Normal Text – Jill's point of view.
Bold Text – Skye's point of view.
I stood outside Vesta's farm waiting for him to walk by. It was dark and cold but I had to see him again. I had to give him what I held in my hand – a single blue feather.
I had been thinking about it for ages. I loved him, yes – with all my heart, but everyone else in the town hated him. Sure, he was a thief but underneath all that he was a good man!
Three years ago we had met – a warm spring night when I had gone to visit Lumina, he had been leaving just as I arrived. Then and there he had caught my interest – if only because he was so confident, so sure of himself, unlike me.
It had taken me months to realise how I truly felt about him – and now I was going to tell him.
"Skye!" I called as I saw him walk past.
"Good evening, beautiful." He smiled.
"I...uh...Skye?" I stammered, all my courage gone.
"Yes?" He seemed confused but he kept smiling and took my hand in his. "I won't judge such a lovely lady."
Something in his smile and the way he held my hand allowed me to find the words I needed. "This." I held up the blue feather. "I was wondering if..."
"I see how it is." He let my hand fall from his. "You want to give your love to another, is that right?"
"No! It's..."
"Jill, I understand." He sighed and kept walking. "You want someone who's worth your love."
"It's not like..." But he didn't turn back, and I didn't follow him; it was obvious he wanted to be left alone. I bit my lip and watched him as he disappeared over the bridge into the main town. How could he think that? I loved him and now...I felt hot tears well in my eyes and start running down my cheeks.
I hugged myself and began walking home. All I had wanted was to tell Skye I loved him, to propose to him and he had rejected me!
Once home I climbed into bed, pulled the doona around me and drifted off to sleep. Maybe when I woke up everything would be okay and I'd have the chance to explain everything to him.
I headed up to the Harvest Goddess's pond, where I went every night I came to the Forget-Me-Not Valley. My heart was aching as I sat down in the grass on the edge of the water. Jill had shown me the blue feather – rubbing it in my face that she was getting married! How could she do that to me? After all the time we spent together, after every night she let me off the hook for attempting to steal stuff...after all the close calls I had trying to see her again and she goes and gets ready to propose to some other guy! I twirled a blade of grass around my finger and snapped it from the ground, thinking. I loved her with all my heart so I was the one who deserved that blue feather the most. I loved her more than anything so why should anyone else have her? If I couldn't have her no one could! I pulled my notepad out of my pocket and wrote a note to her. The last one she'd ever see from me. I walked down to her farm and slipped silently through the open door. It was quiet except for her breathing – she was asleep. I placed the note on the dining table, knowing that it would be the first thing she would see when she woke up. As I was leaving I kissed her lightly. "Goodnight, my love." I whispered, knowing it would be the last chance I would have to say those words.