Briallen Bevin and the Snatcher's Cave

Chapter 18: The Boy Who Wouldn't Go Away

Briallen walked down Dickens Drive, towards the lake shore, where her favorite restaurant, Charlotte's, was located. Technically, Charlotte's was on Skidder's Row and so, to save time, Briallen had began to cut through the Van Vlerah's backyard on her way to lunch. Of course, they had protested at first but then their son, Hayden, had come to Briallen's rescue, telling his parents that she was a friend of his from school. In truth, Briallen barely the boy but he was nice to her and his parents were now okay with having her cut through their corner lot. However, ever since the first day she had cut through the family's backyard, Hayden had taken to joining her for lunch.

Briallen sighed as Hayden appeared on his backyard porch the moment she set foot in the Van Vlerah's backyard. At least he doesn't wait outside for me anymore, thought Briallen glumly. She had plenty of young cousins and neighbors back home that followed her around everywhere and she resented the fact that here, she had an older boy that followed her all over. She believed that he should know better than to be that annoying.

"Hey, Briallen," said Hayden as he bounced down the steps to meet her. "I was thinking... maybe we could go somewhere else for lunch today?"

Briallen stuck her hands in her coat pockets and shook her head, the tassel on her hat swaying back and forth. "I want to go to Charlotte's. I've been craving clam chowder all day."

"The place I want to go to has clam chowder too." He looked at her with pleading eyes as Briallen rolled hers. His big brown eyes reminded her of a puppy-dog and she hated saying to no to him when he made that face.

"Where is it?"

"Just down the street. Come on," he said happily as he tried to put his arm around Briallen's shoulders. Briallen was too quick for him though and stepped aside.

Their entire walk involved Hayden talking the whole time while trying to hold her hand or put his arm around her and Briallen avoiding his attempts at embracing her. When they finally made it to where Hayden wanted to eat lunch, after a perilous climb up and down the icy Skidder's Row overpass, Briallen paused.

Oh, you have got to be kidding me, thought Briallen as she looked at the restaurant Hayden wanted them to eat at.

It was a yellow stone building with lacy white curtains in the windows and a sign hanging in the door that said 'Two for One Lunch on Sweetheart Saturday!' Briallen had heard about this restaurant from Marisol who had told her it was where she wished Benjamin would take her someday, which meant it was a place that boyfriends and girlfriends went to on dates - definitely not a place Briallen wanted to visit with Hayden, or anyone else for that matter.

"Are you coming?" asked Hayden as he held the door open for her.

I could run to Seedy Alley from here. He wouldn't follow me into the Dugbog's Den. But could I make it out of the Dugbog's Den alive? Or Benjamin lives nearby if I run the other way...

Before Briallen could make up her mind on which way to run, Hayden had taken her hand and she was being led into the most pastel room she had ever seen. The walls were the same yellow as the outside and the lace curtains that were hung in the windows were also hung around the counter in the back. The booths and tables surrounding her were a pale pink with a yellow daisy print and the restaurant smelled of a sickly sweet vanilla. Briallen felt like she could puke rainbows and puppies right then and there. She much preferred the casual lake-side setting of Charlotte's with its calming blue walls and beach decor.

Hayden led her to a booth against a wall in the back with a window that overlooked a closed-off courtyard behind the restaurant. Inside the courtyard were many garden tables and tall outside lamp torches, which told Briallen that the restaurant was most popular during the warmer months.

"What can I get you two darlin's?" asked a older woman with a lot of makeup and hair as yellow as the walls.

"We'll both have clam chowder and iced tea please," requested Hayden politely.

When the woman had left, Briallen decided to take the opportunity to explain her feelings regarding boyfriends to Hayden. "Hayden, I - "

"I know, it's nice isn't it? I thought you might like it. Girls are always talking about wanting boys to take them here. That's what Marisol said."

Briallen stared at him, dumbfounded. She obviously needed to be blunt with him. "You know we're not going out, right?"

"Well, yeah," said Hayden as he blushed. "We've only really known each other for a few weeks. I just thought... well, since you and Lucan Stone aren't dating anymore..."

Briallen had had enough. "What do you mean me and Lucan aren't dating anymore? We were never dating in the first place! I've never had a boyfriend! Ever!"

