Peaceful Times

"Stahn!" yelled Lilith, "Get your lazy carcass up! It's nearly nine in the morning!" She muttered as she reached for the frying pan and ladle; Stahn had mistakenly let slip at the dinner table about how Rutee used to wake him up, and Lilith got the idea to imitate it. When the two clanged together, he jumped up and hit his head on the ceiling.

"Ouch! Lilith you know my bed is high up," Stahn reminded her.

Lilith told him, "If you'd get up on time, then I wouldn't have to do this. C'mon…your breakfast is getting cold in the other room." She grabbed him by the scarf and began to drag her brother to the kitchen. However, he was not that hungry first thing in the morning so he picked at it, leading to Lilith getting mad at him again.

It was after one o'clock that Stahn finally shoved a sandwich down his throat. He then got up the courage to talk to his sister. "I'm sorry about breakfast, Lilith. Next time I'll eat every bite of what you make me in the morning, I promise."

"Do you promise to wake up on time?" she asked, "Since you've slept in for ten days straight."

"I promise. So please, don't be mad at me again," he begged.

Lilith thought for a few moments; she loved it when her brother was under her thumb like this. "Then go to the market and pick up some fish for later. I'd just love a nice fish dinner tonight; it would surely perk up my mood a little." Stahn looked into her eyes and saw her pleading look; he hated it when she did this to him because it always worked.

He set out to the market right away. All of the shops in Lienea were contained within a single building so people could go to every specialty counter they needed. Also, if one person wanted fish and grains and the other wanted veggies the second didn't have to wait for the first to finish before getting on with their own errands.

"Lilith told me to pick up a fish," Stahn told the vendor, "I need the freshest you can get."

"Sorry, Stahn. It's all day-old. If she wants fresh fish, then I know she'll get mad when you bring this back to her. We all know of your sister's temper," he remarked. Stahn nodded; he knew all to well that Lilith was not the person you wanted to annoy.

Stahn inquired, "What can I do, then? Lilith will also be really pissed if I return without any."

The vendor brought him close. "Well, there's always walking to Neustadt, but then the fish won't be so fresh unless you have access to some way to keep it cool. Or…you can go fishing in the village pond for something. It's fresh and it's free."

"What are you talking about!?" exclaimed a woman, "That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard."

"We were just joking…weren't we Stahn?" inquired the vendor.

Stahn added, "Yeah, joking. I knew he wasn't serious about that advice. I'll just go to the gates and hang around to weigh my options because anything will annoy my sister." Then, he left as the woman continued to stare at the vendor.

"Gee…one little joke and they're all over you…."

S...S

"Ok, here it goes," Stahn muttered, "I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't here. If I go to Neustadt, Lilith will be mad at me for being late. If I fish from the pond, she'll be mad at me for taking something that wasn't mine. And if I go back home empty handed, she'll be mad at me for refusing to keep my end of the bargain. If someone gave out a reward for being screwed, then I'd win it hands down."

"Stahn…don't worry. I'm sure your sister will listen," the Village Chief's daughter told him.

Stahn, who hadn't notice her approach, exclaimed, "Oh, Lillian! I haven't seen you around the past few days. How's life been treating you?"

She smiled. "Much better since you came back. I was worried when you left because it's lonely around here without you. I really want to spend more time with you…." The girl then sat next to him and grabbed her left arm in both her hands.

Stahn blushed at her touch, but not for the reason the young girl would have liked. He thought back to Rutee and how he'd made the promise to see her again and spend more time with her. It made his wish to return to Seinegald and take Hugo up on his offer to stay at the mansion even stronger. But Lillian had no notion of this; she thought Stahn was simply returning her feelings and being his usual, cute and shy self. So she thought nothing of planting a quick kiss on his lips.

"Wha…!?" he exclaimed, "What did you do that for? I…I don't think you should…."

"Stahn, I love you. I wanted you to know how I feel for so long," she replied.

Stahn stuttered, "But…but…I…I dunno about…."

Lillian dropped a small ring into his hands. "My father has given me his blessing if I were to marry you, and said that when I was ready to do so I should give you this village emblem. I truly hope to hear your answer soon. By this time next year, my father would love for us to be settled down and he hopes for our firstborn within the next three. Please, Stahn. I want to give you everything I possess."

She left him in awe of her brashness. But what Stahn didn't know was that it had taken an extraordinary amount of courage on her part to tell him. Her father had done his best to egg her on because he saw how she pinned for him while he was away; before Stahn had gone on his journey, Lillian would never have thought to be this bold with him.

"Now that's another dilemma," Stahn muttered, "What do I tell her? I know I like her as a friend, but Lillian isn't my type of girl. She's nice, but too shy; I prefer someone who is willing to speak her mind and who understands my love of travel and swordsmanship."

He stood there for a good half-hour trying to figure out what to do about Lillian; this made his problem with Lilith seem small in comparison. Suddenly, two hands grabbed him from behind and shielded his eyes. Stahn screamed, was he under attack?

"Three guesses! Who am I!?" an excited girl's voice exclaimed.

Stahn's mood greatly improved; he knew that voice. The boy replied, "It is you, Rutee! Only you would be so brazen to sneak up behind me and play a trick like that. Man, you don't know how happy I am to see someone from the journey again."

The little voice in the back of his head added, 'Especially you…my beloved.'

After she'd let him go, he turned to see his friend. Rutee was still wearing the bandage he'd wrapped around her after the fight with Lydon and a big smile upon her face. It was her father who'd suggested going to Lienea herself to visit Stahn; he was hoping to improve her mood a little bit by meeting with Stahn again and spending some time with his family.

"It is good to see you again. And I've brought a present with me. I remember you said your sister made really good fish dishes. Does she know how to make Sushi, by any chance? I've brought some ingredients with me from Neustadt; the Draconis was getting an overhaul and I couldn't ride it. And I have a cooler to keep it fresh while we wait for Lilith to fix it."

"Perfect timing!" he exclaimed, "Lilith wanted me to get fresh fish for dinner and the store is out of stock. I don't have anything to transport it from Neustadt quickly and preserve it."

"Then let's go meet your sister; I'd love to try her cooking," Rutee replied.

As the two walked through the door into the kitchen, Lilith inquired, "Stahn, whose your new friend? I haven't seen her around town and I've lived here all my life."

He smiled as she stepped forward. "This is Rutee, one of my traveling companions. She's come to visit me for a little. And she's eager to try your cooking since I told her how good you are."

"Flattery gets you nowhere, Stahn, " Lilith informed him, "Where's the fish I asked you to get?"

"We've got some bonito in my cooler. I'd like to know if you can make Sushi out of it; that's one of my favorite fish dishes. If not, then I'll eat anything you make because I hate being a pushy houseguest," Rutee informed the girl, smiling brightly.

Lilith looked her over a little bit. There was something about her, something that seemed to suggest it was more than just a little friendship going on between her and Stahn. But she didn't find fault with it; all along, Lilith knew Lillian liked her brother, but knew that Stahn was too much of a free spirit to marry someone like her. If she played her cards right, Lilith could very well be seeing wedding bells for her brother sometime in the future.

She told the older girl, "Of course I can make you some Sushi. That's why I wanted it fresh anyway. Well, you and Stahn just enjoy yourselves while I go cook." She ran off to the kitchen, diabolical plotting filling up every inch of her brain.

- - - -

Teefa's Last Words...

Ok, dilemma time for Stahn. That's the problem with being a nice guy. Of course, we all know who he'll choose, just adds a little tension for our poor Country Boy if I make him have issues with another girl as well. Anyway, next time we'll get back into the main story. Romance ahoy and all!