The next morning, after chores had been completed, Merry invited Rose to go to the market with her. "There might be something for the house, or for the baby," she had said, emphatically nodding her head.
"Child, I gave you the day off though. You've no need to spend it with me, go have fun." Rose said.
"It will be fun Mrs. Rose, you'll see!" Merry exclaimed. "I'll go get Althessia ready while you get dressed." With a giggle, she raced to the back room to tend the baby.
"What has gotten into that child?" Rose muttered, finding herself rather bemused by Merry's suggestion and offer. "Thought she'd go spend it with that fellow, but instead she's spending it with me." Finding no real excuse not to go, Rose looked down at her clothes and shook her head. Her dress was fine, but perhaps she'd tidy up before they set out to town.
Crossing her bedchambers to get her hairbrush, Rose saw the book sitting on her bed table and changed direction, picking it up. Well, since they'd be there anyways, she may as well bring the book along to see what she could discover about it, if anything. As she opened the pages, she began to read, setting it down on her dressing table so she could brush and braid up her hair.
The cun annun grow bold, attempting to enter the sanctuary. I hear them pacing back and forth, their attempts stopped by Gwenaewen and the others. I help, I am better at using my spear than I was ... Yet they come, in great numbers. Who leads them? Have never seen the foul beasts so trying before.
I dreamed of a great storm. Lightning and fire. Burning wood. Instead of waking, I walked through it. Saw a woman give birth. Heard the baby's cries. Too much blood, too weak to move. I felt it. She handed the baby to a man, told him to take the baby, save her. She would follow. I heard the sound of crashing, turned. Saw the hut collapse. I turned, saw the man watch the hut. My father. She made a choice. 'And now ...' a voice whispered inside my head, 'So must you ...'
Rose's hands stilled in her hair, the half braided tresses grasped tightly as she stared at the last line. A choice? What choice did this woman have to make? She went back over what she had read and shook her head, before jerking her hair up and finishing the braid. As she pinned it to her head, she started thinking of who she could bring the book to, where she could possibly go. She'd find someone that could help her piece together the story and ...
"Mrs Rose! You ready?" She heard Merry's cheerful voice call from doorway.
"Yes child, for lands sake we're going to see a traveling market. Not a fire." Tugging at her hair to straighten it, Rose stood and grabbed the book up. She'd have answers, one way or another.
