Chapter 8
Kiln, Forge and Steel
Cara vaguely remembered Erika, coming for her at dawn when she was about to take over the helm from Wolfram. She had insisted on Cara to go to bed and sleep a little before they arrived at Castle Benrath as she had a long, strenuous day before her. Cara had resisted, Erika had none of it, more or less shoving her all the way to her bed. There against Cara’s protestations and the mumbling of the heap that allegedly contained Natalie, she had tucked Cara in. After that was a short moment of darkness followed by a long moment of being shaken by master Natalie.
“Come on Cara. We’ve almost reached or destination and you still have to pack your things.”, Natalie said, “at least you are already dressed…”, she added after tearing the cover from Cara.
“Idonwanna…”, Cara somehow produced, turning away from the demon that had taken over the body of her master.
“I’m going to count to three Cara.”, Natalie said. “Afterwards I will not be held responsible to what happens.”
“Blrb…bleh…”, Cara countered, her mind clinging to the soft embrace of sleep that kept her away from the harsh cold of the outside world.
“One.” Natalie said.
“Twooo…”
“You’re really going to make me do this?” Natalie said, recoiling slightly from her stubborn aprentice.
“You did this to you self… Three.”, Natalie moved forward until she loomed over Cara’s body that refused to acknowledge her or anything else beyond the blissful darkness of sleep. She moved over Cara’s head, face well hidden in the unjudging folds of Miss Snuggles. She aimed for Cara’s ear, pursing her lips and starting to blow into Cara’s ear.
As the moist, warmish air made its made it’s way through Cara’s ear canal, she felt the judgement of heaven and the contempt of hell worming their way through her body. The conept of sleep was ripped to shreds by the horror that was her body.
“Gnaaaaaah!”, Cara screamed as she sat up. Nearly head butting Natalie.
“I warned you.”, Natalie said, her body still a bit tense, as she wasn’t sure of she had to fight off Cara.
Cara’s large, tear filled eyes turned towards the traitor she had called master. “How could you?”
Natalie was unimpressed. “Because you need to get up. It’s not my fault that you had to go all existential emo last night. I understand.”, she added with a bit less edge in her voice now, “However, that does not stop time. We need to get up now. We will be reaching Castle Benrath soon and you will want to have had coffee by then. And you probably want to do something about your face.”
“What happened to my face?”, Cara asked, her free hand darting towards her perfectly normal feeling face.
“Look for your self.”, Natalie said, for this she was prepared. She held a little foldable hand-mirror in front of Cara’s face.
“It is missing a certain something…”, Cara said.
“I knew you would think that. I have already packed most of our stuff. Minus your sword and your makeup. You can take care of that and then come to the bridge for a little breakfast.”
Cara nodded, following her image as Natalie pulled the little mirror away from her.
What she had planned to be a short shower became a rather long one. The warm water was relaxing, even better it felt that it was washing away all the anxiety from the last day. For a moment there was only the smell of soap, pushing away the memory of the stench of death. When Cara came out of the shower she put a tiny bit of soap on her hands and whipped the mirror in front of her so that it would remain clear. She looked tired. Examined herself for a little while, once she knew how she was feeling and what she would like to feel like, she started to apply her make-up. Again she took her time, this was important. Once she was done she put on the rest of her clothes, she put her makeup kit into her duffel bag, shouldered it, took her sword and went to the bridge.
Everyone else was already there. This morning Erika had taken the helm, Wolfram was standing close to the coffee maker between a beady eyed Natalie and Eliza who stood arms crossed at the other side of him.
“If you don’t get your ass into gear in time you don’t get to complain when the food is gone.”, Eliza said, trying to move past Wolfram who shifted to block her way his hands held up palms towards trying to stop Eliza from advancing.
Behind him Natalie shifted her weight towards Eliza trying, moving slightly to get past Wolfram. “Yeah and if you put even one finger on what’s left before Cara eats, I will put your ass into gear…”
“Heh! I’d love to see you try.”
“Really, come and… oh hi Cara!”, Natalie instantly relaxed, waving at Cara.
“Er… what’s happening here?”, Cara asked.
“You are being late and your master is trying to shield you from the consequences little…” Eliza said turning towards Cara. She paused for a second. “Damn, look at you. All polished and shiny.” Eliza looked Cara over nodding.
“Thank you?”, Cara said feeling her face heating up. “May I?”, she asked gesturing towards the coffee maker where Natalie smiling the smile of a predator that had her lunch cornered. “Please Cara, help yourself.”, she said making a grand gesture with her right arm using her body blocking Eliza and Wolfram who was busy trying to leave the line of fire.
Cara poured herself a coffee, adding a significant amount of sugar, took some flat bread and leftovers from last nights meal. Eyeing her master and the solin-ger she decided to move to the side of the bridge that was the furthest of them both.
Natalie sat down making her self comfortable blanketed in her smugness while Eliza moved to a window deciding to look out while murmuring something beneath her breath.
