“Come on, you little bugger.”
The burning sun was beginning to set over the horizon to the west, casting warm hues of reds, pinks, and oranges across the skies of Solstariel. Soft, flowing clouds drifted gently high above Wispwater, reflecting the colors sent across the skies from the setting sun. Arlarue rocked back and forth gently in her small wooden boat with the waves of the Lake of Rebirth in which she was fishing from. She had her gaze fixed upon one particular spot in the water. She quieted her breathing, her grip on her worn fishing pole tightening. At once, she felt the slightest tug on the hook of her line, and her half-elven ears twitched as she yanked her pole back. With the target she had been watching for quite some time finally hooked, she bit her bottom lip as she played-tug-of-war with the fish. She would yank back her fishing pole, reel it in a bit, relax for a quick moment, and repeat the process. The water became restless as the fish flailed about, fighting for its life to get away. Arlarue, however, was far too skilled in her craft to let it escape.
After what felt like an eternity to the half-elf, she pulled back on her rod one last time and heaved the fish out of the water. With a huff she held the monstrous fish before her, admiring her catch. It was a large bass, weighing at least 15 pounds.
“So you weren’t so little after all,” she breathed, her chest rising and falling as she caught her breath. A single bead of sweat trailed down her temple. “You sure were a bugger, though.”
She tossed the bass into the bucket near her feet, watching it flail helplessly in its metal confines. She took a breath and raised her head, admiring the sunset and calming waters of the lake. The crickets had begun to chirp, the fireflies began their dancing in the forest trees. A gentle breeze drifted over the lake toward her village, the wind rustling through her blonde hair and pulling a strand loose over her face. Her neighbors began to light their candles, their dancing flames visible through the windows of their homes. The streetlamps had come on as well, their flames ignited in the towering shadows of the Firefly Woods to the west. Distant traces of chatter could be heard from the shore – children laughing, their parents calling them inside for the night. Her life was gentle, calm, and simple, just the way she liked it. She breathed out a sigh of content before coming back to reality from her reverie and hearing a nagging clanking at her feet. She furrowed her brow. The fish she had caught was still flailing in the bucket, sending echoing clinks and clanks across the lake. Her ears drooped, brows furrowed as she glared at the fish. What a way to be snapped out of a daydream.
“Rue!” a voice called to her over the calm waves.
Arlarue’s eyes shot up in the direction of the familiar voice to see her mother standing near the shoreline of the lake, waving her arm above her head. “Supper is ready!”
“Coming!” she called back to her as she grabbed hold of her oars and made her way back to solid land. Upon landing on the soft, cool sandy shore, she pulled her boat up further onto land with a huff of exertion. As she had been out on the lake for most of the afternoon and into the evening, her arms were now worn out, especially after wrestling with the bass she caught just minutes prior.
Bucket full of fish in hand, she made her way toward the cellar door of her home to lay her fresh catches in salt to be preserved. One by one she laid the fish in a trunk full of salt, neatly lined up next to one another. Just as she had laid the last fish down, she heard her mother’s voice once more calling her inside, and she quickly spread a layer of salt atop the fish before exiting the cellar, the door locking shut with a heavy thump.
She walked into her home to the fragrant scent of the dinner her mother prepared for the family. A pot of thick and hearty stew gently bubbled on the burner, sending the aroma of sweet vegetables and fish swirling around the house. Her mother was gathering three worn wooden bowls from the cabinets; one for herself, one for Arlarue, and one for Arlarue’s little brother, Saith, who sat at the table watching his mother eagerly.
“Glad you could finally join us at the table, dear,” her mother teased, a small smirk tugging at her lips as she looked over her shoulder. “Long day on the lake, yeah?”
Arlarue plopped herself down at the dinner table, letting out a tired sigh. She watched the flickering flame of the candle lit in the center of the table, sending dancing shadows through the room.
“Yes, but it wasn’t for nothing,” she breathed. “I hooked a good number of basses, a bucket’s worth in just a few hours out there. It will surely sell well in the city.”
