Nevermore

Plans are hatched

Daphne groaned, every bone in her body aching, a dull throb echoing. Wincing, she sat up, feeling her way with her hands. She opened her eyes to find herself in a bathroom although there was not much privacy. There were only two curtains acting as a wall that could be yanked open. 

She frowned, tried to recollect. Maybe she had had a funny dream after tea. She better start making breakfast soon and exit this dream. She rubbed her eyes . 

No it was not a dream. Memories flooded back to her - the dragon, the crawling, the cliff fall. "Huh." She muttered.  Maybe this was the Afterlife. It was pretty weird, if it was. Shattered all over, lying in a bathtub. She laughed to herself. Shit, she was messed up. Who wouldn't be if your family had been eaten by a fucking dragon? Her laugh turned into a sob then before she steeled herself and drifted. Waiting. Something would happen. 

She felt footsteps and her eyes widened. A boy yanked open the curtains and closed them. He jumped when seeing her staring at him. " I swear," he muttered. 

" I've been expecting you." She replied, a jaunty smile on her face.

" I'm Farkas." He held his hand out for her to shake and Daphne gave him a disgusted look. " I appreciate your manners but I'm not in the condition for idle. Lets get to it. What happened?"

He cracked a grin. He told Daphne about saving her from tumbling off a cliff, getting her here and explaining the business with the dragon. " The Murmuring Mountains didn't want to join the alliance so we burned them. I didn't want to, I shouldn't have said we..."

" No big deal. What do you plan to do?"

" I don't know. I can't take you to the make-shift infirmary, they'll have no idea who you are and guess you're a survivor. You'll die and I'll be in serious bother." He cleared his throat while Daphne stared at him expectantly." Stare much?" He retorted.

Daphne let out a mirthless laugh, bemused by the mindset of her 'saviour'.

" You saved me and are expecting to keep me in a bathtub forever? I didn't clarify I wasn't a fish. I apologise."

He snorted. " I didn't think that far. Do you have a plan then?"

She raised an eyebrow. " Maybe."

For a few minutes it was silent, Farkas now sitting on the floor, bored. 

" Are there any left alive?" Daphne whispered quietly.

" Huh?"

" Are there any left alive."

" Umm...no. Sorry." He replied, feeling awkward. 

Daphne nodded, tears flowing freely, silently down her cheeks. Farkas was silent, letting her have her moment. " I'm going to murder that damned dragon." She vowed, her voice raw. 

"Here's what we do. If there are any servant uniforms, presuming you have them, bring one to me. I will pretend to be one and I can be healed. Yes?"

Farkas nodded. " I'll go and get one then ..." He paused. " What's your name?"

"Daphne."

"Okay, Daphne." He sauntered off. 

Daphne exhaled, leaning against the bathtub, wanting to writhe and scream. Her leg hurt so much she found it hard to breathe, causing her to gulp at the air. She let out a low moan of anger, frustration, pain. 

Farkas finally came back, a servant's uniform in tow. " There." He handed it to her. Daphne looked at it, realising she had missed a big factor - how was she going to get it on? " Umm," Daphne gestured to the clothes.

" Ummm." Farkas flushed. " I can lift you out?"

She nodded and he picked her up gently, laid her down on the floor. " Will I have to..?"

" Yes. Sorry. Its every guy's worst nightmare."

He went beetroot red, cursing under his breath, Daphne herself feeling awkward. 

She took her own clothes off without any help and slipped on the crisp white shirt with a red petticoat. Muttering, Farkas assisted her with putting the pants on, careful not to irritate the broken leg. 

" Thanks." She grinned at him. 

" We don't talk about it." He mumbled, still red in the face.

She let out a low laugh. " Hmmm." There were no female servants so Daphne's next goal was to appear as a boy. " Do you have any scissors?"

After a minute, Farkas returned with some scissors. 

Daphne took them and considered cutting her hair neatly. It lasted about five seconds. " Nah." She decided. She cut her long copper hair, once fair, now damaged, off about to just above the shoulder. The cuts were uneven and messy but would do. She would pass as a boy and not having long  hair would save her life - her life was worth it. 

" Why are you touching my hair?" Daphne snipped, noticing Farkas investigating some shorn hair. 

"Its a nice colour."

" Thanks, I guess? No time for chit chat. I'm all chop chop."

" Wow, I really haven't noticed." He rolled his eyes.

" Carry me out?"

Farkas grunted, lifting Daphne up. Surprisingly, she felt safe in his arms. " Place me down outside. Follow my lead."

Daphne winced when she was lowered on the floor - not that Farkas had hurt her, but the cool wind, the sky changing to an evening purple...it was too much. Grief punched her in the face - her family would have loved to watch the sky together, having a picnic. She always regarded them as stupid, wishing they could eat inside like a normal family. Now she mourned them.

" Ahhhhh!" She screamed, attempting to sound somewhat manly.

The act had begun. A doctor burst out the make-shift hospital, knelt beside her. " I tripped on a lump of dried lava." She winced, the doctor looking doubtful. Daphne's heart began to hammer, afraid her plan had failed. After an eternity, the doctor replied. " Hmmm...I'll take you inside the hospital for care. What's wrong exactly?"

" My leg's broken." 

The doctor frowned. " Huh. Okay. We'll have to clear the area for these...lava lumps."

" I'll get her a Wheeled Stretcher." Farkas hurrried off, returning and hoisting her on. 

" Thanks."

" Your majesty?"

Daphne gritted her teeth. " Your majesty."

The doctor began to push her inside and just as Daphne was about to go in, she turned her head back to Farkas and winked, then gave him the middle finger. " We leave for Jaunt Jolie tonight." She mouthed silently.

All he could do was laugh in amusement. He had never met anyone quite like her. 

Author's Note :

Sorry for not posting as often. I've been very busy in my studies. I'll try and post when I can.

- Blackrose_250