Blood And Stone

Chapter 14: The Grove

The morning light spilled through the center of the dingy and frayed curtains that hung loosely from the window frame. The light song of birds pushed through the sound of the early morning knockers, banging their sticks on the windows of the sleeping citizens. The rattling of the windows was enough to send sparks of lightning through her closed eyes. Lyric's head throbbed with pain still, the wound on her eye was healing but the pain remained nearly the same. She knew it would take a while for the pain to dissipate but it taking this long was starting to fall into the realm of ridiculous. With a slight groan, Lyric pulled herself into a sitting position and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands.

The room she was staying in was not lavish but it was quite a bit better than her bed at the farm had ever been. It had been just a small pad of hay beneath a threadbare blanket. There was no real comfort in the makeshift dwelling, no warmth to be had either. The best thing about it was the occasional cat that would make their way in and curl up beside her. This room had an actual bed with blankets. The mattress was stuffed with hay but it was comfortable on the wooden frame. The blankets were thick wool, itchy but they kept the cold from sinking into her bones at all. She even had a pillow, much to her delight. She just wished that all of these comforts would ease the throbbing in her skull.

Taking her time so as to not fall victim to her dizziness, Lyric worked her way across the room to the bowl of water perched atop the small table beside the door. She gently splashed the cold water on her face feeling it instantly reinvigorate her. She took her time taming her hair and pulling her clothes onto her slender frame. Bruises still marred her face, with yellow and purple marks on her pale skin. The cut above her eye was really what she disliked most. Brail's boot had done the job, splitting her skin as if it were nothing but a thin, rotten leaf. She imagined she would end up with a quite prominent scar. That made her unhappy but, what exactly did she need a pretty face for anyway?

Finally dressed and ready for the day, Lyric left her room and made her way to the kitchen downstairs. She cheerfully greeted the employees before taking her place to fry up some bacon for the other tenants. Every day went like this. She woke in the morning and dressed herself, headed to the kitchen, and helped prepare the morning meal. Sometimes she would serve them and help with the cleaning before Neri found her. They would then make their way outside to get supplies, visit some of the shops and, stalls. It was a simple existence but one she was more than happy to own.

This morning, Neri came in much later than usual. Lyric was walking through the first floor of the inn, cleaning the filth from the tables with a rag that had been warm at one point. The tables had pits and gouges taken out of it where self-proclaimed tough guys had slammed their fists down or stabbed a knife into the wood. Normally, Neri would let Lyric finish her task before pulling her away for a daily discussion but this day was different. There was an air of urgency about her this morning, her words coming in rushed and almost slurred patterns. "Lyric, give the rag to Brail for him to finish the cleaning. I need you to come with me."

Lyric tossed the rag to Brail who only managed to catch it with his face. She then left with a chuckle as she followed Neri out the front of the Inn and down the road. Neri remained silent for a while, keeping her eyes forward as she led Lyric out of the little village. As soon as they left the village behind them, Neri spoke softly
"You are enjoying your time with us, yes?"

"Yes, I am. The Inn is lovely and I enjoy cooking there. It is much more fun cooking in those kitchens. At home there were always quite a few in the kitchens, making it difficult to move around. A smaller kitchen with a smaller group of cooks has been awesome. I have learned a great deal from them." Lyric tilted her head to the side, thinking as she spoke. "Maldva has taught me a great deal about seasonings."

"That is wonderful. Maldva has been my favorite cook for many years. As you said, what she does with spices is quite genius. However, Lyric, I have to be honest with you, I don't believe that staying here is going to be the safest thing for you or the village."