“Where is R?ven?” I inquired of Jack.
“I think she is at work.”
“Which work?” I frowned.
“Messenger by day, angel by night.” Jack sighed, lost in thought then flushed a deep crimson when he saw my amused expression. He shrugged it off and continued, “I meant her voice.”
“Mmhmm.” I rolled my eyes and continued the eating of my food.
We were silent for several moments and Jack watched me eat. He seemed to be analyzing me, taking in every detail.
“Who cleaned me up?” I inquired, referring to my silky hair, clean fingernails and skin.
“R?ven.” Jack said simply.
“Good.” I heaved a sigh which caused Jack to grin.
“Another supply from the marketplace.” He continued, “Dead useful if you don’t have time to get a bath ready. It was this chemical like spray that got rid of dirt upon whatever it touched.”
“Laziness.” I rolled my eyes, though I was very grateful to the Mage who had managed to invent such a thing.
“You needed it.” Jack’s eyes were round.
I scowled.
I soon learned from Jack that my tiny human friend had been dead when he had come to rescue me. He didn’t remember the scene clearly for his entire focus had been on me, though he said that there had been the tiniest of figures close to me, unmoving with open, glazed eyes. He recalled the stench.
Over the next few days Jack and I lived at R?ven Blacklock’s home quite harmoniously. By the third day I felt quite well enough to get out of bed and explore the charming residence. R?ven’s home had four bedrooms, each one quainter than the last. She had a comfortable sitting area with a large, warm fire constantly lit in the fire-place. Several elegant portraits hung everywhere and vases upon vases of fake flowers on every surface, as not much greenery could survive in Frost Arch. I loved her home very much and felt quite comfortable. To thank R?ven for her hospitality I often shuffled around the house weakly trying to clean up after Jack. I tried cooking dinner as well but R?ven merely bustled me from the kitchen. R?ven, quiet as ever, would often appear out of nowhere when you least expected it. She caught me dusting and polishing several times. I didn’t know how else I could thank her for helping Jack rescue me and letting me stay in her house. I wasn’t sure how long Jack and I were welcome for, but R?ven brought me breakfast in bed every morning. This lasted for about a week before I told R?ven that it was not necessary to tend to me any more for I was perfectly capable of looking after myself now that I was much stronger. I had put on a bit of weight in only a week yet I was much skinner that I would have liked. Prior to this whole fiasco my body had been warm and shapely, yet now I felt cold and thin, as though there was no definition to my figure. Where there had once been curves there was now rib-cage. I also found that I got fuller much more quickly and I figured this was due to my shrunken stomach, though I knew I would train it to hold more food over time once again.
Jack lazed around the house most of the time. He was no longer working at the manor for we all figured that Sebastian Forsythe would have assumed Jack was key to my escape. R?ven had told us in very few words that the guards whom she had knocked silly with her voice would never remember how the incident unfolded for she had chosen a specific tone and pitch of voice which would erase their memory of the whole ordeal. Of course R?ven never spoke much around us, though when she did, she did it slowly and carefully in a monotone voice. Though it still affected us greatly it was nowhere near as bad as her song voice.
Several times I woke during the night to horrible nightmares. Jack said that sometimes he could hear me scream. The nightmares were nonsensical and many times I couldn’t remember them. Though often they consisted of decaying bodies. Whenever I woke up from these dreams however it would be because I felt a comforting hand stroking my forehead, and a soothing song being whispered into my ear. R?ven ensured I was well rested and would sing me to sleep with a delicate lullaby if ever I was restless. I would fall asleep within the first few seconds. Her voice was like a drug that I could not get used to. Sometimes I asked R?ven to talk to me while I went to bed. I would ask her questions and she would answer freely for she knew that her voice would send me to sleep. I learned many things about R?ven Blacklock during that first week. Some of them were quite terrible.