The Black Monster: War
Sunlight streamed through the small stone crafted window into the silent bedroom. Rose opened her eyes slightly. Glancing over at the faint beam of light that entered the room. It was not very often when she had the window open in the mornings. A sort of habit she found herself performing everyday. She sat forward on the small cot stretching her tired muscles. Another day of hard work was ahead of her. Maybe today she could take a short break. Although thinking of this she knew her father would not take it so lightly.
"Rose," a soft knock at the door brought her to stand, "breakfast will be ready in a few."
"Ok father."
She quickly dressed into her worn tunic and found her way to the kitchen. The sweet smell of honeydew tea filled her nostrils. Not an uncommon sent for this was what they had every morning since she could remember. Another familiar was the chicken stew and warm bread. Her father stood at the back entrance staring out at the sky. His mouth formed a slight frown and his eyes squinted.
"What is it father?"
He shook at the sound of her voice obviously unaware that she had even entered the kitchen.
"It is nothing."
Cordon seated himself at the small table beckoning her to sit as well. She did, but only after a slight pause. Her father had seemed worried. Something must have troubled him but what could it have been?
He noticed the look in her eyes and simply stated, "nothing is wrong darling, I just thought I had seen something."
Rose glanced up from her bowl of stew and studied him, "what was it?"
"I do not know."
She saw how he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Often when he was worried he would do that. It did not make him very tolerable for the rest of the day when it occurs so she let the subject drop. They ate in silence for the next few minutes after that until Cordon spoke up.
"So, when are you going to settle for a husband?"
"Father!"
Rose hated it when he brought that up. She knew that she was definitely of age to do so and it was not everyday that a twenty five year old woman would still be living with her father. No one just seemed to appeal to her.
"I'm sorry Rose, but I do not want to see you live the rest of your life alone."
"I won't father I'm just..."
"What?"
She glanced away, "waiting."
Cordon gave an exasperated sigh, "waiting for what Rose, some sort of knight to fall from the sky?"
Rose did not answer she just ate in silence. Sure a knight fallen from the sky would be fantastic but the chances of that happening were very slim. Even if magic existed knights falling from the sky would still be impossible.
Rose shook herself from her thoughts and noticed how her father had left the table. Figures, she thought and stood up as she cleared off the table. She watched her father through the window thinking about what he had said earlier. He was right; she did need to find a husband. She had longed for one since she turned twenty but had received no such privilege. Not one single man in the village approached her with any thoughts of possible romance. They wanted the strong dependant type for when they were off at war. She could be strong and dependent...at least she wished she could. In her heart she wanted to but she just was not able to be like that. Her father had raised her to listen to the orders of others not herself.
Rose sighed as she washed the dishes, imagining the type of man that would sweep her off her feet. Someone different. Mysterious, in other words no one from the village so it was a dream. She would never be able to leave the village. She did not know how to ride a horse and would not dare to stow away in someone else's cart. Her hopes of ever finding love had washed away.
"Rose."
She turned around swiftly at the sound of her father's voice.
"I want you to go out in the orchard and pick some apples for tonight."
Rose nodded.
Before he went back outside he added, "I arranged for Khan and his son to come by."
Her stomach twisted into a knot, "you did what?"
But he had already left the kitchen.
She clenched her teeth in anger and grabbed the large basket by the back entryway. Why did he have to do this? She practically despised Evan but he adored her.
'If he is thinking of getting us married I will kill him,' Rose whispered to herself.
The sun outside was bright and the heat was already becoming intense. Today would be a very tiring day. Rose followed along the dirt path toward the orchard. The grasses alongside the path measured up to her hips in great green strands. Small brush grew into trees as she neared the orchard. Keeping to the path she picked what apples she was taught to keep an eye out for. Again something she was taught and told to do. For once Rose wished that she would be able to do something that she wanted to do.
For hours it seemed, Rose picked apples from the tall trees filling the basket to the brim. She stopped for a moment under one of the much larger apple trees. Staring up into the sky with a tired sigh she caught sight of what appeared to be a cloud of smoke black and billowing without a source. Where could it be coming from? She wondered. Bright flashes erupted rapidly within the cloud of smoke creating loud cracks as those within a lightning storm.
