Enna woke feeling stiff and absolutely miserable. The air was thick and stifling, and she clutched at her throat as she lurched to a sitting position. She seemed to be in a short corridor, with tapestries and cressets adorning the walls, and a low rumble of voices was coming from a door to her left.
Panic clawed at her lungs, and she threw the thin covers back. Whoever'd put her in this tiny cot hadn't even bothered to remove her boots. She was still dressed in the thick canvas batwing-sleeved tunic and dark blue trousers she'd had this morning—or was it this evening? She was terribly confused.
Enna shrugged and got to her feet, swaying slightly as her head spun. It wouldn't be too hard to find a ship bound for Calormen, as she was (supposedly) just beyond the harbor. If she could just get out of this castle and back onto the beach…
But first things first. Right now, she was in a foreign country, in a strange castle, in some nondescript corridor, with an empty stomach. Enna groaned and took several steps forward, skirting the closed door and aiming her stumbling feet for the curving staircase at the mouth of the hall. The voices in the adjoining room became clearer as she passed ("We simply cannot ignore the threat of foreign invasion, Your Majesties." "You know, 'threat' is only one letter away from 'treat.'" "Shut up, Ed.") then faded away as she neared the staircase. Bright sunshine streamed in from a window high up on the wall, warming Enna's cheeks as she paused at the foot, contemplating the dangers that quite possibly lay in wait for her at the top.
But she didn't have another chance to dawdle, for the door in the hall swung open, and she launched herself around the first curve with a rapidity that startled her and sent blood pounding in her ears. She pressed herself against the wall, her salty, sloppy plait scraping the cold stones. The voices were drawing nearer:
"…you see what I mean, my liege, of course?"
"Absolutely. Now, if only my royal brother would try to look upon it with some solemnity…"
"Oh, Peter, lighten up."
"You lighten up!"
"But you were just—just—" The speaker broke off in splutters of disbelief.
"Cat got your tongue, Ed?"
"No, see? Nyah."
"Oh, that's disgusting."
Enna would've grinned if the blood weren't rushing in her ears. Instead, she scrambled up the staircase in a most unladylike manner, trying to keep to the wall while hurrying as fast as she could. It would not do to be caught snooping around a castle by nobility, not at all…
The staircase seemed to wind up and around forever, and Enna began to feel slightly giddy with vertigo and hungry, nearly falling to her knees after tripping on more than one occasion. But still the voices swirled up to her, nearly on top of her, just around the corner from her hurrying boots—
"Uff!"
Enna was brought up short by something very hard and—hairy? She began to tip backwards from the impact, but a clammy, stubby-fingered hand grasped her wrist and yanked her unceremoniously back up onto her feet.
"T-thank you," she stammered, looking at the strange man-goat standing on the step above her.
He stared at her, and she ducked her head and continued scurrying up the steps, feeling her strength returning with the surge of adrenaline from the close encounter.
"Hello, Certus," came one of the voices.
"Good morning, my liege. Er…"
"What is it?"
"Well, King Peter, eh…I just passed a human girl on my way down…"
I'm not a girl! Enna thought fiercely, redoubling her efforts to reach the top of the stairs before she was caught. The replying voices were lost to her ears, drowned out by her own heavy breathing.
At long last, she reached the door and wrenched it open—only to find herself in yet another corridor, lined with closed oak doors. The voices were approaching—their footsteps rang out behind her—and Enna, nearly blind with panic, flung open the nearest door and barely managed to hide herself before the voices came into the hall, and she was able to see their bodies through the crack between the wall and the wood. Two young men, one coal-headed, one golden-haired, and two others, whom she could not see, walked past without sparing her door so much as a glance.
A sigh that was half-sob escaped Enna's throat, and she shut the door softly and turned to see—a centauress, standing amidst piles of pottery and drying herbs, looking at her with wide-eyed surprise.
In that single moment, Enna felt all her courage slip away, and she sank against the door, trying to coax her muscles to carry her away. But her strength had disappeared with her courage, and she could do nothing.
The centauress, who had rosy, wrinkled cheeks and a grey-flecked coat, made a move towards her with a hand out, and Enna flinched involuntarily.
"You poor thing," said the centauress then, in a soft voice. "You look half-starved!"
Enna could only watch her.
"Come," she continued, holding out her smooth, fleshy hand. "Would you like something to eat, ducky?"
Food… Enna's mouth watered, and the wrinkles around the centauress' eyes deepened. "Come, then. You've missed breakfast, but I daresay I'll find you something in the pantry." She dropped her hand and made her slow way to another door. Enna wavered for a moment, but the lure of sustenance was overpowering her other senses, so she followed the centauress at a safe distance.
"I'm afraid the kitchen fires are extinguished for now," she was saying to Enna, throwing open the door and beckoning her into a large pantry. "I hope that cold food is acceptable. It's too bad—palace meals are quite delicious here at Cair Paravel." The centauress laughed merrily, reaching up and pulling things from the shelves into her arms. "Of course, I should say that, me being the head cook, and all, but—now, now, don't look so dejected, ducky. Here, have a seat at this table. It's usually reserved for peeling apples, but that season's over for now, and it'll serve well."
Enna sank cautiously into the low chair, and the centauress placed a pewter plate and mug in front of her, then unloaded her arms onto the linen-covered table and began cutting thick slices of bread.
"I'm called Rosandrine," she said, placing the bread on Enna's plate and slathering jeweled red jam over the slices. "Eat up, ducky—but please, call me Rosa. Don't be shy. Eat all you want. Here's some cider. Cheese? Of course you want some. It's best eaten with this sausage—cooked this morning, don't fret—and here, you're pale, have an apple or two. Let me cut it for you."
Enna couldn't resist anymore: she took a deep breath, inhaling all the wonderful smells, then downed first the jammed bread, then the cheese and sausage, washing it all down with the sweet, cool cider. Rosa watched her eat with a smile, occasionally saying things like "Here's more cider, dear," or "That cheese comes courtesy of my own milk cow, wouldn't you know."
"There," she said when it was obvious Enna couldn't eat any more. "Feeling better?"
"Yes," Enna replied.
Rosa smiled. "I thought as much. Now—if you don't mind me asking, what's your name, ducky?"
"Enna."
"I see. And how old are you, Enna?"
"Eighteen," Enna replied, wondering how old Rosa was.
"Wonderful age for a young woman, wonderful age," Rosa said, and didn't press Enna any further.
Suddenly, the pantry door swung open, making them both jump. A small centaur with sandy hair stood there, a spoon in one hand and his other on the frame. "Grandmother Rosandrine," he said breathlessly.
"Why, what is it, Mindrus?" Rosa asked.
The boy's dark eyes fixed on Enna, and the blood began rushing in her ears. "The king is here, Grandmother," he said. "He's looking for…the human girl. She's to come with him immediately."
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(A/N: I'm back! Woohoo! My vacation was totally great! We went to Gettysburg, the National Civil War Museum, D.C., Sharpsburg, Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestowne, and Lexington, KY! SO cool[Except for the parts that weren't Civil War, of course. I took tons of pictures, so PM me if you want a link to the place where I'll have them posted…let's just say Gettysburg is gorgeous at sunset. But I'm glad to be back, too, especially since my carpal tunnel is gone! Thanks for your concern, everyone, by the way…I felt very loved. And look, it's paid off!)