She poked the fire to make sure it wouldn’t go out before its time. The cozy room was warm and easily lit, quiet save for the crackle of the fire, the hiss of the pot on the stove that simmered a powerfully-scented stew she had just started preparing. Tonight she was alone, not odd for her, but she liked having others around. Her horses certainly wouldn’t do well in her home, but they liked being outside. Their pelts were thick and protected them from the cold air, though, and Lola wasn’t worried about them. Straightening, she smoothed down the pink fabric of her dress and started going back to the kitchen, but a soft knock at the door gained her immediate and direct attention.

Hurrying past the fireplace and the two couches and table, the desk to the left of her, she cracked the door against the still, hushed air of outside and gasped. An old man stood with a young boy huddled close to him, both shivering from the cold and covered in several layers of fur. She swung the door wide. “Oh, dear!” She reached out, pulling the two inside. “You poor things. Are you all right?”

“Oh, we’re okay.” The older man said. “Just lost. See, got my grandson Benjamin with me, we’re the only ones still alive. Our front wheels fell off the carriage a few days ago, horses died a day later from sickness. I’m Christopher Hollow, by the way.” He held out his hand. Under the furs, Lola could see white hair mixed just a bit with brown, his baggy eyes light green. Though she could tell he was old, his face was mostly free of wrinkles and squared, strong in the jaw. His grandson Benjamin was black-haired and blue-eyed, appearing about twelve or thirteen years old.

Lola shook her head. “That’s terrible, just awful. How long have you walked, more than three days?” At their nod, she bit her lip. “Well I can’t let you go back out there. You two just stay here as long as you need! I’ve got extra rooms upstairs, and if you’d like to stay more than a few days, I can give you one with a private washroom. Come now, sit in front of the fire, give me your coats.” She helped the two out of their piled, patched furs and draped them over her arm. “I’ll get you two some blankets, you must be freezing!” Hurrying upstairs, she hung the furs on several hooks on the outside of one of the doors in the hallway, going to her room to fetch some of the extra blankets. They were heavy, of dark red, and kept even the harshest cold away.

When she returned downstairs, she was pleased to see the boy and his grandfather had taken to sitting before the fire side by side, warming their hands. She approached and unfolded the blankets for them. “I’m Lola Montague.” She said gently. “I take in the lost, wanderers, travelers, or anyone just looking for an escape from their lives for a while. It’s what I live for, helping others!” She smiled kindly at the two as she accepted their thanks. “It’s really no problem, not at all. I was just preparing stew when you arrived. You must be hungry!” She turned as they settled under the blankets, no longer shivering. “It’ll be finished soon, I imagine, I just have a few more things to add.”

With that, she stepped lightly back into the kitchen, leaving them in full confidence they were clear-headed and no one to worry about.

Lucy stumbled through the snow drifts. It was cold but at least the wind was mostly died down. The sparkling snow glistened under the starlight. Her breathe froze in the air as she stopped to stare into the heavens. They were gorgeous. It was actually very beautiful outside. However, that beauty wouldn't keep her warm and alive. She wished she had dug a snow cave hours ago before the sun had set. Then she would be better protected from the elements. Still she trudged on though. She couldn't rest now, she was too hungry. Might as well put this restlessness to use.

She came across a fence. Fence. That meant civilization. People meant food. She wondered if there was a small town she could slip in and find some work in a tavern or something. Anything to stay alive. She climbed the fence and looked into the dim scenic view. Horses. And small lights... from windows? Of just one house? Looks like it was a country dwelling instead. She saw the haystack where the horses quietly were munching on hay. It was pretty cold out. She shouldn't use any more energy now if it could be helped. It was taking a lot out of her just to stay warm. She jumped to the ground and stumbled towards the horses and haystack. They looked her way and nickered. She got up beside them and let them smell her hands and hair. Then she burrowed into the hay and let herself fall asleep.

Lola was running a sharp knife along a slice of venison when Benjamin stepped timidly inside. She glanced over at his movement and smiled. “Hi, dearie,” she said lightly. “Are you warm now?” Benjamin nodded quickly as Lola cut the meat into small chunks and stepped to the stove and dropped them into the stew. “When the meat cooks through, it’ll be finished.” She said, still smiling. “Would you like to help with the pastries?”

