"May I help?" a voice asked from behind her, and Sarah turned to find Amelia standing in the doorway, leaning lightly against the doorjamb.
"What are you doing out of bed?" Sarah asked, moving over to Amelia's side.
"Well, Dr. Big Brother said I was to stay in my room for a couple of days, and it's been exactly two days," Amelia said with a smile.
"Trust you to take him literally," Sarah grinned.
Amelia nodded and moved away from the doorjamb, making her way over to the table and sitting down in a chair. She sighed, realizing that her walking around in her room had strengthened her a bit, but she still tired easily.
"So," she said as she regained her breath, "Need any help?"
"Actually, I do," Sarah replied, and handed Amelia a small paring knife and a basket of potatoes and carrots. "These need peeling."
Amelia eyed the knife for a moment, feeling as if something important were battering away at the gaps in her memory, but any time she tried to grasp it, it fluttered away, leaving a small headache in its wake along with several disturbing images of red blood.
"Are you sure," Amelia asked in a small voice, "that you trust me with a knife?"
"Surely you don't intend to harm yourself," Sarah stated.
"No, but you don't know if I might cause you harm. You did find me in blood covered clothing," Ameia replied, looking down.
"True, but you don't remember how that blood got there. Besides, I don't think you would harm us unless you were provoked."
"But....."
"Amelia," Sarah said, taking the young woman's hands in her own, while troubled blue eyes met compassionate green ones, "Don't complicate the matter. Take it one step at a time. We're going to concentrate on getting you healthy again, and then concentrate on regaining your memory."
Amelia gazed into the eyes of the woman who had taken her in, and felt tears of gratitude rush to her eyes. In order to hide them, she lowered her head and began to peel the vegetables.
"Amelia," Sarah said softly, putting her hands over those of the young woman, "You need to cut away from yourself; otherwise, you'll injure yourself."
"Oh," Amelia said, and blushed as she began peeling correctly.
"The boys should be in soon," Sarah said as she returned to her bread.
"They're up already? It's barely past dawn," Amelia said, startled.
"They've been up for a while. Planting season is coming on, and the fields need to be plowed and made ready for the seeds," Sarah replied.
"When I get stronger, I'll be able to help more," Amelia smiled.
The sound of a door opening stayed Sarah from replying, and then the twins entered the kitchen, discussing planting, animal care, and equipment care.
"Hey Mom, where's breakfast?" Daniel asked, then caught sight of Amelia at the table.
"What are you doing up?" Jonathan demanded, moving to Amelia's side.
"You said 'stay in my room for a couple of days', and it's been two days," Amelia repeated.
"I didn't mean that literally," Jon said, and made a move to pluck her from her chair and return her to her sick bed, but a gentle look from Sarah stopped him.
"I'm not getting any stronger staying in my bed locked away in my room," Amelia said, folding her arms and jutting her chin out stubbornly.
"All right, I know when I'm beat," Jonathan laughed, then moved to where he could look full into Amelia's face.
"What?" Amelia asked as he stared intently into her eyes for a moment.
"Just checking to see if your eyes are still clear and alert, which they are," Jon replied, before placing a hand on Amelia's forehead, then moving to caress her throat. "Good. Everything seems to be normal. Now, have you had any indication that your memory might be returning?"
Amelia shook her head, keeping the images of blood that had come to her as she had picked up the knife to herself. She didn't want to worry them, and she was a little afraid of what those images might truly
mean. She contented herself with idle chatter followed by questions about the farm as Sarah set down a hearty breakfast. She smiled as the twins dug into piles of cooked eggs and sausages, occasionally joining
in the fray as a small war broke out over the jam and biscuits. She felt another one of those tugs of memory, but this time she pushed it back, knowing that Sarah was right in that she needed to become healthy again before tackling the gaps. Once the twins finished, there was nothing left except a small disaster area, from which they excused themselves and headed out to continue preparing the fields for planting.
Amelia slowly moved around the kitchen and helped Sarah clean up the mess. While Sarah washed the dishes, Amelia wiped down the table and cabinets, stopping occasionally to rest and catch her breath.
"Don't overdo it, Amelia," Sarah chided as Amelia leaned against the counter.
"I'm all right," Amelia answered with a reassuring smile.
"Uh huh. And I suppose that you're really not as pale as my sheets and that's just water that's beading your forehead," Sarah said with an arched eyebrow.
"I am a little tired, but I'll be all right," Amelia said again, then looked down at herself as she seemed to realize something. Flushing, she looked back at Sarah. "Um, Sarah?"
"Hmmm?" Sarah asked, having turned her attention back to drying the dishes.
