In that dark of summer's eve, Su had just tucked the children in for the night. For many months now, the townsfolk were out, fighting the war. Their children safe in her midst at the old manor as she spent her days with them as teacher and the evenings after as nanny. They loved her for her gentle grace, affectionately calling her the very same, "nanny."
Su had just begun to step downstairs, candlestick in hand. Closing up the barn and the heavy double doors were the last thing on her agenda for the day before retiring to bed herself. Her olive skin in mild glow as she passed each of the lanterns in the hall downstairs, the folds of her red and white day gown gently bobbing upon her. She shuts the front doors in, putting the heavy oak across it. Walking back toward the kitchen, as she thinks about the children and their lessons for the next day. Little Elizabeth is especially gifted in her spellings, but her arithmetic needs some work, while Ralph is strong and fast, able to run the quickest in all his class. 14 children, all between 5 and 7 years old, desperately in need for someone to care for them in this perilous time. She prays a silent hum under her breath, opening the heavy iron back door from the pantry toward the barn.
The door opened to a narrow passageway that led underground via a spiralling staircase. Su's grandfather had built it during the last war to help them escape, should there be an attack. Her family had since always kept this part of the manor well stocked with food, clothing and other necessities, should the need arise. Furthermore, the passage led outside, to the barn, some 100 feet away, opening inside it under a wooden hatch, concealed below some loose straw. It is good that she takes her baths at home after this nightly ritual, for she always gets a few blades of straw in her lush dark hair after opening the hatch.
Su now began the walk upwards, the yellow light of her candle burning dimly yet surely. Up and up and up a steep stair, until she finally gets to the platform. She puts the candle in the little cubby on the wall beside, and with full force, pushed up the wooden hatch swinging it open, till it turns and falls to the other side. Picking up her skirt, and the candle, she steps out. Walking toward the door, she can see nothing in the far dark distance of the prairie. The night sky is dark and starless, and there are no wolves howling. Pulling the barn door close, and locking it in place, she turns around, accidentally dropping the candlestick onto the cold hard granite floor. She is pushed to the side immediately, like a gust of wind, against the stack of hay. He has menacing eyes, and a rough grip like a beast, he cups her mouth with his free hand, preventing her from letting out but a gasp. In the faint light she sees his large visage. Heavily built, with blood on his face and a gaping wound in the side of his torso, the man is clearly injured. He is also, wearing a dark brown uniform.
He is, the the enemy. And he is in her home.
Chapter 2
"Don't make a sound," he says, in a grumble. Half groggily from what she could guess was from the loss of blood, and half from exhaustion.
"Medicine, bandages... take me to where you keep them," he took her by the arm, gently leading her away from the door.
She takes a step forward, her eyes looking on in disbelief and fear. This man, this savage, this... enemy soldier, was in her home, without the slightest remorse.
"Medicine and bandages. I need them. Now."
He points to his wound, takes his hand off her mouth and steps aside with arms raised.
Su nods, he nods back. He bends low to pick up the fallen candlestick, only to keel over and fall to the ground. She makes a run for it, hearing him groaning in agony as the small pool of blood on the ground from his wound, puts out the candlelight. Su remembers where the hatch is, jumping inside, and closing it shut behind her. Inside, she puts the crowbar on the wall beside her into the shackle bolt for good measure, and proceeds to sprint back to the manor, before the man got a chance to recover. She must warn the authorities, no matter the time of night. She must call for help.
Coming up the stairs and out the pantry, Su goes up to the childrens' room to see if they are safe. All of them, sound asleep, without a peep. She knew relief that none did in these times, and in that moment wondered, if she should create such an alarm at this ungodly hour. Surely the barn is well locked down from the inside, and the hatch and the heavy iron pantry door is locked as well. The manor was built like a fortress and it is far too much for any one man to try and get inside, let alone one so grievously injured as him.
His dark bearded face haunted her as she went to her bed chambers. She lit another candle as she began to strip in front of her mirror, the blood on her cheek from the soldier's grip, and on her waist from when he pushed her. She could no sooner to be done with it, and clean herself. Walking into the bath, she set a match under the tub, letting it heat while she sat on the wooden bench inside. She looked at herself in the mirror, pensively contemplating the events of the night. Her deep brown eyes like amber in the flickering yellow light, cheeks still drained of some colour from her fright, and yet, she found herself able to regain some peace, stroking the side of her hair, tucking it neatly behind her ear. She felt calmer somehow, the sound of bubbling heat behind her. Su turned out the fire, and gently slipped into her hot bath. The water entering her every pore, awakening it, the texture of the dense metal in the tub, slightly rough and warm to the touch, just like him... hmm...
What? No... That brute, he nearly killed her, she thought. Those dark black eyes, animalistic form and intent, she chided just thinking about how absurd it was. She stroked the inside of her nape, grains of hardened blood, washing off in her soapy water now. It is his blood, she thought. It was pure and simple luck how she managed to get away from him. For him to keel over and fall like that, dear god...
