12 My new house (1/2)

Evlin opened her eyes and saw a female figure staring at her with intense worry. A middle-aged woman wearing what seemed to be some really old ravaged pieces of clothes. She realized that she was laying on a extremely uncomfortable bed and wrapped on a old blanket full of holes. Looking around it was possible to deduce she was in some sort of cabin. She tried to get up but her body was still covered in immense pain due to her fall.

”... It wasn't a dream...”

”What wasn't it dear?”

Evlin took another glance at the woman and realized that she was the last person she saw before fainting.

”Sorry... I just finally hit me that I'm not home anymore... ”

”... I know the feeling...”

”... ?”

”Are you... feeling any better? I'm not very good with medical aid but i did the best i could.”

Evlin tried to lift the blanket to look at herself but even her arm was hurting her. The woman instead helped her and she could finally analyze the state she was. Completely covered in bandages, a few pieces of wood wrapped around her arms and legs and a new set of clothes similar to what the woman was wearing.

”Where are my clothes... ?”

”I had to cut them to treat you, they were starting to get stuck on you because of the blood. I'm sorry, were they important to you?”

”It's fine... It's just that they were something from my home so i wanted to keep them... But i guess it can't be helped...”

”How is your body... ?”

”... I feel like i got hit by a truck, then fallen into a pit, and then the pit and the truck decided to team up to use me as kick-boxing practice...”

”... ... ... I... See... ”

”Sorry... I'm not making any sense am i?”

”You just received a heavy hit... I think it's a miracle you are able to talk at all...”

”Sorry i was in a bad mood... This is a little late but you helped me right? Thank you!”

”It was nothing... I wish i could use healing magic... But sadly that was the best i could do with what i had... ”

”The best you could do probably saved my life....”

”... If it doesn't hurt much to talk... Could you explain what happened to you?”

Evlin had to think hard about this. Not matter how unfair her situation was the fact of the matter was that she defied the prince. If she chose her words wrong this lady could end up selling her back to the castle.

”I got kidnapped by some weird mage and he tried to bring me to the castle to offer me to the prince. Probably wanted to get on the prince's good side or something. I tried to escape by stealing his staff but i accidentally ended up being pushed from a window. I tried to use the staff to ease my fall but... Well... You can see how well that turned out... ”

”Oh dear... Is this mage still after you?”

”Who knows... I broke his staff so he's probably is really angry right now... ”

Evlin tried her best to direct the blame towards the mage that summoned her. Aiding a girl that was running from some evil mage was probably less intimidating for the lady than aiding a girl running form the prince's marriage proposal.

”How long do you think it will take for me to walk again?”

”Probably three weeks, maybe a month...?”

Three weeks? Would she be able to hide in this cabin from the prince for such a long time? The knights have seen her face and clothes. Maybe she could try to disguise herself and lay low while the healing process continues.

”I see... Could you help me cut my hair?”

”Ah... What? Is there something wrong with your hair?”

”Yeah I've been wanting to change my look for a while and was planning to do it once i got the chance. But now i can't use my hands so... If it wouldn't be too much of a hassle.”

”I can try but... I can't promise i can provide a good service.”

Evlin thought about it and actually felt it would be better, the messier her hair could get and the farthest away it could look from her original style the better.

”That's fine! I'm not very good at it myself so maybe a different set of hands can give me the look I've been waiting for!”

”If you say so... ”

The woman picked up a pair of scissors and started to reduce the volume of hair from Evlin's head. As she did so, the two continued their conversation.

”So you said you managed to use a magician's staff? That's impressive for someone so young.”

”I don't know if ”use it” is the right term... I just waved it around like a psycho hoping something would happen... ”

”Psycho... ?”

”It's an expression from my hometown... It means... Er... Someone who is full of energy but lacks self control... Who runs the risk of hurting people around it...”

”I see... But you still managed to release some energy right? You must have some kind of talent to be a great mage if you continue this path!”

”Thanks but i don't want to be a mage, i want to be a teacher! Like my mother!”