Let The Games Begin.

Covert Operations

I plan on saving the gifted food for as long as I can. I end up indulging myself with only a little over a mile left. Normally, when property is condemned by the government, it is marked with a sign containing the royal seal and a notice of repossession. But, since I had bought Alexios' house in private, that process was never started. Identifying his house out of all these that looked the same was going to be tough, unless I cave and ask for help. 

Finishing the bread, I begin on the apple, glancing between the houses that line the street. Except for the lady hanging her laundry to dry, the streets are barren. I wouldn't doubt that everyone in this small region of the town was back in the square. I start on the left, approaching the houses with caution. Assuming the ones with childrens toys and chairs outside are occupied, I continue down the road. I probably look like a freak with my matted hair and stiff clothes peering in people's windows from the roadside. I am so tired. I don't have the energy for this. I turned back and slowly approach the lady doing laundry. 

     "Excuse me," I say, staying quite a few feet away from the short cobblestone wall around her property. It only came to my knees, so she could very well still see me. 

     "Yes?" She asks, wiping her hands across her smock, "Can I help you?"

     "I was wondering if you knew where I could find the house of Alexios Vermont?"

She looks me up and down, hesitating to answer. 

     "I know I look awful right now but it's only because I fell into a stream and my hair got wet and tangled." I reach up to smooth my hair. "I know this doesn't mean a lot coming from an absolute stranger, but you can trust me. Alexios and I are good friends."

She resumes hanging up her laundry, and after a few seconds says, "All the way down the road  on the left. His property has the biggest court out of all of them. You can't miss it."

Nodding, I turn away, noticing that several people are now standing in their yards, watching me. I must look terrifying. I bring my hands to each side of my face, shielding it from onlookers. When the guards come to look for me, the least amount of people having seen me, the better. Walking as quickly as I can, I speed down the road, taking a sharp left into the court. I don't even stop to see what the house looks like. I quickly reach the door, flip the latch and push my way inside. 

I was expecting a mess, but was pleasantly surprised. Everything is still in order. Baskets of handmade toys sit in various places. Latching the door once more, effectively locking me in, I start to look around the room. Directly across the room from me, jars of preserved vegetables line almost every shelf in the kitchen area. To the left of the shelves, there is a small woodfire stove, and a neat stack of small wooden logs beside it. To the right once more, a door leading to the back yard area. Continuing to the right of the room,  there is the entrance to a bedroom, and then several pieces of makeshirt furniture. 

I cross the room, opening the door to the bedroom. It doesn't stick, but it squeaks awfully. I grit my teeth at the sound, continuing anyways. This room has only a medium sized bed, a nightstand, a closet area with clothes still hanging in it, as well as a makeshift vanity, across the room from me diagonally to my left, in front of a window.  

And then I spot what I was looking for. A hairbrush! I rush over to the vanity and kick out out the chair, plopping into it. Looking at the brush, I assume I should clean it somehow. Carrying the brush with me, I make my way out of the bedroom and into the backyard. Picking up the smallest branch I see, I scrape the hair from the brush. 

Not good enough. 

There is a small well in the left corner of the yard. Approaching it quickly, I circle it once, trying to figure out how to raise the bucket. All my years of life and I'd never raised my own water. I used the brush to knock the bucket resting on the edge into the well, nodding in satisfaction at the hollow splashing sound. I set the brush aside, grip the crank and throw all my weight into each turn, raising the bucket in five successive turns. 

Pulling the bucket back to the edge of the well, I dunk the brush in and then use the branch once more, scraping at the wooden base. I trust Alexios was clean, as well as his wife and family, but one can never be too careful. Unhooking the bucket from the crank, I intend to take it into the house. Instead, the weight of the bucket nearly pulls me down into the dirt, face first. 

Dragging the bucket into the house was the only way I could get it in. Leaving it in the floor by the threshold, I sit myself on the floor in front of the wooden stove. How hard could it be to start a fire? Inside the stove there is still a log or two, so the only thing I need is something to light it with. Conveniently, there is a flint and steel set on the edge of the stove, as well as a tall jar filled with long matches. 

After the fire is lit, and the room has properly warmed, I sit back down on the floor in front of the stove and began brushing out my hair. It takes a while to work through the massive knots, but I finish eventually. Then, I stand and peel off my clothes, and toss them aside. My plan all along had been to use the water left in the bucket to bathe, so I summon all the strength in my body to lift the huge tub up and pour it into the pot on the stove. Once it boils, I set it aside to cool, and go to find some spare cloth. There had been extra, more plain looking clothes hanging in the closet but I wasn't sure they would fit. 

I really hate digging through their personal items but technically, this all belongs to me now. I'm halfway through rummaging in the dresser for even just a scrap of linen when there's a sharp knock at the front door. 

Night had started to fall when the fire in the oven got hot enough to produce smoke, so I should have been hidden in that regard. There's no way mother knows where I am that quickly. I stay deathly still. There are no voices outside the door. If it had been the royal guard, they would have saved the formalities and busted down the door, especially if someone from the town has already snitched on where I am. 

Tentatively, I leave the bedroom, tug my stiff chiton back on and creep up behind the door. I almost jump out of my skin when whoever it is knocks on the door again, just as I come up behind it. Heart pounding, I decide I have two options: Hide in the dark, or fling the door open and confront them. I'm just about to whip the door open when, from behind it, I hear a familiar voice.

     "I know you're in there, young lady. Open the door."

It's the voice of the lady who had given me the bread and the apple earlier! I open the door just a smidge, and then wider when I confirm she is alone. It's much darker now, but I don't have to see her to smell what she's holding. 

     "Hold on," I say, crossing the living room area to a lantern hanging on the wall, I quickly cross to the stove, using one of the long matches to borrow a flame from the stove. I turn back to the door, and say, "You shouldn't have come here."

Now, with the lantern, I can see she is holding a plate full of meat, boiled vegetables and a roll.

     "Garlic and lemon roasted chicken. Had my husband kill extra, just for you." She holds the worn, earthen plate out to me. I take it graciously, bowing to her slightly.

Nodding, I said, "Thank you so much. I truly appreciate it." A pause. I glance around the room. In a hushed voice, I ask, "Would you like to come in?"

She shakes her head, and then turns to walk away. At the archway of the court, she turns back and says, "You're hiding from something. Or someone. I wish you safety. I don't know your name, but your secret- whatever it may be- is safe with me."

I don't answer. I offer a curt smile and then I retreat back into the house, kick the door closed, wincing at the thud. Not knowing my name isn't a big deal but calling me 'princess' from only one encounter is. I decide it's not really that big of a deal, plop down at the dining room table and dig in.