“Hm?” Benjamin nodded, stepping into the kitchen all the way. “What… What do you have?” He watched Lola go to a cupboard and pull out a towel. Going back to the oven, she bent down and opened the hatch in front. A heavy scent of spiced apples and baked dough wafted out as the glow from the fire in the bottom lit the floor. She pulled a metal tray of crescent-shaped pastries out and set them on the counter. Waving at them, she gathered a knife and board and pushed them onto the board. “Here, Ben, can you use a knife?” When he nodded, she coaxed him forward. “Just slice them in half and let them cool a bit, then sprinkle them with a bit of sugar and cinnamon.” She indicated two clear glass jars behind the board before going to put the hot tray into the sink and returning to her stew. “Go on ahead.” She said, when she noted Benjamin hesitate.

It was quiet again, other than for the scrape of a metal spoon as it stirred the thick stew of vegetables and meats, until she heard her horses call out. Ben, who had already sliced a few pastries and sprinkled them as directed, looked out the window. “Oh, my.” Lola said, glancing back. “They must have seen an animal. I should go check their water soon for freeze.” She looked into the tall pot and put the lid on. “Now, don’t go looking inside.” She said to Ben. “It has to keep the heat inside, all right? I’ll go ready the room your grandfather and you will stay in and check my dears.” With a smile, she turned and stepped away. It would take a bit to change into her warmer clothes to go outside.

Lucy shifted. Being in the hay kept her barely warm enough. At least it provided a barrier between her and the any wind there might be. It hadn't been very long since she crawled in. The horses were interested in her but being polite and not pushing into where she was at. She was grateful. They wouldn't accidently mistake her hair for hay this way. She wondered how in the world her life could have come to this. It was no less what she deserved. Still, it would have been nice if life was different. She stiffled a cry and hardened her heart. It wasn't hard. All she had to do was return to the memories.

A few months ago in the small village her family lived in, she had been sitting at the table in her parent's kitchen working on her homework. Not a big deal to her. It had to be done. However, she was also supposed to babysit her kid brother and younger sister. She wasn't as fond of that part. Sure, she loved her family and all but there were other things she rather do. All 14 year olds have other things they rather do. She remembered how she had finished her homework and put it in her bag by the front door for school the next day. She wanted to go out and go skating with her friends. Dragging her 7 year old brother and 4 month baby sis along sounded like too much work. Plus she would have to watch them. So she locked her brother in the baby's room and told him to keep an eye on her. Then she had taken off.

The village pond had many of the kids from both there and the outlying farms already on the ice skating. They had a blast. She felt guilty though and decided to only stay an hour. As the hour came to a close, she slowly started making her way back home. She stopped by the bakery and picked up a roll. Even now the memory hurt, knowing that if she had not stopped then she could have changed the events that were even then unfolding at home. She remembered the easy care for life she had had then. How that all changed as she looked out the bakery door and saw the smoke. Running home, she found all that she knew in ashes. The neighbors told her that her parents came home as it was burning. That her mother had hysterically ran inside to get them out, and her dad had followed her mother. No one had returned.

She curled around herself tighter in the hay. Yes, this was no less than what she deserved. She had been the talk of her home village. How she had left her siblings in favor of some fun. No one would hire her. The local church pastor took care of her, but even he wouldn't trust her with any responsibility. She hated it and hated life. Fleeing into the night, she left those places of misery behind. The memories followed. She purposefully headed towards the wilderness and mountains and forests. Away from people. Away from hope of survival. She had wanted to die. Of course with that option looming before her so closely, she was regretting her pain-stricken decision. At least now there were horses nearby. She loved horses. If she was to die, it might as well be in their company. Pity for whoever found her cold body come morning. She allowed sleep to slowly steal over her.

