2 Under The Umbrella

"You are my heart, my life, my one and only thought." -- The White Company by Arthur Conan Doyle

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Recommended song to hear: Liebestraum No. 3 -- Franz Liszt (use Spotify for a better experience)

The year 1689–

Her bright green eyes looked outside the window, worry came over her as she looked up into the murky sky pouring more rain to the land, enough to almost create a storm soon. Fortunately, there was no harsh wind but with no sign of the rain going to let up, she feared that soon a storm would come.

"Mama, I think I will go now," she said, and her mother came out of the hallway to the entrance of their humble house where the girl was standing. "Papa will have to wait under the rain for a long time if I don't."

"Wait! Rosè!" Her mother said, wiping her hand on her apron that had dulled to yellow with the number of years that passed by and made her way to her daughter; who was tying her bright golden hair into a messy bun on the back of her head. "Why don't you bring Josie with you? Together with your sister is better than being alone." and at this, Rose shook her head.

"Sister Josie is sleeping, she seems tired I can go alone," convinced Rose and she saw how her mother passed her a look of distrust; not because Mrs. Maury didn't believe in her, she feared that the rain would be too dangerous for a young girl of Rose's age to venture alone, especially with the rumors that had been coming around the village.

"You should wait until the rain calms down a little, dear. It is dangerous if you go now, your father will be alright. Seeing the terrible rain, he will take shelter in his usual place."

"And that is dangerous," Rose said, looking at her mother with a gentle smile on her pink lips, "I heard that the place is prone to a thunderstorm. I don't see the thunder for now, but we won't know about it soon."

She looked at her mother who then fell into a brief contemplation. The family of Maury consists of four members: she, her husband, and her two daughters with Rosè being the youngest.

Mrs. Maury was very happy that she was blessed with beautiful daughters but was sad that she didn't have a son, causing her daughter to take such a dangerous role when they had no choice. "At times like this, how I wish I had a son or that I am still young." But then fate ruled its own way, and Mrs. Maury was vulnerable against fate's choice of giving her two beautiful daughters.

A small chuckle passed by Rose's well-shaped lips, "Mama aren't I your lovely daughter? You don't need to have a son when I am here, I can take two roles at once," she winked, having her mother laugh as well.

"There had been sightings of wolves. Beware of them. Mrs. Hearst is still nursing her loss for her husband and they suspect it was a very large wolf who had done it," her mother said in worry.

Rose took the umbrella that was hanging on the wall, her ears turning keener upon the news, "I hope she will get over his death soon. I pity her for losing her husband so quickly."

"That's why they said no one can ever be sure about the future. Ah! And bring this umbrella with you, that one is old, and the handle shows signs of breaking."

Rose took the umbrella from her mother's hand, thanking her, and went outside the roof with the umbrella protecting her from the raindrops. "I will come back home quickly!"

"Take your time! Don't run or you will slip on your steps!" Her mother yelled from afar as Rose waved her hands when she reached the fence of the house. With her daughter gone, Mrs. Maury placed one of her chubby hands to her cheeks, "She is at the age of marriage but is yet to show signs of wanting to get married. Oh dear God, what should I do?"

Rose cheerfully made her way from the house to the sidewalk of the village. Covering her head under the umbrella wings, she padded her feet to the puddle, causing a small splash sound as she walked. Today's rain was not heavy, but it was not light either. Her father, Mr. Maury, worked as a tailor, but as they didn't have enough money to have a shop, and were not privileged.

Last year, her father's back suffered from sore muscles, causing him cramps which often relapse when it was raining. Rose decided to fetch her father if he didn't come back home at his usual time. And as he didn't, hence why Rose was set off to her small journey.

Clovelly, the village Rose lived in was surrounded by forest. Since nine years ago, the magistrate of Clovelly built a wooden fence around the village, to guard the houses from the wild animals living around the forest, but after Mr. Hearst's accident that happened last night, the fence proves to be of no use, causing some villagers to be in distress.

