The Hut

Reverie's footsteps echoed along the hallways as she marched down the stairs heading for the ground floor with Rennie in tow.

The Eldmich mansion consisted of four levels. The first level consisted of the main gates and the drawing rooms where guests would be hosted. It contained a massive ballroom and it was where most of the manor's art and displays were set, clearly meant to impress.

The second level consisted of the living quarters for the servants as well as the kitchen where meals were served and parties were thrown.

The third level contained the living quarters of the Master and his kin who were each given a separate room. The library and study quarters were on the fourth and highest floor.

However, the Eldmich's property did not simply end at the manor. Around the manor was a generous field on which an old shack resided. 

And the person who lived in that shack was Reverie's only option in this matter.

Reverie made her way down to the ground floor and exited the manor's back gate. It was mainly used by gardeners and servants who tended to the fields so she had to make sure that she was not seen to avoid suspicion. 

Closing the door gingerly behind her, Rennie followed her lady swiftly as the duo walked briskly towards the shack in the distance.

Rennie had never seen this shack before, since although these fields around the manor were made accessible to most staff of the mansion, it was only frequented by the lord and lady along with the people that helped maintain the field and she had never come by before due to time constraints.

But as Rennie stepped into these fields for the first time, she felt a pang of regret for not coming here sooner. Being in such close proximity to the manor, the fields could technically be considered a sort of backyard but dubbing it such would amount to little but a gross insult.

Fenced in by the manor's walls, Rennie had a suspicion that the area of the fields was likely enough to cover half of the village where she was from. Every patch of earth was covered by a blanket of green, filled with neatly trimmed grass which danced and swayed to the light breeze like ocean swell. 

Trees dotted the fields although gathering primarily towards the edges of the fields and leaving the centre area empty for walks or any activity the lord saw fit to host.

" Rennie, that's the wrong way." voice gently reminded her.

Rennie turned around to see Reverie standing a few feet away and fixing her with an inquiring look. 

Rennie's face felt hot.

" I'm sorry milady! I got carried away!"

Reverie simply smiled and pointed behind her.

" We're going that way. Follow up and don't get lost." She chided as she turned around and resumed her brisk pace, leaving Rennie to catch up.

" Yes milady!" 

The duo walked diagonally to the way that they had come from for a long time. At some point, the sun above Rennie became blotted out by the overarching branches of the trees above, its radiant shine disappearing and leaving only a bright golden dot. 

Then suddenly, Reverie stopped in her tracks.

"We're here."

A small shack sat in the middle between two trees deep into the grove that lined the manor's eastern wall. It wasn't dilapidated by any means but it also wasn't exactly in its heyday either. It was just a modest abode that was barely accommodating enough to live in.

' Seems like whoever lives here wants to keep a low profile.' Rumius thought.

Rumius had been silent for the most part of the journey to the hut. He didn't exactly know what to say or do after his gigantic screw up that had triggered this whole journey.

But thinking about it, Rumius couldn't help but feel uneasy somehow.

' I honestly thought that she wouldn't give much of a reaction. A more normal reaction would be if she simply glazed over it as normal baby noises. But for some reason, why does it seems that Maman recognises english?'

' Does some country in this world speak english then?'

The thought forced Rumius's sweat glands into overdrive.

' Last time I checked babies didn't speak foreign languages..'

Rumius swallowed hard as she watched his Maman reach one hand out and knock on the badly chipped wooden door.

There was no response so Reverie knocked again. And again. Until finally, an irritated voice sounded from inside the hut:

" Yes, yes. I'm coming! Don't you people know the meaning of the word patience? " it growled.

The door creaked open before long and revealed a small, youthful looking woman dressed in a set of dark blue robes that was either oversized or meant to turn her into a sort of mobile broomstick with how much their ends fell loose and dragged on the floor.

The woman herself was of small build, standing only up to his maman's shoulder level. She was topped with a head of frizzled ginger hair and clear blue eyes that would've shone like jewels against her fair complexion if not for her heavy eye-bags.

' Why is everyone living here all so good looking?' Rumius couldn't help but think in disbelief. 

The ginger haired, sleep deprived beauty shot a sharp look at her unwelcome visitors, sharp enough to split boulders. She was clearly aggravated.

Reverie cleared her throat and stepped forward, introducing herself:

" Good morning Miss Isadora, I am-"

" I know who you are." The woman spat, fixing the lady of the Eldmich manor with glare that could split boulders.

" Cut the formalities and get to it. What do you want?" 

Reverie was slightly taken aback but she did not waver.

" I have a problem and I require your services. Would you be so kind to spare-"

" So you need my help." Isadora interjected.

"Answer's no, don't come again."

Saying this, she spun on her heels and slammed the door behind her but not before Reverie shouted out: 

" My son knows Elder speech!"

The door slammed shut, but only a moment passed by before it opened slightly. 

Isadora peaked one eye through the crack between the door and the door frame and queried, her voice slightly dangerous but her eyes shone with an unusual light.

" What did you say?"

" My son knows elder speech." Reverie repeated.

" Do you think this a joke?"

" Absolutely not! Do you think I would've have come here just to play a prank?"

The mysterious woman paused for a while but eventually swung the door open fully.

" Get in."