Lola decided to keep the two coats on the door of the room she was giving the old man and his grandson, letting them know where to go when they tired. Going inside that room, she made up the two beds that rested against the far wall, covering them with heavy, warm quilts and an extra pillow if they needed it. She used one of her many keys and unlocked the wardrobe pushed against the wall by the door, leaving the key on a bedside table. It would make a good place to store their furs. In the washroom, she got out several sets of towels and set them on the low shelf above the large stone basin and lit a couple candles to set on the counter nearby. Leaving the room, she closed the door and inserted the key into the lock for them, going to her room to prepare to go outside.

As she changed out of her lightweight sleeveless shirt, she looked to her bed. It used to belong to her parents, before they had been taken from her too soon. She was just twenty when that happened. Illness had struck, but they adamantly denied treatment or to see a doctor. Their beliefs wouldn’t allow intervention, despite Lola’s begging. She could tell they would not survive long if they didn’t get help. And indeed, on the same snowy evening, they left her alone in the very bed she slept in. She couldn’t get rid of it, though, it was the only thing she had that let her close to her parents, even when they weren’t around. As she pulled on a long, insulated skirt and buttoned a heavy white wool blouse, she looked to the bed and sighed. She didn’t like being sad, but it never lasted long. Her parents always smiled, and she wouldn’t grow old being a bitter thing. It would be an insult to her loving parents.

Pulling on a long coat and wrapping her hair up and stuffing it into her hat, she returned to the kitchen. Ben seemed to be finishing up the last of the pastries. “Oh, very good!” She patted him lovingly, receiving a smile from the boy. “If you could, please stir the stew? And make sure to put the lid back on, okay? Then you and your grandfather can take a look at your room.” With that, she crossed the kitchen to the door that led out to the back of the house and the large yard and barn. Before exiting, she took up a lantern she had lit before the arrival of her guests.

Her horses meandered to greet her as she approached, one a Chestnut she called Fauna and one a Painted she had dubbed Millie. Their water trough was in the small barn, sheltered mostly from the wind and snow when it fell. Entering the barn and passing the stables, which were still clean from her earlier efforts, she inspected the water troughs. Both were cold, but not frozen. She kept some very special stones in the bottom of the troughs, finding them in a very clear and snow-free section of forest. They were warm to the touch, their heat never fading, and she had placed them at the bottom of the troughs to keep the water from freezing by nightfall. Turning, she set the lantern down and stepped toward Fauna. She was a delicate but strong horse, a kind and gentle soul, much like Lola herself, and as she ran a hand lovingly down Fauna’s nose, she heard a movement outside the barn, just to the edge where a pile of hay rest.

Millie was there, taking up a mouthful of hay and looking curiously into the depths. Carefully, Lola stepped forward, moving aside the topmost layers of hay and digging a bit deeper. A gasp escaped her as she found a young girl, curled up and blue from the cold, hiding away in the slightly-insulated pile. “Oh dear, oh my goodness!” Lola repeated the words over and over as she extinguished the lantern with snow and reached into the nest the girl had made, taking her up and hurrying gently to the cottage. It was difficult to maneuver the girl in her arms to open the door, but when she did, she asked Ben to close it as she took the girl up and to one of her rooms.

Lying her on the small bed in the room at the end of the hall, she took the heavy outer clothes and set them aside, making sure the girl was covered up well. She was breathing, Lola discovered with relief. Moving aside, she lit a fire in the fireplace near the bed to warm the room, and leaving the girl in full confidence that she would be all right, returned downstairs to finish her work.

Lucy felt warmth slowly taking over her body. Remembering vaguely that this was one of the signs that you were freezing to death, she wondered if maybe she should attempt to wake up. It seemed like too much work. She just didn't have the energy. Experimentally she tried to move her arm. As she expected, there was a weight to her arm. She sighed and resigned herself to death. There was just no point. At least she had the horses... wait. Horses. She couldn't hear their stamping feet and munching jaws. Her eyes flew open and she sat up quickly. And just as quickly collapsed back down. Go figure that some idiot would try to save her. Just how in the world had she ended up inside? Looking around the room and noting the quilts, Lucy felt a sense of confusion accompanied by a headache. Dehydration causes the worst of headaches. Falling back down into the bed, she rolled over and cried herself to sleep. Now she would be a misery for some other innocent soul too. Just her luck. She should have stayed away from the beautiful horses.