Under the lone company of the rain, Rose felt unsettled when thinking about her mother's warning about wolves, but she didn't run. She didn't want to fall from the slippery ground due to the rainy day and decided to fast walk when Rose picked a small sound.

The rain's continuous pitter-patter sound on her umbrella dampened her hearing, causing all voices to sound minuscule; but for some reason, she could hear the voice of a person. Taking a double hearing, Rose indeed heard a man's voice, and quickly, she followed it only to find a man lying on the ground with his back leaned against the wall.

One of his hands was holding his stomach, which was covered by his pitch-black coat, similar to his hair color. His entire body was wet from the rain and Rose wondered why he was there.

Being the kind person, the worried Rose made her way near the man, "Sir, are you alright?" she asked because the man seemed to be far from alright.

The man wistfully lifted his chin, his black hair covering his upper face, denying Rose from seeing or meeting his eyes.

"Are you waiting for someone?" she continued to ask without feeling dispirited at the lack of response. Yet she was given another silent attitude. Perhaps he could not speak? wondered Rose. Perhaps he was mute?

To counter her thought at the same time, a breathy voice came from the man, gliding smoothly from his full lips, "I am waiting for the rain to disappear."

"I don't think it would soon disappear or let up," Rose said while looking upward to the sky that was still gloomy dark and the wind instead became harsher over her skin.

"No, it will soon disappear," said the man, somewhere confident in his tone that Rose noted. Has anyone ever told you not to speak to a stranger, young lady?" The man then asked, his voice holding something that shakes Rose's heart without her knowing why.

"I know," Rose answered, was this man warning her to go away? "I was also told not to turn a blind eye when people seem to be in a difficult situation."

The man chuckled, droplets of raindrop slid from his sharp jaw. "Which part of me seems to be in a difficult situation?" He asked; amusement hinted at his voice as the woman continued to speak toward him despite his warning.

Rose seized the man's figure, her gaze wasn't subtle for the man to notice and with a smile, she replied, "Everything." Her answer only had the man chuckle further. Rose continued to look at the man and she asked, "I think you are hurting. Are you perhaps chased by-"

Rose's eyes widened when her mouth was suddenly covered and the man pulled her behind, hiding in between the gaps of two houses. Rose tried to struggle on reflex when the man whispered, "Shush, we are going to get in trouble if you don't, sweet lady."

Rose wanted to ask what he was doing, suddenly grabbing her and covering her mouth with his cold hands when she frowned upon hearing voices that grew more audible as crunch-sounding footsteps came near them.

"Fuck it! He must be somewhere near here! I want you all to drag him to me and slit his neck, everyone disperse!" Yelled the man and a harmonious sound came from the rest of the man who then went on their ways.

Rose's heart thumped aloud against her chest. Her position was where her back was against the wall and the man pushed her to the wall.

She carefully looked on the corner of the wall and as she had guessed upon hearing from the yelling it was men who seemed to be in a hurry searching for a certain someone. On their hands were machetes. The blade gleamed, causing Rose to gulp, "You are chased," she said to the man, still unable to look at his entire face but she could trail her eyes on his jaw if she lifted her chin high.

"And you are unlucky," the man answered in a whisper, "You should have ignored me."

And maybe she should have done that but Rose was born with a compassionate heart, so much that her elder sister Josie would complain to her, saying that kindness isn't worth the pain.

"I don't have the heart to leave or ignore someone who clearly doesn't look in good health. If I had left you alone, I would be haunted by my guilt. Therefore I acted on my wish you don't have to feel guilty," she answered honestly, not knowing why but despite the sound of hurried footsteps and how the tense arises from her feet to her entire body, the conversation they shared was less anxious than one would think though it didn't hide the panicked hinted on Rose's voice.

"When did I say I felt guilty?"

"Aren't you chasing me away now so I won't get involved in your situation?" came Rose's next question and she saw the man's face suddenly lean forward, and she frowned, wondering if he had been hit somewhere or felt ill.

When the man chuckled, Rose looked up at him with a faint frown, "Why are you laughing?" Was he thinking that her kindness wasn't worth it as well?

