A pang to her heart reminded that the chances of that were gone. It was all gone: her family, her life, her future. Her brothers had all gone off to fight when the High Baron of Farentell had called upon them. Her mother dead of a fever months before that. Father, Grandfather…
Grief washed through her like a wave. Warna closed her eyes for a moment letting tears well, feeling the anguish deep in her bones until it subsided, leaving her empty, tired, and numb.
She wiped away her tears, and forced herself back to dirty cloths, hot water, and soap. Better to not think about that. Better to think about...her song.
Warna started humming as she swirled the cloths through the water. She was still trying to fit roses into the verse, but it wasn’t working. She couldn’t get the words quite right.
“Life is sour, life’s unfair,
Death takes us all without a care.
What need then to enjoy the rose?
What need then to…”
She let the tune trail off, trying to puzzle out the next stanza. What would work? What rhymed with rose?
Well, toes, but honestly…
Her rhyming distracted her, made the chore go faster. She’d need to dump the water soon. The few men who had managed to escape with them were working at whatever odd tasks their benefactors needed done. She’d get a few to aid her when the time came.
There was a stir behind her as horsemen entered the yard. She spared a glance over her shoulder to see elven warriors ride in, lofty and stern. They all sat tall and proud in their matching silver armor upon majestic black horses. She turned back to her laundry. The warriors weren’t cruel, but they weren’t exactly friendly. Best to stay out of their way.
That elf in the garden, for example. Warna shivered at the memory. He’d been so big, and so feral, in black leather armor, his sword at his side. His silver-white hair and silver-blue eyes had made him seem like something from one of her children’s books.
His grip on her ankle had been terrifying, and he’d looked so fierce.
Oh, no. She wasn’t going to sneak back into the garden no matter how large and lovely the flowers were. It wasn’t worth—
A loud, deep voice spoke in elven, directly behind her.
Startled, Warna twisted to find that very warrior glaring down at her. Her heart threatened to beat out of her chest.
The elven warrior loomed over her, all black leather, silver chain, and swords. “Pardon, I spoke without thought.” His glare didn’t diminish, but his words were stilted, as if he was trying to remember the common tongue. “I asked how you fared.” His frown deepened, and he gestured to the tubs behind her. “Why are you doing that?”
“It needs to be done,” Warna replied without thinking, trying to remember to breathe.
Those silver eyebrows furrowed together as he glanced behind him. More of the warriors were approaching, with human males. “Did you get something to eat?”
Warna cringed at the memory of her growling stomach. “Yes, of course. There’s bread, cheese, eggs, and milk. I just hadn’t eaten. I wanted to spend a few minutes with the—” She cut her words off.
“That is well,” the warrior said. “I was concerned. The noises…” he gestured at her belly
Thoroughly mortified, she dropped her gaze. “Thank you.”
“Did you finish it?” he asked abruptly.
“Finish what?” she was confused by the question. “Finish my breakfast?”
“Your song,” he dropped his voice, asking quietly.
Warna lifted her gaze then, looking to see if she was being mocked. But his expression was open, his eyes seemed sincere. “No,” she said slowly, reaching up to tuck a stray curl behind one ear. “I can hear it in my head, but I can’t find the words. It’s…”
“Frustrating,” he said.
She nodded.
He glanced around, his frown returning. “Who sees to you?”
