Evelyn blinked blearily. Her whole body felt heavy and achy. Her arms and legs were the worst, like limp fleshy planks hanging off her body. No, maybe her feet were the worst. The soles of her feet felt as though a thousand tiny knives were digging in sharply; even her toes throbbed with pain. She sighed, the sound deepening and lowering into a pained groan. From outside, the pearly grey of false dawn streamed through the windows over her wooden floor and over the little desk where her open diary lay. Luckily, she'd written in it last night because there was no way she'd be able to force herself to write now. Slowly, she pushed herself up onto her elbows, grunting and moaning theatrically between yawns. On her pillow, Finn snorted himself out of sleep, blinking and wobbling much like her. With a giggle, Evelyn pinched his cheek, then reached over to slap her alarm clock off.
"Time to wake up, I guess," Evelyn mumbled as she rubbed her eyes and ran her hands through her hair.
"I don' wanna," Finn replied sleepily.
"Hey, you brought me here, squirt. Wakey wakey or we'll never find the Goddess Spring," Evelyn teased while shuffling towards the edge of the bed.
"Mother! We have to find Mother!" Finn exclaimed, wings buzzing and sleepiness forgotten. Evelyn rolled her eyes, grinning.
"Yes, we do. But first, breakfast and the farm. We have a cow to get to know," Evelyn reminded him. She froze, eyes wide. "I have a cow. I have a cow!" she repeated incredulously.
"Yeah! A cow you named… Hera?" Finn said, frowning over the name.
"Yeah, well, she's a cow. Hera's the cow-eyed Queen of the gods. Oh, come on, let's hurry. I can't wait to go see her again," Evelyn exclaimed, hopping onto the ground and racing towards her dresser for the day's clothes. "I have a cow, I have a cow, I have a cow hey hey hey hey," she sang and danced cheerfully. Finn flew towards her quickly, bobbing around in a circle to dance with her.
Just as she ran a brush through her messy tangle of auburn hair, a knock sounded on the door. Evelyn shrieked, dropping the hairbrush with a clatter, as Finn cartwheeled backwards through the air.
"Evelyn?" called a familiar female voice.
"R-Renee?" Evelyn stammered back in surprise.
"Yes, it's me! I promised to bring breakfast and help you out with Hera and the farm today," Renee explained through the door, sounding wide-awake and cheerful.
"Oh!" Evelyn rushed to the front door, slipping and sliding on her socks like Tom Cruise in Risky Business, stopped by her body colliding not-too-painfully into the wall. She flung the door open, grinning widely, to see Renee gaping in surprise and concern.
"Are you okay?" Renee queried a little anxiously. Her gaze ran up and down Evelyn's barely put together appearance: flyaway, cowlicky hair, the overtop camisole bunched up in one hand, and socks sliding down her ankles.
"Yup, just got up a second ago. How in the world did you get here so early!?" Evelyn moved aside to let Renee, and her wicker basket of supposed breakfast, into the rundown home. Evelyn's luggage was still in a pile near the bed, the hiking bag open with clothes and bathroom supplies slipping out the top and across the foot of her bed and the floor.
"I just got up a little earlier than usual. I sometimes get up that early to go fishing, so it wasn't a big deal," Renee assured her. "I didn't think you'd have much in the way of cooking utensils so I cooked it all at home. Let's eat first."
"Oh good! I really don't have anything. I brought some, like spoons and forks. Oh, and a spatula! But I didn't have any pots or pans to bring. I saw some old dishes in the cabinets though," Evelyn listed off as she flopped into a chair at the table. Smiling and nodding while Evelyn chattered, Renee opened her basket and set up their breakfast; wisps of steam wafted from the omelet she placed in front of Evelyn.
"I'm glad I guessed right. What… what do you think of Castanet so far?" Renee asked as she sat across the table. Her eyes flickered around the shabby one-room house. Evelyn was too busy staring at her plate of cheesy omelet-y goodness to see the worry in them. The smell of heated milk tea had her eyes fluttering closed in rapture.
"Awesome. This breakfast is awesome, but also Castanet. A few were… less than pleasant at the time, but most everyone else was very kind and welcoming," Evelyn grimaced as she remembered her introduction to both the would-be chef and Marimba family.
