Beyond Scarfold [discontinued]

(2) History's Gaps

~ For my dearest sister Annabelle, who is not yet old enough to read this story and won't be for a while. ~

Chapter Two ~ History's Gaps

I awoke in a soft bed. The material was silky, but it could have been as rough as canvas and I wouldn’t have cared.

I silently surveyed the room I was in. It was very plain, with a single window, desk, chair, and bed. A side table stood next to the bed to my right, where a glass of water stood. I closed my eyes and relaxed into the bed.

How did I get here? What… oh. Milborrow was dead. I must have fainted when I got into The Drunken Bear. I rolled over slightly and grabbed the glass of water, draining it in seconds.

My throat still felt sore, but there wasn’t much I could do about that. I stared at the ceiling. A few minutes later, I heard the door open quietly.

“Oh, Dri. You’re awake. How are you feeling, dear?”

From her voice I knew it was Jones’ wife, Henrietta.

“Not good,” my voice sounded scratchy.

“Oh, are you hurt?” I heard Henrietta rush over to the bed I was laying on. “I checked for wounds yesterday, but I didn’t find any… Oh, you were covered in so much blood, we had thought you…” she shut her mouth, realizing she was ranting on.

“I’m not hurt physically,” I continued to look blankly ahead.

“Oh, sweetie, I’m so sorry… I know he was like a father to you.”

I turned my head to look at her, a single tear escaping.

“Henrietta, I feel so guilty,” I whispered. “I was at magic lessons for the whole month; I wasn’t able to speak with him once the whole time.”

Her eyes filled with sadness. “Everything will be alright, Dri.” She hugged me tightly.

I wept in her arms, not caring to hold it in anymore.

She held me like that for a long time, before I was calm enough to stop crying. She pulled away slowly.

“Come now, Dri,” she straightened up. “Let’s get you cleaned up and into more fitting clothes.”

That’s when I realized I was wearing a long night gown of Henrietta’s instead of the clothes I had been wearing last night.

“I tried to wash the blood out of your clothes, but the only thing that ended up coming out alright was your jacket,” Henrietta said apologetically, as if seeing the question in my eyes. “You wouldn’t believe my shock finding that knife in there! I almost severed my finger off,” she laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

I forced a smile, getting out of bed. I followed Henrietta down the hallway and into a small bathroom where we proceeded to wash the grime from my hair and body.

“Wait in here, honey. The inn opened about an hour ago – we wouldn’t wan’t you walking around indecent.  I’m going to see if Jones brought your clothes yet.”

I looked at her in confusion as she exited the bathroom. Did she mean that Jones actually went to my house…? I waited patiently for Henrietta to return.

There was a knock on the door.

“Who is it?” I asked cautiously.

“It’s me, Henrietta, dear.”

I open the door and let her in, closing it behind her.

“Here, you go. These are some clothes Jones managed to find for you,” Henrietta smiled, handing me a wad of clothing.