I wake up, hot and slightly sweaty.
Sunlight streams in through the window, hitting the familiar bed that I'm lying on. My great-uncle, known as Uncle Fred to my sister and I, must have brought me inside yesterday.
I'm still wearing all my traveling clothes, each carefully picked out by Maud for long cold nights out in the open, not warm sheltered ones. I peel off a layer of clothing and immediately feel a lot cooler. My lips are still dry however, so I leave the small bedroom and emerge into the main room of the cottage; the living space.
Everything is just as I remembered.
A fireplace is situated in the centre of the back wall with a vast array of utensils and herb bundles hung up above it. A large wooden table lies to the side and a couple of wooden cupboards on the other.
Uncle Fred is nowhere to be seen. He's likely to be out in the fields and will be back shortly. In the meantime, I go over to the blackened pot wedged over the fireplace and take a peek inside.
Water.
Hallelujah! I open the cupboard beside the fireplace, quickly finding a row of cups lying neatly on one shelf. I pick one up and scoop it into the pot, filling it to the brim with water.
I raise the cup to my lips and find the temperature slightly warm; most likely it was boiled recently. Perfect. Getting sick from bad water whilst on the run would not be ideal.
As I'm sipping on the water, I suddenly hear horses neighing from just outside the house. Alarm floods through me. Have I been found? And like any other rational human would, I dash back into the bedroom and dive under the bed.
For a few, far too long, seconds I can hear only my heart thumping in my ears. I know the chances of it being knights looking for me here so soon are pretty slim, especially after I witnessed two of them turn around last night because they thought I wouldn't get this far. Additionally to this, Mother also had a huge argument with her uncle last time we were here many years ago, and we haven't been back since so my parents may possible assume that I'd forgotten about Uncle Fred entirely. But still there is a what if, lingering in my head. It could be them.
A creak alerts me to the front door opening into the main room. I strain my ears to catch any words that could lead to information about who's here.
"One of Billy's legs is lame. He was limping slightly while I was doing the morning rounds." A young male voice says which I don't recognise.
"That's unfortunate. I'll take a look at him after we've cleaned out River and Daffy's shoes." I identify this speaker as Uncle Fred and let out the breath I'm holding.
I inwardly groan at my paranoia. No knights are currently about to drag me back to Lord Golding.
"Do you think Novella's awake yet?" I hear the stranger ask.
"I shall go check on her. She looked so exhausted yesterday so I'll be surprised if she is."
I start crawling back out from under the bed, not wanting to be caught hiding like a fool.
I'm too late. The door opens and Uncle Fred steps through. The shocked expression on his face is priceless when he sees me.
I sheepishly give him a wave. "Hello Uncle!"
"What exactly are you doing under the bed?"
I pause. How exactly do you tell your great-uncle that you were hiding beneath his bed because you thought that the knights out looking for you, because you'd run away from a marriage, had found you?
"Maybe I could explain it to you over breakfast? That is if you haven't already had some?" I ask, standing up.
"Lassie, I ate at the crack of dawn," he says, bringing me in for a warm embrace. "However I'm in dire need of a break and some answers, so come on through and eat some bread and cheese. You can tell me what you've been up to these last years and why you're suddenly here out of the blue while you eat."
I nod and step back. "Okay. Fair warning, there's a lot."
"Nothing I can't handle." Uncle Fred smiles. "It's good to see you again."
I brush off the remaining cobwebs covering my shoulder and follow him next door.
My eyes catch sight of the young man sitting at the table. He looks to be about my age, with messy, sandy coloured hair. He offers me a smile and I take a seat next to him while Uncle goes to the cupboard and takes out half a loaf of bread and a chunk of cheese.
"Here you go." Uncle Fred places the board down in front of both of us then sits down in his chair by the fire.
Hunger rumbles in my stomach and so I reach out for the bread, hunger rumbling in my stomach. I pause mid-air when I realise that the young man is looking questionably at me.
"Erm, why are you looking at me like that?" I ask.
"Because you, lass, have forgotten your table etiquette. We must always give thanks for the food on our plates," he replies.
I blush. At the Earl's Castle, my meals weren't usually seated formally at a table. My manners have got rusty.
I quickly bow my head and mutter a thank you.
"And now we can eat!"
We dig in and after a few mouthfuls I ask, "What is your name?"
"I'm Sage." He grins. "'tis a pleasure to meet you."
I reach for a piece of cheese. "Do you live here? Work here? Both?"
"Both, I'm a stable hand. My wife, Isabel, and I live in the cottage behind Fred's."
My eyes widen. "I've always wanted to learn how to ride."
"If Fred lets us, maybe I can teach you," Sage says, eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
We both look over to Uncle and he nods slowly. "Yes, of course you can, but first I want to know why you turned up on my doorstep."
I finish my mouthful and begin to explain. I watch his expression the whole time, wondering how he'll react to my situation.
He stays silent the whole time.
"And so I came here in hopes that you will let me stay here for a few days until I know where I'm going next...?" I trail off.
He lets out a sigh, "I never agreed with your mother's idea of marrying for money. Of course you can stay here."
I leap out of my chair and embrace him. "Thank you!"
He laughs. "It's fine, but if knights come knocking and you're still here I won't lie to them. I cannot go against nobles."
"I understand, Uncle." I sit back down. "I'll be gone before you even know it."
While we finish eating, Sage tells me all about the horses and goings on of the farm, and then Uncle Fred stands up. "Back to the fields now, all of us. Ell, you included."
A/N
New characters have been met! Thoughts or is too early to have opinions?
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SouthernAlps over and out...