"I heard about you being there for Taylor running away. What a terrible thing to witness your first day here," Renee murmured as she stabbed at her omelet. "And Chase is new, and a– an introvert, I think it is? He doesn't really socialize with anyone, but he is new and he was so disappointed that Yolanda wouldn't take him on and–"
Evelyn shook her head to cut Renee's rambling excuses short. "I won't judge this whole town because of less than a handful of people, Renee. A family squabble won't scare me away, or a less than friendly face. I found a great friend in you, and I'm perfectly satisfied with that. Also, my body is too sore to even think about getting back on that cramped up bus for a long ride back home. Everything hurts," Evelyn whined, slumping over the table and shoveling omelet into her mouth. Renee laughed, with none too little relief.
"I'm so happy. Not about your achy muscles, but that you want to stay. So many people are leaving, like Taylor! It's nice to have someone stay," Renee told Evelyn earnestly. Evelyn smiled back.
"I plan on staying a while."
"A whole long while! You can't be a hero overnight!" Finn agreed from next to her plate. He grabbed a handful of cheesy eggyness and stuffed his mouth so full his cheeks bulged.
True to Renee's word, she stayed for breakfast, even helped clean up before packing it all away, and then went out to the barn with Evelyn. She showed her where the fodder was stored and how to feed Hera by hand– "You remembered her name!" "Of course I did. It's a nice name." She demonstrated how to brush Hera's shining black & white coat and how to check to make sure she was happy and what the signs for sickness might look like. Renee then picked weeds while Evelyn watered the crops. All the while, they kept up a bubbling non-stop conversation about college and Evelyn's hometown. At last, Evelyn rang the bell so she and Renee could stand side by side to watch Hera plod out of the barn.
"There's a hot spring behind your house a little ways. It's been too cold for a couple years now, but when I was a girl we used to come down here for picnics and to sit in the spring. It was like going on a little vacation," Renee informed her, hands behind her back as she swayed.
"Did there used to not be anyone living here? I thought some man named Grey lived here?" Evelyn asked.
"Oh, yes! Well, before Grey it was Craig's family home. When he married into the Marimba family, his parents moved to a relative's in the city. Grey came when I was still in school, but left just a few years later. He wanted to have horses, you know? Lots of horses. But it was too expensive to upkeep on a land that wouldn't grow enough crops to make up the difference. He was so angry, but I could tell how sad he really was. He said good-bye to my horses before he left, each and every one by name. They were more his friends than anyone here," Renee reminisced sadly.
"I hope he found a home with horses by now," Evelyn murmured for Renee's sake.
"This is really sad and all, but we still have the Goddess Spring to look for! Ask Renee!" Finn interrupted impatiently.
The new rancher rolled her eyes lightly. "I already asked yesterday," Evelyn pointed out, somewhat exasperated. Renee looked up with a curious 'hm?' Evelyn blushed tomato red. "A-About the Spring, the Goddess Spring. That hot spring isn't it, is it? I meant to look around my uh– area? Property? But I was just too tired after dinner to do anything more than shower and fall asleep."
"Oh! No, definitely not. I've never been to the Spring, but I think the Goddess Spring… well that's probably up by the Mines District. Mr. Dale used to talk about the Tree, and how it withered more every year. He said if it died completely, the land would never recover, but most people thought he was being… overdramatic. Especially the Mayor. He likes talking about the Legend of the Bells to the tourists, but he's never really believed. Mr. Dale always has and I'm sure he could tell you where the Spring and Tree are," Renee said, her nose scrunching up slightly. Finn was vibrating with how fast his wings fluttered.
"Sounds like a good lead to me," Evelyn replied gamely. She stretched her arms over her head, then glanced over at Renee curiously. "What about you?"
"Me?" Renee parroted, head tilting to one side.
"Do you believe in fairies? In the magical tree and how much Castanet is connected to it?" Evelyn clarified. Again, Renee's nose scrunched up in thought, her brown eyes trailing over the barely sprouted crops and the baby calf lying on soft, green grass.
"Sometimes I do. But when the days are especially long, and the cows give less milk and even the chickens seem sad on the sunniest days, and the wind doesn't blow the Windmill strong enough to grind feed… those days I wonder if there was ever magic at all," Renee admitted, quiet and melancholy.
