The Mechanic

Chapter 4

The woods were cold. I shivered against the cloak draped over my shoulders, wishing I had been smart enough to grab a thicker one. Brown was trembling beneath me and I wondered if it was right here in the woods that my Father had been...what? Robbed? Ambushed? Beaten? I had no idea what had happened to him and my heart was pounding faster with every step further into the forest. 

I glanced up at the trees trying not to think about the stories I had heard of the scavengers who lived in the forest. They were rumored to live up in the branches of trees, waiting for unsuspecting travelers before jumping down and robbing them of everything in their possession. Maybe that's what happened to Father, I thought and sighed, leaning against the back of the saddle, my eyes suddenly heavy with exhaustion. 

The moon cast weird shadows on the forest path ahead of me and I kept thinking that I saw wolves lurking in the corners of my vision before realizing that they were just fallen tree trunks that had been deformed by the dark. 

"How are you holding up, Brown?" I asked and the horse nickered in response, as if she understood. Her footsteps were growing slower and slower and I knew that I wasn't the only one getting tired. I pulled the lantern off from its hook on the saddle and scanned the surrounding area. And then I saw. 

I pulled back on Brown's reins more aggressively than needed and then hopped down to the snowy ground with the lantern swinging in my grasp. Footsteps dotted the snow beneath me and it wasn't long before I discerned three different sets of feet. Brown's hooves were criss crossing back and forth between two other sets of men's shoe prints. One of them had to have been Father's because they were roughly the same shape as the shoes he always wore. But the one thing that captured my attention was the small music box that Father had been tinkering with before leaving for the festival. I was just lowering myself to the ground to get a better look when I heard a sharp sound behind me and someone jumped out from the trees. I caught a glimpse of red hair before something heavy crashed into my skull. The world faded. 

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I blinked slowly and gave a little groan as pain came crashing back into me. I sat up and pressed my hand against my forehead, trying to get a grip on my surroundings. I was back in my flat with a blanket draped over me and sun shining down onto the floorboards. It had to at least be late morning. 

Groggily, I pulled myself out of the bed and stood up, trying to ignore the dizziness that enveloped me as I made my way toward the basin by my bed. I was about to lean forward when a shout sounded from downstairs and a knock echoed on the door. 

"I'll be right there!" I shouted and splashed some water into my face to wake myself up. What had happened last night? How had I ended up back in the flat? I shook my head and climbed down the ladder with heavy steps. 

I found Auden standing in a pile of fresh snow when I opened the door. His hand was raised as if he were going to knock again, but he lowered it at the sight of me. 

"Finally," he muttered, cracking a smile and then frowned with a new look of worry on his face. "What happened to your head?" He brushed his thumb gently against a cut on my forehead, which I hadn't even realized was there. 

"Ouch," I muttered and pushed his hand away. 

"Sorry. Where were you? I've been knocking for at least a good ten minutes." He tried to look me straight in the eyes but I looked down at my hands instead. 

"I was up in the flat and didn't hear you. Do you want to come in?" I said, suddenly realizing that he was still ankle-deep in the snow. 

"That would be nice." I smiled and stepped aside to let him in. He spun around the moment I shut the door. 

"Do you want to explain what's going on? First, you didn't answer the door because you slept in, which you never do. And then you have a cut on your forehead-"

"I don't want to talk about it," I interrupted. I barely had an idea what was going on and Auden wasn't helping me get a grip on my situation. A look of hurt flickered across his face but he quickly replaced it with a look of apology. 

"Right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't pry." He took a seat at one of the many desks in the workshop and looked up at one of the photographs on the wall. "How about you tell me about that guy instead?" 

I gave a small smile and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, suddenly realizing that I hadn't pinned it up yet. 

"Don't you remember learning about him in school? We talked about him for at least a week." 

"I was probably paying too much attention to you to notice anything," he said with a small smile. I blushed and looked down at my hands. 

"Auden, look. I'm sorry that I rejected you, but-" My eye suddenly caught sight of an object resting on the desk behind Auden and my heart froze in my chest. 

The music box was resting on top of a pile of parchment, as if it were just waiting for Father to pick it up and tinker with it some more. I lifted my hand toward the cut on my forehead, the flash of red hair crowding my vision once again. 

"Evie-" Auden started, a bemused look crossing his face. 

"You should go," I said suddenly and pulled him to his feet. 

"But I didn't even tell you what I came here to talk to you about!" he exclaimed and pulled his arm out from my grasp. 

"Auden, I don't want to talk about your proposal anymore," I said and tried to get him to move toward the door. 

"It's not about that! Here, just let me ask you something and then I'll be on my way. Deal?" My eyes flickered toward the music box, but I nodded in agreement. 

"Fine." 

"Alright. All I was wondering was if...if you wanted to go to that ball with me tonight. This isn't an attempt to get you to marry me. It's just a friend asking another friend to spend a fun night with him." He took me by the hand and looked at me, his brown eyes wide and pleading. 

I gave a small shrug and looked back over at the desk. "I'll think about it." 

He sighed and then cracked a smile. "Is that the only way you know how to answer a question? 'I"ll think about it?'" 

I rolled my eyes but allowed myself a smile. "I guess it is. Now, go off and do whatever it is you do in your free time. I'll come find you later with an answer."