Awaken

Chapter Five

Safe.

Liam's note was a comfort the next morning. Addy would see him today too. A promise that at least one person would be glad to see her.

She took care when she dressed that morning, taking care to brush the knots out of her curly black hair before she braided it fishtail style over her shoulder. She tied the end with a bit of blue ribbon to match her best dress which was a paler shade of blue.

Addy checked her reflection in the mirror. The blue was bright against her deep brown skin and her hairstyle gave her a practical, yet soft look overall. To polish herself even more, she wore her only necklace. A dented gold locket that had been her mother's.

All in all, she looked lovely-a thing she had to be in her situation. To look unkempt, to have a sharp tongue was not an option. To be too loud or too quiet was cause for more whispers about her. Every mistake was another thing the town would hold over her head if she wasn't careful.

The unfairness of it was a bitter taste to swallow, but Addy learned long ago she couldn't change it. She could only accept it and cope with the reality of what it meant for her.  It was what drove her now. They might never accept her, but she wasn't going to give them an excuse to make her leave. This was her home just as much as theirs.

Addy finished getting ready and made her way back upstairs. Philippa was ready to go though unlike Addy, she was far more unkempt. Her puffs were messy, half falling out and there was a smear of what looked like dirt on her face.

"Come," her teacher ordered. "The wagon's already hitched."

Outside, the air was cool but warming with every passing second. Dew covered grass brushed the hem of Addy's dress as she walked. She approached the wagon where their old mare was hitched and waiting.

"Morning Bunny," Addy said, petting the creature's soft muzzle. Behind her, Phillpa scoffed.

"It's a mare-you're better off calling it that."

"Mare isn't a name," Addy replied. "Got to call her something don't I?"

Phillpa grumbled about today's youth being ridiculous as she climbed into the wagon. Addy clambered up as well and with a snap of the reins, they were off.

There was no talk as they went. Phillipa wasn't one for conversation and though lonely, Addy preferred it. Silence was better than forced pleasantries.

Instead, she focused on their surroundings. The gray and red  squirrels that chittered as they leapt through the trees. The birds that filled the air with song. The different trees that cast shadows on the ground as the sun rose. The subtle changes in the landscape as they neared closer and closer to the village.

Finally, buildings came into view. Squat, houses made of wood that had grayed with age and wear, all packed tightly together and slightly crooked, as though a child had set up the city design.

As the houses faded from view, there came the main square; a U-shaped collage of buildings that were just as gray as the others, but slightly taller and wider. Six in total; a carpenter, a general store, a blacksmith, a butcher as well as an inn and pub.

Addy knew them all on sight and on this day, each was a bustle of activity.

People crowded the street, men, women and children all talking and laughing, darting in and out of shops. Addy knew this practice as well; reserving items for after they'd been paid for their own wares from the traders.

Their village was small, goods were in short supply and with the vampire scourge, no one dared travel far, lest they be caught out of doors at night. Such trips happened of course, but they were rare. Only twice a month here.