Chapter 24

I barely talked to Mother after that. We still had our daily meetings, but I made sure we only discussed the issues at hand.

In many ways, it felt better this way. Mother hadn’t changed, but at least I wasn’t under her influence. But that didn’t mean I didn’t miss what we’d once had. She had changed so much since Father died, and I wished there was something I could do to make that undone, but I knew she wouldn’t listen to me. Martha hadn’t spoken to me since, but her reach on Mother was limited as well, so I didn’t have any hope there either.

Despite it all, I would remember that winter with hope in my heart. It was the first time in many years I had someone I could call a friend, and I spent most of my time with Aislin and the others. I’d even grown fond of Eru, and she often showed me around, pointing out things she had seen around the castle. Aislin said she barely talked, but we’d found a way to communicate with signs. She was a sweet girl, but I wondered what had happened to her.

One of those days, when I was feeling particularly sad about what had happened with Mother, she grabbed my hand, gesturing for me to follow. She pulled me along the hallways, and all the way, she signed the word for Danger. I glanced around, wondering what had happened. I hadn’t heard the soldiers sounding an alarm, but whenever I tried to turn back, she grabbed my hand and pulled me along.

“What is it?”, I asked.

She only signed the word 'Danger' once more and continued walking. I followed her along the hallway, and she took me deeper into the fortress than I’d been in a long while. Had she found this way all by herself? She halted before a room, pushed the door open, and pulled me in. I couldn’t remember seeing this room, and if it had ever been in use, it must have been long before my lifetime. I glanced around. It was dusty, and part of the roof had collapsed. There were blankets on the floor, a jug of water, and in the corner, I could see several bowls of what seemed like grains.

She gestured for me to sit down, and when I hesitated, she pulled me down and wrapped a blanket around me.

‘Wait here’, she signed before running out and disappearing through the door.

I looked around. Had she done all of this? I didn’t dare to get up in case she would come back, so I sat there, watching the room. After a while, I could hear someone talking in the hallway, and moments later, Eru came back, pulling Aislin behind her. Sami stepped in after them, and Eru closed the door and gestured wildly for them to sit down next to me.

“What’s happening?”, Aislin asked.

I shook my head.

“I don’t know. She just pulled me here, saying it was dangerous”

Eru wrapped a blanket around Sami and then sat down on the floor, seeming to sigh in relief. Aislin turned to her, signing something I didn’t understand. Aislin’s eyes went wide as they continued gesturing to each other. I glanced at Sami, but she only shrugged. After a while, Eru seemed content with what she’d said, and Aislin turned to me.

“She said you were in danger”

I frowned.

“There have been no alarms. The guards would have warned us.”

Aislin glanced at the girl.

“Have you…. been upset about something lately?”

I looked at her, surprised.

“I mean… I won’t talk to Mother any longer”, I said hesitantly.

Aislin nodded, glancing at Eru.

“She’s… sensitive. She must have noticed something was wrong”

I stared at Eru, wrapped in a blanket.

“So, this room…?”

“She’s made it over the past weeks”

I looked around.

“She… must have sneaked into the kitchen for the jug, and the grains as well”

Sami smiled.

“She cares for you”