[colour=#c76ef0][h2][center]Aurora Halliwell[/center][/h2][/colour]

[colour=#c76ef0]Eye of The Beholder[/colour]
[colour=#c76ef0]At the Inn[/colour]

[hr]

After Aurora gave Sya the ointment, Sya quickly placed the promised payment in Aurora's hand. Aurora smiled and said, [colour=#c76ef0]“Thank you for your business! Just let me know when you need more. Bye!”[/colour] She grabbed the folds of her dress, making a small curtsey before standing straight once more. Fiddling with her corset, she found a small, hidden pocket, and with ease, she placed her payment inside it. Then she turned and made her way toward the door.

Before leaving, she ensured her clothes were fastened and fully covering her since she knew it was cold. She went through what she needed in her head, then realised she was missing something. In a few strides, she grabbed a couple of fresh red apples from a fruit bowl, one full apple and a handful of apple slices, then she left the inn, walking toward the stables to see her majestic steed, Storm.

Upon arriving at the stable, Aurora quickly made her way to Storm. [colour=#c76ef0]“Hello, my beautiful girl,”[/colour] she said as she looked at her beautiful horse. Storm, who was on the far side of her stall, gave a neigh of excitement, then trotted over to Aurora, who had only just closed the stall’s gate. Aurora only just managed to wrap her arms around Storm when she nuzzled into Aurora with her big nostrils, tickling Aurora's neck. [colour=#c76ef0]”Good morning to you.”[/colour] Aurora spoke between giggles. Storm let out a snort, followed by a series of tapping one of her front legs on the floor as if in response. 

Aurora pulled away from the embrace of her horse and reached into her satchel, pulling out the whole apple from before. With a flat palm, the apple rested on it. [colour=#c76ef0]“I got you a treat, here you go.”[/colour] After Storm devoured the apple, Aurora took off her satchel and hung it on the gate, making sure to be careful not to break the bottles in it. She then walked over to the small shelf in the stall. There, she picked up a brush and a small stool from underneath the shelf to help her reach all parts of Storm’s coat.

She returned to Storm and began brushing her beautiful light grey coat. [colour=#c76ef0]“Good girl! Look at all the dust and hay on you. Have you been rolling in the hay again?”[/colour] Aurora laughed as Storm responded with a cheerful neigh. Once she had brushed Storm clean, she turned her attention to the horse's mane and tail. She carefully brushed, cleaned, and braided them, taking frequent breaks to remove strands of hay and bits of dirt from the hair.

After grooming, she took some food from the storage box outside Storm's stall. Aurora placed the food in the trough and added slices of apple that she had brought from the inn. Finally, she filled another trough with water. When she finished her tasks, she left the stall and said, [colour=#c76ef0]“See you soon, girl.”[/colour] She gave Storm one final hug before heading towards the town to begin distributing the medicine, remedies, ointments, and clean bandages she had prepared for some of the townsfolk, the guards, the church, and the jail.

[hr]

Aurora slowly strolled through the streets of the small village. Although the pathways were cleared of snow, it was still lightly snowing, and she realised it wouldn’t take long for the paths to be covered again. Each step echoed her excitement and anticipation. As she wandered through the charming stores, she purchased a variety of items, including fabrics, herbs, apothecary books, and a few home goods. She kindly asked the shopkeepers to arrange for delivery to the inn where she was temporarily staying, knowing that soon, her new home would be ready for her to move into.

As she left the last store, her thoughts drifted to the house awaiting her. There were still a few repairs that needed to be addressed, including a broken roof and other minor damages caused by the snow. Then, she remembered that she had been told the renovations would be completed shortly. A warm smile spread across her face at the thought of personalising her own space, imagining how she would decorate each room to reflect her tastes and dreams. The thought of filling the home with furniture she had brought with her brought her a sense of belonging and excitement for the new chapter of her life.

While daydreaming, Aurora accidentally bumped into a man. She quickly looked up and apologised, and made sure that he was fine before continuing on her way to a small home where an elderly couple lived. Upon reaching the house, she knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. A moment later, a middle-aged lady answered the door. Recognising Aurora, she welcomed her in and led her to a seat that was close to their fireplace. Aurora flattened her skirts before sitting down.

[colour=#c76ef0]“Hello, Mrs Hawthorn, are you and Mr Hawthorn doing well?”[/colour] Aurora asked. The lady smiled and replied, “Hello, Aurora. We’ve been fine. Give me a minute; I'll get my husband from the other room.” With that, she went to fetch him. A few moments later, the middle-aged couple returned together, and Aurora said, [colour=#c76ef0]“Hello, Mr Hawthorn. I have the ointment for your knee pain.”[/colour]

While waiting, Aurora recalled what Mrs Hawthorn had told her about her husband. She explained that Mr Hawthorn works as a guard, performing tasks that range from patrolling the area and standing watch at guard posts to assisting the citizens of Dawnhaven by shovelling snow from the pathways. A couple of weeks ago, it was Mrs Hawthorn who approached Aurora at the inn, specifically asking for her by name.

She mentioned that her husband had slipped and injured his knee. Aurora quickly gathered the supplies she needed. Upon arriving home, Aurora assessed the man’s knee and determined that there was no fracture or break; luckily, there was only a sprain. Aurora heard the door squeak; she snapped out of her thoughts.

Upon seeing Aurora, the man smiled and slowly made his way to his cosy chair near the fireplace. His limp showed he was struggling, but he didn’t let it stop him. “Hello, Aurora,” he greeted warmly. “Thank you for bringing my ointment. You arrived more quickly than I expected.” 

Aurora smiled and placed her bag on her lap, and began rummaging through it. After a few seconds, she pulled out a bottle of ointment with a small tag tied around the rim that bore the man’s name. [colour=#c76ef0]“Here it is,”[/colour] she said, standing up to hand it to him. Once he had it in his hand.[colour=#c76ef0]"Could you please lift your trouser leg so I can see your knee?"[/colour]

Mr Hawthorn nodded and lifted his trouser leg while Aurora knelt to assess the area. She noticed that the swelling had decreased and the bruising looked improved. [colour=#c76ef0]"Well, the bruising appears better, and there is less swelling. You still need to make sure you rest it."[/colour] With that, she stood up and sat back down in her chair before continuing the conversation.

[colour=#c76ef0]"Mr Hawthorn, please continue to apply the ointment four times a day: in the morning, at lunchtime, during dinner, and before bedtime. Use only a pea-sized amount each time. Massage the ointment into the area until it is no longer visible. Have you been doing the exercises I suggested?"[/colour]

The man looked at Aurora and said, “Yes, I have been doing the exercises you suggested, and they seem to be helping. I have also been given a few weeks off duty, so I will try to rest my knee as much as possible.” He then turned to his wife and asked, “Honey, could you give Aurora the agreed amount?” Mrs Hawthorn walked over to Aurora and handed her a small pouch containing the payment. “Thank you, Aurora,” she said.

Aurora took the pouch, placed it in her bag, smiled and replied, [colour=#c76ef0]“No problem, Mrs Hawthorn. Just let me know when the bottle is running low, and I’ll make you another one.”[/colour] She placed the small pouch in her bag, fastened it, and stood up. As she made her way toward the door, she said, [colour=#c76ef0]“I hope you have a lovely day, and I’ll see you both soon.”[/colour] She opened the door and proceeded to her next destination. After a while, she arrived at the Aurelian guardhouse.