The Weaver's Source

Chapter 70

Ana, as she had quietly said her name was, sat in the hall. She looked more exhausted than I had first seen her. The wrinkles her face looked deeper and the smudges under her eyes darker. When she smiled, her mouth barely moved, only the corners twitched into something of a smile but she constantly looked sorrowful with her doleful eyes staring blearily at the world.

I wanted to ask questions but not while the maids and couple of guards milled about. They had shouted at each at the mess and how it came to be but mostly they just cleared it up, thinking it to be a rusted bold or failing in the stone ceiling. I volunteered to sit with Ana while she recuperated, not that anyone cared. People seemed to ignore Ana and lost the sense of urgency when they realised she had nearly been the victim. It made me wonder.

Soon, Ana and I were alone. She still snuffled and stared at her bony fingers as she twiddled with the handkerchief I had managed to borrow from another servant.

"You're safe now." I murmured to her, briefly glancing at the ceiling and walls to double check the boy wasn't there. He had unnerved me. His appearance had change drastically to the last time I had seen him and I was very curious as to why.

"I'm not." Ana mumbled sorrowfully. "I'm going to die."

I paused, stroking her arm in soothing motions. "Why do you say that?"

"It's happened before. Things fall near me. Last time it happened Jen got killed." She buried her face in her thin rough hands. "It's vengeance I know it. I know it is."

My brow furrowed. "Vengeance for what?"

Ana stiffened, her eyes wide and her lips pressed tightly into a thin white line. "Nothing." She said a little too sharply and stood. "I must get back to work."

I couldn't let her go. She knew something. I had to know about the boy. "Let me help you."

Ana stopped and looked cautiously at me. "Why?"

"You look scared and others don't like to be near you. I can help you work and make sure no more accidents happen."

Hope glowed in her pale eyes. "You would keep an eye out for things that fall for me?"

I nodded and smiled. "I would."

Ana's mouth curled into a relieved grin and her eyes shined with appreciation. "Oh, you are good. No one has dared work with me or be near me. It would be nice to have company. It gets a bit lonely after a while."

I did as I promised and followed her as she continued with her cleaning. She didn't dare enter the room the myling had just tried to kill her in and ignored it all together, leaving everything she needed in there. I offered to go get the bucket but she just shook her head and wandered off down the hall. I followed curiously. She walked so timidly, as if she feared something was about to pounce at her any moment, and she was constantly wringing her hands with worry. It made me feel a little bad to only be with her for information.

I worked with her for only an hour. We scrubbed the stairs leading to the armoury, a great sweeping thing. Guards would come and go, stomping over our working and leaving clods of mud behind without a single care. I got a little irritated after the seventh time but Ana just continued working, humming quietly to herself. She paid no attention to the new muddy footprints that we had to clean again. She just got on with it.

Ana did speak to me a little, mostly when I prompted her with a question. She told me that she hadn't always lived in this city. She had been brought here by her father after their village had been raided by bandits and her mother killed. She had worked in the Lord Master's home ever since, cleaning since she was barely a woman. She had a single daughter, Emily, who was newlywed. I did notice her face seemed to shine with joy and pride when she spoke of Emily, but there was also a glint of worry, or fear. In the end, I decided not to press her about if she knew of a little boy who died recently and if she was involved. She had remained in a shaken state since the attack and she looked fragile and scared. A bit of me regretted it but I felt it was best to wait, gather her trust and get her to confide in me than bully it out of her.