Bill was the first person to talk to Audrey, while doing so he made me wait outside the doors in the frigid underground cellar. The cold air was a welcome at first but as time passed on it got more of a nuisance. So when Bill opened the door, I was all bundled up in my red cloak, half asleep.
“Lara.” Bill said gently taping my shoulder. “I thought I would have a few things to tell you, but I don’t so why do you just go back up stairs.”
“What? Are you sure there isn’t anything else?” I asked rubbing my eyes and stretching my legs.
“Just that he knows your identity, and he filled in some gaps I needed. He doesn’t seem to know much else and seems willing to help.” Bill said, and I was a little confused as to why he would actually fill me on it.
I furrowed my brows, feeling like even though he told me that information, he was holding something else back. I decided prodding Bill for answers was a bad idea and stood to walk upstairs but just as I was up a few steps on the stairs, Bills hand caught my wrist and spun me around with, my eyes filling with questioning. Bill studied me for a moment, a look of confirmation entering his bright eyes that seemed more blue then green for a moment.
“Yes….?” I drawled.
“I need you to send down Serret.” Bill said and released my wrist. “Be quick about it.” He added.
I nodded and stormed up the stairs, shaking the chills threatening to climb up my spine. I reached the top of the stairs and tossed the door open leading to the kitchen, Serret, Henry, Avery and the twins were sitting around talking to a woman making bread.
“Why don’t you put raisins in it?” Henry asked leaning over her as she kneaded the dough.
“Because, not everyone likes raisins and I am making what I was told to.” She answered calmly.
“Then how about some honey and oats, those are good.” Avery suggested.
“No, no cinnamon “Tate raised his finger.
“Who would like that, I say ginger!” Ross grinned.
“How about you leave the woman to her work?” I asked crossing my arms. “Serret, Bill wants you. Avery you doing anything right now?” I added.
“Ah, no I’m not, why?” Avery asked scratching what I believed to be flour out of his light brown hair.
“A lady asked me to help move some firewood, the last rain put it under water.” I explained, placing my hands on my hips and leaning back.
Avery nodded, but as I leaned back his eyes looked me over with suspicion I didn’t miss. I straightened and arched my brow.
“It makes my back feel better.” I stated, sure that was why he was eyeing me.
Avery shrugged and so I walked out to door of the kitchen and made my way to the scattered trees around the edge of the land. It was a short walk, only about thirty feet or so behind the home and sure enough, the whole bottom half of the tinder was sitting in a puddle. I splashed my way in and waved Avery over.
“I’ll load it up on your arms since you can carry more than I can, and then I’ll carry all I can. This should go by in no time. She asked me to move them just uphill between the two trees near the kitchen door.” I informed him as I started taking chunks of the damp wood.
“Why don’t I load the wood on your arms?” Avery asked, his arms already held out to receive the load.
“Because, as I stated you can probably hold more than me, so next way back you can load it onto my arms.” I said, finishing and taking an armful of tinder myself.
“You know, as long as I’ve been around, I don’t know very much about you.” I stated at random on our second trip.
“I can say the same about you, we could always ask each other questions and answer them as honestly as possible?” Avery said with a bit of a grunt as he went to catch a chunk of wood falling from the top of his stack.
“Alright, I’ll go first. Have you ever succeeded in licking something off your elbow?”
“Not with my own tongue…It’s impossible. Did you secretly enjoy wearing that dress?” Avery asked in return, not missing a beat.
“Not in the least. Could you believe I was a girl when you saw me in it?” I narrowed one eye looking at him.
“Not if you acted the way you do now, but if I met you like that I would only see you as a lady…Did you really live as a noble’s son?”
“No, not exactly I mean, I had been with a noble family but I wasn’t like their son.” I could almost laugh at that. “What was your family like…?” I chanced it.
“They were strict, especially my mother and grandfather. It was kinda hard to respect them like I knew I should have. My father was forgetful and kind of harsh but not in a cruel way. Aurora was a brat too, but I loved them all. I used to say a ‘little less every now and then’…but now I wish I hadn’t thought that way. “Avery said with a melancholic tone and nonchalant look.
“Ah, I can understand that a little…” I said, and I really could. “I was like that with my mother mostly.”
“What was she like?” he asked.
“She was forgetful, snappy and opinionated. But with everything she did she meant well and it was to do some good. Sometimes her temper was a short fuse and sometimes it seemed like you could scream at her and she would roll her eyes and not mind at all. She had her moments she was fun to be around too though…” When I started stalking I just kept going. I didn’t see much reason to withhold that information. “She was poisoned.”
