Chapter Nine: The Odd Girl

“Jenny?” Armadillo cracked his neck as he stepped into the parlor. “Did you make tea already? How long have you been up?” Sitting next to me, he tilted my book down. “Did you bake bread already too? You took care of everything, huh?”

Before closing the novel, I marked my page. “I made coffee too.” I checked my pocket watch, ten past seven. “I’ve only been awake since a quarter before five. Help yourself to bread and coffee or tea, whichever you prefer.” I watched him stand.

In the kitchen, he poured a mug of coffee and grabbed the end chunk of the bread. “This is delicious. What else have you already done today?” He sipped at the hot mug.

Thoughtfully, I placed my head in my hand. “I awoke, washed my clothing, bathed while my dresses dried, walked to see if I could find any berries for the bread, returned, prepared coffee, then tea, baked the bread, without berries unfortunately, and finally, I read about fifty pages in this book that Professor Lester gave me.”

“You are a very strange girl, Genevieve. No one in my house is ever up before sunrise. We are not productive until at least halfway through the seventh hour.”

“My father awakes at dawn every morning. Since I’ve been traveling, I’ve found it’s best to walk as far as possible before the sun is too high and hot.” I grinned at him.

Beneath his spectacles, he rubbed his eyes. “Ugh, you are odd.”

A small boy with only his britches on shuffled out. His eyes were the same soft almond shape as Armadillo’s, but the boy’s irises were lighter. His light blonde hair stuck up in all directions. “Dill, what smells? Did Momma already start baking? Too early.”

Armadillo scooped the boy in his arms. “I do not believe there was a proper introduction last night. Forrest, this is my traveling companion, Jenny. Jenny, this is my younger brother, Forrest.” He returned my smile from earlier. Dimples shone through.

Suddenly, I noticed that Dill was only in his britches as well. Hiding a pink blush, I waved at Forrest. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Do you want a glass of milk? I noticed you had some in the larder…” My voice trailed off when his look became confused.

Groggily, he stared with a blank expression. “Dill, your girlfriend is weird.”

My face burned. The ruddy color in my cheeks was impossible to disguise now; Armadillo’s face became as crimson as mine. “I am not Dill’s girlfriend.”

“Forrest, buddy, I met her only yesterday. She is nothing more than a traveling companion.” Armadillo assured him, resting him on the sofa next to me. Dill’s lean toned muscles obstructed my view of all else. “Looking at something?” He said amused.

I opened my book back up to divert my gaze. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled. Nervously, I sipped at my tea and returned to reading. The book was a short adventure filled with small mysteries and shrouded with a romance. It wasn’t anything difficult or thought provoking like I’d expected from the professor. It only reminded me that I missed her.

The rest of Dill’s exhausted family scuttled out of bed to ogle at me curiously,

His mother was bulbous. Her frizzy grey hair erratically fuzzed off her head. Her dark eyes were filled with a mixture of suspicion and admiration as she stared at me.

“So, Jenny, where are you from?” Dill’s father asked. His face was shaven clean of the white hair on top of his head. He stood a bit shorter than Armadillo with the same build and darker complexion.

I replied, “I live a bit south of the village on Yondrin.”

He assumed, “Ah, so your parents brought you up in a setting like this one!”

“Not exactly, sir. My father owns an inn outside of the town. He raised me there.”

One of his dark eyebrows rose. “What fate has met your mother then if you do not mind my asking?” His gut stiffened anticipating my answer.

I swallowed, “The reason I am traveling to Eirodin is to find information about my mother. She left me with my father when I was very young.”

The man paled. “Oh.” His tone had gone cold. “You weren’t raised by your mother. She would not have left if she wanted to be found. I hope you know that, Jenny.” His words stung true and icy at once; I nearly snapped or cried at this realization.

“I know. I just hope that maybe she regrets it. Maybe she’ll want to see me. But enough of that, what do you do for work, Mr. Green?”

“I’m a bit of a middleman. I travel between those who get the raw materials and those who make the goods, delivery if you will. Of course, not all of the materials make it there if you catch my drift.” He winked at me slyly; his family laughed at the notion.

“That’s thievery,” I stated bluntly. Trying to control the anger in my tone, I expressed my own opinion simply, “That’s deceitful, dishonest, and plain scummy.”

“How dare some b*****d come into my home and accuse me of such things! I welcome you in my home and this is how you repay me!” He roared.

