The Cottage

Posted on Tue Apr 1st, 2025 @ 10:06pm by René Rouen & Cassandra Lennox
Edited on on Tue Aug 19th, 2025 @ 4:08pm

2,211 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Safe Harbour
Location: Thistledrift
Timeline: 01 December 2012

Cassandra guided the man carefully through the remains of Thistledrift, the once-thriving town now sealed off in a desperate attempt to contain the spread of the Lazarus Pathogen. Small cottages, once homes to families long gone, had been repurposed, their gardens now plots for growing medicinal herbs or hardy vegetables. Shops that once sold trinkets and daily wares had been transformed into vital resource hubs—some now housed weapon maintenance workshops, where the rhythmic clang of hammer on steel echoed through the streets, while others served as storage for whatever supplies could be salvaged from the ruins.

Cassandra walked with a steady, deliberate pace, her gaze flicking between the man and their surroundings. Though the heart of Thistledrift seemed calmer, she knew better than to trust appearances less than a mile away it would be chaos. She pointed to a cottage that was just further along the street and had a garage door open. "Put the bike inside and come inside."

René gave a nod of his head and pushed the motorcycle in the garage. Normally, he would perform checks and services on the motorcycle first thing. Something told him that Cassandra was not one who liked to be kept waiting. He found a tarp and threw it over the motorcycle.

Once he had gotten things settled in the garage he entered the cottage to find Cassandra setting a kettle on the wood burning stove. He took a look around the small kitchen and wondered who's house they were in. Surely not hers, he was at a loss for what was going on. Most settlements he had visited with messages for locals weren't openly hostile to couriers, but few did more than point to the equivalent of an in for their towns. "My motorcycle is sorted for the moment. What's this place?" He gave a sweeping gesture around the cottage.

Cassandra smiled a little as turned from checking the stove over for fuel, thankfully it had not gone down too much that it would not take long to heat the kettle. She looked around at the kitchen and the layout that she thought was a pretty standard layout. It was old fashioned with a huge stink, a repurposed wood stove near a large wooden table that had seen better days.

“My home well more importantly my parents home.” She said lightly knowing that her mother would be at a community night for another hour or so. “So as you can see why he would know why I would be here as he knew I would head home.”

René nodded. He was surprised finding himself in the home of Cassandra's family. Perhaps she was simply curious as to the state of the world outside the walls of Thistledrift. "Pardone moi mademoiselle. Was there something more you wanted to know?"

“Not overly. I believe that you know nothing else but I would like to know more about your travels.” She sat opposite him and grabbed a notebook that was bursting at the seams with what been written in it and then things stuck into it.

René gave Cassandra a short chuckle. She wasn't the first person to ask him about his journey through the UK. He had seen many settlements over the last two years. Some places had been not unpleasant, some he would never want to revisit.

“James would have sent you to me for this purpose as well as he knows I will want information about what is around us to keep this settlement safe.” Cassandra smiled patiently at the confusion of why she was being so kind in the current world they lived in. “We are not the type of place to cause trouble as we are still believers in the old way of life but we do like to keep track of trouble makers around us.” It made it easier for them but also made it easy for the Europa to be aware and tackle if they had to come ashore.

René nodded. What Cassandra was asking was understandable. "I will do my best to answer any questions you may have. What would you like to know about first?"

"What is Oxford like?" She asked wondering how that type of town had survived the way it seemed to have if James had survived there since they last parted.

"It's become a major trading post in the south of England." René had liked his stay there. "It's also very much an institution for learning still. A large number of craftsman have made it home. It's become a place that people can go to and learn various skills about survival in this new world. They still teach people. Things like building aqueducts, windmills. They have a thriving economy. There's a lot of focus on health education, especially in preventing disease and sanitation procedures."

Cassandra listened intrigued writing it all down in her note pad with a big underlined in and in capitals - OXFORD. "That in instering to note and exactly where I thought James would end up. And what about James in this settlement?" She wondered aloud not wanting to put much interest or light on the man.

René could tell that this James person was someone especially significant to Cassandra. James had been more obvious about his feelings, looking at Cassandra's picture when he had commissioned him to deliver the package and letter. "I know he sits on the Oxford Council. I think he's in charge of city planning, infrastructure and resource management."

"I see." She said softly before looking away. "So what is the next settlement of note as you came up the country then?"

René shrugged. "I generally avoid settlements, small groups and individuals when I am on a delivery. Most folks don't take kindly to strangers anymore and I want to avoid situations where I might lose my package or correspondence. I stay in abandoned buildings during delivery runs." He did think of one rumor he had heard in Oxford before his run up to Thistledrift. "York is someplace to avoid. Someone in a pub at Oxford says that slavery and forced conscription is practiced there, but I wouldn't know for sure."

