Chapter Seven
Into the Night
Briar did not know when she had fallen asleep, but she soon realized that she had when movement next to her startled her from her slumber. Bleary eyed, she turned to her left side. The room had grown dark, as only one candle had stayed lit. Dais's voice from beside her startled her for a moment.
"Relax, it is but me." the bed shifted again, as if he was adjusting himself. Finally settling he spoke to her, only a mass of black in the darkness. "How are you enjoying the book. You must have gotten pretty far, you have been in here for quite sometime."His voice was soft and cold. He sounded bored.
Briar sighed, slinging one arm across her eyes. "Actually, I fell asleep." when Dais said nothing she explained herself hurriedly. "It's not that I was not interested, it's just that my eyes got tired, and then I woke up when you got in the bed."
Dais remained silent for a moment. They both lay there, separate and silent. When he spoke, she realized how long they had not spoken.
Again, his voice betrayed nothing as he curled up on one side of the bed. "How old are you Briar?" in the dark of the room his voice seemed to appear from nowhere.
Briar did not see how this was relevant, but she answered, wanting conversation. "19 years old, until the 15th of November that is."
Something like a sigh escaped his lips. "You are young, too young to be here."
Is he scolding me? Briar sat up, angry at this man scolding her. "What does that matter to you?" she bit back all the insults that lay in her throat.
"Goodnight, Briar." Dais closed his eyes, pulling his cloak over himself better. The candle went out, flushing the room in complete darkness. They slept.
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She awoke to lit candles. One hand reached up, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. I feel gritty. Briar knew she looked terrible. Having not eaten or slept properly for three or more days. It was hard to tell day from night here, so she only went by what little Dais had told her. Whenever she awoke, Dais was nowhere to be found, and he had the odd habit of only returning at night.
Today however, Dais entered as she woke up, carrying with him a plate of food. Black gloves covered his hands as far as she could tell, and the hood still shaded his face. He walked to the bed, old tattered cloak fluttering slightly with every clicking step. Briar had long since gotten used to that clicking noise. Perhaps he wore steel boots, and they clicked, it was really anyone's guess.
As always Dais turned from her, setting the plate on the small table next to her side of the bed. Two days or so into living there, Dais had returned with a box full of her clothes, and this small table. Where he gotten it, she never knew.
"We are in luck. Today I found some good food." Dais spoke, voice containing no emotion. It was not the way he said it that worried her.
"Found? Good food?" she asked, twisting to her side to look at the food. On top of the silver plate lay a feast of meat and cheese. Fruit of all sorts, grapes, apples, oranges and the like sat juicy and untouched next to the tough and cooked meat.
Briar looked at Dais's cloaked face. She had never felt so hungry in her entire life, and here he was offering her a feast. "What are you eating?" she asked, reaching for a red juicy apple.
Dais looked at the drapery covered door, his voice sounding weary. "I have no time for a meal at this moment. My work calls me."
"Don't go." she asked, the apples juice running over her chin. "Stay here, I want to talk to you."
"That is not possible. There is too much work to be done." he went to turn away from her, and she reacted with out thinking. Briar reached out, her hand grabbing Dais's. Before he could pull his hand from her grasp, she pulled his hand out from under the cloak.
Briar screamed.