"Is there a dress or something I can borrow? This shirt comes down to my knees, but, well.....," Amelia trailed off, a little embarrassed.
Sarah turned and looked again at Amelia, and had to fight to suppress a grin at how Amelia looked like a forlorn little girl in that oversized shirt. "I see," she said, pleased that her voice didn't tremble with
suppressed laughter. "If you'll continue peeling those vegetables, I'll go see if I can find you a dress."
Sarah turned and left the kitchen, while Amelia bent once again over the task of peeling the top layer of skin off the veggies. She had finished ten potatoes when Sarah re-entered the kitchen with some cloth hanging over her arm.
"Here, stand up and let's see how this dress measures against you," she said, directing Amelia to a patch of sunlight. She then shook out the dress and held it up against Amelia's front, her brow furrowed in
concentration. After a moment, she smiled and told Amelia to try the dress on so that she could see how the length fit. Amelia grinned and made her way carefully out of the kitchen and back up to her room. Once
she was there, she didn't hesitate to pull the oversized shirt off and toss it on her bed. She then turned to the pile of dark blue cloth that Sarah had given her, and carefully pulled it on over her head. Once she finished tying some of the ribbons into bows, she turned and looked at herself in the full length mirror that hung on the back of her door. The dress was longer than she had thought, and the hem dragged along the ground, but the rest of the dress was a good fit. Amelia smiled at her reflection, liking the way the dress looked on her and brought out the color of her eyes. It was made of homespun cotton, with a gentle sloping neckline and loose sleeves that reached to her elbows. The dressed nipped in at her waist and hung loosely down her legs, giving room to move about comfortably. She tied on the white waist apron that Sarah had included, giving a little relief to the steady continuous blue of the material. With a happy giggle, Amelia scooped up the dragging hem of the dress, and made her way back down to the kitchen.
Sarah turned when she heard Amelia coming down the stairs, and smiled in appreciation when the young woman came slowly into the kitchen. The dress fit Amelia perfectly, showing off her figure in a very flattering way without inviting unwanted attentions.
"The hem's a little long," Amelia said, and dropped it so that Sarah could see what she was talking about.
"Hmmm, that shouldn't be too hard to fix. Over all, though, I'd say this dress is perfect for you. Do you like it?"
"Very much!" Amelia replied with a happy grin.
"All right, go put the shirt back on, and I'll come up to teach you how to hem clothing. I think you've had enough excitement for one day," Sarah instructed.
"But I want to help you," Amelia said with a pleading look.
"You'll be more help if you rest some more. You're white as a sheet again, and I'm sure that all that moving up and down the stairs has nearly done you in," Sarah replied.
Amelia nodded, and once again returned to her room. Sarah came up shortly after Amelia had climbed back in the bed, and proceeded to instruct Amelia on how to shorten up a dress hem. After a few minutes, she handed the dress to Amelia and watched as the young woman began to ply needle and thread to her new dress.
"You're certainly a fast learner," Sarah complimented after watching Amelia not commit a single mistake in five minutes.
"You're a good teacher," Amelia replied with a smile.
"Thank you. If you think you'll be all right, I'm going to finish getting lunch ready."
Amelia nodded absentmindedly, her entire focus on the needle and thread that she had in her hands, determined to not make a single mistake in her given task.
*************************
The next day, Amelia donned her new dress and once again made
her way down the stairs to the kitchen. The hem now reached slightly
above her ankles, and she found that walking was much easier than she had
thought it would be. All she needed now were shoes to protect her
feet, and she'd be able to venture out doors for some fresh air.
She had a happy grin on her face as she walked into the kitchen
and greeted Sarah with a cheerful, "Good morning!"
"Good morning, Amelia! Oh my, you did a splendid job on
the hem! It's nice and even," Sarah complimented as she turned away
from where she was cracking open some eggs.
"Thank you," Amelia replied, and sat down at the table while
Sarah brought her over some more vegetables to peel. "Do you think
there's a chance I can find some shoes that will fit?"
"I think we can find you something," Sarah said with a smile.
"The twins will be coming in soon, would you like to go outside today?
It looks like it's going to be near perfect weather."
"I would love to!" Amelia cried happily, and began peeling the
vegetables, humming slightly under her breath.
Right when Sarah had the table set, there came the sound of
four feet trampling over the porch.
"Perfect timing," Sarah laughed. "I've never known those
two to be late for a meal."
"Hey, Mom! We got them!" Jonathan said as he entered the
kitchen.
"'Morning, Amelia! You look really nice in Ashley's old
dress."
"She sure does," Daniel said with a twinkle in his eye.
