Lady Hell

Chapter 2

Helena awakes to that disconcerting darkness again. A clothe hugs tightly around her forehead and across her eyes. Wary of the fact that she may not be alone in the room, she opens her mouth in an effort to speak. A dry, croaking sound scratches its way up her throat and into the room, breaking the silence more like a dying animal than an attempt at intelligent communication. Her back stiffens in embarrassment.

"Oh hello," the somewhat started voice of the young woman from before says. No doubt the croaking alarmed her just as much as it frustrated Helena.

"Wait just a second," the woman's voice is followed by the creaking of a chair beside the bed as the she moves around, "Mother Timbre said to make sure you drink more if you wake again."

Water splashes in a bucket nearby, followed shortly after by the sponge being pressed to Helena's lips. Albeit in a slightly less gentle manner than the last time. Still, she's grateful for it and relieved to find that more water reaches her throat this time.

A door opens nearby, interrupting the young woman mid sponge re-wetting. To Helena, nothing matters more than getting water into her parched body and a small flicker of annoyance lights in the back of her mind at the woman's distraction.

"Mother, she's awake," the young woman reports as a pair of footsteps approach the bed. The sponge still does not return to Helena's lips, the young woman clearly preoccupied by whoever has just entered.

"The water, Mathilde," the voice of the older woman from before chides the younger, who then hastily places the damp sponge back to Helena's lips with enough force that Helena flinches.

"Carefully, dear. She's in enough pain as it is."

"I'm sorry, Mother." The sponge disappears from Helena's mouth just as quickly, followed by the sound of footsteps and a chair creaking next to the bed which she can only assume is the two woman switching places.

Before long, the sound of water wringing from the sponge fills the room and within a few seconds it's brought back to her lips. Thankfully, this time with the same gentle care as the first time Helena woke. The older woman has evidently decided its best to handle things herself. Helena certainly instead complaining.

"Thank you for watching her, Mathilde. Why don't you go rest, you've been up late the last few nights. I'll care for her a little while."

"I was actually going to help Sister Evans with the preparations for the Bishop's delegation-"

"Evans can handle it fine. She needs the opportunity to stretch herself a bit. You rest."

A deep sigh from the younger woman comes from further in the room, followed by footsteps head away from the bed. A door opens, shuts, and then there is only silence filled by the sound of water being rung from the sponge every few minutes. The older woman keeps to herself until Helena's mouth is thoroughly wetted and the sponge is put away.

"Can you speak yet, dear?"

Helena opens her mouth, willing her tongue to make something other than the horrible croaking sound from before. It releases a struggled moan, and she sighs in defeat.

"No matter," the woman pats her hand. "But you understand me clearly, yes?"

Helena nods her head, despite the pain raking up the side of her face.

The woman squeezes her hand gently. "Good. Then I'll do the talking for now and you can take your turn later. First things first, let me properly introduce myself. I'm Timbre, the Abbess of this abbey which sits just a few hours north of Verndale. Your home town, yes?"

Pieces of Helena's memory begin to fall together as Timbre speaks. At the mention of Verndale her body tenses, as if readying to fight. Or run. It's hard to discern which.