Sorry if the next few chapters get a bit 'dry' or even a bit expansive. This isn't too crucial a part in the story but, haha, I had to add some filler to it.
Thank you again for reading!
Neither one of them dared tell anyone they knew of their encounters in fear of tattle tellers until one day Ratonhnhaké:ton brought one of his friends to meet Elena. The boy was a large boy, not necessarily fat but still rather large. He had a round face with suspicious eyes that looked Elena over with an untrusting gaze as if she held a pistol behind her back the whole time. The two boys would talk between one another in their own tongue and Elena would be left to wonder what was being said between them. She suspected a lot of it had to do with how bad Ratonhnhaké:ton's judgment was for meeting and playing with the a white skinned girl when he knew it was not allowed, but every time it seemed his friend made a pass at this idea Ratonhnhaké:ton would correct him with a stern gaze and then point to Elena before pointing to himself. It didn't make much sense but then again it didn't have to as much of anything they spoke of or said was impossible to understand.
A crashing rumble of thunder echoed and Elena's attention was shifted to the skies which had gone from blue and sunny to gray and gloomy in what seemed like minutes during her daydream and she felt the ache of rain in her hands. The storm front brewing didn't seem to dampen anyone else's spirits about town as they continued going about their business even as the lightning flashed and the thunder growled in the sky. A trickling rain began to fall and Elena took to a brisk trot to make her way to an overhanging roof across the way from where she'd been sitting in front of the school yard.
As she walked quickly toward the overhang the rains picked up and she lifted her hand to shield her eyes as she walked before she finally made it to her destination. Luckily her dress was still fairly dry and her hair remained set in its elegant bun but she took to primping herself regardless. Normally she didn't much care about appearances but she was in public now and even if she didn't care to look fancy she didn't want to look unkempt either.
"A brilliant time for a monsoon."
A familiar voice echoed from a short distance away and Elena stopped rustling her dress's skirt to peer over and see the man from before standing just an arm's length away from her. He wasn't looking at her and instead his gaze was watching the street with his arms tucked neatly behind his back giving him a slightly haughty but no less dignified appearance.
"Tis Summer 'round here, can't expect too much predictability." Elena replied in a short but sturdy tone as she went back to straightening and fixing anything that appeared even the slightest bit mussed even though everything appeared just fine; she just wanted to appear busy for some reason.
As if encouraged to continue a conversation by her reply the man chuckled so quietly it was hard to tell if he was chocking or laughing and he turned to the man beside him with a small bow before he turned back to Elena who tried her best to ignore him.
"I trust you finally found your sea legs then, hm?"
She could tell he was referring to she she'd fallen into him only just a couple hours before now and Elena did her best to give him a courteous grin of amusement.
"Lucky y'were there t'prevent me from crackin' m'skull open on the ground, aye?"
Her thick accent came about in her moment of lost composure; the small humiliation at her expense didn't bode well with her despite it being innocent conversation material. After all, what else did they have in common to talk of other than that and this rain?
"All in a day's work, right Charles?"
The man again spoke his eyes forward but the man beside him acknowledged with a nod before saying "Of course, couldn't let a little woman like you fall to the ground, could we? It would be un-gentlemen-like."
At this point the taunting was obvious and Elena sent a cross glare at the man for his remark but he didn't seem fazed and instead huffed with a devious grin before leaning back against the wall to watch the rain.
After a few moments the rain calmed down just enough to allow some filtered sunlight through the misty air giving the area a golden hue of afternoon sun.
Elena took a moment to pretend she was taking a look down the avenue but every once and a while stealing a glance at the man who wasn't 'Charles'; something about his face captivated him and she didn't know what. He seemed so incredibly familiar it was ridiculous. She knew they'd never met before as she would have recognized him immediately, she had a way with faces, so the oddity of his familiar appearance was maddening.
Finally as he turned to her and gave a small tip of his hat before walking off with his comrade the realization hit her; he looked a lot like Connor, or rather Connor looked a lot like him! The resemblance was uncanny and Elena couldn't help but chuckle to herself in thinking she may have just met and talked to Connor's father without even knowing it. She wished for a moment she could find and speak to Connor, tell him of this rather amusing incident but she knew there was little to no chance that would happen as it had been months since she'd last seen him.
As she saw the sun begin to shimmer across the muddy street Elena peered out from under the overhang before reaching out a hand to inspect the air. It felt damp and wet but it was no longer bucketing down so she stepped out gingerly onto the sloshing mud surface before carefully walking down the road. The air had grown thick with moisture and hot, so much so that Elena's hair began to stick to her neck and she thanked heaven for the previous sense to tie it up.
The hustle and bustle of the town had resumed after the brief downpour let up and soon the street was full of yelling, talking, and activity from dozens of people. She was unsure of where she was going but Elena felt a desire to find someplace where it was quiet so she could sit and enjoy some peace before leaving town. She also hoped that in her excursion she might find Mr. Thatcher who remained missing but it was assumed easily that he too had sought shelter from the rain if he even noticed it while haggling in the farmer's market.
With her shoes completely soaked now and muddy from walking Elena secretly wished she could get out of them and walk barefoot through the wetted grass instead, but that was unladylike and would easily cause some kind of uproar, so she kept the sloppy shoes boots on and continued walking toward the edge of the town. When she'd finally made it to the edge of the busier part of the town she could hear the sound of auctioneers rambling off totals, prices, and sales and she turned to see a crowd of people gathered around what appeared to be a horse corral and Elena could see the bobbing head of a beautiful mahogany horse, no doubt as it pawed the ground nervously in the lively action and noise of the auction, perhaps even the auction to determine its own fate?
