The morning I found out about Etienne's imminent arrival was a morning like every one before it. I woke shortly before dawn and stayed in bed, watching the sun rise over Rhydin's rooftops. I love watching the sky's colours - first the soft, muted dove grey of predawn, then slowly, almost imperceptibly, pinks and oranges and salmons bloomed on the eastern horizon. It was as if there was a flower garden in the sky and every morning was spring.
When it was done and the sun was above the line of buildings in the east, I got up, made my bed and then went to the ewer and washed the sleep from my eyes. Glancing briefly into the mirror that hung above the washstand, I smiled at my reflection. Tendrils of wispy red hair had escaped their nightly braided binding and floated around my head, giving me a somewhat angelic look, I thought. I turned from the mirror, hands busy loosening the braid and combed through the tangles with my fingers. Standing in front of my open wardrobe, thoughtfully chewing my lower lip as I selected the day's clothing, I rebound my hair, this time in a loose, messy knot that hung against the nape of my neck. Today, I would be seeing a few patients and doing work in the gardens, so a pair of worn and faded jeans and a soft button-down shirt were slipped on before I descended the two flights of stairs to the kitchen on the ground floor of the house.
My sister-in-law, Gemma was hard at work, preparing breakfast. There was bacon frying, eggs cooking, potatoes being kept warm in the oven, biscuits baking. I caught the unmistakable scent of coffee as well and knew that my brother, Nick, would come downstairs soon, rubbing at blurry eyes, scratching a chin that was in desperate need of a shave and running a hand through his too-long, shaggy hair.
I set the table, putting out three plates, two coffee mugs, one juice glass and three forks and knives. I put a pitcher of ice-cold apple cider on the table, along with butter and peach preserves. Then I sat, quietly discussing the day's work with Gemma - laundry, the weekly baking, cleaning the house, canning the excess vegetables to have during the winter.
Nick stumbled into the kitchen and took a seat at the table opposite me, bleary eyed and rumpled from sleep, exactly as I'd expected. Gemma put a mug of coffee in front of him, and then added a plate heaped with bacon, fried eggs, potatoes and two biscuits, and I nudged the preserves over to him with my elbow. He grunted his thanks and then began eating, a sign that he was pleased. Gemma and I exchanged a smile and then joined him. We were silent as we broke our fast earnestly, the only sounds that filled the kitchen the occasional scrape of utensils against plates.
Nick cleared his plate and sat back, cradling his coffee in one hand, the other idly tracing the grain of the wood in the table. Gemma and I exchanged a look. Nick's behaviour could mean only one thing; he'd had a Dream the night before and was reluctant to bring it up.
"Well," I prompted him, spreading a thick layer of preserves on one half of a biscuit before taking a big bite. Gemma smirked, knowing the question would annoy her husband. He liked doing things in his own way, in his own time.
Nick frowned at us both and drained his coffee before sitting forward, his elbows on the table, drawing a disapproving look from Gemma. "I had a Dream last night, Ali," he said in a conspiratorial voice, as if it was some big, secret revelation.
"I know, Nick," I replied, disinterestedly. I really was excited to hear the Dream, but didn't want my interest to go to Nick's head. He had enough trouble fitting through doorways as it was now. Gemma hid another smirk behind the rim of her coffee cup.
"Oh' Well, then you don't need to hear what I Dreamt, do you? If you know so much already," he said petulantly, childishly pouting that I had ruined his grand announcement.
"Come on, Nick. Out with it. You know we're all sitting on the very edges of our seats, giddy with anticipation. Don't prolong the suspense!" Gemma replied, tongue firmly in cheek.
Nick gave his wife a bland look and then pushed a stray bit of potato around his plate, drawing out the moment for as long as possible. When he sensed that we were fairly bursting with impatience, he grinned smugly, knowing he had us on the hook. "There's someone coming through nexus, Ali. Someone important," he intoned gravely.
My brows shot up in surprise. "Who, Nick" Who's coming" Why are they important?"
"A Knight from a foreign land. He'll arrive hurt, confused, in pain. He'll need you to help him, Ali. In fact, he'll depend upon it."
I blanched and glanced down at my hands, which were gripping the edge of the table in front of me tightly. "My help, Nick" But..." I trailed off and looked up at my brother, pain and anguish in the sky blue depths of my eyes. He gave me a soft, supportive smile and reached out, laying his hand over mine. I closed my eyes against the vision his touch brought - the first time he saw me, the day I was born. Was this the way he always saw me" Tiny, weak, defenseless" Then I realised that it was the moment that he'd promised himself that he'd always take care of me and look out for me no matter what.