The heavy scent of cooked meats and various vegetables sitting in thick gravy filled the entire downstairs of the little cottage, accompanied by the fainter, but equally-heavy smell of baked apples and cinnamon. Lola sat at one end of the table, and Christopher and Benjamin sat with their backs to the window. Ben was bent over his bowl, breathing in the fumes with a smile. Christopher looked to Lola, deciding to break the silence: “Lola, dear? Who was that girl you brought in? Seemed she wasn’t well.”

“Oh, no, she wasn’t.” Lola sighed. “I’m just so glad my dear horse Millie was there to alert me, or I’d never have found her!” She stirred her wooden spoon through the stew. “Oh, she was so cold. Seemed she’d been walking out there for ages, but she’s alive, and I hope she’s not caught anything. It would be just dreadful.” She shook her head. “Poor thing. Hay can protect from the elements, but it’s not nearly as good as a nice woolen blanket.” At the knowledge that the girl would be all right, she allowed herself to finish the stew and apple pastry. Their talk was quiet, the fire in the other room crackling and the candles on the table flickering at their breath. When they had fished, the sky was black with night, stars glimmering like snow frozen in the air. Lola took the liberty of cleaning the dishes while the two weary travelers took to their room with a word of goodnight.

Lola poured up a bowl of what remained of the stew, setting it on a wooden tray. Taking a plate from one of the cupboards, she set two halves of the last pastry on it. Feeling the weight of the silence press like a warm security blanket, she steeped a few spoonfuls of black tea on the stove until it was steaming and fully colored, strained it through a small screen, and dropped another of her special stones into the bottom. The heat from the stone would keep the tea warm if she didn’t wake soon, but she didn’t want to risk doing the same for the soup. It would just have to cool.

With a yawn, Lola went into the living room to extinguish the fire in the fireplace and snuff the lamps and candles. Keeping one lit with her, she took the tray and went upstairs. The door to the young girl’s room was still closed, and no noise came from within. Pushing it open with her behind, Lola entered quietly and set the tray on the bedside table.

Before she turned to leave, Lola bent down to the girl. She wasn’t so cold anymore and her breathing was even and calm, but her face was streaked with tears. With a pang of sadness in her heart, Lola wiped them away and pulled up the quilt to the girl’s shoulders, taking the candle with her before departing to her own room and turning in for the night.

Lucy smelled something heavenly and stirred. She was carefully tucked back in. There nearby was a tray of amazing smelling something. She felt tired and worn out though. She sighed and sat up. Glancing out the window at the silver moon, she wondered if she would ever out live the blood on her hands. Her family's death was her fault. Looking at the food again, she felt her mouth watering. Slowly she moved and got close enough to examine the tray. Stew, pastry, and some sort of drink. She carefully ate the stew, oh man it was so good. She hadn't eaten in ages. She gladly finished off the rest and settled back into the blanket.

She stared out the window at the moon and fluffy clouds floating by for awhile. Tears filled her eyes. She had eaten. That wasn't going to help her leave this world any time soon. How could she? She didn't have any self control at all. Sighing, she slowly and quietly got up and picked up the tray. Heading carefully out of the room, she made her way to what appeared to be the kitchen. Setting the tray down. She turned and felt pulled towards the fireplace. The coals were glowing a pretty orange color. The color of the dying hope inside her. She settled before the fire and rested her chin in her hands. Who had brought her inside? What was this place? She would be sent packing on her way as soon as whoever was here learned that she was a murderer.

The morning sun had managed to find its way into Lola’s bedroom, falling across her eyes and waking her. Though the moon still rested in the sky on the other side of the house, the sun had come through the trees and was resting calmly on the horizon. Squinting and putting up a hand, she rolled over and sighed. She had turned in late, but felt a sense that it was worth it. Lying there, in her heavy, white nightgown and buried under three heavy blankets, she quieted her breathing and listened. It didn’t seem that anything was moving about, no voices and no footsteps. She doubted the young man and his grandfather would be awake, they seemed very weary when they turned in. The young girl was a different story, but the silence said that no one was awake yet.

