Weaver: A Silver Crown

Chapter 8

I awoke the next morning to sunshine streaming through the window and onto my face. Curled up in pillows and blankets, I leaned up and stretched out and gazed around with heavy eyes, coming face to face with the side of the mattress. Frowning, I looked down and saw the carpeted floor beneath me. There was a luxurious king size bed beside me and I had slept on the floor.

The sound of knocking alerted me and I jumped at the c***k in the silence as Fliteen climbed through the hatch and gawked at me, clearly trying not to laugh.

“Are you – are you on the floor?”

“Uhm, yup. Looks that way.” I stated, trying to smooth down my hair and get my bearings. She laughed then and came and sat on the bed. She was also still in her sleep attire I noted with an amused grin.

“Why?” She asked, confused. I stood and bent to scoop up my pillows and blankets, dumping them on the bed.

“I guess when you sleep on the floor for 5 years straight, your body isn't quite used to the bed.” She frowned and began straightening the pillows and blankets for me.

“Well, get used to the bed 'cause you're gonna be in it for a while.” I paused my pillow fluffing and turned to look at her, my chest tightening.

“I wanted to just be on my way and stay for one night.” I told her. She shook her head and grinned at me.

“Grandmother says otherwise.” She pulled out a note from a pocket in her robe and handed it to me. “It says that she wishes you to stay until you are fully recovered and you're at a decent weight.” I opened the note and read the calligraphy like writing.

Anera,

Since you are looking so ghastly thin and your leg still brings you much wearisome trouble, I order you to stay with Fliteen and Talo until you are recovered. You are welcome to work within the village and help with duties until then. You have my word you can 'be on your way' when you are well.

Sincerely, Koell

I crumpled the paper in my hand and rose in a temper. Fliteen had failed to make the clear distinction between 'wish' and 'order'. I did not take well to orders. Who was she to keep me here? For what? What did she care? I growled as I pushed up from the bed and walked to the window and crossed my arms.

“I didn't realise staying with us would be so bad.” Flit said with hurt in her voice.

“It's not like that. I have things I need to do... It's complicated.” I told her, trying not to reveal too much.

“What's so complicated about it?” Flit exclaimed. I heard her rise. “You're hurt, Anera. When grandmother told us there was someone wounded on her lands, me and Talo rushed to find you. We thought you were dead. She was worried before we left. I know she doesn't look like the kind...” She grasped for words. “But she made sure we rush to find you and save you. I don't know why but she did. Do not take her hospitality so unkindly and ungratefully.” Her words stung slightly but I didn't have the emotional capacity to let them sink in, I simply stared out of the window.

“I know.” I breathed. “I understand.” I said louder through gritted teeth. “But there are things I must do, people I am responsible for.” Turning, I looked at her with a stern face.

“Can they not wait for you to be better?” She asked. Her concern for me sickened me and it shouldn't have, but it did. I wanted to slap the girl. What did she know?

“No.” I whispered, shaking my head.

“A few weeks then.” She bargained – anything to not defy her grandmother's orders.

“A few days.” I pushed.

“Two weeks.” I paused and scrutinised her.

“One week.” She shook her head. Sighing, I waved my hand grandly through the air. “Two then. I can do two.” That sounded okay to me, even if I could've been in the Hu'nian City in that time. She held out her hand for me and I begrudgingly shook it.

“I will write a note to grandmother about our little agreement. Talo is making breakfast, I came to get you. And give you the note of course.” I nodded and she left, leaving me to my own swirling pool of thoughts.

~

“Your footing is all off, Mira! You're spreading them too wide!” I exclaimed as I stormed over to her for what felt like thousandth time in the past hour. Stopping her mid stance, I grabbed her roughly and put her back into position with a scrutinising frown. She eyed me wearily and let me adjust her. “You're going on the offensive side too much. Practise defence, keep yourself small.” I told her, tucking in her elbows, straightening her shoulders and back and kicking her feet closer together. Then I pushed her down slightly, into a battle crouch.

“I don't understand why we can't practise actual fighting movements yet.” She said staring straight ahead at her target. I scowled and resisted the urge to throttle her.

