The Underworld
Chapter 4 ~ Rosetta
Bryony and Rosetta approached a tall whitewashed building in the dark. A warm glow emanated from an upstairs window of the house. The two girls ascended the staircase quietly and opened a door into a small, homelike apartment with comfortable furnishings and pastel colours painted on the wall. A small girl slept in a trundle bed in the corner of the room and two friendly looking adults sat on wooden chairs around a fireplace on the far side of the room.
"It isn't much but it's home." Rosetta said with a warm tone heavy with love and affection. "Ma, Da, this is Bryony. I met her a' tha' Dove and she's a friend who needs a plece ti stay for awhile. Is it alright if we give 'er a roof o'er her head an' a bed for a time?"
The motherly looking woman smiled and her face creased into congenial wrinkles that lit up her face with kindness and caring. It was a face that spoke volumes about how she had a hard life, but appreciated the little aspects and loved her family very much. Bryony didn't even realize she noticed these odd things anymore. Since she was a child she had been mildly clairvoyant and could discover things about people others couldn't. Her friends had come to know this and trusted her instincts, which were usually right.
The woman spoke with a voice that sounded like warm milk with honey, soft and sweet. "Oh yes, m'dearie that sounds fine wi' me. Mithros knows, we've sheltered enough weary gaels like yourself that another wi' make no difference. We're glad to do the good work an' lend a helpin' hand to those in need of it. Welcome to my home." Her brow furrowed for a second then the woman realized she had forgotten to introduce herself. "Oh yes, lassie. Please call me Mum. Ev'ryone does, so it'll make narry a difference."
Bryony curtsied with tears in her eyes and a soft spot in her heart. Though she had only known these people for five minutes, she could clearly see they had hearts in the right places. "Oh thank you Ma'am, I mean Mum," she grinned sheepishly and was rewarded with chuckled, "I thank you ever so much for your boundless generosity. You can't possibly realize how much it means to me."
This time the man responded. He also seemed friendly with an aura of protective, fatherly love about him. He wasn't the sort of man who had come for Bryony's services at the brothel. "Oh, we know it's helping. This isn't the first time we've given a poor young thing like yourself somewhere to spend the night. It's only the right thing to do, we could never turn you out on the street at night. We know the horrid things that go on out there."
Bryony fought hard to control her composure but an inkling of facial expression must have leaked onto her visage, because she saw these people give her sympathetic looks. "They know!" she thought ashamedly. "I'll never be able to look them in the eyes again!".
Rosetta patted her new friend on the shoulder lovingly. "Oh Bryony, we won't ever hold it against ya' what some mean ol' witch made 'ya do to earn some bread and water. Lots of girls like yourself started off on the streets but made their way to better professions with a little help. It's nothin' to be embarassed about. Some of the tavern wenches a' the Dove used to be one. Some people will look down on 'ye o' course, but those are the rude 'uns who dun have an inklin' of wha' it's like to live in tha gutter."
Bryony was comfortd by these nice people's support. It meant a lot to her. She yawned widely. It had been a busy day.
"Oh my, lookee here! It seems to me we have two sleepy gaels on our hands, Fredrick!" Mum said with amusement in her voice.
Pa laughed and agreed, "Yuppers. It looks loike you're right Martha, I'm athinkin' tha' they might wanna high tail it to the loft, do you think so too?"
With a giggle, Rosetta tugged on Bryony's collar and they raced up the attic stairs and tumbled down on the soft straw-filled mattress to have sweet dreams. The moonlight shone down brightly through the glass paned window, which was the pride of Fredrick and Martha, on two contented, rosy-cheeked figures fast asleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Aww, isn't that sweet. Review please! Or else I will not continue. I've decided that this will end like a Tortallan Cinderella story. Give your feedback, ideas and constructive criticisms.
Chapter 4 ~ Rosetta
Bryony and Rosetta approached a tall whitewashed building in the dark. A warm glow emanated from an upstairs window of the house. The two girls ascended the staircase quietly and opened a door into a small, homelike apartment with comfortable furnishings and pastel colours painted on the wall. A small girl slept in a trundle bed in the corner of the room and two friendly looking adults sat on wooden chairs around a fireplace on the far side of the room.
"It isn't much but it's home." Rosetta said with a warm tone heavy with love and affection. "Ma, Da, this is Bryony. I met her a' tha' Dove and she's a friend who needs a plece ti stay for awhile. Is it alright if we give 'er a roof o'er her head an' a bed for a time?"
The motherly looking woman smiled and her face creased into congenial wrinkles that lit up her face with kindness and caring. It was a face that spoke volumes about how she had a hard life, but appreciated the little aspects and loved her family very much. Bryony didn't even realize she noticed these odd things anymore. Since she was a child she had been mildly clairvoyant and could discover things about people others couldn't. Her friends had come to know this and trusted her instincts, which were usually right.
The woman spoke with a voice that sounded like warm milk with honey, soft and sweet. "Oh yes, m'dearie that sounds fine wi' me. Mithros knows, we've sheltered enough weary gaels like yourself that another wi' make no difference. We're glad to do the good work an' lend a helpin' hand to those in need of it. Welcome to my home." Her brow furrowed for a second then the woman realized she had forgotten to introduce herself. "Oh yes, lassie. Please call me Mum. Ev'ryone does, so it'll make narry a difference."
Bryony curtsied with tears in her eyes and a soft spot in her heart. Though she had only known these people for five minutes, she could clearly see they had hearts in the right places. "Oh thank you Ma'am, I mean Mum," she grinned sheepishly and was rewarded with chuckled, "I thank you ever so much for your boundless generosity. You can't possibly realize how much it means to me."
This time the man responded. He also seemed friendly with an aura of protective, fatherly love about him. He wasn't the sort of man who had come for Bryony's services at the brothel. "Oh, we know it's helping. This isn't the first time we've given a poor young thing like yourself somewhere to spend the night. It's only the right thing to do, we could never turn you out on the street at night. We know the horrid things that go on out there."
Bryony fought hard to control her composure but an inkling of facial expression must have leaked onto her visage, because she saw these people give her sympathetic looks. "They know!" she thought ashamedly. "I'll never be able to look them in the eyes again!".
Rosetta patted her new friend on the shoulder lovingly. "Oh Bryony, we won't ever hold it against ya' what some mean ol' witch made 'ya do to earn some bread and water. Lots of girls like yourself started off on the streets but made their way to better professions with a little help. It's nothin' to be embarassed about. Some of the tavern wenches a' the Dove used to be one. Some people will look down on 'ye o' course, but those are the rude 'uns who dun have an inklin' of wha' it's like to live in tha gutter."
Bryony was comfortd by these nice people's support. It meant a lot to her. She yawned widely. It had been a busy day.
"Oh my, lookee here! It seems to me we have two sleepy gaels on our hands, Fredrick!" Mum said with amusement in her voice.
Pa laughed and agreed, "Yuppers. It looks loike you're right Martha, I'm athinkin' tha' they might wanna high tail it to the loft, do you think so too?"
With a giggle, Rosetta tugged on Bryony's collar and they raced up the attic stairs and tumbled down on the soft straw-filled mattress to have sweet dreams. The moonlight shone down brightly through the glass paned window, which was the pride of Fredrick and Martha, on two contented, rosy-cheeked figures fast asleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Aww, isn't that sweet. Review please! Or else I will not continue. I've decided that this will end like a Tortallan Cinderella story. Give your feedback, ideas and constructive criticisms.
