Return to Glory

Another twig cracked under Alex’s weight at the same time as a branch slapped her in the middle of the face. Swatting it away and cursing under her breath, she passed her free hand across her nose, relieving herself of the itchiness the leaves attached to it had provoked. Each day in these endless woods was just like the day before, and she had been hanging on to her very last nerves for two full weeks now. She was tired of being dirty and sweaty all the time. Her sack full of survival essentials and the second set of clothing she carried felt heavier with each day that passed. The muscles in her back were sore and she no longer knew how to position her belongings so that it wasn’t a hassle to be bringing them with her, especially as she had no alternative. She was constantly hungry and it had now been days since she’d been able to hunt a decent-sized animal because she was growing clumsier due to that same hunger. But she’d be damned if she left those woods yet again to look for a village where she could rest at. She had already given herself that permission too many times in these last nine months of searching and she could no longer be complacent; the stakes were too high to let someone else beat her to the target. Sitting down unceremoniously on a fallen tree trunk, she pulled out her canteen and took a few, measured sips of water; she didn’t know when she’d find a source of it again now, so she had no other choice but to ration it. She rested her elbows on her knees and crouched forward, considering for a moment if she should take a while to rest here. Sitting upright to better study her surroundings, she scanned the area nearby. This section of the woods seemed to be much less dense than the others she had been through these last few days. She was well-aware that she was now extremely far from the closest village; possibly the deepest she had ever gotten into the woods since she began her search, though she pessimistically didn’t feel this would mean anything special. She hadn’t yet lost hope, but the months of dead ends and wrong destinations had her just cruising each day, counting them by like any other from the calendar. Alex pushed some loose strands of dirty, auburn hair behind her ear, disgusted at how dusty and hardened they felt. Dark eyes wandering up at the light-blue sky, she immediately noticed the unmistakable gray of smoke rising not too far away. She had already run into quite a few hidden cottages that hadn’t been fruitful for her mission, but for a few coins had supplied her with a warm meal, decent bath, and a comfortable bed; some had even given all those things just out of courtesy. Regaining composure and with newly-found energy upon the exciting prospect ahead of her, she immediately started to pace in the direction of the darkened clouds. The way was just as uncomfortable and full of rocks, trees, and obstacles as before, but her renovated determination gave her the ability to ignore it all and power through mechanically. Closing the considerable distance in just a few minutes, she quickly reached a clearing unlike any other she had seen so far; it was man-made and, in addition to housing the modest little cabin that was emanating the smoke from a stone chimney, there was also a small, quaint garden that covered a great portion of the property. Disappointment inevitably hit her when she saw the size of the tiny cottage, as she immediately figured it would mean yet another dead end for her search. Shrugging to herself and trying to make the most out of a discouraging situation, Alex decided to go and tap on the door to see if the owner would at least be willing to rent her a room so she could have a more decent place to spend the night. Striding determinedly to the small, wooden door, she adjusted the rucksack that was tied to her back in order to present herself with the most poised posture she could muster in her exhausted state. Giving her clothes some final pats to brush down the dust and look less like a beggar, she finally raised her hand and gave three firm knocks, stepping back to wait with her most pleasant smile. She counted the seconds that passed in silence as no one answered the door, letting enough time to go by before she attempted again. Smoothing her unkempt hair back, she gave a step forward and tapped three times, returning to her original position, growing nervous and slightly irritated, as the smoke from the chimney indicated that someone must be home. More than a bit anxious to ensure that bed she could almost feel slipping away along with her hopes towards this entire mission, she hit the door another time, more forcefully, making sure she’d be heard even if they were in the basement. “Is anyone home?” she shouted as politely as she could, given her increasing anger. “I see smoke coming out from the chimney,” she added, immediately biting her own tongue for being so rude. Pointing that fact out wasn’t going to make the house owners any more likely to let her in than if she’d kept her damn mouth shut or if she had commented that she had money. “Quite the observer,” a masculine voice retorted mockingly from somewhere to the side, completely disorienting Alex on the spot. Twisting to look towards the garden, she saw no one there. Her sack was heavy and her accumulated exhaustion made it harder than necessary for her to be able to check her surroundings with the same sharpness she normally had. A bit further behind the plantations, she finally spotted the figure of a man with clothes as rugged and simple as hers, who was walking calmly in her direction with some sort of large, rustic basket in his hands. Feeling her face hot with embarrassment as this man was surely the homeowner and had noticed her unnecessary comment, Alex asked as cordially as possible, “Is this your home? I was wondering if I could pay to spend the night. I promise I’d be out at dawn if you want.” She noticed how desperate she may sound, but it was the only spark of hope she was having after weeks of sleeping on makeshift beds in the woods, feeling fortunate whenever she found a spot where she could sleep calmly for a few hours without fearing being hunted in the middle of her slumber. The figure only advanced in silence, coming closer to her and the house. As he did so, Alex couldn’t help but notice that despite the dense facial hair that covered his features, he seemed to be quite young; possibly even of around her