Chapter two
She hadn't got enough sleep that night. She had tossed and turned all night, thinking of the stranger.
After she awoke the next morning, she brought water from the village well and cleaned herself thoroughly. Before heading out to the healers hut to continue her apprenticeship, Katherine decided she should awaken her mother.
After she awoke the next morning, she brought water from the village well and cleaned herself thoroughly. Before heading out to the healers hut to continue her apprenticeship, Katherine decided she should awaken her mother.
She went down the hall from the bathing chamber and knocked on her mother's door, calling for her.
"I'm awake" replied her
mother.
"I'm going to head to the healers hut" Katherine called back.
" All right, dear" she heard as she left for the
kitchen.
Katherine and her mother
Josephine, lived in a little cottage in the village, it had two rooms, a bathing chamber, a sitting room and kitchen. She worked with the village healer, that is where she earned money and an apprenticeship to be the next healer. Her mother stayed at home, she fed the livestock, they had about a dozen hens, a couple of roosters and half a dozen geese. After returning Katherine helped her mother with the livestock and took the collected eggs to the market to sell.
Katherine was quite content with her little home and life with her mother. But everyone could tell, Josephine was growing old. Her once long blond hair had greyed, her lightly tanned skin had lost its shine and wrinkled, her green eyes had lost their spark. She would not last very long. Katherine often feared that thought, she didn't know what she would do without her. She would be heartbroken.
Katherine was quite content with her little home and life with her mother. But everyone could tell, Josephine was growing old. Her once long blond hair had greyed, her lightly tanned skin had lost its shine and wrinkled, her green eyes had lost their spark. She would not last very long. Katherine often feared that thought, she didn't know what she would do without her. She would be heartbroken.
Even though Katherine was not her
real daughter, Josephine loved her as much as her she would have loved her own. It had been 12 years since Josephine had taken her in. She could still remember the innocent little girl, merely six years, old begging the vendor for a little bread. Her heart clenched for the little girl, she was wearing brown rags and her feet were barren, she was a scrawny child, her face was covered with soot and dirt, her raven hair had been a messy birds nest, reaching her shoulders. That day Josephine had taken her home and given her food, she had cleaned the child up and promised that she would take care of Katherine. Josephine was barren, she had injured herself when she was young, leaving her incapable of having children, and no man wanted a barren wife. Josephine was more than happy to have Katherine.
Katherine didn't like doing errands for a reason, the villagers didn't seem to like her. The only people who spent time with her were her mother and the town healer, on her way to the hut she saw women glare at her with so much hatred and men averted their eyes and steered clear of her. When she reached the hut, the healer, a nice old lady called Melissa, told her to apply salve on a patients wound, as Katherine went to do as she was told, the man stared at her, but as soon as Katherine got closer, he averted his eyes and backed away from her. He told her not to touch him but when Melissa applied the salve, he didn't even flinch. Katherine didn't think she was that repulsive, but she was proven wrong. Her mood had been ruined the rest of the morning.
After Katherine's chores had been finished, she was in a better mood. She and her mother we sitting in front of the fire having a light lunch.
Katherine didn't like doing errands for a reason, the villagers didn't seem to like her. The only people who spent time with her were her mother and the town healer, on her way to the hut she saw women glare at her with so much hatred and men averted their eyes and steered clear of her. When she reached the hut, the healer, a nice old lady called Melissa, told her to apply salve on a patients wound, as Katherine went to do as she was told, the man stared at her, but as soon as Katherine got closer, he averted his eyes and backed away from her. He told her not to touch him but when Melissa applied the salve, he didn't even flinch. Katherine didn't think she was that repulsive, but she was proven wrong. Her mood had been ruined the rest of the morning.
After Katherine's chores had been finished, she was in a better mood. She and her mother we sitting in front of the fire having a light lunch.
"Katherine? Are you all right dear?" Asked
Josephine. "You seem quiet"
"Hmm? Oh nothing"
replied Katherine.
Josephine noticed red blotches on
her daughters high cheeks.
"Katherine, are you blushing?!" Exclaimed
Josephine." Did you meet someone? Who is he?"
"He isn't from around here
mother" whispered Katherine." He is a stranger"
"Well what does he look
like?" Inquired Josephine.
"I do not know" replied
Katherine, her face growing redder. " I did not see his face yet"
"Well are you seeing him
again?" Asked Josephine, feeling wary of the stranger.
" I don't know, mother"
replied Katherine, she did not think he
would reappear today. Though that didn't stop the anticipation of seeing him again.
"I want you to get married Katherine" said Josephine in a low voice."I grow weaker everyday and I want you married before I'm gone"
That statement saddened Katherine deeply. She felt her heart clench and her breath constrict. She wasn't ready for her mother to leave her. She felt her eyes tear up and stood up, she walked to her mothers chair and sat on the floor at her knees. She felt the lump in her throat grow.
"Promise me you will marry. Find a good man who will take care of you, a man that will love you" said Josephine in a tight gravelly voice."promise"
"I promise" whispered Katherine.
The day passed quickly after that. Before Katherine went to bed, she had packed some food in a basket.
Just as it struck twelve, she donned her cloak, took her basket and crept out of the cottage to the dark clearing.
Quietly, she stopped at the boulder and removed the hood of her cloak. She admired the view for a moment. She could see the slight crescent moon accompanied by those twinkling stars. She felt peace as the light summer breeze caressed her skin softly, her hair swayed in the its light caresses. She decided that she had waited enough.
"Are you there?"she called out
"I am here, angel" came the emotionless reply.
Doaa & Nadine
"I want you to get married Katherine" said Josephine in a low voice."I grow weaker everyday and I want you married before I'm gone"
That statement saddened Katherine deeply. She felt her heart clench and her breath constrict. She wasn't ready for her mother to leave her. She felt her eyes tear up and stood up, she walked to her mothers chair and sat on the floor at her knees. She felt the lump in her throat grow.
"Promise me you will marry. Find a good man who will take care of you, a man that will love you" said Josephine in a tight gravelly voice."promise"
"I promise" whispered Katherine.
The day passed quickly after that. Before Katherine went to bed, she had packed some food in a basket.
Just as it struck twelve, she donned her cloak, took her basket and crept out of the cottage to the dark clearing.
Quietly, she stopped at the boulder and removed the hood of her cloak. She admired the view for a moment. She could see the slight crescent moon accompanied by those twinkling stars. She felt peace as the light summer breeze caressed her skin softly, her hair swayed in the its light caresses. She decided that she had waited enough.
"Are you there?"she called out
"I am here, angel" came the emotionless reply.
Doaa & Nadine
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