Unfazed

Chapter Eleven

Catherine was given a black colored cloak, not white like the one she saw in her mother's portrait, she felt a little disappointed. Catherine had imagined herself in that white cloak, resembling her mother. But much to her dismay the cloak she had to wear was  black. Catherine thought if black color held any significance in this world. Just like everyone else, she was given black boots too. 

Catherine tied up her hairs back in a bun. Underneath the cloak she was given a black tank top and black leggings. Once she was dressed she neatly folded her old clothes and placed them on the side -table of the bed. Catherine was told that she can stay in the guest room and Noah is given another room to stay. She wondered if all of the kids she had seen ever since she stepped in this manor, each had their separate rooms. Catherine's foot wasn't hurting anymore. The sting that she felt in her foot while walking had disappear.

Catherine left the room only to meet Theo standing outside and waiting patiently for her. " I will take you to the mess-", Theo said, " you must be hungry."

"Yeah", Catherine replied. She was hungry indeed, it was evening and she hadn't eaten anything in last eight or nine hours, Catherine thought. She realized she did not know what time it was, or even what year it was. Do these people follow the same calendar as we do? Catherine's mind was abode for proliferating questions, to which she did not know how to seek an answer.  

Catherine and Theo were sitting at the last table in the mess, both had their food in the trays placed in front of them. Catherine realized the food here wasn't anything like what she used to eat back at home. These people are very simple food, some raw vegetables and some cooked vegetables were served. Nothing fancy. Catherine picked up the spoon and started eating the cooked peas first.

"Where is Noah?", Catherine asked Theo, "-Grace said you'd accompany us both", she pointed out.

"Don't worry, Cyndi will bring him to the mess", Theo replied after swallowing the food in his mouth.

Catherine saw children of all ages in the mess, there were teenagers , the children who were hardly ten years old and then there were adults who were in their early twenties as Catherine guessed.

"So, how did you cross the portal?", Theo asked, while fiddling with the food on his plate.

"What portal?", Catherine replied, and went back to eating her food again. Catherine wished Noah was here, he'd be able to handle these questions, she thought. Even Catherine did not know the answer to this. How and more importantly why?

But Catherine knew the answer to this. Ever since she saw Lorelai's portrait in the "study room", as Theo put it, she was sure that these people knew her mother.

"Do you seriously think you can fool everybody?", Theo scorned.

Catherine furtively avoided replying and kept eating with a straight face. Catherine sensed resentment in his voice. Catherine evaded Theo's gaze, which, she could feel penetrating through the side of her skull. Catherine gulped in fright. She filled her spoon with the vegetables on her plate and stuffed it in her mouth.

Theo stopped staring at Catherine and started eating his meal. For a while they both ate in silence, the sound of children laughing in the mess and playing with each other while eating food were filled in the room.

"Oh god, that boy is really dumb", a girl said while she placed her tray on the table where Catherine and Theo were sitting. She was wearing a black blouse and tight black skirt which ended just above her knee. The high waist skirt hugged her curves perfectly, where Catherine noticed, she was also wearing a golden and black belt. She was wearing a black colored cloak and boots, just like everybody else.

As she sat down on the table Catherine noticed she was wearing a red colored lipstick. She looked very beautiful, Catherine thought, her straight , black hairs were sleekly combed back into a ponytail and her flawless skin gleaming like gold.

Catherine looked at the girl now sitting across them on the table, and then towards Theo, waiting for his reaction. Theo gave a fleeting lopsided smirk. 

"She is the one?", the girl asked, looking at Theo while pouring some sherbet in her glass from the jar placed on the table. 

Theo nodded in response, concentrating on his meal, not looking at the girl. "Hello, I am Cyndi. I am an Aduiva" , the girl said, while a lip curved upwards and a small smile played on her lips. 

"She doesn't know what that means.", Theo responded, as if in reflex, Cyndi's lips parted in epiphany and then she pursed her lips tightly and started eating her meal. Catherine wanted to say that she does know who are the Aduivas, but that was really all she knew. That Aduivas are the healers, they were the doctors in this world. Looking at Theo, she knew that he isn't buying her lie either. So, Catherine decided it will the best if she doesn't talk about it at all.

"Cathy!", Noah exclaimed in relief. Catherine saw him sprinting towards their table with a plate full of meal in his hand. He was wearing a black cloak, just like Cyndi's. A feeling of warmth and cordialness filled in Catherine's heart. In a long time someone had addressed her as Cathy. Only the people close to her had called her by this name. Noah reached the table and sat next to Cyndi, Catherine noticed her rolling her eyes at Noah and then going back to eating her meal. 

"So, why had Grace called you?", Noah asked, whispering while looking at his meal on the plate, so that no one would suspect he is talking to Catherine "Nothing, she just wanted me to know that we shouldn't be afraid", Catherine replied. Noah scoffed, "Yeah right. Afraid", he said. 

"Professor Grace is correct.", Theo replied with a straight face, his jaw clenched, he did nothing to hide the fact that he was vexed. Catherine and Noah's eyes widened in trepidation. They thought they were muttering in low enough tone as to evade anyone else from listening. 

"If you two want to stay alive,", Theo said while raising his conspicuous eyebrows and looking at Catherine and Noah, "you should tell Professor Grace the truth, and anyway, she knows it. You just have to corroborate to it."

Theo stood up with the now empty plate in his hand and walked off. "Don't mind him.", Cyndi said. "He is irascible, kind of"

"Hey guys!", a voice said, unlike Theo's, this voice was happy and excited. Catherine's gaze  went from Cyndi to the boy who was now sitting next to Catherine. Noah and Catherine narrowed their eyebrows at the sight of the boy. 

"Theo?", Catherine said, puzzled. She had just seen Theo exit the mess. "No, I am James.", the boy smiled, an austerely unfeigned smile. "I am his twin", he finished. 

"Ohhh", Noah replied as he comprehended the information. 

"Although I am an Agero and he is Cautela", James added. 

"They do not know what that means", Cyndi said, mimicking the words Theo had said earlier. "Really?", James replied quizzically, gazing towards Catherine and Noah, and then letting out a laugh. 

"Umm, actually we do", replied Noah in confidence. Cyndi smirked in response. "Do you really?", she replied, trying to mock Noah.

"Uh, yeah. Ageros are the farmers and Cautelas are the soldiers", Noah replied calmly, as if stating a banal fact, a satisfactory smile played on his lips when he saw nonplussed expression playing on Cyndi's face.

"H-how do you know that?", Cyndi asked, Noah was about to open his mouth to say something when Catherine stepped on his foot with force under the table. Noah gasped in pain and placed his fist in front of his lips to keep himself from crying in pain. Cyndi looked and Catherine intriguingly but Catherine just shrugged. 

Cyndi and James looked Noah dubiously and then at each other in disbelief.