Katherine sat under the shade of Big Root when a great discovery was made. Of course, she was devouring a pile of books when it happened.
She was so wrapped up in the story she barely noticed it, she looked up from the words on the pages and saw North chatting with the Spirit of the Forest as they took a walk on the path that conducted to Big Root. This wasn't really what caught her attention since they usually spend a lot time talking as the Spirit did her rounds around Santoff Clausen. No. This time it was different because of the way they acted towards each other.
North had a strange look on his eyes, one he didn't have when Katherine or Ombric were around. It was as if he had stumbled upon a hidden treasure. That was strange…North had first come to the village to steal everything of value, but in the end had decided to stay and defend it. The Spirit of the Forest had tried to tempt him with the promise of gems and gold, failing when she saw his heart was true.
North had been one of the few people who hadn't fall for the luring wealth she promised, so he couldn't be looking at her the way he did for that. And neither because she was beautiful, he had seen her everyday and never showed that expression before. Could it be something else?
Katherine looked at the Spirit of the Forest; she was beaming brightly at him, and really focused in the story about how he climbed the high towers of a palace in Constantinople to steal the king's guarded treasure room. She laughed when he told her that it was pretty easy since the guards were sound asleep instead of watching over the treasure. She usually didn't laugh so openly so it was something to point out. Like it did the way her cheeks blushed fiercely when he commented she had a pretty laugh.
Katherine slowly putted the book down without taking her eyes off them. It was as if they were…no…yes? Did they really look like a couple?
She watched till they were out of her sight, leaving her wondering if it could be true. Looking to the nearest branch above her, she meet Nighlight's gaze. The boy was perched on the branch and leaning against the tree trunk, he held the diamond-tipped staff and had this quizzical expression on his face.
"You saw that too, right?" she asked.
He smiled gleefully and nodded.
"Good" she smiled back.
"Ombric, how to know someone's in love?" asked Katherine while he fed his owls.
The old wizard almost dropped the food in surprise. His mind working fast and reaching to conclusions he could not handle right now. 'No, please. Not Katherine, it's too soon!'
"Why is that question, child?" he tried to make his voice not show his anxiety.
"Because I think a friend might be, but I'm not sure he actually knows it. I want to help, Ombric." She looked at him with big grey eyes.
He stared back for a moment and continued to feed the owls. "It's different for each person, Katherine. One person doesn't feel the same way as the others."
"But there has to be a way to tell it. Right?" she inquired.
"Well, according to my books the person who is in love often feels a fluttering sensation in their stomach." He spoke from a scientific point of view.
"In their stomach?" her eyebrow rose as if the idea seemed more gross than cute to her.
"Yes, in their stomach. Also, it's possible that the heart of person beats faster than it usually does when they see what makes them feel that way. Love will make the person act clumsily, but it will also give them a reason to be smiling all the time" Added the wizard.
"It's when you want to make yourself a better person so that you can do your best for the one you love." A small feminine voice intruded.
They turned around to the entrance where little Sascha stood, a notepad in her hand with questions for Ombric about a way to make her egg warrior be able to jump five feet away so she could finally beat William The Almost Youngest in a game of Scramble. "Or at least that's what my mommy said."
She pondered about what Sascha said and decided it was all she needed to know. She left Ombric with Sascha's questions and quietly exited Big Root.
As she descended the wooden steps, she caught a glimpse of North and the Spirit of the Forest, surrounded by the village's children that asked him about his many adventures or if they could get a ride on Petrov before it was time for dinner.
Katherine took the chance to watch them closely. North blushed as the Spirit of the Forest succeeded to unlock the arms of a little girl that was hanging from his neck and giggling; cradling her and trying to explain them that Petrov had to patrol the forest with the Bear before it got dark. Her motherly tone – something Katherine was used to and didn't consider out of ordinary – seemed to have a different effect on the man. There was so much tenderness in his eyes.
The Spirit of the Forest must have noticed his gaze because her cheeks reddened and gave him a sweet smile.
Katherine was sure this time her eyes weren't fooling her. There was definitely something going on between those two.
When she watched as the bubble was broken by the children who kept on asking, she also was certain of something else: they weren't going to confess. She was sure of it by knowing the kind of people they were.
A smirk appeared on her face when a small plan started to develop. She would have to pull a few strings.
All she needed was a little help.
A few days later, North and Ombric found the children, the Spirit of the Forest, Petrov, and the Bear gathered near Big Root as the children played tag.
When seeing the two men approaching the children stifled a smirk to hide their delight since everyone was also involved into this, even Ombric had been unable to resist Katherine's pleas and had agreed to help in the way that was less invasive possible.
Everyone stopped playing and swarmed around the two magicians, as they usually did; talking about inventions, inquiring about ways to become invisible, to create a pair of shoes that could fly, and thousands of other topics.
