Take Me Home

11. Saved again

Freya slowly blinked open her eyes with a yawn, stretching under her blankets and turning her head to her blown out candle. Right next to it was the rose Axel had made her. She smiled and yawned again, blinking a few more times. She groggily sat up, pushing the blankets off her and stepping out of bed. Waking up an hour early was becoming a routine. She was a light sleeper, so she normally had an easy time waking herself up. Once again, she was up before the sun, so she lit a candle in her room and stepped in front of her mirror, the candle light dancing around the room and casting a soft glow from her bedside.

She slid off her nightgown, folding it onto her bed and walking over to her dresser, opening the drawers and picking out her outfit. Just the normal, another work day dress from the store in the town. This one was a shade of light, pale pink. She studied herself in the mirror for a moment, sighing. For her age, she was a little small. Skinny, but lean. She had muscles from the years of farming, and it had paid off. She didn't have a huge appetite either, not to mention the fact that her and her grandparents couldn't freely eat. She was lean and in shape. Her skin was mostly clear too, her face round and soft. Freya had inherited her round blue eyes from her mother, she remembered her father telling her.

She turned away, pulling her dress over her head and fixing it smooth before picking up her brush and brushing her waves, the desire to just leave the waves flowing freely pulling at her. She left it down, standing and placing her work boots on her feet again, then walking quietly out of her room. She sneaked down the stairs, careful not to step in certain areas where the wood would creak. She opened the pantry, seeing a few loaves of bread and some crackers and fruit. She grabbed two apples, then left the house.

Entering the dark barn, she picked up a candle and a match, proceeding to climb the ladder. She reached the top, pulling herself up with a grunt. She looked toward the hay pile, her eyes widening as she saw Axel laying on the hay, his eyes closed and chest rising slowly. He was still asleep. Feeling awkward and uneasy, she decided to light the candle and set the apple down next to it. The candlelight allowed her to see better. He was lying on his back, head resting on the hay. She almost smiled when she saw the dictionary in his hands, resting on his stomach. Turning away, Freya decided to go somewhere else and return when he was awake.

Closing the barn doors, she looked toward her house. If she went back inside, she could risk waking her grandparents. Maybe taking a walk would be the best thing to do. She looked around, one hand on the side of the barn, her gaze resting on the slight brightness that was just appearing over the sea in the distance. She set off, walking on the trail that led up to the house, Instead of stopping in front of it, she continued walking. The breeze from the coast was blowing her hair around and she brushed it away from her eyes as she made her way across the terrain, toward the town in the far distance. The dirt road beneath her was easy to walk on and with each step she kicked up some dust, which only resettled on the ground.

Her eyes were open and aware of her surroundings, noticing movement on the road in front of her. She hesitated, recognizing a horse and a man on its back. She kept walking, watching the approaching rider.

The rider turned out to be a british soldier on patrol, his hat on as he steered the horse around her.

"Morning, ma'am." He nodded in a friendly manner and she smiled shyly and returned the greeting as she continued walking.

Freya looked down at the ground as she continued her walk, unsure of what she was going to do once she got into town. She could go inside of the store, or even visit Pastor Evan again. She didn't have any money on her, so going into the store wouldn't be very sensible.

She neared the end of the road, where it opened up into a brick clearing. Other roads led out of it, into the distance to other towns and homes. She stayed to the side of the town clearing as the sun continued rising, brightening the sky but not high enough to shine it's warmth on her ivory skin. Freya continued walking on the smooth brick ground, her eyes fixed on the church ahead of her as suddenly the building's doors to her right swung open.