Page 9 of Embers to Flames

I finish my stew and start to help Meemaw clean up.

“Don’t you worry about that child. Get on home now. It’s late.”

She wraps up a few biscuits for me and places them in my knapsack, hugging me as she opens the door. Eulee is sitting like a statue on the front step.

“I guess there’s no reason for me to worry much with her to walk you home, is there?” Meemaw remarks with a reassuring chuckle. “I would hate to see the aftermath of the person who crosses you with her around.” I softly kiss her cheek and Eulee takes her place at my side to walk me home.

It’s not a far walk from Meemaw’s cottage to home. Ten minutes or so if I walk quickly, but it is certainly colder tonight. I’m sure the cottage is freezing. Hopefully the hearth has some hot coals still in it from this morning. It will make starting a fire much easier.

As I approach the cottage though, I can see firelights beaming from the windows.

Wow, Mikyl must be home.God’s above please don’t let him be drunk.

I peer in through the glass as I walk past, attempting to infer the situation before entering. Mikyl is sitting at the table in the main room. A mug sits before him, and he has a firm grip on the handle. He’s staring off into nothing. Eulee lets out a soft growl and I take a deep breath.

That can’t be a good sign.

“Go wait in the barn girl. I’ll be alright… do not come out of the barn until I call you.”

Begrudgingly, Eulee does as is commanded of her, only looking back at me once. Her sky-blue eyes gleam at me with worry. I wave her on reassuringly. Even though I am not so sure. She must stay away from the cottage because if she attacks him, the Elven guards will have her put down.

Nervously, I push open the door and let myself in. The warm air from the fireplace comforts my skin. Mikyl says nothing as I remove my coat and hang it on its hook next to the entrance.

“It is nice to see you home so early husband.” I start slowly.

He looks up at me and I take a seat at the table across from him.

“Humph—You think I like being gone all night?” He decrees defensively. “You think Ienjoyworking in that marketallday?”

Softly rolling my eyes, I respond, “I wasn’t trying to start an argument Mikyl. I was merely making conversation. Are you hungry? I can make…”

I begin to stand up from the table, but before I get a chance to push my chair back; Mikyl tosses his mug of mead across the room—it crashes against the wall with a loud thud. The amber colored liquid goes spraying and the mug shatters, leaving behind a sticky, sweet smell.

Mikyl pounces up from his seat in a rage. My eyes go wide, my muscles stiffen, and my heartbeat quickens.

“I cannot believe you had the nerve to come to the market today—in front of all those people—accusing me of something I had nothing to do with!”

He’s leaning over the table, pointing a finger in my face.

“Accusing you? I…I…I was notaccusingyou of anything!” I stutter with fear. “Mikyl please…I’m just really worried about you.” I plead with him to see reason.

“You should have seen the way people looked at me after you left… I didn’t sell much of anything today, thanks to you!”

He isn’t even listening. This isn’t my husband. He isn’t mentally here.

I can’t move. My body refuses to budge. He has that look on his face. The one that tells me he isn’t only drunk. I have to get out of here. My mind races through the options.

I can make my way to the door and run back to Meemaw’s—no, I won’t put her in harm’s way.

I can get to the bedroom and barricade myself in like last time—maybe… will I be able to move quick enough to get the wardrobe in the front of the door before he charges it?

I just need to get to the front door and run for it. I’ll figure out where I’m going after I get outside—dammit. I’ll never have time to throw on my overcoat, I’ll freeze out there.

I don’t have any other options. Mikyl is still pacing back and forth, yelling obscenities, and blaming me for everything that has ever gone wrong in his life. “I’m just a lowly human peasant… nothing more than common waste!”

I need to distract him.

“Why are you still here and married to me if all I do is make you unhappy you drunken old fool!”

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