Saith averted his gaze from the pot of stew to his sister, scrunching up his nose and sniffing at the air in her direction. “Is that why you stink so bad?” he teased, a twisted look of disgust on his face. Arlarue furrowed her brows, unamused, and reached out to him, bopping him in the forehead in retaliation. Saith dramatically tossed his head back, “Ew! You’re getting your smelly fish juices all over my head!”
Arlarue smirked, now amused. “Good.”
During their little squabble, their mother placed two large bowls of stew before them. Steam swirled off of it, filling the air with its hearty aroma. “Aye, quit it before you bump your bowls over,” she said flatly, taking her seat at the table with her children. Arlarue and Saith didn’t hesitate to dig into their bowls. Their mother watched them contently for a moment before bringing her own spoon to her lips.
The room went quiet for a moment or two as they dined, enjoying the warm stew before them and the ambient sound of nocturnal wildlife waking up in the forests outside their village.
Saith was first to break the peaceful stillness. “When is Father coming home?” he asked, his voice quiet and curious. He gazed upon a fourth and empty chair across from him at the table.
“Soon. A few days at most,” his mother replied before continuing her meal. “The journey to the Capital is a long one. A dangerous one, too. He’s bringing much-needed supplies back to us, and to the whole village.”
Saith nodded sheepishly and went back to his bowl without another word. Arlarue stirred her spoon around in her bowl for a moment before lifting her eyes to her brother. “I’m sure he’ll bring back a decent amount of coin as well. Maybe enough to get you a new book from the trading post,” she assured him with a gentle smile and a nod.
His half-elf ears stood up, and his eyes, as green as clovers, lit up with excitement at her words. “Really?! You mean it? Like really mean it?”
Arlarue nodded. “We can go there together, sounds good?” she asked him. He eagerly nodded, his curly brown hair bouncing with the nod of his head. Arlarue felt a particular gaze on her, and her eyes flicked to see her mother looking at her in disapproval. “Rue, you know I’m not keen on him leaving the village borders,” she said lowly to her daughter, “He’s only five years of age, and the lands outside the Woods are becoming ever so dangerous. Have you not heard word of children disappearing around the Capital?”
She raised her head a bit with knitted brows and a puzzled look on her face. “Where have you heard that?” she questioned.
“The ladies who teach in the schoolhouse whisper of it,” her mother answered.
“Psh,” replied Arlarue with a dismissive wave of her hand, “that’s just talk. Nothing more than rumors. We’ve gone into the Firefly Woods through all our years and not once ran into a problem. Plus, you know Saith will be safe with me.”
Her mother watched her for a moment with a single blink of her eyes before shaking her head in disfavor, grabbing her empty bowl, and standing up from her seat to return her dishes to the sink. “When you’re done, Rue, could you wash up in the sink, please?”
She nodded, “Yes, Mother.”
Their mother placed her dishes gently into the sink before making her way past them, her footsteps causing the floorboards to creak, swiftly pulling the lock on the front door into place. She turned around to head toward her bedroom before looking at Saith with a gentle smile. “Don’t stay up too late, now. You’ve got school in the morning.”
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Saith nodded, and just like his sister, said “Yes, Mother.”
She smiled before quietly heading up the staircase, her footsteps echoing and becoming quieter until the sound of a door closing was heard, and then the house was still again.
Arlarue looked to Saith for a moment, standing up from her chair and scooping up both his bowl and her own. “Go get your night clothes on. I’ll meet you in your room in a few, alright?” she said quietly to him. He nodded before hopping out of his chair and disappearing down the hallway. Arlarue then made her way over to the sink, tightening the hold of the tie on her pulled-back hair, and rolled up her sleeves to finish her last chore of the night.
As she turned the knob on the faucet, her eyes flicked up to peer through the window above the sink, catching the slightest glimpse of movement in the tree line of the forest. Though the forest drowned out any light given off from the moon, her half-elven genetics allowed her to visualize shapes and movement in the darkness. She squinted, her ears tilting upward ever so slightly, as she attempted to discern what caused the movement in the brush. Normally she would attribute it simply to wildlife making their way through the woods, but this felt different to her. The crickets went quiet. She felt a nagging, churning feeling in her gut as she maintained her focus. However, the brush had stopped moving, and the woods became still.
