☽☽ Just a little music video to let you feel through the mood I was writing this chapter with ☾☾

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"Haven't I ever taught you not to speak to strangers? Moreover, share your personal particulars!" she had said.

"I am disappointed by you. I don't want you going to Fairenville and trying to find that man," Eyllene had shouted, wagging her finger at Dawn.

Her aunt's scoldings rushed through her mind, darting left and right chaotically, reminding her of the day when she asked questions after she had come home from the market.

Her mind felt like massive havoc of disarrayed emotions.

Questions that had been nagging at her since the age when she started to realise things about her life. Certain moments in her life she wanted to unravel and understand. She wanted to understand herself, clarify and define her very existence; find her purpose. Everything Dawn did was all in order to find herself.

She knew that Eyllene was not angry with her for talking to the man. Dawn made it clear to her aunt that the majority of things she'd said to him were untrue, and Eyllene believed her. What enraged her the most was that Dawn dared to ask questions. Again.

That was how it always went down between the two women: Dawn enquiring, and Eyllene shouting. Last time during their argument Dawn slammed the door to her bedroom hard enough for the hinges to unbind, so she had to screw them back under Eyllene's scrutiny.

As Dawn crouched in front of pumpkin beds and continued to pull out various weeds around plants, hot tears spilt down her chilled cheeks. They obscured her vision, and she rubbed her sleeves viciously at her cheeks. Her cheeks stung at the abrasive touch of the fabric, but tears continued to run, filling her mouth with a salty tang.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she let the last tears escape her eyes, and then she stood up, overlooking the pumpkins and sniffling. Dawn threw the weeds into a bucket on her right, and stretched her back outwards; her bones cracked in a muffled manner. Rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, she grasped the bucket and moved towards the barn, where Betty, Letty and Ebony were kept.

Dawn was grateful for her work at the manor, that she had to concentrate on it while the thoughts troubled her in the background. After all, Dawn had the opportunity to do what she enjoyed the most: looking after the garden, picking up fruits and vegetables, which the cook would then use to prepare delicious and steamy meals. The meals wouldn't have turned out the way they did had it not been for Dawn's mastery of gardening.

On the other hand, crouching for hours every single day from morning till evening exhausted Dawn tremendously. She could never comprehend where she sourced her energy to wake up at dawn and tend to her own garden before trudging to the Fairens' manor and doing even more work there. However, Dawn presumed her strength was encapsulated by her youth and courage. Eventually, she would leave the village for Wolfbourgh, where she would start her new life in a new place. With a garden, of course.

Just like that, she had forgotten all about her previous worries associated with indignation, the number of questions and lack of answers.

Her nose wrinkled up at the smell of stale hay mixed with the odour of manure as soon as she set her foot in the barn. Dawn emptied the contents of the bucket with weeds into an existing pile - where it would decay and be used to fertilise the land later on - and walked towards Betty and Letty. They were reddish-brown cows with milky patches all over their bodies, tied to a long pole by the water tanks to the left of the entrance.

Dangling the bucket by its handle and picking up a metal trowel, the girl came closer to the cows and was deafened instantly by their mooing protest, accompanied by a continuous stomp of their hooves.

"Calm down, you two," she cooed, "don't be so greedy, I just need a little bit of it," she said, scooping up excrements into the bucket.

She smiled at the rebellious cows and sauntered over to the stable, that was located adjacently to the barn. Bright light streaked through the rectangular holes at the top of the stable's wooden walls. The walls were glowing themselves with sunlight penetrating through the thin boards. Horses rustled in their stalls, and Dawn moved through the long line in-between, filling up the bucket.

At the end of the right row, at the very last stall, Dawn's favourite was kept. Ebony. Her coat and mane as black as midnight, snowy-white feathery hair starting from below the knee covered her hooves; a strong equine body and stocky limbs.

A magnificent creature. Dawn's soul friend. The only creature from the manor's population - both human and animal -  that liked her, that wouldn't rear up at the sight of her.

The girl unbolted the door to the stall and was greeted with a whinny from Ebony. She nuzzled her snout into Dawn's neck, tangling her chestnut brown hair in saliva.

Dawn giggled like a little girl and stroked Ebony's forehead, where a white triangular patch stretched down to her nostrils. Ebony's round obsidian eyes sparkled with intelligence, and her straight eyelashes fluttered, while she was studying the girl.

