Chapter 17

WE MADE OUR WAY TO the kitchen as instructed then Henja led the way up a narrow staircase and along a corridor to our rooms.

'Did you see the dragon? Such a big one too, what a good example for your first time.' She beamed at us while we made appropriate remarks but all I could really think about was food. The smells that wafted from the kitchen almost made me dizzy with hunger.

Henja opened one door with a key from a laden iron ring and ushered us in.

'I have given you two rooms that have an adjoining door, so you don't have to go out into the corridor. As you can see you will have to share two to a bed and please,' she pointed at Audi beside me then to Lucky in Kassie's arms. 'No animals on the beds.'

I nodded in agreement along with Kassie and Henja smiled, satisfied.

'Well, I will go get your supper.'

She disappeared back down the corridor. Sian and Laura took the other room and Kassie and I the first. I wandered around the small room. Nothing extravagant but it had a couple of windows and a little stove, nice and cosy. I pulled my boots off as the room was quite warm and then sat, taking a moment to rub a drying sheet over my damp hair. Audi sat straight in front of me, ears perked up as she eyed the sheet, her black tail swishing across the floor, the white tip catching the fading light from a window. 'You've been dried,' I said to her, when she whined as I changed sides, combing through the wet strands with my fingers before using the sheet again. 'This time it's my turn.'

The dog grumbled, lying on her belly with an indignant huff. Lucky gave a happy sounding murrip and jumped down from the stool she'd been perched on observing us all, to curl up on Audi's back. I watched them with a smile. A sharp rap on the door then Henja's voice made me drop the sheet and with Kassie, hurry to the door.

'Here is your supper girls',' Henja offered a heavy tray laden with food; four steaming bowls, a pile of thickly buttered grainy bread and a large jug of water with a stack of thick blown glasses beside it. I took the tray from Henja and she thanked me, then questioned, 'Now, what would be best for your animals?'

While Kassie placed our orders, I carefully maneuvered my way to the small table in Sian and Loi's room and placed the tray on it.

Loi and Sian sat on the bed, and Kass and I on short three-legged stools. The bowls contained a delicious stew. The meat dissolved on the tongue and the vegetables in the thick rich gravy made the perfect topping for the bread, melting the butter a hint. After wiping the bowl clean with another piece of bread I sat back, resting against the bed and sipped a glass of water. It seemed easier to ignore the anxious thoughts now my stomach was sated. No one spoke, just rested, the heat from the stove making the room feel almost heavy. Pushing past the urge to doze off right there, I stood, making Kass jolt.

'Sorry, Kass,' I yawned. 'I'm off to bed now. Night all, sleep well.'

Wandering back to the bed in the adjoining room, I ditched my clothes for a borrowed nightshirt Henja had provided, then crawled under the covers and fell promptly into a deep and dreamless sleep.

*****

THE SUNLIGHT WOKE ME, MY eyes fluttering open when the rays of light began to descend down the bed. I stared at the wall, then rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling.

A different planet.

Weird.

Part of my mind wanted to deny it all, pretend I'd imagined it. The foreign room, however, made it starkly real. Again, I waited for myself to panic. My heart did beat faster at the realization, stomach roiling for a minute or two, but my practical side kicked in again. I could picture my mum and dad at home in their kitchen.

'Can't change it, Katy,' dad would say with an open-handed gesture, mum nodding in agreement.

'Focus on the immediate,' she'd advise.

I'd moved out of home at twenty, Sian and I flatting together, later joined by Kass when she arrived on her working visa after attending university in Americacelebrating a couple of years later when she got her residency. Right at the moment it felt, reasonably I guess, light years away. And I had such a longing for my old bedroom at home, actual home, with mum and dad. Tears welled at the thought of never seeing them again and ran down my cheeks while I stared unblinking at the ceiling.

Really hope we can get home.

Carefully, so as not to disturb Kassie, I sat up, then groaned under my breath when all my muscles objected and looked around, staring through to the other room where I could see Sian fast asleep. Climbing out of bed I wriggled into my pants and top then sat on a stool to pull on my socks and boots, wincing when I turned my thigh to lace the back of the boot. It seemed every single muscle hurt, even my eyes watered when I let out a mouth-splitting yawn. Audi shook herself awake, staggering off my cloak where she'd slept and bumbled over to give me a big lick. Giggling, I grabbed the dog's head and ruffled the fur round her neck and ears. She grumbled and thrust a paw in my face, I obliged and scratched the front of her chest. Lucky meowed softly at us and sauntered over.

'Are you guys' hungry?' I whispered to them. 'Come on, let's go see if we can get some breakfast.'

Picking Lucky up, I draped her around my shoulders and eased the door open, ushering Audi out. We headed down the corridor and stairs to the kitchen.

'Hello, Henja?' I called, standing outside of the room, listening for a response. A face appeared around the doorway in front of me; a woman around my own age, her sparse blonde eyebrows lifted high in surprise. She stared for a moment then blinked, a smile spreading.

'Hello! You must be one of those four women everyone's talking about. Come on in, I'll get you some breakfast.' She whirled around, the ties on her white cap flicking out.

I hesitated for an instant staring into the room. It didn't seem large enough for all the activity going on. Four people bustled around, the room rich with fragrances that made my mouth water. I hurried in, my stomach growling in anticipation of food. The bobbing white-capped head led the way to a plain table with slab seats jammed amongst cupboards and stored food. Removing Lucky, I placed her on the seat beside me and Audi sat under the table, waiting, watching. The kitchen maid reappeared, setting a steaming bowl of porridge in front of me and then a pot of honey and a pitcher of cream. I reached to lift the spoon from the honey when the maid interrupted me.

'What would your animals like?'

'If you have any of that meat stew left, that would be ideal. And I guess Lucky could have a dish of milk if you can spare it.'

The maid left to look and I pulled the spoon out of the honey, dribbling a thin layer over the porridge and then poured the thick cream over the top. The cream and honey mixed together with the long-stewed, mealy, melt-in-the-mouth oats and I sighed in pleasure. The clatter and noise of the kitchen disappeared with each warm, soothing mouthful.