"There's dust everywhere I'll have to do some cleaning before I can call this a house." She looked around at the space, nothing seemed out of place, however, everything was covered in thick layers of dust.
Suddenly, she heard squiky noise and a mouse darted out of small hole in the corner.
On seeing this, her canines grew in length unconsciously and her split pupils shrunk.
The mouse immediately scrambled back into the hole as it felt the presence of an Apex predator right in front of it.
'Normally, I would scream at the sight of it, but now, it seemed cute. And what is this?' She traced a finger along her canines which shrunk back in size.
"I wonder what happened to my body back in the wilderness. When I was fighting the soldiers earlier, all I could think of, was to kill them. It was as if I was possessed." She whispered as she searched for cleaning materials.
She found a broom and few dusters near a corner in the kitchen. She took them and walked out of the kitchen, heading for one of the bedroom on the first floor.
She climbed the wooden staircase and turned right down a narrow corridor. That was when she spotted one of the bedrooms just straight ahead.
She opened the door and entered. The bed sheet, the wool bed, the floor, everything was covered in dust.
"This is going to take a while." That was when she heard a knock on the door.
She rushed down with the dusters in one hand, wondering it could be.
"Did the commander come back?" She whispered.
She opened the door as soon as she reached it.
"Did you forget something...." She swallowed her words as she saw Yoru, one of the three soldiers she had just battled against, standing in the doorway.
Aeloria watched the young woman, unsure how to react.
"Won't you at least invite me in?" She said while looking the other way.
"Oh... sorry, please come in." She stepped aside, allowing the woman to step inside.
"Dear heavens, what a mess." Yoru looked around the space, dissapointed by how much work there was to be done.
"May I know why you're here?" Aeloria asked, now feeling uncomfortable.
She didn't want to have people around who clearly didn't like her.
"The Commander said I should help you tidy up the house. A punishment for attacking you with life threatening blows earlier. The other two were sent to the border to serve there for a few months. They said I took the shorter end of the straw." She said as she looked around the room again.
"I guess they were right." She added.
"You don't have to. I know you don't like me. You may even fear me. Please, you are free to leave. I'll give the commander an excuse on your behalf." Aeloria suggested, pointing towards the door.
"You're right, I do fear you, but fear and like are different. We all tend to fear what we do not understand. That said, I'll do what I was asked to do. I may fear you, but I am confident in my skills. You see this." She said as she took out her sword.
"This is not a training sword. This sword has taken countless lives, and countless more will fall to it merciless edge. In other words, I can kill you where you stand before you move a limb. Give me a reason to sheath my sword, cannibal." Yoru's eyes were cold blue, staring down at Aeloria.
"What do you mean? A reason? I don't quite follow." Aeloria held a genuine look of confusion on her face.
"Every person in this world knows this undeniable fact. We will all die, yet not a single one if us lives worrying about it. Just because your trust may be broken does not mean you shouldn't trust. So I ask you, Cannibal, should I sheath my sword?"
Aeloria understood her intentions perfectly, she was asking whether the cannibal would eat her.
"Yes, please. I have no intention of harming someone the commander sent personally." Aeloria assured with a smile.
"Very well. My name is Yoru. Yoru Shikel from the Shikel family, and I'm not happy to be here. I've never cleaned in my life." She sheathed her sword and leaned it against the wall.
'So she's a noble. But she trusts so easily.'
Anyone possessing two names came from a noble family. Commoners however, only possessed single names.
Aeloria looked at her and spoke. "My name is Aeloria. I'm looking forward to working with you."
"So. What do I do?" Yoru asked taking off her armor.
"Take these." Aeloria handed her two of the dusters.
"Cover your nose with one and use the other to try to dust whatever you can. I'll finish upstairs quickly and join you."
"I see, I'll get to it then." Yoru started to blow dust everywhere after she had wrapped one duster gently around her nose.
Aeloria climbed up and began her work. Looking around the bedroom, memories from long ago flashed through her head.
She had heard a knock on her door and went to open.
"Ramai? What are you doing here at this hour?" Aeloria had asked, standing in the doorway.
"I'm sorry for troubling you, Madam Aeloria. Please allow me to stay here just for this night. I promise I'll leave tomorrow." The man held a desperate look in his eyes as he glances around, making sure he was not being followed.
Seeing the desperate look in his eyes, allowing allowed him entry.
"I told you to just call me Aeloria, sir Hanon." Aeloria said fetching water from a cooler nearby.
"Only if you call me Ramai." The man said respectfully, taking the water from her stretched hand with gentle movements.
"Fine then. Ramai." Aeloria said.