Lifting herself up, she sighed and stretched, yawning a bit as she went to her wardrobe to gather up a pale lavender dress, a dark red cloth belt, and shoes of the same color as her dress, and changed clothes. When she had tightened the belt around her waist, she went to the window and pushed back the dark brown curtains to look outside. Her window showed the wide expanse of clearing that her horses inhabited, along with the barn and their pile of hay. Fauna and Millie were playing about in the snow, chasing one another and calling out. She smiled at them, leaning against the cold window pane for a bit, and feeling a chill in the air, shivered a bit and went to check on her guests.

Christopher lay sleeping in the bed nearer to the door, his grandson balled up beneath the blankets of his bed to the point where Lola couldn’t even see more than a small lump. Smiling, she closed the door all the way and went across the hall to the young lady’s room. Confusion hit when she saw that no one was lying in the bed, and the tray she had left was gone as well. Two scenarios went through her mind as she returned to her room to get a candle and light it: The girl had slept her fill and had taken to the snowy road again. Or the girl had gone about the house to explore. Either way, Lola was glad she could help someone in need. She smiled to herself as she lit the candle and started down the stairs.

Before passing the living room archway to clean up the kitchen of what might have remained from the night before, she looked into the den itself and paused. The girl was there, sitting and staring at the faded embers that remained in the small pile of ashes below the grate. “Hello there, dear.” She said easily, a warm smile on her face. “I hope you’re all right, you were very near death when I found you.”

Lucy jumped at the sound of a voice. Turning she looked up into one of the kindest faces she had ever seen. Feeling guilty for being found where she wasn't expected, and for the suicidal nature of her thoughts, she quietly stood with downcast eyes and waited. A combination of possible outcomes ran through her brain and left her trembling. This lady didn't know her yet, but it seemed that there was a sign on her back proclaiming her guilt to the world. The doctor's wife who had scolded her with more than words. The baker who suddenly had to close the shop if she started to walk in the store keeper who accused her of stealing when she had nothing on her that could have come from his store. The librarian who would beat her into putting books away and hit her if she didn't leave. Murder was beyond mercy. Her deeds deserved nothing but hate. She was no innocent child in need of help. She was a failure to the human race. Those memories flooded her leaving her pale and lips pressed together. If this kind lady saw who she was, she would be treated like the criminal she was. What should she do? Make her apologies and leave? Thank her and leave? Just run for it? Running seemed teh safest plan. What had possessed her to stay in front of the fire? Was she so fickle.

Lola tilted her head, studying the girl for a moment. She seemed downtrodden, sad, perhaps a bit guilty, possibly from wandering the house on her own. Lola couldn’t blame her, waking in a strange place with a stranger before her would have thrown her off as well, lifted quite a few questions in her mind. She renewed her smile. “My name is Lola Montague,” she said, setting the candle on its pedestal by the archway. “This is my home, which I open to strangers and neighbors alike for shelter from the cold or just life in general. I’m glad I found you when I did!” She stepped forward and pulled the girl into a hug, feeling her tremble. “Come now, dearie, you don’t have to be afraid. I’ll not hurt you or cast you out.” She stepped away and went to the door. “Might you help me bring in some firewood? Just a few pieces will do until late afternoon.” She took her jacket off the back of the couch, pulling it on. “Then maybe you can help me make breakfast? I don’t mind what you do, the house is wide open to you!”

Lucy blinked as she was pulled into a hug. What on earth? She hadn't been touched in so long, and then it wasn't in kindness. A part of her little heart longed to stay right there. Who was this woman? She blinked at her. Her name was similar to her own. Lola. Hmmm. That was kinda cool. Following Lola's shadow with her eyes, she listened to the bustling woman give her permission to just be herself. She probably would regret that if her house burned down and she died in it. Oh wait, you can't regret something if your dead. She gulped and followed her out to the wood pile. She had wanted nothing more than to prove she was capable of being responsible. Now was her chance. This lady seemed pretty nice. But so had the doctor's wife.

