Oryen took Dydra to a small room with rough-hewn timber walls, a straw mattress, and a single wooden chest. Though little in the sight of Oryen, it was more than comfortable for Dydra, who had her last nap in a cold, mosquito filled cave, and her other nights on a tattered foam bed.
Oryen handed her fresh clothing, pointing to a door in the corner of the room, she said
"There's the wash room. I'll leave you now." Oryen took her leave, gently closing the door behind her.
Dydra stood in astonishment at the thought of having to bath in a wash room and not a stream. The only time she bathed in a wash room was in the Agatha's room, whenever the Master wasn't home. She took her dress off, taking out the pins in her hair, Agatha came to her mind with her screaming voice echoing in her head.
I hope she's fine, she prayed silently. She entered the wash room, noticing there was water in the tub, she entered soaking herself in it. The sweet smell of rose filled the air. Dydra looked around trying to find the source of the gentle smell, but she found none. Pushing the thought out, she closed her eyes, resting her mind.
Oryen entered a small dim room with shelves that carried old looking books. An oak table settled at the wall, with more aged books scattered on it. Oryen walked up to one of the shelves rumbling through it in search of something. Her usual calm demeanor was replaced by a more guarded one. Her brows knitted with her lips twitching in annoyance. The image of the golden heart-shaped locket Dydra wore clouded her thoughts. She left the previous shelf, moving to the next, and the next and the next, but she couldn't find what she was searching for. She stumped her foot on the wooden floor in annoyance, earning a light echo beneath it. Her eyes widened in realization and she got to her knees, her fingers perusing the wooden floor, until it stopped at a small crack. She pushed a finger in the crack, jerking a plank, slidding it off the rest. A sealed box seated among the dust with spider webs attached around it. Ignoring it, she brought it out opening it immediately. Inside the box dwelled a wood covered book, with the image of two heart-shaped lockets carved on it. One painted with silver, the other with gold. She stood on her feet, taking the book to the table. She kept a close distance between her and the book, with her hand stretched forth and her eyes closed she muttered as quiet as she could.
"Athryx mueli takokma zrunrph." A soft rumble came from the book, the carved symbols giving a gentle glow. She casted again, this time a bit louder than the previous.
"Athryx mueli takokma zrunrph," her fingers trembled slightly and her frown deepened. The rumble became louder with the glow increasing. She casted again, louder.
"Athryx mueli takokma zrunrph!" Dark veins appeared around her neck with black tears rolling from the corner of her eyes. The table shook, including the shelves in the room. Her body vibrated and she felt a sharp pain in her chest causing her to clench her teeth. Her lips trembled to utter the spell again.
"Athryx mueli takokma—" the pain increased massively, causing her to loose balance plunging to the ground. The dark veins crowled up to her jaw, her eyes shot open with her pupils utterly dark. The pain in her chest became unbearable and she gasped for air. The whole room tremble and an ear piercing scream escaped her lips, her vision became blur and she lost consciousness.
Strangely all that happened in the small room stayed in the small room. The cottage was how it was, with nothing rumbling or shaking.
Dydra enjoyed her bath in silence with the rose fragrance swimming in the atmosphere. After a while, she got out of the bath, her hand reaching for a towel hung on the wall. Wrapping it around her body, she stepped into the room, got dressed, tying her hair up. She sat on the cosy bed with a small smile on her lips. She felt grateful for the hospitality Oryen showed her. Getting on her feet, she stepped out of the room in search of the aged woman. Not being farmilar with the cottage she took note of every detail. She managed to find the main room, her eyes searching for Oryen, but there was no sight of her.
"Maybe she went out," she muttered to herself. Dydra found the kitchen and decided to make something for the old lady as a token of her gratitude.
Few hours passed with Dydra not aware of the fact that the woman was lying motionless in a small room. She made a pottage setting it on the dinning table, she sat, deciding to wait for her host.
Oryen slowly regained consciousness. Her eyes had returned to their usual ocean blue with the dark veins on her neck no more. She struggled to be on her two feet, but later able to maintain her balance. She put the book back in the box sealing it tight under the wooden floor. She stepped out, with the dark tears still on her face. Her expression was grim. She had failed in destroying the book. She would have to hide it far away from the girl, if not, it'll bring destruction. Her nose caught a whiff of pottage, and she frowned, following the scent. She was a bit startled when she found the girl in the dinning area, with pottage on the table.
Dydra caught the sound of footsteps and turned to the direction. She stood on her feet when she saw it was the old lady. She parted her lips to speak, but the words caught in her throat as her gaze fell on the woman's face.
A frown settled on her face, and she blurted out. "What's that one your face?" As the words left her lips, she realized she had over stepped and tried correcting herself.
"Not that it's any of my business how you got a dark line from the corner of your eyes down to your cheeks. You don't have to tell me why. It's not like I'm telling you what do say and what not to say. I mean, it's your cottage. You can do whatever you want, it doesn't concern me. And it's not that I don't care or—"
"Enough," Oryen voice came calmly, Dydra's cheek warmed with a shy glow, her eyes avoiding Oryen's gaze. The aged woman's eyes went to the table and she asked.
"You made this?"
Dydra quickly nodded and started blabbing again. "I hope you're not offended. I wasn't snooping around your home, I just thought it'll be nice to show a little gratitude for your hospitality. It's not like I planned on taking advantage of your hospitality by staying here for the night or forever—"
"Let's eat, dear," Oryen sat, not bothering to swipe the tear marks off her face. Her aura was different than what she carried when she just met Dydra. There was a certain darkness that made Dydra unease.