Rose squinted through the flashes attempting to focus on what was causing all the smoke and noise. She caught a glimpse of something large but could not make out what exactly it was. A loud clash broke her focus and a blinding light followed. She fell back against the tree dropping the heavy basket to shield her eyes. A roar thundered in her ears for a moment then silence, complete silence, until she heard a heavy thud and the clank of metal.
Rose slowly took her hands from her eyes and glanced around. The cloud of smoke had faded leaving a slight haze where it had been but other than that...nothing. A groan from somewhere nearby startled her. She looked around frantically now. Who or what was that? She walked around the tree and stopped short when she saw what had made the noise.
A blonde man sat up slowly and, from what it looked like, painfully. He dusted off his arms mumbling curses.
"Damn beast."
He stood up somewhat unsteadily staring up as if searching for something. He thrust his hand in the air, "I hope you rot in Mayfil you filthy bastard!"
The man gave an angry growl and walked about eyeing the ground. He stopped, an annoyed glare filling his sky blue eyes.
"Now where in Soa's name is my sword?"
He spun around rapidly, "ah hah!"
The man bent down and picked up a very fine and expensive sword from the looks of it. Silver-plated blade gold and red hilt. It was beautiful.
"Now I would just die if I lost you," he stated with a grin, kissing the hilt then placing it within it's sheath at his hip.
He looked back up at the sky, "you'll get what's comin' for ya Red you son of a wingly."
Rose smiled. This man seemed very interesting. It was not every day when she saw one talking to himself.
The man started walking opposite her direction but fell forward with a soft thud.
"Now the rocks are against me," he groaned pushing himself up off the ground.
Rose burst into laughter startling the man and causing him to fall once more. He stared up at her and she laughed harder.
"Oh give me a break I didn't see you fall from ten thousand feet in the air."
She held her hand over her mouth snickering quietly to herself.
He raised his eyebrows then rolled his eyes, "alright I may have appeared...insane...but I have my reasons."
"And falling from ten thousand feet in the air would be one of them?" Rose asked.
The man gave a cheeky smile, "yes."
Rose laughed again taking a step forward as he attempted to stand up. Failing his attempt he fell back to the ground.
"Need some help?" Rose asked with an amused smile.
"Would be nice."
She offered him her hand and he took it. She pulled him up with an effort making sure he was completely balanced.
"Well," he paused, looking her up and down, "fine miss, I thank you and bid farewell."
Rose glared at him but still held a slight grin.
He started away from her looking back and pointing, "no staring."
"Hah! I should say the same for you."
He turned around walking backwards. With a smile he said, "I'm a man, what do you expect?"
"You are?"
He squinted with a slight laugh, "Oh ouch, damn woman."
Rose winked then turned back around to retrieve the apples that had fallen from the basket when she had dropped it. She took hold of the basket and headed back towards the small hut. She made it halfway when she caught sight of her father running toward her.
"Rose what happened? Are you alright?"
She nodded with a smile, thinking of the man that had fallen from the sky. Rose stopped. The man...that had fallen from the sky! She gasped, remembering what she and her father had discussed earlier.
"What is it?"
She stared up at her father, her eyes filled with disbelief, "oh dear Soa."
Rose stopped and turned around. The man was nowhere in sight.
"Rose?"
She turned back to her fathers questioning stares, "remember when you mentioned something about a knight falling from the sky?"
Cordon raised an eyebrow, "yes."
She smiled, "well he did."
"What?"
Rose explained what had happened, from the bright flashes and smoke to when she and the man had departed.
Her father shook his head as they neared their home, "Rose, no one would survive a fall from that height. He was probably hiding up in the tree and decided to give you a scare."
"Then what would explain the cloud of smoke?"
"I don't know Rose, but this man did not fall from the sky."
Rose sighed; she would not be able to convince him that she was telling the truth. He would have to have been there in order to believe it at all. The man did fall from the sky and she strongly believed that. Although she had to wonder how he had made it up there to begin with. The question stressed her in a way. Nothing that she knew of could possibly take someone to those heights...other than winglys.
"Stop worrying about it darling just think about dinner tonight and how to impress General Khan," her father said with a smile and found his way over to the stables.
