A/N: Hello everyone! This chapter has already been published, but thanks to a wonderful review by Mockingbyrd's Tune and the fact that I've officially finished Little Sparrow, I would like to get started on this story again. So while I'm at it I may as well attempt to edit the first one as well! (Though I acknowledge editing has never been my forte.)
3 C.V.
Chapter One
It looked like an ordinary stone. It was no bigger than the palm of my hand, and smooth as glass while maintaining an ordinary grey brown hue.
Frankly I wasn't sure why it caught my attention, but nevertheless I felt compelled to pick it up from where it was lodged in the sand. I brushed the small particles off of it delicately and brought it closer to my face as I inspected it for a moment longer.
"What are you doing Eilley? You're holding up the game!" An annoyed voice complained from behind me.
"Just relax Elwy Parr!" I snapped back, sticking my tongue out at him while I tucked the rock into the front pocket of my apron securely. For some strange reason I felt compelled to keep it to examine it later, but I clearly didn't have the time now- all my friends were waiting for me to begin our game of blind man's bluff.
We'd chosen to meet at Atwall Lake at midday to celebrate my birthday. I suppose it was the only reason I'd been given leave to avoid running errands for my father, and I wanted to make the best of it. Though it was true I normally found ways to avoid my work anyway, at least today I wasn't going to get in trouble with my family for it.
The sun was high in the sky, its light bouncing off the glassy lake into our eyes and making it difficult to see well. None of us could complain though, since it had been raining non stop for the past week, and any reprieve from such depressing weather was well received. Yet I was certain I'd end the day with red skin, given my normally fair complexion's tendency to burn if it was out in the sun too long.
Elwy grabbed a heap of reeds, washed ashore from the rains to the sandy beach, and held them out for the group of 8 of us to draw from. One by one we reached for a reed and ultimately one of the younger boys, Carson, was designated the blind man since his was the shortest. Elwy wrapped a ripped piece of cloth around the other boy's eyes and spun him in a circle thrice. We all ran towards him, tapping him on his shoulder or his back, but every time he moved to snare us we had already changed direction while flecks of white sand flew up from where our feet met the ground, catching the sunlight.
"Come on Carson! You can do better then that!" I called out happily, dancing around him after tapping him lightly on the shoulder. He reached out a hand to try and grab me, but missed by at least a foot. Carson grumbled in defeat.
"This is no fun, I can never catch anyone. And aren't you too old to want to play these sorts of games anymore?" He asked, though he still didn't stop his pursuit of my friends and me.
"I'm only 21. Besides Elwy is older then me." I scoffed back, ensuring that the next time I tapped him it was more of a shove.
"Wasn't your sister married when she was 21?" Elwy asked as he ran beside me, a glint in his eye. "Don't you want to get hitched before you get to old?"
"Hitched to who? You? " I mocked making his face turn bright red to match his hair. For some reason he seemed to become put out by my reply, though I couldn't guess why. He stopped running and came to stand in front of me; the playfulness of his gaze disappeared and he turned uncomfortably serious.
"And why not me?" He asked, taking his hand and placing it on my shoulder. I felt instantly awkward while his deep brown eyes stared into mine and I wanted to make it stop.
"Don't be ridiculous Elwy." I said, brushing his arm off of me as I attempted to slip away and resume the game.
"I'm not being ridiculous Eilley, I mean it. Why don't you marry me? I'll be taking over my dad's cooperage soon enough and I'm almost done my apprenticeship. I'll have a steady job and income, so you'll be well taken care of." He reasoned. I bit my lip as I tried to think of a way to reply without hurting his feelings, though I wasn't sure if that would even be possible.
"What even brought this on? We're friends aren't we? Besides I'm hardly ready to be anyone's little wife- let alone yours." I answered calmly, though I couldn't help but notice the others had stopped playing, and even Carson had lifted his blindfold off to pay better attention to what was being said.
"Am I not good enough for you Eilley? Since when are you the Queen of this village?" He demanded, a vein popping up on his forehead like it normally did when he was at his angriest.
"Come on now Elwy, I didn't mean it like that-" I started, but he interrupted me before I had the chance to apologize further.
"In case you've forgotten Your Majesty, you're nothing but the blacksmith's daughter, and my mom says that you don't even have a dowry. You're lucky I'm even proposing to you in the first place." He spat back.
"So what would you have me do then? Agree to marry you and be unhappy for the rest of my life? What do you want to marry me for anyway? I'm immature and the whole village knows that I'm terrible with kids. I can't even help my sister out with hers, they drive me half way to the moon and back! I'm not ready to start a family yet and frankly I don't know if I ever will be. That's why I can't marry you. You're a decent fellow Elwy Parr but you can do a whole lot better then someone like me." I said, my voice rising beyond what was calmly acceptable. I was telling him the truth though, and everyone listening knew it too, their heads nodding in agreement. The uncanny way children seemed to despise me was well known throughout the small village of Horne, though I guess it didn't come as much of a surprise.
Two years ago I had met a rather unruly child in the cobblestone paved village square. I was sitting on the edge of the fountain in the middle while I ate some bread and cheese I had packed with me to enjoy for lunch, since the weather was nice. But just when I was minding my own business, the little blighter snatched my meal right from my hand as he was nestled in his mother's arms right next to me and took a great big bite. He had to be about 3 or 4 years old, practically a baby, but that still didn't stop me from snatching the food from his hand with enough force to wrench him from his mother and send him toppling into the pool of the fountain.
It wasn't one of my finer moments, and his mother was furious.
