A sharp gust of wind shoots out at Jeanne as she opens the door, causing the girl to clench her eyes shut tightly.
Hastily covering her face with an arm, she stumbles slightly but remains standing.
"Hello!?"
She opens her eyes and looks around the room, quickly searching for the cause of the disturbance.
Nothing…
After a moment of confusion, Jeanne shakes her head and walks over to a shelf, grabbing a piece of cloth off it.
Dropping to the floor on her knees, Jeanne sets the pail of water down beside her.
The cloth slowly sucks up the liquid as she dips it in.
Her eyes drift off the cloth and back over the man lying in front of her.
Slowly and steadily, his chest rises and falls in a harmonic rhythm as if he were peacefully sleeping after a large meal.
He remains still as a board while Jeanne carefully dabs the wet cloth over his dirt-covered skin.
"Ehh!?"
Jeanne lets out a gasp upon washing part of where the spear's puncture wound would've been.
She quickly, yet gently, cleans off more of his shoulder, which reveals nothing.
"What…? There should've been…"
Tracing over his shoulder with her pointer finger, Jeanne feels no indication of injury.
A confused yet grateful groan escaped her lips.
"How could this have even happened? Such a severe injury shouldn't have just vanished like that…"
Another moment passes before Jeanne lets out a long sigh.
"Your leg doesn't have any marks either, same with any part of your body. What is going on…?"
Without waiting for a reply to the question she knew wouldn't be answered, Jeanne continues to wipe the dirt off his body.
"You better wake up soon, I've got so many questions… Could this have been related to them?"
She huffs while placing the back of her hand against his forehead.
"No fever… Jeez, what's up with you?"
Rising up, Jeanne grabs another piece of cloth to dry off the young man.
While drying him, she lets out yet another sigh.
"Hopefully, you'll be able to give me an answer soon."
Talking to him, despite knowing he would never really hear her, made her feel relaxed.
"I'm sorry for getting you hurt. You won't ever have to do that again, I promise. I have a new mission now."
She finishes and stands, cleaning the water off the floor and disposing of the clotch.
Her hand pushes against the door to exit the room, but the girl stops just shy of leaving.
"Wake up soon, okay? I'm glad you're recovering…"
Exiting the church, dust kicks up off the ground as she hastily makes her way back home. The sun seems to be tucking itself in beyond the hills and forest. The town still smells like smoke, but it seems to be growing more faint by the hour.
A small, two-story home with a slanted roof sneaks into her vision as she gets closer.
Reaching for the door, Jeanne prepares herself for a scolding.
"Jeanne?"
Before the door opens, her mother calls from behind, both worry and happiness flood her tone.
"Ah, hello, mother!"
Turning around, Jeanne sees an older woman.
The golden hair and blue eyes attached to her mother look identical to Jeanne's own.
"Where have you been!? I've been worried sick, sweetie! You never miss church, let alone disappear for hours! Jacques told me you were okay, but you could've at least visited! The last time I saw you was before the raid!"
Jeanne twitches.
"Hours…?"
Warmth pulses through the girl's body as her mother clenches tightly around her.
"I'm so glad you're safe…!"
The warmth is less than the one she'd felt in the forest, but regardless, she embraces it by returning her mother's hug.
"I was in the forest…"
Jeanne's mother gasped in horror.
"With a boy!?"
The girl's face grew hot, despite her mother's accusations being false. Just the accusation was enough to bring her immense levels of embarrassment.
She shook her head quickly
"W-what, no! I was praying and just lost track of time!"
"You promise?"
She nodded.
"Yes, mother, I promise I was just praying!"
"Did you not hear the church bells? Oh no, is your hearing going bad, my dear!? Your grandfather had this same problem, but you're far too young for something like this! Oh lord…"
"Mom!—"
Jeanne let out a small smile while clenching tightly around her mother.
"—I'm okay, I promise! Next time I go off like that, I'll tell you or dad…"
"Does your father know you're back? He was worried sick, Jeanne!"
Guilt gripped deep inside Jeanne's heart. She didn't think her parents would get so worked up. Nothing like this had ever happened. She'd always been responsible when she was left alone, but suddenly vanishing for hours after a raid must've disregarded all her previous maturity in her parents' eyes.
"I haven't seen him…"
"Did you not see him on the field?"
"I don't think so…"
"Hmmm… I'm sure he's out there…"
"Maybe he just slipped from my sight."
"Probably…"
Jeanne's stomach growled.
The girl's mother looked at her, worry had dissipated from her face, and was replaced with a smug grin.
"You hungry?"
"Yes, ma'am…"
"I thought so. Come help me prepare dinner, so we can eat early. I'm sure your father wouldn't mind."
Both women made their way towards the kitchen.
Less than half an hour passes as Jeanne and her mother prepare a mix of fish, a few vegetables Jacques had purchased two or so days ago, and a side of bread that they'd always had.
The lord had seemed to bless them this year, so eating meat was a more common occurrence than it had been previously.
"Go get your father. He'll be happy to see you, and hopefully just as happy that dinner is ready."
"Yes, ma'am."
Jeanne attempted to leave, but her mother quickly turned the young girl back around towards her.