“I accused you of nothing. I merely asserted my own opinion. If you do not agree with it and would like me to leave, then I shall be on my way. Had I known I would be called such an insult, I would’ve left at dawn as I wanted to.” When Mr. Green nodded, I closed my book tucking it into my knapsack, which held the rest of my belongings. “Thank you for your kindness.” I curtsied awkwardly. I hauled my bag over my shoulder.

Outside, Armadillo ran after me, calling my name. “Please, do not go. My father may not be an honest man, but he does what he must. Tomorrow morning, we shall be on our way. Please, just stay today. I do not wish to be stuck alone with my family.”

“I am not welcome in your home.”

Forcefully, Dill grabbed my arm. “Then you must go in and apologize.”

“Apologize? I’ve done nothing wrong. I simply told him my opinion of crooks. He is the one who called me a b*****d and insulted my search for my mother.”

“Jenny,” He warned. His brow lowered. “Just go in and apologize.”

I clenched my fists. “I will go in and make peace with that man, but do not talk to me like I am a child, Armadillo. It’s patronizing and arrogant.”

“I would not speak to you as a child if you did not act as one,” He sniped.

With a sigh, I reentered the home trailing Armadillo. I spoke before Mr. Green. Staring at my boots, I said, “I apologize for the disrespect I showed a moment ago and also for my brash actions. It was a moment without control and I apologize deeply.”

“You only need to stay to wait for my son another night. Very well then.”

His mother gasped. “Armadillo, your boots look like rags! When you leave tomorrow, promise me that you will stop at the cobbler’s shop to buy a new pair.”

Dill nodded. “Yes, mother. Should I go in today to be fitted?”

“No, no! I want as much time with you as possible.” She sipped at her tea. “Perfect temperature.” She relaxed back in the stiff wooden chair. “You know what? Earl, why don’t we forget about work for the day?”

“Sounds good, dear.” He tinkered with a small doll in front of him. When he was satisfied, he handed it to a girl who looked to be on the verge of a decade. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were thoughtful. Honey blonde hair flowed over her shoulders.

“Oh, my apologies, another introduction forgotten. Jenny, this is my sister Rosemary, usually just Rosie though.” Dill pointed back and forth to acquaint us.

Rosie smiled up and waved her hand at me. “It’s nice to meet you, Jenny. How large is your dowry?” She asked with an inquisitive tilt of her head.

At first taken aback, I answered jokingly, “I’m a bit clumsy and the only thing that I can bake is bread. Between those two things, I fear it has grown rather large.”

Dill slapped my shoulder. “Don’t humor her.” He turned to Rosie, “And don’t ask questions like that! It’s rude.” He twirled back to me. “Do you know how to play chess?” When I shook my head, he sighed disapprovingly. “Then let’s teach you.” Carefully, he revealed a wooden board with pieces of all different shapes. He laid them out for himself and then for me. Piece by piece, he instructed me on how to play.

“I read about this in a book once.” I remembered upon hearing the rules. After he moved his first piece, I did mine. Several moves and half an hour later, I uttered unsurely, “Checkmate?” We both studied the board, checking for a flaw.

“So it is.” Dill placed his king piece down begrudgingly. “Now, that I’ve let you win, would you like to play for real this time?” Carefully, he realigned all of his pieces.

You didn’t let me win, I thought smugly. As we played another round, the result was the same. Only, this time I was a bit more confident about my victory.

Armadillo clenched his fists together, challenging me to another round. Yet again, he lost. “You must be cheating. Usually only my father can beat me.”

“Well, let me match the girl and see who fairs.” Dill’s father took his son’s seat and also the first move. Ultimately, he was more difficult to figure out than Armadillo during the game, but it was still he who placed his king down. “A beginner’s luck.”

A sore loser’s excuse, I mused haughtily. “It is only a game.”

“Actually,” Dill interjected. “I’ve read that in the early first era, it was often used to decide military leaders and battle victors. It’s an important game.”

I shrugged. “Still a game though.” In habit, I stood ready to do something, but remembered no task awaited me, not dishes nor laundry nor any other chore. Restlessly, I sat back down to scribble a quick entry in my journal, mostly about my discomfort concerning Armadillo’s lazy family and conniving father. Then I continued to read the book. In it, I searched for hidden meanings. “What is the purpose of this small novel?” I queried to myself, rereading the typical, ‘adventure over, mystery solved, heroine gets the prince’ ending. “Such simplicity is not the taste of Professor Lester.” On the inside of the back cover, typically a plain white page was not blank, but filled with the professor’s bubbly and curly penmanship. Addressed at the top was my name.

