A Challenge for the Nine

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     The girl wakes with a start, sitting bolt upright on the bed. She immediately scans the room for signs of the strange, darkly garbed figures, but she finds that she is alone. Still watching for any signs of movement, she takes in her surroundings. The girl is currently situated in a large bed that occupies the majority of the room. There are no other furnishings, save for a nightstand and a chair situated in the corner.

     A window to her right provides a view outside, and she gets up to look out of it. She peers into a courtyard swarming with orks and trolls. A few look up at her window, and she quickly moves away and out of sight. Although she had gotten used to the appearance of such creatures, she did not want to endure their prying gaze.

     Locating a curtain next to the window, she pulls it across the glass, hiding her from the stares of the orks. Nervously, she twists a strand of hair and winds it around two of her fingers. 

    Remembering the costly jewelry she had been fitted with, the girl begins to work the jewels and gold out of her hair, carefully undoing each braid. She organizes the gems on the nightstand and neatly lays out the strands of gold. Next, the bracelets and anklets, along with the adjoining rings are removed. Lastly, she takes out her earrings and puts them beside her rings. She feels much lighter without the adornments; not that it bothered her. She is used to wearing a lot of jewelry.

     She glances around for a brush to detangle her hair, but she does not see one. Much like extravagant jewelry, long hair is a part of her native culture. Her parents ensured she adhered to the proper traditions growing up, and trained her to upkeep them. Truthfully, she had left their guidance far sooner than they anticipated, but they felt she was still prepared.

     The girl runs a hand through her raven hair and inspects her black dress. It doesn't appear to be torn, which is a relief to her. It is far heavier and more formal than she would usually wear, but the circumstances had called for it.

     Her eyes catch on the door across from the bed. She has no idea what is beyond it, but her curiosity bests her caution and she walks over to it. It opens out into a rather large room, furnished with chairs, a desk, and a fireplace against the wall. The room is completely quiet, but her feet still move soundlessly across the floor as she slowly walks around. Down a short hall, there is another closed door, and to the right of that is an open one, leading to a library.

     The girl enters it and looks around. A few chairs form a circle in the center of the room, and the walls are lined with shelves. Even with the small size of the room, the girl is very pleased with the amount of books there are. She approaches a shelf a takes one into her hands. It is of good quality, however disappointment bubbles in her as she realizes she can't read it. Replacing the book, she tries another and finds the same to be true about it as well. 

     A sharp knock startles her out of her thoughts and she freezes, listening intently. A few seconds pass before she hears another knock and bolts towards the bedroom, slamming the door behind her and frantically locking it. She stands with her back braced against the door, trying to quiet her breathing. Anything could be behind the knocking, and she does not want to find out what it is.

     The sound of a lock clicking and footsteps sends a wave of panic crashing over her, but it slowly dissipates and the steps fade away and the door swings shut again. Even though she thinks the outer room is empty, she waits and listens before peering through the bedroom door. The room looks like it had before, except for a tray of food set on a side table by the fireplace.

     The girl walks towards it slowly and watches it suspiciously. She has no idea what kind of food it is, and the smell is foreign to her. Lifting a bowl of steaming soup, she sniffs it and places it back on the tray. Her empty stomach protests as she backs away, but remnants of terror linger from her interaction with her hosts, and she does not eat. Not until she gets answers.