"There was! And we're gonna bring it back, Evie!" Finn declared heatedly. Evelyn nodded once, mouth firming into a determined line.
"I better run up to this Mines District if I wanna find this magical tree. I wanna see it, if I can," Evelyn decided, pulling the map out of her rucksack.
"I can go with you…" Renee trailed off, her eyes turning towards Flute Fields.
"It's all right, I can go alone. I'm sure there are more people to meet up there. It's past this waterfall on the map, right? Up here?" Evelyn asked. She poked at the unlabeled area in the top left.
"Yes, it's Garmon Mines, actually. The Carpentry, the General Store, and the Blacksmith's are up there. Oh, and the accessory shop, though I don't know if Ms. Mira is still working there. If you see Owen or Luke, tell them I said hi. I grew up with both of them, but I don't see them too often these days. Even Luke hasn't stopped by before heading into the Forest. I've missed them," Renee admitted with a pout.
"I'll guilt them into coming to see you within the week," Evelyn declared, making Renee laugh. The women waved good-bye, Renee going towards Flute Fields as Evelyn went up the path she hadn't gone up yet.
Along the way, Evelyn got a better look at the pond near her house. It look placid and calm, but Toby had mentioned it being one of the best places for catfish. There were also a few bushes with raspberries and blueberries alongside the road, and even a patch of wild mushrooms. Whistling cheerfully, Evelyn jogged up the path as Finn chattered and buzzed excitedly about finally seeing the Harvest Goddess again and how proud of him she'll be for finding Evelyn at last. The waterfall came into view as the hill Evelyn climbed plateaued. It was a gorgeous sight that roared into the canyon beside the path. The canyon wasn't very deep, but it was a sheer steep face with boulders that crystal clear water gurgled and churned over. Her wide-eyes were too busy taking in the sight to notice the form straightening from a crouch in front of the gently swaying wooden bridge until she almost toppled right over said-figure.
"Whoa!"
"Whoa–wha–oh my gosh, are you alright?" Evelyn cried, grabbing onto a bright yellow sleeve much too tightly. The boy in front of her blinked rapidly before smiling.
"Yeah, I'm fine. You're the one who almost pitched right into the river," the boy pointed out. Evelyn ducked her head with a sheepish smile.
"Only because I wasn't watching what I was doing. I'm so sorry. I'm Evelyn." She held out a gloved hand to shake, and the slightly shorter blonde boy grasped it firmly.
"Bo, my name is Bo. I'm Dale's… I mean, the carpenter's apprentice. It's weird having to explain that, everyone knows everyone here," Bo laughed lightly. Their hands dropped easily aside.
"I will, too, soon enough. It's nice to meet you, but I have to go–"
"Oh, you mean to Garmon?" Bo interrupted, jerking his head towards the other side of the bridge.
"…yes…" Evelyn answered slowly. She didn't know if it was just a stupid question, or an awkward try at more small talk. Bo blushed at her expression.
"You can't, I mean, go to Garmon Mines. That's why I'm here, to fix the bridge. The Mayor was supposed to meet me with my tools, but he's not here so I can't fix it. I can't let you cross, ma'am," Bo rushed to explain, tone apologetic and face bright red. Evelyn had to press her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing at the 'ma'am' comment.
"Just call me Evelyn, Bo. I guess… I'll go get your tools for you. I don't have anything else to do until I get to Garmon anyway," Evelyn suggested as Finn slumped onto her shoulder with a querulous sigh.
"You will?! Really? I was just about to go, but I can keep anyone else from walking over while I wait for you and I would worry the whole time I was gone, thank you!" Bo exhaled, his relief all but palpable. Evelyn saluted with a grin.
"Then I'm helping do the whole town a service. I don't want anyone to fall in just after a day of me being here. Not a lucky start to a new life at all," Evelyn joked. Bo laughed in a strange halting way, his brows coming down into a half-frown, as if he didn't know how funny such a morbid joke really was but was trying to be polite. Evelyn had to press down another bout of laughter at the poor kid's expense. Too cute. I'm gonna have fun teasing this one. "Be back afore you can spit!"
