Merci woke as the suns began to rise. “Merci!” Zarro’s voice echoed through the house.

What now? Merci grumbled as she found a shirt and a pair of pants and slipped them on. She quickly slipped on a pair of socks soon after as the floor was cool to the touch despite it being the middle of Summer.

She grabbed her boots and walked down the staircase. If I wasn’t leaving, I'd attempt to fix this damn staircase. Merci thought to herself as the creaking sound of the wood grew worse and worse with each step. I swear, these steps have gotten worse.

“Yes, father?” Merci said firmly as her foot hit the bottom of the stairs.

“I want you to come with me to town today. I need help loading the cart with supplies.”

Town? I haven’t left the farm in two months. Merci thought to herself, I wonder if something is up.

“In town? Are you sure?” Merci asked her father.

“Yes, I’d take your mother but she has a few things to do around here. Are you ready to go?” Zarro asked her as he looked her up and down.

“All I gotta do is slip on my boots.” Merci said as she quickly plopped her boots on the floor, taking a seat on the last step and began slipping them on.

“Meet me on the porch.” Zarro said as he turned and walked away. The sound of his heavy footsteps echoed through the almost empty house.

As Merci finished the last lace of her boot, her mother approached her, “Merci, take this platinum piece. Buy a few new clothing items.” She said as she handed Merci a shine platinum colored coin.

“What is this for?” Merci asked her mother as she took the coin and examined it.

“For all the work you have done on the farm so far. He didn’t want to give you anything but I saved this coin for you.” Violet said with a smile, “Buy a dress, a few shirts, and some new pants.”

“Thank you!” Merci said and hugged her mother. She slipped the coin in her pocket and walked out the house. Meeting her father on the porch.

“About time.” Her father said as he groaned.

“Sorry, mother stopped me.”

“Excuses.” He scoffed, “Let’s get going. It will take us three hours to get to town and three hours to get back. And I want to get back before nightfall.” Zarro’s loud footsteps echoed across the land as he marched towards a carriage full of supplies and already tied to the two horses.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Merci and her father sat in the two empty seats of the wooden carriage. Zarro took the reins and said “Move it!” The carriage jolted forward as the horses began to move down the dirt path in a northern direction.

“What is a town like, father?” Merci questioned Zarro since farm life was all she knew.

He grunted before responding, “Town life is bustling and packed. Homes are closer together, shops and taverns line the streets. Law is required to be followed or you will get thrown in prison.”

“What is the town called?” Merci asked softly.

She watched as he rolled his eyes, “The town we are going to is called Luminara.”

“What are we doing there today?”

“I have pellets to sell and a pig I need to take to the butchers.” His answers were getting shorter and shorter.

I guess he isn’t too fond of small talk. Merci thought as she fell silent, allowing her father to focus on the road.

Merci instead turned her focus to the surroundings. Hues of blues as far as her eyes could see. The sky was a brilliant purple swirled in a mix of blue. And the two suns remained hanging in the middle of the sky.

Merci thought back to what the cows had told her a few months ago, how the suns were different. How life on the farm grew different. Which made Merci think of how life might have been prior to what caused the suns to loom in the same spot.

Regardless of that, Merci let her mind open to the nature around her. As her internal instincts were taking over. She focused on the animal sounds. Blue birds. She thought to herself as she heard a high pitched screech that echoed through the valley.

Next she heard a high pitched twittering melody of that of a Finch. She thought as she focused on the melody of the small colorful birds. She had no idea how she knew all of these by heart but she didn’t mind.

She sat and listened as a new song of a loud drumming like sound filled the air. No one is around, this one must be a woodpecker.

Merci remained focused on the surrounding nature as she turned her focus from the birds to the trees. There were vibrant green weeping looking trees. These she surprisingly knew. A Willow, weeping to be exact. Then another that looked hardy and green on top. She couldn’t tell from afar but she had a good guess, that has to be an oak.

She rested her shoulder against the carriage edge as she watched nature unfold before her. This scenery was all new to her as she only knew the lands of the farm.

About two hours away from the town both her and Zarro sat straight up as the sound of wolf howling echoed through the lands.

“Father?” Merci whispered softly as her heart began to race as her eyes darted across the landscape. As she observed their surroundings she spotted a black fluff of fur about two hundred feet away from the road. It appeared to be heading in her direction.

“It’ll be alright Merci. We just have to keep moving.” He smacked the reins of the horses to get them to move faster. This made the cart to lurch ahead and move twice as fast.

Merci fixed her eyes on where the wolf was and watched the area closely. The wolf only moved to the north as the carriage did. It never approached. Only observed them as Merci observed the wolf.