Trying to Remember [Part 2]

Things I remember about Aspen:

Her name and nickname (Oracle)

Escapes to Aspen Groves (Hence second name "Aspen")

His quill hung over the page, there had to be more...

I love her and want to marry her, I still feel that way

He stopped once more. 'What does she like? What was her life like? What first attracted me to her?' Basil thought long and hard, but nothing else would come. "Why can't I remember?" he whispered.

He watched the candle as the wax finally extinguished the flame.

"What does she remember about me?" he asked quietly.

A hand rested on his shoulder and made him jump. "Relax," Oracle said. "Don't force the memories to come. Give it time, they'll come back." Oracle rubbed his shoulders then his neck, up to his temples.

"You've always worn a black cloak."

"See, there you go."

Basil pulled away from her hands, "Aspen, what do you remember about me?"

"A lot, but it will have to wait until morning."

"Why is that?"

"It's going to rain and you burned up the only candle in the cabin."

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I don't use them. Never have."

"So what do you do when you have to write at night? Wait, never used candles?"

"Ask me in the morning. I'll tell you then."

"Why not now?… Aspen?"

Carefully he left the table and knelt next to the edge of the bed and found her asleep. Her back was turned towards him. Part of her skin was exposed. He ran his hand along it and it came away wet and sticky. He smelled his hand.

"Blood!" he whispered.

He wiped his hand off then carefully ran his fingers along her back.

"One, two, three,...four, five,...six, seven, eight, nine,...ten. Ten stripes. How is taking a beating helping someone?" Shaking his head, he gathered bandages from the shelf and cleaned and wrapped her wounds.

Then he stayed up thinking until he closed his eyes and slept. In the morning, he found himself lying on the bed and Aspen sitting by the table repairing her dress. Basil's head hurt and he was still tired. He rolled over and fell asleep again.

"Basil," Oracle said, shaking him gently.

"Huh?" he asked groggily.

"I need you to wake up enough to drink this."

He stretched and sat up. She placed the cup in his hands and he drank about half of it before starting to gag.

"What is this stuff? It's bitter!"

"I need you to finish it."

"Why?"

"Just finish it, please."

Plugging his nose, he finished it.

"Thank you."

"What is it?"

"How's your headache?"

"Gone...?"

"Very good, Your Highness. I shall leave you to change your clothes."

"Clothes?"

She waved a hand towards the chair then left the cabin. Her dress was midnight blue and a bandage of the same color was wrapped around her eyes. Picking up the clothes he decided he needed a bath first. So he headed down to the stream to wash. Clean and refreshed he changed into the new clothes. It was made of a lighter fabric and was a dark hunter green. He didn't like the color. He preferred reds and golds, sometimes oranges and yellows. But something was missing. 'Ah, yes!' Going back to the cabin, he grabbed his white cloak and put it on. Then his stomach cramped and he felt sick. He sat and closed his eyes momentarily. When he opened them again, there was a plate of food on the table next to him.

"Eat," Oracle said.

"I don't dare."

Oracle picked up one of the food items and waved it in his face, "Eat."

"Asp..."

Shed shoved it in his mouth and more firmly repeated, "Eat."

As he ate the fruit Oracle shoved into his mouth the nausea started to fade.

Oracle lightly scoffed, "Royalty."

This comment made Basil pause. "Aspen, do you have prejudices against royalty?"

"A little, Your Highness. I meant no offense."

"Where did that come from? You are royalty, too. I remember that much about you."

"That is how you've always seen me, despite your parents telling you otherwise."

"You are royalty, Oracle. Why else would you have worn a cloak?"

Oracle stopped whatever she was doing with the items on the shelf and turned towards him. "…Survival." Turning back, she rearranged a few things then, taking a jar from the top shelf, she left the cabin.

Basil sat on the floor confused. "Survival?"

Looking at the food, he finished it. Putting the last bite in his mouth, he realized that he hadn't seen Aspen eat anything since he gave her the apple several days ago. He went outside and saw her head for the river. Following at a distance, he came upon her bathing in a pool just a little upstream. Basil sat with his back to the tree, facing away from the stream.