"He'll help you, too, Ali," Nick said softly. "That I promise. I've Seen it, after all," he added confidently.
I frowned softly, looking back down at my hands, mulling over my brother's words. Help me" How" By taking away my Gift' That would be...well, that would just be beyond phenomenal. But I wouldn't, couldn't be that lucky. Maybe he'd teach me to control it somehow. One corner of my mouth curled in a lop-sided grin as I considered this. Control would mean I wouldn't have to wear gloves outside the farm. Control would mean being able to actually touch my patients without fear of discovering their deepest, hidden secrets. I sighed softly.
"But, you'll have to go to the Inn to retrieve him," Nick said wickedly. "And since I wasn't shown when he'd come, you'll have to go every night until he shows up." This news was delivered with only the tiniest hint of malicious glee. He and our late father had worked hard to keep me from visiting the Red Dragon Inn, in the interests of keeping me out of harm's way. Someone with my particular Gift would certainly have a hard time of it in such a place. They'd painted the building black in my mind - devils and demons cavorting nightly, debauchery on the bar's counter top, all sorts of lewd and anti-social behaviour happening upstairs in the rooms for let. And now....Now I would be forced to go there every day until the Knight made his appearance. Nick was practically vibrating with the delicious irony of this fact. He loved me, but there were times when he thought I needed a healthy dose of sibling torture.
My mouth gaped, my chin wagging on my chest. Gemma swatted Nick, murmuring something about not teasing his little sister, and then said to me, "Catching flies, Aliss Evelyn?" I shut my mouth promptly, colouring at Gemma's comment. She laughed and then she rose from the table and began clearing away the breakfast dishes while Nick and I further discussed Nick's Dream.
"Do I have to go to the Inn, Nick" Couldn't you do it' Please?" I wheedled and whined and pleaded but Nick was firm - it had to be me. I had to be the one to help the Knight after his violent and surprising arrival in Rhydin. My face had to be the first he saw; Nick was adamant in this. I finally, after much arguing, agreed and left the table, going out to my gardens and losing myself for the remainder of the day in the quiet of plants. I'd begin my nightly vigil at the loathsome Red Dragon that night.
When it was done and the sun was above the line of buildings in the east, I got up, made my bed and then went to the ewer and washed the sleep from my eyes. Glancing briefly into the mirror that hung above the washstand, I smiled at my reflection. Tendrils of wispy red hair had escaped their nightly braided binding and floated around my head, giving me a somewhat angelic look, I thought. I turned from the mirror, hands busy loosening the braid and combed through the tangles with my fingers. Standing in front of my open wardrobe, thoughtfully chewing my lower lip as I selected the day's clothing, I rebound my hair, this time in a loose, messy knot that hung against the nape of my neck. Today, I would be seeing a few patients and doing work in the gardens, so a pair of worn and faded jeans and a soft button-down shirt were slipped on before I descended the two flights of stairs to the kitchen on the ground floor of the house.
My sister-in-law, Gemma was hard at work, preparing breakfast. There was bacon frying, eggs cooking, potatoes being kept warm in the oven, biscuits baking. I caught the unmistakable scent of coffee as well and knew that my brother, Nick, would come downstairs soon, rubbing at blurry eyes, scratching a chin that was in desperate need of a shave and running a hand through his too-long, shaggy hair.
I set the table, putting out three plates, two coffee mugs, one juice glass and three forks and knives. I put a pitcher of ice-cold apple cider on the table, along with butter and peach preserves. Then I sat, quietly discussing the day's work with Gemma - laundry, the weekly baking, cleaning the house, canning the excess vegetables to have during the winter.
Nick stumbled into the kitchen and took a seat at the table opposite me, bleary eyed and rumpled from sleep, exactly as I'd expected. Gemma put a mug of coffee in front of him, and then added a plate heaped with bacon, fried eggs, potatoes and two biscuits, and I nudged the preserves over to him with my elbow. He grunted his thanks and then began eating, a sign that he was pleased. Gemma and I exchanged a smile and then joined him. We were silent as we broke our fast earnestly, the only sounds that filled the kitchen the occasional scrape of utensils against plates.