Rose glared at his back, "stop worrying about it darling, just think about dinner tonight and how to impress General Khan," she impersonated with a low voice. She thrust the basket onto the table causing a few apples to fall out.
"General Khan can shove his sword in his ass for all I care."
She took a couple of apples from the basket and filled the kitchen tub with fresh water to wash them. After they were cleaned she placed them in a bowl, which she took down to the cellar. When she made it back up her father stood in the kitchen.
"What else master?" she thought, slightly grinding her teeth.
He studied her for a moment, "take a short break Rose, then catch one of the chickens for dinner tonight."
Rose held her breath. A break? Was he serious?
"Go ahead sit down, I'll be out in the stables," he said as he walked back out the entryway.
She did as he said but only after a pause. What is he planning? She wondered. This was too unusual he never offered breaks.
Rose gave it another ten minutes before she went out to the chicken coup. The chickens darted between her legs obviously excited thinking they were being fed. She took the bucket of dried corn from the shelf in the coop and tossed a couple handfuls onto the ground. The chickens formed in a tight group pecking at where the corn had fallen. Rose stepped forward and plucked one of the plump chickens from the group. It frolicked and flapped its wings, eager to eat with the rest of the chickens, but Rose held on. She took it away from the coup back into the hut.
At the moment she started to think about the man from the sky. She had not even asked his name. Just a short conversation, if that is what you could call it, then he was gone. Rose cursed herself for being so impolite as to not offer him her name. When she thought about it, the way she had reacted to him was rude and not ladylike. If her father had seen the way she treated the man he would have been furious.
Rose grabbed hold of the large frequently used knife and sucked in a shuddering breath. She hated doing this. She held the chicken tightly upon the counter. With a swift movement of her arm the knife sliced the air and made a dull clunk as it cut through the narrow feathered neck into the counter. The body still twitched and walking finding its way off the counter while she...attempted to clean up the blood. She tossed the head into the compost box the picked up the stumbling headless chicken. She plucked the feathers and gutted the chicken accordingly within what seemed like an hour or more. When she finished she washed her hands and the chicken thoroughly before she placed it into a rough worn steel pot. Drying her hands off with a piece of cloth she walked outside towards the garden, her own pride and joy. The garden was entirely her work after her mother had passed and she had vowed to take delicate care of it. Every vegetable, every flower and shrub turned out perfectly. Rose was proud of her work.
She picked out a couple of potatoes and carrots as well as a head of lettuce. From her memory the last time General Khan was over he had nearly eaten the entire table. So this time she would be prepared. Not to impress him, just to keep him under control.
Rose travelled back to the hut with her newly gathered vegetables and set to work cleaning and cutting them. The potatoes and carrots she added to the pot with the chicken. The lettuce she placed in the cellar to keep cool until everything else was finished.
Cordon entered the kitchen, when she came back up from the cellar, with a bucket of fresh milk and container of churned butter. He smiled at her as she took both from him. He was proud. Proud at how well she had turned out. She was a hard worker and would prove to be a magnificent wife.
"Father would you be able to feed the horses today? This dinner will take a lot of work."
He nodded, "of course Rose, looks good."
Her father left the kitchen once again and she trailed after back toward the garden where she picked a few sprigs of dill. That she added with some butter to the pot of chicken and vegetables. She placed the pot into the fire stove and lit a fire to slow cook the meal. Rose stopped to think of what she should start on next. Leaving the milk out for a while would not be a good thing. She grabbed three sealed bottles off of a shelf, uncorked the tops and covered the openings with a strainer. She poured the milk into the bottles filling each just below the brims. Sealing them once again she turned to the butter and gathered it into a rectangular shaped tin. Covering that as well she took both the butter and bottles of milk down into the cellar where she grabbed a pre-made piecrust (yeah right) and the bowl of washed apples. Back up in the kitchen she sliced the apples and prepared them with a jar of apple glaze. After the glazed apples were placed into the piecrust she put it into the oven beside the pot.
With a tired sigh she sat down at the table and leaned her head back. Just a quick breather before she started up again. It was almost an hour past the afternoon and she would have to prepare lunch soon. Rose took a breath then stood up.
