Post by Thea Linnet on Jul 1, 2009 0:28:23 GMT
Thea followed the Sister and sat down on the stone bench. She drew her knees up to her chest aw was an awfully rude habit of her. A soft laugh escaped when Sister Magdalene asked for the whole story.
"All of it?" she sighed. "I can't promise any great adventure, as I told Rober', but in order to know about how I came here, you'll have to know about life before." Thea drew a deep breath and thought back to life in Birmingham.
"Now, my father is the Sheriff's brother. His childhood was far from easy, you can guess. He always told me he was the black sheep of the family. He grew up loving people while his sister and brother grew up loving material things, money and power. As soon as he was able, he left the family. By the time he was fifteen, he was on his own in a shire just North of Nottingham. He is a merchant, and though he didn't start with much, but the time he was twenty, he'd earned a good income and happily found his wife. I suppose David, my father, started trading when he was sixteen and he never stopped until this year. He met my mother in Ireland and the two fell in love. He married her and brought her to Birmingham, happy to finally have a family of his own. He didn't stop trading and although my mother didn't see him often, they still loved each other deeply. Two years after their marriage, I arrived. They were both so happy and Dad stopped trading as often. While I was young he would only go for one or two months a year. I grew up well on our land and always had one parent with me. I'll admit I was spoiled, with Dad always bringing things from all over the world for me and mom. As a family, we seldom went without things.
"As I grew, Dad became more and more distant. His trading became longer and longer and further away ever. When I was seven, he'd only come home twice a year. Once on my birthday and once on mom's. When he would leave for another trip, I would be so broken-hearted, but, being a kid, I moved on quite quickly after a day or two. One time, on my tenth birthday, he brought home someone I didn't recognize. A boy, two years older than me, walked into our house as if he's always lived there. His name was Runner and he met my father in France and Dad decided to make him his new partner in business. Ever since that day, Runner's been like family. I loved Runner, I still do. He's my best friend." Thea couldn't help but smile at his memory. In fact, she glowed at the thought of him. It was his fault she was as troublesome as she was now.
"About a year ago, the trouble started. It had been a horribly cold winter and my mother, being the person she is-is...was-" Thea wrapped her arms around her chest, the words too heavy on her lips. "She was out in market shopping, as usual. I was eighteen the, I had still had trouble pulling her inside out of the cold. Once she finally got inside, she was restless. She wouldn't sit down, she would get too hot, then too cold. I cared for her for a week until Dad came home." She could feel the tears prickling at the back of her eyes. her breathing got shallow and weak, but she closed her eyes and kept going. Talking will help, she told herself repeatedly. She was worse by then. Dad and Runner dropped everything and we all took care of her as best we could. We got ever physician in the shire to come, even some from Nottingham. Dad sent word to his brother, begging for help, medicine, anything. There was never a reply. Two weeks ago, my mother passed while she was sleeping." She couldn't help them back anymore. Pulling her face to her knees, Thea cried quietly for the first time since it happened.
"Dad left before the funeral. He just left for the Holy Lands without so much as a word of goodbye. Instead, he leaves a note with Runner that says I'm to go to his brother's castle and stay there until he returns." Thea shook her head sadly. She felt betrayed by her family, by Runner, by her Uncle, and father. It felt as if her entire family had been ripped from her in just one day. She let her tears fall until she was thoroughly dried out.
"I got here and promptly insulted and fought with Lady Court. By accident, I suppose. I hadn't been looking for a fight. She asked who I supported and I replied with Prince John simply because I was in my uncle's castle. I was stupid enough to admit I hate the man while his devoted follower might be in the hall behind me. She had me imprisoned with the intentions to hang me, if I guess correctly. My first plan of escape failed and Rober' began to talk with me. We spent the whole night talking and he planned an escape for me." Thea was going to stop there, but in the warm, motherly company of Sister Magdalene, she continued.
"We were almost out, but three guards came. Rober' killed then each in a matter of seconds. I've honestly never seen something so frightful as that. To see someone I'd just spent hours talking to about escape and family and philosophy take down three people without so much as a hesitation? It's too strange. In the hall, I might have done something I...well I don't regret it, but I feel as if he does. I want to find him a apologize but I fear he won't talk to me." She searched the Sister's eyes for an answer, then checked herself. "Listen to me. Going on about insecurities I've scarcely had before. Do all men make this happen?" she wondered aloud, but not truly expecting an answer.