“Actual fighting movements? And what would those be?” I chimed, circling her like prey with a smirk on my face, suddenly amused. “You may be quite tall, Mira dearest, but unfortunately, like many women, you are petite.” I crooned, stopping behind her to hiss in her ear. “You are small and you are weak. A large enemy approaches you and you expect to be the one on offence?” Raising my eyebrows, I came around to face her, staring her harshly in the face. She jumped at my speed as if I'd just appeared in front of her and looked away. I sighed wearily. That sort of reaction was not one I sought from her. “Look, you're slim, slender, and easily overpowered – as is the unfortunate fate of women sometimes. You need to learn to be quick and precise, to search for weakness and defend yourself effectively. Don't blow yourself out in one go, use them against you, don't give them an opportunity to strike, keep yourself a smaller target.” I paused for effect. “Understand?” She nodded and I hmph'd in satisfaction. “Again then.” I ordered with a click of the fingers and Al – her brute of a mate who enjoyed being her dummy – walked back into the fighting ring. He grinned fiendishly, taunting her; her biggest weakness I had come to find in the past month of training her.

They battled for a bit longer, Al lunging forwards in that foolish brute way of his with his broad sword and Mira deflecting blows and parrying in a fine manner, I thought with pride. Teaching her to use dual daggers had not been an easy feat and she was lucky I was even letting her use any blade at all. I had had trouble finding my place within the village. My leg had ached ferociously when helping with mundane things like farming or baking or silly things such as that. And then Mira had marched towards me one afternoon as I read some ghastly horror story by the Humming tree in the last drops of autumn sun, and demanded I teach her to fight properly after having lost terribly in a brawl down the village tavern. I looked up to her ridiculous bloody lip and bruised face and laughed hysterically until my sides hurt. Eventually she grew humiliated and so irritated to the extent she turned on her heel and stomped off. The next morning I asked Flit for some training clothes and where they kept their armoury. Mira was already there waiting for me.

The pair stopped and I flicked my eyes toward them, coming out of my reverie with a small smile. With a raise of my eyebrows, I watched them stalk towards me, sweaty and bloody, as I sat polishing my weapons on the bench. “Already done for today?” I asked, placing my hunting knife back in it's sheath. Al scowled at the use of the word 'already' but didn't mutter a word. He was a clever brute I decided. Mira's eyes flashed with something I recognised as longing curiosity when I put my bow back over my body. Pulling my hunting knife back out, I held out to her. “Curious?” She took the pommel of the blade and weighted it.

“Why do you not fight in the ring with any of us in training?” She asked with a little frown and handed the hunting knife back. I noted the words 'in training' and wondered if she had seen me training alone in the early hours of morn. I c****d my head to the side and smiled wickedly.

“Would you like me to fight you?” She snorted and shook her head.

“Gods no, you beat me with ease the first night you were here. I wouldn't want to see you fighting for real.” Grinning, I flicked my eyes to Al who was inspecting me as if I were a bug he could easily squish into the cold mud ground.

“You're a wise girl, Mira. Al, not so much.” He scoffed and Mira laughed before linking her arm through his and patting his hand.

“Don't be hurt my love, she means well.” Al just rolled his eyes and looked back to me.

“We'll see you tomorrow morning then?” He asked with that amused, deep voice of his that I'd feared I'd grown too accustomed to. Nodding once, I stood and stretched out my aching muscles. Playfully, I punched him in the arm as I drifted past.

“Perhaps we'll fight then.” I taunted. He opened his mouth to reply but by then I was already strutting off and well away from the training area.

I strolled through to the central village area without much purpose like most afternoons after training. The past month had not only bought a sweet passage into my quick recovery but also a bitter crisp to the air. Winter was quickly drawing upon us and the village was alight with activity in an almost hectic manner. Food supplies, wood, materials and whatever else they found themselves needing. Festivities I had long forgotten about since being a child had also arisen and many were preparing with grisly decorations in accommodation to their children's excitement for the Day of the Dead. Apparently it was a day where the veil between the living and the dead was at its weakest – not that I believed that nonsense, even if I did believe in the Gods. At least I told myself that.

Peering through a shop window, I idly gazed at the exotic riches beyond the glass. Placing a hand and leaning in close enough to see my breath, I eyed the velvet, sheer and beautifully stitched fabrics that coated mannequins, luxurious cushions, blankets and more. How a shop in a 'forgotten' village had ended up with such well crafted items I didn't know. I was also still very sceptical that this place was even a village at all.

This particular shop was one of the most luxurious I had seen and I assumed the owner must've been quite the trader after the many treasures I had seen displayed day after day. Just below me sat a white silk and pearl cushion with a little open jewellery box lying open in the middle – a thin silver sparkling chain with a single tear dropped shaped white pearl lie within. I looked at it with awe, never having seen it here before though I had never actually gone inside.

