(A/N: Mr. Shortman92, don't fret too much. I haven't revealed what happened to Sofia. There are hints here and there but not the full story. Not for some time anyways. So don't worry. You didn't miss anything. As to Sofia dressing differently- that's an outward manifestation of her emotional turmoil.
Allyrwhitney, are you having Cedric withdrawals?
I own nothing!)
Mere weeks ago
The young man pulled his cloak tightly around his shoulders as he walked outside. He'd started going on evening walks to wear himself out. But it was going to take a very long walk to settle down this time.
He'd taken a letter to the postmaster in hopes that he'd actually get a response. He wasn't sure why though. None of the previous letters he'd written had been answered. He was beginning to think she didn't love him at all.
A soft sound caught his attention as he came close to a river. It sounded like a gasp. He looked around but saw nothing. Maybe years of isolation was finally getting to him.
The gasping sound was heard again. He looked around again. Then he saw it.
Or rather, her.
His pity party abruptly ended as the young man saw the downed young woman just a bit further down on the river bank. He got to the young woman and looked her over. She was wet and muddy and unconscious.
He lifted her up gently, surprised at how light she was, and started walking as fast as he could back to the cabin. Time was of the essence. The young woman in his arms was starting to pale and turn blue from the cold.
oOo
Sofia smiled softly as she mounted Minimus. She had just spent the morning at the orphanage. As usual, the children had enjoyed her visit and the gifts she brought. Despite her worrying about the number of blankets she was bringing, Sofia had actually enough to make sure the children who hadn't received one got one. And there were a few extra too.
I'm not ready to go home.
"Minimus, what do you say we go for a short ride before going home?"
Minimus snorted. Sofia smiled and set her beloved steed into motion. She went onto a path in the forest that surrounded the village. The path wasn't as clean as it could be, the winter weather considered, but both rider and horse knew the path and the forest fairly well. As Sofia went down the way, she eyed a pathway she hadn't ever taken.
Why does it look so familiar then?
"Whoa Minimus."
Sofia continued to stare at the pathway. After a moment, she nudged Minimus towards it at a slow pace. Sofia looked around wide eyed at the forest surrounding her. Despite the fact that the young lady hadn't been in this particular area of the forest, it looked vaguely familiar. After a while, the pathway came by a riverbank.
Sofia stared wide eyed at the river.
"Minimus, could this be the place where you threw me a few weeks ago?"
The horse didn't respond. Sofia nudged him forward. The farther along the river path they went, the stronger the feelings of eerie familiarity increased.
"You seem to have a wish to be in danger Little Girl. That pathway gets treacherous when it storms."
Sofia about jumped out of the saddle at the sound of a familiar voice. She looked to her left and saw a familiar horse and rider half hidden by a big tree.
"Cedric, so good to see you again." Sofia smiled. "You were right. My foot wasn't broken. Just a minor sprain. It healed very well. How have you been?"
Cedric nudged his horse forward so he could be better seen and better see the young lady in front of him. He raised an eyebrow amusedly when he saw that Sofia was not riding side saddle as was expected of ladies, nor was her riding outfit something that would be considered proper.
"I am well. It's good your foot has healed. Now why is a lady such as yourself out in the forests by herself? Surely as the daughter of a well respected gentleman and the mayor, you ought to have a trusted escort, especially if you insist on riding into forests. It wasn't far from here I found you."
Sofia smiled softly. "I should. My parents would probably feel better if I did, but I don't like having an escort. I much rather ride by myself."
"Not even with a beau? Surely you would have a young suitor interested in going for rides with you."
Sofia shook her head. "I do not have a beau."
"What of female friends who could ride with you?"
Sofia's expression turned sorrowful. A tear slid down her cheek.
"I don't have many friends. The really good friends I do have live a ways away from Cantata Hall and aren't higher ranked. The elite make a sport of cruelly gossiping about my mother and me just because we were very poor before my father married my mom. My father tries to get them to stop but sometimes it only seems to make them gossip even more. It makes it hard to find good friends when people's minds are poisoned with false information and gossip. The worst of it started shortly after I turned sixteen and potential suitors didn't like what they saw."
Cedric's heart clenched. He knew that feeling all too well. Outrageous rumors had commandeered his life for a very long time. The worst ones had cost him dearly.
"I think those vultures don't know what they're talking about."
Sofia smiled. "Thank you. Will you ride back to Cantata Hall with me? My parents want to meet you. I think they want to thank you for your great kindness a few weeks ago."
Cedric shook his head. "Not today. I need to return to the cabin. Wormwood will make quite the mess of things if he gets left unattended for too long."
Sofia chuckled. "I still can't figure out why you keep a raven in your home. What good could come out of having a wild animal in a place meant for human inhabitation?"
Cedric smiled back. "Wild animals don't judge you by what others say about you."
"So you've been cruelly gossiped about too?" Sofia looked at him in sympathy.
"My whole life."
"How did you deal with those, as you call them, vultures?"
Cedric shook his head. "Who said I could?"
"I guess that makes two of us who can't catch a break from them. I better let you get back home to check on that crazy raven. I hope to see you around again. And that sooner or later, you'll come meet my parents. They really do want to meet you."
Do they even know who really rescued their daughter?
Cedric forced a smile. "That will be on my own terms. I'd prefer you didn't show them the way to my cabin."
"Of course," Sofia nodded.
Sofia turned Minimus and nudged him into motion. Cedric stared after the young lady.
Ah, screw that raven. He doesn't really do that much damage from his cage.
Sticking to the shadows, Cedric followed Sofia until she exited the forest and was on a proper roadway. Once she was out of sight, Cedric turned back towards the village and hurried his horse there.
In the village, he entered a bakery, one he knew was run by an average, common, but kind, family. He went up to the counter and placed five gold coins on the counter, keeping his fingers over them. The baker looked at him intrigued.
"How may I help you, Good Sir?" The baker tried not to look too interested in the money on the counter but the coins would be very helpful in keeping his family well cared for.
"What do you know about Mayor Cyning's daughter Sofia? The truth and not that cruel gossip about her."
The baker looked at the visitor, eyes wide at the unexpected request.