Charlotte

She woke up much earlier than expected the following day. With a soft groan, Charlotte forced herself to leave the bed and prepare a light breakfast for herself and her father. The sun hasn't broken out, and she was already awake, worrying about everything. It was still silent – the birds are probably wandering or asleep in their nests. She began to gather a bunch of wood and settled them quickly while rushing over to the well outside to gather water in a small bucket.

The skies began to lighten up, making her surroundings a little clearer than before. The sun will rise soon, and she needed to get to the Sanguine Root as soon as possible. It took almost an hour for fresh bread to be prepared and in the meantime, she prepared some herbal tea for her father to slow down the illness. Not even afternoon yet, and she was already breaking a sweat. House chores would have been easier if her father assisted her, but today was different and who knew for how long.

Once breakfast was settled, she placed two pieces of bread and some fruits she managed to harvest from the garden on a silver tray along with a cup of tea. She then entered her father's room, setting the tray on the bedside table.

"Get well soon, father. I promise I will gather a cure for your illness," Charlotte muttered after checking her father's internal temperature.

Obviously, she was not expecting a response at the moment since he needed much rest. The young redhead took a fresh rag and soaked it with cold water, placing it upon her father's head, then made her way towards the bathroom, freshening herself up for the day. It was already bright outdoors, and it was certainly the most appropriate time to leave the cottage before the heat of the sun became unbearable.

She quickly changed into her customary clothing and shoes before retrieving her handmade basket from the kitchen and making her way out the door into the stillness of the world. The air was fresh while the humidity made the weather slightly warmer than usual, and she was fortunate it was not pouring. Meanwhile, birds were chirping as they flew across the cloudy sky, singing their melodic tunes as the world awakened.

There was no time to waste for Charlotte. Her feet dragged her toward the direction of the Sanguine Root as quickly as she could, bringing along her map in case she got lost in the middle of nowhere. It seemed from the map, it was along the way toward the dark castle – a dangerous territory to cross, if not careful. The sunlight blared down upon the earth with its heat, lightening up her path as she trod through the village and into the dense forest ahead. Fortunately, the trees managed to shield her from the blaring sun, which made her journey much simpler to endure the weather.

Stolen novel; please report.

Charlotte wasn't aware of how long she had been walking in the forest now, seeing nothing but brown and green everywhere she went. She had been breaking a sweat ever since she stepped outside of her home, wondering if this journey was worth saving her father. Then, remembering her strange dream last night, she shuddered at the thought and attempted to distract herself by humming a tune she was familiar with.

The young redhead decided to stop for a moment to recollect herself and read the map once again, making sure she was walking in the right direction. The last thing she wanted was to get lost in a strange land.

Midday arrived, and the sun was at its highest, glaring down on the earth with intense heat. Charlotte was sweating too much already and felt the need to hydrate herself. Fishing out a canteen of drinking water, she made sure to save enough for the rest of her journey later and took a couple of sips. Then, she found a nice spot to sit and relax for a while as she rested, taking in the view of the surrounding nature. No animals in sight, fortunately. She didn't want to be a wild animal's meal for the day.

The redhead felt at ease while the birds sang. If only every day could be like this, she mused. She's never had much alone time and now seems like a good moment to start, with her father's life on the line. She couldn't help herself; she needed time to herself because she was constantly running errands. What do you think Mrs. Mooseberry would think of her? Selfish? Who'd have guessed?

Charlotte groaned slightly as she looked north to the sky, which was partially obscured by branches and leaves. Then she reminded herself that her father required her more than ever before.

Time flew by as the woman resumed her journey towards the ominous fortress. It was nearly dusk, and she still hadn't found the uncommon herb that would help her father with his condition. The castle in the distance was far closer than she had anticipated. Could it be that whoever resided in the castle had taken this particular plant for themselves? She was not entirely certain, but it would seem best to ask.

The woman headed straight for the ominous building, her skin crawling at the sight of it. It appeared unkept, unruly, and somewhat disarray. At the same time, it felt… eerie… lonely. She reasoned that whoever lived here must have spent the entire time indoors. Charlotte slowly pushed open the black iron gates, which were already engulfed in vines. The gates creaked as they moved, indicating that they had not been used in a long time.

She surveyed her new surroundings, hoping to find the plant she needed the most. But it was futile; she had to go much deeper to find what she wanted, which meant infiltrating the stronghold itself. The large oak wood doors seemed to be waiting for her as if they begged her to come in. It was odd, but this entire place was one, after all. Her feet drew her towards those doors, terror crawling up her skin as she came to a halt in front of them. Was her bizarre fantasy coming true right now?