"Ah yes... The city formerly known as York. A once vibrant festival city with Roman roots and a Viking past, offering an adventure for everyone now just offering trouble for the government as someone got control of his in the chaos and had made the walls a jail for anyone inside." Cassandra had experience with York and the mess that it had become. "I spent one night there on my way home and ... well one night was enough." There were rumours and then facts that she had seen on scouting parties.

René took a deep breath and released it audibly. "You're quite lucky to have made it out. I delivered a message to the a man that was in command of the garrison there. This was a little over a year ago. I never caught his name, everyone just referred to him as the Brigadier. Rumor has it that shortly after I left there was a forced conscription and someone else had started running the place."

"I was. It showed me how to build a community that is the opposite of that. People are not conscripted we all have different roles in a community." Thistledrift was not perfect but she had the ability to protect the people that came here and once things were sorted it would become a foothold on trying to reclaim the country.

René glanced out the window to Thistledrift before turning back to Cassandra. "If I can do anything to help, just let me know." He was grateful for being welcomed into the town, but he really needed to put some work in on his motorcycle. He also needed a place to sleep that night. "If you don't have anything more for me, I should really run some checks and services on my motorcycle. There's also the matter of settling in for the night. Is there an inn about town or an abandoned house that I can use for the night?"

"As I said there is room here." The woman pointed out lightly. "You can use the garage and there is a room just at the top of the stairs for you to use. There should be any and every type of tool that you could want in there but if you find you cannot there is a garage just over the road." She stood up and went to a teapot on the shelf and pulled out an old bunch of keys. "No fuel but there are tools."

René nodded as he stood up to go work on his motorcycle. "Merci Mademoiselle Lennox. Pardone moi. I shall return shortly." He stepped out to the garage and uncovered his motorcycle. Thirty minutes later he returned after ensuring there were no major issues with the motorcycle. He withdrew a large, leather bound book from the saddle bag and placed it on the table before Cassandra. "James gave me this as payment for making the delivery here. He said it contains useful information about various engineering issues. Things like windmill construction, even conversion methods for generators and engines to run on alcohol instead of petrol. Maybe your people could benefit from it."

Cassandra raised an eyebrow as she looked at the book on the table in front of her confused. She could use all those things but the lad had been given it as his payment and she already had what James had sent her secured to look over when she felt ready to face whatever it was. "But that is your payment?" She questioned blowing on the cup of tea again before placing it down.

René shrugged. The contents of the tome laying on the table was valuable. Most of it, aside from the fuel conversion modifications he could render for his motorcycle and alcohol distillation were of little use to his nomadic lifestyle. The tome could prove to be invaluable to Cassandra and the folks of Thistledrift. He looked at the woman sitting across from him. "It's more useful to you and your people then it is to me. You're personally offering me shelter for the night. Allow me to stay in Thistledrift until I can complete modifications to my motorcycle and we'll call it even on my rent. Deal?"

Cassandra picked up the book again and flicked through it before finally nodding. “You personal safety for one night. Tomorrow you need to find a room mate or sort out one of the flats.” She said smiling. “But you can have use of the garage my father has no use of it now.” She admitted revealing that her father used to be the garage owner.

René nodded. "Is there someplace I can find information about rooms or deserted houses?" He didn't want to be a burden for anyone in the town.

"In the meeting room." She promised. There was not mich deserted space this close to winter but she was sure they could find him something. "But we can sort that in the morning." She said as she heard foot steps coming down the corridor and an older lady appeared in the doorway with a lamp.

"Cassie, you did not tell me we had guests."

"Hello mum... this is Rene, he brought a parcel from James," Cassandra explained, which made the woman raise an eyebrow but say nothing other than turn to the man.

René rose from his seat as Cassandra's mother entered the kitchen. He extended his right hand to the older woman. "Bonne soiree Madame. René Rouen at your service." He glanced between the two Lennox women for a moment.

The woman looked just like Cassandra, but with grey hair and a lot more lines on her face. She looked at the boy and nodded, taking the man's hand. "Hello, Rene." She greeted, looking at the tea that had been made. "It looks like I have missed a lot."

René shook his head. "Not really, Madame. Just a humble courier delivering a package for your daughter." He looked from mother to daughter. He could see where Cassandra got her beauty. "She was gracious to allow me to stay the night in your spare room. I hope that will not be an imposition?"

"Not in the slightest. There is only me and Cass that live here, so there is space for the night." She said, glancing at Cassandra.

"It is too late to find him a space now." She said knowing that people went to bed early without electricity. She was not going to wake anyone and cause a rucus now when there was a simple solution.

René was tired from his journey. He took a final sip of his tea. "Madame, Mademoiselle? Is there anything I can do before I retire for the night?"

“No please go ahead dear.” Maureen Lennox stated holding her lamp to the man. “Straight up the stairs and second room on the right.” She guided waiting for the man to leave before she turned to her daughter with a raised an eyebrow. “Lots going on whilst I slept then lass,” she commented whilst Cassandra just gave a nod. There was a lot to explain.

 

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