22This Silence is Personal
Shouts rang and music clanged under the starlight.
The very timbers shook with all the shouts off all the village folk. They danced, they sung, they played, they laughed and they shouted up at the sky. The air was thick with smoke, meat and the heady mix of wine. The freshly cleaned houses were bright with light. Every now and then, a person left the party in one house to go to another house-party, or join the party in a square, or even be forced to help with cleaning and cooking. There was plenty of happiness to go around and more than enough of inebriation. Even the mage, the warrior, and those three brothers got a tankard of wine, locked as they were in their cell until the City-guards came. It was a grand 'ol end to the story.
Yeah, it's a grand old end all right. Charlotte's stomach heaved into the toilet and the water splatter her lips. It started out as shit, and now I'm where the shit ends. She groaned as she stood up on shaky legs. The torch-light lit the beads of sweat on her neck and turned the moisture on her face to a noxious stew. The splash of water cooled her cheeks and helped to heal her chapped lips, but she would not trust it for her stomach. That spell still riddled with her body with nausea and aches. But, oh no, Samantha and Rebekah were grand. They were dancing, and laughing, and drinking, and getting up to all sorts of mischief.
They had wanted to stay and keep her company, but she had pushed them away. She'd rather not ruin their night and its best if at least some of them got to enjoy the party. And, you know, Samantha's happiness began to grate on her raw stomach.
She opened the bathroom door and blessed her coat for the chill it kept out. The curse she kept for all the sizzling meat and fragrant wine. I will not get sick. I will not get sick. I will not get sick.
'Mage Lady! Wait up!'
Charlotte scowled and walked quicker.
'Mage Lady! Stop right this instant!'
Charlotte recognized the voice and sped up even more. But she sighed and then stopped to allow her assailant to catch up with her.
Tears had marked the child's cheeks in crimson and ivory. A fresh cut scabbed atop her forehead. The smile, on the other hand, glittered her eyes and forced Charlotte to smile back. She wondered whether she should feel rage at that cut on her head, or if anything can get through the emptiness of her insides. 'Oh, I didn't hear you there. So, you managed to find your parents?'
'I did! They came back to my house and were some so, very happy about the defeat of that flasher and his gang. They didn't want me to leave their side, but I snuck away', her teeth showed in a mischievous grin, 'They're still out looking for me'.
'Silly parents. I'm glad I could help…blegh'.
'…Are you okay? Your looking like you ate the wrong meal?'
'No just my fu- um, naughty, stomach is acting up'.
She stared at Charlotte for a moment longer and then shook her head at the silliness of older folk. Charlotte on the other hand wanted nothing more than to curl on the floor. Preferably, she'd stay there until this illness had left her. Another option would be running away from the smell of cooking and be gone as fast as she could.
'I've got something for you, mage-lady'.
'Mmmm…What, did you say something?'
'You're payment. I was the one who called and I'll be the one who'll pay you'.
She blinked, 'But you're only five'.
'I'm eight and a half', she stomped her foot, 'And who else was going to call when everybody was taken by that gang…Idiot'
'I'm not an idiot…idiot'.
They both smiled at each other.
'My parents will be bringing my piggy bank'.
Oh no. By law, Charlotte could not accept any more than they payment that was offered when she took the job. Not even a red-cent off the local beggar, not even some money that she found on the floor, not even if they begged her to take their change.
'Did Adam know you were going to pay with your piggy bank?
'Yeah, I told him. For some reason he laughed and said he knew the woman for the job. Adults can be pretty weird'.
'You have no idea', she kneaded at the ache that had built in her forehead, 'It's okay kid, keep your money'.
'No, I. Want You. To Have It.'
Before she could answer a woman had stepped beside the little girl, 'Opel, how did you sneak off on us?'
'That's a secret'.
'Just…don't do it again. Is this one of the mages who saved the village?'
The woman had black hair, hawk eyes, and a nose as pointed as a dagger. But the smile on her face softened her features until Charlotte even felt like she wanted to smile.
'Yeah, Mommy, she's the woman that did this to me', Opel pointed at her forehead and all smiles stopped together.
'No I did not!'
