Chapter 2: Scarlet (H) – Chapter 2: But like all things, I’d need money.

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Note: As is typical with our work, this one is going to be a slower burn at the start before it gets going. Aside from that, we hope you all enjoy this chapter and story!

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"Miss, you okay?"

A deep, rough voice woke me up to cold, wet clothes, but my eyes refused to open. It took rubbing them to realize they were sealed shut by the crusted layer of mud from last night that covered every last inch of me. After several seconds of rubbing with shivering hands, I finally freed them and squinted up through blurry vision. There stood a big guy with his straw hat in his hands and a blinding blue sky behind him. "Whadda want?" The grimy taste of dirt sprinkled my tongue as I spoke.

His mouth hid behind his long beard as he spoke, "I was on my way to my field when I found ya laying here."

"And? Never seen anyone sitting on the side of the road before?" My attempt to roll to my feet failed as my burning legs gave out on me midway. I only avoided another face full of mud by catching myself on a nearby tree. Even now, my eyes stung from the bits of dirt that kept falling into them, which made everything blurrier. That, and the dirt in my mouth and nose made it feel like I hadn't had anything to drink in a week. Even the touch of the tree was so off that it felt like sand with all the dirt on my palm. The only thing not screwed up was my hearing, thankfully.

"I've seen plenty of people on the side of the road, Miss, and I know well enough they don't tend to do too well either. Listen, I have a warm house with food. And we can get you all washed up too."

Before I got the chance to think about it, my stomach took over. "Food? How much?" Even just the mention of food was enough to warm my body a little.

"I work a farm, so plenty if you be needing it." Seconds later, and my legs started wobbling to remind me I was dangerously close to kneeling over from hunger. "Follow me." I didn't think twice about him taking the lead down the still muddy road as I kept close behind. "So what you doing out here?" he asked, peeking back at me as we walked. 

"Going to the city. Timber, I think it was called."

"On foot? Miss, you ain't anywhere near the city. It's a full day's ride by carriage at least."

"You serious?"

"'Fraid so, but we're heading there tomorrow to sell a pig. Me and my daughter that is. You'd be welcome to stay with us for the night, then tomorrow we can give you a ride. If you want of course."

"You'd really mean to let me sleep in your house and give me a ride up there?"

"I do. People like us need to stick together." He put his hat on as we went up a small hill that showed what I expected was his house not far away. "How long you been walking anyway?"

The soreness was bad enough on its own but trying to walk in a straight line made it all the worse. "About yesterday morning to last night."

"Good lord! I'm surprised you can even walk."

"Barely. Besides, I didn't have much a choice besides keep walking."

We kept walking, but I kept my eye on him as we did. There'd been a lot of people that have helped me, but most of the time it was just some pocket coin. But this? Actually bringing me into their house to feed and taking me where I needed to go? If the city was a day's way by carriage, then no way would I have made it without someone like this. And at times like these, I wasn't about to turn down any kind of help. "I don't know why you're being so kind, but thank you."

"Think nothing of it. 'Sides, we'd appreciate the company. And the misses will have my head if I didn't help. What's your name anyway? Mine's Duke."

"Scarlet," I said as we kept walking down the street. When was the last time I even had a fresh meal? The last time it took awhile to get used to what I'd normally eat after having something nice, so maybe if I wanted to play safe, then I shouldn't eat something that'd taste all that good. Not that I was planning on eating out of the garbage anymore, but I didn't know if Timber was as bad as all the other places with finding work. "Might you have any food that isn't exactly fresh?" I asked.

"What you mean?"

"Well…" I watched my feet as we walked. "I don't get many chances to eat a fresh meal. It's already hard enough to eat what I need to, and I don't want it to get harder because I ate something good."

He turned and looked at my mud-covered rags, and it seemed to only just hit him. "Didn't know you were that down on your luck. You got no place to go? No family?"

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"No, but I've survived like this since I was a kid. With any luck I'll be fine once I find a place to settle down in."