Hayden was startled by her outburst. Usually Briallen just ate in silence while Hayden talked the entire time. "I - it's just that - you two were always sneaking off together and stuff. Everybody said you guys were dating."

Briallen groaned and dropped her head on the table. "We're barely friends," complained Briallen, her voice muffled by the lace tablecloth. She lifted her head. "And don't get me wrong, Hayden, you're a nice boy and everything but I don't really want a boyfriend."

"I shouldn't have taken you here. I scared you away, didn't I? I'm sorry. I just thought that if I took you here then I could ask you out sooner."

"No - just, no. I don't want a boyfriend at all!" Briallen was beyond frustrated. "I'm really sorry, Hayden." Briallen stood up and pulled a small velvet pouch full of galleons, sickles and knuts, from her coat pocket and opened it, prepared to pay for the lunch she would not eat.

"Briallen, please," pleaded Hayden. "Just stay for lunch. As a friend."

"Will you stop touching me?"

"Yes, I promise."

"And you won't ask me out?"

"I won't ask you out."

Briallen sighed again and put her money pouch back in her pocket. "Okay then. I'll stay - as a friend." She sat back down next to Hayden just as the waitress brought out their bowls of clam chowder and iced teas. She couldn't help but notice how heartbroken Hayden looked. She felt bad for snapping on him like she did because she did think he was cute but she had no idea what to do with a boyfriend.

Not to mention her parents would be very unhappy to learn she was dating before the age of thirty.

* * *

"Try this one," suggested Benjamin Beauvais as he handed Briallen a short, gray broomstick. "This is the Helius. It's not as fast as the Nimbus but it's not as touchy as a Shooting Star either. It's actually meant for long-distance travel so it has a wider seat and more stability."

Briallen got on the broom while Mr Briar, the owner of Briar's Brooms (the store that she and Benjamin had been in all morning) looked on cautiously. She had already knocked over several displays when she tried out a Cleansweep broom minutes earlier and now Mr Briar had his wand out and was ready to stop her should she lose control again. Briallen was surprised the old man had not kicked her out of the store yet. Apparently a sale was more important to him than keeping his store tidy.

"How's it feel?" asked Benjamin as Briallen hovered. He walked in a circle around her, examining the broomstick and how she sat on it.

"It's okay, I guess. The handle is really thick though. My hands are too small for it."

Benjamin shook his head, lifted her off of the broom, put the broom back and pulled another one that was on display on the wall. "This is a Cosmic Ray, it's what I have. It's a lot like the Nimbus but older and, naturally, not as fast. It comes with a special grip, although I don't think you need one those. You hold on just fine."

"Oh, ha-ha, Benjamin," said Briallen sarcastically as she mounted yet another broom. He knew most of her accidents in Flying were because she didn't let go of the broom soon enough. "I don't like this one."

"Why not? That's a good broom!"

"I just don't. I like that one over there. It's prettier," said Briallen as she pointed to a broom that was dark brown, almost black in color. She landed and dismounted from the Cosmic Ray. The only thing she really liked about this trip to the broomstick store with Benjamin was that she was acquiring a skill in landing, something she had previously lacked.

"That's a Nova Flare," said Benjamin as he put the Cosmic Ray back on the wall and went to get the broom Briallen had pointed out.

"The Nova might be best for the girl," suggested Mr. Briar. "It's the best when it comes to breaking at high speeds. Or any speed, for that matter. Or maybe she should think about getting one of the new Star Busters. They're from the same company that makes Shooting Stars. It has a special anti-wobble charm on it for those who are... shaky on broomsticks."

"I think we'll try the Nova Flare," said Benjamin with a laugh. He handed the broom to Briallen who then mounted it.

"This one I like!" Briallen grinned at Benjamin and gave him a thumbs up sign while Mr Briar breathed a sigh of relief. She was sure he'd be happy to never see her in his store again.

* * *

"And so he tells me that since me and Lucan aren't dating anymore, he wants to date me!" said Briallen as she, her grandfather and her parents ate their dinner together in Cal Bevin's manor. "Boys are so annoying."

