Chapter 9. Anomaly

Charlotte hung Vie's dresses over a chair. "This used to

be our Aunt Edith's room."

Vie looked out the windows and across the gardens.

On the writing desk next to the bed was a vase full of roses.

"Thank you for helping me settle in Charlotte."

"Your welcome. I have another sister in the house and

Nain Joan has another daughter to fuss over."

She hugged Vie and kissed her on the cheek.

"Its ridiculous that we're in the middle of a War and you still

had to ask your Father's permission to move in with us.

You're almost a grown woman."

Vie's face warmed - she'd never been called a grown woman

before. Charlotte wiped the top of a dresser with a cloth as

she walked out the door. "Have a rest Vie, I'll go and make us

some tea.''

Vie yawned and lay on the bed. She looked around the room.

Even though she would never say such a thing out loud,

Charlotte was right - the War was the best thing that

had ever happened to her.

*

The raven perched high in the branches of an elm tree

and watched the house. A sudden gust of wind ruffled

it's feathers and swirled fallen leaves across the

ground and into the air.

It clacked its beak as the leaves rose higher and higher,

then spun into a tightening spiral until a single form

emerged - a tawny Owl.

The raven bobbed it's head. "Freya."

"Honestly Antares," the Owl said, "I know some find the

tawdry goings on of this age to be fascinating, but can't

you anything better to do with your time."

Antares could see Vie through a bedroom window writing

in her journal. "There is something different happening

here Freya."

Freya watched Vie for a moment. "Different? How?

They're all cut from the same cloth."

Antares heard the frustration in Freya's voice. He had an

answer to her unasked question, but he chose not share it.

The divergence that she, and the other members of the senate

searched for, had already occurred - he'd witnessed it, and

was following its progress.

"Perhaps you right." he said. "I'll look elsewhere."

*