"Aeloria." Ramai replied.
"Are, so bitter." Ramai took a sip of it and stretched out his tongue in disgust.
"There are machnilla herbs at the bottom of the cooler. It kills the unseen worms in the water, making it healthy to drink." Aeloria explained.
"Water doesn't have to go through cleansing, water is water when it soothes the throat." Ramai lectured.
"Don't be a baby and drink up. It's not that bitter, you're just used to sweet things." Aeloria scolded.
"I'm not a baby, and I don't like sweet things either, watch me empty the cup in one go." Ramai tried to look tough as he gulped down the water, but could not hide the sour look on his face.
He handed her the cup afterwards and looked down to hide the look on his face.
"I'm sorry, I lied. That was indeed a bitter medicine. I felt so wronged having to bear that horrible taste alone, glad I had the chance to share." Aeloria said with a smile.
"Aeloria, you monster." Ramai joked, pointing accusing fingers at her.
That was when He noticed that he had calmed down. At first, he held a desperate look on his face, now, he was annoyed at her.
"Thank you, Aeloria. I needed that joke." Ramai said, taking off the grey fair coat.
"What is all this about anyway. Why did you come here instead of going to one of your friends. Aeloria watched him hang his coat on a slightly protruding wood near the door.
"Friends? They were only hanging around me to get a taste of my wealth. Once my brother started to hunt me down they all turned their backs on me. But the blame lies not with them. I wouldn't want to face my older brother's wrath either, if I was them." He explained, walking past her into the second room and lying on the floor beside the bed.
"What are you doing." Aeloria looked at him shifting uncomfortably on the floor.
"Trying to get some sleep." Ramai turned to lie on his side, staring at Aeloria's legs.
"I know that, but why sleep on the floor. You can take the bed." Aeloria offered.
"Where would you sleep then? I really don't mind." Ramai assured her with a smile.
"I know you don't, but please, heed my advice. If you sleep on the floor boards, your entire body will be sore when you wake up. Allow me to use the floor instead, I'm already used to this kind of life." Aeloria suggested, adjusting the pillows on the bed.
"Fine, but only if you use the bed too. I know it's small but I'm sure we'll manage. I won't be able to bring myself to sleep when I know you're sleeping on the cold boards. I promise I'll behave." Ramai brought himself to a sitting position as he stared at the young woman with unyielding eyes.
Aeloria looked at him and knew he wasn't willing to compromise.
"Fine. I guess we will have to manage."
"Are you done yet?" Yoru's voice echoed behind her, bringing her from her train of thoughts.
"Oh yes. I was just about to head down. Let's hurry, I need to get some sleep.
"With the dust gone, we should be able to finish quickly." Aeloria followed her down the stairs.
A moment later. They were done tidying up most part of the house.
"The rest shouldn't be hard for you to finish alone. I should get going." Yoru reached for the door handle but stopped at Aeloria's words.
"I cleaned the other two bedrooms too. The hour is late. You're welcomed to spend the night. If you still wish to leave, I won't stand in your way."
"You're not planning to eat me in my sleep, are you?" Yoru asked, but it sounded more serious than jest.
"Of course not." Aeloria said with a smile. She had heard those remarks countless times, now, she no longer took offence in them.
"Very well, I'll take you up on your offer." Yoru said, walking up the stairs once more with Aeloria.
"I'll be taking the one on the right. You can choose between the two on the left." Aeloria said as she turned right and headed straight for the bedroom.
Without a word, Yoru made her way to the first bedroom on the left.
The house was soon filled with silence as Aeloria lay on the side of the bed closest to the window.
"Why fight against your brother, aren't siblings supposed to look out for each other?" Aeloria remembered asking as she lay facing Ramai that night.
"Everyone is born with an inate personality. Some are kind, some are stupid, some are obsessive. My brother is naturally greedy. He craves my share of the inheritance. With my father away, this was the best opportunity. I've survived by moving from inn to inn, at last, my father will return tomorrow. With him around, no one would be able to harm me." Hanon explained as he stared at the beautiful jade eyes of Aeloria.
"Why not just give it to him. If you asked me, the inheritance is not worth your life." Aeloria stared back at the dark eyes of Ramai whose matching dark hair was sprawled on the pillow.
"I'm not as strong as you, Aeloria."
"Strong? Where did that come from?" She was surprised, that was the first time someone told her she was strong.
"You're able to survive everyday even though you possess so little to your name. I admire that. If I lost everything, I don't think I can survive like you do. I don't know how to. Besides, I have to fight for what's rightfully mine. I don't mind suffering, but I don't want my future children to struggle just to make ends meat."