"She'll look even better wearing these."
So saying, he pulled a pair of shoes out of a burlap sack, and
set them on the table. Amelia stared at them, her jaw hanging near
her knees.
"Wh-where, when," she stuttered.
"We picked them up this morning," Jonathan said. "We got
your foot size from those shoes we found you in, and the cobbler worked
on them over the last few days. They should fit."
With a grin that nearly split her face, Amelia easily slipped
her foot into the shoe, and then showed off its perfect fit. "I'm
ready to go outside!" she giggled as she tied on the other shoe.
"They fit great," Jonathan said, eyeing her foot critically.
"Now we just have to make sure that you don't get any blisters."
"Trust you to worry about that, Dr. Rezo," Daniel grinned.
"Rezo?" Amelia asked, her head snapping up as a warning bell
sounded in her head.
"Yeah, I like to call Jon that because he's always wanting to
heal everyone, like Rezo, the Red Priest used to do," Daniel explained,
but Jonathan was peering at Amelia intently.
"What is it, Amelia?"
"I don't know, but that name, it sounds familiar," Amelia said,
furrowing her brow.
"Don't strain, you'll only give yourself a headache. It'll
come to you someday," Jonathan said, giving Amelia a reassuring smile.
"Are you sure?" Amelia asked, glancing down at her clenched
hands.
"I'm sure. You've just got to give yourself time, that's
all," Jonathan said. "In the meantime, I'm starved! Let's eat!"
"Sometimes I think you've got a bottomless pit down there, Jon,"
Daniel teased as Sarah and Amelia brought the food to the table and everyone
dug in.
Once the twins had finished, they headed back outside while
Sarah and Amelia cleaned up the kitchen.
"Sarah, can I ask you a question?" Amelia asked.
"Sure, what is it?"
"Well, um, what happened to Mr. Coddle? Will I get to
meet him?"
Sarah paused for a second, then said quietly, "He's dead."
"I'm so sorry!" Amelia cried, feeling horrible for bringing
up the subject.
"No, it's all right. It's only logical that you would
ask. He was killed five years ago when some land raiders took it
into their heads to try and steal our ranch. My husband took out
most of them, but they had managed to wound him before they left.
He died a few weeks later from an infection," Sarah finished, her voice
soft.
"I never should have asked," Amelia moaned.
"No, no, it's all right," Sarah replied with a small smile.
"It was years ago. Now, I think you're itching to go outside, aren't
you?"
Amelia smiled sheepishly, and asked, "Am I that obvious?"
"The twinkle in your eye gave you away. There's a large
shade tree not far from here. I think you'll be able to walk there
easily, and you can sit in the shade while you rest before coming back."
"That sounds wonderful! Thank you, Sarah," Amelia said,
giving the woman a hug before making her way out of the kitchen.
She stepped through the front door, and took a deep breath. The air
smelled and tasted fresh and clean, and Amelia filled her lungs with it.
She stepped off the porch and into the sunlight, feeling her spirits lift
as her back slowly began to warm from the sun's rays. Looking around,
she spotted the large tree that Sarah had mentioned, and slowly began walking
in its direction. She gazed around the farm as she walked toward
the tree, and couldn't help but be impressed by the sheer size of the ranch.
Waves of green grass stretched for as far as she could see, broken only
by plowed fields of rich brown dirt. She saw Jonathan and Daniel
waving at her in the distance, and she waved back as she
continued on her way to the shade tree. When she reached the
base of the tree, she felt a little tired but not
as tired as she had been feeling lately. All the moving around
seemed to be helping her to regain her strength. Amelia smiled happily,
thinking about how she would help out more on the farm once she was
fully recovered. Amelia sat down in the shade, and leaned her
back against the trunk of the tree. She gazed into the distance,
and thought over what Sarah had told her. It must have been awful
to have raised three kids on her own and to see her husband murdered.
Amelia found that she admired Sarah greatly for hanging onto the ranch
and working with the twins to make it as prosperous as it is.
Amelia glanced down beside her, and her eyes caught a sparkle
in the grass. She reached down and picked up a small, shiny, blue
stone. She gazed at it, moving it around as she tried to figure out
why the
color looked so familiar to her. She finally gave up with a shrug
and put the stone into the pocket of her dress. She then leaned her
head back against the bark of the tree, and closed her eyes as a wave of
sleepiness swept over her. Within minutes, she was sound asleep.
She didn't know how long it had been since she had fallen asleep
when she was jerked awake by rough hands yanking her to her feet.