Lola shivered as the cool breeze hit her legs. It was usually very still during the day, though the morning was just starting and the wind had yet to fully die down. Bending down, she brushed the topmost layer of snow from the wood beside the house and picked out a couple. She handed one to the young lady and took two for herself, coaxing the girl back inside first. Whistling softly, she shut the door and shrugged off her coat. “Goodness, it’s so cold out there. It’ll be so much nicer once we build up the fire.” She set the three logs in the fireplace, stacking them in a triangle formation and used one of her matches to start it alight. Blowing gently on the smoldering spots, she smiled at the small flame that started.

Standing upright and turning to the girl, she nodded to her. “Much better, if I do say so myself.” She said happily. “Now we’ll be nice and warm while we start up breakfast! Would you like to watch? You don’t have to do anything, mind, I know you might still be tired or weary from your trek.” She hurried into the kitchen and went to the icebox, lined with snow to keep the perishable food items fresh, thinking about what to make for herself and her guests.

Lucy followed Lola outside and carried in a piece of wood. Watching closely as Lola got the fire stoked and going again, she felt appreciation for the warmth and beauty the fire held. It might be a means of devastation, but it was a necessary means of life too. Might as well enjoy the beauty therein. She followed the lady into her kitchen and watched silently as she cheerfully chattered away. What a pleasant woman. Lucy looked out the window and saw the horses frolicking about. She felt a bit of happiness at watching them play, only to have it die down with the thought that she was no longer allowed happiness in her life. She returned her gaze to the floor and the sweet lady's shadow.

Lola had gathered a group of eggs, a glass jug of milk, and a few strips of fresh beef she had gathered from town just two days ago. From her cupboard she pulled flour, a loaf of bread bundled in a slightly damp towel, and pulled out a bag of winter oranges. Like the oranges of far-off lands, where it was warm most of the time, the oranges held the same sweet fruit inside, but they were white inside and out and could grow in the coldest of environment, as long as the sun was present. Setting these down, she pulled open a drawer and took up a cast iron skillet, a flat iron sheet, and a wooden spoon and well-used whisk.

Turning to check on the young lady, she smiled a bit. “Now, dear, if you keep looking at the ground you’ll never see the beauty of the world!” She informed, bending down to the stove to light the fire underneath and on top. “Why don’t you sit and tell me your name? How about a bit about yourself?” She turned away to put the skillet and flat iron slab on the fire, listening for the girl to speak as she took out a knife and started chopping some of the beef into very fine bits.

Lucy watched her get out eggs, some milk, and beef. She remembered the yummy stew from the night before and felt some anticipation of what this kind person could create. The oranges were new. She had never seen them quite like that before. However, she was from a small provincial village. What did she know. When Lola asked her to talk, she gulped. Gulped again. Then hesitantly moved towards the table and sat down. What harm in staying just for a little while? She didn't feel so bad here. However, speaking? She hadn't talked for several months. In her home village, her words were poison. In the woods there had been no need.

Well, starting with one's name was easy enough. Surely. It wasn't like there was a wanted poster with her name on it plastered anywhere. Everyone would assume she did as they had instructed and jumped off a cliff. She attempted to speak, but nothing came out. Surprised, she tried again. She blinked. No sound. What had happened? Was it possible to break your voice box? She sat stunned and then closed her mouth. She didn't want to talk anyway. Feeling her eyes pooling, she quickly hardened her face and heart. No tears. Not over something so ridiculous as this. It wasn't like she had killed anyone, again.

Lola glanced back when she got no response, finding that the girl had closed her mouth. “It’s okay.” She said. “You don’t have to talk until you’re ready!” She grinned warmly. “I’ll just call you Dear until you’re ready, okay?” Turning back, she looked at what she had gotten done. The meat for the pending gravy was minced well and evenly, and she set it aside and wiped off the counter with a wet cloth. The skillet and iron slab were both warm, and with that, she cracked the eggs onto the slab, whose edges were raised to stop an accidental mess. Four eggs she cracked and let sit in a small pool of butter she had let melt as she spoke to the girl, and before leaving them, she cracked the yolk so they would cook at the same time. Then she returned to her butter, held in a small, cold jar, and put another spoonful into the skillet before she would set the minced meat into it.

