Aeternitas by M Mixson (web based ebook reader txt) 📕

"A chance? And what type of school is this exactly?"

Her mouth thinned a bit. "I'd think you'd be happy to have any chance at a better life: a life your parents so desperately wanted to give you."

"What does it entail?"

"In this school you get an education, but after that education and towards the end of it, you are fostered out to noble lords who could use your help."

Eian bowed his head. "By help you do mean chores, kitchen duty, stable boy, pretty much we do menial chores until we pay back our education right?"

Blose nodded in a quick and fast movement. "Yes. Technically you'll be indentured. You'll simply pay back the debt with chores. They can keep you no longer than three years. And who knows if they like you enough they may desire you to stay on with them."

Eian swallowed. "When would I go?"

"You'd go as soon as I have things settled and prepared."

"Would I come home at all?"

She shook her head. "They won't let you see your parents. Or family," she said rightly guessing his next question. "You'd be on your own, but then you'd also have a chance for a future you might not get otherwise."

"I'll take it," Eian whispered a little hoarsely.

Blose pulled him close and hugged him. "I know it may seem tough right now, but I promise you it will be worth it in the end. When I went to finishing school I hated it, but now I look back on it with fond memories and realize just how much it helped me."

Eian put his arms around her neck and hugged back. "Thank you, Grandma."

"Oh Eian, I'm so sorry. I wish, I wish that there had been something to be done. Something to erase this horrible memory of yours." She carefully smoothed his hair back. "They say though, that things like this make you stronger in the end. That its things like this that give you the most strength to fight for what you want, to fight for what you believe in. I'm not sure that it holds true, but remember no matter where your parents are they will be guiding and watching over you."

The boy didn’t know about that, but he certainly knew one thing.

Eian knew he was thankful that his grandmother had offered him this chance. Perhaps if he went to school and learned something, perhaps, just perhaps, he'd be able to find his mother's killer. As his grandmother turned away from him he looked down at the grave and knelt. He kneeled in the snow for a while, thinking about his mother and all the good times that they'd had in their time together. Carefully he leaned his forehead against her grave and whispered,

"I promise you," he reached out a hand and placed it on his father's grace, "I promise you both, that I will do my best to find your murderer and avenge you. I know that you probably wouldn't have wanted me to do this, but I feel that I must have a goal to work towards until I find a new goal. I want you to be proud of me. Remember Father, how you always told me that my future was so bright, that as long as I worked, as long as I kept going that I could do anything? That no matter what to keep going, to never step off the path, but to always look forward? Mother, you always tell me stories, you would tell me stories of heroes and villains and you always said that just because you don't believe the same thing as someone else doesn't make them wrong or evil? That there is always a grey area and that nothing is easy? That if things were easy to obtain they'd mean a lot less. That's why you always said futures were so hard to obtain, we're meant to achieve them? I miss you both...I miss you both so much and I promise to work as hard as I can to achieve my future and the goals I set."

He stood from the snow and looked up towards the sky and shouted, "I will never stop!"

Blose heard this shout and smiled. She'd given Eian something to work towards, something to look forward to. She only hoped it didn't end in tears and unhappiness. She'd seen enough suffering to last her a lifetime.

Eian trotted up to her and took her hand. "Grandma, when can I leave? I believe I have a lot of things to do!"

Blose laughed and patted the hand she held. "As soon as I send a request letter, then you can go."

Carefully they sidestepped the carriage traffic and walked on the side of the road together back to the small house that Eian's parents had left him.

It was a quaint little thing, it stood in the middle of the city, not terribly large although it was pretty. It had three bedrooms, a sitting room, a kitchen and an outdoor bathroom. The walls outside were painted an off white with red trim that matched the color of the bricks on the houses that framed theirs.

Eian unlocked the door and he and his grandmother stepped into the room. Blose had lived here with them since her return. She never spoke of her journey or the ship she had been on.

Eian remembered the stories his mother used to tell, her worry that her mother wouldn't return. She had told all of this to him one of the days after Blose's return. She had cried that night and held him close to her. His father had found them and had sat and stroked his wife's hair as she sobbed.

