Chapter 21 Chickens?
Chapter Twenty-One
Chickens?
Ellis
The sun shone brightly against the window of the little house set deep within the hills of the Varon countryside.
Ellis had to blink several times to make sure that he wasn’t hallucinating it.
They had been underground for so long that the brightness of the sun burned his eyes.
Rivka didn’t seem to be faring much better; her eyes tearing as she squinted, shielding her face with her hand.
They had both gulped in lungfuls of fresh air as they emerged from the tunnels, a more than welcome feeling after the dank murkiness they’d endured.
Ellis scanned their surroundings for any danger.
Evanar had told them that this place was a safe house and that they wouldn’t likely be discovered so far from civilization, but Ellis didn’t want to take chances.
He had tried to convince Rivka to stay hidden in the tunnels while he scouted ahead, but she had refused.
She said that they were safer together, and she was right.
The thought of leaving her in the tunnels unprotected had weighed on his conscience.
He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if anything happened to her or the baby.
He would do whatever had to be done to keep them safe.
As if on cue, Rivka stumbled next to him, and he shot forward, catching her arm and helping her steady herself.
“Thanks,” she said, straightening her dress, her hands lingering on her midsection before she brought her eyes up to his. “I didn’t see the rock with all this grass.”
“It’s alright, my love. Let’s just try and get inside and then we can rest. I cannot wait to sleep in a real bed.”
Rivka’s laugh tinkled through the air, coaxing a smile to his own lips.
He had missed that. She used to be so full of joy but for a long while now, tears had seemed to be her constant.
This baby, no matter how it was conceived, was bringing some semblance of happiness back into her life.
He had caught her on multiple occasions, singing to her belly as she stroked it, a small smile teasing her lips.
She talked to the babe, which he was certain would be a girl, as if the little one could understand every word her mother murmured.
“A real bed would be heavenly,” she sighed. Ellis grinned at her, slinging his arm around her waist, pulling her against his side. “Maybe we will even get lucky and get to bathe today.”
She feigned a gasp of mock surprise, grabbing a fistful of his shirt and clinging to him.
“A bath? I could simply die for a soak!” His amusement joined hers this time, her over dramatic tone sending them both into a fit of laughter.
Once they gained some composure, they began walking again, both instinctively picking up their pace.
As they neared the house, and that was a generous word for it, his thoughts shifted to Varon and their home.
He had no clue what they were really going to do, or when or if they’d ever see it again.
Focusing on taking care of Rivka and her needs was the priority right now though, and dwelling on the unknown wouldn’t help the situation.
It had devastated Rivka to leave her citizens, her family.
In a normal situation, Rivka would have stood up and defended her throne with all the might she could muster against any threat, but this time, it wasn’t just her life at risk.
The threat that Vivian posed against the babe was her undoing.
Add in the element of dark magic that was at play, and it wasn't a battle she could win outright.
So they had chosen to run, to thwart Vivian’s plan before it could ever come to fruition.
Sophiana would step back in, once again becoming the great queen that she was, until Vivian could be handled and Rivka could return to take her rightful place once again.
There was hope yet. They just needed to trust that Evanar’s connections could find out more about this dark magic.
Without more information, they didn’t have a chance.
The house loomed in front of them. Ellis took the lead, stepping up onto the rickety porch and keeping Rivka firmly behind him.
The door was unlocked, opening easily, to reveal a small room with a fireplace on one wall, and two chairs sitting facing it.
Stepping fully inside, Ellis turned, noticing that while the space was small, it was clean and tidy.
There was a kitchen to the left of the room, with a table barely big enough for two people off to one side.
The cupboards appeared to be stocked with plenty of food, and there were plates, bowls, and cups stacked neatly on the open-faced shelf.
A singular pot and skillet sat on another shelf to the side of the wash basin.
An apron hung from a hook next to the window that overlooked what appeared to be a small garden outside.
Rivka stayed glued to Ellis as they moved down the short hall leading to the only bedroom and washroom.
