Euler's Theorem

It was a cold autumn day, and the evening sun was starting to set behind the jagged mountains in the distance. 

If Lee’ah’s eyes had been open, she would have seen the sky turn orange under the heavy clouds, casting a warm glow over the trees to her right. To her left, a crater in the ground housed a puddle from a recent rain fall. 

Instead, Lee’ah sat, unmoved even by the heavy wind rustling the leaves around her. A campfire flickered next to her, providing protection against the ambient chill.

She remained still until Bray’wen’s shrill voice rattled her out of her concentration. 

“Lee’ah!”, Bray’wen spat out each syllable. “Oh Lee’ah. No! No, no, no! What are you doing?” Her eyes flickered accross the symbols surrounding the cross-legged Lee’ah. Black dots connected by lines, scratched into the earth with a charred stick resting beside the fire. 

Bray’wen closed her eyes. When she spoke her voice was thick with disgust. “Oh Gods Lee’ah. Why?”

Lee’ah’s eyes adjusted to Bray’wen’s face, taking in its dark skin and handsome features. As she blinked, the woman’s long, thin braids, her brown leather tunic and hiking boots came into focus. 

“Mother”, she gasped, her voice uneven. “Mother, what are you doing here?” 

She scurried to erase one of the intricate designs, but Bray’wen’s pointed glare stopped her. She scrambled to her feet and backed away, palms raised. “Mother, this isn’t what it looks like. I was… I was just drawing these…” 

When no further words came, Braywen looked at her daughter. Her sharp gaze cut through Lee’ah. 

“Euler’s theorem”, she said, her jaw firm, “Were you trying to prove it?” 

Lee’ah’s wide eyes stared at Bray’wen. “How?” 

Even in the dim evening glow, her mother’s face appeared almost ghostly.  Her lips curled back. “I know forbidden math when I see it.” 

Lee’ah curled up into herself. “Mother”, she cringed, her eyes glued to the forest floor. Some of her dark curls had escaped their braids and was falling over her face. “I’m sorry. I… I just did it today, I swear.”

Bray’wen shook her head. “How could you do this? You, of all people. You really are your father’s daughter. Do you want to end up like him? Executed?

She stiffened for a moment, before allowing her shoulders to drop. 

Her hands started to tame Lee’ah’s hair over her braids with gentle, automatic motions. “I can’t believe that you would choose to play around with something so dangerous. You know the law.” She spoke unevenly, her voice flaring. “Those greedy math witches nearly tore this world apart the last time.”

Lee’ah covered her face with shaking hands. 

“This just can’t happen again” her mother gritted out, half-cried tears wetting her eyes. “Nobody should have this much power”. 

Lee’ah followed her mother’s gaze to the crater, then into the distance. She winced at the sight of the pockmarks, devastating the landscape. Her eyes traced the charred symbols, etched into the ground in front of her. “I know.”

Bray’wen gave her a sharp look. “How did you even get into this? I thought this evil was gone from our village. The last person who dared to toy with this was…" She closed one hand over her mouth. “Oh Gods. Save us. You were only ten.”

Lee’ah shook her head. Then her shoulders fell, and she pressed her hands to her flaming cheeks. When she spoke her voice sounded younger than her sixteen years. “It was our special secret. He… he made me promise not to tell you. He said you wouldn’t understand. Only I did.” 

“He…” Bray’wen choked. A leather-bound corner glinted from Lee’ah open bag. “He gave you one of his books. I thought they had gotten all of them when they arrested him.” 

Lee’ah snatched the bag. “Mother, please” she whispered, holding the bag close to her chest. 

Her mother stared at her, her hands falling to her sides. “You… You… “ Her eyes bored into Lee’ah. “You wouldn’t dare. We need to destroy this book!” 

She moved towards Lee’ah, driving her daughter backwards towards the crater in the ground. “Give me the book, child! Our only salvation lies in burning this book before they find out what you’ve done.”

Lee’ah gripped the bag tightly. “Mother!” She said, her voice cracking. “Please! I can’t. He gave it to me. It’s all I have left of him!”

Bray’wen watched her daughter, her mouth in a tight line. The corners of her lips trembled. “I turned in your father. Do you really think I wouldn’t turn you in as well? I’m not going to put our whole family at risk again for your dirty math!” 

She streched her hand out for the bag. “Give me the book, Lee’ah!”

The wind stilled as silence fell on mother and daughter. They looked at each other, tall woman to tall woman. Lee’ah’s mouth opened and closed, her chin trembling. She looked away, tears dripping down her cheeks. Then she took a small step forward and handed the leather bag to Bray’wen. 

Bray’wen’s trembling hands took the bag. “Oh, thank the Gods.” She let out a deep sigh, then opened the bag. The book she pulled out was leather bound and covered with designs similar to those scratched on the ground beneath them. A Theory of Graphs, said the cover. The gilded letters glowed in the light of the sunset, like embers waiting to catch. 

Lee’ah looked at the glittering book, then at her mother’s stern expression, then at her feet. Her shoulders fell. “Oh Gods”, she muttered, shivering. “What have I done?” 

Her mother looked at her with pinched lips. Then she handed Lee’ah the textbook. “Destroy it!”

Lee’ah’s white knuckles clenched around the leather bound tome. Her chin trembled, as she placed the book into the fire. Flames licked at the pages, turning them into black curls of smoke.

Eyes glued to the disappearing smoke, Lee’ah bent down on one knee. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she started erasing the symbols around her.