Thank you so much for the reviews and followers I'm seeing! I hope you guys keep enjoying this. Here's chapter two! Sorry for the delay
-Lullaby for a Stormy Night
Serephina
I dreamt of fire. Really, is that so unusual for someone like me? Fire has been with me since I drew my first breath, though I didn't always know it… or accept it. Fire became my salvation. It was the reason why today I walked free. Free to journey wherever I wanted and free to say and do what I pleased. I wasn't born to a traditional family. No, I was given a life that early on taught me the true horrors of mankind. The infinity for the element was what saved me. Flames took me away to a true home on an island and away from a house of horrors by someone who was called by the attraction of my gift.
So fire for me, was not a nightmare. Bright flames of passion and light swirled around my body as I danced through a grove of cherry blossom trees. Pink petals rained down into the still surface of water where roots should have been. White Grecian pillars, both whole and broken, scattered themselves among the beautiful plants. A raised wooden footpath beneath my bare feet kept me safe from the water below. The scene around me reflected aspects of all my favorite places I had visited. With every movement the scarlet and gold robes I wore that still bared much of my dark skin twirled and flowed. This was a happy dream. One that I wish I could always have, or better yet live in permanently. It resembled the life I wanted so desperately to achieve.
The sharp whinny of my horse woke me from my dream. "Epona, what is your problem—" but then the cold hit me. Icy wind had filled the barn and dropped the temperature drastically. The hay loft window was partially open beside me, but the drafty nature of the old barn didn't help me much either. My body shook violently from the cold, and my skin was frozen to the touch. I could barely move. "Oh Lord," I mumbled through chattering teeth. Stupidly, I didn't pay enough attention to how close to the edge of the hay loft I was. Losing my balance as I tried to move, I fell over the ledge. Luckily the barn wasn't very tall, but tumbling down to the floor below left my hip aching from a soon to be bruise. I curled onto my side, not so much because of the pain, but to try and get warmer. Small flames spurted quickly in my hands, but none could last long when I was this cold.
"Oh, damn it." I whispered between shivers. If I didn't get warm, my life was going to head downhill fast. I tightened the cloak around my shoulder, but that could only do so much. This was why I travelled mostly in warm climates. Fire elementals, like myself, are overly sensitive to the cold. One would think we could handle the cold better, be able to maintain warmth easier. Well, one would be wrong.
But I was lucky. I wasn't entirely alone tonight. A heavy creature lumbered over to my side. The gray mare softly sniffed my face. "N-not now babe," I stuttered. But she was a persistent thing. Her nose bumped my shoulder in the attempt to push me around. "No, stop it." But my pleas didn't work. She shoved me from the pile of hay creating a wide gap where I once was. "What was the point of that?" I snapped at Epona. As always, she made the point clear. Long, strong but knobby, legs folded one at a time till she was down on my level. I rolled in close to her side, relaxing in her body heat. Her heart thudded gently in my ear and was truly the perfect lullaby. My hands ran over her velvet coat, and I watched her chest lift and fall as her face loomed overhead protectively.
"You're only doing this because if I die, I can't feed you anymore," I murmured into her side. She gave an audible huff towards me that was a clear disapproval. Grateful, I slowly fell back to sleep. Surrounded in the smell of hay and horse.
Elsa
"You're highness?" a timid voice inquired at my bedroom door. My eyelids slowly parted to take in soft light glistening through my chambers. I was cocooned deep into the lavender blankets of my luxurious bed. My white blonde hair stuck out in awkward directions ever so often as it fell around my shoulders.
"Hmm… Yes?" I lazily replied.
"Elsa," one of my hand maids poked her head inside of the door, "my lady, it is nearly eleven in the morning." The voice belonged to Eleanor. Her plump aged face had become a familiar part of my daily routine since she has been caring for my family for decades.
"Is it now? Last time I checked though it was a Sunday," I replied. Sundays were my one allotted day of the week to take time to relax. Not sure if I was ready to even think about getting out of bed, I rolled further into my bed, burying myself deeper. I could hear Eleanor fluttering about.
"That may be true dear, but this afternoon you are to welcome home the ambassador to France remember? The dinner is tonight as well as the ball to entertain his entourage."
"Is that tonight?" I yawned, losing the choice in the matter. Sitting up, Eleanor had already busied herself with opening all of the heavy, velvet curtains and tying them apart with silver ropes. Now only her back was visible as she plunged head first into my wardrobe. When she finally reemerged, a blue gown was draped across her forearms.
"Time to get up and greet the day. Your bath is ready." I smiled at her as I sat up. My arms stretched long and straight above my head while my feet swung around to be planted firmly on the floor. A white silk and lace robe waited to be wrapped around my body on the foot of my bed. Each arm shimmied into an oversized sleeve till my night gown draped frame was modestly covered. I missed the days of when I was younger and it didn't matter what I wore. There was a sense of freedom I had lost since then. Now I had to be always in my finest or it was considered indecent. Roused from my bed, I was rushed out of my bedroom and down the hall a ways to the nearest of the castle's many bathrooms.
