Glass Crest

Chapter 3: Planning | Ashen

In lower Vale, the guards were definitely more strict than anywhere else in Umica.

"Please," I said, following the guard around the side of the tavern. "Just tell me who Damon Frost was and where he was last seen."

The guard turned around one final time. "I said, I know who you are, and I know what you're planning on doing when you find him. You're that kid from the burnt-down house. And you'll be a murderer."

And in one swift movement, he turned to go back inside the tavern.

Since the fire I'd already bought another house, even though it was tiny and squished next to two huge houses. I was pretty sure it was meant to be a servant house, though it was rat-infested and stank of sewage. I continued with my old job, at the tavern. My life was moving on. Without mom.

I sat down sighing on the pavement, head in my hands. No one would tell me anything. I'd just have to find him on my own.

Or with help.

I stood up and made my way more to the coast of Vale, to the one friend I had. Carefully I knocked on her wooden door. A grey-haired, warm-eyed older woman answered the door. 

"Ashen!" She said, then took me in for a hug. "Oh, I heard about the fire. That―that was your house, wasn't it?"

"Yes," I said coldly. "Mrs. Whitley, where's Nadine?"

"Oh, right this way." She said, leading me into her home. "Are you alright? Do you need anything?"

"Mom's dead."

She stopped. Then she slowly turned around to face me. "Georgia―I mean, your mom is . . . dead?"

"It was the fire." I said, trying to keep the pain out of my voice. She slowly sat down and put her head in her hands. After about a minute of just sitting there, she was brought back down to earth and remembered me, saying finally, "Nadine's upstairs."

I walked carefully upstairs to find a young girl, fifteen, one year younger than me, asleep in her bed. I carefully shook her awake, and her blue eyes fluttered open. Instantly she backed away, scared at first, but then she realized who it was. "Ash!" She said, slapping my arm.

"Hey," I said laughing a little. She sat up cross-legged and looked at me sideways, her white blouse and light brown homespun skirt falling down her body, and her matching dirty blonde hair flowing down in front of her face. "Something's wrong. Ashen?"

I sat down next to her, looking out the window. "My mom's dead. My house burned down." It had become a routine; a normal thing to say. It didn't make the pain any easier to cope with.

She put a delicate arm on my shoulder. "Ash, I'm―I'm so sorry."

I explained my situation, struggling to hold back the tears. After I had said everything, it was her turn to talk.

"Well, you're always welcome here. I mean . . . . we have an extra room."

"Thanks, but I already bought a house. In the middle of the night." I laughed a little, kind of sadly.

"Heh, imagine how that must have seemed to the guy you're buying the house from. That must have been witty."

"Just let his imagination run wild."

We laughed over that for a bit. Then I looked at her, my smile fading. "I have to go. I have a lot of things I need to get done." I said, standing up.

"But―you said you don't work today." Nadine said, confused.

"Yeah, other things."

She was like a mind-reader. "You're angry. Don't go do something stupid."