you to know that not a day goes by I don’t think of you, but I worry our separate circumstances will keep us apart forever. <o:p> </o:p> So, perhaps it is best we end our friendship with a warm farewell, in lieu of letting it whither on the vine and die. <o:p> </o:p> When I was younger, I always thought I would marry you someday, but I think I’ve grown out of that fantasy and accepted reality.  I could never ask you to live in Metamor and risk what the Curse may do to you.  It’s very possible it would force us apart forever and ruin your life.  I cannot be that selfish. <o:p> </o:p> We are adults now, and I believe it is time we began planning for our respective futures.  You are eighteen years now, and probably the most beautiful woman in the midlands.  Any man would be lucky to have you.  I want you to be happy and have those children you have written to me about.  I am sorry I cannot give you those things.  I wish it was different.  I wish there was a place we could be together, but I fear it does not exist. <o:p> </o:p> I’ve started seeing someone.  Her name is Melissa.  We met at school. <o:p> </o:p> I feel at a loss for words now.  I regret that things did not work out for us, but then again, I never really expected they would.  It’s almost as if we live in two completely different worlds, though only a short road separates us.  <o:p> </o:p> I am sorry, Emily.  I will miss you.  If ever you come my way again, please stop by.  I love you and wish you the best. <o:p> </o:p> -Love, William <o:p> </o:p> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <o:p> </o:p>                 The letter fell from Emily’s hands, stained with not a few of her tears.  She knew every word of it was true, however.  She had to move on and not cling to a hope for him.                 Her heart shriveled at the thought.  Despite all the years since their last meeting, she still desperately wanted to be with him.  She went quickly to her room, letting her emotions spill out once she had closed the door.                 Douglas found the dropped letter later that day and tried to speak with his daughter about it, but she would not hear it.  Like a little girl, she kept the door to her room shut for the remainder of the evening.  He relented, and gave her the time she needed.  Hopefully by tomorrow she would be feeling better.                 When he went to check on her that next morning, he found her room empty and some of her clothes missing.  Suspecting the worst, he rushed to the stable as fast as his sore back would let him.  A horse was missing.                 Douglas looked up the road north, praying she would be safe. <o:p> </o:p> *             *             * <o:p> </o:p>                 William barely heard the knocking on the door through the pounding rain and thunder outside.  He wondered if it was one of his brothers, returning late from the woodshop in the Keep and locked out.  The fox set his steaming mug of tea down on the kitchen table as he walked past, unbolting the door and opening it to the storm outside.                 He squinted through the late-night darkness, seeing only a silhouette.  “Can I help you?” he said.  The figure said nothing, but stepped forward into the light spilling through the open door.                 It took him a moment to recognize her.  It had been five years, after all.  “Emily!?  By Eli! What are you doing here?”  He was stunned to see her, and momentarily forgot to invite her in out of the rain.                 She was drenched from head to toe, and stood shivering in the entryway.  William ran to fetch a blanket, throwing it over her shoulders.  He bent down, looking her straight in the eye and pushing her matted hair away from her face.  Her skin was pale, and she looked exhausted from the long journey.                 But, oh, how she was beautiful!  His heart raced upon seeing her again.  She had grown from a precocious young girl to an angelic young woman.  He led her to the hearth and stoked the fire.                 “Emily, what are you doing here?” he asked, satisfied the chill would leave her.  “How did you even find this place?”                 “I…I asked at the tavern.  I got lost in the dark, but….”                 “Why are you here?” he asked again, helping her sit near the fire.                 “I had to come.  I couldn’t stay away any longer.  Your letter…I…I had to do something.”                 “You could have been hurt traveling the road by yourself,” William said.                 Emily thought then that he sounded much like her father.  She said nothing.                 William sighed, seeing the blanket and fire were doing little to warm her from the cold rain.  “Here, let me get you some dry clothes.”  He rushed back to a bedroom and returned with some linens and a long dress.                 “This was my father’s, well, mother’s…er…you know what I mean.”  He smiled at her, and she laughed a little in return.                 Though he was now far from the boy he used to be, that smile of his had not changed.  She thanked him, standing to change.  Forgetting for a moment, William turned, embarrassed, and went to retrieve his tea and make a cup for Emily.  