A World Apart

9. Traveling South

The morning of their departure dawned clear and gray. A fine mist shrouded the fields outside the city walls and crept up through the streets like a cat. From her window, Elena could smell the smoke of chimneys and fresh bread from the baker. She stuck her head out the window and huffed, watching the smoke from her breath dissolve in the cold.

A bitterly cold chill had crept in seemingly overnight and she wrapped her arms around herself, wishing she had something warmer than this dress and the blankets from her bed to wear. Her bare feet ached from the freezing stone floor but she was too excited to go back to bed and keep warm. She was going south with them to find answers, soon she would probably be on her way back to New York and leaving this wretched place behind.

Is it really so wretched though? her mind had no sooner asked the question than a knock at her door startled her from her thoughts.

"Come in," she called, hand still over her heart where she felt it beating fast beneath her fingers.

Bree appeared alone, struggling under the weight of what looked to be a large, rumbling bear.

"Milady," she called from under the fur, "The prince has sent clothes for you to wear along the journey. He bids you dress warmly as possible for the road will be long and cold."

Elena listened with a half-smile as she crossed the room and helped lift the enormous fur off of Bree who looked up at her, red-faced and thankful.

"Apologies milady, it's heavier than it looks."

"I believe you," Elena laughed, noting the weight of the thing in her hands and wondering how on earth such a thing was to be worn.

"There is more milady, I'll go down and fetch it directly. Sarai would have helped only she..." her furtive glance toward the door told Elena she didn't trust Sarai not to burst through at once and box her ears for spilling secrets.

"Yes?" Elena asked softly, stepping closer so Bree could whisper.

Innocent brown eyes searched hers, "Well, milady, Sarai has a sweetheart now."

Elena almost snorted but caught herself just in time. Sarai? The same Sarai who stalked around the castle simmering in quiet distrust and resentment of Elena for who knew what reason? The same one who ogled Sedric the second he walked into the same room as her? It didn't seem possible.

"Who is it?" she managed to ask with a straight face, depositing the heavy fur onto the bed.

Again with the anxious glancing around, "It's Twm milady, the lad from the stables. He's real sweet on her, writes her love notes and the like, always saves an apple from the horses for her."

Again, Elena suppressed the urge to laugh. Saving an apple seemed such a small thing but she reminded herself no one had even done something as small as that for her.

"I hope she's very happy," she interjected, meaning it.

Once all the clothes had been brought Bree set about helping Elena into them. Breeches were given to wear under her dress, as well as a coat that buttoned to her throat with long sleeves and a wide skirt that looked more like a dress and a coat had mated and produced this in-between thing. Last came the fur. It was less heavy when on her, but combined with the coat it was the warmest she had been since the chill came through so abruptly. The brown fur collar tickled her neck and cheek, both sleeves extended past her fingers so that she could clasp her hands in front of her and it was like carrying a muff. Her back and legs were so warm she almost felt herself starting to sweat beneath the skirt. 

Tall boots were last and she had to sit on the bed for support as Bree laced them onto her, taking care to make sure they were tight enough yet comfortable. Elena felt a surge of affection for the girl. She had always wanted a younger sister, and looking at Bree with her small hands and her sweet face she wondered if in a better life, where men weren't gunned down outside grocery stores and grandmothers didn't die alone in their sleep in cold, drafty apartments, she might have had one just like Bree. She smiled sadly at the thought.