"Uh– okay… thank you!" Bo called after her.
"Even more delays! Why can't this be easy? Finding you was supposed to be the hard part!" Finn exclaimed, voice definitely pitched into a whine.
"Stop yer bellyachin', Finn. I'm the one who has to do all the runnin'," Evelyn pointed out with an eyeroll, already jogging back down the hill.
"You talk weird too much. I have no idea what half of what you say means," Finn complained instead.
Evelyn huffed in amusement. She let Finn prattle on about how difficult the humans of the town were making it to get anything important done and just concentrated on remembering how to get back to the main town area. It wasn't too hard, she had an excellent sense of direction– once she'd been somewhere, she could always find her way back again– but it was rather far. By the time the sandy path became the cobbles of the town, she was panting and flushed. She almost walked into the wrong building, barely managing to catch the sign proclaiming it as the photo place, before quickly correcting and going into the next building. Only to find it completely empty. Finn and Evelyn groaned loudly at the same time, both irritated but for slightly different reasons.
"If a place is open, people should be in it doing their gorramn jobs," Evelyn muttered darkly under her breath.
"You said it!" Finn agreed petulantly as he snuggled into the sun-warmed hair atop her head.
"Well, I know where the man lives. Let's go burst in on him there. No way am I gonna wait forever for him here. I want to get up to the Mines before lunchtime," Evelyn decided, her mind going towards the bit of lunch from Renee tucked into her backpack. Those strawberries had looked especially delicious, especially after all that running.
After yet another wrong turn into what looked like an abandoned school room, Evelyn found the Mayor's house and knocked briskly on his door. Finn and Evelyn exchanged glances at the weird, muffled sounds coming from inside. Curiously, they both leaned against the door, ears pressed to the wood, but the muffled noises didn't get much clearer. Louder, yes, but clearer, no. There was a clattering sound of something banging all over a wooden floor, and what sounded like a thick, rough voice shouting. Evelyn slung her backpack around her, holding it like one would a sling, as Finn squeaked in fear and tucked himself into her camisole behind her back. The door flung open as Evelyn leaped in, backpack raised to do damage, white-face set and determined, sure there was a robbery happening.
Instead, Hamilton's large, round bottom was sticking out of the front of the fireplace, his short stubby legs waving and kicking, and his fireplace set– poker, ash scuttle, grate brush– scattered over the floor. Finn toppled through the air, laughing raucously, as Evelyn pressed her rucksack to her face to smother her own giggles.
"Who is it? Is someone there? Help meeee!" Hamilton's muffled voice wailed.
"Y-Yes, I-I'll help y-you," Evelyn stammered, red-faced and choking on suppressed laughter. She'd never imagine a city official to look so silly.
"Evelyn? Is that you?" Hamilton exclaimed. "Oh thank the Goddess, I've been stuck in here all morning!"
Finn burst into fresh peals of laughter as Evelyn faced an internal war of pity and humor.
"I'll have you out in a jiffy, Mr. Mayor," Evelyn agreed gamely after getting herself under control. She batted at the still insensible Finn, and grabbed Hamilton around the waist, pudgy and rotund as he was. After a few unsuccessful tugs, she braced one foot against the fireplace and heaved, sending both of them tumbling backwards into the living room. "There, that did it. You all right, Mr. Mayor?" Evelyn asked, eyes still sparkling with mirth and the corner of her mouth twitching. Fortunately, Hamilton was too busy fussing over his fancy blue suit to notice.
"Yes, yes, I'm free at last. Thank you, m'dear," Hamilton gushed, wringing her hand and grinning widely. He didn't even seem to be the least bit embarrassed, too enthused over her help and being grateful.
"Not a problem. I just came by to get the toolbox for Bo. I'm sure he would've found you if I hadn't," Evelyn replied easily. Hamilton's eyes widened.
"Oh yes! That confounded bridge! Poor boy must've been wondering what kept me… you wouldn't mind running back there to him with it, would you, Ms. Evelyn? I'm afraid I'm not quite up to the walk after my poor luck," Hamilton admitted sheepishly, pudgy hands batting at the tears and soot marks on his fine clothes.
"Well, I have to get back up there to get to Garmon Mines anyway. Won't be a problem at all. You should definitely rest for a bit," she agreed, keeping her annoyance and weariness hidden.