Elena watched for a moment until the beautiful horse was led out of view and a new one was lead in, this one being a dun coloured one, a pure breed bloodline no doubt. It was then that Elena's attention was spent and she walked a bit further beyond the edge of the city until she saw a patch of woodland just beyond and she made way for it. There it would be quiet enough to relax for a bit before having to take that long bumpy ride back home with Mr. Thatcher.
Stepping into the woodland Elena's feet itched to be set free from the tight confines of her dressing boots but she dared not risk going barefoot in mulched areas such as this, there could be poison oak, ivy, or worse bees' nests lurking just beneath the packed leaf matter on the ground. She walked on through the dense foliage was now sparkling in the sunlight as it shone through the trees' leaves giving the forest a mystical feel to it with glittering all around. The sound of a whispering wind as it swept through the leaves overhead made Elena stop, close her eyes, and breathe deep to take in the smell of the wet foliage. There were few smells that made her feel at home and this was one of them, the smell of wet grass and leaves after a Spring or Summer rain.
Then another scent was carried on the wind as it shifted and Elena's brow flattened as she tried to recognize it, not an easy task as she had no training to knowledge on how to do it properly, not as a dog would but she could still recognize the smell. It was just a matter of putting it to a visual now, which was what seemed to be the hardest part. The smell, whatever it was, whatever it belonged to, or whoever it belonged to brought a sense of comfort and Elena found herself taking in large breaths to hold it before sighing with a smile.
"It is dangerous to wander the woods alone m'lady."
The voice was all too familiar and soon the sound of a body landing on packed earth triggered Elena to whirl around to meet who it was.
There he stood his stature calm and kind as always that familiar blessing of humility in his dark eyes as he let an incredibly faint smile cross his lips as if in a greeting.
It took her a moment to take in the moment as if convinced her mind was playing tricks on her before Elena smiled wide and let out a laugh. Before she could stop herself she reached out and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a tight hug.
"You're safe, thank God!" She said with great zeal as she hugged him and she heard him chuckle, or at least he made a sound similar to it before he patted her back gently. He was never one to admire or accept gestures like this but she couldn't help it; she was so happy to see him alive and well.
After another tight squeeze Elena let go and backed away before looking him over with a happy smile glued to her lips.
He looked very well indeed! He'd put on some weight and he looked very grownup in the sense that his face no longer appeared to have so much innocence to it. He was a man now even more so than ever before. The only dampener to the moment was the realization that this war had tested him, put him through what could only be imagined as Hell and that he was scarred deeply from it thus far. It was a bittersweet meeting but Elena kept her mind positive none the less.
"My goodness, how have you been Ratonhnhaké:ton?" Elena asked her mind still slightly astounded by how fate had favoured her today and she watched him take a step forward to address her as a friend would, his hands together in a sign of timidity.
"This war lingers too long for my taste but it is my duty to fight in it whether I want to or not. I guess you could say I have seen better days and felt better before though I cannot remember when."
His humour was dry Elena chuckled as she understood exactly what he meant.
"And you, m'lady? I trust you have been well?" Connor asked with genuine interest and Elena nodded almost feeling guilty by how fortunate she was to not have the burden of this war on her shoulders like he did. In fact in that moment she wished she had the courage to hug him again and thank him for his bravery as well as invite him back to her home for a well cooked meal but she had a feeling he had important matters to attend to and that his appearance here now was not merely on her behalf.
"I was just in town with Mr. Thatcher getting a few items and supplies. We were meant to leave by midday but seems Mr. Thatcher has gotten caught up in a gamble, an auction, or a bottle. In fact I mean t'go find him, care t'be my escort Ratonhnhaké:ton?"
Elena's invite was rather cheeky but Connor took it regardless and as she offered her arm he shook his head but placed a hand on her shoulder with a small grin before pulling that familiar hood over his head to hide his face. So that was it, he was meant to go to 'work' in town then?
Elena knew very little of what Connor officially did as employment but she assumed he was a tracker of some kind, perhaps he worked for the government or maybe a powerful man who sent him to find his clients and escort them?
Whatever his occupation was his outfit was very specific as well as unique compared to that of the other men about town. Very few men wore hoods these days and even fewer wore the long flowing robe-like coat Connor's donned regularly. There was also the matter of the many native artifacts that adorned his outfit like feathers from an eagle, beans made of glass and stone weaved into intricate patterns, as well as the leather stitched with deer-gut twine. All in all his garments were not that of an ordinary man but very few people paid much attention spare for the occasional glance of confusion before muttering off on their own business. As they walked Elena led the way while Connor walked behind her as if trying to appear distant or unrelated but his sharp eyes were watching her as well as his surroundings easily so she was never out of his sight for a moment. Finally they made their way back to the auction corral and by now the crowd had dissipated as the pickings for horses and livestock got slim or unappealing. Right now a thin gangly nag of a horse stood on the planks, no doubt the poor wretched thing was destined to become sausage meat, and a few men offered up small sums for the beast as the others turned up their nose at the creature. Elena looked around as she and Connor walked through the auctioneer's square to see if she could catch sight of Mr. Thatcher but he was nowhere in sight which was disheartening to say the least.
"Is he not here m'lady?" Connor asked behind her in a hushed tone and Elena shook her head with a flattened brow.
"No, he's not. I guess the next best place t'look would be the livestock salary an' then the pub?"
Elena's patience was wearing thin and despite the fact he'd been kind enough to bring her Mr. Thatcher's unreliability was slowly becoming an unnerving event.
They checked the livestock yard and then the local pubs before Elena finally gave up and for a moment and the two of them stood outside a storefront while Elena tried to think of where ever else the man could be. Her mind was scattered for some odd reason and she was unable to think of where else he could have gone. The last place there was to look would be the local dock-yard but there was little chance of him being there seeing as he had no reason to be. Still, it would be work a shot to look in any case.