“I never imagined you to be a woman to favour jewellery with such a look.” Talo said from behind me, and I could already hear the mirth in his tone. I let my gaze linger a tad bit longer before slowly spinning around to face him with my hands behind my back. A small smile of greeting appeared on my face without my knowing.

“We did not have such things back in the city.” I told him, giving him at least another little piece of myself. His face turned sombre at the mention of the city.

“I would've thought the materials there would've been truly beautiful, with all that silk and all.” He retorted softly, coming to stand by my side to peer through the glass.

“It was but unfortunately my father favoured tradition greatly. The style never really changed.” I turned back to the glass and found my eye turning back to the necklace; I saw Talo smile beside me.

“You like pearls?” He asked, crouching to get a better look.

“I don't know. I suppose I do now.” Talo looked back at me with raised eyebrows.

“Now?” He asked, unable to keep the surprise from his voice. “You've never seen a pearl before?”

“Forgive me for never really getting the time to explore such wonders.” I retorted.

“Not even as a girl?” I knew what he meant; when I was a girl, before I was banished to the Pits. The thought put an unpleasant taste in my mouth. I bit the inside of my cheek in attempts to ignore the gnawing from within and focus on picking through my early memories. Jewellery, silks and pretty things such as that had never appealed to me as a child, to my father's dismay. I had inherited my mother's harsh nature and outlook, unlike my gentle minded brother. Gentle minded as he may be, he had a strong heart, something I did not.

“No.” I eventually answered. Turning away from the window, I glided into an easy strolling pace, a sign for Talo to accompany me. He lingered a bit longer before jogging to my side. We walked in silence a bit, making our way towards the house where I'd hoped Flit would be – she'd be able to tell me if Koell was finally back from her business trip. Coincidentally enough, her trip had arisen three days before our two week agreement end and we were still yet to talk and I to gain answers. Flit and Talo had filled in bits and pieces but it was never enough.

“Do you have any plans this evening?” Talo asked, causing me to cringe at the sudden break to the silence.

“When do I ever have plans?” I replied coolly, refusing to give anything away. He paused his walking as I opened the wooden gate that surrounded the Diya property and walked through.

“I've heard things is all.” He responded conversationally. I snorted and turned to look at him, my hair flowing in front of my face in the chill breeze.

“What such things might they be then?” I queried with a smirk that didn't quite reach my eyes. A small smile played at his lips. Putting his hands in his pockets, he ambled past me towards the door and began to unlock.

“Is there a reason my father's viola has suddenly appeared in the living area polished and tuned?” My eyes widened and I paused in my stepping into the house. Quickly recovering myself, I went through and discretely cast an eye into the room. It wasn't there. Talo began to laugh hysterically and point at me. My cheeks burned with what, I didn't know.

“You absolute b–“ I started to hiss but he interrupted me.

“Absolute what?” He wiped at his eyes and coughed. The imbecile had almost choked himself thwarting me. “Upset I've found your secret little passion? What do you do? Sneak out into the woods to polish and tune it in the nude and hide your ghastly music?” My hands balled into fists and a snarl escaped my throat.

“What would you know of what I do and don't do? Following me are you?” I seethed with itching fingers inching towards my blades. My cheeks burned at the sound of his voice mentioning me naked and doing such an incredulous thing.

“So you are sneaking off into the forest like the raving lunatic you are!” He scoffed, unable to contain himself any longer. I opened my mouth to screech some curse at him but Flit walked through the kitchen door, her eyes narrowing on Talo. I slammed the front door to keep out the chill.

“Is it the viola thing again?” She asked dead pan. I rolled my eyes and turned away dramatically.

“Not you too! I swear I can't do anything without you Diya's knowing about it.” I stated as if I were a scolded child.

“Talo is just being the worm that he is. You're actually very good, your melodies help me sleep.” She soothed, putting her hand on my arm.

 “So you've heard then?” I sighed exasperatedly and began to trudge upstairs. “Nothing is private these days.” Flit didn't reply and Talo finally stopped his laughing when I reached the top of the stairs. Flit's quietness was a sign that something was going on. I turned and looked down at them both. Her face was one of grand concern and Talo quickly sobered himself up. She held out a letter and I recognised the seal before she even uttered a word. I took a stumbling breath. “What's going on?”