"Oh, yes, of course. You haven't been able to go up there yet. You know, there's an old ruin up there in the woods. My son used to play there. I was always scared he'd fall in the pond and drown, but my wife said the Goddess would keep him safe. She had such a soft spot for our old stories, my wife," Hamilton chortled fondly.
"A pond?" Finn and Evelyn exclaimed together. Hamilton blinked.
"Why yes, it's our Goddess Spring. There's a tree there, they say it's magical. My old friend Dale liked to go up there to pray when we were young men. He's quite as superstitious as my late wife. Hm, speaking of superstitions… why don't I give you a present, a thank you for your help just now?" Hamilton blustered into another room while Evelyn and Finn glanced at each other, both grinning and fairly vibrating with excitement. A moment later, he returned with an old book.
"A book?" Finn whispered excitedly, his voice like a tinkling bell. "I can feel it! It's got magic in it, fairy magic! It's been blessed by Mother, I know it has!" Evelyn's face flushed pink as she reached for the offering.
"It's an old book, handed down my wife's family for generations. Her mother was the Mayor before me, but my wife was too delicate to take her place. We have our own little elections here, of course, but my wife's family were an old family, the first family to settle in this town. They loved it so much it was only natural for them to win the Mayorship. She was so happy when I ran in her place," he sniffled and wiped a tear away with a frilly, lacy, blue handkerchief. Evelyn nodded respectfully, gloved hand trailing over the front cover of the book.
"The Legend… of the Bells?" Evelyn read aloud.
"Hm? Oh yes. The legend of our town, and the Tree, and the Harvest Goddess and her fairies. Fanciful nonsense I suppose to a city-girl like you, but my wife believed in it all whole-heartedly. A good woman, my wife, and my son is just like her, Goddess bless him," Hamilton explained somehow patronizing and sincere at once.
"I'll take good care of it. Thank you, Mr. Mayor," Evelyn vowed quietly. She quickly, but gently, placed it in her rucksack, and then slung it back over her shoulders. "I better head back up if I wanna get those tools to Bo…" She waited a moment as Hamilton fussed with his handkerchief. He glanced up at her, frowning in confusion, before it cleared away with a soft 'oh' and chuckle. He puttered away and returned with a shiny green toolbox. With a wave, she was out the door.
Again, she ran up to the bridge. After handing over the toolbox to a profusely grateful and polite Bo, she flopped onto the ground to rest her trembling legs. The air was empty of breeze, but the spray of the waterfall misted over the whole area and her heated face and limbs was soon dewed with cool, fresh water. She chatted a bit with Bo, but he was a quiet, efficient worker, only stopping when he grew hungry. Since he couldn't go back into Garmon for his lunch at the carpentry, and she didn't want to wait for him to walk all the way into town and back, she shared her lunch of strawberries and milk as he told her about coming to be a carpenter instead of going to university. He wasn't quite eighteen yet, with only a high school diploma, but he was satisfied with his choice, content and happy in a way Evelyn had never been after three and a half years of college studies. She was almost envious of the boy– almost. She was too easygoing to be truly jealous.
It was twilight by the time Bo made it to the other side of the bridge and called her over cheerfully. It rocked and swayed, but not quite as alarmingly as Evelyn suspected it would. She jumped the last feet to solid ground and grinned wide.
"That was a great job! You've really chosen a perfect profession for yourself," Evelyn complimented. Bo blushed bright red as he packed away his tools.
"Just like working with tools, is all. They're simple, easy. But I'm not half as good as my teacher, or even Luke."
"Luke?" Evelyn asked curiously, the name ringing a bell.
"Dale's son, a carpenter, too. He likes doing fancy stuff. Stuff like the bridge would bore him and he'd never finish. But he can make some really amazing designs and furniture. He could sell it in the city if he wanted, but he's not really ambitious," Bo explained. They walked up the road together, Finn buzzed excitedly around their heads, that strange trilling bell sound louder than ever.
"We're so close, I can feel her magic, Evelyn! I can feel home," Finn was all but sobbing as he zipped this way and that. Evelyn heart was beginning to beat faster and faster, his excitement contagious.
