Sister Dear

Part one

Just as the heavy raindrops began to fall, soaking the grassy trail, Saya Hortis noticed an inn in the distance. She had been on the road for three days now, riding under the open sky, so she sighed with relief as her eyes set on the wooden building. If she was lucky enough, the inn would have a free room for her.

Pulling the reins, Saya stopped her horse a few feet before the inn, handed the reins to the stable boy and entered. She quietly closed the door behind her before taking off the wet hood and observing the room. The warmth and smell of baked food overwhelmed her asher stomach once again reminded her of how empty it was. Smiling at the stranger—the only one who deigned to glance her way—Saya made her way toward the bartender.

"Hello." She smiled at the elder dark haired man. "May I have a room please?" She put her case on the bar, a smile still on her face.

Putting down the glass he was cleaning, the bartender looked at her. "Hello, miss," he said as he took in her freckled face, wet clothes and curly, messy hair. "Are you new in town?"

Saya furrowed her nose before she answered. "Yes, and no," she admitted.

The bartender raised his eyebrows but didn't ask any further questions. He ducked under the bar and a second later placed a key on top of it. "Room number twelve," he said.

"Thank you." Saya bowed her head slightly as she took the key. "One more thing," she said stopping the bartender from turning toward the dark eyed man who was asking for more beer.

"Yes?" The bartender faced her again.

"I would like room service, please," she stated. "Pumpkin soup, roast meat, potatoes, fresh tomatoes, a slice of cheese, an apple pie and a cup of tea, please," she cited, turned around and left so the bartender didn't have an opportunity to protest.

The room she had been given wasn't big but it was spacious enough for her and a couple of suitcases she had that were brought in by the stable boy.

"Careful with that one," she said as the boy heaved in the last suitcase. Two suitcases held Saya's inventions and in the third one were her personal belongings. The boy carried in the last suitcase, the one which was keeping an invention she was currently working on. An idea she was immensely proud of.

When the stable boy left, she opened the suitcase, pulled out the machine as well as the blueprints and placed them on a table opposite the bed. Smiling, she sat down, turned on the table light and started working.

After Saya had left home four years ago to pursue a career as an inspector she could've never imagined coming back to her hometown. Her parents hadn't been happy with her choice of career and her sister had been rolling her eyes at Saya's dreams as well. But she had decided to pursue her dreams anyway so she left. She hadn't seen her family ever since.

However, as fate would have it, she hadn't become an inspector. Around the end of her education, when she finally got the chance to actually accompany other inspectors around, she came up with many ideas for inventions that would help inspectors and speed up the investigation. She submitted those ideas to others but none of her colleagues or superiors understood her. What's more,most of them mocked her or simply rolled eyes at her as if she was crazy.

Soon, Saya gave up on her education and became an inventor. Unfortunately, it turned out people from other towns felt the same about her inventions as did her colleagues and she barely managed to sell any.

However, Saya persisted and decided to travel from town to town in hopes she might find someone who shared her opinion. So here she was in her hometown, hoping that maybe here, after all the places she'd seen she would find what she'd been looking for. Someone who would recognize her inventions as something good that could truly help people.

Even though she had only arrived in town, it brought back the memories of her childhood; both the good and the bad. She remembered going to different fairs with her father and sister. That's where her interest in inventions grew.

Still, tonight was not the time to think about the future nor dwell on the past. This rainy spring night was more than suitable for a delicious feast, a hot cup of tea and a good night's sleep.