"He's just a child, and you're a grown woman! You should be more responsible." She yelled angrily as she dried off her drenched child with the hem of her apron. I just shrugged. He should have learned not to steal someone's lunch. By letting him get away with it I would have been promulgating bad behaviours. In all honesty she should have been thanking me- because I could guarantee that that was going to be the last time he stole anything.
Needless to say the whole town learned of what had happened in no time, and for weeks mothers would shield their children from me as I passed them on the roads. Partly in jest I was sure, but I was also sure there was a small amount of veracity to their fear. I was a woman completely lacking in a mother's instinct. So how could I get married? Elwy should have looked to my refusal as a blessing, though it was clear he didn't in the least. Still angry he stared me down.
"Someday you're going to end up all alone Eilley and you'll have no one to blame but yourself. Who'd want to marry a girl like you anyway?" He spat while some of the others laughed and snickered as he left in a rush. I thought it tactful to neglect telling him that only a few moments ago he wanted to marry me. My friends looked from Elwy's distant figure and back to me, some whispering amongst themselves. I shrugged as I always did when trying to avoid confrontation.
"It's getting late anyway so I should probably get home. My sister's baking me a cake." With a quick wave goodbye I turned my heels while the others continued to talk amongst themselves, choosing to take the longer route home if it meant I was able to avoid another encounter with my angry friend.
When I arrived home my sister was awaiting me anxiously, my youngest nephew Abbot gripping her leg tightly. Her long blonde hair was piled neatly into a bun, and her green eyes held a gaze of curiosity towards me while she mixed a bowl of what could only be cake batter. I couldn't help but notice it was with the same large wooden spoon that had been used to wallop my backside when I had done something wrong as a child. When I had gotten close enough to her she spoke.
"Where's Elwy, I thought sure you'd be coming here together!" She asked like she had been expecting him. I raised my eyebrow in aggravation.
"Why would we do that Desiree?" I wondered, a sharp edge to my voice. She knew. She had known Elwy was going to ask and didn't even give me the decency of a warning! Her cheeks flushed a little as she began mixing the batter with renewed fervour.
"It's just- It's just that you two are such good friends I thought –"
"You thought what? That I'd be jumping up to agree to his proposal? Desi you know I don't want to get married..." I whined as I stuck my finger in the batter, tasting it decisively.
"Little sister! You can't have turned him down!" She exclaimed in surprise, flinging the wooden spoon out of the bowl while traces of the delicious mixture flew around her, landing all over the tiny kitchen.
"Of course I turned him down. I don't want to be tied down yet. Just because you are living in happily wedded bliss doesn't mean that I have to as well." I stated, attempting to pick out the dough from my chestnut coloured hair.
"But you two are perfect for each other, and it's high time you started taking responsibility for your life. You need to settle down and have some children; it would be good for you. But instead you're off playing with children like a hooligan! Grow up." She lectured. I rolled my eyes but decided not to reply since I'd only get us both upset in the long run. Stepping next to her I walked further into my home and plunked into one of the chairs in the parlour.
I wished Desi would just stop. It wasn't like this was the first time we'd had a conversation along these lines, and guaranteed it wasn't the last either. She had the same village mentality as everyone else here, Elwy included. If a person didn't automatically want to settle down and raise a family as soon as they were able then there must be something wrong with them.
"What's wrong with not wanting to get married?" I mumbled to myself, annoyed. I heard the door to the house creak open, and assuming it was my sister, I buried my head in my arm so I wouldn't have to talk to her anymore.
"What's troubling you little Eilley?" I heard my father ask gently while his hand stroked my hair a little absently. He smelled of smoke from the forge mixed with iron and fire. For some reason that smell always brought me a great deal of comfort.
"Apparently I'm strange." I answered nonchalantly, lifting my head up to face him. His green eyes, the same as mine and my sister's, sparkled with mirth as he ran his soot covered fingers through his grey hair.
"Of course you are my dear, and that's why I love you so." He chuckled deeply. He moved over to the stone bake oven next to the fire place, and put another log in to keep it warm. It crackled and popped invitingly, small sparks flying out and landing on the dirt floor until they finally stopped glowing.
"Perhaps you love her a bit too much father, and that's why she is the way she is." I heard Desi grumble from the wooden countertop while she poured the cake mix into a cast iron pot. Abbot had run over to play with his big brother outside, so he was no longer attached to her leg and she was able to move about freely.
Once the cake was in the oven she came over to my father and me.
"Can't you convince her to marry Elwy Father?" She pleaded.
"That kid proposed did he? Why am I not surprised?" He said through spasms of laughter.
"You knew too? Why didn't anyone tell me that this was coming?" I moaned.
"Eilley if you don't want to marry Elwy Parr then you needn't do it, and don't let your sister bully you either."
"Don't encourage her behaviour father." Desiree scolded as she would to her children. She was always trying to act like the boss around the home. Rolling my eyes, I moved closer to where she was standing so I could shove my victory in her face a little more, but I tripped over one of Abbot's blocks and tumbled to the floor awkwardly. It was then I noticed the stone that I had picked up earlier tumbling from my pocket to the ground. The noise it made as it hit the floor wasn't normal, in fact it sounded almost like a bell. It was eerie.
"Ouch." I moaned, rubbing my backside. Tentatively I picked up the stone and held it up to inspect it again.
"What's that?" Desi asked confused and annoyed by the interruption of her argument.
"I'm not sure. But I'm going to see Morowa. She'll know for sure!" I said, and then jumping to my feet I rushed out the door much to my sister's dismay.
"Eilley Marsh don't you dare run to that old star-gazer now! It's almost time for your birthday dinner!"
Laughing, I turned mid run and gave her a brisk wave. My cake could wait.
I had a feeling that that stone was magic.