Chapter two
-It was dark and cold. The wind blew hard and left a feeling as if a knife would cut into the skin.
In a little room sat a girl nearly to become a woman, and was crying. Her whole body shook because of the wind and her wining. Outside of the room she could hear cries, the sound of metal, which meets each other and the silence of death. The smell, of blood and fire was also as present as the smell of pain and fear. Suddenly someone opened the door from the room in which the girl sat in. The light blended her for a short moment, and then she recognized her father, who stood tall in the door. Blood was dropping out of his wounds. He looked emotionless down on his daughter, then turned and went away without saying a word, the door unclosed.
The girl wiped off the tears from her cheeks, stood up and followed her father into the light.-
Her screaming woke me up. With the grip on my sword I turned around, ready to fight my opponent, but nobody was there. Only she, sitting strait, heavily breathing. Her red hair hung over her shoulders and covered her lab. “What happened?” I asked. Irritated, she looked at me. Her view cleared slowly and her sight changed into surprise.
“What has happened?” I repeated my question. “Nothing.” She answered. “Forgive me for waking you up” “But why did you scream?” “I had a nightmare Sir.” I was almost asking her about what she had dreamed, but as I looked again to her, and saw her, sitting in her white dress, her face looking down and the tears dropping from her cheeks I stopped my intention.
She would talk if she would want to.
I could not fall asleep again, but I was glad to see that after a while, she leant back and slept a little more. This time it was a quiet sleep without nightmares.
I could not help, but staring at her. She looked almost even more beautiful then when she was awake. She brought so many questions and I had not one answer. I did not even know what I should do with her. For now I would take her with me. But the problem was I was not on my way home. I was on my way to King Alus, because of his question, for help against the Silver Kingdom. Normally it would not be such a problem to take her with me, even if she was expatriated. But she probably came from the Kingdom I had to go to and because I did not know why she was expatriated, it could bring lots of problems. But whatever the case I would see how things would work out. In the worst case I could still think of a plan.
I woke up as the sun started to rise up into the sky. It was a beautiful sight and let me for a short moment forget where I was. But a voice brought me back. “I see you are awake. So we can carry on.” I turned to the direction the voice came from and looked in two light green eyes. That were the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen. But they were emotionless and cold. That scares me a bit, even if I had the feeling that nothing would happen to me as long as I would stay with him.
The man, who was the owner of these green eyes, looked only one moment longer at me, then turned around and started settling the horse.
I got up and freed my dress from the dirt and band the cape around my shoulders. Even it was a beautiful morning and looked like it would going to be hot, I froze.
“Are you ready?” He asked me. I only nodded. Surely he did not count on an answer and why would he? I was only a woman. An exile woman. I did not have to say anything unless someone asked me. “Give me your hand.” He said, and as I looked to him, he already sat on his horse and reached out for me. I put my hand in his and he pulled me on the horse in front of him. In silence we started our way.
It was weird but I felt comfortable, save. For some reason I knew he would not hurt me or bring me to a place where someone would hurt me. Also I was sure that he always would protect me whatever would come. It was an awesome feeling, which I never had felt before and which I never wanted to lose.
Suddenly the horse jumped and so I got pushed closer to him. At first I was afraid he would push me away but he did the opposite of it. Instead of pushing me away he put his arms around me and pushed me closer to him. Enjoying this, I closed my eyes and breathed his scent into my nose. I still could not say on what it remained me. But it was the most beguiling fragrance I have ever smelled.
“What is your name?” He asked me all the sudden.
He brought me out of my concept with his question. Why did he want to know my name? I already told him, that I was no one. So what should I answer him? My parents never gave me a real name. We were ten children, seven girls. My parents did not give us names after the first three girls were born. Mostly they called us by our hair- or eye color. That was for them much easier and it was easier to get us married, because now the man could choose a name he would like. So for my whole life I was just the red haired girl and have never been asked for my name before.
So what should I tell him?
She did not answer and first I thought she felled asleep again but as I looked down to her I saw that she was caught in her thoughts. Her eyes were only staring without seeing anything. I asked her again: “What is your name?” and tipped her on her shoulder. Frightened she saw up, looked in panic around and then up to me. First I was tempted to smile at her but I did not. I just looked at her. “What is your name?” I asked now for the third time.
With a sad look in her face she looked down and answered “I don’t have one, Sir.” I was surprised. No name? I knew that some people from the lower class did not give their children names, especially the girls but I still was surprised. I thought that she would have one as beautiful as she is. “Is there a name you would like me to call you?” I asked her. She looked at me with disbelief.
Did he really ask me what name I would like? Why did he do this? I could not believe it. What did he expect me to answer him?
All the time I wished I had a name. I had my own name, so that people could identify me as a real person. I always thought about names I would like and now where someone asked me I could not think of one.
I looked at him quizzically. Why did not he give me a name? Due to the fact he did not want to marry me? But does giving me a name mean that he has to marry me?
“Is there no name you like and would want me to call you?” he kept asking. Was there a name I wanted him and other people to call me? I now that there was a name, once, as I was younger.
It was to the time my oldest sister taught me legends. In one of them were a name I liked and I wished this name would be mine. But this was a long time ago and a I can not remember the name. And do I really like this name still as much, as I liked it as I was little?
She did not answer and I could see in her face that she was thinking. “Layla.” She said then all of the sudden. Layla! That was a beautiful name and it was a name which fits her. “Layla, from which kingdom are you?” “I don’t know. The only thing I know is the name of my village, Lais.”
Lais? I never heard from this village before. It must be a small one and not really important. But I would figure out where this village was. Now it was more important to think about what I would tell King Alus about her and why she was with me.
But for that I had still four days left. Enough time to think about it and to get more information about her.
