The Crimson Cape

Chapter One

Wedding bells are ringing and the village of Hollowdale came together to rejoice as they always did. Two of the most popular villagers were getting married after having spent their entire lives as best friends. The village lumberjack Tobias is getting married to Orfilia a seamstress that made clothing that was later enchanted to supposedly protect the wearer from the wolves. At the time of their wedding, Tobias and Orfilia were a relatively unwealthy couple, so they did not have the money to spend on a lavish wedding. So, the villagers came together and made sure that the couple's wedding day was one to remember despite their lack of money.

Vicar Jonathan officiated Tobias and Orfilia's wedding in Revelation Cave, where he would hold services each week on the Sabbath. Some non-religious villagers mockingly referred to the vicar as an antisocial caveman and someone who wanted to separate themselves from the rest of society. Despite being in a cave, the place of worship was not an abysmal place by any means. The vicar had spent some of his own money on well upholstered pews and seating. He always had a pot of flower tea brewing in the cave to help eradicate the musty odor that plagued the cave. Thanks to all the vicar's efforts, people felt very comfortable when they attended services in the cave on the Sabbath.

The evening of their wedding day, the entire village shared a feast together. Then, as with many marital traditions in the world, Tobias and Orfilia had one dance together with everyone watching them. As the daylight faded away, the villagers lit candles and started small fires to help light the moonlit forest floor. Hollowdale sparkled and shimmered as though the village itself were trying to join the wedding festivities.

The evening ended almost as quickly as it had begun and the villagers went home. Tobias and Orfilia made their way to Tobias's house where they would spend their first night together. When they arrived, the couple found a basket at the door from Orfilia's mother Esmerelda. The basket included a bottle of very fine wine, a jar of preserved sweet berries, and a Bible. Inside the Bible, Esmerelda had bookmarked many pages and included a scrap of paper with a verse from the bookmarked page. Tobias was not as interested in religion as Orfilia was so the Bible did not mean anything to him, but Orfilia was very moved by the verses that her mother had pointed out to her.

A few years later, the villagers came together to celebrate Tobias's birthday. Everyone brought gifts to present to Tobias to commemorate another year of life in the forest. These gifts ranged from precious stones, food items, drinks, and even short handwritten notes from the kids in the village. Orfilia, like all the others, had a very special gift for Tobias and she could not wait to give it to him. She decided that the best time for her to present her gift to Tobias was over a toast she had prepared for her husband.

"Thank you all for coming tonight." Orfilia began "I know that my husband is just the lumberjack and not the most sociable person in the village. It's hard to believe that when we were kids, Tobias was quite a playful and humorous little boy, always cracking jokes and doing stuff to try to get a laugh out of me. I only hope that one of my favorite things about Tobias as a boy will come back soon, so he can enjoy the gift I have for him."

A few days ago, Orfilia had a strange feeling in her stomach, so she visited the village surgeon. After an extensive examination, the surgeon sent Orfilia home with a letter. The surgeon had a lot of patients to see that day, so he could not deliver the results to Orfilia in person. The letter contained the results of the examination. When she got home, she read it to herself and decided to give it to Tobias on his birthday as a gift.

Orfilia handed Tobias the letter folded over. For some reason, Tobias was nervous o read the paper Orfilia had handed him. What could it be? Tobias nervously opened the letter and read it to himself. The letter read:

Mrs. Orfilia, after examining your body, hearing about your symptoms, and listening to your belly, I heard a second heartbeat. It is with great pleasure that I inform you that you and your husband, Tobias, are expecting your first child. Please see me again in a week or so.