Just A Little Something "Catch it! Catch it!" Thump! Series of yells from the children around her erupted as she handed them the ball made from tattered rags that were not being used in the Chapel at the moment. Usually, the rags would be used for wiping the tables in the dining hall or scrubbing the plates when she would wash the dishes during Chores Hour or for doing the washing - which was always a pain for her. It would give her back aches whenever she was hunched over like that. Huffing and puffing, she gave a smile to the children and wiped her brow. "Alright children, time to go back to your mamas and papas now. It's getting dark," she said, kneeling down to look into their eyes and pat the heads of each and every one of them. They pouted and crossed their arms, shaking their heads in unison, making her laugh. "I promise... that I shall play with all of you tomorrow, alright?" At this, they gave her a grin and nodded their heads, vigorously. She chuckled once more, waving bye to the running children who disappeared outside the gates. They were such happy souls. They had everything she ever wanted. A family. A mother... a father... Sister Fatima told her, when she was old enough to comprehend, that her and the others and the priest found her lying in a woven basket on a rainy day, covered in soft linen with just her name sewn at the side. She still had the linen. And she still hoped that someone would suddenly appear and say that she was not alone. That her family, if she even had a family, was alive and always there... somehow. All she knew was her name, and she would like to know more than just that... "Miriam, what on earth are you doing staring into space? Come and help me with this Adam's Ale! Dear Lord, help my frail body survive this!" Miriam turned around and suddenly had a smile descending upon her face at the sight of Sister Fatima carrying a bucketful of Adam's Ale. "I shall, Sister Fatima!" She replied, walking over to haul the other side of the bucket up, making the job much more faster. "Oh, don't use such formalities with me lass! Fatima! Fatima, I tell you!" Miriam chuckled, helping Sister Fatima carry the bucket and set it onto a nearby crate with a chicken trapped into it. Sister Fatima let out a long sigh, "Thank you, now you can go back to yer staring." With that, Sister Fatima chased Missie, the Chapel dog, for her bath. Laughing again, Miriam knelt down and poked the chicken's head, earning an irritated croak from her. "Well, how are you Berny?" A cluck was her response. "Well then..." She stood up and dusted her skirt, waving bye to the scowling Berny - if it was even possible for a chicken to scowl - and rolled up her sleeves for her last chore of the day. Scrubbing stains off rags, towels used for the laundry, clothing and polishing the shoes - was hard work. But after a few more hours, the pile of towels and rags were finally dry and folded in front of her. Now, she only had to take the clothes off the line and she would be done. Eureka! Grinning at the thought that after this she could finally settle down with a good book, she opened the wooden door that would lead to the front of the Chapel - just in sight was the gates that would lead you into town - and trotted over to the line, grabbing the clothes and dumping them on a nearby crate. She folded them carefully and delicately, these were other people's clothes of course. She wouldn't want anyone just throwing her clothes about. Just as she was about to finish with the last piece of clothing, the wooden door opened again... revealing Father Geoffrey, the Chapel priest. "Oh, Miriam, you're still at it with your chores? You're such a good child..." He let out a chuckle that made her laugh as well, smiling warmly at him. Father Geoffrey was kind enough to offer her sustenance and a shelter, so she was very grateful to him ever since a young age. "How are you Father?" She asked, clasping her hands in front of her, showing the obedient nature that Father Geoffrey liked about the soulful girl. "I am great, thank you, and you?" Miriam smiled, "Am too Father, just famished... and what might you be doing out at such an hour?" She couldn't help the curiosity and Father Geoffrey had noticed the wonder sparkling in her eyes the first time he laid eyes on Miriam in the basket sparkling right now, and instantly, he felt like she was his own. But suddenly, he realised why he was out at such an hour... an important task that the Mayor had asked him to do... an important task he couldn't do anything about, but accept... "Oh... well... I'm meeting a group of people... They're going to be staying here, at the Chapel, for a while..." Oh yes, Miriam had heard about this news, and the fact that they were all men... unnerved her. But nevertheless, she smiled and nodded to show it did not bother her, when it did. With that, Father Geoffrey walked over to the gate with a small smile sent at Miriam's direction, unlocking it and waiting while tapping his foot. Miriam turned her attention to the clothing and continued her chore. Finally adding it to the pile on the crate as she let out a big sigh. Time to relax... finally. "Were you the one who stole my cigar, Finn? Did you steal it, y-" "This chicken here is sleeping in a crate... is that norm-" "Why are we staying in this-" "What happened to my-" "I want t-" A series of unfamiliar voices made Miriam's head perk up, turning around to see these men that were going to be occupying the Chapel for a while. They better not touch the garden she was currently working on. "I'm sorry for the rudeness of these boys, Father. We're very grateful you let us stay here." Her heart started to beat just by the single voice of this man who seemed to be the one in charge of this raucous crowd. He shook hands with Father Geoffrey and followed his figure as he started to walk to show them their rooms. As they did so, Miriam and the man caught each other's eye... and everything just seemed to fade... It seemed like it was only her and this man - she didn't even know - in this world, in this place, right here and now; no one else. Just them. Her heart skipped a beat as she tried to get her mouth to open and inhale fresh air. The man just continued to stare... Everything continued to move in slow motion. And with just the click of a finger, everything was back again. The noise of the other men could be heard, their tapping feet could be heard, their laughs and their deep voices moulding together. And her heart continued to skip skip a beat. The man slowly passed her, letting the other men move in front of him. He took off the hat on his dark hair, that flopped into his eyes, and nodded to her. "Evening..." He said, almost in a whisper as she curtsied and gave him a smile. He smiled back and she noticed his strong jaw and the slight stubble on his chin. And then he was gone. Walked into the wooden door... leaving her heart to beat furiously in her chest... and to wonder how unusually gold his eyes were, which made them shine in the moonlight... a beautiful golden colour. It may have been just her, but she thought she remembered the man glancing behind him, at her, before walking in. All she could think about now was those eyes of his... she could not take them out of her head and predicted that the eyes would visit her in her dreams. And it did.