Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Interlude – The Maid in the Mist
It was mid-February and the whole of the grounds was wreathed in mist. This didn't stop her going outside though; she'd grown up next to the ocean, and this mere cloud couldn't compare to some of the haars she'd seen in her lifetime. Besides, it did lend the view a most wonderful eerie atmosphere and put a silence on the land that she hadn't encountered since the beginning of the school year. And as cold and damp as it was, she needed some respite from the students; from the never-ending energy and chatter of the children in her and the others' care. A long walk around the grounds, perhaps even into the forest or down to the village, was just what she needed.
It was a tough decision, which path to take; the forest had always captivated her, she'd never seen anything like it before coming here. Something so massive and wild, to think that some of the trees had been standing there longer than her line had been alive. And the village, well it was little more than a hamlet at the moment but under the gentle guidance of Hengist it was thriving. Besides, it meant she'd be able to see how her brother and his family were getting on; she hadn't seen him in a long while, too long in fact.
But her need for quiet and respite won out in the end, she would deal with her brother and his brood another time. She'd take the woods for now.
He'd had to leave his horse back in the stables today, damn this awful mist. So he was forced to hunt on foot, which would no doubt take twice as long as on horse back; but at least he'd have a wider range like he was – the trees got too densely packed further in for a horse to get through. And granted he could have simply waited another day and for the fog to clear but his father and the others were acting... oddly and he'd much rather be out here than back in there this day.
She heard him long before she caught even a glimpse of him through the close-set trees. If he was tracking something, then he wasn't doing a good job of it – every animal in hearing distance had probably ran off a long time before. It was probably a student, they liked to come out here, especially the older ones, and hunt or simply hide. She'd caught one or two of her mother's house trying to build a charcoal kiln earlier in the year – attempting to emulate their parents no doubt. Oddly, her mother hadn't been mad and had instead of nearly decapitating them as she would have expected of her, she'd allowed them to simply relocate nearer to the village. A vital task, her mother had called it, and easier than bringing an outsider in.
She did have to wonder though, what it was that this student was doing.
When he first caught sight of her, gliding through the mist, he felt he must be dreaming. A golden being, fair beyond imagining was there in the glade beyond where he hid. Her colour was as such that she looked as if a shaft of sunlight had taken human form. A villager come up the hill perhaps, or some creature brought by the staff to live here. He could not guess, he did not care, if only he could see her face clearly. Thrice damned be this mist for stopping his view of her.
The red cloak, bright as blood gave him away – amongst all the green how could it not? At least she could narrow it down as to who it might be. Only two, well three really, in the school could afford to wear such a colour and were allowed to wear it; at least she knew now that it was no student. And that while one could afford the dye, he despised the colour to the very depths of his soul, and one had been very busy with... something as she left the school. There was only one left who it could be... of course. She smiled.
"Will you be coming out of there, Goldwin? I can see you, you know."
She knew his name! She had called it in as fair a voice as he would have expected, but what trickery was it that such a being could know his name? And use a tone so hauntingly familiar that it went straight to his very core. There was only one answer that he could think of to explain this golden beauty, and why she was in the woods at such an early hour.
"Eostre..." It was little more than a reverent whisper, but still she must have heard him for she started to turn, to focus on where he was crouched. He knew what he must do.
She watched him run, leaving his bow behind. She'd heard him whisper something, what she could not tell, but she was intrigued as to what could startle him so. Still, Inge thought, it would be a time of great fun when she got back to the castle.
Right, time for long overdue replies to reviews.
TiffanyKoz – My e-mail's listed. If you have a problem, use it and we'll discuss it. I did point out her errors, I may not have sugar coated it but I wasn't abusive at all. Also, how am I supposed to know if I like a story or not if I don't read it? Logic is a good thing. However, thank you for the relevant and positive comment, I know its more than some would give.
Cori Aileen – Thanks!
