Fortified Minds, An Inheritance Ff

Chapter Five.

Thorn landed within a luscious walled garden, there were huge trees casting shadows across the entire garden. I slipped down off of the dragons back with a little help from Murtagh, but my attention was on the garden, I’d never seen anything quite so beautiful!

“What do you think?” he asked as I stepped forwards to explore closer.

“I could spend forever here.” I grinned and he nodded looking relieved. “Did you do this?”

“My mother did, she loved the garden. It was her escape.” He stated, face hardening as he thought back. “Come and see the house.”

I followed him through the garden, my eyes wandering down trails that led in all different directions, the house in front of us wasn’t as peaceful or spectacular as the gardens, it was rigid, bleak and foreboding, thick solid walls spotted with the occasional small window, apart from three large ones which spanned the building like a belt.

The doorway was heavily fortified, he cast spells to open the door and then he moved large bolts across allowing us entry into the dark room.

“Brisingr.” He whispered and all the candles burst to light.

“Cool trick.” I murmured looking around the room.

It wasn’t even half the size of the kitchen at the castle, there was a large oven seated beneath the chimney breast; I walked across to inspect it and all the other utilities within. “Is that a tap?” I asked and he smirked nodding. “Oh I love taps.”

“No carrying water to and from the stream for you.” he stated and I grinned up at him.

“What time do you want dinner?” I asked feeling like I should stop feeling like a guest and more like the servant I really am.

I watched as his face darkened and then a smirk ran over his lips, “Aénor, you aren’t a servant here. You’re my friend who lives here, but it just happens you’re the only one who can cook. I’ll go catch a rabbit; you do whatever women do in new places.”

I nodded and he disappeared. Taking a candle off a sconce I made my way towards the large door on the opposite side of the room, every corner I passed was shrouded in darkness and made shivers run down my spine. I found the dining room and what must be the drawing room, large white sheets covered the elegant furniture protecting the expensive material from dust and sunlight. Well as much sunlight you could get with all the small windows covered, I climbed onto the side board to reach the wooden shutters which blocked the sunlight.

I hate this sense of dread and one way to get rid of it was with sunlight, even the setting sun would cast some sort of life into the rooms.

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I hung the rabbit over the oven where a fire was roaring and water boiling ready for it, but Aénor wasn’t anywhere in shouting distance. I climbed the stairs that took me out of the serving areas and into the family areas, for a minute I was thrown back fifteen years when my mother was still alive, whenever my father was away she’d throw open the shutters and drench the whole place in as much light as she could.

By keeping the shutters up, I’d become him.

“I thought the light would make this place less creepy.” Aénor’s voice said from in front of me, “Not that your home is creepy, it’s just there are too many dark corners.”

“Better to hide in.” I said dryly not being able to shrug my mood for her smiling face. “The rabbit’s in the kitchen ready.”

“Oh lovely, I’ll cook some potatoes I found with carrots.” She grinned brushing her hands down across her skirts as she walked towards me to pass me. “Rabbit and carrots how ironic.”

I walked into the room she’d just come out off, the windows were about ten foot off the ground. A growl came from my chest, if she’d fallen I probably wouldn’t have found her for a while, I hate this room.

Over the large fireplace was a portrait, one she’d half uncovered and obviously decided to cover again, I could see my mother’s strained features staring down at me, the top of my head was visible close to her chin and beneath the white sheets I knew his face would be glaring smugly down at me.

Why couldn’t I be the one she’d left with her brother, why couldn’t I have been brought up far, far away from that man?  True I knew her, but I watched as she slowly reverted into a shell, I watched as he beat the life from her and this entire building.

“Murtagh, dinner’s ready.” Aénor’s voice broke my reverie; I shut my eyes and rubbed the dryness away as I turned towards her. “I’ve been calling you for five minutes are you okay?”

“Fine.” I stated walking towards her and swinging an arm over her shoulders. “I’m going to burn that painting though.”

“Just put it in the attic, it’s a fine piece of work despite the subject.” She said pursing her lips as we walked.

The kitchen looked new, it had been cleaned from top to bottom, I didn’t know we had a white sink, I thought it was cream. We sat down around the small table in the corner close to the oven keeping the chill away from us.

“Thanks.” I mumbled as I took a bite of the food on my plate, “It’s really good.”

“Only because you’re hungry.” She smirked, “I know you didn’t eat breakfast or lunch.”

I knew this was a good idea, not only is she no longer a servant at the prey of the two witches she worked with but I can keep an eye on her while she keeps an eye on me. I swear I’ve not wanted to get revenge on anyone in a while; she has this calming effect on me.

Aénor is definitely a good thing.