Next few days went on a whim. It was as if it moulded them into the routine. Nilana always woke up early, and made breakfast, had it with Ian, then Ian would go for his work and head home late at night.
Home. She, being surprised at her own acknowledgement, frowned to herself. No way she was letting herself to be attached to this place.
She had to leave, will have to leave, some day in the future. She couldn't allow herself to be a burden to Ian. She was already staying longer than enough. She reminded herself that she was fortunate enough to be under Ian's kindness and pity. Nilana couldn't even imagine what would've happened to her if Ian wasn't there.
She was lost in her thoughts while she scrubbed the already clean plates and utensils with soap and soaked them in a water bucket beside her. An old recipe emerged in her head. She kept on recalling the steps of the recipe as she did the dishes.
Two sudden knocks on the wooden main door interrupted her thoughts. She slowly turned her head, with a frown on her face.
Who would come with such a bad timing?
It was late afternoon, and Ian will never come back before midnight. Her brows creased, she put her last plate in the water bucket and made her way towards the main door. The cat was sleeping on the divan, just beside the door.
Two more knocks thudded against the mahogany door, echoing through the whole empty manor.
It sends chills throughout Nilana's body.
"Sir Ian Allister?" A young female voice reached her ears from the other side of the door.
"Who?" Nilana called out, her voice straight and non-feared as she gripped the handle of the door. Slowly creak opening the door, Nilana looked out, only to spot a lady, dressed in a pastel pink cotehardie, her corset tightly knotted. Brown, siren-like eyes and black hair flowed over her shoulders. She held a matching canopy over her head and was fanning herself with a pink hand fan.
Seeing Nilana attending the door, the Lady squinted her eyes. "Is this Sir Ian Allister's estate?"
"Yes, it is. I may have to ask you about your identity." Nilana replied firmly.
Disappointment flowed over the Lady's face,"Kindly inform Sir Ian Allister that Lady Belladonna from Hermann House has graced him with her presence," she instructed Nilana as if she was a servant, her voice carrying a note of regal elegance befitting the situation. And fanned herself.
Nilana frowned at her skeptically. "He is not home." And slammed the door shut on her face, so loud that the cat hissed as it woke from its afternoon nap.
Outside, Lady Belladonna hissed too, but at the door. "How dare you treat a noble lady like a peasant!" She barked.
And Nilana didn't bother to apologize as she recalled what Ian had told her earlier.
"I have many enemies." He paused. "So whenever someone unidentified comes and asks about me, lock the door and go upstairs in your room. It doesn't matter if it's a male or a female."
Thus, without any regrets or whatsoever, Nilana headed upstairs, leaving a mental note to herself to tell Mr Ian about this strange lady once he comes back home.
Even the cat followed her to her bedroom.
.
.
.
The entire afternoon went by napping. Nilana awoke in her bed when the sun was below the horizon. The sky was clouded, and the rain was sprinkling. After taking such a big nap, it made her realize how much healing her body still needed, how much weak she still was. Even though she could barely feel any pain in her shoulders, Nilana felt like sleeping all the time. It kind of concerned her, yet she decided to ignore it. After all, she had a horse to feed, a cat to feed, and a grown man to feed.
She got up, tied her hair, and went down. Grabbing the black umbrella Ian left for her to use, Nilana stepped outside. The scent of the damp soil rose to her nose buds, mingling with the aroma of petrichor- a sweet fragrance accompanied the rain.
The raindrops, like whispered secrets, kissed the earth, leaving behind a cool, refreshing touch. They pattered softly on leaves, creating a lullaby for the creatures of the night.
Nilana wasn't as afraid of the rain as she was afraid of the thunderstorms. She found the quiet rain soothing and peaceful. It took all her might to not to abandon the umbrella she was holding and join the dance with the rain.
Reminding herself that she had a horse to feed, she headed towards the stable behind the manor.
Ian had two horses, the black stallion, and the other one he bought a few days ago. The white pony was 6 years old and injured. It needed extra care for itself, and Nilana was willing to do nurturing and caring. Although she didn't know fully of how to take care of a horse properly. She still insisted on trying.
The Stable was situated right behind the east wing of the manor. It was hand built with strong teakwood credits to Ian. Nilana held the umbrella over her head as she approached the stable.
Opening the wooden door of the stable, she tried to mask her best smile and look at the new pony. And to her shock and despair, there was no pony.
Her eyes widened. "What?!" she yelled in shock. "Where are you?!" She kept on mumbling that as she searched the whole stable. There were three stalls in the cozy stable, all empty.
The tack room, feed room, grooming area, hay loft, everything was there, but the pony was nowhere to be seen.
Panic flowed over her face. Losing Ian's pony and being scolded should be the least of her worries; she should panic. Panicked, because she genuinely got to care for the white pony. She feared something might have happened to the white pony. Just the thought of it sent chills of worry through her.
Without wasting a second, Nilana headed outside, calling for it constantly. Ian not even name yet it.
The rain drops began to grow heavier as they thudded against the umbrella. She went outside the iron gates and thought to herself that the pony must've gone into the forest because of its hunger and got stuck somehow.
Only if she hadn't slept for so long.
Her knees shaking, Nilana went inside the forest, her eyes wandering everywhere, searching the horse. Her lips parted because of less inhalation. She stomped through the forest, wearing the black boot shoes Ian gave her. Her tied hair went loose and fell behind her back a while ago.
In the heart of a rain-kissed forest, nature unveils its most enchanting spectacle. The foliage, an extravagant display of emerald hues, glistens under the tender caress of raindrops. Each leaf, a miniature canvas, showcases the dance of water and light, reflecting the serenity that blankets the forest. Mysterious mist rises, a ghostly veil that shrouds the trees, lending an aura of mystique to the already enigmatic forest. The once familiar trails, now adorned with glistening droplets.
In the midst of the verdant forest, the rain cascaded around Nilana as she called out for the missing pony. Each cry was a plea that resonated through the woods, a desperate attempt to reunite with the lost companion. Her voice, soaked in worry and urgency, echoed among the large trees, but the pony remained elusive.
With aching limbs and a racing heart, she pushed deeper into the forest. The shadows played tricks on her eyes, and the rain seemed to form a watery curtain, distorting the world around her. Panic set in as she realized was venturing into unfamiliar territory, branches reaching out like skeletal fingers in the dim moonlight.
In her frantic search, her foot slipped into an unassuming trap hole concealed by the underbrush. Time seemed to slow as she plummeted, her heart lurching into her throat. She landed hard, the impact jarring her body, her head taking a particularly brutal hit. The world spun and swirled before her eyes, stars flickering like distant beacons.
Pain surged through her head, a sharp and pulsating reminder of the fall.
Her vision blurred, then faded to darkness, leaving her consciousness to be swallowed by the abyss below.