"All of it?" she sighed. "I can't promise any great adventure, as I told Rober', but in order to know about how I came here, you'll have to know about life before." Thea drew a deep breath and thought back to life in Birmingham.
"Now, my father is the Sheriff's brother. His childhood was far from easy, you can guess. He always told me he was the black sheep of the family. He grew up loving people while his sister and brother grew up loving material things, money and power. As soon as he was able, he left the family. By the time he was fifteen, he was on his own in a shire just North of Nottingham. He is a merchant, and though he didn't start with much, but the time he was twenty, he'd earned a good income and happily found his wife. I suppose David, my father, started trading when he was sixteen and he never stopped until this year. He met my mother in Ireland and the two fell in love. He married her and brought her to Birmingham, happy to finally have a family of his own. He didn't stop trading and although my mother didn't see him often, they still loved each other deeply. Two years after their marriage, I arrived. They were both so happy and Dad stopped trading as often. While I was young he would only go for one or two months a year. I grew up well on our land and always had one parent with me. I'll admit I was spoiled, with Dad always bringing things from all over the world for me and mom. As a family, we seldom went without things.
"As I grew, Dad became more and more distant. His trading became longer and longer and further away ever. When I was seven, he'd only come home twice a year. Once on my birthday and once on mom's. When he would leave for another trip, I would be so broken-hearted, but, being a kid, I moved on quite quickly after a day or two. One time, on my tenth birthday, he brought home someone I didn't recognize. A boy, two years older than me, walked into our house as if he's always lived there. His name was Runner and he met my father in France and Dad decided to make him his new partner in business. Ever since that day, Runner's been like family. I loved Runner, I still do. He's my best friend." Thea couldn't help but smile at his memory. In fact, she glowed at the thought of him. It was his fault she was as troublesome as she was now.
"About a year ago, the trouble started. It had been a horribly cold winter and my mother, being the person she is-is...was-" Thea wrapped her arms around her chest, the words too heavy on her lips. "She was out in market shopping, as usual. I was eighteen the, I had still had trouble pulling her inside out of the cold. Once she finally got inside, she was restless. She wouldn't sit down, she would get too hot, then too cold. I cared for her for a week until Dad came home." She could feel the tears prickling at the back of her eyes. her breathing got shallow and weak, but she closed her eyes and kept going. Talking will help, she told herself repeatedly. She was worse by then. Dad and Runner dropped everything and we all took care of her as best we could. We got ever physician in the shire to come, even some from Nottingham. Dad sent word to his brother, begging for help, medicine, anything. There was never a reply. Two weeks ago, my mother passed while she was sleeping." She couldn't help them back anymore. Pulling her face to her knees, Thea cried quietly for the first time since it happened.
"Dad left before the funeral. He just left for the Holy Lands without so much as a word of goodbye. Instead, he leaves a note with Runner that says I'm to go to his brother's castle and stay there until he returns." Thea shook her head sadly. She felt betrayed by her family, by Runner, by her Uncle, and father. It felt as if her entire family had been ripped from her in just one day. She let her tears fall until she was thoroughly dried out.
"I got here and promptly insulted and fought with Lady Court. By accident, I suppose. I hadn't been looking for a fight. She asked who I supported and I replied with Prince John simply because I was in my uncle's castle. I was stupid enough to admit I hate the man while his devoted follower might be in the hall behind me. She had me imprisoned with the intentions to hang me, if I guess correctly. My first plan of escape failed and Rober' began to talk with me. We spent the whole night talking and he planned an escape for me." Thea was going to stop there, but in the warm, motherly company of Sister Magdalene, she continued.
"We were almost out, but three guards came. Rober' killed then each in a matter of seconds. I've honestly never seen something so frightful as that. To see someone I'd just spent hours talking to about escape and family and philosophy take down three people without so much as a hesitation? It's too strange. In the hall, I might have done something I...well I don't regret it, but I feel as if he does. I want to find him a apologize but I fear he won't talk to me." She searched the Sister's eyes for an answer, then checked herself. "Listen to me. Going on about insecurities I've scarcely had before. Do all men make this happen?" she wondered aloud, but not truly expecting an answer.