“Mine got slaughtered in a massacre. “ Avery said sitting down on what was left of the tinder, slumping forward and putting his elbows on his knees.
I flopped down next to him, regretting it right after when the pain of hitting the rough chunks of wood came up my spine. I patted him on the back awkwardly not sure what to say any more.
“Whose turn was it?” He asked suddenly and I only shrugged with puffed up cheeks. “Then, if you could be whatever animal you wanted, what would you be?”
“I would be whatever I wanted to be when the option came up.” I answered grinning.
“Well I would be a black fortian wolf.” He said rubbing his chin.
“Fortains only come in white.” I corrected.
“Not if I could be any animal I wanted, I could change the color too.” He retorted standing, taking a bunch of chunks and plopping them in my arms.
“Well then anytime I was an animal I’d be scarlet red.” I countered, putting my nose in the air.
And like that, we continued putting the logs where they went and laughing all the while. After we had moved the firewood completely, the air had cooled so much I was freezing in my sweat.
“The weather is finally starting to cool down for autumn.” I said as we started walking back to the mansion.
“Yeah, I hate the cold though.” Avery said tugging his shirt back on.
Leave it up to the boys to shed during almost any kind of work.
“Yet there you are, just now putting your shirt on.” I chuckled. “I myself like the fall and spring, when everything is mild. Winter is fine too, but summer…I couldn’t care less about it.”
“I like winter the most.” A gruff voice behind us put in. “It makes it easier to hide the smell of gutter trash.”
“How did you find us?” Avery growled as we both whipped around.
Audrey’s uncle chuckled; like he would to a kid he was playing hide-and-go-seek with. “You see, I’m not supposed to tell all my secrets, but it does have to do with my bratty nephew you took with you.”
“I’m going to get bill.” I whispered to Avery and just as I spun around my face smacked into a chest plate.
I looked up and saw a man not much taller than Serret looking down at me through a mask of pieced together metals. Only his eyes I could see and they told me nothing of his emotions.
“Now, now we aren’t here to start a fight. Just want you to relay a message to your leader.” His mismatched eyes glowed with amusement as well as his voice. “Ahem.”
With that the man pushed me aside, taking Avery’s shoulder and thrusting his iron gloved fist into his stomach. I flew out for them, but stopped mid stride.
“Wait, now I don’t want to have you hit, sweetheart.” Kyran sneered.
Arms came from behind me and took hold my arms, holding them behind my back at a painful angle.
I started grinding my teeth, thinking of a way to help as the assault on Avery continued; he only took each hit, keeping his eyes locked on mine as if trying to say if I did anything he would give it back to me tenfold for getting involved. The armored man held back on the attacks, I could tell that much. Avery was pulled to his feet, arms held tightly behind his back moments afterward.
“Well, what is your stupid message?!” I yelled out, holding myself back from shaking.
“You are the message…” He purred.
My sight was gone in an instant as a rough sack was brought over my head. A moment later pain and pressure hit my stomach, bile rose to my throat and I forced it down with a gag. My thoughts swam as I slumped over, trying to catch my lost breathe.
“Leave the kids alone!” Henrys voice yelled and I knew we were spotted, relief washed over me, but only for a second.
I heard a sword slide from it scabbard, I knew there had to be more men then I had previously thought. I also knew we were out matched when the sounds of grunting and metallic clinks died, and henry hadn’t made a single sound. I squirmed against the hold I was in but I was only spun around and hit again this time in my chest. My mind kept telling me to scream, scream as loud as I could but all I was thinking about how impossible it was to breathe and how useless I was not able to help.
[i]I want to breathe! I can’t breathe![i/]
My vision began to blur as I fought for consciousness, lack of air making it very difficult. They had to drag me because my feet weren’t going to move for obvious reasons. I could hear grunts and struggling and had no doubt in my mind it was Avery and Henry. I didn’t bother fighting because I knew it would get us nowhere but a trip to pain lane. Even when I had regained my breath I played dead and kept my breathing slow and steady, at least until I was lifted into the air and thrown into the back of what I believed to be a wagon. I smacked the wood and cringed as the pain shot through my limp body, next the boys were thrown on opposite sides of me.
“Are you alright?” Henry whispered after the wagon began to move.
“Yeah, I’m alive.” I answered lowly, unsure if he even meant me.
“Me too, just a little scuffed up.” Avery answered back gruffly.
“Did they bind you?” Avery asked from my left.
