The Fog of Airyll COMPLETE

Chapter 4

After everything was solved, she'd come back. She could even bring them a little something, a gift to thank for their care. And maybe... 

Maybe if she didn't have a family, she could live here. She'd like helping out at the farm, even if the idea of working so closely with Fox made her a little... excited? Anxious? 

"So... you're makin' your big run for it?"

She squeaked, jumping away from the bed as if making it was a crime. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself down - really, she shouldn't be surprised to find Fox leaning against her door, a half bit apple in hand, watching her movements with clear interest.

"What do you mean?" she wondered and watched as the boy gave another bite into the apple and chewed slowly before answering.

"You changed your bed covers. Put back your ol' clothes. All 'polite guest' like." He shrugged, glancing at the apple thoughtfully. "No' so hard to guess. 'Sides, you've been with a foot outta door since the day you first woke up over 'ere."

Taking another deep breath, Nephelle started counting backward from ten to zero. Fox wasn't trapping her, he was just stating facts. But, to be fair, how perceptive could a boy be?

Moving back towards the bed, she started focusing on making the bed.  "It's time. I'm extremely grateful to your family for all your care, but it's time for me to go home."

"Oh?" Fox asked, giving another bite into the apple as he leaned against the door jamb. "And where is it?" When she didn't answer, he specified. "Your home?" Watching as she studiously didn't face him, busying herself with tidying up the room, Fox sighed. "Fine, you're not goin' to talk 'bout it. Then what happened to you? Mabel said you were already hurt when she met you. When you saved her life – she said you looked like you were about to die out there."

Staying silent, Nephelle kept straightening out imaginary crinkles on her bed sheet. She was so distraught that she didn't notice Fox had moved away from the door until he held her by the arm.

"What do you think you are doing?" She asked, even as a thousand different ideas for freeing herself from his hold appeared in her mind.

Still, she didn't act on any of them.

"You're welcome 'ere." His voice was quiet, little louder than a whisper, and she had to incline her head closer to his lips to be able to hear it. "We're no' rich, as you can see, but we're no' poor either. You can find work with Mabel, at the Inn, or you can help me and Da at the farm. It's hard work, but you'll like it."

"Thank you." Nephelle found herself answering, looking away from him. "But I need to go."

"Are you married? With children?" He asked, and Nephelle found herself lifting her head to meet his gaze for the first time since he had appeared at the door. "I don't think so, but if you are..."

She didn't know. She didn't know if she was married, if she had family... Dear lady, she hadn't even known how she looked like until a couple of days ago!

It had been a strange experience, staring at herself in the mirror and trying to discover something, to remember something about her own appearance. 

How scary, she'd pondered as she ran a brush through her hair, to look at herself in the mirror and see a stranger staring back?

And still, no matter how long she brushed her black hair or stared into her dark brown eyes, she still saw a stranger staring back.  

"How... how can you say I don't?" Her voice was little more than a whisper, but Fox apparently heard her anyway.

"You don't look much older than Mabel and she's fifteen..."