She took in a deep breath, for she had been unconsciously holding it for some time, and shook her head, returning her focus to the dishes before her. Just tired, she thought, I’m just tired.
———————————————
The sun was high in the sky the next day, not a cloud to be seen for miles and miles. The rays of the sun brought warmth to Wispwater and the breeze over the Lake of Rebirth kept the temperature at a comfortable mild. Arlarue was tending to the flower beds outside of the village’s schoolhouse, watering the soil with the enriched water from the lake. Just as she stood up from watering the last patch of flowers, the noon bell rang above the schoolhouse, signaling midday and the children’s lunch break.
Not a minute later did the double doors of the schoolhouse open and a group of children ran out, ready to stretch their legs after the morning’s classes. Arlarue looked for the familiar curly brown hair of her brother, who was surely coming home for lunch. Saith was one of the last of the children to come outside, clutching the straps of his backpack over his shoulders. He spotted Arlarue and a big cheesy smile tugged at his lips as he trotted on over to her.
As Saith approached, she patted him on the head lovingly. “How was class this mornin’? What’d you learn?” she asked, giving his head gentle scritches.
“It was so cool! We had a history lesson today about the Capital! We learned about the lineage of the House of Royals, and the castle, and how the city was built, and the different classes of cityfolk, and so much more!” he beamed ecstatically, continuing to ramble on about the details of his lessons. After talking so much he was nearly blue in the face, he looked up at Arlarue with bright eyes. “Do you think we can go to the Capital someday, Rue?” he asked hopefully.
She grinned down at him as she fixed the hair she had rustled up on his head. “I’m sure we can someday, Saith. Maybe when you’re a bit older,” she assured him, returning the watering can to its spot beside the flower beds, “Let’s go get lunch, I’m sure Mother’s got something good prepared for us.”
The two of them made their way down the dusty road back toward their house, which wasn’t too far from the schoolhouse. Their mother was sitting on the porch, rocking back and forth in her chair as they neared the house. Saith took off running toward the porch to greet his mother, who stood up to greet him with a hug. “I’ve got sandwiches inside for you two. I’m sure you’re both hungry, yeah?” she said, opening the front door and heading inside.
Sure enough, three sandwiches were lined up on individual plates next to each other, ready to be consumed. Saith dropped his backpack in the entryway and didn’t hesitate to grab his plate up, ready to chow down. “Don’t eat too fast! You want to taste it, do you not?” his mother asked, taking her seat at the table. Arlarue reached for her plate when there was a sharp, rapid array of knocks at the door. “Oh? Could it be a letter?” their mother asked, taking a bite of her sandwich and beginning to stand to answer the door. Arlarue held up her hand, “I’ll get it, Mother.”
She opened the door to see a fluffy carrier pigeon sitting at her feet on the wooden porch, a letter sealed with wax addressed to “Bren Willhem” within its beak, cooing gently. “Thank you much, little bird,” she chimed joyfully, bending down to retrieve the letter. The carrier pigeon ruffled its feathers before waddling to the edge of the porch and taking off, likely returning to the post in which it came from. “Mother, it’s addressed to you!” Arlarue called as she closed the door, returning into the house.
She inspected the back of the letter, tracing her fingers over the ink writing as she wandered back into the dining room to give the letter to its addressee. “It looks like Father’s handwriting,” she commented, handing the parchment over. Her mother’s short half-elven ears perked up in anticipation and she slipped a finger under the wax seal, unfolding the letter. Saith and Arlarue watched their mother’s eyes flick across the paper, her ears returning to a neutral position.
“What? What does it say?” Saith inquired eagerly, leaning forward with a mouth full of his sandwich. Their mother sighed, lifting her eyes and folding the letter back up. “It’s from your father. He is being held up in the Capital and expects to return within the week, but says he’s unsure,” she answered, placing the letter upon the table. Arlarue cocked her head curiously. “What’s holdin’ him up?” she asked, finally picking up her lunch and taking a bite.
