The afternoon wore on and they continued their journey and as the skies began to gain an amber hue in its azure skies she could see the small city laid out before them with a stone tower that seemed to be leaning over them to guard them. Ezlan led her down the cobblestone streets to an area filled with small cottages and fenced off backyards. Each one had been poorly painted, but still held a kind of warm charm to them. She followed him until they stood by a small wooden cottage made of an old dark wood.
With a sigh Ezlan took out an old iron key unlocked the heavy oak door to his cottage. Arabel looked at the structure carefully. It was simple and well built with hardwood logs and plastered with a type of clay. Nothing like the mansion she had lived in her whole life, but as the last few days had shown her that kind of life was over for her. There was a look of shame on Ezlans face as he began to swing open the door, the scarlet color clashing with his blond hair. Shame did not seem to match this man's disposition and it made Arabel's heart sink.
"I'm sorry this isn't much or what you're used to but it's safe here." He said stepping through the doorway and holding the door open so that she could enter. It had a flagstone floor with a fireplace off to the far right wall with a variety of cookware and a cauldron hanging from a hook that hung over where the fire would be lit and a small stove built into the side of the fireplace. On the back wall there was another door that led into a small backyard and an indoor water pump and basin with cupboards above it.
There wasn't much for furniture except a single table with a few chairs around it and a single large bed. To Arabels surprise it had been made before he left and was covered with a warm looking quilt that had random colored patches. It didn't quite match the warm color of the one roomed cottage. Ezlan dropped his gear on the floor next to the door and he gestured for her to sit.
"Make yourself comfortable." He said softly.
"Are you okay?" The scarlet color on his face spread.
"I'm not used to having someone who has been well off come here." Arabel shook her head.
"Ezlan, look at me. My clothes are in tatters and I'm on the run from slavers. I owe you a great deal for bringing me into your home. I'm not going to judge you just because the other day someone was dressing me. Besides you said that you had been from a wealthy family once too, did you not?" He watched her silently for a time, before letting out a soft sigh.
"You are by far less judgmental than I was starting into this mess." He said placing one arm behind his back and one across his front bowing slightly to her. She felt herself smile. Despite the scars and the weathered skin he was still a gentleman. He sat down beside her at the table. "I suppose we should discuss what your plans are so that we can begin arrangements."
"Arrangements?" Arabel said softly. She hadn't thought of where to go from here, yes the convent was an option, but what did that open to her? The world was a vast place that she had just been thrown into, she hardly knew how to even care for herself, let alone any skills that would allow her to provide for herself. Would they really be able to provide her with those skills? Ezlan gave her a gentle smile and laid his hand over hers reassuringly.
"It's okay, it's a lot to think about. But for now you can stay with me until we can figure something out." He looked at the bed quietly. "I have a cot that I'll set up to sleep on. It's not as comfortable as the bed, but I'll be alright on it. We also need to get you some clothes." She picked up the hem of her dress with a sigh. "There's a seamstress in town we can sell the scraps to in exchange for some money or clothes. She is always looking for the more expensive kind of cloth and the lace on your sleeves still seems to be intact." Arabel played with the hem looking at the ornate lace. It was impressive that it had held up to such abuse in the woods.
"I suppose I don't have much of a choice. What about a goldsmith?" She said softly. She was sure that the simple gold band on her right hand and other pieces of delicate jewelry could provide her with some form of temporary income. Ezlan nodded.
"Yes, and the goldsmith too." He stood up from the table and went to the bed where he kneeled down and pulled out a drawer that had been hidden by the edge of the quilt. He pulled out a small dark rust colored tunic and a pair of trousers and laid them out on the table. "These are too small for me now but they might fit you. We can hem them if the legs are a bit long." Arabel laid her hands on the soft worn cloth. It was sturdy and had been softened with time, but nothing like the smooth luxurious clothes she had grown up wearing.
"Okay." Arabel said. "Please turn around." He nodded and turned away from her. For a moment he stood still in the middle of the room, but then he crossed the rest of the way to busy himself with starting a fire in the fireplace. Arabel reached behind herself and tried to undo the hundreds of small pearl buttons holding her into her dress with little avail. A blush ran across her face.
"Ezlan?" She saw his head lift up but he didn't turn around.
"What can I help you with?"
"I can't get the buttons undone and I need help." He stood obediently and came up behind her.
"You trust me to do this?" He said. His voice was audibly confused as he began to work on the top button. She could feel the rough skin of his finger hitting her skin.
"Do I have much of a choice?" She asked him, looking over her shoulder. She crossed her arms over her chest to hold the dress up as he made his way down her back. "It's true I don't know you, and I am in a bit of a predicament, but if you're the kind of person that I hope you are then yes, I trust you." He released the last button and stepped away.
"You're free my lady." He returned to his spot by the fireplace and when she heard the sound of the flint and steel she let the dress drop to the floor and began to change clothes.
As expected they were too big for her, but not as much as she had expected. But for now the looseness of the garments was more comforting as she didn't have the proper undergarments to hold herself into place and it gave her a more modest feeling. She could see the small orange flames catching the tinder as he blew gently on the sparks. She went to his side and watched as he slowly added scraps of paper and thinly cut pieces of wood. He noticed her staring.
"Have you tended a fire before?" He asked feeding more sticks to the small hungry flame.
"No, someone has always tended it for me."
"I figured as much." He picked the flint and steel back up to show her more closely. "When you strike the stone with the steel it causes sparks and you want to catch those small sparks on any dry material you might have. Some people make char cloth, sometimes you might have paper on hand, or even dry moss if you're out in the woods." He took the curved piece of steel and struck the stone several times until she could see a few tiny flecks of light fall down to the stone floor. He handed it to her to try. After several unsuccessful attempts at trying to get a few sparks he took it back from her. "You want to strike downwards and run the flat part along the stone as fast as you can." He said as he showed her again before handing it back to her. After a few more tries a few lone sparks flew to the floor. "There you go. It'll just take some practice."
Ezlan seemed satisfied by the strength of the flames and began to lay a few smaller logs onto them. They sat together quietly on the hearth watching the warm amber flames lick at the logs and listening to the soft crackle of the wood.
"Would you like some tea?" Ezlan said, breaking the silence. Tea, Arabel thought, maybe it will help me think straight?
"Yes, please." Ezlan got up to retrieve an iron kettle and filled it at the pump before swinging an iron hook towards himself so that he could hang it over the fire. Arabel laid her head against the edge of the fireplace watching the dancing flames letting them steal her thoughts. She didn't want to think, she didn't want to feel anymore, she just wanted to slip into the nothingness. The smiling face of her father escorting the two men into their home and offering her as payment for his debts so callously entered her mind and she felt her chest tighten. Was she nothing more than just a form of currency to him, someone that he should have cared for and protected? A few tears managed to escape and roll down her cheeks. She thought of her mother holding her when she had been small and how that embrace had felt like the safest most loving place in the world. She would give anything to be held by her mother like that right now. The ache gripped at her heart and the sobs began to wrack her body.
An unsuspecting warmth wrapped itself around her body as Ezlan draped a heavy blanket around her shoulders and sat close to her. She could see the pain reflected in his eyes, the recognition of the burning sting of betrayal by the ones you love. He knew that sting and that longing the feeling of a safe embrace was so strong that she threw herself forward into his arms.
Arabel could see the look of confusion cross his face before burying her face into his chest as she sobbed. Obeying her silent plea, Ezlan wrapped his arms around the sobbing woman and held her tightly to his chest. Time had dulled that pain, but he remembered and held her how he had wanted to be held so long ago.
Chapter 1 end
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