Every Little Memory

Entry #32: Fuchsia

Kaiya is in the same exact spot as she was in the last memory: sprawled out on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her cloak is spread out around her, allowing me to see her tattered clothes. Her feet are bare and covered in dirt, probably from traveling. She lies there for a while, as still as can be. The only movement is the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathes.

Does she feel overwhelmed by all that’s happened? I bet she’s feeling the weight of…responsibility. Now, she has to behave herself, obey, and do her work. These are all things I know Kaiya will struggle with, since she has such a free spirit. How long will she last here?

Before I can dwell on it more, I hear footsteps outside the front door followed by the jingle of keys on a ring. Kaiya shoots into an upright position, amber eyes trained on the door. Whoever it is fits a key into the door and jimmies the lock. It clicks into the unlocked position and the doorknob twists as the door opens.

A young woman steps inside, carrying a tray containing a bowl of steaming soup and two pieces of bread. She can’t be much older than Kaiya, with a gentle, pretty face and soft, pale blue eyes. Shaggy black hair falls to her thin shoulders, covering up her very human-like rounded ears. Kaiya stares at her with an empty expression, sniffing the air with that sharp nose of hers.

“Who are you?” Kaiya says, sounding a bit suspicious.

The woman shuts the door behind her and locks it, setting the key down on the table. “My name is Fuchsia.” Her voice is very melodious and soft to match her gentle disposition. “I was told to bring you dinner.”

Kaiya’s eyes light up at the mention of food, eying the tray in Fuchsia’s hands. It’s as if she is a young pup begging her master for some of his meal. If she were in wolf form, I’m sure her tail would be wagging a mile a minute. Fuchsia laughs and holds out the tray to her, which Kaiya grabs quickly. She begins to scarf down her piece of bread, but then pauses, staring at it. I think she remembers what Iza told her about expectations, because she continues to eat at a much slower pace. She stares at Fuchsia with a shameful, apologetic expression for a second before starting on her soup.

“You must have been hungry,” Fuchsia says between giggles. Kaiya nods, swallowing a spoonful of soup. She grimaces after eating it, her face showing disgust. I know why. There’s no meat in the soup; instead, there is plenty of hearty vegetables and noodles. It’s probably all good, but Kaiya is a wolf at heart, and her inner beast likes to dig in to flesh and meat. She doesn’t complain though. It’s the biggest meal she’s had in a while, so she continues, attempting to disregard the taste.

“So you must be the wolf everyone’s been talking about,” Fuchsia says, starting up some conversation. Kaiya sets her spoon down and gives her a blank stare.

“People have been talking about me?”

“Oh yes. There have been rumors flying around for days about how Lord Kain found a lupine. There’s been a lot of speculation about you.”

“Wait, so that’s why Kain went sniffing around in my forest?”

Fuchsia nods. “Yes. He spent a while out there observing you, to see if you were really as powerful as the rumors claim. You know, lupines are supposed to be extremely strong and powerful. Every noble in Talyyn would kill to have you as their ally. You’re lucky you ended up here and not in some other hold. Things are a lot stricter elsewhere.”

Kaiya remains still for a moment, as if she were processing what Fuchsia just told her. After some silence, she responds, “People in Talyyn hate my kind because we refused to leave Fen. We’re like…traitors to them. So now, all of a sudden, they want me back?”

“Essentially, yes. They never realized you were so strong until most of you were…you know…killed off…” She says that last part softly and with hesitation, as if she were afraid of offending Kaiya.

Kaiya looks down at her soup. “Oh. You know, I feel kinda…used...now…”

“Hey, don’t worry. It’s not so bad here. Lord Kain makes sure to take good care of us. We get fed well, the bath is always clean, we get time off to do what we want, it’s nice.”

“But the only reason I’m here is because he needs someone strong, like me.”

“No no! You haven’t met all the people here yet. Most of us come from harsh, sad backgrounds. I used to be a street urchin in Nocturnal. People didn’t treat me well there, and I have the scars and bruises to prove it. Lord Kain was there on business and happened to notice me, and he took me in. There are a lot of other people here with stories like that. Trust me. He isn’t some cold hearted fiend, you know.”

“Huh. Yeah right,” Kaiya mutters. Is she still holding her mother’s death against him? He was the catalyst for it, but not the one who committed the crime. Will she ever see that?

“You don’t believe me. Why?”

“It’s just…well…I-I don’t want to talk about it.”

“He didn’t do something bad to you, did he?”

“What? No! Um…you see…when he came to the forest, some…church goons followed him…”

“Oooh, I get it. You’re mad at him for that, right?”

“Y-yeah. “ Fuchsia doesn’t pry any further.

“Just, be careful here. Do as your told, behave, and you’ll do fine. Lord Kain gets kinda…angry…when things go wrong. He has a pretty bad temper. Iza likes to punish people who disobey orders too. So please, try not to get into any trouble.”

A mischievous grin spreads onto Kaiya’s face. “I can’t promise that,” she says with a chuckle.

With a sigh, Fuchsia responds, “Well, I warned you. So, what’s your name, anyway?”

“Kaiya. Just Kaiya.” Her smile fades away as quickly as it came.

“Well then, nice to meet you, Kaiya.” Fuchsia tosses her cloak into the chest at the end of the bed. Right, there are two beds here, so she must be the room’s other occupant.

“You’re the other person who lives here?” Her comment is less of a question and more of a statement. Fuchsia nods in response and sprawls out on the other bed.

“You must be good at guessing, because you picked the right side of the room. This is my side and that’s yours. I’ve been here by myself for a while, so it’ll be good to have someone to talk to. That is, if you’re willing.”

Kaiya spoons the last of her soup into her mouth, finishing off her meal. “Sure. You seem alright.”

Fuchsia laughs. “You seem alright too."

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A/N: So, obviously the reference to the theme is Fuchsia's name. I wanted her name to be something pretty, so when I saw this theme, I had one of those "Eureka!!" moments. XD

Comments? Predictions? I'd love to hear them!