The Girl from the Valley

Chapter Ten - Serena

Once Kathy and I had left Adrian’s room, she and I spoke more about Roan’s attack and how I managed to escape. She swore several times, stating that she would gut him if she ever saw him again. I told her about how Adrian had ‘glamoured’ me and fooled her and Roan, which she was surprised about. She admitted that she was asleep when Adrian returned to his room and didn’t think that he would be returning so soon since he had been invited to Hannah’s celebration by the mayor and didn’t know that he was there when she sent me up to his room. She was thankful that he was there though, because if it weren’t for him, Roan would probably be dragging me back to the house.

I was sitting in Kathy's tub in her private living quarters, walled off behind the bar of the tavern as she poured various oils and herbs into my bath water.

“These will help you regain your energy and allow your body to heal faster.” She popped the cork off a vial and poured its red contents into my bath water.

“Thank you for all your help, Aunty Kathy.” I said as I combed out the naps and tangles of my hair with a brush.

‘Nonsense. I’ll always help you sweetheart.” She planted a kiss on my head. “I’m just happy that you’re safe now.”

“But what about me after this?” I tilted my head back, letting the weight of my head rest on the edge of the wooden tub. “How am I going to hide from Roan?”

Kathy’s living quarters was just a large room with everything she needed in it. To the right of the room was the only window in the large space that opened up covered by heavy cotton drapes. In the corner of the same wall was her bed fit for two. Her desk was stationed on the opposite wall of her bed, topped with several books and documents scattered across its surface. In the center of the room was a walled fireplace with two matching, floral printed sofas facing each other but were separated by a large area rug and a wooden center table. Lastly, to the left side of her room was a large wardrobe, multiple shelves of books and vials, and a large chest lined up against the wall with the wooden tub that I was currently in spaced in a corner near the fireplace. Everything was right where it had been since I stopped visiting Kathy once I grew old enough to take care of myself. She had added a few new things like a portrait of the valley mountains and a painted vase, but it made me feel comfortable knowing that Kathy hadn’t changed much.

“There’s not much hiding you can do in Penin, sweetheart.” Kathy responded, “Everyone knows everyone. He’ll be able to find you before you even find a new place to hide. If I hadn't bribed the few people who were in the tavern yesterday with free lodging and food, I’m sure they would have ratted you out to him.”

“I’m so sorry you had to do that, Kathy,” I opened my eyes to look at her and noticed that she was sitting on a short stool next to the tub. “I asked you to help me and you lost wages.”

“Nonsense, Serena.” she splashed the bath water in my face. I was surprised but gave a small laugh, “You needed help and I helped. I knew that no good Forest boy, Roan, was nothing but trouble. Always hovering over you like he was your shadow.”

“What?”

“Serena, sweetheart. You never noticed?”

I shook my head, “Noticed what?”

“Roan followed you everywhere you went. Everyone in Penin knew to stay away from you after Roan attacked that poor farmer boy that asked you to the Spring festival a few years back.” She continued, “Then there were also three or four other boys around the city that accused Roan of attacking them after they had just said ‘hi’ to you.”

I gasped, “I never heard about this. Roan attacked people that talked to me?”

“No, not people.” Kathy held a finger up, “Just the boys. Roan attacked all the boys that talked to you.”

My mouth dropped open at the realization of why I had never been approached by anyone who may have liked me. There were a few times when I would receive letters from men who liked me here and there but they stopped after just meeting up with them once. I thought that they probably weren’t too interested in me or thought that I didn't meet their expectations. I thought that the reason why I remained single was because of me. I thought I must have been so repulsive that I caused men to run away. That I was cursed to remain single since I was an orphan. But no, it was Roan the entire time, pulling the strings around me. Playing me like a fool, making me think that I caused them to walk away.

“Once the rumors of attacks around you began, people started thinking that the Mayor’s daughter Hannah was off limits too, since she was your best friend.” She let out a heavy sigh, “Then I heard a disgusting rumor that Roan had asked his parents for permission to marry you before they died. Once they were gone, nothing came of it, so I thought that the rumor was just a rumor and left it alone.” She moved to stroke my hair. “I guess I was wrong.”

I had cried so much earlier that I didn't think I would be able to cry again for days but my tears fell again. “Roan told me that Daniel and Mary accepted his marriage proposal so that I would become their real daughter.”

Kathy stood so fast she knocked over the stool she was just sitting on. She cursed a few times as she paced around her room.