"And you were dating this Lucan?" asked Meda Bevin, concerned. "You know I don't want you dating until you're at least fifteen, young lady."

"Momma! Haven't you been listening to what I was telling you? I've never dated anybody!"

"Good. You're too young."

Briallen rolled her eyes and stabbed her mashed potatoes with her fork. She was surprised her father hadn't said anything on the topic yet since, in the few times the topic of dating had been discussed in their family, Will Bevin had joked about locking her in her room until she was a senior citizen in order to keep the boys away. But he had hardly spoken at all since he and Meda had arrived at his father's house. The most noise he had made was when he first saw Mrs Whibbles and screamed.

"So," interrupted Cal Bevin. "Mr Briar tells me that you and Ben Beauvais were in his store not two days ago, trying out brooms. Have you changed your mind about what you want for Christmas?"

"I don't know. I would like my bedroom ceiling to look like the dining hall's - "

"Which wouldn't happen since our overnight guests stay the night your room," said Meda Bevin, giving the final word on the matter and assuring Briallen that was one gift on her list she definitely wouldn't be getting on Christmas.

"Well, I did find a broom I liked. It's called a Nova Flare. It has a good breaking system. Benjamin thinks that would be best for me. So does Mr Briar."

"I'd have to agree after all the accidents you've had in your flying class."

"Stopping is harder than it looks," argued Briallen as a house elf in velvet green overalls with fluffy white hair removed her empty dinner plate and replaced it with a bowl of pink sorbet.

"I'm not so sure I want you flying at all, Briallen," said Will Bevin. He was speaking to Briallen but his was cautiously watching the house elf serving them dessert. "You've had too many accidents, and you were in a coma. I don't want you doing anything too active for a while, like flying around or dueling or whatever it is kids at your school do."

"Who am I going to duel, Dad? The house elves? I'm pretty sure that none of them are out to get me... "

"Don't you joke about that Briallen Nashoba Bevin! You could have died that night! There is somebody dangerous out here and while I trust your grandfather to look after you, your mother and I know how difficult you can be and how you can just disappear at the blink of an eye. You need to be more careful, Briallen. Stay away from strangers and don't go anywhere alone... I still don't like the idea of you wandering about this town on your own, even during the day," scolded Meda Bevin.

Briallen frowned as she played with her sorbet. "I'm not a baby anymore, mom. I'm twelve years old."

"You may not be a baby but you are still a child."

"Whatever," said Briallen as she stood up abruptly and left the table. She ran quickly up the stairs to the room she was staying in to get her scarf and winter cloak. This was the first Christmas where she felt she would rather be alone than with her family. Quietly, she opened her bedroom window and climbed out onto the roof and over to a tree branch a few feet away. Once she was on the ground she headed into the woods, taking a short cut to The Village.

The days were short now and the winter equinox had almost arrived. The moon above her was nearly full, though, and provided her ample light to find her way through the woods. A wolf howled in the distance, sending a shiver up her spine.

She hoped that what Lucan had said about the kidnapper taking a break during the holiday was true as the trees became less dense and the lights of houses not far away began to grow brighter. She needed to be sure that she and her friends were safe while she tried to figure out who was behind the attacks on the students at Bergamot.

Briallen trudged through the thin layer of crunchy snow and onto the sidewalk that lined Orion's Road, one of the mains streets in The Village. Even though it was late, it was a Friday night and many of the businesses that lined the road were still open. Briallen walked past a book store, an herb store, and a store devoted entirely to selling wooden carvings of animals. None of them caught her interest and before she realized it, she had come to Seedy Alley.

She had never really been to Seedy Alley before. The closest she had ever gotten was on Halloween when she, Marisol and Toby had gone to the Seer's place near the Dugbog's Den.

The Seer, thought Briallen. Of course! She could tell me what is going on!

Briallen lifted the hood of her cloak to cover her face so that she did not look too conspicuous or draw much attention. There were many peddlers in the street offering such things as ramora scales and dragon's eggs to human body parts, available on demand. One particularly pushy hag selling toilet seats bewitched to pinch users' bottoms had actually recognized Briallen as a Bergamot student. Briallen had been forced to run from the hag to keep her from alerting anyone.

