Awoken (Ilea, Book I) (COMPLETED)

Chapter 39

I got up the next morning and splashed my face in the water, I had gotten hardly any sleep the night before and my head felt like someone had hit it. I broke open the fruit the woman had said cured minor ailments and rubbed a bit of its juice on my temples and forehead, it smelled fresh and dried quickly, I was glad that it was not sticky.

Climbing up the tree I got to the branch were I had stored my pouch and put it into my bag, I put on my top and short skirt, wrapping the piece of material around myself and tying it behind my neck like a dress. I walked down the path through the trees and past the lake, the men were there again.

I looked around and my eyes met the man’s from two days ago, he nodded with a slight smile on his face, “Morning.” He said briefly, I ignored him and carried on walking past. I heard the other men making fun of him behind me, and wondered if it was because of me, but I was too tired to care.

Walking into the village I went straight to the bakery, the man smiled at me when I entered, “Two dozen rolls?” He asked me knowingly. I went to speak but he cut across me, “But not all today, you’ll want the second dozen next week?” I smiled at him.

“There is not much point in me speaking is there?” I said laughing good naturedly, he laugh with me. I gave him a blob of gold and he handed me a dozen rolls, I put them into my bag, he commented on it, asking me where I had gotten it.

“I feel awful for not knowing her name, but the woman who made me these clothes gave it to me”

“The seamstress, who works in her house and is about eighty cycles old?”

“Yes that is her.” He whistled.

“You must be special.”

“Pardon?”

“Well, she never talks to anyone bar her youngest grandson, she doesn’t even talk to the other one, so for her to actually give you something is strange.”

“Oh.” I talked a bit more about the weather and then made an excuse to leave. I had never thought about the woman like that, she had never struck me as talkative the first few times that I had met he, but it seemed strange to think she only ever talked to one person bar me, I wondered why it was as I made my way to her house.

She was sitting in her doorway as normal, and smiled when she saw me; I smiled back at her and made my way up to her. “I thought you would have enough fruit to last you until tomorrow.”

“Yes, I think I’ll have enough to last me for a few days.” I smiled at her, but I could tell from her expression that my smile had not gone to my eyes. “What is the matter?”

“I am confused.” I answered her honestly.

“Why?”

“I have just been to the bakers and the owner said that you never talk to anyone, I did not know if he was speaking the truth or not?”

“Yes he is.”

“So why do you speak to me?”

“You are intelligent; you understand my old phrases and seem to have knowledge beyond your years.” I looked at her, slightly surprised, I had not expected her to be so forthcoming about why she was talking to me, and I had also not realised that she had understood me so well.

“You are very observant.” I said to her, after thinking a while.

“Yes, I have the patience to be observant, I doubt that the people in this village would realise how well I know them.” She smiled and I realised how she must have been sitting here every day for most of her life, just watching and taking in people and their personalities.