When he returned, she was placing her own wet clothes before the fire to dry.                 William hesitated a moment, watching her from across the room.  Her figure captivated him, stirring feelings inside he had never felt for anyone else before.  She noticed him, smiling and standing straight.                 “How do I look?” she asked.  Her hair was still wet and beginning to tangle, but William never noticed.                 “The dress is an antique, but you…”  He couldn’t finish.  He was afraid of the implications of what he would say.  “I made you some tea!  It might warm you up.  Even summer storms here in Ellingham can be quite chilly.”                 “Thank you, William,” she said, gracefully accepting the cup and taking a sip.  They sat on the sofa, saying nothing for a long moment.  Color returned to Emily’s cheeks.                 “Is no one else home?” she asked him, wanting to break the awkward silence and delay the inevitable topic of her reason for coming.                 “No, they’re all at the woodshop.  I’ve been staying here most nights to keep up with my studies.  By horse, it’s not even two hours from here to the Keep.”                 Emily nodded.  She set her teacup down, wringing her hands together nervously.  “To be honest, I’m not sure why I came.  I received your letter and I…well, I didn’t want to believe it.  I think I needed to hear it from your own lips.”                 “Hear what?” he asked her.  His arm was slowly reaching its way around her delicate shoulders, and he did nothing to stop it.                 “That we can’t be together.”                 William sighed.  He had almost regretted sending that letter, but at the time, it was the right thing to do.  It made perfect sense, really.  But now that she was here; now that he could see her beauty, touch her hair, breathe in her aroma….                 It all changed in an instant.                 He leaned forward, staring into her eyes the entire way, looking for some hint of confirmation or denial.  Emily’s soft brown eyes only drew him in.                 Their lips met.  Hers were still cold; his whiskers were ticklish and his wet nose pressed against hers.  It was a strange feeling, they both admitted, but not out-of-place in the least.  When William finally pulled back, Emily had her answer.                 “I loved you from the day I first saw you, and I’ve never wanted anyone else,” he said, taking both her hands in his.                 “I’ve wanted so much to see you these past years.  It’s been painful staying away for so long.”                 “I am happy to see you, even if you had to ride three days in the sun and rain to get here.”                 Emily giggled, looking away out the window.  “That was rather foolish of me, wasn’t it?”                 William laughed and pulled her into a tight embrace.  “I’m sorry to say, dear, but it certainly was!”                 Emily relished the firm pull of his arms and the feel of his strong back.  She rested her head in the nape of his neck, taking in the scent of his fur.  After all these years, she had never forgot how he smelled.  “Do you think we can make it work?” she asked him.  She worried about what his answer would be.                 William sighed, holding her close and running his fingers through her hair.  “I most certainly will try, but I think this means I must leave Metamor.”                 Emily pulled away.  “Is that even possible?”                 William shrugged.  “I don’t know.  I’ve never heard of anyone like me trying to make a living outside the valley.  It’s been eleven years since the Curse….”                 “Yes, but people where I live still do not accept what has happened here.  It wouldn’t matter where you went.  Farming folk are superstitious, and too many people from further south live in the cities that have never even heard of the Curse.  Even the merchants who come here to trade speak ill of the cursed Keepers.”                 William nodded.  “I will not stand to see you cursed.  You know what could happen.”  His stare was firm and unwavering.                 Emily hung her head.  “What, then, shall we do?”                 William smiled his most infectious smile and kissed her again.  Minutes passed before they parted.  “I don’t yet know, but I will marry you nonetheless.”                 “I like that idea.”                 “But first, I must speak with your father.”  Emily suddenly looked disappointed.  “I must ask for his blessing.  This will be difficult for them, as well.”                 “I had hoped you would simply sweep me off my feet and carry me off to the church!”                 William simply grinned and shook his head.  “I’ll take you home tomorrow and speak with him.”                 “Can we wait a bit?  Even if only a day?”                 William smiled.  “Alright. Tomorrow shall be our day.” </div> <hr />Windows Live Hotmail and Microsoft Office Outlook – together at last. <a href='http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HA102225181033.aspx?pid=CL100626971033' target='_new'>Get it now!</a></body> </html>