age. Deep, green eyes met hers as he reached her at the door of the cabin. Moving next to her, the young man opened the door and left it ajar, signaling with his head for her to enter. “Come on in,” he invited warmly, not answering any of the girl’s questions, but offering what she so desperately wanted, nonetheless. “Excuse me,” she murmured in appreciation and paced quickly into the cozy cottage. The warmth instantly embraced her and she just then became aware of how cold it had been outside. Trying her best not to be too evident, she glanced fleetingly at her surroundings, standing still close to the entrance. The place seemed even smaller than on the outside, with very little furnishing; all apparently just the essential things to live in the tiny home. There basically were no decorations and the few pieces of furniture there were all fulfilling their purpose without contributing anything towards the house’s aesthetic. “It’s humble, but functional,” the young man stated as he closed the door and placed the rustic basket on the single wooden table that rested there. Alex noticed that he didn’t say it in embarrassment, as if he felt the need to justify his lack of luxuries, but as an airy comment, explaining something she assumed wasn’t the first time he had to do so. Alex’s heart began to accelerate as she was able to better appreciate the young man’s face. “Of course, there’s no need for more,” she agreed with him. Though this was something she truly did believe in, that was the last thing on her mind at the moment. “My apologies, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Alexandria Summer,” she opened up in hopes of inviting him to do the same. “Who do I have the pleasure of bothering today?” The young man smiled broadly under the thick facial hair and cleaned his hand with a towel from the table before extending it out for her to shake. “My name is Aidan Scrivens,” he responded, “And it is a pleasure to receive company,” he added as he waited for Alex to meet him in the formal presentation. Noticing clumsily that her hands were still covered by her thick, suede gloves, she hastily removed the right one in order to offer the salutation in equal conditions. As soon as she saw her hand, she immediately regretted having made the decision; her skin was covered in residual dirt, and under each of her short nails there was an evident accumulation of black filth from who knew how long. Unable to pull back now, she decided to own the bad situation and said cheekily, “As you can see, your company would really be in need of a bath, if possible.” She quickly added, “But, as I said, I’ll pay.” The young man laughed heartily at her uncleanliness and awkward demeanor, apparently amused. He shook her hand firmly despite the grime, warmth coursing through Alex’s skin at his masculine touch. “There’s no need for you to pay. As I said, it’s a pleasure to receive company,” he stated, breaking the handshake. Emphasizing his point with his outstretched arms, he commented, “As you can see, it’s just me all alone, all the time,” as he gestured towards the very empty house. The young brunette shrugged and accepted the generosity; the small amount of coins she now had left was worth saving, if possible. “Well, that’s great for me, then,” she stated cheerfully, “But after I’ve cleaned my own self up, at least let me help you cook or do something in the house as payment,” she added as she glanced around, thinking of ways to offer her services in exchange for the housing. The entire place looked pristine and there didn’t really seem to be much to do. She figured maybe she could help cutting some firewood or bringing in some of the vegetables from the garden, if they were ready to harvest, in case the young man wasn’t interested in her culinary skills, which weren’t too impressive to begin with, anyways. “We’ll see what you can help me out with,” Aidan responded through his thick facial hair, eyeing her up and down, Alex suspected evaluating her overall cleanliness, or lack thereof. “For now, indulge me by letting me treat another human being to my excellent hospitality skills,” he added, glancing at his rustic basket, before asking, “Do you enjoy fish?” The young brunette nodded with more enthusiasm than she would have liked to display, but the hunger that had been accompanying her at all times during the last few days was stronger than her dignity or any desire she may have to seem poised or lady-like. “Perfect. Then I’ll go get you some water and will heat it up for your bath, and once you’re out, you will join me for dinner,” the young man stated, a vivacious glint visible in his green eyes. Alex wondered to herself how long it could be since he had last had any company. And again something inside her pulled her away from the joyous interaction and back to her life and current purpose. Those intense eyes and that refined nose looked familiar to her, even under the disguise of unexpected hair all over. Something in her gut told her that all of her efforts had finally paid off, even though she was wary to even consider the possibility. She didn’t want to be excessively blunt, especially considering how hospitable the young man was being with her, so she bit her tongue and decided to just enjoy the pampering for the time being. “Let me show you your luxurious chambers,” Aidan announced, nonchalantly cleaning his hands again on a towel before walking past her and towards one of the only two doors visible from the kitchen area they had been standing in. Alex paced behind him the short length of space there was to the other room, where the young man already stood expectantly at the entrance, opening the door for her to go inside. As she had obviously expected, following the aesthetic of the rest of the house, the small resting space was furnished with very few items, though it seemed comfortable enough. “As I said before,” the young man began, “it’s humble, but it suits its cause.” His words seemed defensive but he smiled with pride as he presented his living quarters. Alex couldn’t help but feel endeared by his austere form of living. He genuinely seemed to be pleased with his home. If her gut feeling was on the right track, this entire place seemed a little exaggerated for what she had been expecting, but could make sense according to one of the many rumors she had heard. Trying to leave those thoughts to the side for the moment, she unconsciously shook her head and stated, “It