"This is the carpenter's. Come on in and say hi. Mr. Dale is the best place to get your barn and coop and your house all fixed up!"
"Not to mention the only place," boomed a loud, jovial sort of voice. Bo, Evelyn, and Finn all jumped in shock. The booming voice barked out a deep-throated laugh as a large, broad-shouldered man with a gleaming axe over one shoulder came around the corner of the building. "You finally got that bridge all patched up? Good job, Bo. I'll take a look at it in the morning, but I have total faith in you," the man added with a thunderous clap on Bo's shoulder. The boy winced even as he preened, blushing happily.
"Thank you, sir. This is Evelyn, she helped me," he added graciously. "Ms. Evelyn, this is Mr. Dale, my teacher."
"Just Dale, little lady. Welcome to Castanet. Hamilton's been talkin' nonstop about you. My boy's been just as excited, but of course, he's gone and gotten lost in the Fugue Forest no doubt," Dale shook his head, a wide grin under his bushy blue mustache.
"And I'm Evelyn. No little lady, please," Evelyn said with a wincing sort of smile. Dale barked out another laugh.
"I'm a gruff old man, but I know when to catch up with the times. Evelyn, it is. Can't forget about Boss, though. He likes new friends as much as my boys do." With a sharp whistle between his teeth, a large white dog came bounding around the house, paws muddy and tongue lolling. Evelyn had to hold in her squeals of glee. "This here is Boss. Best company in Castanet and a very good friend of mine," he introduced, rubbing at the dog's head and floppy ears.
"He looks like it. Is it alright…?" Evelyn trailed off and held out an inquiring hand. Boss pranced up, sniffed at her dirty glove, and then let out a happy bark as his tail wagged. With a wide grin, Evelyn dropped to her knees and gushed over the animal, both hands digging into thick fur to scratch and pet.
"Dog-lovers are the best kinds of people in my opinion. You're welcome by anytime to play with him. I don't quite keep up with him these days and Bo and Luke are too busy being my lackeys to play much," Dale joked, blue eyes twinkling brightly.
"I'll definitely be sure to come by to say hi. I love cats, but dogs… you just can't help but love them as much as they love you," Evelyn agreed, laughing as Boss snuck a lick at her chin. She looked up then, absently scratching behind Boss' ear. "Mr. Mayor told me about a Spring, and how you used to go there a lot. Do you think you could tell me how to get up there?" Dale blinked in surprise.
"You already know about the Goddess Spring? That's… It's just odd that a stranger to Castanet would want to go there," Dale tried to explain.
"I guess, but I'm a Classics major back home. Myths and folklore and legends, they're bread and water to me. I'd love to see the Spring. Pay it my respects, being new here and all."
Dale nodded, an air of satisfaction exuding from him. "My son could learn from you. Doesn't care a whit about the Goddess or our stories. Maybe, if he hasn't come back tomorrow, you could go search him out for me in the Fugue Forest. It's been a couple days and I'm actually worried about the wastrel," Dale huffed with a headshake. "The Spring isn't far from here. Around my building that way you'll find a path. Just follow it and you'll find the Spring and the Tree. Don't light any fires or chop down any trees up there, if you'd be so kind. It's a holy place," Dale warned, his glance stern and fierce. Evelyn swallowed and nodded mutely. He clicked his tongue behind his teeth and Boss pulled away with one last lick. "See you 'round, Evelyn."
"We're going to see Mother, Evie! She'll be so happy to see you, and me too! You'll love her! She's the most beautifullest, kindest, wisest Mother in the whole world," Finn chimed as he landed on her shoulder.
"I'm… I'm actually pretty excited about this…" Evelyn admitted as she patting her knees free of dirt and took off towards the path. "It's like everything's been unreal and this is going to make it real. I'll finally meet the one who needed me–"
"Watch out!" Finn cried out in dismay. Evelyn barely swallowed back a cry of her own as a large bear, a monkey, a boar, even a duck and some dogs, rushed out the woods and began to roar and bark angrily at her. She stumbled back, dust rising around her ankles, and face paling dramatically. "They're angry! They think you're going to hurt the Goddess Tree. They won't listen to me!" Finn whimpered, curling close to her chin.