“They did me.” Henry confirmed.
I didn’t answer verbally; instead I poked both of them somewhere on their sides and let out an intelligible sound of affirmation. Both made a similar sound and so we stayed silent for the rest of the ride.
I had let my eyes close for just a moment to take away the stinging sensation, but when I opened them again light was shining through the tiny holes in the sack over my head. Fear nipped at my insides, I didn’t know how long I was out and could only hope I wasn’t separated from the boys.
“How are we supposed to do this…?” whispered a high toned voice.
“Well… he said we could do it how ever wanted…and we don’t wan’ta make him angry with us…let’s gain his trust.” Said a louder, more mature female voice.
I had just realized I was sitting up, with arms bound behind my back. I moved my feet a bit and felt rope bite into my ankles. I confirmed I was tied to a chair. I heard the clacks of heels on hard floor, and confirmed I was in some sort of room.
“Eeeek, He’s awake Beatrice what do we do now?!” Shrieked the first voice.
Beatrice let out a hefty sigh and I felt hands grab my scalp and pull, the sack free from my head and perhaps a chunk of hair as well. I yelped out and sent glares at both of the women. The short petite brunette was glaring right back at me, while a taller black haired girl was fearfully looking around.
“Well he’s just ’a pretty boy! Lilly keep it together. ” snorted the brunette.
I bared my teeth and snapped at her finger as it came near my face, regardless, she poked my forehead with her other hand quickly, expression saying she did it because she could.
“Goodness, these rebellion boys are wildlings!” a short black haired woman whined while walking into the room, dusting imaginary dust off her dress.
“Tell me about it! This one is barely awake and snapping at my fingers like a fox!” Beatrice exclaimed.
“Well, better a pretty wildling then the gruff mountain man I was trying to feed moments ago! Just would not speech a word to me. He just glared.” The unnamed woman complained.
I was lost in a bit of confusion, but could at least deduce Henry was near and in a bad mood.
“Well, at least you aren’t stuck with the other one; he would ask questions, contradict and twist every answer the girls gave him until they asked for a replacement! A mountain man? Drisa, you have it easy! “Beatrice shook her head almost solemnly.
From that I knew the other person was defiantly Avery. It was somewhat a comfort knowing how close they were, so while the girls gossiped about which had the worst patient, I studied the simple room I was in. No bed, just a long couch, a chest next to it and a window to the side of me with a sheet acting as a curtain.
“Ladies, I know you would love to keep chatting, but these bonds are getting rather tight.” I smiled. “I’m not asking you to loosen them, but a seat on that couch over there would make this so much more bearable. “
All three women studied me suspiciously, when the woman named Drisa looked ready to consider it the tall one- Lilly shook her head vigorously.
“Well ain’t that a sudden change of heart?” Beatrice questioned crossing her arms.
“Well if you were in my situation, you would ether cry or fight, correct? I’m not much for crying, and I couldn’t lay a hand on you young ladies.” I tilted my head and arched my brows.
“Oh aren’t you just so sly…” She narrowed her eyes and waved the other woman off.
“Well, you did call me a fox.” I grinned at her. “Could you at the very least tell me what you are planning to do with me?”
“We’re…supposed to patch up any of your wounds.” Beatrice said, obviously picking her words carefully.
“As you see, I have none that need tending. “ I chuckled, a faint pain In the back of my head told me otherwise but I ignored it.
“We have to clean up your faces to make it easier to recognize you and get some food in your gut. “ Beatrice waved off to the shy girl. “Lilly, go and get the mash now that he’s awake.”
The girl nodded her head, when she realized she wasn’t seen, added a squeaky “yes.” Before she hurried off.
“Well, then go right ahead and clean me up, but I won’t eat.” I grinned cheerily.
“You’re creepin’ me out. Stop it. “Beatrice commanded and walked over to the door, cracking it open she reached out, pulling her hand back holding a tray with a pot, bowl and rag on it.
“Sorry, I just needed to make my stand without being angry, as that would do nothing for me.” I shrugged the best I could.
“Well, don’t.” She told me as she poured the water in the bowl. “I don’t like fake smiles of any kind on any sorta’ person.” She supplemented.
She placed the rag in the bowl and rung it out before taking my jaw, roughly scrubbing the dirt smears from my face. I hadn’t complained a bit despite the discomfort of it. She finished washing my face while looking at her friend, babbling on about how I could have gotten so dirty. When she looked down at me she had to do a double take.
