WALKÜREN - THE THREE MARIES Chapter Twenty-Nine

 WALKÜREN - THE THREE MARIES

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Izabel was impatient. She felt that something was wrong. She didn't know exactly what it would be, but she felt a negative energy in the air. She had only had this feeling before when she and Graça decided to go out into the world in search of adventures... and money. Strange, it had been a while since she felt like this. It was after the conversation she had had with Juca the night before, before they fell asleep. Funny, she had never thought about her marriage...until now. And when she started thinking, her conscience got a little heavy... just a little. During all these years of marriage she wasn't really the wife her husband deserved. In fact, she treated him like a servant... but she had never noticed this way of acting...

The last order was delivered within the stipulated deadline. Some ladies from the region would go with their husbands to a big ball in the Federal Capital, in honor of Campos Salles, President of the Country. Of course, this was a unique event, after all only the most influential of Society were invited to this reception, which had The main objective of the Federal Government is to obtain allies to continue the current regime... after all, in two years there would be elections to choose a new president...

Orders delivered, Izabel was able to breathe peacefully once again. She still had to resolve the impasse with the CTI, but suddenly it no longer seemed so urgent... Well, she would have to replenish Graça's stock, as she had used almost all the fabric her friend had available. She decided that she would pay a visit to the textile factory the next day. That pleasant morning she asked for a walk outside. She distributed orders to her employees and decided to do something she hadn't done in a long time... ride a horse in the mountain region. She put on the cowgirl outfit that was stored in a box in her living room and headed out towards the stable. Yes, there was a stable at the end of the main street and Corisco, her bay horse, was there waiting for her to need his services...

Around noon Juca arrived at the store. She needed to talk to Izabel about some problems with the store that he had detected during the days he was in charge. They were simple things, easy to resolve, but if they were not taken care of as quickly as possible, they could have drastic consequences in the future. He was surprised to learn that his wife had gone riding. After all, it had been some time since she had ridden...

Izabel was close to the Mantiqueira mountains. Sometimes she galloped wildly, sometimes at a slow pace... Corisco obeyed her commands. It was a docile animal, at least for her. It's funny, besides Izabel, no one else was able to ride the animal... she had been running across the plain for a long time when she saw the figure of another rider in the distance. She was too far away to identify who it would be. She decided to dismount and keep an eye on the horizon... after all, she was alone in a deserted place... as a precaution, she took out the revolver that was stored in her saddlebag and placed it on her waist, behind her back. She did not wish to be surprised.

After a few minutes she realized that it was an Amazon approaching. She became a little calmer. But she decided not to let her guard down until the person got closer. She was surprised when she identified the newcomer... it was Rosa, who, like Izabel, had also decided to ride through the mountains...

- Girl, are you here?!!...

- I say the same... shouldn't it be in your store?

- Yes... and you had to be in the classroom...

- I don't know... I suddenly felt like dropping everything and going out into the world...

- Funny... do you know the same thing happened to me? Suddenly I felt an inexplicable need to come here...

- Come where?

- I don't know... what I know is that my desire was to continue here... to go to that spring, there on the mountain...

- The water mother's?

- That one...

- What if I say I had the same desire?

- I don't know... it's strange to say the least, isn't it?

- Do you know what would make this even weirder?

The two turned to the horizon and noticed another knight running across the plain... and ended up talking together...

- If that knight who is coming in the distance is Grace...

They looked at each other, amazed... after all, they both said the same words, without a single difference. And they were even more amazed when the figure got closer and they were able to identify their friend who must have been very far away, as she lived in another city... but what was happening?

- Hi, girls... did you decide to breathe the mountain air, too?

The three laughed together. Graça dismounted and the girls hugged each other effusively. But at the same time, that look of strangeness was visible on their faces... why did they feel compelled to go there? And how did the three of them end up meeting in the same place, if the space in the backlands was so large and they hadn't agreed anything? Well, they would definitely find out eventually...

- And now?

- Now what?

- What we do?

- Sincerely? I don't know...

Graça looked at her two companions. And she decided to take control.

- Girls, let's go to the Mãe D'água Spring...

Izabel and Rosa looked at each other, amazed... what was happening? Why, suddenly, did the three of them gather there, at that end of the world? and why were they being compelled to go into the middle of the forest, towards a place considered haunted? Well, there was only one way to find out... move on... but...

- Graça, the spring is a bit far away...

- And?...

- So we won't get there until nightfall...

- Hey, we camp there...

- I'm fine... you too. But Bel has a husband and children to take care of...

Graça looked at Izabel...

- You go home?

Izabel remained thoughtful for a few moments. Then she spoke...

- No, we're going to the spring. I have no idea why, but I feel like I need to do this...

- And then?

- After what?

- Huh... we spend the night there...

- OK but...

- I don't know about you... but I brought food for myself... anyway, we can hunt... or fish for dinner.

- If you're talking... funny, before I left, I grabbed a blanket of dried meat...

- Me too... and coffee... some pans, a teapot...

- It's as if we knew we were going to spend the night out, right?

- It's strange... but it was like that with me...

- When did you arrive in Quiririm, Graça?

- I think it was around ten o'clock... I took the first train this morning.

- But why?

- I don't know... suddenly, I felt a crazy desire to come here... you know, an uncontrollable desire... and here I am...

- I didn't go to school today... I simply packed my things, saddled my horse and went out into the world...

- Funny... after delivering my last order, this morning, I left the store with my employees and also set off through the countryside...

Graça took the lead, again. She mounted her horse, invited her partners to do the same...

- Girls, there's only one way for us to find out what's happening to us... let's go...

And the three galloped towards the mountain, without knowing exactly what their destination would be...