Act One: Materia Prima - Chapter 4

The man closed the door leaf behind him. Turned around. Took in the room. A vestibule. Wooden floor boards. One step below the room that lay behind it. The passage frameless. Hrain had already disappeared somewhere deeper in to the house.

He took of his shoes. Placed them neatly in the corner. Left side. What now? Enter the next room? Hrain probably would not get the others for a big welcome. She probably already forgot about the stranger. The one she invited into their home. Just do it.

He entered a large living room. More wooden floor boards. Crocheted rug in the center. Peach-colored. Covering almost the entire central area. A L-shaped sofa in the corner. To the left again. Dark green. Huge thing. A low coffee table directly in front of it. Wooden. The legs painted white. To the right a glass door. Centered on that wall. A terrace outside. Surrounded by more garden space. The wall met its end at a wooden stair. Leading up to the next floor. Painted white again. There was a bench against the right wall. Cushion on top. Peach-colored like the rug. Above it a painting. Unadorned wooden frame. It depicted a plain. As green as the outside world. Same flowers. A single large birch tree in the center.

His gaze snapped back to the left. To a door he had not noticed until now. It was flung open. Roughly. Someone was moving in. Fast. Another girl. Taller. Older. Not much. Maybe eighteen or twenty? Serious expression on her face. Eyebrows furrowed. She noticed him. Stood still abruptly. Glared at him. Ready to pounce. He took a step back.

“Who the hell are you? What do you want here? You didn’t lay hand on Hrain, did you?”

He carefully explained what had happened. Smiled. Started with the moment he met Hrain. Left out what happened before. All of it. He studied her more intently. Long brown hair. Same shade as Hrain’s. She wore it loose. Her clothes resembled those of the smaller girl as well. Except for the felt slippers. Dark blue. He tried to study her face. But it was like it had been with Hrain. He could tell that she was pretty. Read her emotions. But process how she looked? Discerning? Impossible. He smiled. Put on a show. The older girl relaxed a bit. He asked her about the mountains. His destination.

“The mountains? You can only go there, if you’ve already been there. And you wouldn’t be able to take anything from there with you.”

The response was similar to Hrain’s. What did they mean by this? He asked if she had already been to the mountains. Whether she could show him the way. Told her he had not intended to bother them. The tension had disappeared further.

“None of us has ever been to the mountains, except Hrain, and I won't let her go near that place again. It's too dangerous! I’m sorry. I trust Hrain on this. You don't seem like a bad guy. You can stay here and rest for a while. Eat with us. But we can’t help you with your destination.”

Hrain peeked around the corner. Behind the door from which Hlout had emerged. Her expression? Worried. Guilty. He did not like that. He smiled at her. Genuine? Yes. She was surprised for a moment. Then she withdrew. Somewhat shyly. The older girl did not notice. He asked her name. Told her his. His name? Probably.

“I’m Hlout. You already met Hrain. Then there is Gward, Falsk and Scild. Gward is out in the forest, Scild tends to the garden and who knows what shenanigans Falsk is up to again. They’ll all be here for the feast.”

More names. Most had already been mentioned by Hrain. Still bothersome. He just wanted to get it over with. Could not do it here. The girls would be traumatized. Wait. This was not real. Right? Why be considerate? Maybe he could find something. The house was not high enough. A rope. Poison. He should study the garden more closely. Hlout had mentioned Scild. She tended to the garden. She could know. He asked Hlout about the garden. If he could take a look. Talk with Scild. Told her he liked plants.

“Fine, but I’m coming with you. Scild is a bit skittish. She'll have to get used to you first. So, stay right behind me, move slow and let me do the talking. If she warms up to you, you can talk to Scild yourself. But it’s a big if.”

He nodded. Gave her a smile. Fake. She looked at him somewhat irritated. It bothered him. She turned around. Moved to the glass door. Opened it. Her movements. They looked so graceful. He followed at a slight distance. They stepped back outside.

The terrace was enclosed on three sides by the mansion. A round table stood in the center. Three chairs around it. Two more on the left wall. Stacked on top of each other. The floor was covered with light-colored stone slabs. They quickly crossed the terrace. Entered the garden.

It was vast. A much larger space than what he had seen in front of the house. But on first glance the plants were the same. He searched with his eyes for something he did not know. To no avail. He spotted an apple orchard at the foot of the hill. Stretching out further into the valley. Hlout shielded her eyes with her right hand. Looked toward the orchard. Still moving.

“Scild often takes naps under one of the trees. She doesn't know her limits and overexerts herself far too often. But this is her domain. I can't keep an eye on that girl all the time, and I wouldn't have the heart to forbid her from working the garden.”

She picked up her pace. Rubbed her left arm. They left the enclosed part of the garden. Enclosed with what? Those woven wooden things. A light breeze swept through the orchard.

“I knew it. That’s her rake that is leaning against the tree over there, so she can't be far.”

Hlout pointed toward something. His gaze followed. He saw the rake. A rather small garden tool. Leaning against a particularly large tree. Behind the tree and its neighbors. A clearing. They were getting closer. A picnic table stood in the center. There were benches on both of the longer sides. Hlout signaled him to stop. Turned to him.

“Do you see her?”

He saw a pair of legs peeking out from behind a tree. Bent at the knees. Seemed even smaller than Hrain. But most of her figure remained hidden. For the time being.

“Wait here. Let me wake Scild up and talk to her first. I give you a sign when you can come over.”

Hlout moved toward the resting girl. He admired her motions once again. It reminded him of something. Mountains took shape in his mind. A hike. Someone had walked in front of him. He tried to remember who it was.

A sharp pain pierced his mind. This had already happened once. Before he met Hrain. It seemed so important to him to remember. He felt darkness. Closed his eyes. Resisted it. Another memory. The woven wooden things. Fences. That was their name. He had built some himself. Long ago. He had been a child. Someone else with him. Someone important.

The pain became unbearable. No. He had to endure. Had to remember. Darkness crept into him. Stole his mind’s eye. Took away his consciousness. The light did not reach up here.