I think I caught a small fever after that incident.
All I remember is being very hot and feeling stuffy, constantly sweating. My Mother was by my side twenty-four-seven, wiping me down and feeding me what looked to be medicine. Every time my eyes met hers, I saw her pretty green eyes were filled with worry and fear.
I think that situation really scared her.
That mini Sponor never visited again.
I waited for him from time to time, casually peeking at the entrance of our new room. I knew it was it wasn't our old one because the inside looked vastly different. It had barely any windows and the door appeared heavy like it was made from a thick material. Even with this new environment, I assumed that he would still visit me again. Still come to play with me and smile again.
But he never did.
Maybe that attempted assassination (I'm thinking that's what happened, seeing as though they had an intent to kill at least me) had a larger impact on Mother and I's situation more than I thought. Within the next few days of me recovering from the shock of the event, I was in Mother's arms in what seemed to be a carriage. She was dressed up plainly and she kept her head down, her eyes squeezing themselves shut.
I extended one of my baby hands and touched her eyes. They were wet from tears.
This action startled her, causing her to open them and look at me, who clumsily tried to console her. A smile blossomed on her face as she grabbed my hand and cradled it against her face, giving me a tired yet grateful smile. I returned it and gave a baby babble, one that caused her to gently laugh.
Feeling tired, I snuggled closer to her and gave in to my fatigue. Curling up against her chest, I closed my eyes and drifted asleep to the wobbling of the carriage.
When I came to, we were still in the carriage. Mother placed me in a basket on the floor of the carriage, herself seemingly fast asleep. Using this time to try and move when she wasn't looking, I strained my body to try and wiggle around, eyeing anything that came into my vision.
I immediately noticed the inside of the carriage was shabby, something I didn't realize when I first woke up. Though it didn't seem to be too extreme for wear-and-tear, it was definitely noticeable. It seemed uncomfortable as well, seeing as Mother kept moving around in her sleep, trying to find a decent position to relax in.
I gave the area around me an uncertain glance, wondering exactly where we were going. Maybe it's because I was asleep most of the time, but I don't think this carriage has stopped even once. However, just as the thought crossed my mind, the carriage slowed and squeaked to a stop.
The jingle of the horse's reins was heard as a loud thump sounded outside, presumably the coachman getting down. Soon enough, there was a knocking at the carriage door. The coachman loudly said something, to which my Mother awoke in shock and looked around dazedly. She looked down, breathing a sigh of relief as she spotted me in my basket, staring back at her innocently. Bending over, she grabbed the handles of the basket and picked it up. She spoke and then the carriage door opened, allowing her to climb out with me in her arms.
Outside, it seemed to be just barely morning. The sky was still dark, but there was a thin string of light at the edge, signifying the break of dawn. Mother nodded her head to the coachman and looked forward. I tried turning my head again, wondering what she was looking at.
I was able to barely get a glance at a shoddy cabin before Mother readjusted my body and tightly wrapped me up in my blanket, giving a kiss on my forehead. A gentle breeze passed, but I barely felt it since the warmth of the blanket blocked most of it.
Clutching the basket in her arms, she moved forward at an even pace. It wasn't long until we arrived at the door, the rotting wood making it seem fragile. Although, despite how it looked, it proved to be stubbornly immovable. Mother had to call for the coachman to come and open it, which he achieved by ramming his whole body into it.
When it finally opened, years of accumulated dust burst from the frame as if a bomb had gone off. It coated the three of us nicely, to which we were all stunned. Then Mother gently but quickly rubbed my face clean of it while the coachman awkwardly dusted himself off.
Once my face was cleared by her standards, she looked back at the house and frowned. Then she began looking around until she found a suitable place and put the basket there, patting my cheeks lovingly before she turned back towards the house with an odd look of determination.
Dammit, I'm feeling sleepy again.
I could only curse once in my head before my eyelids faltered and I drifted off to sleep.
Over the next few years, we ended up living in the shoddy cabin for a long, long, long time.
During these years, I was taught the language I had previously regarded as unfamiliar and learned more about the world around me. Though there was still that nagging feeling in the back of my mind that told me something was not quite right, I had grown used to ignoring it and just lived freely. As I got older, I forgot about the existence of Sponor and mini Sponor, putting full effort into the people that surrounded me now.
This type of life worked just well for me. Honestly, I was able to blend in seamlessly with this world, dutifully taking care of my Mother and working for my education. Maybe the voice in the back of my head got tired of seeing me live this way, because one day, I received a sudden dose of reality.
It came in the form of a petite girl with pale skin, midnight blue hair, and amethyst eyes that sparkled as she called out, "Astara, I've finally found you!"
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