Just then, a thick arm wrapped around Evelyn's waist and jerked her back. A large white mass jumped in front of her, barking just as fiercely as the pack of wild animals while the man behind her dragged her further away. Once they'd backed away far enough, the animals faded back into the woods and Boss's hackles began to lay flat. The arm fell away and Evelyn spun around, livid and trembling. Dale was scowling into the trees, brows low, not even looking at her.
"Excuse you! I didn't need you to help me! Did you think I was going to run right to them? I'm a city-girl, but I am not an imbecile! " Evelyn snapped, jabbing her finger at Dale's chest. He blinked down at her in confusion.
"I thought they were gonna run at you, girl. I've never seen 'em act like that…" Dale explained, voice trailing off as he looked back into the trees.
"They're scared," Evelyn replied, anger and fear gradually abating as she took a slow, deep breath.
"We need something that can calm animals down. I would do it, but they're too angry and scared to listen to me," Finn told her, sadness making his wings droop as he gazed towards the trees. His trilling bell sounds were all but gone in disappointment.
"Something that can calm animals down… some way to gain their attention, or even shock them away from the path, like tinfoil on the counter to keep cats off," Evelyn mused, looking the same direction. There was a moment of silence before Dale's barking, booming laugh startled her out of her musings.
"Tinfoil and cats, you're really a strange girl. But you're hellbent on getting to that Spring, arencha?" Dale said, too observant for Evelyn's comfort.
"Yes, I really am. I have to…" she broke off, blushing and flustered. Dale smoothed down his mustache.
"Well, you've seen how well trained my Boss is. I used my whistle to train him when he was just a pup. You won't be able to train wild animals like that, but you can calm 'em down enough, maybe even get them to go back into the woods and let you pass," Dale suggested. Evelyn and Finn perked up. He pulled from his pocket a bright yellow whistle and Evelyn held out her hand. "I'll wait here, me 'n Boss, and make sure that big mama bear doesn't get angrier instead. If that's alright with you?" His eyes twinkled under his arching, bushy brow. Evelyn nodded once, ignoring her blush. She patted Boss's head, held up her own chin, and walked again towards the path.
Finn was shivering against her throat as the sounds of the wild animals crashed through the trees. Just a ways behind, she heard Boss's warning snarl and Dale's soft command to quiet. As the small mob of angry, frightened animals once again cut her off, Evelyn raised her shaking hand and placed the whistle to her dry lips. Too dry, as barely a sound issued. Finn squeaked, but Evelyn merely swallowed, breathed deep, and then whistled, loud and clear. The animals froze and Finn hurriedly fluttered forward.
A moment later, the big bear nodded its large wedge head and the animals sunk back into the tree. Relief had her knees almost giving out and Evelyn barely kept from tumbling to the ground.
"They said they're sorry for scaring you, but the Goddess has been so weak they were trying to protect her. But now they know you're her special hero, they trust you and they're waiting for you to help her," Finn announced. Evelyn let out a huffing breath before weakly laughing out loud.
"That's a load off my shoulders," she joked sarcastically.
"It is, isn't it?" Finn agreed happily and oblivious.
"Good job, kid," Dale said, walking up to her side. From the other side, Boss whined and nudged at her hip.
Evelyn shook her head. "It was all thanks to your whistle. Thank you," Evelyn replied, holding it out. Dale closed her fingers around it with a kind smile.
"I have a feeling this whistle belongs to you now, kid. You'll need all the help you can get," he said with gentle pat of his large, calloused palm over her knuckles. "If you wanna repay me, go look for my boy instead and bring him home."
With another whistle to Boss, the big man and the big dog walked away. Evelyn looked down at the whistle in her hand silently. With the quiet urging of Finn, she shoved it in her pocket, shook herself, and then turned back to the path. It was time to see the one who'd been waiting for her.
