A Thorn In The Ice

Chapter 11: Avalanche*

When Simon woke up to the sounds of rummaging, and the smell of freshly prepared eggs.

"Good morning,"
He said through a yawn.
"Good morning," returned Delilah, shooting him a small smile.
She was already dressed, and quite thoroughly, as if for travel.

"Today's the day, Simon," she began, "It's today that I bring my cart down to the village to bring my
lumber to the mill, and in turn inquirie to the whereabouts of your princess."
Delilah feigned excitement for Simon's sake, hating herself for secretly wishing their was no Adelaide, or even Aelford, so that he would have no reason to leave, and could stay with her, hidden away safely by the mountains forever.
This was a desire that had only grown stronger after the events of the previous night.

After the two had enjoyed a breakfast of broth, Delilah finally allowed Simon to assist her in hitching her Pompeii to his cart, after warning making sure their was enough firewood and food stock in the pantry for the day, and sternly warning Simon to be careful, and not to over exert himself, she set off down the mountain and towards the village.

Simon went back inside and watched her diseapear down the winding path, through the small window, eagerly awaiting her return although she had only been gone a short while. Eventually, Simon grew
tired of sitting on the bed, and lifted himself out. With a newfound energy, he took a short walk outside and laughed in triumph. He could feel that he was almost fully healed, and whilst he wouldn't be able to race Chester on foot any time soon, he felt better than he had in days.
After he had swept and tidied the cabin to the best of his abilities, and put a stew over the fire to slow cook for dinner, Simon lay back onto the bed, hoping to sleep the time away.

The journey down the mountain always passed quite quickly for Delilah, even though it took a quarter of the day. She and her beloved horse had ambled her fathers cart down that well-worn path more times than she could count.

Before long she'd reached the village.
Filthy, she thought.
The village never was the most pleasant for her, with its smoky air and paths laid on with the droppings of horses and cattle. She guided Pompeii in the direction of the lumber mill,
conveniently located on the opposite side of the village. She did her best to ignore the pushy salespeople crowding the square, and tied her horse outside of the mill.

She sighed. Even though
she'd made the journey a thousand times, the sight of the village and the mess it made caused her
a lot of grief. Delilah climbed the steps into the mill, and quickly
found the owner, a squat little man with squinted eyes and troubled hearing.

"Hello, Archibald. I'm here with my lumber delivery."
The kindly elderly man threw his arms out, embracing her.
"Delilah. It's good to see you. I swear you look more like your mother every time you come in."

The old friend of her fathers was one of the few people in the village that she didn't dislike completely. He was always kind and respectful, and also, he paid her quite well.

After she'd finished unloading the wood with the help of the millers son, Delilah brushed off her hands and dress before going back inside to collect her due, and hopefully some answers as well.
"There you go my dear," said the miller, handing her a small but heavy sack of coins.
"Your father would be very proud, no other woodsman in the county brings me wood as cleanly cut and well selected as you."
She smiled, this was something the old man said nearly every time she delivered, though she doubted that he remembered.

"Do you know what happened to Aelford, the kingdom to the North? I've heard they've had some trouble with invaders?" She tried to question as nonchalantly as possible. "
Archibald frowned, creating deep lines on his brow.
"That's an odd question, why do you ask?"
She scrambled for an answer.
"Oh, um... I recently received an invitation to the wedding of a distant relative who resides there. Just wondering if it would be safe to attend?"