‘Jenny, your own story should not read as typically as this one does. Fill yours with much more interesting characters and events. Take a risk. Dance with someone. Do something new. Make connections. Meet someone spectacular. Make your father even prouder. Give yourself a story to tell and perhaps someone to tell it with. You do not have to find your mother. Your parents do not define the strong intelligent person you are. "Professor Mary Lester. P.S. I’m sure you noticed that I am hoping you find romance…’

Ambition soared through me as I grinned. Why must I be stuck in a house with these odd people when my adventure is out there?

“I see that your companion grows restless.” Armadillo’s mother noticed my twittering fingers and restlessly tapping foot. “Perhaps, it is not fair to keep you here when you have promised to escort her,” She sighed. “Why don’t you leave?”

Repressing a shriek, I nearly pulled my hair out in aggravation. If she was not adamant on our departure the following day, why would she have us laze around until the sun was high and scorching in the later hours? I tucked the book back in my knapsack.

“If you are positive, Mother, then we shall leave as soon as possible.” He gathered a few of his things and kissed his mother on the cheek. “Thank you. I know Jenny is eager to depart. How far is Ghret again so that I may buy new boots?”

“You should reach there by sunset, a five hour walk, I would say.”

After slinging my bag over my shoulder, I thanked the family for their kindness, but my gratitude came off cold and insincere. I earned only unsaid jeers and flat expressions. “Again, thank you very much for allowing me to stay here.”

Dill parted with his family once more with stiff handshakes and clenching hugs.

As we stalked off, I heard his mother behind me, “Well, at least, she is fair.”

At this, Armadillo’s father merely snorted.

“They do not care for me much, do they?” I guessed, raising an eyebrow at Dill. The heat had already started to warm my forehead. I tied my hair back.

Honestly, he shook his head. “No, they do not,” He confirmed blatantly. “I feel I must apologize on their behalf. They are not an easy lot to deal with.”

I reminded him, “But they are your family.”

“Why are you so set on this idea of a family? Between admiring even my obnoxious family and searching for your mother, I’m beginning to think you’re a bit obsessed. It is not everything you wish it to be.”

“You would not understand. You take your family for granted. With only my father and I, it is a bit lonely. He is the only person that I can chat with and sometimes he does not understand my love of books or my inability to cook. Most of all, my reluctance to give up my hobbies in order to work confuses him. He is a marvelous woodworker, but he makes no time for it! It’s all about the inn! Running the inn, doing the laundry, starting supper, baking bread, it is not the life I envision for myself! He does not get this either.” My harsh statement was merely the manifestation of my exasperation at the moment. Despite his misunderstanding of my disposition, I already missed Papa terribly.

“Well, tell me your true feelings,” He muttered sarcastically.

With his prickled words, I merely hummed the same tune to myself that I had yesterday. I squinted in focus, trying to visualize the words that matched the tune, at least the beat. It was in vain as everything sounded like gibberish that I thought of. “If only I knew another language.” I grumbled, “Perhaps my mother is from Varstat…”

“You don’t even know if your mother is Caligerian?” Dill snapped.

I replied, “Even if she only briefly visited Caligeria, she is still in the archives.”

“It doesn’t matter! You are looking for your mother in flesh not in paper.” He flailed his arms angrily, thinking me foolish. “Why would you not take time to prop-”

“I’m not sure you understand that her file makes finding her much simpler,” Defiantly, I crossed my arms. “I should not have asked you to travel with me. You always insult me, belittle me, and question me- Perhaps that is precisely why you should travel with me, so that I may speak my ideas onto you and you may rebuttal. Armadillo, I think we have formed an excellent partnership here. I apologize for my anger.”

Still irked by my words, he said, “Do you have two personalities or something?”

“I let my emotions control me too often. When I step back and think, my words are much less sensible.” When Dill did not reply, I hummed until we stepped into town.

Author's Note

Tension, tension. This chapter is a bit of a filler. It only meant to show how differently Jenny was raised than other people. Not one of my best. Thanks for reading.