The Secret Village: Chapter Four
“There’s a meeting in the square today. We need to talk about…what’s going to happen now.”
You can find Chapter Three here.
Sonja had grown used to preparing breakfast for only one person, but last evening she carefully measured out enough oats for two people before leaving them in water overnight. She warmed up the porridge in the morning and boiled water for tea; once it was brewed, she went to the bedroom door and knocked on it.
“Rael? Breakfast is ready.”
The door opened, revealing Rael in her black trousers and a burgundy shirt, with a half-laced corset over the top of it.
“I was wondering,” she said slowly, “if I should be wearing this.” She gestured to the corset. “This is not the fashion in Eraune, is it?”
“No. You could wear a bodice instead; lots of women like those.” Sonja had a few - they should fit Rael easily.
Rael was just finishing lacing up a black bodice over the shirt when there was a knock on the cottage door. Both girls looked at the door warily. Sonja got up and opened the door, revealing Frieda standing on the other side. Her split lip was still slightly swollen.
“There’s a meeting in the square today,” she said. “We need to talk about…what’s going to happen now.” She couldn’t quite meet Sonja’s eyes.
“When is it taking place?” Sonja asked.
“Thirty minutes.”
“Thank you, Frieda.”
It was then that Frieda saw Rael standing behind Sonja. She blinked, startled. “Who’s that?”
“This is Rael. She used to work in Ivy House with me.”
“What’s she doing here?”
“The new landowner is bringing her own staff,” Rael answered smoothly, “so she did not need us at Ivy House. Sonja offered to let me stay with her.”
Frieda nodded, but she still gave Rael a suspicious look before saying to Sonja: “You’re going to want to be at the meeting.”
“We’ll be there.”
Ten minutes before the meeting was due to start, Sonja and Rael left the cottage and made their way through the trees. As they reached Wildkeep, they saw others walking to the village square. Most of them were women; some had their children with them, but there was the odd man there as well - people General Aleksei deemed too old or two frail to be useful.
More than one person shot Rael a curious glance.
Sonja spotted Oren standing at the edge of the crowd. He shifted around uncomfortably, as if unwilling to meet the gazes of anyone there.
A solitary figure emerged to stand in front of everyone; it was Margrit. She looked over everyone present and waited for them to focus on her.
“Things are going to have to be different here in Wildkeep,” she announced, “for everyone. Over half our menfolk have gone - and with them, their livelihood. We need to think about how we’re going to survive.”
“Survive?” someone cried. “Eraune is at war! We might not survive at all.”
“I know.” Margrit’s fists were clenched at her sides. “But they will have to get past the Black Wall first and we need to last until the war is over.”
An idea entered Sonja’s mind. Seamstresses could make a lot of money if they were good enough and made clothes for the right people. The best place to get attention was at the Kenauste market.
“If I may speak…”
Everyone turned to look at her; Sonja fought the urge to shrink back. “Lady Adessa left me some money; I’d like to offer that to everyone here. She also left me some fabric, so if I rent a table at the Kenauste market I can start making clothes and selling them.”
“You would have to lower the price,” Margrit warned. “Everyone in Kenauste will probably be in the same situation we are. In fact, we should all share our resources,” she said decisively. “Unless we get our act together, Oren might be all that stands between Wildkeep and starvation.”
Her words sent murmurs through the people.
“He might be all that stands between Wildkeep and a massacre,” Rael muttered.
Sonja wanted to tell her it might not come to that, but she kept her mouth shut. If Aleveth’s armies breached the Wall…
“So, are we all in agreement?”
Everyone nodded in response to Margrit’s question.
When they started talking amongst themselves, Rael whispered to Sonja: “What can I do? I have no resources to share.”
Sonja thought for a moment. “Maybe you could help with the stall - take the clients’ measurements.”
“Hello, Sonja.”
Oren had approached the girls. He glanced at Rael curiously, but he was smiling. “What’s your name?”
“Rael Alira. I’m staying with Sonja.”
“My name’s Oren; welcome to Wildkeep.” He turned his attention back to Sonja, a slight frown on his face. “Where were you yesterday? Greta said she knocked on your door, but you weren’t there.”
Sonja felt a twinge of fear dart through her. “I was showing Rael the area around Wildkeep. Since she’s new here, I didn’t want her to get lost.”
As soon as the archer was gone, Rael turned to Sonja. “You lied to him.”
“I have no idea how many people in the area know about the glade, but if nobody knows about it, maybe it’s supposed to be a secret.” She glanced around and said: “Ivy House will probably remain closed until the new owner arrives; it might be hard to find books until they do get here. If the doors are open, it’ll be easier to slip in and out. In the meantime, I want to learn how to use those small knives. Can you teach me?”
Rael’s amber eyes gleamed. “When do we start?”