"Hello, hello, my dear," she murmured into the mare's mane. Dawn pulled out a few carrot sticks from her mud-brown dress's front pocket, continuing to run fingers through the mane, and let Ebony crunch on the treats. The girl drew a soft-bristled brush out of a wooden box in the corner of the stall, where all of the items were kept, and run it thoroughly along Ebony's coat.

Dawn rose on her toes to reach for the mare's spine, brushing dust out of her onyx coat from withers to croup. Instantly, Ebony's coat shined with a healthy glow, and the girl grinned to herself.

All of a sudden, Ebony neighed loudly and stepped back into the stall, her hooves clattering on the stone-paved ground of hayless spots.

The girl frowned, her face appearing slightly alarmed. "What is it? Shall I fill your water tank?" But Ebony only bobbed her head forward and shook her mane out.

"Horses don't talk, Gardner, I thought you would've known this by now."

That voice. She knew that voice with arrogance oozing from it. Dawn was certain she had not heard his footsteps and was disappointed to see him as Ebony appeared to be unsettled by his presence, too.

For a moment she glared at the wall in front of her, wrapping patience and indifference around her fist, mentally preparing for an energy-draining session of talking to him. She then turned around slowly, plastering a smile.

"Master's son, what a surprise!" she exclaimed, folding arms over her chest, "This place is not suitable for you, I'm afraid." Dawn looked him over, "Your attire seems too luxurious for a place like this," said the girl, throwing her arms up and glancing around the stable.

Indeed, his dirty-blonde hair was swept away from his forehead and fixed with gel, his dull blue eyes fixed on Dawn's. The maids did a remarkable effort of pressing his white loose blouse, that was covered with a green waistcoat embroidered with golden swirls. She didn't have to look further because it was already clear he wore matching pine-green trousers with a front crease.

What a waste of fabric and craft, she smirked to herself.

Flattered by her inspection, he squawked, "Yes, indeed. My dress is made of the finest fabrics conveyed from the most expensive shops in Wolfbourgh." Matthew leaned on the stall's door, folding his arms, too.

Dawn fought the urge to roll her eyes at his acquisitiveness. She never implied his clothes were beautiful, but, of course, he interpreted her remark to his own interests. And she wasn't sure what his pose was supposed to mean? Perhaps, he had thought he looked dashing, blocking her way like that.

"I felt that around this time of the day I would be able to find you here. I actually have a proposal for you. My family is going away for the evening, and I wanted you to join me in the dining room," he studied her working dress, and a look of disgust had crossed his characterless face for a split second before he afforded a smile.

Dawn sighed heavily. Another attempted abuse of her dignity and status. That wimp was trying to do the same thing he had tried pulling last time. Hex of sunlight knew what was on his mind, and Dawn had just about enough of his indirect insults.

She stepped towards him. Dawn noticed his repugnance at the smell of the manure bucket beside him and was glad she was used to it, therefore could appear unaffected. Ebony whinnied in alarm behind Dawn, poking her muzzle in the ribs. The girl reached behind her to pat the horse's neck and gave her a reassuring look.

"Matthew," she began, "you don't seem to understand the situation here. I am your mother's gardener, so you do not possess the authority to order me around and tell me where you would want to see me. Especially when your parents are out, which is, may I point out, after my working hours. I am sure there are plenty of girls in Wolfbourgh or Fairenville to join you for dinner and whatever comes after it," she said, smiling at disbelief that blotched his skin in bright red.

Taking the manure bucket, she lifted her chin high. "Now, I have to excuse myself as work awaits me."

Thankfully, he gave her a wide berth.

When she was passing through the doorway, the girl suddenly gasped as the contents of the bucket flew up in front of her and her face hit the cold, hard ground, air completely knocked out of her lungs. Sharp numbing pain shot through her left cheekbone, and tears welled up in her eyes, but she vigorously blinked them away.

"Clean up, will you?" he cooed venomously and stomped away.

Sitting up, Dawn gently grazed her blanched aching cheek and whimpered as another flow of excruciating pain penetrated her facial bones.

"Son of a shrew!" she hissed at his retreating hideous figure, her eyes blazing with hatred. Her heart pounded in her ears. She hoped he'd heard her, and she figured she would not mind being kicked out of that doomed manor.