That night for the first time in years they'd all slept in the same bed together, one happy family.

Eian missed those types of family moments more than anything.

He missed his parents.

He set his teeth as he went to his bedroom, from now on he'd only do things that his parents would be proud of, things that would help him accomplish his goal.

Eian arrived at the designated spot with a single bag and the clothes on his back. No books, no fancy materials or clothing. All he had that spoke of the fact that he was going to a more "advanced" school was a letter of introduction the school had sent him when they had accepted him.

He held this tightly in his left hand and in his right was a bag. His breath hung on the air as the cold wind blew and shifted the scarf he wore around his neck. He moved from foot to foot as he tried to stay warm but the cold continually seeped through to his skin. He shivered and tried to huddle more firmly into his coat but it was impossible. The wind was simply too chilly. His hands were bare as after buying the new coat he wore he had run out of money. Now he had no choice but to stand here in this freezing weather and wait for the carriage to come pick him up.

The way the school had the boys delivered to it was by having several boys arrive at a designated time and waiting spot and then taking the boys all back together. They claimed this encouraged friendship and comradeship amongst boys who might not otherwise speak to each other.

Eian found that there were only two other boys waiting. Neither were talking to him, but they were talking to each other. Eian didn't know how to feel - they were dressed nicely, fancy breeches and socks, wonderful waistcoats and vests with starched shirts. Their coats were handsomely made and were decorated with brocade. Their boots and scarves too were of the finest quality.

The boy felt overwhelmed at the fact that although this school was for poor boys too it was also a school for the rich. Every so often the other two boys glanced over at him and whispered to each other.

Eian knew what they were saying without having to hear it. He knew they were talking about how raggedy his clothes were. His shirt was torn in several places as well as being too short. His pants were beat up around them hem and it was obvious that a section had been added to make them seem longer than they actually were. His shoes were old and beat up, they barely fit him because they were hand-me-downs from some young man who had grown out of them.

He knew he should feel no embarrassment, but now that he was actually on his way he was. All his earlier convictions about doing well and getting revenge had faded over the two weeks leading up to this day. He found that things were never so simple as he wished them to be. Carefully he placed his bag on the ground and stuffed his letter of introduction into his coat pocket and then crossed his arms to get his hands warm while he waited for the carriage to arrive.

Finally one of the boys came up to him and stuck out a hand. "I'm Berul. Who are you?" he asked.

Eian gripped the other boy's hand a little timidly. "I'm Eian."

Berul looked at him. "Last name? Although Eian is very unique..."

The young boy blushed to the roots of his hair. "I...don't know it."

The other boy who had now joined them raised his eyebrows. "You don't have a last name? Or do you not know how to read and write? Do you not have a father or something?"

Eian cleared his throat, "I had a father. I also had a mother. They died not too long ago...but I don't know if they ever had a last name. And I can read and write a bit. I'm not totally illiterate."

"But you came from a poor family right?"

"I suppose so. There were those who were much poorer than I was."

The older of the two rich boys nodded. "I see. Well, I'm sure you'll be fine here. Do you have any other living relatives?"

"Just a grandmother. She's the one who sent me here. She said getting an education might help me in the world."

"Well she was right in that at least." the younger rich boy sniggered.

The older one rolled his eyes and pointed to the other one, "I forgot to introduce him. He's my younger brother Dunui."

"Pleased to meet you," Eian gave a little bow. He shuffled his feet a bit and looked away.

"If you're poor," the younger brother began, "you really have to have a talent to get into school, what's yours? You work in a cathouse or something?"

Eian felt his jaw tighten and he resisted snapping back a sharp reply, and instead said, "Yes, I did."

Dunui's eyes widened. "You're not serious are you? I was only - mostly - joking!"

"I'm dead serious," Eian leveled his gaze at Dunui. Then he felt a small smile twitch on his lips. "Well, I did work for them for a commission. I did a painting for them."

The older boy laughed in what sounded like relief. "You're a painter! You worked for them because you did a commission!" After a moment once he'd regained his breath he shook his