The First Book of Adeline: Freedom

Chapter 1: Adeline

As the sun began to set, Ophelia watched Isabel with concern. The blonde girl had still hardly said a thing since they'd had to leave their village, and Ophelia noted that while her friend never refused food, she did not seem particularly inclined to eat, either. Ophelia was afraid Isabel was always on the verge of giving up and letting herself die.

After living the last eight years since she'd been orphaned as Isabel's servant, Ophelia herself felt a little lost, a determination to keep the blonde girl alive her primary motivation. She hoped that whoever Isabel was trying to find in Luskra would be able to help more than she could.

Just before the sun sank below the horizon, the two girls saw a farmhouse not far away. Ophelia heaved a sigh of relief; she had been worried about whether or not they would be able to get food for the evening.

They walked up to the door, and after checking quickly with Isabel, Ophelia stepped up and knocked on the door. A rough voice yelled out, "What in the elements you want!?" The door flung open to reveal a large, unkempt man, his face flushed red. When he saw the two girls, however, his anger was swiftly replaced with a smile, revealing a row of sickening yellow teeth.

"Apologies. Some o' the boys around like to cause trouble; I thought you were some o' them."

Ophelia had to consciously restrain herself from stepping back in disgust; his breath was as bad as his smile implied, and his red shirt was covered with food stains. She noticed Isabel assess the man head to toe before she glanced at something behind him. Focusing on the immediate issue, Ophelia said, "We are trying to find lodging, and, if possible, some food for the night. We'll work for it, if we need to."

As she finished talking, she looked past the unkempt man to see a small slip of a young woman about Ophelia's age, her eyes widening before she ducked out of sight.

The big man beamed his yellow teeth at them. "Of course; I'll have my daughter take you to the loft, then bring a meal later. You can sleep comfortably there, and dinner'll be ready shortly." He turned half around and bellowed, "Adeline!"

The girl Ophelia had noticed before hurried forward, eyes fixed on the floor. She noticed the girl - apparently named Adeline - had dirty-blonde hair braided limply behind her neck.

The big man turned back to the traveling duo and explained, "My daughter, Adeline." Addressing his daughter, he said, "These girls are going to be sleeping in the loft. Would you lead them there for me?"

Ophelia could see the fear and despair that filled the girl's face, but she nodded. Ophelia shifted slightly, putting more of her weight on the balls of her feet in case she needed to react quickly.

Adeline led them outside and over to the barn. As they passed, Ophelia saw a collapsed chicken coop, a single chicken in the yard outside of it. The timid girl guiding them opened the door to the barn, and Ophelia peered in cautiously. The inside was surprisingly clean, contrasting the entire rest of the farm, with a single, aging dairy cow chewing hay in the last stall. Adeline reached up and grabbed a rope, pulling the ladder down and gesturing up. As she did so, her long sleeves slid up slightly, and Ophelia caught sight of a bruise on her wrist. Catching her looking, Adeline hurriedly pulled her sleeves down, eyes going back to the ground. Ophelia felt a surge of anger towards the disgusting man in the farmhouse, but kept it contained. There wasn't anything she could do about it right now.

Adeline turned to leave, when Isabel spoke up unexpectedly.

"Is it safe for us to stay here?"

Ophelia's eyes went wide; Isabel hadn't talked to anyone except her since Palreti, and even that was rare. Her surprise did not prevent her from noticing Adeline's face blanch, however, and the way the smaller girl's hands began shaking like leaves.