“Something about a business partner causing a delay. He was planning to meet the old man to trade fish for wool, but the man never showed,” she explained, a notable sadness evident in her tone, “He’s been trying to determine the whereabouts of the man, or find someone else to trade with. Thya and Cae, the newlyweds from down the road, specifically requested wool, for their first baby is due in just a few moons.”
Saith went quiet, pursing his lips as he picked at the remnants of his lunch. Their mother reached over to him and placed her warm hand on his arm. “Worry not, my child. He’ll return before you know it,” she comforted, giving his arm a gentle rub before reaching for his plate. “All done?” she would ask. He nodded to her.
He looked up to his sister with melancholy, his bright green eyes now cast over with sadness. “Does that mean we won’t be able to get a new book from the trading post, like you promised?” he asked quietly. “You said Father would bring home extra coins so we can go to the post.”
Arlarue took a deep breath. “We’ll still go, it just may be a bit later than we had anticipated,” she assured him with a nod, finishing up her sandwich. Her mother instinctively reached over and took the empty plate from her daughter’s hands to put away.
Saith’s eyes still appeared downcast as he stood up from his chair. “Okay…” he trailed off, wandering into the entryway and slinging his backpack over his shoulder. Arlarue watched him as he walked off down the hallway and into his bedroom, gently closing the creaky wooden door behind him.
Arlarue made eye contact with her mother for a moment and she let out a sigh. “It’s strange that the wool trader didn’t show to trade goods with Father. The old man’s done business with the townsfolk before, yeah?” she asked, leaning against the wall and crossing her arms over her chest. Her mother nodded. “Yes, many a time.”
Arlarue cocked her head in curiosity. “How odd. I hope the situation gets resolved in a timely manner so Father can be on his way back to Wispwater, and so Saith can stop moping around,” she teased with a little chuckle. Her mother let out a quiet giggle followed by a nod. “Of course the latter is of more importance,” she replied sarcastically.
With a stretch of her arms and a dramatic yawn, Arlarue pushed herself off of the wall she was leaning on and slipped off her boots, heading down the hallway. “I believe it’s time for my afternoon nap. Do you need any help washing up in the sink?” she asked, looking over her shoulder from halfway down the corridor. Her mother replied with a shake of her head, “No, dear, I’ll handle it. You rest up.”
The half-elf then meandered into her room, shutting her door behind her. She would make her way toward the window and pop it open, the cool breeze from the lake wafting into the room, the sounds of the school children playing together down the road. She admired the tranquility for a moment before remembering the real reason why she made her exit from the dining room. She opened the door to her closet and knelt down before it, her fingers walking along the floorboards, lightly palpating each individual one. After a moment, she felt the familiar loose floorboard she was looking for and slipped her nail underneath it, lifting it from its place amongst the others to reveal a little sack made of woven reeds hidden in a small, dusty cubby. She quietly picked it up from its resting place and untied the ribbon around its neck. Inside were a modest amount of coins, most of them small and copper in color, some a bit larger and silver-toned, and maybe one or two pieces a dull gold. She felt the weight of her savings in her hand as she rummaged around, picking out a few coins at a time. A new book would only be a silver piece or two at most, she contemplated. She gazed upon two silver pieces in the palm of her hand for a moment before retying the ribbon and replacing the sack of coins in the ground where it came from. She then stood up, clutching the silver, and stepped out into the corridor toward Saith’s room.
With a few soft knocks on his door, she said with a hushed voice, “Saith, open up.”
After a moment of hesitation, light footsteps from inside could be heard making their way to the door, and at once it slowly cracked open. “What’s up..?” he asked, looking up at his sister sheepishly.
Arlarue grinned and unfolded her fingers from their grasp over the silver pieces. Saith’s once cast-over eyes had returned to their bright clover-green color as he witnessed the coin in her hand, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
“So, how about that new book you wanted?”