The Shamer's Daughter - A Fanfiction

Chapter 17 - Poor Orphan Boy

Mr Magnus himself had sought out Dalie the next day at the town market and asked her to come once the sun had set. She was now slowly cutting off Dina's hair lock for lock. Dina was holding a small mirror in her hand so she could keep up with the progress. Nico and Magnus were back to their arguing, trying to keep their voice low and had left the room, but they could still hear them through the closed door.

"Such a shame," Dalie sighed as she cut off a large chunk of hair and let it fall to the floor. "I wish I had hair like yours, so voluminous and wild!" At first Dina thought she must have misheard. Was this beautiful golden haired girl really envious of her?

"You don't mean that." She said being careful not to catch her eye in the mirror.

"Of course I do! It has personality. It's exactly as stubborn as Nico tells me you are." She saw her perfectly rose lips form a teasing smile in the mirror in her hand. It made Dina smile as well. At first, when Magnus had suggested they cut her hair short, she couldn't have cared less, but now, she couldn't help but feel a little weird when the next handful fell to the floor. She had had long hair as long as she could remember. It had been so long she could almost sit on it. It had always been her mother talking her into growing it long when it had driven her so mad, she begged her mother to just cut it away. Her mother had always been the only one to cut her hair at all. Dalie sensed the sadness that followed her smile.

"Don't worry. We won't let anything happen to your mother." She said, even though no one had heard anything about The Shamer for days. "I promise." She added, when it didn't seem to convince Dina.

"I'm scared." Dina admitted, without realising it until she said it. There was something comforting about this older girl caressing and carefully managing her. She had always wanted an older sister, ever since Melli was born. She figured she wouldn't understand the fuss about Melli's eagerness to play with her until she had had a sister like that herself. Of course she had always had Davin, but it was just different. He didn't want to play with dolls or talk about the boys in her school like she knew the other girls were doing. An older sister would be a chance at a friendship she had never had. "Aren't you?" She asked as Dalie hadn't said anything. She had started to realise the danger she was actually putting herself in by helping her and Nico after reading the proclamation.

"Yes, I am." She said to Dina's surprise. She had expected to hear her talk of how brave they had to be in a time like this. "But I know what we're fighting for is right. And so, it must be worth a little fear." Dina took some time to let it sink in before Dalie left the kitchen chair for a moment to walk to the corner by the front door. "Besides, I've got this." Dalie pulled aside her own cloak, that she had hung so it covered a beautifully carved bow and a matching quiver of arrows. Dina gasped but stayed in her seat. It made the lady smile.

"I only dared bring it because I would be in serious trouble anyway if anyone caught me out at this hour." It was quite late in the night. She had followed Magnus's advice and orders and hadn't even left the castle until past midnight. A memory made its way to Dina's mind. The man she had killed with that weapon. The man she had seen when she had looked her in the eyes the first time they met.

"Do you know how to use it?" Dina asked, trying to hide the fact that she already knew exactly how well she could use it, but Dalie knew too. She had seen the image along with Dina. But she gave an innocent smile either way.

"I do. I used to sneak along with my father's hunting parties when I was little, and when he realised he couldn't stop me from coming, he figured it was best if I at least learned to fend for myself." She looked her in the eye for a few seconds, but no images were flying this time. Dina had only ever seen the Butcher's eldest son use a bow before. He used to shoot the rabbits and deer in Birches when no merchants had been by the village in a while, but she had never given any thought to how he had learned it or how hard it was.