Irle Knaufson gaped at the girl almost hidden in a balloon of skirts on the floor. Dropping the atlas on the couch, he strode quickly to her and dropped to his knees to put an ear just below her ribs to listen for her heart. Relievedly, the little organ still strove within her chest, though it beat so rapidly he was only half comforted. He let out a pent-up breath, and sat back to survey her. There was a fading mark that moved almost invisibly on the skin of her hand and arm, and probably stretched farther under her clothing. It was the work of the book, he knew.
I should have never let the fool keep it here! It has given me too many sleepless nights, and now this... Irle stood up to survey the volume apprehensively. It had returned to its normal state-- if you could call it that. Opening to the first page, he assured himself that the images were swirling in their usual patterns. He closed the book roughly, earning a groan from the girl. Irle's lips formed a stiff line as he turned and surveyed her.
She had a small mouth with pale, barely colored lips. A nose stood over them, straight and rather plain. Long, dark lashes lay against her pale freckled skin, covering great large gray eyes that had stared at him soulfully when she had spoken before. Dark hair was twisted and pinned in a knot, like any shopkeep's. Her neck joined her head with a flat chest, and she was most likely malnourished by the tightness of her jaw and the angle of her waist. Irle shifted her lightly and picked her up, carrying her to the couch. She weighed no more than a child--- though perhaps her eyes had betrayed him, and she really was a child.
He called André and had him fetch water for her.
•• •• ••
Thea woke up in a rather warm room, with beautiful cream decorations. She couldn't remember what had happened or how she had gotten here, but it certainly wasn't any place she was supposed to be. She sat up rather quickly to look around her, which earned a throb that reverberated between her temples. Squeezing her eyes shut and holding her breath, she sat still until the unpleasant ache left. Finally, she opened her eyes to examine the room around her. She looked straight up into a pair of clear blue eyes, and gave a little shriek. Flushing, she grabbed the sheets to hide her thin undergarments.
"Calm down, girl. I'll not harm you!" Irle Knaufson said softly, wrinkled brow smoothing and giving way to a pleasant expression, though if Thea had been older she might have been able to see the tense undercurrents.
"Where am I, Sir Knaufson? What happened?" Thea ventured, gaze in her lap as she fiddled with the blanket's fringe.
"You're in a room, in my house. You had a fainting spell that gave way to a fever, and I thought it best that you stay here until it passed. How do you feel?"
Thea swallowed, realizing her throat was quite dry. "I'm fine, I think. Thank you for your... hospitality." Thea slid to the side of the bed opposite the lord. "I should get back to Mr and Mrs Housen, though. How long have I been here?"
"No need, miss Sylvainde. I notified your apprenticers that they should not expect you until Monday morning. Until then, I feel responsible for your care. If you should relapse into fever while working, and brave through it- as I believe you would- I would be upset. Rest, please, I'll leave you be." Irle rose, and walked towards the door. "I'll send the head matron to speak with you. She will have a girl assigned as your handmaid until you leave us. The doctor was here while you were fevered, and will be here again this evening. Good afternoon." He bowed slightly, then slipped out the door quickly.
Thea piped up as he crossed the threshold with a timid "Good afternoon," and then was left in silence. Settling back on the covers, Thea looked around the room. She didn't feel ill, so perhaps she was alright enough to get up... She slid her feet to the ground, and her toes warmed as they touched down on a patch of sunlight on the dark wood floor. Looking around, Thea attempted to identify the variety of furniture. There were two chairs of particular style that she was not acquainted with, a boudoir that befit a girl some years older than she, an armoire with lovely details in its panels, and a soft rug stretched in the center of the room.
A low book case lined the long outside wall of the room, and windows lined the space above it, letting golden sunlight stream through. The breathy rays created a dreamy impression as they highlighted swirling dust, and Thea felt as if she was in a fairytale. Taking a stride towards the bookcase, she knelt down to see what it contained. Only a few of the shelves- of random selection- had books, but they were excellent sounding titles. "Where the West Wind Blows", and "Ere my Journey Took Me". Thea examined the other shelves as well, which contained a collection of exotic items. Coral stood, like a little piece of a forest. A ship in a bottle was on display next to it. Thea scooted to the next shelf, admiring the next set of oddities. She began to feel very tired and her head felt heavy, so she climbed into the large comfortable bed again.