Nick cleared his plate and sat back, cradling his coffee in one hand, the other idly tracing the grain of the wood in the table. Gemma and I exchanged a look. Nick's behaviour could mean only one thing; he'd had a Dream the night before and was reluctant to bring it up.
"Well," I prompted him, spreading a thick layer of preserves on one half of a biscuit before taking a big bite. Gemma smirked, knowing the question would annoy her husband. He liked doing things in his own way, in his own time.
Nick frowned at us both and drained his coffee before sitting forward, his elbows on the table, drawing a disapproving look from Gemma. "I had a Dream last night, Ali," he said in a conspiratorial voice, as if it was some big, secret revelation.
"I know, Nick," I replied, disinterestedly. I really was excited to hear the Dream, but didn't want my interest to go to Nick's head. He had enough trouble fitting through doorways as it was now. Gemma hid another smirk behind the rim of her coffee cup.
"Oh' Well, then you don't need to hear what I Dreamt, do you? If you know so much already," he said petulantly, childishly pouting that I had ruined his grand announcement.
"Come on, Nick. Out with it. You know we're all sitting on the very edges of our seats, giddy with anticipation. Don't prolong the suspense!" Gemma replied, tongue firmly in cheek.
Nick gave his wife a bland look and then pushed a stray bit of potato around his plate, drawing out the moment for as long as possible. When he sensed that we were fairly bursting with impatience, he grinned smugly, knowing he had us on the hook. "There's someone coming through nexus, Ali. Someone important," he intoned gravely.
My brows shot up in surprise. "Who, Nick" Who's coming" Why are they important?"
"A Knight from a foreign land. He'll arrive hurt, confused, in pain. He'll need you to help him, Ali. In fact, he'll depend upon it."
I blanched and glanced down at my hands, which were gripping the edge of the table in front of me tightly. "My help, Nick" But..." I trailed off and looked up at my brother, pain and anguish in the sky blue depths of my eyes. He gave me a soft, supportive smile and reached out, laying his hand over mine. I closed my eyes against the vision his touch brought - the first time he saw me, the day I was born. Was this the way he always saw me" Tiny, weak, defenseless" Then I realised that it was the moment that he'd promised himself that he'd always take care of me and look out for me no matter what.
"He'll help you, too, Ali," Nick said softly. "That I promise. I've Seen it, after all," he added confidently.
I frowned softly, looking back down at my hands, mulling over my brother's words. Help me" How" By taking away my Gift' That would be...well, that would just be beyond phenomenal. But I wouldn't, couldn't be that lucky. Maybe he'd teach me to control it somehow. One corner of my mouth curled in a lop-sided grin as I considered this. Control would mean I wouldn't have to wear gloves outside the farm. Control would mean being able to actually touch my patients without fear of discovering their deepest, hidden secrets. I sighed softly.
"But, you'll have to go to the Inn to retrieve him," Nick said wickedly. "And since I wasn't shown when he'd come, you'll have to go every night until he shows up." This news was delivered with only the tiniest hint of malicious glee. He and our late father had worked hard to keep me from visiting the Red Dragon Inn, in the interests of keeping me out of harm's way. Someone with my particular Gift would certainly have a hard time of it in such a place. They'd painted the building black in my mind - devils and demons cavorting nightly, debauchery on the bar's counter top, all sorts of lewd and anti-social behaviour happening upstairs in the rooms for let. And now....Now I would be forced to go there every day until the Knight made his appearance. Nick was practically vibrating with the delicious irony of this fact. He loved me, but there were times when he thought I needed a healthy dose of sibling torture.
My mouth gaped, my chin wagging on my chest. Gemma swatted Nick, murmuring something about not teasing his little sister, and then said to me, "Catching flies, Aliss Evelyn?" I shut my mouth promptly, colouring at Gemma's comment. She laughed and then she rose from the table and began clearing away the breakfast dishes while Nick and I further discussed Nick's Dream.
"Do I have to go to the Inn, Nick" Couldn't you do it' Please?" I wheedled and whined and pleaded but Nick was firm - it had to be me. I had to be the one to help the Knight after his violent and surprising arrival in Rhydin. My face had to be the first he saw; Nick was adamant in this. I finally, after much arguing, agreed and left the table, going out to my gardens and losing myself for the remainder of the day in the quiet of plants. I'd begin my nightly vigil at the loathsome Red Dragon that night.