As things started cooking, she turned her back to the counter and leaned against it. “I’m surprised to see someone of your age out so far away from town.” She said. “It’s not often that happens. I’m glad I found you, though, I don’t think you would have made it to town!” Turning back, she checked the eggs and stirred the meat about in the skillet. “I’m running low on food at the moment, not much for breakfast. I’ll have to go to town later today for more supplies, I guess.” She sighed easily, breathing deeply the scent of the food as it cooked. “But, I do hope this will be good enough.” Her mood didn’t falter at the prospect of going into town. In fact, she seemed happy about it.

Lucy loved how sweet Lola was being. She thought she would have to endure a lecture about being disrespectful for not answering the questions. She wondered what town was close to here. It wasn't like she new much of what was located where. She hadn't ever studied maps before. She was a good girl who studies the basics and prepared herself to be a wife. A wife couldn't help kids with homework unless they had some schooling. However knowledge of life outside her village had been null until now. She liked to think that this place had better people than where she was from. Maybe, maybe not. But it was nice to imagine. She wondered how Lola had found her in the hay. She wondered if she would get to greet the horses again. There must be a way to talk, even if words seemed absent at the moment.

Lola scooped out the eggs and cracked more into the slab of iron on the left side of the stove, pulling out the finished meat and again setting it aside. Going back to the icebox, she took out a jar of cold bacon fat, getting a spoonful and putting it into the skillet to melt. “Dear, whenever you want to speak, you can. But don’t hesitate to ask for anything you like!” Lola turned to her with a reassuring glance, as she poured a bit of flour, then milk into the skillet and used the whisk to manipulate it constantly. As it thickened, she added a bit more milk, diluting it until it needed more flour. When the skillet was half-full of the mix, she added the beef and stirred it in.

When the gravy and eggs were finished, she placed them aside and went to the icebox to put the remaining eggs away, along with the milk, butter, and bacon fat, and got out a bundle of dough. “Made this a couple days ago.” She said. “Good for biscuits, and doesn’t take long.” She pulled out small handfuls of the dough and formed them into discs, placing them on the iron slab side-by-side until the entire thing was filled, then, with a towel, lifted the slab and put it into the oven. Taking up the last strip of beef, she seasoned it with salt and pepper, a rolled it in a bit of flour, and laid it into the skillet to cook with what remained of the gravy.

Finally, Lola turned her attention to the white oranges. Taking the bag, a glass pitcher, and an object that looked like a long mushroom, she put them on the table near the young lady with a knife. “If you want, you can make the juice.” She said. Grabbing a deep bowl, she took it and a flat screen to the table as well. “Just cut the oranges in half, juice them into the bowl with the juicer, then put the screen over the top of the pitcher and pour it in!” She nodded. “I’m going to wake the others now, I’ll not be long.” With that, she turned and stepped away.

Lucy watched her leave the room. Then she slowly slid off her seat and walked over to where the oranges had been left. She looked them over and then where Lola had disappeared to. She hesitated and then slowly started cutting the oranges. When she had finished with pouring the juice in, she went and washed her hands off. She figured she owed the lady her name at least. She tried to speak again. Even though no one was in the room, she still couldn't make a sound. Frustrated, she looked around and spied the flour. Hoping Lola wouldn't mind, she took a pinch of the flour and spelled Lucy on the corner of the table. Then frightened and feeling suddenly panicked, she slipped back onto the chair and sat there. Head held down.

