Our second world- book one: Past beginnings

Chapter 9: Grace

I was lying on my bed in my room staring up at the ceiling. I could hear Haren in the hall shuffling around in his sleep. It was almost ten o'clock now, and I still couldn't sleep. Rolling over on my side, I squeezed my eyes shut and pulled my legs to my chest, searching for sleep. The harder I tried, the less tired I felt. Maybe it was my anxiety acting up again, but I would be awake until morning at this rate.

With a frustrated sigh, I folded up my blanket and quietly opened the door. Haren had decided to sleep in the middle of the hall, so I crept past him to the main room and sat in front of the massive stone dragon statue in the center of the room. I felt tiny next to it. Embarrassingly enough, I ended up falling asleep at the foot of that statue.

I woke up early the next morning to find that Haren had disappeared. He had thrown a blanket over me, and I found his pillow sitting outside my door when I walked back to my room. I folded up the blanket and put it in the larger of my two storage trunks along with the extra pillow. Once I was done tidying up my room, I changed into a sky blue sacred robe, as Clareya called it, with white clouds sewn on the hem. Unbraiding my hair, I used the same silver ribbon to tie it up in a messy half pony. Then I grabbed a bucket from the kitchen area along with a dry rag and walked out to the back of the shrine where a well sat along with a small garden. The day I moved in, Clareya helped me restore the once overgrown patch and now I grow my own vegetables.

After retrieving water from the well, I brought the heavy bucket into the main room of the shrine and started washing the floors. When I was done, I started on the statue. Once I was finished, I headed out front and dumped the leftover water out on the flowerbeds in front of the steps. Back inside, I lit one of the cherry-scented candles I'd bought from the most recent merchant caravan to pass by the town. With it, I sat down in front of the dragon statue with one of the herb books I'd gotten from said merchants.

Around what I believed to be noon, I started hearing shouts and grunts from outside. It sounded like a fight. Blowing out my candle, I set my book down and headed outside to investigate. What I found wasn't anywhere near what I expected.

Haren and Setosza were engaged in what looked to be a very heated sparring match. To me, it seemed incredibly one-sided in favor of Haren, though Setosza wasn't one to give up easily. I stood in the doorway watching them for a while before either of the two noticed me.

"Hi Grace, how are you?" Haren called, dodging around Setosza, who had swung at him.

"Good, having fun?" I replied.

Setosza grunted as he tried to block a blow from Haren that sent him tumbling to the ground gasping for breath.

"If the two of you are hungry, I could make you some lunch," I offered.

Haren nodded. Ducking under Setosza's swing from behind, he caught the wooden sword and pulled it from Setosza's hands, tossing both to the ground.

"Break time," he said.

The elf seemed a bit disappointed their match had been cut short, but he let out a small sigh and slumped down on the steps.

I went inside and threw together some sandwiches while I waited for a kettle of water to boil on the fire. When it was done, I threw in some tea leaves and spices and put both teapot and sandwiches on a wooden tray that I carried outside. I bowed to the dragon statue as I passed it on my way. Not that it mattered if I did or not, but I felt like it was the proper thing to do, so I did; I noticed Haren doing it too. Setting the tray down on the top step, I poured tea into cups for the three of us and sat down. Haren sat next to me and Setosza moved to the grass. The two of them ate quickly and hurried to continue their match from before.

I enjoyed my food more slowly. Savoring every bite and reveling in the warmth of the sun on my face. Spring was almost over, and from what I've been told by Clareya, it was already the first month of summer in this world. Apparently, the seasons in each world were different and didn't line up time-wise, though the years and months were the same lengths. Spring and fall were the shortest seasons and only lasted about two months each. Summer was three months and winter was five. It was a little weird that winter started so early, but I suppose I would have to get used to it.

Today there was hardly a cloud in the sky. A few birds soared overhead and a squirrel jumped across the trees. I had forgotten I left my hair mostly down until a cool breeze picked it up, bringing with it the scent of moist earth and pollen from the flowers below me. I finished the last of my tea and cleaned up the tray, setting it inside with the pile of dishes I still had to wash. I had some water left in the bucket I had used for the tea, so I brought it outside and poured what was left into my empty washbasin and started washing my dirty robes. Tying back my sleeves, I plunged my hands into the cold water that came up to my elbows with the addition of a second bucket full, shivering at its touch.

By dinner time the two boys had finished whatever it was they had been doing, and, though I had offered to let him stay, Setosza headed back to town. Haren decided to head home to have dinner with Tsukiyama, but promised to let them know I said hello.

"Looks like I'm alone for dinner tonight. Again," I muttered to myself." Oh well. Less work for me, I guess."

I decided to eat by the statue tonight. Having leftovers from lunch while a candle burned at my side. I blew it out before returning to my room for the night.

~

It rained. Not a light drizzle, but a full-on downpour. Water drenched the glass windows and the trees, whipped by howling winds scratched and clawed at the wooden walls that creaked loudly with every strong gust.

I hated the rain. Trying to block out the shrieking winds, I slid further under my covers with my hands over my ears. After a particularly loud boom of thunder scared me enough to jump out of bed, I curled up on the floor and tried my best to sleep.

I'm not sure when, but, somehow, I did manage to fall asleep. Though I didn't feel very well-rested. I woke to the drip-drip-drip of water falling from the roof. I was cold and sore from sleeping on the floor and my hair was a disheveled mess having come loose of the ribbon. Not bothering to change, I went out to the main room and brought in a bucket of rainwater from outside, then started washing the floors.

Taking a rest before starting on the statue, I pulled my kees up underneath me and tucked them under my skirt. Feeling a slight chill on my back, I looked over to see that the front door was wide open. I stood up and closed it. As I did, I could hear the wind picking up outside again and the sound of falling water got louder. I hurried to clean the dragon statue and poured out my bucket of water outside before closing all the doors. After checking that all the windows were shut and locked, I made my way back to my room. What I didn't realize was that my door was open though I had closed it when I left, and what was waiting for me made me scream.

AN:

I have been making major edits to this book and the others of the series. So far I have gotten up to this point. If you're reading for the first time, don't worry about it, if you're re-reading, note that some plot points are slightly different but no big changes have been made yet. Please continue to enjoy my book. I'll try to update at least three to four chapters a day.

Look forward to the next updates! or don't, it's up to you.

Was that sarcasm? I'll let you decide.