"Come on deary, let's get you all washed up," Eleanor chimed patting my waist. Leisurely, I took the robe off that I had only pulled on seconds ago. One sleeve at a time, each of my arms pulled out and I let my night clothes drop to the floor. After stepping out, it was quickly scooped up to be washed and pressed for another night. "Anything else I can do for you ma'am?"
"No thank you," I sighed slipping into the porcelain, claw foot tub filled with steamy water, "I can take it from here." Shallowly, she bowed before backing out of the room. Submerged in the bubbly bath, I gently dug a cloth across my skin, scrubbing away the filth. Once I finished, I just leaned back with my arms up on the sides of the tub and my legs bent before me. Sudsy water lapped around my pale knee caps that created small islands in the water. My whole body began to grow extremely relaxed. With little concentration, my finger tips began drawing layers of frost as they skimmed in small circles. Each thin sheet of ice quickly disappeared in the heat.
I let out an audible sigh and slouched lower, letting my mouth submerge as well. The water smelt like citrus. The soap and bath salts would leave me smelling foreign and energized. Well, it should. I didn't put much faith into those natural remedies. Nothing ever worked. A knock on my door warned that I wouldn't have much longer. The water was so inviting. In response, I just rolled my eyes before taking a deep breath. I let my rear slip out from under me so that my back could rest on the bottom of the tub. My face went under the rest of the way into the water, and I squeezed my eyes shut tight. Down in the depths of the murky water I slowly opened each eye. They stung briefly but soon adjusted to the new environment. The world was cloudy around me. Little sound travelled through the water and I was engulfed in a silent roar. Hair billowed around me like I was caught in a wind storm frozen in time. I wanted to stay below forever, but my chest began to ache at the effort.
In one swift motion I pushed myself back up. Breaching the surface, I tossed my dripping hair back as I swallowed a fresh breath of air. A few heavy strands still lingered in my face, but not for long. Quickly I finished composing myself just as the door handle turned and Eleanor let herself into the bathroom.
"Alright Elsa—" she stopped and eyed the ground, "Get a bit carried away you highness?" I looked at all the water I had caused to lap over the sides in the course of my antics. I could only laugh as the older woman shook her head and held open a plush robe for me to step into.
Serephina
It was late in the morning before I had finally reawakened. This time I found the sun nearly at its highest point by the way light seeped in and filled the barn. Stiffly I rose into the amber light. The curious nose of a stir crazy mare being my wish good morning. Playfully I shoved her nose away. "Alright, I get it." Clearly I wasn't going to be winning this fight. I sat up and brushed dirt and straw from my dark brown trousers. My knees and ankles clicked as I stood. Barefooted I hobbled over to the water trough for the horses, slightly sore from last night's fall. It looked relatively clean like its contents had been replaced recently.
"Guess this is as close to a bath that I will get today." My hands scooped up water to splash into my face. I tried my hardest to wipe away grime, but there was only so much I could do. There was no way around it; I would spend the day smelling of horse and dirt. "And I am perfectly okay with that," I mumbled to my reflection in the rippling water.
With one last palm full splashed on the back of my neck, I moved from the water. A couple feet away my canvas bag sat with a set of leather boots. I wandered over and balancing on one leg each time, I pulled the boots over my slender calves. I fished around in the bag to pull out another off-white blouse, this one slightly cleaner than what I had the day before. The soft cotton came down over my head and easily on top off the dingy undershirt, now soaked from my makeshift bath. My athletic body had plenty of room in the shirt designed for men. I took the time to tuck the bottom within the waist of my pants and rolled up the loose sleeves to my elbows. Only then did I select the leather belt to fasten around my hips and the matching vest to accentuate my delicate curves. My hands drug across the imprinted design of the lighter brown leather that coated my rib cage. I smiled at the memories of home that it brought to mind.
Already around my neck was the same pendent I had been given as a child. The black tip dipped into my cleavage beneath the white fabric around my collar bones. Now ready, I gathered the remainder of my belongings into the dark green satchel. Meanwhile, I picked out pieces of straw caught in the ropes of my hair as best I could without a mirror. As always, I pulled back my dark hair with the same old red scarf.
"That's everything," I sighed knotting my hip scarf. I whistled for Epona to join me. She happily trotted over. "Let's get you ready girl. We aren't staying here again tonight." From its resting spot on a nearby post, I heaved over her saddle and blanket. Both were deposited onto the curve of her spine. I fastened the wide buckle under her belly and obediently her nose pushed into the reins I held before her next. "Good girl," I purred after securing the straps behind her ears. My bag fastened perfectly to the rear of her saddle.
"Alright, let's go see what kind of trouble we can dig up." I whispered before leading her to the front door of the barn while wrapping my cloak back around my head and shoulders. Just short of leaving the barn, I paused. It was only a last minute fleeting thought, but I went around and retrieved one last item from my bag. Hooves shuffled nervously as Epona spotted the sheathed blade. "Easy girl," I cooed attaching the dagger the length of my forearm to my belt and stroking her nose, "only for emergencies, I promise."