"Well? Who is she?"
"She's the new farmer girl, yeah!"
"From the city, yeah!"
"She's gonna help the Harvest Goddess, too, yeah!"
"Huh. Just what I need. Is that all you guys know?"
"You were there when we took her to the spring, yeah."
"I know. A new farmer? She's just some useless competition. I've been a farmer for far longer. She won't stand a chance, and when she can't handle losing to me anymore, she'll leave, and I'll have annihilated the competition. It's as easy as that."
"But…what if she happens to be a good farmer, and collects more notes than you?"
At this, Jamie's already brooding face twisted into an outraged scowl of pure indignance, and the sprite which had spoken shrank back fearfully. "Never. I've been doing this far longer than any pathetic city girl. She doesn't stand a chance."
The day after the commotion at the spring dawned early for Tina. She stretched languidly, but even before her feet had touched the floor there was a sharp rap at her door, and eager to make a promising first impression, she hastened to the threshold. Waiting outside was a young woman, and standing senator alongside a small, floppy eared beagle that stared up with wavering black eyes. Tina found herself immediately drawn to the simpering pup, and listened as the girl introduced herself as Ellen, and then to Tina's delight, offered up the pup for adoption. It would have been a crime to say no, and she and the puppy, which she had aptly named Russell, made easy friends.
Later that morning, she decided that it would only be right to introduce herself to the townspeople, as they were her only source of human contact in that secluded little valley.
So with that, she marched for the first time out of her new home, small as it was, with Russell trundling obediently along behind her at her heels. And she decided that she would introduce herself first to her neighbor, a rival farmer who she hoped would be kind to her. Maybe they could even become friends. Hope alighted in her breast as she flounced along, up past the stout violet house, and into the farmyard. It was then that she saw the same boy whom she'd seen at the spring. The particularly rude, spiteful boy, and she found her heart sinking, but first impressions weren't everything. Maybe she had misjudged him. Completely at ease, she hopped the fence into his pasture. He whirled around immediately, his eyes narrowed darkly, and a small, stubborn frown on his round face.
"What are you doing here!?"
Tina shrugged.
"Well, I don't want you here!" After a moment's pause, he flapped his arms at her as though she were no more than a particularly disobedient calf and spat, "You're a nuisance! Just get outta here!"
At his benevolent tone, Tina whirled around and hastily fled, while a small, stocky rottweiler pelted after a yipping Russell. Behind her, Jamie shook his head. Some people just wouldn't learn.
After a long day of introduction after introduction, Tina was relieved to collapse into her soft, warm bed. Tomorrow she would work harder. She would begin work on her farm, a farm that she would be proud of, and hopefully that Jamie would be jealous of. Or at least one that he could admit was 'okay'. She grinned to herself at the thought before she tumbled into sleep.
That night, when the village had long gone to sleep beneath the watery sheen of a sickle moon, Jamie traipsed the long road up the mountain and into the spring. The sprites were befuddled by his late night excursion, or why he would arrive unannounced as he had, but they stood patiently as they always did, at the lip of the grassy bluff overlooking the crystal spring, awaiting his word. Even before he had stepped into the midst of their huddle, his small, stubborn voice was booming, "I have a mission for you guys! Now listen!"
Instantly at the ready, Jamie found himself regarded closely by three pairs of round, anxious eyes, and familiar enough with their intense determination, he continued haughtily, "I need you three to do me a little favor, and you owe me big time for everything I've done for you!"
The three sprites cast quizzical glances back and forth at one another but remained dutifully silent. Jamie glowered coldly to snare their frightened attention again, and then squatted down and lowered his voice to nearly a whisper, though there was nothing in sight but for the gurgling spring and the cold splendor of the statue before them.
"I've come up with a theory. That new girl can't stay here forever, a single farmer day after day. If she was to stay here, she would get married. Now here's where you guys come in. And don't argue, because I'm the closest thing you've got to the Harvest Goddess, and she would've wanted her will carried out." Jamie was perfectly aware of the fact that he was manipulating the leery sprites, but he continued with confident gusto, "So here's what I need you three to do…" And so Jamie's plan carried all through the night and early into the morning, and when Tina woke to Russell's wild barking, and seeing nothing, hushed him and tumbled arduously out of bed, she had no idea of the three pairs of watchful eyes that followed her all the while, feeling traitorous, but dutiful.
"Maybe I'll try to get on Jamie's good side! Yeah…well, I should at least try. Maybe then he'll stop treating me like total dirt. Maybe we can even be friends! What do you think of that, Russell?"
The dog yapped gleefully in response and waggled his hindquarters in the air.
"I'll take that as a yes. Now…what to bring him…I don't think he'll accept anything less than the best, so I can't go bringing him any poor milk or eggs…oh, I have it! Jam! Who doesn't like jam? And I can gather the berries just up those mountains! Oh, but I'll have to buy some cookware first. C'mon, boy!" And so the determined pair trotted out the door and down the road, to where the Junk Shop's door was flung ajar and inky smoke billowed out. From inside, she could hear Michael's distressed voice, groaning, "Ann, not again!"
Tina grinned and ducked in under the smoke, and ran smack into a young man. As she had knocked his glasses off at the impact, he stooped to retrieve them, fumbling with them over his nose and then eyeing her closely. "Um…hello. I don't think I've seen you before. I'm Louis! A rookie scientist! I'm gonna stay here and help Ann with her experiments!"
His upbeat certainty brought a little shine to the room, but not much as it was still coated in an inch of black soot. Louis shook his head. "Well, I better get to work cleaning up. What's your name?"
Tina was happy to explain the entire situation to him, and he was slightly taken aback by her eager openness, but he listened intently. "Ah, well, I'm sure you'll do fine." Michael, who already knew of her tight situation, had been listening from behind the counter, and as she approached the till, willingly offered her the pot that she required to make jam, just to give her a head start. She grinned and nodded her thanks, then waved goodbye to Louis as he strode off through the back door.
"Well, I'm ready to make jam, then. Ah, I forgot the berries. Well, it is midday…maybe tomorrow then, huh Russell?" The animal toppled onto its side on the floor and barked feebly. "That's how I feel, too." And she collapsed backwards into her bed.
The story's just starting off, so it's not so fun yet, but it'll get there .