Manure covered her hands and the apron of the dress, and the smell somehow felt calming to her nerves, as she sat at the end of the corridor between the stalls, surrounded by horses neighing and blowing through their nostrils.

Ebony appeared from behind her and bent her neck to lick Dawn's cheek, where an angry swelling formed just below her eye. Warmth bloomed in the girl's chest like a spring flower, and she couldn't feel pain as the sensation was thrown in the background.

Dawn smiled at her friend, not regretting any bit of her previous actions. That boy had to know she was not an easy prey.

☽☽ ☆ ☾☾

Dawn held a cloth dipped in cold water to her cheek, shivering. She brought a steaming teacup to her lips with the other hand and sipped the tea she had brewed from herbs collected by her Eyllene. Dawn liked this tea, and it was the only drink she could manage to drink.

A smell of roasted chicken wafted out of the kitchen into the servants' hall, where Dawn usually had her supper and a cup of tea with other servants. The room was well-lit from a huge window that arched at the top and fell to the very bottom of the floor. From the outside, Dawn could make out oak trees that stood behind the metal gates that enclosed the perimeter of the manor. Afternoon sunlight sparkled through the golden tree crowns.

The girl shook her head slightly. The fall and the ensuing pain made her feel drowsy. Had it not been for work, she would have closed her eyes and entered the realm of reveries right that instant.

Dawn nearly choked on her tea when one of the maids, Annia, rushed into the room. Her front apron creased and covered in water spots, red hair stuck out from under her headband and brown eyes darting from Dawn's bruised face and the teacup.

"Good ye her'," she breathed in a lilting voice, "ye need to open the front door, 'ight? They will be her' any moment!"

"Who?" Dawn shot up and winced immediately at her brain pulsating torturously. "Why do I have to open the door, though?"

"None of ye business, Dawn, just do what ye told, 'ight?", she snapped, "And take them to the study room!"

And just like that, Dawn was left in the room alone because Annia abandoned her.

Dawn stalked the front door, sulking. She rested the back of her head against an immaculately painted wall and stared at the coffered ceiling.

"What a pretentious house," she sighed.

Her heart jumped out of her ribcage as a thunderous knock echoed throughout the entrance hall.

Running her fingers through her hair to untangle it, she covered her left side with hair to conceal as much of the bruise as she could muster.

She opened the door and swayed at the sight of the guests. They were two tall figures robed in cloaks, the figure in the front seeming shorter. Their heads were concealed completely under hoods, their clothes hidden by the cloaks buttoned at their throats.

"Welcome to the Fairens' Manor", the girl chirped. Dawn stared at them, expecting a remark, but her vision blurred again, so she pinched the bridge of her nose, squeezing her eyes firmly.

The figures stood still. When she lifted her to head back, the taller figure seemed to wagger slightly. She tried to focus her eyes on the figure's darkened face, but the image came as a shadow to her.

"You must want to enter the house, excuse me," she stepped out of their way, and they entered in silence, not even a swish of their robes was heard. A scent of a chilly night and a musky wood drifted in a tail after them.

"Follow me, please," she smiled and led the way upstairs to Matthew's study room, sneaking glances at them. Her head continued pounding, another spasm coming, just like it used to happen from day to day. She needed fresh air.

Leaving the two guests in front of the study room's door, she sprinted down the stairs making it for the door.

As soon as the cold air hit her flushed face, she breathed out in relief. Dawn inhaled and exhaled deeply to calm her thumping brain. She knew exactly how many breaths it took her to return to her normal state, to stop her head from exploding.

Five hours passed in a rush, as Dawn plunged into her gardening work. While she was tending to the flowers in front of the manor, the front door shut closed with the two figures emerging from the porch in the direction of the gates.

She was waiting for them.

Now that her headache was out of the way, Dawn was intent on finding out who the figures were and why they went to Matthew's study room.

After they had disappeared behind the gates and walked down the street, she blinked in disbelief, thinking the figure behind the leading figure turned his head in her direction, however, she was not convinced as her vision still remained unclear.

Quietly, she rose to her full height and crept to the front gate, spilling onto the paved street that led down to the forest.

She gulped and narrowed her eyes.

They were not there. They had vanished.