'Yes you did! You flung me into the cupboard and shouted that you'd have to run or we'd both be caught.'
Charlotte winced, 'Woops'.
If her mother's lips had pursed even more than they would have been inside her mouth, 'I wish you'd handle my child with more delicacy'.
'Mom, I'm not a child!'
'Yes, you are', both her mother and Charlotte said and the air thawed slightly.
'I guess this is for you. I wish, everybody wishes, that we could give you more, but-'
'Thems the rules', contrary to her words Charlotte stepped back, 'but I can't take the money off Opel'.
'Take it. Do not burden my child with debt before she is an adult'.
'Mom!'
They both ignored her. Charlotte sighed and took the pink purse with the picture of a pig on it. One coin rubbed against her thumb, and then something…more? She frowned as the shape of a ring pressed against her palm. Opel mimed zipping her lips outside of her mother's view. Charlotte cleared the frown off her face and thanked the child's mother.
'Now, I need to go and, you know, vomit. Sayonara, kid'.
Charlotte began to walk, or perhaps hobble would be the best term, but she heard behind her a, 'Wait, mage lady'.
She turned just in time to catch the child's hug in her stomach. She didn't really know what to do, but the child stepped back with an embarrassed air, 'Mage-Lady, I want to be just like you when I grow up. I want to fight bandits, save families and defeat mages. I want to stop anybody from having to hide in a closet or worry about their parents never coming home. I wish I could have paid you more, but I swear, I'll repay you through the people I save. I want to be just like you'.
Charlotte smiled, 'No, kid, you want to be a hell of a lot better.
In the nearest shadows, outside the firelight, she opened that pink purse. Even in darkness that blood-red of the ring gleamed in her palm. All red of one piece, with jagged edges on the outside, it weighed heavier that she would have thought it would. Is this how you hid from the bandits? Ignoring every common sense of her world, she slipped that ring on her finger. She waited for a moment, but no sudden magic assailed her senses, or even a flutter in her stomach. I guess it's just a memento.
She kept to the shadows and avoided anybody's conversation. Right now, she'd rather lie down and die.
And, when she got back to the house the townsfolk had lent them, she saw that she wasn't the only one.
The sound of Samantha vomiting in the bathroom reached Charlotte in the hallway.
Rebekah sat in the settee and brushed her hair with languorous strokes. A towel covered her from shoulder to knees and the recent shower had turned her hair from ebony to coal, 'I did tell her not to drink. But she would not listen.'
Charlotte sat down and felt that familiar emptiness inside, 'I guess we're all prepared for the New Year'.
'Oh yes, it will be so much fun. Teaching students instead of being thought! Think of the possibilities! Think-'
'I'm not in the mood.'
'Oh…', Rebby's mouth shut and her shoulders hunched. Water beaded the area between her breasts. Charlotte's eyes lingered on those beads of water. Nothing stirred inside of her at that sight, but at that moment she wanted nothing more than to have Rebby's warmth hold her to know that someone gave a damn if she died.
'I'm sorry, but-'
'No, you don't have to explain. You must be still feeling a little sick. I'll leave you to get better.'
Rebby's bare feet whispered across the floor and left Charlotte alone. After a while, Samantha groaned her way out of the bathroom, spared a groan to say goodnight, and travelled her nauseating way to her bedroom.
The candles dripped until they ran dry. The sky had lightened from pitch dark to the first beginnings of morning.
Yet, Charlotte still stayed in the shadows. Still sat with that emptiness. And she got up with that emptiness and forced a smile atop her face.
'Come on Drunkard! Come on Rebby! Let's get a movin' to out our new jobs!'
A/N: Wow. I knew this was going to happen with Charlotte's character. But, wow, it was depressing. I'm kind of a bit annoyed at Charlotte now. Don't get me wrong, this is her character, but the meanness towards Rebby...
In my opinion it's realistic to her character, but I wish I could keep it completely light hearted.
In other news, I was planning on them being students, but I decided on them being beginner teachers. This is their summer work.
That's the end of this ARC! Next, we'll be seeing a city and going on a bit of a detour with some side characters. Probably Rebby and Samantha.