"Desire" an excerpt from "Khah~Lehna" by F.Michael Sigler

Jake was a tall man, with a large frame. His hair was short, close cropped, and the color of leaves in late Fall. His eyes were blue, the shade of ice burgs, and ancient waters. He was a hard working man, he appreciated a job well done. You might say he was comfortable in his own skin. "Jake has a quiet confidence about himself", thought Jhanell as she watched as her husband walk up the road with the last of the material for the new fence.
They were a young couple, and had been married for less than a year now. In the mornings she would wake up just before he did, so she could watch him sleeping, her eyes softly caressing his unfurled brow, strong nose, and the almost feminine curve of his lips. She loved this act of voyeuristic innocence she secretly enjoyed. Jhannel loved this man, she was happy as a kitten with a full belly of milk, lying in the warm sunshine of the porch. "I do have a full belly too." She thought, smiling in spite of herself. She was sure of it now, the way only a woman could be. " I think it's time we told your Daddy that you're on the way little one." She said, placing a loving hand protectively over her ,as yet, still flat tummy. " We'll tell him tonight." She said aloud, and began preparing a special meal to celebrate the occasion. Softly singing a melody as she went back to her work.
The sun reminded her of a ripe peach, as it laid to rest in the mountains silhouetting the surrounding landscape. Jake was washing up after the long workday. She watched as the well water cascaded down his upper torso, over thick arms, to his flat stomach. Years of hard work in sun and wind made his skin resemble old oak after years of care.
"She's still a vision", thought Jake. Catching a glimpse of his wife at the window as he made his way up the path to the house. He tapped the mud from his boots, and thought back to the first time he was blessed with the vision of his love.
His father had taken him into town for supplies, and Jake's mind had been entirely focused on the chore at hand. His mother had asked him to get a few things from the fabric shop, and he was determined not to let her down. Not that she would be cross with him if he did forget something, it was just that she worked so hard for them that the least he could do was make sure she got what she needed for the month.
Jake had been so caught up in his own thoughts that he nearly knocked a girl down as she came out of the fabric shop with her arms full of packages. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry!" He said, as he bent to pick up the fallen items. Whack! Their heads collided. Jhannel had also bent to retrieve her items before they could be soiled in the mud. "Damn" thought Jake. "Wouldn't do to get knocked unconscious out here in the street, would it." "Sorry" an angels voice spoke from somewhere above him. Jake looked up and thought "Maybe it did knock me out, I'm seeing things." There, above him, with sunlight streaming through auburn hair, skin as translucent as alabaster bathed in moonlight, an angel was gazing at him through jade green eyes. "With just a hint of gold in their depths." Thought Jake, and she's laughing at me. "Are you alright?" The angel said. They had been married less than a year later, and Jake had never had a head injury that he was happier to receive.
The next nine months went by in a flash. Before they knew it they had a beautiful baby girl in their arms. "She's a little vision just like her Momma." Jake said, as he gazed upon his daughter wrapped tight in her mother's arms. "We shall call her Khah~Lehna, which in the old tongue means "Born of Angels".
Lehna grew up tall, and strong. She had her mother's looks, and her father's eyes. A quick girl, with long legs, and a sharp intellect. She was always glad to help out, and she never fell behind in her studies. she was constantly exploring and questioning everything she could. Yet, there was something in the girls eyes that made you take a second look, a longing. Lhena was passionate about life, she would read anything she could get her hands on about the lands of the realms most distant from their home. She would boldly question any outsider she met; "Where had they traveled from, where were they headed?" At first Jake and Jhannel, were concerned about this behavior, but they quickly learned that it was only Lehna's way. She thirsted for information, the way a lioness thirsts for the hunt. She wasn't trying to be rude, she just couldn't help but find out as much as she could about the world around her.
Lehna didn't go undetected by the boys either, you could say they did some thirsting of their own, but that's as far as they got. It wasn't as if Lehna was uninterested with their affections, quite the contrary. She enjoyed the attention, and went to the dances in town when asked. Which was very frequent indeed, but that wasn't her passion, she simply had other priorities.
Jake had known this day was coming for quite some time now, but he still had trouble in dealing with the reality of it all. "Little girls were supposed to grow up and get married, and have lots of grand babies, weren't they?" He shook his head to clear the thought, and walked out into the yard where Jhannel, and Lehna waited. "Please don't try to talk me out of this again Father." Lehna said, a look of determination on her angels face. Jake looked to his wife for support, but saw nothing there except a mixture of pleasure, and pride on his wife's face. "Looks like you've found an ally in your quest little one." "She's not little anymore Jake." Jhannel said softly, as she lovingly took her husbands hand in hers. Jake knew when he was beaten, and didn't want to see his daughter off in a way that would bode ill on her journey as she set out to see the world. Jhannel was right of course. "She usually was," he thought with a smile. "Share with us Father, what brings a smile to your somber mood this fine morning?" Lehna said, with a smile of her own. "She is a bold one" thought Jake. "Just considering how a man works hard his whole life only to be bested by two females on his own front porch is all." That brought a laugh from them all, and everything was OK again. After a long and heartfelt farewell all around, they finally sent their daughter off on her adventure. Jake, and Jhannel arm in arm, watched silently as Lehna rode out of the yard, and down the road at a brisk pace, looking as noble as a queen as she turned once and gave them a final wave.
Lhena had waited for this moment all of her life, to be free and completely self dependent. It wasn't as if she didn't love and adore her parents, quite the contrary, she regretted only that she wouldn't have them here to share her new experiences with. She had worked hard for as long as she could remember to realize this dream." I am as ready for this as I will ever be." She thought to herself, as she neared the docks. The ship was preparing for it's long journey, and the docks were bustling with activity.
Lhena took her horse to the stable master as planned, and turned the fine stallion over to his care. "Goodbye Nicker" she whispered to the horse as she dismounted, and pulled her pack off. She had raised the horse herself, bought as a foal originally for the investment value, but now it was more like letting go of a friend. "They'll take good care of you boy." She was sure of that, she had known the stable master for years now, and would part with her horse to nobody less than the man himself. "You can always purchase him back if you decide to upon your return. I'll be keeping our friend here in my personal stable Lhena." " Thank you Freeman Khenn." Lhena said , as she patted Knicker one last time. " But it may be some time before my return. "
"He'll be here, now go or you'll miss the voyage to the New Lands."
"Farewell Khenn"
" And, to you as well fair lady." With that, Lhena set off, on her way to the New Lands. A newly discovered continent that begged of adventure, and new discoveries.
F.Michael Sigler