To the cellar once again, she thought as she descended the stairs. She grabbed a loaf of break and a jar of nuts and dried grapes. Pouring the combination of nuts and dried grapes into a bowl she placed both that and the bowl of apples on the table with the loaf of bread. Just as she walked toward the entryway her father walked in. He stopped.
"Wow Rose you have been very busy." (Imagine that)
Rose gave a sweet smile and nodded, "yes everything is ready for tonight except for the laundry."
Cordon sat down at the table, "good, and remember to wear your dress tonight."
"Yes father," she replied, sitting down across from him.
As he started to eat he said, "Now after you finish up the laundry I want you to head into the village to pick up some fabric and flour."
"Alright."
He did not say anything after that but the hard focused look in his eyes showed that he was thinking about the stable work. Most likely wondering if he had fed everything and cleaned all the stables. She knew that he worked hard; everyday it was the same way. The same chores, the same food, it was almost pitiful but it was something they were willing to do in order to keep up the household.
Cordon stood up from the table once he was finished and went back outside. Once again leaving Rose to the dishes but she was used to it. The dishes were one of her main duties as was cooking and laundry. She finished up the dishes then threw a shawl about her shoulders. Grabbing the basket of clothing from beside the entryway she found her way back to the dirt path. Instead of continuing on to the orchard she turned left. The path led to the river that ran through the entire village. Furni was a water city. The only way to get through quickly was by boat, it was the easier way but you could always walk as well.
Rose stepped into the river placing the basket of clothing onto the sand. One by one she took out every garment and scrubbed it in the water until her hands hurt. For a good two hours she tended to the laundry and when she was finished felt as though she would not be able to do it again. Once the clothes were in the basket she headed back to the hut where she hung them on a line between two trees. She went back into the hut afterward and grabbed a small back of gil. She took her time walking to the village, this may very well be the last time for the rest of the day that she would be able to. When she returned General Khan and his son would most likely be on their way over. Rose dreaded the moment when they would walk through the front entry. The moment Evan would flash his white smile and say, 'Rose you look beautiful, as always.' Whenever he did that she felt like killing him. It made her think that he was planning something, some sort of evil plot. To her he was a mysterious person but not the kind she was looking for. More like the freaky type mysterious. He was too...polite.
As she entered the village she realized just how much she truly hated Evan. She had known him since she was sixteen when he had first arrived in Furni. Back then he was tolerable, it was almost sweet, but after so many years his politeness became old and actually annoying.
Rose walked into the fabric shop carefully examining the new stock. The fabric her father needed was to make cloths for duties around their home. So it would have to be durable but not too rough. She felt about the fabrics imagining working with each one, whether it was doing the dishes or drying off hands. One seemed particularly good. Black and white striped, fairly strong but almost soft. She picked out a roll of the fabric then walked up to the counter.
"Back again Rose?" the elderly man asked with a smile.
"Yes Mr. Nells."
He removed the sale tag saying, "that'll be twenty five gil please."
She handed him the coins and said, "Thanks Nell."
Holding the roll of fabric beneath her arm Rose headed out of the fabric shop back onto the winding path. The food shop was not far away; it was just a few shops down beside the pub. As she walked by the pub she noticed the crowd that surrounded the entry. Just across from the pub stood two knights in blue cloth and silver armour. They had serious but almost worried and cautious looks upon their faces. She took her eyes off them and went into the food shop to get the flour. By the time she came out the crowd had intensified and now the general of the knights stood upon the stairs leading into the pub.
"I shall repeat myself," the general called out, noticing the many new gathered people. He took a breath, "it has come to our attention that a mysterious man in red armor has recently entered the village and it is quite possible that he could be a wingly spy."
Gasps rose through the crowd and someone actually cried out.
"But please keep calm, we are not entirely sure so if you see this man come to us immediately. As well, keep in mind that he may be armed and dangerous."
Man in red armour, Rose thought to herself studying the frantic crowd. The man from the sky wore red armour. Now that she thought about his appearance he had been totally clad in full body armour that appeared as some sort of suit.
'But he's not a wingly,' she squinted in confusion.