"Do you still hunt, Your Highness?" Oracle asked.

"I really wish you would stop calling me that, Aspen."

"Then what would you have me call you?"

"By my name."

There was a loud splash then silence. He turned when the silence continued, she was gone, as well as her dress. Moving closer to the water he tried to see what had happened. The ground had been disturbed like someone quickly grabbed the dress. Looking in the water he couldn't see past the surface. He hadn't been looking long when he felt something cold press against his throat.

"Aspen, what are you doing?" he asked.

"Tag. You're it!" she said.

Her wrist flicked, burying a small knife in the ground in front of him. Basil whipped around to catch her, but she was already gone. Tag? He hadn't played tag since he was six. All of the village children had played, but since he was a slow runner back then, he used his horse. Where was his horse? Had it been taken care of? He whistled and soon his horse came into view, looking as he would if he had come from the stable. Climbing on he rode around the forest and could find nothing. He made larger and larger sweeps until he was at the outer rim. He had almost gone full circle when he saw Aspen standing, looking at him. Then she disappeared from sight. Basil tried to follow, but could not.

"Our first meeting," he muttered to himself as the memory surfaced.

Turning his horse he quickly went back to the cabin. He wanted to record it so he didn't forget it again.

I saw the most beautiful girl today. Her hair was long and brown, her eyes a dark green. When I saw the black cloak I instantly thought she was a princess. For only royalty are allowed to wear cloaks in Appleton, all others are exiled or forced to abandon them for a shawl or small coat. After I saw her, when I played tag with the village kids, I started running and not using my horse. While we played, I always looked for her. At times I would catch sight of her, but then she would be gone the next instant. I asked the other kids about her: they called her 'Oracle'. Many believed she was the ghost of the girl who was killed in the neighboring kingdom, but no one had ever gotten close enough to find out.

I asked my parents about it and they said that twins had been born in a neighboring kingdom called Brisby. The daughter had died before the age of five, leaving them with just the son. The years passed and I continued to look for her. The games of tag ended, but I spent a lot of time away from the castle, out hunting. My trainer, Allen, would always catch me when I was distracted because I thought I saw 'Oracle.' I came to call her Aspen, for we were always in the Aspen Grove when I saw her. There was one morning when I was out with Allen that I woke up to her staring at me. It startled me enough that I jumped and started yelling for Allen, because he had left for a moment, but she was gone.

A long time passed before I saw her again. We had been hunting when Allen spotted something light blue. He signaled me to go back to camp while he checked it out. It wasn't long after that, that he came running into camp with Aspen. She was severely wounded and bleeding. It also sounded like she was struggling for breath. Allen taught me how to bandage wounds as he worked on her. There was nothing he could do about her breathing though.

'She may not last long, Prince Basil. If her lungs collapse, she will die,' Allen had said.

Then she amazed us both and rolled to her feet. Allen tried to stop her, but she twisted out of reach. Allen had always been the fastest person I'd known, until I saw Aspen. Turning she ran straight for a small Aspen tree. Allen called to her to stop, but she only turned and the momentum carried her into the tree. The impact caused her to gasp and the entire tree to shake. She slid to the ground and was still.

'Allen? Is she...?' I asked.

'I don't know.' Cautiously he moved forward and checked on her. 'She's still alive and her breathing has improved. We need to get her to town. Some of her wounds need better care.'

Packing, we took her to the castle infirmary, where she was given better treatment. Sebastian had caught sight of her and followed us for a moment before turning down another way. The nurse shooed me away to get cleaned up before I could stay with her. When I returned Sebastian was looking out the window and Aspen was gone.

'Where is she?' I yelled.

Sebastian stepped aside and pointed out the window.

Looking, I saw the little blue dress disappear from sight. 'How did she get out there?'

'She… jumped.'

'What?!' I turned to go after her and heard Sebastian mumble.

'Goodbye, Oracle.'

Basil dipped his quill once more to continue writing, but his mind drew a blank and he was brought back to his surroundings.