"I see. Sorry 'bout that. I don't feel right serving you that kinda stuff though, but maybe the misses can serve you up something that'd be alright with ya."

Before I got a word in, we walked up to a pretty good-sized cabin that was kept up with and clean. Duke led me to the front door, but stopped me. "Sorry. The misses wouldn't be happy if we tracked mud all over. Wait here for me."

He went inside, so I took a look around the place. Wide open farm fields filled to the brim with water and whatever food was trying to grow there. Thinking on it, I might have been able to hide out here and snatch some food from the ground if they were ready for eating. The only problem, other than it not looking like it was near ready to pick, was there'd be no place to hide if I got caught with how open everything was. That, and with how quick farmers were to shoot, I didn't like my chances.

After a few minutes, the door opened, and Duke came out with a tub of water to set on the ground. "The misses is already running a bath for you, but it'll take a bit. You can wash your feet here until the water heats up."

"Thank you." I stepped into the tub of cool water that sent shivers through my body, but I couldn't complain about having a place to wash up.

"I'll come get you when it's ready."

"Thanks again…" There was a whole lot more I wanted to say, but being waited on like this was blowing my mind enough already.

Bending down, I began scrubbing my feet and hands. Even if it was cold, getting all that dirt off made my skin extra sensitive. After a minute or two of rubbing off every last speck, I stepped out of the tub and sat down on the stone fence that ran along the side of the house, shivering as I did my best to warm my body with my hands and arms. The burning pain of my legs finally caught up with me as they turned to mush. Add yet another thing to the list that'd keep me from getting work right now.

I half wanted to slap myself for thinking like that. Even if it would cause problems, I couldn't let that stop me. It was a city, so there had to be tons of things I could do. Like maybe sweeping? I could sweep. And I may not be able to lift a whole lot, or read much of anything, but there was a whole lot else I could do…

My eyes drifted to the ground, and the sight of my stick-like arms and legs that could barely keep up with what I needed to do from day to day pushed down on me like a heavy weight. What work would there be for someone like me besides sweeping? The longer that question was up in the air, the more my shoulders, followed by my entire body, slumped over.

"Can you hear me?" Duke said while making me jump a little. I looked over to see him standing in the doorway. "The bath is ready."

Not knowing how much time passed exactly, I stood up and struggled to walk inside the house. On my way to the bathroom, a girl about my height watched me walk across the room, but I didn't pay her much mind. When we got to the room, there was a lady pouring a tub of water into an even bigger tub.

She turned around and took one look at me. "Oh dear, look at you. When my husband said he found someone in the mud, I didn't know he meant like this." She sat a pot down to the side. "You can put your clothes in here and I'll wash them for you. He told me you were about the same size as our daughter, so you can have some of her clothes."

"Hold on, you're giving me clothes too? Just like that?" I asked after already being overwhelmed by their generosity.

"Why wouldn't I? She don't need them near as much as you, and she's got plenty. Walking around in rags of all things, I can't let that go." She walked past me and pushed her husband out. "We'll leave you to it then, but just knock if you need something."

"Thank you, and I will."

They left and closed the door behind them, where I turned and looked at the steaming hot bath.

No matter how much I may have been down before, I couldn't help but smile at knowing I was finally about to take my very first hot bath. At least the first that I was aware of. I took off my clothes and put them in the pot she put out.

Readying myself up for this, I slowly lowered myself into the tub of hot water, and the whole world vanished. My attention focused on nothing but how the heat melted my muscles. Even scrubbing my skin was enough to send the most amazing shivers down my spine.

Closing my eyes, I lowered my head under water and scrubbed my face and hair before coming up. Even when every last bit of me was cleaned, I sat in the tub to enjoy this feeling for as long as possible.

It didn't take much for this to get near the top of my list of things I wanted to do again. But like all things, I'd need money for this, and to get money, I needed people to like me up there. That meant not stealing anything. And not smelling.

With my confidence getting the boost it needed, I lowered myself up to my neck in the water, and closed my eyes to enjoy the rest of the bath.

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