If he had been a wingly he would have had silver hair, but his hair was blonde. He also would have either taken her prisoner or killed her and he did neither. What would happen if the knights actually got a hold of him? Would they kill him like the rules stated? Her stomach twisted in a knot. That would be terrible if they killed him even though he was human. Of course she did not blame the knighthood for being cautious. The chances of having a wingly in Furni could be devastating. The threat they posed of taking over the human race completely shot through the hearts of many.
Rose continued on her way past the crowd of now terrified citizens. She had no reason to be scared. She knew the man was not a wingly so he was no threat to the village, just a passer-by. She sighed. People in this village were so quick to judge someone not frequent to its streets.
She left the village in a somewhat depressed mood. For some reason Rose felt upset for the probabilities they had placed on the mans head. Sure he was a little smart mouthed but to her that was what the village needed, someone to kick up some action in the everyday dullness. The chances of that happening were very slim, for all she knew he could have already left the village.
Rose had been thinking so intently on the subject that she almost passed by her own home. She stopped with a slight laugh and entered into the kitchen where she set the fabric and flour onto the table. The pleasant smell of chicken and dill filled the room now, mixing with the smell of the apple pie. She opened the stove door and with a thick cloth removed the apple pie and placed it onto the counter. Closing the iron door she walked outside and into the stables. She could smell fresh hay and groomed horsehair when she entered the stables. Footsteps above her head told her that Cordon was up in the hayloft. Rose decided to wait until he was finished whatever it is he was doing. So she walked up to one of the horses stalls. Her mother's old horse stood behind the latched door. Her beautiful silver mane and sleek white fur gleamed in the sunlight that poured in through the tall windows. Despite the wondrous sparkle of her white coat the mare's once remarkable eyes appeared dull. She seemed to have lost the glow when Rose's mother had passed. They had a deep connection. Her mother had owned the horse since Rose was just a young girl and even then the two were like they were made for eachother.
Rose reached out her palm beneath the mare's velvet nose. At first the silver beauty did not react but she eventually dropped her nose slightly as she took in Rose's sent. The mare bent her head allowing Rose to rub her hand on its smooth forehead.
"Hey Cass, its been a while," Rose said, pulling her fingers through the smooth silver mane. The horse snorted in reply.
Rose laughed, "Yes it has, too long as a matter of fact," she paused for a moment, "its just since mother died..."
Tears filled her eyes as she studied the horse saying this, "I was afraid that if I saw you...I would break down much like I am doing right now."
Cass stared at her intently, breathing heavily as she dropped her head onto Rose's shoulder. Rose smiled through her tears at the mare. No wonder her mother had loved this horse so much.
"Rose?"
She turned at the sound of her father's voice. He stood at the bottom of the ladder that led up to the loft staring at her with worried eyes.
"Are you alright?"
Rose nodded wiping away the tears with the back of her hand.
"I was just...thinking about mom."
A saddened smile formed on Cordon's face, "I know darling I miss her too, juts try to remember that she is always by your side."
"Yes father."
He stood in silence now, glancing around somewhat uncomfortably.
"Oh yeah sorry. I have the fabric and flour in the house now."
Cordon nodded with a slight smile, "Ok thank you, now try to straighten up in there and finish up with the dinner."
"Alright," with a last glance at Cass Rose left the stables back into the hut.
She grabbed a cloth and soaked it with rainwater from the tub by the winder. With the cloth she wiped down the counter and shelves including the table. Wringing it out into the kitchen tub she grabbed hold of the old broom. The wood was actually starting to split; soon they would have two brooms. She swept the floor all the way into the front entry but stopped when she reached the stairs to the basement.
'Will they come by boat?' she wondered.
Rose did not want to take the chances so she swept down there as well. When she came back upstairs her father was putting away the fabric and flour. She put the broom back in its place and went to check on the evening's meal. The smell was very welcoming she could not wait to see how well it turned out later.
"So?"
She closed the iron door turning back to her father, "will be ready by the time they arrive. When will that be?"
"In about an hour or two," he paused, "of which you should be using now to prepare yourself. Go ahead I can look after everything else."
Rose cringed inwardly thinking of even dressing up for Evan and his father but it was what her father wanted so she would live up to his wishes.
She smiled, "thank you. The laundry is still out on the line," she said as she headed to her room.