“Daniel and Mary are idiots!” She shouted. “You were already their daughter! They raised you, fed you, clothed you, and they didn’t think that you weren’t already their daughter? They allowed their vile son to claim you before you could even accept him?! I never speak ill of the dead, but if Daniel and Mary Forest were still alive now, they would meet the same fate!”

I reached over the hook where Kathy had hung a towel for me and stepped out of the tub, wiping my tears away as I dried myself off.

“You must be so angry, sweetheart.” Kathy finally stopped pacing and slumped into one of the floral printed sofas. I followed, sitting next to her with the towel wrapped and tucked around my body.

“I feel betrayed by them,” My voice was weak from exhaustion and the lack of sleep. “Like the love that they showed me was conditional and that to receive it unconditionally, I had to be with Roan. But I can't even talk to them and ask them why they betrayed me.”

Kathy pulled me into her arms as I rested my head on her chest. She embraced me the same way she did before when I slept in her arms as a child. She held me with so much tenderness and care, the way any mother would calm their child. Mary held me with that same kindness before when I had nightmares, but I couldn’t help but feel angry at her for what she allowed Roan to do.

I didn’t want to think about Roan or his parents so I chose to focus on Kathy’s soft shushes. Her scent of various herbs lingered on her body along with a hint of wine that must have spilled on her at some point while she was working.

“What am I going to do now?” I vented, “I know I can go to Hannah for help but I can’t burden them with my issues with Roan.”

“You can stay here with me.”

“No, I can’t do that to you Kathy.” I pulled away from our embrace. “If Roan knows that I’m here, he probably won’t stop terrorizing you until I leave with him. He’ll cause a scene and drive customers away. You could lose your tavern because of me and I can’t let that happen. I won’t let that happen.”

Kathy was quiet. She must have realized that, as much as she wanted me to stay with her, I couldn’t. Roan had already barged into the tavern. Fortunately, he didn’t cause too much damage but he could if he knew I was here. It was too much of a risk for me to stay with Kathy and I didn't want to risk staying with Hannah either.

“I think I need to leave Penin.”

Kathy’s brow scrunched as she crossed her arms, “What? You want to leave?”

“It’s the only way Roan won’t find me.” I grabbed her hand and held it between my own hands. “If I’m not here, Roan can’t hurt me again. Plus, you told me about your experiences in Archaesia outside of Penin and I want that for myself. You said that you met other fantastical beings that didn’t exist in Penin and I want to meet them too. I know nothing outside of the valley and I desperately want to know more. I want to leave Penin and I think this is the perfect time to do it.”

Her brows unfurled as she sighed, nodding her head as she listened. “I don’t want you to go, but I understand.”

“You do?”

She nodded again, “Roan is dangerous. He hurt so many people around you and somehow got away with it everytime.” Her eyes began to water. “I can’t protect you if you stay, sweetheart, and it breaks my heart to think that I may never see you again once you leave.”

Tears began to spill from her eyes as mine fell as well.

“You have been the closest thing I had to a daughter and if leaving means that you are safe, far away from that monster Roan, then you have to do it.” She wiped my tears with her hands and kissed my forehead. She quickly got up from the sofa and marched to the large wardrobe, opening it up as she searched for something. It didn’t take her long before she returned to where I was still sitting.

“Get out of that towel and put these on.” She handed me a neatly folded tunic and brown leather pants, “Sir Kaiser will be leaving Penin at noon tomorrow. Since he helped you hide from Roan, maybe he could help you get to another city as well.”

I smiled and quickly took off the towel, pulling the leather pants on and the tunic over my head. The dusty-green tunic fit perfectly but the leather pants were just a little too big. Thankfully, the leather pants had a drawstring around the waistband that I pulled and tied as tightly as I could. I was thankful that Kathy gave me pants to wear instead of a dress after what happened.

“I can help you prepare to leave while you rest for the remainder of the night.” She took my hand and led me to her bed in the corner of the room. Once I had laid down, she pulled the bed sheet, tucked me in and sat on the bed next to me, stroking my head. “In the morning, you need to ask Sir Kaiser if he would be willing to allow you to accompany him to whichever city he will be going to. I’ll give you enough copper to stay at a tavern for a few days, but you’ll need to find work and your own lodging after that. You can start a new life without Roan causing any more trouble for you.”

She kissed my forehead again and was about to leave, but I caught her hand before she could.

“Thank you, Aunty Kathy.” I pulled her into a tight hug. “For everything you have done for me. I will miss you so much.”

“I will miss you too,” She replied, “Now, get some rest.”