After turning the corner of Seedy Alley onto Trice Cross, it was not as bad. Briallen managed to avoid anybody else and made it safely to the Seer's front door. She had been in the shop once and had not liked it very much as it was very smoky and smelled heavily of something the Seer called 'Black Henry'. She pushed open the thick oak door, causing the bell attached to the top to jingle and announce her arrival.

A young woman in dark red and purple robes appeared from behind a beaded curtain. "Ah, Briallen Bevin. How lovely to see you again. You previously expressed interest in my incense, have you stopped by to purchase some?"

Briallen somehow managed to keep from snorting in laughter. "... No. No thanks. I've come for - "

"Capnomancy."

"Um, I'm sorry, what?"

"The art of reading smoke from a fire. Fire is your element, is it not?"

"Uh... "

"Of course it is," said the Seer as she led Briallen over to a fireplace on the side of the room. The woman sat down on the floor and motioned for Briallen to do the same. Briallen kneeled and watched as the Seer took a wide stone bowl from nearby and placed in it several wood chips that smelled of cedar. "Light the fire, Briallen."

Briallen removed her wand and pointed it at the wood in the bowl. "Aduro," she said softly and the wood chips caught on fire. Instantly smoke began to rise from the bowl and the Seer watched it intently. "What do you see?"

The Seer kept her eyes on the smoke. "Something hidden. A dark place. Those you believe to be trustworthy may not be, for appearances are deceiving." Briallen sighed. She had already heard that before.

"Anything else? A name? When they'll strike next? A specific location?"

"Capnomancy does not deal in specifics."

"Then what's the point?! I came here for answers! You haven't told me anything I don't already know or haven't been told before."

"Just because you hear it does not mean you are listening. Keep repeated warnings at the forefront of your conscious, Briallen." The Seer stood up and put out the fire in the bowl. "Consider this session to be free as it is your first. If you join my mailing list then you also get a twenty percent membership discount for every forth visit and free readings on your birthday. If you recommend my services to a friend and they mention that then they get two free readings."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind," said Briallen as she walked out the door. Briallen growled with the frustration of not learning anything helpful and began to walk back to her grandfather's manor.

"Briallen! Briallen!" shouted a voice ahead of her. She looked up from the sidewalk to see Hayden Van Vlerah standing in front of the pastel restaurant that she hated so much. "Want to join me for a cup of hot cocoa?"

Briallen shrugged her submission. She was depressed and a nice hot cup of cocoa sounded too enticing. "Why not."

They went inside and ordered their cocoa. Suddenly Briallen found herself venting all of her frustrations to Hayden as they enjoyed their warm drinks. She was sure it was because of the yellow walls - Marisol had explained to her that yellow makes a person comfortable and open. It just made her hate the pastel restaurant even more. "What a complete waste of time, right? And then she has the nerve to try and sell me a membership package for her services! Really! She's a gosh-darn Seer, you think she would've seen that I'm in need of real help!"

"That's why my parents don't like Seers now-a-days. They've all become so capitalistic. Most of them don't care about the people anymore," said Hayden as he placed a few sickles on the table and stood up. "Come on, I'll walk you back to your grandpa's place."

Briallen was too tired and upset to argue. She did not even fight with him when he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. They walked to Cal Bevin's manor in silence, something for which Briallen was very grateful. When they reached the landing for the front doors, Hayden stopped.

"I have something I want to give you just in case I don't see you again before school starts in January," said Hayden as he stuck a hand in his pocket. After a minute or so of searching for his gift he finally removed a thin silver box and handed it to Briallen. She opened it and her jaw dropped. Inside the silver box was a necklace consisting of a silver chain and on it was a small, thin silver disc with many intricately carved symbols. "It's a protective talisman, made by the old magic. I thought you'd like it what with all that's happened to you."

"Thank you, Hayden. This is so nice of you but... I didn't get anything for you, though," said Briallen as she removed the necklace from the box.

Hayden smiled as he reached for the necklace so that he could clasp it around her neck for her. "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you like it and I'll feel better knowing that you have this."

Without thinking, Briallen leaned forward and kissed Hayden on the cheek. Then, with a quick smile and wave, she disappeared inside the house before either of them could discuss what just happened.