"Teach us how to dance, Ombric!" asked one of the many voices which made the children to giggle, backing up the request by saying they wanted to be ready for Santoff Clausen's spring festival that was just around the corner.
"My, children I would love to, but I can't dance well enough to demonstrate you. Things that come with the age, you see." He excused himself.
"Oh please!" begged the little ones.
"I could teach you, but it might be better if someone could take my place and move according to my indications." He twirled his beard a little, imitating that gesture he sometimes did when he was deep in thought.
"Come on, old man! You're telling me you can't handle a simple dance?" he teased.
"Simple dance, you say? Oh you're still imprudent, boy!" he answered back with a half smile. "How about you try it?"
"Yes! Let North do it." Said Willian the Absolute Youngest, and his friends supported enthusiastically his idea.
Nicholas St. North watched perplexed as he had fallen alone in a very hazardous territory, he had no idea how to dance since he had never done it before and to see it on books wasn't exactly the same. But a way to get out of this problem lighted up in his head. "But I do not have someone to dance with, and I cannot possibly dance alone."
He watched satisfied as some of the children nodded as they saw he was right, but he did not see the smirk on Katherine's face. "What about the Spirit of the Forest?"
The aforementioned was baffled and found herself being tugged to get up from a fallen tree trunk she was sitting on before she could even utter a word. Even Petrov was helping by gently shoving her with his nose!
Soon, she was in front of North, all the children asking to help them.
She couldn't help but sight and look into the bandit's eyes with a small grin. "How to say no"
He wasn't sure why he didn't refuse. He had been nothing but a bandit, he was good at that, he didn't know how to dance, let alone dance with a woman. She was the most beautiful young woman he had ever met, and he…he was nothing but a rogue. A man that just now had started to become a better version of himself.
With a flick of his hand, Ombric made the instruments he had in his house to play a beautiful melody that came out of the windows of Big Root.
His thoughts were interrupted when she felt her hand on his shoulder, and almost instinctively he placed his right hand on her waist and the other gently held hers.
"Good, North move your left foot out to the side and the Spirit must do the same with her right foot." Said the wizard.
He did as told and so did she. They kept the pace, twirling in circles very slowly as they followed Ombric's instructions.
They repeated the steps as they moved in circles, North spin her round with each of the finished circles and following the slow beat. The moves were very similar to what could be called the waltz, only that it hadn't been invented yet.
The wizard gave another command. His right arm moved around her waist a little more, and she matched the move with the opposite hand, circling each other in the same place as they locked eyes.
He almost felt out of air when after another spin, Ombric instructed that North must lift her up and twirl around.
When he did it, he lifted her up without difficulty, not even feeling her weight. He noticed how light and tiny she was compared to him, very delicate. As they spin, he didn't really repaired on the way the sunlight glittered on the gems, but mostly in the way it played on her hair and on her emerald eyes.
She smiled down at him, enjoying the sensation of being lifted up.
Gradually, the tempo of the music picked up speed, confusing North a little but the Spirit of the Forest guided him to repeat the moves they had done before. He quickly found the knack after a few clumsy steps and their moves adjusted perfectly to the increasing time.
Some kids tried to join and follow the steps; others just accompanied the music by clapping their hands according to its rhythm. But Nicholas St. North wouldn't have perceived even if the Bear decided to join the dance, he was too centered on the Spirit of the Forest.
Her head tilted back and she laughed carelessly as they turned and swing around every time faster. He found himself laughing too, putting aside everything else in his mind that was not dancing with her.
They kept on dancing till the last notes of the song sounded. When the song ended, they didn't move. Just stood there looking into the other's eyes and breathing heavily, really close to one another.
The children cheered and clapped in delight, interrupting the daze they both were on.
When she broke away from him, he missed her contact. He would never know, but she felt the same.
The sun was reaching the middle of its trajectory, and it was time for the children to leave to their homes to have lunch with their families. The Bear and Ombric followed behind them as they left the shade of Big Root, leaving North and the Spirit alone.
She was blushing deeply and trying to not look at him till her heartbeat had returned to its normal rhythm.
He didn't know what to say, but it was her who spoke first. "I should go too, you must be busy and I should help the Bear to patrol."
He nodded and absentmindedly ran a hand through his dark hair, still not able to find the right words.
But he added motionless to his current speechless state when she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. His eyes widened and she fidgeted a little with her hands.
"Thanks for the dance." Said sheepishly with a hint of a smile and then left.
He placed a hand where she had kissed him and a goofy smile appeared on his face. And as he ascended the steps of Big Root he almost didn't noticed Katherine was there, smiling slyly.
"What?" asked North.
"You could always invite her to the dance you know?"
He patted her head since he knew who Katherine was talking about. He suddenly smiled.
It actually wasn't a bad idea at all.