looks great; way better than where I’ve slept these last few weeks.” She laughed at the memory of the so-called bed she had used the night before, which had not been half bad, as she had found plenty of leaves and even some carpet moss to lay on. The large, fluffed quilt and single pillow on the sturdy, wooden bed were a welcomed luxury to her, even under normal circumstances, as her room back home wasn’t much fancier than this. “I’ll go prepare your bath while you settle in,” the young blond announced, retreating in the blink of an eye, leaving Alex alone in the small space. There wasn’t much stuff for her to settle, nor much to settle into, so she just quickly grabbed her other set of clothes in order to change after the bath and get these washed, and left it on the dresser, sitting on the floor to wait, not wanting to do so on the bed in her grungy state. She tried hard to not let her mind wander back to her mission; she truly wanted to relax and enjoy herself for a while. But the familiarity of those green eyes had awakened something inside her and she could not silence it so easily, especially if she just stayed sitting in silence with nothing but her thoughts to distract her. Determined to do something to push the subject to the side for the moment, she jumped to her feet and resolved to go to the living area of the house to wait, instead. Aidan had apparently already taken water to the washroom and was taking care of making a fire to warm it up. The brunette smiled to herself; the young man truly did have excellent hospitality skills. At other homes she had stayed, the homeowners would generally let her take care of her own matters on her own, or would at least accept her help in household tasks as payment if they weren’t going to accept her coins, but never would they offer a complete pampering like this man wanted. Despite his friendliness, she decided to be cautious anyhow, just in case. He was a stranger, in the end, and she knew well she could never be too careful when travelling the way she did. Again making a conscious effort to silence her tendency to overthink, she was drawn to the warmth of the fireplace. The large, stone structure was surrounded by wood to one side and a desk with a chair to the other. She eyed the surface of the desk without wanting to pry and saw thick sheets of paper with ink and a feather. Her curiosity gnawed at her, almost demanding she take a peek at what was written, but she instead paced softly over to the single, large couch that rested opposite of the fireplace, strategically located to comfortably receive its warmth. Again unwilling to sit in her state on the pristine surface, she just let her fingers roam over the leather as she walked behind it, looking towards the kitchen area and noticing that she had ended her tour. Standing there awkwardly, she did her best to remain distracted, trying to focus her mind on the simple decor. The small area through which they had entered had a table that defied the rest of the house’s aesthetic, as it was not only large enough to fit at least six individuals, but it was also very elaborately adorned, with intrinsicate carvings all throughout. Alex wondered vacantly where the young man could have acquired any of the furniture in the house, as the closest village was extremely far away. She considered if maybe he had built some of the pieces on his own; living completely alone in the middle of nowhere, he surely had the time to do so. She decided that would be great conversation material for when they’d have dinner, so that she could control herself from asking what she truly wanted to question him about. “My lady, your bath awaits.” The warm voice pulled her away from her thoughts and she darted her head to the side to find the young blond standing at the door to the only room she had yet to visit. Alex beamed despite herself; the promise of a hot bath seemed like heaven after such a long time. “You’ll find all you need in here,” Aidan stated, signaling towards the unexplored room that was already emanating vapor into the rest of the house. “There’s a few clean towels I left on the bench and the water is ready for you to wash yourself up.” The brunette felt like it was too good to be true. Not wanting to let the hot water go to waste, she nearly ran to the bedroom to retrieve her clean clothes and jumped back out, ready to dive into that bath. “I hope you will not be leaving at dawn, as you proposed. I’d enjoy having company for more than a day, if you’d please,” Aidan commented, apparently out of the blue. Alex’s logical side told her she should be more distrusting with the young man, especially with how insistent he was on the matter of having company, but her instincts, which had been her best allies a million times before, told her to stay put and accept the invitation. “Um, I really don’t want to intrude, and you’re not letting me pay with money or housework,” she began, trying to be humble about it, but then her rational side decided to take over for a second and she added, “you’re not expecting some other sort of of payment, right?” The young blond burst out in laughter. “Heavens, no,” he dismissed, clearly entertained by her very real concerns. Alex tried her best to not retort crassly to his response, as, in the end, he apparently wasn’t hoping for anything indecent from her. “My apologies,” he began, after immediately recomposing himself, “I understand your possible worries, but you couldn’t be farther from the truth. I’d be just as hospitable if you were an ogre. I just miss having human company,” the young man confessed. Alex stared at him straight in the eyes, feeling right in the middle of her stomach how this must be it; she had finally found him. “Okay… Then I guess I can stay a day or two,” she agreed. “Perfect!” the green-eyed blond gleamed. “Then you can leave your dirty clothes in a basket you will find there and tomorrow we can wash everything together,” he declared with much too much joy for someone who was proposing doing laundry. “Now, get in there before your bath gets cold,” he rushed. Following her host’s orders, Alex darted into the bathing room and was enveloped by the scent of the oils that had been prepared in the water for her. As she stripped off all of the filthy garments that tied her to her nearly hopeless previous days, she couldn’t help but think of those familiar, emerald eyes and how her luck might possibly have finally changed for the good.