“Laurel!?” she yelled and pushed me back, pulled me forward and pulled my face up.
I only needed to hear that name for my heart to jump and thump harshly in my chest. I had no idea who this person was, and I had no idea why they knew my name.
“Oh my word, oh my word!” she squealed. “I used to work for your family before the big problems hit your family!”
“Oh that was the family you talked about?” Drisa said wide eyed.
I stared at her, eyes big as pomegranates and jaw practically unhinged. It hit me then, I could somewhat remember her being the self-appointed head of maids, always ready to help me sneak in and out of windows and door after leaving the house when I shouldn’t have.
“Oh it is you!” She cried, patted my face and then shoulders.
Shock evident on her every movement and sound as she looked me over, poked and prodded me while I sat to shocked to deny it. I wasn’t sure how she could remember me, as that was four years ago and I had obviously changed as much as she.
“What are you doing here?! Have you eaten well?” She dotted me, leaving the other women in the room dumbfounded.
I wasn’t even sure if denying it would help, I mean we weren’t very close, yet she seemed completely sure of whom I was, and I didn’t want to risk getting her angry and telling some people of this.
“Uh…Beatrice…” I whispered and she was silent. I moved my eyes back and forth between her and the others with desperate expression.
She seemed to get the message and sent them out with a wave of her hand. “Here let me unbound you…” she muttered as she pulled out a small letter opener from her loose bun. She cut the rope on my legs and moved behind me to cut the rope on my wrist.
“Beatrice, I need you to calm down, alright?” I gently commanded.
“Why are you here? What happened to you? Why do you look like a boy?” She bombarded me with one after another until I leaned forward and rubbed my temple.
“Beatrice, it is exactly what it looks like. I’m dressed a boy and I am in the Rebellion.” I stated, sitting up straighter and looking at her.
“Oh I know all that, but I’m asking why…”
“Because I dislike the king?” I answered with a question.
“Why are you dressed as a boy?”
“Because….well, I couldn’t be in the rebellion the way I needed to be if I was a girl…” I furrowed my brows. It was weird of me to say that, given I was forcibly joined and they had mistaken me for being a boy in the first place.
“Okay, so why are you in the rebellion if you can’t do as you want as a girl?”
“Because it doesn’t work that way.”
“Well that’s just stupid. “
“Tell me about it.” I groaned. “So what do you plan on doing with this information now that the maids all know…”
“Oh that? I can say I was mistaken. As for…the information…” she bit her bottom lip. “I don’t know…I could get in some serious punishment for not telling, I am a good liar of course but the possibility is there.”
“So are you going to tell or not?”
“I won’t…but if they torture me, I will break after the first finger…just so you know.”
I let out a chuckle that melted into a frown. Of course I couldn’t force her to do anything, and asking for help so early was terrible of me, so I tried not to.
“So, who are the two goons that came in with you?” She prodded.
“Friends from work.” I answered jokingly. “Avery is the annoying one, Henry is the cocky one.”
“Oh…so, have you got married yet?”
“How did the subject switch to that?” I exclaimed.
“Is it one of them?” she squealed with wide eyes, covering her mouth.
“No! And I’m not married and I don’t plan on anything like that.” I glared, but it twisted into a smile soon after as the humor of it.
“Well I’m married, to a handsome Knight.” She smiled dreamily and I was sure if it wasn’t for her goofy snorting laugh afterwards, I’d have gaged.
“Was that a dream of yours?” I asked arching my brow.
“Oh my word, no. I wanted a handsome, smart rich noble or prince. Pft, high standards got me nowhere and I settled for a clever, caring knight. We made plans to go back and get his younger sibling after the war.”
“Oh I see…that’s nice…” I said slowly, not sure what to think about her saying that given I was part of it.
“Oh don’t worry. I don’t care who wins it, Rutilus, Cymatilus.” She waved her hand.
A loud bell sounded from out the door and she stood up and smoothed the crinkles from her dress.
“Right, well I have to go now. I will make sure I’m the one taking care of you for your stay.” She chirped walking briskly to the door, upon opening it she saw Lilly trying to holding a cup of water and bowl of mush while trying to reach for the door.
“Ah…ah thank you!” she squealed as she stumbled in and managed to put both things down on the floor without spilling anything.
Beatrice was already out the door, when Lilly realized I was unbound and her protector was gone she ran for the door and slammed it shut. My stomach roared and I turned to the most likely bland food to fill me up, until remembering I said I wouldn’t and what might happen if I did. It was a sleepless hungry night for me.
