Reader Inserts (Random One-Shots)

A Cumberbatched Fairytale (Part 2)

You were sweeping the floor in the store, it was late afternoon and the sun was beginning to beam down even more intensely than the past few days. Your shoulders were sore, hanging off the edge of a rooftop for a while before pulling yourself up seemed to have really worn them out more than usual. After the strange encounter last night you had followed a thief, whom managed to have a greater skill set then most in Lubos. You let out a sigh and continued to clean the dusty floors before moving behind the register when a woman entered the clerk’s shop. The blonde’s tunic recently washed and a bold purple color stood out from your rugged tan one. Hers’ seemed immaculate compared to the one around your body with numerous tears and patches. She was obviously a traveler, or something similar to that. Maybe an informant from the royal city? She walked along the isles, examining the various goods, and you noticed her unscathed sandals. Definitely a visitor from somewhere else, she also held herself with pride, oblivious to your stare. She searched through the spices, in jars atop the precarious shelves along the wall, her hands lingering before each container which held an item she fancied inside. It was then you noticed no mutilations on her palms, no marks of any kind upon her skin and it shone beautifully, virgin to the feeling of hurt. The shopkeeper’s wife wandered in, bringing out some fresh baked bread, traces of flour shown on her apron. She spotted the young woman and quickly walked over to her without hesitation. The shopkeeper’s wife was a woman that held herself above the rest of the town, knowing she held more money in the pockets of her beautiful clothing than anyone had seen in their lifetime.

            “Welcome, welcome! What are you in the need of today m’dear?” The shopkeeper’s wife asked her sparking conversation with the new patron. You tuned out their speech and returned to working behind the counter, bending down to wipe any sign of dirt from the inlaid shelving beneath the countertop. After a few minutes the older woman came around to the counter, to let the younger blonde pay for her items. “(Y/n) go to the back and fetch me a nice pomberry pastry will you?” You nodded silently and went into the back of the store, reaching the small kitchen area with a stone oven containing a roaring fire. On a table there were a few small ruby colored pastries and you could smell their sweet sent in the air. You quickly wiped the drool beginning to form in the corners of your mouth and grabbed one of them heading back to the main shop. “Thank you m’dear.” The shop keeper’s wife told you quickly grabbing the delectable pastry from your callused hands and offering it to the young blonde. You went back to your work, dusting around the spice vessels and making sure they shown sparkling and uncontaminated by the world around them. The young woman left with many thanks, receiving the food without payment for it. You frowned wondering why she had received such special treatment but ignored the jealousy in your mind and returned to your duties. The little bronze bell rang as the wooden door opened to the shop as another customer entered. You didn’t bother to turn to look at whom had walked in, you were almost done with work and able to make your way home to Aneta and Lina. You were working further inside the shop and couldn’t hear more than murmuring of the conversation that was ensuing by the counter.

            “(Y/n)!” You heard the shopkeeper’s wife call, causing you to abruptly stop what you were doing and scamper to the front of the store.

            “Yes?” You inquired politely before turning the corner leading you to the main entrance, both the customer and shop keeper’s wife coming into view. You nearly dropped the battered pail in your hand that held dirt filled water when you saw the man’s face. His uniform draped over his tall figure disproportionately and his fiery hair stood out from the rest of the people you’d seen in life. His cheekbones sharp and distinguished, eyes a neutral grey obtaining the colors of his surroundings, it was the same soldier from last night. You quickly snapped out of gazing and put the pail away behind the counter reaching the shopkeeper’s wife’s side and bowing as if she owned you.

            “You know how to read?” She asked impatiently, not wanting to deal with your presence.

            “Yes, I do.” You replied quickly nodding.

            “Find this young man the correct book he’s looking for.” She commanded and then retreated to go pull her baked goods out of the wood fired oven.

            “Please follow me, sir.” You told him quietly leading him to the area that held the scrolls and leather-bound books before he could reply. “What book are you searching for?”

            “The Account of Guðleifr, it could also be called The Legend of Gleb.” He replied also examining the array of books for the title. You went through each title and after a few minutes of searching found it, pulling a well-worn epic from the shelves. You wiped the speckles of dust it had collected, and the gold ornamented letters shown over the brown cover, The Account of Guðleifr. Just the feel of the story intrigued you, and you hoped that you could find time to borrow and read the tale.

            “Here you go sir, do you wish to keep it or bring it back another time?” You questioned quickly making your way back to the counter where all items were sold.

            “I’ll return it in a few weeks, if that’s alright.” His deep voice asked, and you nodded pulling the box that held the shop’s coins from beneath the counter, causing you to flinch when the weight tugged on your shoulders. Almost dropping the container and letting a sharp look of pain show on your facial features in a flash. “You feeling okay?” He asked a little panicked, leaning forward and hesitating to place a hand on the box to remove it from your grasp. You quickly pull yourself together and muster up enough muscle to lift it onto the counter. In the soldiers eyes you must have looked like a weak and feeble young woman, unable to do such daunting tasks because of your fragility, which caused you to harshly look away.

            “I’m fine.” You mumbled quietly through closed teeth, your shoulders felt as if they’d been torn in two, especially the one on your right side. You had gotten a gnarly gash when on one of your first patrols in the right shoulder from an assailant’s sharp knife and it never entirely healed. You turned around grabbing a scrap note to write the amount he owed, and then had fully composed yourself by the time you turned and were under his gaze again. “For renting the book you owe 75 Vaclavi.” You told him as he pulled a pouch from inside his coats pocket, to your surprise it was a velvet like material and had a fine black rope tying it together. Your mind quickly realized he must have come from the royal city and entered the army to honor his family’s name. Yet why would a soldier from the royal city be sent here to Lubos?

            “Here you are, (y/n)…was it?” The young man questioned handing a pile of the coins into your palm before you swiftly set it inside the container. You looked up at him confused to why he had remembered your name, no one ever cared about the young woman that worked for rations.

            “Yes.” You replied hesitantly and he grabbed the book from the counter and smiled. His teeth shown a bright pearly white, he definitely had to have come from a rich family.

            “It’s nice meeting you, I’m Benedict.” He told you stepping out the door. Of course he didn’t realize it, but you already knew his name. Benedict; the reading, kind-hearted, warrior.

            That night you returned home, feeding Aneta and Lina after talking about writing. Tucking Aneta in she smiled brightly at you, and you snuggled her tickling her sides a little. Looking up at the rickety ceiling she held your hand and then turned looking into your eyes.

“When I grow up I want to be a big sis just like you.” She said happily and then curled into a sleeping position. Aneta’s hope cheered you up but also brought you down. Mother and father were dead, and she would have to raise her own child, assuming we all made it out of this hellish war.

You couldn’t go out tonight and patrol, you hated not being able to but it was for the better. Lina tended to your shoulders, wrapping the one on your right side with bandages to help keep it from moving too much. The pain caused you to shudder, you had pushed your body to much, the lack of necessary nutrients and the overwhelming amount of physical activity was taking its toll. If only there wasn’t such a horrid war…