The First Mate

1st person POV - Lyra "Where is the orphan?" Demanded Lord Richard Dyck. I, the orphan, was hiding in the haystack with the horses. Lord Dycks son had broken a vase when I was delivering food to the rooms and blamed it on me. From here, I could hear him asking the stablemaster where I was. Luckily, Gerald has always been kind to me. "I sent her into town to deliver the order for the shoes, my Lord." Gerald responded...he was old and calm. The Lord never made him quiver or punished him, seeing as he was the best stablemaster in the area. Lord Dyck sucked through his teeth and turned to leave. "When she returns, send her directly to me." "Yes, my Lord." After a minute, I heard shuffling to the stall I was hiding in. Gerald opened it up and used our secret phrase to let me know it was safe. "It smells lovely in here." I smiled and climbed out. Gerald immediately laughed. His old skin shaped around his smile. Gerald wasn't a large man or a small man. He was kind of in between. His main job here was the care and training of the horses, but you could tell that by looking at his hunched back, he was getting a bit too old. He might retire soon. "What's so funny?" I asked, frowning. Pushing myself out of the hay and patting down my dress made of harsh twine. It scratched, but it was better than nothing. "You seem to have...mud or something unsavory sticking to your head and some hay, my lady." Gerald was a stickler for titles even if you weren't technically a lady or Lord. He was the most respectful man I have ever met. My face must have shown my horror cause he laughed even harder. "I HAVE POOP IN MY HAIR?" reaching up, I felt the hard, thick clump of something that wasn't just another matt in my hair. Without waiting for an answer, I ran out the back of the stables and into the forest. Gerald has never made fun of me before, so I knew I must really be dirty. I might be young, but I am fast. Always have been... well, faster than other kids my age. It made escaping from the Lord and Lady that much easier when someone wanted me hurt. Running through the forest was easy for me. I always felt safe here. Jumping over limbs and climbing rocks was my favorite pastime. It helped me feel alive again. Running directly into a bush, ignoring the tiny cuts, the sharp branches slit into me. I came to a clearing. I found this pond last year when I was thrown out for a few days. It was beautiful. A stream above cascaded down into a shallow hole filled with rocks and various plants and another spot for the overflow to go into the next stream. Due to the constant flowing water, it was clean here. Even to drink! Of course, I told no one about it. It was my home away from home. I washed my hair in the runoff under the pond, I didn't want poo to go into my home. Thanks to Gerald, the excuse of walking into town would give me several hours to myself. I am only 10, I think, so it takes me longer to walk there and back by myself. I sat on the edge of the pond, looking into the crystal pool below me. If I tilted my head just right, I could see my reflection. I was clean technically, but I could see the dark dirt stains on my face. My hair was matted, and my cheeks were sunken in. Gerald swore I was a beauty, but I didn't see it. How is this a beauty? I threw a pebble into the pond to make it ripple. Seeing my face distort made me happier. I liked to imagine I was like Lady Issa. She was the young lady of the house. Her beauty was unmatched, but her attitude was a direct pass down from her father. She had fancy dresses, brushed hair, and a look of grace. If I could brush my hair...it'd be long and black. If I could wash my face, my skin would be flawless. If I could just...eat. I wouldn't be lifeless. I sniffled. There's no reason to cry. It's been this way forever. Why wish for it to change now. I was found on the rivers edge by Gerald when he was letting the horses drink. He took me into the stables with him, but after a while, I realized he couldn't raise me there, so he presented me to the Lord and Lady Dyck. He told me he regrets not lying and telling them I was his sisters daughter or something. They may have treated me better, but I don't blame him for it. When they saw me, they said my eyes were strange, a bad omen, but Gerald begged them to keep me. I have silver eyes. They shine silver in the light. I don't know how or why, but nearly everyone says they're beautiful, others say it's the mark of a demon. Peering at myself again in the still water, I pull my eyelids open and still at the silver pulls in my face. It is really beautiful, so what if I don't have that black thing in the middle of my eyes like people do. I can see just fine without it. I let out a sigh and leaned back, looking at the sky. It's so peaceful here. I love being by myself, in nature with no on-CRACK I jumped. Something was around me. I stood up and slowly crept towards a tree. It wasn't that tall, but I could get 2 branches high and not be seen. I leaped straight up, grabbing the first branch, easily being able to lift my body around it, then climbing to the next. I was always amazed at my own abilities to carry on even when exhausted. "It's so nice to see you again, Harry!" Came a squealing high-pitched voice. Harry? As in