The bedroom held a large bed that took up most of the space, a storage bench running along the end of it.
Ellis opened it, the hinges squeaking loudly through the quiet space.
It was filled to the brim with extra pillows and linens.
Another small fireplace adorned the only free wall in the tight space.
A pile of newly cut wood near it, just waiting to be burned.
“Well, at least we will be warm and have full bellies tonight.” Rivka sighed as she eased down onto the edge of the bed. “Though right now, I am exhausted and could desperately use some sleep.”
Ellis watched her, checking for any signs of discomfort.
She grew tired easily these days. Her strength was slowly returning, along with her appetite, as her abdomen started to grow.
She had stopped being sick every day, the color returning to her cheeks again, but the shadows of grief still haunted her eyes.
He wished that he could ease her pain but nothing would mend the rift that had been torn in her heart when Alex had walked away.
“Let me check the kitchen, see if I can scrounge up some tea and something to snack on. You should eat before you rest.” He gave her a pointed look.
She looked as if she might argue but a loud growl came just then, giving away her hunger.
A sheepish look stole across her face. “Thank you, that would be lovely.” She said, running her hand over the slight swell of her stomach.
She followed him back out into the main living space, heading straight for the small table and settling herself into one of the chairs while she watched him rifle through the cupboard.
“How long do you suppose we will need to be here?” Rivka mused out loud.
Ellis glanced back at her. “I do not know for sure, my love. Your father said we should stay here until it is almost time for the babe to be born. He was very specific in that. If we leave too soon, we could ruin the chance of stopping Vivian, or worse, she could find us.”
Rivka made a hmmm noise but didn’t say anything more.
”We are safe here. Your father wouldn’t have sent us if that weren’t the case.
We have food, water, and…” Ellis gestured towards the small bookshelf tucked into the corner of the room, “...even books.” Rivka jumped up, a small squeak escaping her lips as she hurried over to the shelf.
Ellis didn’t even attempt to hide his smile.
That woman and her love of books was just too adorable.
“Oh, there are so many good ones here! Even a few of my favorites!” Rivka exclaimed, her excitement bubbling over.
Ellis turned his attention back to making tea, leaving her to her books.
She would likely agonize over which one she would read, though from the titles that she was reading off, he knew she had read them all multiple times already.
Ellis found a basket of fruit and pulled a couple of apples from it.
He dug through drawers until he found a small paring knife and began peeling the apple just the way he knew she liked it.
Once everything was plated, he carried it all to the table, calling out for her to come sit.
Rivka placed the book she had chosen on the table between them as she flopped into her chair.
Ellis peered down at the title. “Another fairytale, my love?”
She shrugged. “It is my favorite. Besides, I could use a little happily ever after right now.”
“You just claimed that they were all your favorites”, he deadpanned, “and I am offended that you do not think of me as your knight in shining armor. I happen to be outrageously gorgeous and have men and women swooning for me daily.”
“You know what I mean! Don’t be expecting flattery from me, sir, your head is already big enough!” Rivka giggled.
“You wound me, my lady!” He gasped in mock horror. Their eyes met and they both burst into laughter. Rivka wiped at the tears that had come. It was so good to see her this way again.
“I’ll explore the grounds while you rest this afternoon and try to figure out what we have at our disposal. Your father said that we would get frequent supply boxes during our stay, but I would like to see more of the little garden and check out the sheds.” Ellis said, between bites of his apple.
“Wouldn’t it be better if we explored together? You know, just in case?” Rivka asked.
“Not at all. I do not know what I will find out there and with the tall grass, it isn’t safe for you. We cannot risk you falling or being bitten by anything.” Ellis’ stern expression dared her to argue.
Rivka dropped her palm to her stomach, rubbing it back and forth, smiling. “You’re right. We cannot chance an injury now. We have no healers nearby.” Her gaze met his, “That also means you too. You need to be careful out there. You aren’t invincible.”