Lola happily came back downstairs. She had easily woken the two sleeping guests, who had nothing but kind words to say, and assured her they would be down soon. “You’ll meet the others in a bit!” She said, returning to the stove to check the biscuits. They were starting to rise well, brown on top, and she quickly turned over the meat in the skillet so it wouldn’t burn. Before she wiped off the counter, however, she spotted a hastily written name in flour. “Lucy? That’s your name?” She turned to the girl, her name obviously Lucy, and grinned widely. “That’s very odd, our names are incredibly similar!” She swiped her hand over the counter, getting rid of the mess and draping the towel over the sink. Going to the table, she saw the juice had been finished. “Ah, how nice! You worked very quickly.” With a smile, she took the pitcher and went to the icebox, opening it and burying the pitcher in the cold on the floor of the box. “This’ll get it nice and cool.” She said. “And it’ll be ready when we’re all together.”

Going back to the stove, she pulled out a kettle and filled it with hot water. “I’ll assume you like tea?” She asked, placing the kettle on the stove and checking the beef still cooking. “I’ve got quite a bit, many different types. Some comforting, others for bedtime, and some that wake you right up!” She giggled, taking the skillet off the stovetop and finishing up the food. “Can never go wrong with some good food and a nice warm shelter.” She sighed easily.

Lucy felt relief that her use of the flour hadn't been considered a waste or a mess. She glimpsed up shyly at Lola and felt herself start to relax. She looked back down and started wondering what now. She kinda wanted to stay here, but that was really fickle of her. She was determined to leave all humanity behind and make sure no one had to deal with her again. Wasn't she? She hadn't actually told anyone this, so it wouldn't be considered fickle is she changed her mind would it? No one could accuse her of that. She wondered who the others here were. She hadn't exactly been awake when she had been brought inside.

Lola had gotten several plates down from the cabinet and a few glasses, as Christopher and Benjamin came down. “Oh, you’re up!” Lola exclaimed. “Lucy, meet Christopher and his grandson Ben.” She smiled at the two as they greeted her. “Come, sit down, breakfast is ready!” Placing two hot biscuits on the plates beside two eggs, she sliced the remaining meat and placed a few strips alongside the eggs and spooned a bit of gravy over the eggs. “I’m usually much more busy than this.” She said. “Sometimes having up to six people at a time!” She handed two plates to Ben and Chris as they sat, going to get the juice as the tea steeped. “But it’s easier this way, I guess. Nice to have a little quiet.” She gave Lucy a plate and set hers down as well, setting glasses and the pitcher down in the middle of the table and pouring tea into four glasses.

As she settled herself with them, she looked to Lucy. “I know you haven’t spoken.” She said before starting on her plate. “But maybe after breakfast you would like to help me feed and brush the horses? That way you can get a bit more acquainted with them!”

Lucy met Lola's eyes for the first time. Hope filling them with untold eagerness. Lucy loved horses and if it wasn't for the culture of her provincial backwoods village, she would have aimed to work with them instead of becoming a housewife. She quickly dropped her face with a suppressed excitement that was easy to see. She wondered how many horses Lola had and if there was any chance of working with them much. She hadn't been very alert went she had come in last night.

ooc: less than 7 hours until departure to Japan... so nervous... not sure if I will be able to sleep or not

Lola didn’t help but smile at Lucy’s bright-eyed but silent happiness that showed for the first time. Returning to her eggs, she listened to Ben and Chris speaking quietly among one another. For a while it was quiet, until Chris turned his gaze to Lucy and spoke gently to her. “Oh, dear, Lucy doesn’t speak right now.” Lola told him. “Don’t worry, though! I’m sure she’ll come through soon. Maybe while we’re tending Millie and Fauna?” She smiled to Lucy, not expecting an answer, but not desiring one. The girl would speak when she was ready, like Lola used to when she was young. Paralyzed by shyness, she would dive behind her mother or father and hide from the stranger confronting her directly, her voice frozen in her throat so that if she tried to speak, no more than a faint squeak would emerge. Of course, with age, she got over the shyness at an oddly intense rate and now couldn’t walk the streets of town without stopping to talk with everyone who passed by.

She glanced out the window. The sun was up a bit more, shining against the beautiful snow. Fauna and Millie were roaming the clearing, digging in the snow to get to the crystalline purple berries preserved beneath the soft shell of soft ice crystals. They were hard to get to, but were very fragrant and both horses loved them as much as Lola did.