Title: Acolytes of Diana
Day/Theme: 3rd September/"being as yet but a girl"
Series: Anne of Green Gables
Character/Pairing: Anne, implied Anne/Gilbert
Rating: PG
If the fourteen year old Anne Shirley, stalking down the lane like an irate cat after an encounter with a certain person that everyone, even Josie Pye, knew should not be named in her presence (Charlie Sloane had gloated of it to That Person and received a pummelling for his trouble; Anne never knew of it and would not have cared if she had), had been told that in eleven years' time, full-grown into womanhood and blossoming as a perfect June lily, she would delight in such a meeting, she would have declared the speaker mad. Why, if there were a single soul in Avonlea more maddeningly smug or more infuriatingly impertinent, Anne had yet to meet them. Even the Mrs Harmon Andrewses of the world had their good points.
As it was, she had no notion of the momentous events that were to come later in her life. Being as yet an acolyte of Diana, she had been mostly protected from Death in his full devastation and he had not been able to touch her too deeply in her sensitive soul. Venus, too, had put away her wiles for the time being, save the part of the goddess that claims everyone from the moment they are born. Anne rejoiced in the fields and woods of her home and spread that love to those she held as kindred (Certain People aside, because while she had a sneaking suspicion that they were not such polar opposites as she had first thought, no kindred spirit would have dreamed of injuring her as he had done) and so for once lovely Venus and chaste Diana were in agreement.
"Anne? Anne? Are you all right, Anne?"
She turned at the sound of her name and a rather more mortal Diana ran up to her. Anne smiled at her friend, her fury dissipating a little. "Yes, dearest."
"I was worried," Diana explained, greatly relieved. "I thought – after what Gilbert said – "
"Take notices are so silly." Anne shrugged her shoulders and tossed her head. "And I don't give a fig for what Gil – anyone says about who gets their names written up there."
"Quite right," Diana declared stoutly. "There'll be a different one tomorrow, I shouldn't wonder."
"There always is," Anne agreed, and the two girls linked arms and walked down the lane together, unconcerned about anything ahead of them.