She blinked as her fuzzy brain registered that she was being partially
dragged, partially led back in the direction of the house. Her
mind began to writhe with faint images and feelings, the most prevalent
of which were feeling helpless and alone. She stumbled as the hand
on her wrist suddenly let go and shoved her in the back, but she was saved
from a fall by warm hands clasping her arms and holding her upright.
"There was no call for you to be so rough with our sister!"
she vaguely heard a voice say.
With a great effort, Amelia brought her rampaging mind under
a semblance of control, and brought her eyes into focus. She was
standing next to the twins and Sarah, and they were all surrounded by gruff
looking men with naked swords and other weapons in their hands.
"What's going on?" she asked, looking at the Coddles as Jonathan
released her upper arms.
"Land raiders," Daniel growled, while Sarah's white face remained
impassive. "They came up while we were occupied."
"Land raiders," Amelia whispered, staring around at the men,
several of whom leered at her in a way that made her skin crawl.
"Hey, boss, can we keep the dark haired girl?" one of the men
asked, licking his lips.
"You stay away from our sister!" the twins cried simultaneously,
and Jonathan moved to stand in front of Amelia protectively.
Amelia felt as if she were in her own personal nightmare.
"It's happening again," suddenly rang through her mind, but every time
she tried to figure out what "it" was, she was only left with other
images that confused her even more. The entire scene had a surrealistic
familiarity to it, and the man's words had evoked a deep sense of fear
and anger inside her.
"Don't make us laugh, boy," a tall, heavily muscled man said.
"My men want to know if we can keep the girl, and if I say we can, we can."
Amelia clenched her teeth when one of the blades slashed out
and cut into Jonathan's cheek, and she watched in horror as blood began
to trickle down his jaw. Sarah cried out a protest and rushed to
Jon's side, pressing on the wound with a strip of cloth she had torn from
her sleeve. Amelia's eyes narrowed as anger began to overcome
the fear she had felt; unbidden, she felt a stirring of something
inside her as phrases began to pop into her mind. She didn't know
where they came from, but she did know one thing. Whatever "it"
was, she had apparently been helpless at the time for some unknown reason.
This time, she was determined not to be helpless. She stepped
around Daniel, who had taken Jonathan's place in front of her, and
stood glaring at the bandit leader.
"Oh, so the little beauty has decided to be smart and come with
us willingly," the leader smirked.
"Think again," Amelia said. She put her faith into the
words that were in her mind, held her hands in front of her, and yelled,
"BURST RONDO!"
Several hundred tiny fireballs shot from her hands and impacted
with the bandits around them, sending them flying into several directions.
Amelia blinked and look at her hands.
"What did I do?" she asked. The Coddles didn't seem to
be in any position to answer her, for they all looked like they had been
kicked by a rampaging horse as they stared at Amelia.
"You little bitch!" one of the bandits yelled and lunged at
her. Amelia jumped out of the way, wincing as her weakened legs wobbled
a bit beneath her. Again, she trusted in the phrases which were floating
around inside her head.
"FLARE ARROW!"
"FIREBALL!"
"FLARE BIT!"
Several spells and explosions later, the raiders had crawled
to their horses and ridden away, leaving a still very upset Amelia and
her adopted family. Amelia sighed, and lowered her hands, turning
her attention to the still rather shocked Coddles.
"Jonathan, let me see your cheek," she said, and gently removed
the blood-stained cloth from his cheek. "RECOVERY!"
Jonathan blinked at her and brought a hand up to his cheek,
gently touching the place where he had been cut. Daniel then broke
the stunned silence with, "YOU'RE A SORCERESS???!!"
"I...um...guess I am."
"Do you remember anything?" Jonathan asked, his mind jumping
to Amelia's amnesia.
"No, nothing concrete really," Amelia said, furrowing her brow.
"I just keep having words and phrases jump around inside my brain."
"Amelia," Sarah said softly, "Thank you."
Amelia flushed a bit, stammering, "I really didn't do anything."
"No? I think you did," Sarah smiled. "Now, let's
all go inside. I, for one, could use a nice stiff drink."
"Sure thing, Mom!" the twins said, and Amelia nodded.
She knew that a drink wasn't the only thing Sarah had on her mind.
Jonathan confirmed this when he said, "I can ask Amelia some more questions,
and we might be able to help her remember more."
"Sounds good to me," Amelia agreed, suppressing a shivering
feeling that she didn't want to regain any more of her memory.
*****************
Next episode: Zel finally gives in and hunts down Amelia's room.
What he finds surprises him and makes him think a little more about the
princess. Lina and Gourry are still hanging out on Mipross island,
only now Lina is starting to have really strange dreams. And yes,
I love playing around with dreams. ^^