The InkHeart

Chapter 4: An Incomplete Word

It's a new day, but old life.

Dustfinger's nap was eventually turned to a deep sleep. He woke up the other day finding himself in the very same heavenly room. It was hot outside; no sign of any cloud by insight.

Gwin was nowhere to be found too. "I guess, he is gone somewhere to absorb the fresh air, or eat something out of the rubbish of things he like." Dustfinger knew his pet quite a lot. He would go alone, and come back home whenever he wanted his admirable master.

He peeked out of the windows feeling the hot fresh air on his face. It was so hot that the Dustfinger thought he might melt if he'd be there for long. He could see many guards strolling around many places around the castle. Gossiping, chilling, and as usual some bored. They had nothing to do except to play around with stray cats.

Capricorn Village was a massive doom.The streets at the far end of the village were wrecked due to the abundance amount of earthquakes. Villagers migrated from there, and seemingly Capricorn didn't care much about them. All he cared about was control, power and money of course.

The room where Dustfinger was living was up the stairs. He didn't notice the floor's number last time as he was tired after a full happy meal; he even almost forgot how he got up to the room for a nap.

A maid came to the Dustfinger's room with a cup of tea. She was a young and beautiful maid. Her hands were rough, and her knees were badly bruised, probably because of the chores she had to do every minute in Caprion's massive castle. She started writing something on the paper; she was in a hurry.

Dustfinger tried to come close, but she stepped backward; stared into his eyes, and ran back from the door she had entered. She looked like a woman that was not at all from this world, like someone from another world. Another region. Dustfinger had actually listened to the rumors that had spread among all the regions of the country, that Capricorn brought maids and workers from another world. They call it the devil world. Devil, or not. Dustfinger didn't know that if it was true that there might be another world other than his own or any other world that was enough devilish than his own one.

Dustfinger had a glance on the paper, but couldn't make much of it; it looked like some sloppy drawing. She had written something, but Dustfinger could not read, nor write. Capricorn didn't know how to read or write as well, but he was learning it from one of his maids that he brought= from another world who had the art of writing and reading.

"What in the world was she doing with that paper" thought Dustfinger. "I think she wanted to tell me something, but what could it be?" whispered Dustfinger to himself.

Dustfinger opened the door of his room, it was creaked as all old doors do. Capricorn did not think any of this, he does not care much about any decorations inside his castle, he only loved his two enormous looking Statues that stood, and shone brightly.

Dustfinger maintained to find the stairs that led him downstairs. He could see a maid that was standing to guide few workers on making some changes at the hall. There was a newly brought red chair for Capricorn, and some other chairs alongside with a giant table that was covered with white cloth for some of his men.

"So You're the man that everyone's talking about" She inquired like she was interested, but her face was expressionless.

"Yes, My name is Dustfinger."

"Oh, and mine is Magpie, The in charge of maids all around the castle. Nothing in this castle moves without me having the knowledge of it." Magpie sounded boastful.

"Ooh, I've no objection to it now, do I?" Dustfinger tried to interrupt her next words which were waiting on her lips. She was ready to spit them out if he hadn't interrupted her.

Dustfinger went outside to see everyone that he had met last time. There was no sign of Capricorn, Basta or Flatnose. There were just some ordinary guards strolling around the yards and garden.Dustfinger saw a garden full of vegetables, There was another maid, plucking vegetables, and planting new ones.

He saw his little marten beside the maid glancing through its round eyes watching her plucking the vegetables and planting the seeds one by one carefully. Gwin smelt Dustfinger from a range, and started wagging his tail. It was at this moment that Dustfinger tripped over the pipe hose; he slammed towards the ground with a heavy thud. The maids started giggling; he laughed, and the marten decided to jump on his shoulders. Gwin loved the shoulders. It was his best place where he could spend all of his lazy days.

Dustfinger saw the same maid that he met upstairs carrying a  full of clothes. She was on the way to wash them. She looked at the Dustfinger and indelibly dropped the bag. The clothes started rolling out of the bag.

She looked around, made sure that no one was watching, and made a sign signalling  Dustfinger to follow her. Dustfinger was confused; why she wanted him to follow her. She kept doing gestures with her hands. At last, Dustfinger thought that she might want to talk something really important. He started following her; it was a surprise to him that even though her state was poor, there was an odd fragrance out of her; it was as if she bathed in soaps daily; Whatever that was Dustfinger really had her attention. Right at the end of the corridor, after the corner, they stopped. Dustfinger was looking right into her shiny eyes, wondering about the words that his ears were about to listen. The hall was quite. He could hear every breath she took. The time stopped for him. There was something about her that twisted Dustfinger's spine. It was as he would watch her all day, and still not get tired. He wanted the time to freeze forever; he wished it more than ever now.

She started making different gestures. Dustfinger could not understand her signs, and finally broke "What is it young lady, I cannot understand your gestures!" The angelic maid straightened her forefinger onto the lips of Dustfinger, but it was a failed attempt to shush him. 

"Hey, you!" a screeching shout was heard. The frequency of which was so high that Dustfinger knew that the castle's windows probably broke somewhere.

Magpie was around the corner; she howled at her, "what are you doing, didn't I tell you something?" Magpie yelled and yelled. She did not want the lady with the Dustfinger at all! He wanted to quiet Magpie, but it was as something stopped him. He couldn't do it, his guts were all for nothing at this time.

"Leave the work, and back to your Room, Now! I want to meet you!" She sounded like an animal which was  trapped; cursing the man that placed the trap!

She vanished in no time; Dustfinger stopped for a minute. Thinking about the possibilities that he just missed. The words that he wanted to express in such a short time. The words he wanted to hear from her. He felt the utter guilt and shame about not saying anything in front of Magpie. But he was thankful somewhat as he knew it might have got him in to trouble as well. He couldn't sleep afterwards. He didn't encounter any nightmares this night, but many beautiful dreams of the girl. 

Who was she ? Was she really the woman from another world? What she wanted to tell Dustfinger? Why did not she talked about the problem she had? So many Questions. Stay tuned for the next chapter for the answers!

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