LAUDNA

5. Things You Shouldn't See

After walking from store to store all day, Erika tried to head back home as soon as possible. Exhausted but not empty-handed, she had managed to find a beautiful gift for Beatrix.

Erika lived with her father, Theoderick, a blacksmith considered "hostile" by his own customers, and perhaps a bit towards his daughter as well. This made her quickly wipe the smile off her face, preparing for the exchange of a few terse words she would have with her father once she arrived.

However, when she noticed the sign that read "Iron Wings Forge" Erika stopped in her tracks. From the outside, it seemed like a compact little place with large, blurry windows and a small staircase leading to the door, where a sign on the glass read "closed." Upon entering, she was met with the usual view of the forge.

Weapons, armors, and shields filled the walnut-colored wooden walls, with beams crossing the ceiling. Below were cluttered workbenches with boxes and unused aprons. The forge itself? Empty. Erika noticed that everything was there, except for her father.

- Father? - Erika called, walking further inside as she looked for any sign of him being home.

- Maybe he's upstairs? - she wondered, climbing the stairs that led to the actual living quarters of the place.

As she reached the next floor, Erika's heart skipped a beat. Everything was in its place in the hallway—bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom. Except, towards the end, there was something she had never been allowed to see before: the stairs to the attic.

That was because there was a time when her uncle, Nicholas, was living with them. But the reason he came was not a good one to begin with. During his stay, Nick and Derick had endless arguments. Erika didn't understand or know the reason behind them, but she knew they were responsible for him leaving and disappearing for good one day. Since then, the attic, where he stayed, was off-limits for Erika under any circumstances.

- ...What is he doing up there? - Erika's voice trembled. She wasn't sure if she should go up and relive all those arguments again, but this was no longer just about finding her father.

Taking slow steps, the floor creaking beneath her, Erika found herself at the end of the hallway, right in front of those attic stairs. Without daring to utter a sound, she ascended them slowly.

Looking up, she noticed that the trapdoor was already open. She could see a ray of sunlight close to setting, along with the light of a candle. Finishing her ascent, she found herself facing the large window she had seen from the outside, right in front of a bed beside a dusty dresser. To the right was Derick, rummaging through a box beneath what appeared to be Nick's desk. It was there that everything began to crumble.

Nick was a healer and a researcher, but Erika also liked to call him an artist because he was exceptionally skilled at drawing plants, people, and animals. So it wouldn't be surprising for her to see some of his works there. However, the drawings still hanging on the wall above the desk caused immense distress in her.

There were several papers, half torn and crumpled, with various illustrations of wild animals, but with some "minor" alterations. They all appeared to be in aggressive poses, with furious expressions and crudely outlined anatomy. Most strikingly, their eyes were painted in a pinkish tone, the exact color she had seen in the eyes of the bear earlier today.

At this point, Erika had finished climbing the stairs, but her focus on the shock of what she was seeing caused her to lose her balance and make a lot of noise on the wooden floor, finally capturing her father's attention. He quickly stood up, first looking suspicious, but as soon as he realized it was Erika, his expression turned to fury.

Theoderick was a man with light brown skin, slightly darker than Erika's, a robust build, and black hair shaved on the sides with a tight bun on top, complementing his somber-looking face. His centered goatee was sparse, and he wore a very worn-out T-shirt over an even worse apron.

- Erika. What are you doing up here? I thought it was perfectly clear that you can't come in here! - Derick exclaimed as he approached Erika with forceful steps.

Erika froze for a moment. She had no idea he would get so angry about her presence in that room. Trying to avoid eye contact with his lifeless violet eyes that seemed to want to kill her, she was about to do what he expected and leave with her head down. But she needed answers. He didn't seem to be impressed by the drawings on that wall. He knew something she needed to know too.

Erika clenched her fists and mustered her courage. She was no longer a child to be afraid of her irritated father. Her legs, which were somewhat wobbly just moments ago, now felt firm on the ground. She took a deep breath and looked directly into her father's eyes.

- I was just looking for you. I won't go until you explain to me why uncle Nick drew these things. Why did you never let me come up here? - Erika asked, her tone calmly irritated.

- You have no right to ask questions here. If I don't let you in, it's because there are things that are none of your business, things you shouldn't see!

- Things I shouldn't see? Then I want you to explain why I saw one of those creatures in the woods today?! - Erika pointed indignantly at Nicholas's drawings.

As soon as she mentioned that, Derick froze. His irritation turned into a frightened expression that his daughter never even imagined he was capable of making. He noticed her bandaged knees and became unsure of what to say.

- You... you what? - he whispered hesitantly, trying to approach his daughter.

- Is that the reason for your bandaged knees?

- It is why I need you to explain! Please...

Erika calmed down and sat on the bed, which seemed just as dusty as the other furniture. Derick took a deep breath and put his hands on his neck.