Isilmé sighed softly to herself as she flung open the curtains and leaned against the windowsill, looking down at the courtyard far below her. She wondered if this was what caged birds felt like. Her gaze stretched beyond the courtyard and beyond the city's gates to the tops of the trees in the forest she had emerged from with Narmo. She could almost see him if she thought about him hard enough. She could imagine clearly the young wolf bounding along the forest floor, weaving through trees and bushes with ease. She could hear him call long and loud, searching for playmates who would help him run down the endless squirrels or another lonely wolf that would help him bring down a deer when he hungered. She lay her palm against the pane of glass and smiled.
"You're the lucky one, my friend," she whispered in the silence. With a flick of her wrist she unlatched the window and pushed it open wide, breathing deeply the fresh scent of the summer's wind. She could smell apples and it made her mouth water and her stomach mildly complained. She and Narmo had subsided reluctantly on dried fruits and hard bread for weeks now. She was sure Narmo was eating well, why shouldn't she.
She turned from the window, leaving it open to all the elements, just as she liked it, and opened her door. A quick look to the left and right down the hall revealed a host of what she could only assume were castle staff, some walking at a relaxed pace, others scurrying with food, linen, or buckets of steaming water. That was a good idea too.
When a girl noticed Isilmé peeking out of the door, she planted herself before the room and stood as if awaiting orders.
"Anything I can get Milady?"
Isilmé paused a moment in surprise. She had thought it would be harder than this, or that she'd simply have to ask for directions on where to get her own things. She looked down at herself, smudged still with the dust of travel, her clothing worn and simple. She could've laughed just now, but she didn't want to insult the girl. "Would it be possible to get something to eat and water for a bath?"
"Right away, Milady," the girl answered with a smart curtsy and away she disappeared down the hall. With that Isilmé closed the door and took a better look at the now bright room. Besides the door she now stood at there were two more. One seemed to lead to a small stone balcony. Those doors she threw wide as well.
When she opened the last set of doors she was met with the soft sweet smell of flowers and the sight of a large bathing room. In one corner was a dressing screen, painted carefully to depict what someone had imagined bathing nymphs to look like. They were mistaken, Isilmé thought, but the painting was lovely by any means. Opposite the dressing screen was a copper tub standing on legs carved to be dragon claws and, to her astonishment, was large enough for her to sleep in. How that girl would ever find enough hot water to fill it was beyond her and she thought of trying to catch the girl and cancel her request when there was a sharp knock at her door.
Outside stood the girl with a covered tray and boy standing beside her juggling a silver cup and two pitchers. She stood aside and let them set their offerings on the round polished dark-wood table near the open balcony doors. Before Isilmé could speak the girl informed her that her hot water would be up in short order, as well as a selection of clean clothing. With that the pair dismissed themselves.
Isilmé allowed herself a girlish giggle once they'd gone, and turned to look back at the food on the table. She set aside the cover and surveyed the selection. She sat down, smelling everything before she chose a thick piece if warm grained bread and a bright green pear that smelled as if Ehlonna herself had picked it. As she devoured the fresh food she let the warm fruit juice drip down her chin, catching it with a fingertip only to suck it up from there. She refused to let any of it waste, and when she had finished only the stem and seeds remained. She picked sparingly at a flaky tart that had been sent up as well, but found it too sweet for her tastes.
She'd forgotten about the pitchers and had just begun pouring herself a cup of the deep red wine when there was another knock. This time when she answered it there were four men, each bearing a staff across their shoulder, draped with large steaming pails. She stood aside again and watched in fascination as they emptying the just boiled water into the copper tub. Two of them offered a smile as they took up their buckets and left her alone again. Again she giggled, feeling almost a queen. She shut the doors behind her and peeled away her muddy clothes, tossing them to the floor. She tested the water carefully as she perched on the lip of the tub and sighed as she let herself sink neck deep into the water.
How long she lay in the comforts of the water she didn't know. She dreamed, though, of the mother she barely knew anymore. She dreamed of the day she left the bright walls of her mother's rooms and made her way through the forests to her father's glade. She could feel the soft touch of her mother's pale skin and smell the lavender in her mother's long hair. She could seea worried expression break through a stoic face. She could see another, though not well. Pale hair, bright eyes, though his face was blurry. In this state of floating visions she strained to see his face, a small hand reaching towards him but just as her dreaming eyes began to come into focus her real eyes opened.
The water in the tub had cooled now, sloshing over the edgesat Isilmé's startled awakening. With the hint of a shiver she wrapped herself in one of the lavish towels and made her wayout into the room. Her food still sat on the table, untouched by any but herself. The windows still bore themselves to the splendor of the outdoors, but the light of the day was leaking out of the sky to make way for twilight. It would be expected of her to be seen at the feast this evening. There would be a weeks worth of feasting, she knew, for that was how the humans were, but she would still be expected this evening. She seated herself on the edge of the bed, her eyes caught by the neat pile of clothing beside her.
Gowns.
She vaguely remembered wearing clothing like this, but she had been young and as of now she could barely remember how to get herself into something like this. She picked through the pile, finding to her dismay that this pile represented a single outfit. She looked outside and saw the sun setting ever faster and with a dejected sigh she cast off the towel and tried to start piecing together this puzzle.