Shining Through Shadows

Duragh

Lydia

Even with my eyes closed, I could sense the light surrounding me. My muscles, hell, my whole body was aching and burning as I slowly came to my senses again.

Where was I?

Then I heard it, the sound of multiple women talking, whispering around me. They probably thought I wasn’t able to hear them, but I could. Some of them were talking about my hair, others were wondering if my fingers would fall off from the frostbite.

Could I lose my fingers!? How was I supposed to earn any money without my fingers?

“Oh, look! She’s moving!” Somebody gasped, making others join in, gasping like I was waking up from death. Perhaps I was…

Slowly, I opened my eyes, holding up a hand in front of them to shield them from the bright light pouring into the room. Four faces were staring down at me with curious but friendly looks as they watched me.

We were in a rather large room. Three big windows to my right, framed by white curtains, let in the daylight. In two rows, neatly made single beds were standing as if I was in some kind of dormitory.

I pushed myself up into a sitting position and let my fingers wander over the soft fabric beneath me. The bed was nice and comfortable, not hard and uneven like the one I had at home. Home!

“Where am I? I… I have to go home. My mother needs me. My town... I...” I began pushing the sheets away and tried to get out of bed, even though I really wanted to snuggle into the soft duvet a little longer.

“You cannot leave! You need to rest.” A girl looking older than the others said, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. “You were in quite a state when they brought you in.” I frowned, wondering who brought me in. Who else had been out in that horrible weather?

“Where am I?” I asked again, hoping she could provide me with some answers.

“You’re in Duragh.” She answered after sharing a look with the other girls.

“Duragh?” I repeated questionably, having never heard of the city.

“Yes, Duragh, you know…” She leaned closer to lower her voice. "Where the Rogue Alpha lives.” What!?

When she noticed my eyes widening in shock, she grasped my hands in hers, a humorous smile on her face. “Don’t worry. We take good care of each other here. I’m Jena.” Her reassurance didn’t help, at least not right now, but I shook her outstretched hand in greeting anyway.

“I’m Lydia.” She gave me a big smile and introduced me to the other three girls. Harper, Suni and Reyna. They were all very kind and looked surprisingly healthy and happy, but other than that they were very different in their appearances.

After our introductions, I was escorted to a shared bathroom between the servants in the house. My legs were still shaky and sore, so they helped me into a bath to wash away the grime from yesterday. A servant's uniform was given to me and once I was dressed, Suni braided my still damp hair.

Her fingers were quick, and I could tell she had done this many times. Her own dark hair was gathered in three braids that were twisted into a bun by her neck, not a strand of hair astray.

I glanced at myself in the big mirror. My hair looked a bit darker from it being still damp and my blue eyes looked almost pale in the light.

The black dress was a perfect fit. It had a line of frills going down from each shoulder to the waist. The front of the skirt was covered in a white apron secured with a bow in front. The hem of the apron was adorned with the most beautiful lace pattern and I couldn’t help but touch it in admiration.

I thought of Lady Agnes, knowing she would certainly appreciate such a beautiful pattern. I’ve never seen myself wearing anything other than my usual heavy dresses and wool stockings.

“Let’s get some food for you, Lydia.” Jena announced as she came in carrying a tray. It was filled with two pieces of bread, a carrot and a steaming bowl of soup. It smelled delicious, and the smell of it made my stomach grumble out loud, knowing food was within reach.

“So tell me, where are you from?” Harper asked from her bed as I used a piece of bread to absorb the leftovers of soup. She was lying on her stomach, head in her hands and feet up in the air, her brown hair also gathered in a braid similar to the one I had.

“I’m from Issdal.” I told her after swallowing. “Where do you come from?” I asked out loud, curious to know where the four of them originated from.

“Both Reyna and I come from Tristayd.” Harper replied with a sweet smile as she looked at Reyna. Two from the same town? How unlikely. “Jena’s from Kosantir, close to the western border, and Suni was sent all the way from Tumeka in the eastern province.”

My eyes met with Suni’s as I thought of how she had come all the way up to Duragh in the northern province. Her skin tone was a bit darker than the rest of us and she was very beautiful with her slightly darker complexion.

Jena slapped her hands against her thighs and stood up from her bed beside mine. She had blond hair as well, but mine had a more golden tone and her eyes were green.

“Let me show you around the house. Girls, we’ll come join you once we’re done.” Jena announced again. She was in charge of the group, probably due to her age and experience.

“Okay, so this corridor is for servants only. You’ll find our sleeping quarters and bathroom here. Then men have the other side of the corridor. Men and women do not mix. Do you understand?” Jena’s voice was firm, but still kind as she continued down the long corridor. I nodded my head in response.

“In here is the laundry and linen room, and here,” she pointed at an open door where several other servants where gathered, “is the dust room. You’ll find everything you need to complete your daily tasks.”

Then she showed me most of the massive house. It was quite impressive with its high ceilings, big windows and dark wood panels, but it didn’t look like someone actually lived there. No personal belongings on the shelves or pictures on the walls. It felt empty…

“This is the Alpha’s floor. You do not trespass here unless you’ve been given direct orders from head-maid Louisa. You’ll see her around. Gray hair and a permanent scowl on her face…” She smiled at me, but I could tell I should take her warning seriously. And I had no intentions of ever running into the dreaded Rogue Alpha…