The path was overgrown with soft grass that felt like velvet on her legs and arms. She had to bite back giggles as it tickled her sweaty skin. The springy, mossy dirt became mossy white marble stone that led into a pristine pond. It glimmered so blue in the fading twilight, her skin seemed to glow blue with it. Or maybe the stones were glowing, a soft pulsing white that seemed to sink into her very bones. Finn was abnormally quiet, and she followed his reverent gaze to a skeletal, bone-white tree. She tripped a little going up the steps, her eyes fastened on the tree, but she regained her balance and stepped onto soft dirt and grass. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then, Evelyn noticed the pale white bark had been steadily glowing brighter and brighter until suddenly she couldn't bear to look at it. She flinched, eyes closing, and turned her face away with a gasp ripped from her. A breath, an hour, days later (what was time), the blinding glow ebbed from behind her eyelids and a gentle, silken touch of fingers traced her cheekbone, down to her jaw.
"Open your eyes, dear heart, it's quite safe now," murmured a voice that was like wind through leaves, or a murmuring brook over stones, or maybe even like the warmth of sunlight on skin, all at once. Evelyn's eyes blinked open to see the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen smiling sweetly down on her. "Welcome to Castanet, dear Evelyn."
"Mother," Evelyn whispered in awe. The smile widened and joy, like a child being praised, surged through Evelyn's whole body.
"I see Finn has been using my old name before you often," the Harvest Goddess mused. She glanced then at the quivering little sprite. "Come here, my brave sweet Finn. I'm so very proud of you."
Finn's happy cry had Evelyn grinning, unabashed and just as joyously. Finn and the Harvest Goddess embraced for a moment, lily-white hands cupping Finn's tiny body gently and she pressed her rounded cheek to his stocking-capped head. The little sprite looked as though he were in pure bliss.
"Alas, it's time for serious discussion. My hero, my Evelyn, you must have so many questions," the Harvest Goddess began at last. She kept Finn close to her, but her bright, aqua-blue gaze met Evelyn's steadily. Evelyn nodded, tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth and heart beating double time.
"What… what do I need to do? To help you? Why did you look for someone like me?"
"Someone like you? My dear, I looked for you. It was always meant to be you. I've waited so long for the right time to send for you. Finn I created just to find you. There was never anyone else as worthy," the Goddess explained with a proud smile. Evelyn blinked rapidly, her nose stinging with surprising tears.
"Me? Just me?" she repeated. The Goddess nodded.
"That's right. Just you, dear heart. Only you can find my sprites and help them Ring their Bells. I sent them out long ago to Ring them, hoping it could hold off the inevitable, but of course, my darlings never made it. I had hoped they would, but if they had the timing would not be right, for it was you we waited for, and holding it off any longer would mean we'd have missed you. I suppose that's rather complicated to understand…" the Goddess trailed off, her perfect nose scrunching up, much like Renee's. That simple, sweet gesture had the awe in Evelyn ebbing away into overwhelming affection.
"I think I understand. It was almost time for me to come, so they couldn't do what you asked, because then you wouldn't need me to come until even later. You needed me to come now, though, you couldn't wait because then it'd be too late for me to be the her– the one you needed…"
"Yes, that's right. Clever and brave, just as I knew you would be," the Harvest Goddess praised, making Evelyn blush. "Don't be too humble, my dear. You are going to be the hero I called for. Now, I have five sprites you must find. Alana, Ben, Collin, Dara, and sweet Edge. He must be so lonely and scared…" The Goddess' bright eyes dimmed with concern over her sprite. She gathered herself a moment later and continued, "I can give you hints to find them, and their Bells, but after that it is up to you. You must take them to their Bell Frames and Ring the Bells. They will only Ring if you believe, truly and implicitly, in me and in yourself. Do you understand, Evelyn?" Her gaze was focused and bright, burning straight into Evelyn heart.
"I do. I will. I promise, I will find them and Ring the Bells," Evelyn breathed out. Though her voice was soft, it was firm, unbending. A certainty like she'd never known before hardened her resolve. Perhaps all her life she was waiting for this moment, waiting to make this promise to become the person she'd always dreamed she could be. As the Goddess leaned forward, the glimpse of her translucent wings made Evelyn's eyes widen. A real fairy, the wings confirmed it in way the trilling bell in her head hadn't. A warm press of lips to Evelyn's forehead tore her attention from those glass-like wings, and it felt as though sunlight and water and wind rushed through Evelyn. She breathed it out and she would swear, to her dying day, she tasted magic on that breath.
"I knew you would come, Evelyn Tallesin. I know you won't let me down."
EDIT: 2/9/2018