"Jeez, you need to be more careful."
"H-huh?"
"Your dress, it's wet!"
"Oh… Sorry…"
With a few swipes, Jeanne's mother wipes the edge of Jeanne's dress with a piece of dry cloth.
"How'd you even get wet? I was washing the food…"
"Back at the church, before I got here, I was cleaning a friend's wounds…"
"That nameless boy?"
"Mhm."
"Jacques told me about him."
"Ah, I see."
"Mhm, he owes that boy his life, and from what else I've heard, he saved you too."
"I went back when father told me to run… I'm sor-"
Another hug, just as tight if not tighter than when she'd first returned home.
"Don't be sorry, dear. I'm proud you wanted to help… Next time you do something so reckless, please be more careful. I won't hound you over doing what you think is right, but please keep yourself safe. Your father and I couldn't bear to lose you…"
Jeanne felt a sharp pain in her heart.
Knowing what she did now, could she really leave her family again?
"Mother… After we eat, I'd like to speak to you and father about something."
"Of course, sweetie, we can talk all you'd like."
"Thank you…"
Letting go of her daughter, the mother gave a slight wave as she watched Jeanne leave.
Even for a late work day, with the sun shining almost no light across the land, her father should've been inside.
They'd normally talk about their days while preparing dinner, and then the family could finish discussing over a nice meal.
"FATHER!"
Jeanne cupped her hands into a circle around her mouth. If doing so made her any louder wasn't something she knew.
"You sure are loud."
Whipping her head around, Jeanne sees a man in a robe whose color is unidentifiable due to the lack of light.
He steps out from the side wall of her home, leaning on it while crossing his arms.
Something about him feels familiar, as if she'd briefly seen him before.
She couldn't make out any distinguishing features besides the man's deep, annoyed voice. The darkness seemed to conceal any part of him she could remember.
"Who are you?"
"My name is of no concern. You're The Maid, right?"
"What…?"
"Great, I figured as much. It's too early. Unless, it isn't you…"
He huffed and began backing away.
"Who are you!?"
As suddenly as he appeared, the man ducked behind the side of their home and disappeared without another word.
Jeanne rushed around the corner only to be hit with a sharp gust of wind, causing her to fall back in a light daze.
"Ugh…"
She stands and dusts the back of her dress.
"…This has to be the most confusing day of my life…"
Clearing her throat, the girl begins calling out again.
"FATHER, WHERE ARE YOU!"
"JEANNE!?"
Off in the distance, covered by night, her father's voice beams out.
"FATHER!"
She begins walking towards the noise.
Jacquess begins to run, dropping his shabby hoe to the dirt as he does.
He begins to laugh at the sight of his daughter slowly making her way towards him.
"Where have you been? I've been worried sick, Jeanne!"
Opening his arms prematurely, as if Jeanne were a baby first learning to walk, Jacques closes the gap and scoops up his daughter in an instant.
"Ah!"
Legs dangling off the ground, Jeanne lets out a surprised yelp at her father's affection.
For the third time today, Jeanne felt a warmth deep in her heart.
"I missed you, sweetheart. Are you mad at what I said earlier!?"
"N-no no! It isn't that I promise!"
Her feet slowly touched the ground again as Jacques stared down at her.
His face was covered in dirt, and the man's eyes looked sunken from lack of sleep. For as long as Jeanne could remember, her father had worked hard to ensure his family lived a decent life. Either spending the day doing back-breaking labor in the field or dealing with any mishaps in town, he always gave it his all.
"What's wrong then?"
"Nothing! I just lost track of time while praying…"
"You sure?"
"Yes, father, I'm sure!"
Extending his arms around her once more, Jacques embraced Jeanne.
"I missed you…—"
Jeanne said nothing back as she hugged her father back.
"—Does your mother know you're back!?"
"Yes, she told me to come get you for dinner."
"Ah, great, I'm starving!"
"How come you're still out here? It's pretty dark."
Jacques looked around.
"Just got distracted and lost track of time. I guess that's where you get it, huh, Jeanne?"
She smiled.
"I guess so!"
Both of them made their way back home.
Jacques stood close to his daughter, not letting her wander more than a few feet away.
When they entered the door, Jeanne's mother was waiting at the table with her hands in her lap.
"Ah, Jacques, welcome back!"
Jacques walked over and kissed his wife on the forehead before sitting down beside her.
Jeanne sat on the other side of her mother.
Worries wash away at the smell of freshly cooked fish. Everything seems to become so much simpler as they eat. She struggles to focus as the warm flesh dissolves on her tongue.
"You okay, Jeanne?"
"Y-yes, father, just hungry…"
"You sure?"
"Mhm…"
"Is it that boy?"
"I…—"
He'd been lurking in the back of her mind the whole day. A subtle thought that was always therez
"—No, that's not it."
"Hmm, okay… This fish is wonderfully cooked, my dear."
Jeanne's mother giggles softly.
"Thank you, my love."
"Of cou-"
Their words seem to get drowned out by absolutely nothing. Words struggle to pierce the barrier in her mind. Silence was the only thing that accompanied her thoughts.
"I need to tell you both something!"