Fear of the known...

[Laurina]

Restlessly, she paced the house, walking round and round the table they’d just moved in, abruptly sitting in one of the chairs she’d made, then getting up to pace some more. The thought of going out and walking around Cove again scared her, and yet, she knew she would have to be able to find her way around in order to work. Somehow, she would have to overcome her fear and walk between the houses like the citizen she was, otherwise, she’d let him down. He had so much faith in her, and in her ability to overcome her nervousness; she had to try, if only to keep from disappointing him.

   Suddenly, she changed direction and headed towards the door, hesitating only when she felt her hand bump against the latch. She froze there, staring at the door with her big, violet eyes, wondering if she had the courage to open it and step through. “Why not?” she asked herself. “Opening a door and walking through a town takes no courage compared to what I have already done!” yet, even while she told herself this, her hand involuntarily withdrew from the latch, creeping up to touch her throat in a fearful gesture.

   As she stood there, immobilised by her own nerves, her thoughts drifted to her return here. Nobody had tried to hurt her, or even spoken unkindly…apart from that lout killing the hind right in front of her…but then, everyone else there had been as shocked as she was by his actions. People had tried to comfort her, and the girl, Yue, had taken her into town to eat chicken legs. Then, the following day, Nicholai had shown her around, and even when she was scared by seeing the church, he had still been kind, taken her to the stable, and shown her his horse. Nobody seemed to even notice how nervous she was, and if they did, they didn’t seem to mind at all.

   “So why am I so afraid?” she asked herself, moving to sit in another chair and gaze back at the door. No sooner had she asked it than the answer came unbidden from deep in her mind “Because -he- is still alive”. Swallowing reflexively, she began to tremble, burying her head in her hands. While there was a chance -he- lived, she could never be truly safe. Not anywhere. Whimpering, she slid further down in the chair, trying to hide from the dark shadows and blades that haunted her dreams. -He- was out there, and she…she was the last one he needed to kill.