The rain was still heavy as she marched out of the house that night, but she couldn't care less. All she needed was a space to breathe, to think, away from their stuffy thatched home.
As she walked, she realized many of the villagers had retired to their homes even though she could still see through their lighted windows that many of them were still awake and about.
The rain had indeed sent them all in, if not it wouldn't be so lonely on the road. But she needed it, to be drenched, and perhaps her fears and worries would all rush away with the rain.
She was marching gingerly, having the old tower of the chapel house as her destination. It had been her resting and hiding place since she was a child along with her childhood best friend who was out of town. She would have gone to him instead to bare her thoughts if only he was here.
"William." She whispered as she walked through the puddles on the road. She had missed him greatly.
Due to being lost in thought, Bia was oblivious to the moving carriage heading towards her on the narrow, steep road. She was knocked off her feet by shock when she was suddenly faced with the coming carriage.
"Ahhhhh!" she screamed as she fell.
The horses neighed loudly, throwing their legs up in the air as the carriage was pulled to a sudden stop. She was on the wet ground, moaning and heaving in pain, shock, and relief at the same time. Her umbrella was lost to the wind and the rain falling heavily on her when she heard the footsteps of someone rushing to her.
"Milady? Oh my, I'm so sorry." The man came forward to offer his hand, but out of anger, she slapped his hands away.
"What do you think you were doing!" She snapped.
She stood up, despite her sore bottom, to size him up. He was a coachman, but God's be good, she was sure not even the coachman of their Village lord dressed like this. He was a red-haired man, with his long hair packed in a ponytail and his coach cap atop.
"I'm so sorry, are you hurt, ma'am?"
"Get your hands off me." She winced altogether while slapping her hands away. She didn't know who to be mad at, herself, the man or the rain!
This was when her eyes landed on the fancy black carriage and four black horses that stood majestically in front of them.
"You're not from this place, are you?" She was dumbfounded, knowing very well that such a carriage had never graced the roads of their village.
"No, milady, but you… are you alright?"
"I'm hurt!" She bawled at him through heavy breathing. She was getting pissed at the moment.
And as if remembering she was still standing under the heavy rain, she went ahead to look for her umbrella that the rain had carried away. The coachman tried to help but she shooed him away until she found the umbrella already drenched at the corner of a bush and stained with mud.
When she came back limping, she saw the man speaking to someone through the coach window, which was covered by a red curtain.
She tried to peer to see who could be driving this luxurious, grim carriage that one could only dream of in their dreams, but the curtains were quickly closed, and she was faced with the handsome coachman who bowed at her hastily.
"I'm so sorry for your injuries, miss, and the harm that we have caused. My master has offered this to you as a token for your troubles."
Before she had time to speak, a pouch landed in her hands. With the jingle, she was certain it was coins! Her eyes widened, and she tried to speak, but the man was quick to climb back onto his seat to haul the reins.
"Wait!" she shouted, but the carriage began to move.
The last thing she saw when looking at the carriage and the window was a pair of red eyes staring at her through the curtains, but they were quick to be closed as they rode away. It was almost too quick to be real.
"Strange." She muttered, shivering through the rain as she watched the distant lamp at the back of the carriage turn into a firefly in the distance. She stared back at the heavy pouch in her hands and couldn't believe what had just happened.