When Stars Fall (NaNoWriMo22)

Chapter 7

A night of dreamless sleep came and went. I only awoke because of the dawning sun. The light pouring in from the window had somehow found my face and woke me from my slumber. It felt warm and inviting.  Like a gentle caress from a loved one. I looked over the bed and saw Averett sleeping peacefully in the shadows of the room. As quietly as I possibly could, I climbed out of the bed and sat on the windowsill and stared at the sky. I watched it changed from peach to pink to orange to blue. The sister star makes this world so beautiful. One could only wish to have the power to make something dark turn to light.

I lean my head against the cool glass, enjoying the view. Simply watching as the sun basks its light onto this small town. "Good morning , Alcyone." Averett's voice startles me. My eyes meet his from his place on the bed. "Good 'morrow, Averett." His hair is a mess, and his eyes are a bit droopy from sleep. The blanket is still covering most of his figure. "How long have you been awake?" I turn away from him and look back out onto the world.

"Since dawn," I answer simply.

"Did you not sleep well?" I hear the rustle of blankets as he gets up. My forehead bumps on the glass once more. "It is hard to get used to the human ways." The sun has risen fully, and it demands for its people to wake as well. I cannot imagine what it would be like to be that star. "I'm not sure what that means, Alcyone." I tilt my head slightly to look over at him. He has left the bed and is currently putting his dress shirt. I avert my eyes, immediately. I'm still not sure what constitutes mortal beauty, but Averett is handsomely. In a sense. "It means that Stars don't usually sleep throughout the night," I explain, keeping my eyes peering out the window, "It hasn't been hard, just...unusual."

I peak my eyes back at his figure. His back is to me, and I shamelessly observe the way his muscles move. I study the way his arms move, inciting muscles from his back flex with the work. The clockwork movement of the bones and skin. I wrap arm around myself, feeling the grooves and curves of my own bones. My fingers brush the bones that I see on Averett. They are there too. A pain in my abdomen surprises and jerks me forward on the windowsill. I gaze at my stomach questioningly.

"You're hungry." Hungry. A human necessity. "You need breakfast. When was the last time you ate?" I stare blankly at Averett. He laughs at my expression as he combs his hand through his hair. "I had forgotten. I'll go see if Tabby has cooked any breakfast yet." He buttons his shirt quickly and promptly exits our room without another word. Just as well, I'm not particularly chatty. I feel...drowsy, but unemotional. Or, more like, not happy. But not sad. I cannot explain it. Curse these human emotions.

With a sigh, I leave the windowsill and plant myself on the bed. My body hits the soft bedding with a low thud. The ceiling is made of the same wood that the floorboards are made of. The room's décor was purposefully made to fit the aesthetic of the rest of the inn. Although, I don't understand why the inn is called 'The Burned Cauldron'. It's so off putting. Why name it such a dark name?

A soft knock sounds from the door. Would Averett knock on the door of the room that he stayed in? He knows that I am awake. "Dearie! Are ye awake? Ya husband said ye was." I relax my tense shoulders as I take a soothing breath. "Yes, do come in!" I quickly sit up. Tabby enters my room with something hanging on her arm. "Ah! Good morn'!" She gently unfolds the green dress and places on the bed. "This was also me daughter's," she says as she fusses over it. "Ye may keep it if ye like, as well as that nightdress."

"I am grateful," I touch the cloth. "Truly, but won't your daughter need it?" Tabby waves my question away. "Nay, she has her own household now. Take it."

With the dress in my hands, I stand and put it in front of me. It has a lot of strings and things. I'm not sure where it all goes. "Will you help me?" Her vibrant eyes light up with excitement. Tabby practically snatches the dress from my soft hands, sweeping me off to the other side of the room. "I havena done this in years, but a mother neva forgets." A mother never forgets. She said that with such sadness in her voice. I quietly watch her as she works, wondering why loving memories can make someone so sad.