Snippets of an author's cut...
Something I wrote tonight (different story, even) reminded me of this cut scene from Darkfall, so I went in search for it and after a bit of looking, I found it:
When he dropped Jeril off at the castle, Jeril went directly to Miss Mallon's kitchen, taking care not to be seen. It was early enough in the morning for her to be there, and she was, paging through a cookbook with a pencil tucked into the back of her hair, the kettle already on for tea.
She glanced up when Jeril arrived, and then her gaze dropped to the bundle in his arms, and she frowned. "What's this?"
The baby, of course, chose that moment to make a noise--not a cry, but a whimper, and Miss Mallon gasped.
"What happened?"
It was almost a relief that her first words were that and not "What did you do?"
Jeril explained, quickly, since the baby was starting to wake up. Miss Mallon took it--"A girl," she said, sounding stunned. "Her name is Flora. The boy you found--I think his name is Eric."
"I have to tell Lyenel," Jeril said. "Could you keep the baby? I don't know what to do with a human baby."
"Yes, of course," Miss Mallon said. "She'll be fine. She wasn't hurt? At all?"
"No, she was asleep," Jeril said. "Perhaps whoever did this was interrupted. The younger girl was dead, and so were the others. So I don't think Flora survived because whoever did this couldn't bring themselves to murder a helpless infant."
"Lyenel may be awake by now," Miss Mallon said. "Go tell him what happened. There are women here in the castle who will take care of the baby."
Jeril nodded, but hesitated in the doorway. "I couldn't leave her there," he said, wanting her to believe that; to understand.
Miss Mallon smiled at him. "I know," she said, her voice soft. "I'm glad you didn't leave her there. The person who killed her family might have come back."
The vampire who killed her family, Jeril wanted to say, but he held his tongue, because she would find out soon enough.
When he dropped Jeril off at the castle, Jeril went directly to Miss Mallon's kitchen, taking care not to be seen. It was early enough in the morning for her to be there, and she was, paging through a cookbook with a pencil tucked into the back of her hair, the kettle already on for tea.
She glanced up when Jeril arrived, and then her gaze dropped to the bundle in his arms, and she frowned. "What's this?"
The baby, of course, chose that moment to make a noise--not a cry, but a whimper, and Miss Mallon gasped.
"What happened?"
It was almost a relief that her first words were that and not "What did you do?"
Jeril explained, quickly, since the baby was starting to wake up. Miss Mallon took it--"A girl," she said, sounding stunned. "Her name is Flora. The boy you found--I think his name is Eric."
"I have to tell Lyenel," Jeril said. "Could you keep the baby? I don't know what to do with a human baby."
"Yes, of course," Miss Mallon said. "She'll be fine. She wasn't hurt? At all?"
"No, she was asleep," Jeril said. "Perhaps whoever did this was interrupted. The younger girl was dead, and so were the others. So I don't think Flora survived because whoever did this couldn't bring themselves to murder a helpless infant."
"Lyenel may be awake by now," Miss Mallon said. "Go tell him what happened. There are women here in the castle who will take care of the baby."
Jeril nodded, but hesitated in the doorway. "I couldn't leave her there," he said, wanting her to believe that; to understand.
Miss Mallon smiled at him. "I know," she said, her voice soft. "I'm glad you didn't leave her there. The person who killed her family might have come back."
The vampire who killed her family, Jeril wanted to say, but he held his tongue, because she would find out soon enough.
Comments