"Pardon me," he said, his voice unapologetic but not offensive, "I was thinking of how wonderful you are."

"Wonderful?" Rose heard the praise and felt somewhere flattered regardless of her situation at the moment and the frown on her forehead immediately vanished.

"Being a bad person is easy but being a kind person is harder. I respect people who could do the latter one, although if I might warn you, do not carelessly talk with someone who is on the ground as today. You never know when a monster is sitting near you," the man whispered and Rose took his words as a wise one. "You should go," he then said.

Rose blinked, his words brought her back from a moment of daze, "Right now?"

"No, another day," the man answered with a smile as if he meant it.

Rose was at a loss for words, "I mean to say, there are still people there. What did you do? Did you steal something?" But for a person who might be a thief his clothes weren't shabby in fact, his coat looked very posh now that Rose took a look at it.

"I am thinking of stealing something in the future but your guess is false now," The man took a step back to create gaps between them, and only then did Rose realize how close their bodies were pressed on each other. "I am the one who is being chased now, they won't be eyeing you. If you want to come back home in one piece, you might want to heed to my words."

The man watched the girl hesitate, she must be scared to leave alone but then he can't risk coming with her either and it wasn't something he is used to— protecting someone. Today, he just felt whimsical and wanted to save the girl that was strange as he always put his life above all others.

The girl surprised him again when her bright green eyes stared at him, and she said, "What about you?" Leaving him with those people...Rose can tell that the numbers out win the man.

"I will be fine, I have a method," he answered, and somewhere his smile stretched higher, "It's not as though this is my first time. I'm trained for this. You better go now," he waited for her to go.

Rose deliberated whether to leave. Her life was important but that doesn't make this man's life any less important. Leaving him here alone made her feel uneasy and uncomfortable but staying won't help either. "I will call people to come here."

"If you would like me to live on then don't. I appreciate your kindness and I would appreciate it more if you leave and forget what happened today," the man answered and he couldn't help but smile wider, "I won't die. Go on."

Rose didn't want to leave but she decided to believe the man's words because he sounded as if he had a plan in his mind and staying would only turn her into a hassle, this much she knew. Quickly, she pressed the umbrella she had on her hand, "Take this. You don't have anything to protect yourself."

"And you think an umbrella would help?"

"It's better than nothing," Rose made a point, and as she took her steps behind to leave the gaps of the wall, she looked at the man once again, saying, "Please don't die."

The sound of a splish splash echoed when the girl leaves. The man went to a short silence and chuckled bubbles from his lips. "Worrying about me," he whispered, "That's something new." And as he spoke, he stepped away, pulling his hand that had been on his stomach to show his shirt and coat that had turned red from blood. Lifting his hand, he used the rain to wash the blood.

"He is here!" The man who found him notified the rest.

The man then turned at the human, cracking his knuckles and his stiff neck a crueler smile appeared on his face. Pushing his hair to the back of his head, his grin widening when the human man gasped upon seeing his silver eyes dipping into a gold color. "Now, now, don't run. I won't be able to have my fun if you do."

The rain had lessened to drizzles when the bodies of the people who attacked him laid on the ground. Their eyes showed no more light as sunshine begin to play a shy game with the cloud, appearing very timidly. The only man left standing was the same man whose eyes brightened in gold color and his stared up at the sky that had been an accomplice in celebrating his victory.

It was then when he noticed something had been carved on the handle of the umbrella.

He was still standing under the rain, now helped by the umbrella, and looking at the umbrella handle, he read the name in whisper, "Maury."

The man covered himself under the umbrella's wings and noticed the handle of the umbrella holding a name belatedly, "How old," he remarked at the way the old woods begin to break into splinters under his fingertips; his silvery voice was like velvet, pleasant to the ear but also deep enough to make one's heart to shake. "But it's not too terrible."

And the next day, through the rumors, Rose found out that bodies of men had been found in the town next to the one, she wondered if it was a coincidence and if the man was alright as it seemed he wasn't there amongst the body list.

At this point, the two were still unaware of how fate had tied them together, and how fate might have its own script to unite the two.