Chapter One: Hortensia: Carelessness

Whoo, it's started!

This is 1430 words, but I plan to write more after going to bed and waking up. I've decided that I will name the chapters after flowers.

Hortensia: Carelessness

Etana was busy kneading dough for bread when she heard the sound of someone creeping up behind her. It's probably Moren, she thought to herself, smiling, and pretended not to notice. She was rewarded a moment later when hands were clapped over her eyes, and she could smell the pleasant aroma of sausages from the inn.
"Guess who?" Moren was trying to pitch his voice at a falsetto, but it only sounded ridiculous.
"I don't know! Who could it be?" Etana giggled a little as Moren's other hand brushed one of her ticklish spots. "Could it be Ruden from the mill?"
Moren breathed a little on her neck, then kissed it. "Do you feel Ruden's rough beard on your skin?"
"No... So it must be... Ileshan the smith's boy?"
He brushed a hand down her arms. "Does Ileshan's hand feel like this?"
"Then the only one left... is Moren!" She pulled his hand away and turned to face him. He hugged her tightly for a moment. "You smell like sausages, you know."
He grinned at her. "Aye, I've been helping Leera make the next batch of sausages. First time she's let me touch the spices!"
"That's because you always want to waste them! Like that one time with the pepper in the soup..."
He laughed, embarassed. "Well, I didn't waste the spices this time. Leera was quite happy with me, in fact."
"I'll need to try those sausages when they're done, then."
"Yes, you do. But there's something more tasty than sausages that I'd like to try." He grinned at her.
Etana pushed him away gently. "Later, my love. If I don't finish kneading this bread we'll have none for supper."
"But one kiss first?" He looked at her hopefully.
"Of course." They kissed.
"It may be late before I have a chance to see you again. Father wants me to gather herbs and mushrooms from the forest."
"I will be sure to wait for you." After he left, Etana returned to kneading the dough, humming.

It was well after sunset, and Etana was spinning by the fireplace when she heard a knock on the door. Her father cleared his throat disapprovingly.
"Would that be young Moren out there?"
"It might be, Father. This morning he said he would come to visit later."
"It is far too late for you to be out with a young man."
"I know, but he probably just got off work at the inn."
"Dearest, you know Moren is a fine young man," said her mother.
"May I at least invite him in to talk? I promise nothing untoward will happen."
"Very well." Her father smiled at her. "Come, Talie, let us give the young ones a few moments alone." They left to their bed and drew the curtain shut to give her some privacy.
Etana leapt up from her seat and opened the door. "Moren!"
"The very same!" He gave her a great hug. "Oh, I've missed you."
She laughed. "You only saw me this morning!"
"It feels like ages without you. And in that forest, time seems to pass differently..." He looked thoughtful, then smiled and reached into his pouch. "But look what I found!" He held out a small golden ring, its surfaces worn smooth with years.
She gasped. "What -- where is that from? Who- whose is it?"
He laughed gently at her reaction. "It is mine now, by right. As I was digging up mushrooms, I found a half-rotted chest in a tree stump. There were some other things, most of them rotten as well, but when I saw this I knew I wanted it for you."
"I -- I can't accept this, Moren." She turned away from him.
"I do not mean it as a betrothal ring. That one I will ask your parents for the right to present to you, and it will come from my own hard labours. But this -- this was the finest thing there, and I want you to have it." She felt a strange tingle as he pressed it into her hand.
She pushed it back to him. "No, I can't. Think what would happen when the tax collector comes! How could we explain such a find? And surely the duke would demand it all be given to him."
"We don't have to let anyone else know."
"But how -- no." She shook her head. "It would be too risky."
Moren looked crestfallen, and for a moment, Etana wanted to take the ring just to make him smile again. "Oh, Moren..." She pulled him closer to her. "I love you. And it is enough for me that you want to give me such a treasure. But I think that it will bring us more trouble than happiness.
He did smile at her, then. "Then... I can hide it in my room. I have a secret place where it would be safe, until we need it."
"Be sure it is truly secret."
"I will." He slipped it back into his pouch. "A kiss good night, lady of my heart?" He bowed.
"A kiss indeed, my own knight." They kissed, and he left.

The next day a stranger rode into town, dressed in ragged black finery, his face hidden by his hat. Those he passed made the sign against evil once his back was turned to them, for such was the aura of menace he exuded. He came to the inn, and insisted he be allowed to rent the inn's single room for the night. The innkeeper would have refused, hoping that such trouble would ride onwards, but the stranger would not take no for an answer.
Etana did not see Moren that day. She wondered where he was as she spun wool, and shivered as the stranger passed her house. She would have gone to visit him, but the presence of the stranger worried her, and she found excuses to work instead.
The next day, the stranger was gone. He had paid the innkeeper with a single gold coin, so old as to be featureless, yet still weighing true. That afternoon, Moren collapsed in the kitchen as he was carrying in water.

Etana heard the news from her mother as she was preparing the wool thread to take a dye. She dropped the wool in the boiling water, covered the pot, and rushed to the inn.
"Moren? Where is Moren?" She asked as soon as she arrived. Not watching, she bumped into Moren's father.
"Good evening, Etana."
She backed away, embarassed. "Sorry, sir. Um, good evening, sir."
He looked at her thoughtfully, and smiled. "We put Moren on his bed upstairs. He's feverish and unconscious, but Leera's treating him with her special remedies. I'm sure he'll be fine."
"May I see him?"
"Of course, my dear." He stepped aside as she ran up the stairs.
In the narrow hallway on the second floor, she nearly collided with Leera as well. "Oh! I'm sorry."
"Don't worry, child." Leera patted her shoulder comfortingly. "He's asleep right now, but you can go in to see him. I think the fever will break soon, and he'll be up and about soon after that."
"Thank you."

Etana wasn't sure what she expected when she entered the room, but what she saw was Moren, sleeping peacefully. His face was flushed, and his breathing was somewhat ragged, but there seemed to be nothing unnaturally wrong with him. She smoothed his hair, watching him. He groaned and rolled over, revealing his right hand. He was wearing the ring.
What? she thought. But why would he wear it? And why did nobody mention it? She grasped the ring, intending to pull it off, but snatched her hand back immediately. The ring was incredibly cold -- colder than ice. Her fingers were numb even from that brief contact, and she breathed on them to try to bring back some feeling. That is not natural, she thought. The ring must be cursed. Oh, Moren, I should have told you to put it back where you found it... But would that really have changed anything? She stared at the ring for a while, and then wrapped her hand with the blanket and tried again to pull the ring off. The cold ate through the blanket as if it were air. I can't get it off. I have to tell someone about this. Maybe the priest could exorcise the evil? I don't think Moren's parents would believe me if I told them he was sick because of a cursed ring... She kissed his forehead gently, and left the room.