Lord Dycks son Harold? Wasn't he visiting his future bride for the week? "I missed you too much to stay gone for too long." I couldn't see them yet, but I could hear them. What were they doing out here? Next, I heard moans... ew. I knew what that meant. Living in a home that annually hosted other lords, I knew what they did to pretty maids and how disgusting it was. They finally came into view. It was, in fact, Harold Dyck. He was holding someone in his arms, a lady I had never seen before. She had bright red hair and was wearing a brown dress. Obviously, it is someone of lesser status. I watched as he sat her down on the ponds side, with the mossy grass, and began kissing her shoulders while she giggled and moaned. WERE THEY GOING TO DO THE NASTY THING HERE IN MY HOME?! "Are you sure we will be safe here?" She asked, pulling up her dress like she didn't care about the answer. "I found this place a few months ago. I have never heard anyone mention it, so I imagine no one else knows." He said, pulling his shirt off "It's beautiful!" She exclaimed, watching him. "Not as beautiful as you." Ew. No way in hell were they going to ruin my home.... if I confront them, whose to say Harold won't kill me? He's beating other maids into compliance... if I throw something at them, they know someone's here. The only other choice I could think of was to make an animal sound, like a big cat or a wolf. Something they can't fight off while half naked. I tried to growl like a cat, but it barely made a dent in their noises. I tried again, trying to mimic what I think a wolf sounds like, but again, they didn't hear me...ugh I was aggrevated! If her put his thing in her, then this place it ruined....I reached up and broke a small limb from the tree. It was loud enough that Harold looked up. "Whose there?" He asked while on all fours on top of the girl. "Did you hear something?" She asked breathlessly, and I smiled... they'll leave now. The fear of being caught is def- "Must have been a rabbit or something. " he sat back on his knees and started untying his britches. WHAT, is he kidding me? I felt anger boil up inside of me. This is my home. My peace. How dare they defile my domain? Without even thinking, a low, deep angry growl tore out of my throat. It sounded animalistic and dangerous. As soon as the noise was made, they jumped up, her clutching to him with her dress falling, and he looked a complete mess half naked. "There's a wolf out here!" She whispered and huddled closer to his back as he stood in front of her. "It came from that direction, back up slowly." I watched as they snuck backward, never peeling their eyes from this side of the pond. I don't know what that was, but man, am I happy. My throat kind of hurt now, though. After a good minute of them being gone, I jumped down and grabbed Harold's shirt and boots, I hadn't even noticed he took them off. You could tell they were his because they had ornate silver on them to signify his wealth. I could use these to get out of trouble with Lord Dyck. I took off my own clothes and laid in the pond until the sky turned orange, submerging my matted hair into it, hoping it would come undone by itself. Looking up at the sky, I wondered if I had to go back, I didn't have food, but I had water. I would be safe out here. I could learn to hunt...I really could just live out here. Technically, it's part of Baron Dycks' land still, but if I kept quiet, would anyone find me? I can't leave there just yet. I need to get stuff together and prepare. Maybe I should start setting aside stuff to take out here, like a chicken! If I can take on out here and keep it hidden, I could have eggs. I can live off eggs and water. The plan was set. I'm stealing a chicken. I smiled to myself, knowing this was the best move and got out of the water and getting dressed. I walked back into the stable and found Gerald eating his dinner in the middle of it with half a bread loaf. My stomach immediately growled, but I continued walking past him. I never asked for food.. I never wanted to take it from others. "My Lady, would you kindly join me so we may discuss a few things?" He said in a soft tone...his way of saying come eat. I turned back and saw he tipped over a bucket and sat it beside him. I sat down, and he handed me the bread. "You were gone for so long I already ate the meat," he said, sounding a little displeased with himself. "It's alright Gerald, how often do I get meat to know the taste to savor?" I responded jokingly, but he didn't smile "What is that you have there?" He asked, pointing his fork towards the shirt and boots. "I think it's my way out of punishment tonight." I took a huge bite of the bread, stale because we weren't noble people but filling nonetheless. "I saw Master Harold out with a lady." "Oh ho, how, did you now?" "Yes, and they got scared and ran away without getting their clothes. I am not going to tell him about that, though. I am just going to say I found these in the forest while walking the path home. He will be so scared he will forget about the vase." I smiled, taking a chunk out of the bread. "You are incredibly intelligent, Lyra." Gerald said, patting my damp hair and stealing a pinch of my bread. I growled, but it was nowhere near as scary as before.