Zenobia's Tale [Undergoing rewrite]

Part 6

The wagon stopped in front of what Zenobia assumed was the couple's home and she looked around once more, memorizing everything and everything she could. She did not know how long she would be living with them. She was almost positive that once they learned she didn't age like a normal child they would ask questions. At the moment Zenobia didn't care, she was simply happy to have a family again. This time a complete family, with a mother and a father. Aajay hopped down from the wagon and moved to help Ma'Riah down. After the woman was firmly on the ground he helped Zenobia down and looked at her. "Welcome to our home." He said softly looking up at the small house. Zenobia walked forward to explore it and smiled as Ma'Riah followed.

"We know it is small, but it is home. Aajay travels a lot over the border so we thought it better to live on the border." She explained holding the door open for the child. Zenobia looked around at the small kitchen area and a bedroom off to one side.

"It's small." She said scrunching her nose at the dust rather than the size.

"Aye, but we can always add another room," Aajay said walking in behind them. "We were going to add on for the baby, who not add to it now and give you a place to sleep." He said lifting her into his arms to tickle her. Zenobia screamed and laughed kicking her legs as she flailed around.

"Stop, Stop." She begged while she laughed, the man set her down and looked at his wife. 

"Ma'Riah go sleep woman, I shall keep an eye on the child until sun up." She nodded to the male and kissed the top of Zenobia's head before shuffling off towards the bed. "Zenobia, do you sleep at night at all?" he asked. She shook her head no and looked at the kitchen. "You only sleep during the day?" She nodded confirming his thoughts. "Do you play at night?" She shook her head and looked around some more. "IF you do not play, then what do you do to pass the time?" He asked her as he sat in a chair with a yawn.

"I like to learn. I watch the sky sometimes and talk to my mother." She admitted softly. "Sometimes I pretend I am a queen." She giggled and looked down. "I know I will never be one, but it is fun to pretend." The man smiled and patted his lap. Zenobia hesitantly moved to him and climbed onto his lap.

"When you grow up, one day you might just be a queen. For now can you settle for being my princess?" He asked her in a whisper. When she nodded enthusiastically he smiled. "It would have to be our secret. We wouldn't want the others to get jealous would we?" She shook her head and hugged him.

"I can really be your princess?" She asked looking at him "I won't tell anyone, but what if I do something you don't like?" She asked in a shaky whisper.

"What could you have done that we wouldn't have liked?" He asked hugging her softly.

"I started the fire..." She whispered.

"I am sure you did not mean to lassie. It was an accident, they happen for fewer reasons than monsters dear. All that matters now is that you are safe." He whispered into her hair before yawning.

"You should sleep. I can wake you before dawn." She nodded and looked at him with her dark green eyes. He shook his head and looked back at her with dark brown eyes.

"I would not want to leave you alone on your first night in a strange place." He whispered and looked around. "It can be very scary at night around here. even for a grown man."

"I won't be scared. If I am..I can wake you up. Your sleepy." She hopped down from his lap and tugged him towards his bed. Her eyes never leaving his, he nodded and yawned again before climbing into his bed next to his wife. Once Zenobia was satisfied he was asleep she slipped out of the small house and made her way through town. She would behave, she had made a promise and planned to keep it. Though the promise was more internal, she promised herself she would not harm the couple unless provoked. Then she would have no control over it, or so she hoped. Maybe she could control the hunger as she did earlier in the evening. As she roamed around the town she realized everyone was asleep, no one seemed to be arguing or worried about much of anything. The town was completely asleep. Maybe earlier in the evening would bring more people, at the moment it was well past midnight and she knew most people slept at this time. As she wandered around a shadow crossed over her startling her. A man stood in front of her wearing all black, his skin was just as pale as her own minus the slight blue tint she sometimes got when the cold set in.

"Why are you not in bed child?" The man spoke with an odd accent Zenobia had never heard before.

"It does not concern you as to why I am not in bed, Sir." She nearly snarled as she turned to move away only to find the man standing in front of her once more.

"I asked you a question that should be answered if you know what is good for you." The man spoke again, only this time Zenobia had enough of him and lunged at him losing her temper. The man nearly missed catching her and they both fell over into the grass surrounding the road. "Now I know why you roam so late. You are an abomination that deserves to be killed." He sneered. "Seeing as you are not MY creation, I cannot kill you. It is simply not done, I warn you, CHILD." He spat out the word that no longer applied to the age in which Zenobia was. "Do not be so rash when interacting with others of our kind, You may yet find someone less...understanding as me," the man stood and moved down the road making Zenobia yell after him.

"What exactly is our kind!?" When the man refused to answer she ran after him determined to make him talk. Only when she reached the end of the road she couldn't find him anywhere. With slumped shoulders, she slowly made her way back up the road towards town. By dawn, she had gone back to the small house and woken Aajay.

Weeks passed without another incident like that first night. She had met a few other children right before they had gone to bed but otherwise remained alone with the two that had taken her in. Every night she coaxed Aajay into bed with his wife, and every night she left the house to roam around and do as she pleased. She hunted when she had to and learned to keep herself well fed so she wouldn't attack anyone without cause. The longer she stayed the further along the pregnancy went. Zenobia had managed to learn she was in Scotland and now feared that when the baby came she would not be able to stay with her new family. They surely wouldn't want a child, not of their own watching over their child. So she began making plans to move on to another town. She just wasn't sure how to do so without hurting them. A fire perhaps? That would not work someone might try to save her if she didn't burn the whole town. She continued thinking and simply gave up the task for the time being, when the time came she would know what she would do.