Evelyn and Luke shoved through Brass Bar's door that evening so forcefully the door slammed against the wall. Evelyn winced at the sound, but Luke was nonchalantly stomping his way further in. Dinner with the Carpenters had been a fun lively affair, and she should've been used to the loud noises and near disasters that travelled in Luke's wake. With no recriminations sent their way, she shrugged it off. She was almost vibrating with excitement for this get-together with most of the inhabitants her own age, anyway, and couldn't be kept "down" for long. She waved towards the red-haired, broad-shouldered man perched on a barstool. Owen she'd already met briefly before dinner, and he had already given her an old hammer of her own from the blacksmith's that she could upgrade later on (through them, of course). She was more than willing to get to know him better with such an easygoing, cheerful attitude about him. Behind the counter, Chase was fiddling with the stove and Hayden was wiping down cocktail glasses. Kathy, however, was not immediately at the door wreathed in smiles and welcome. It took Evelyn several glances around until she caught sight of Kathy kneeling behind a large, clunky trolley with a tiny, boxy television set and stereo equipment from the early nineties connected to too many wires.
"You lost back there, Kat?" Luke hollered with a shoulder-shaking laugh at his own joke. They both saw Kathy's body jerk forward and the cart rolled squeakily over the stage when Kathy slapped a hand to it.
"Aiiyeee! Damn it, Carpenter! I almost knocked m'self out!" Kathy shrieked in outrage. She pulled herself out from behind the TV trolley to glare over at them, green eyes flashing. "Are ya gonna get over here n' help, or jus' stand there like an ass?"
"I can help?" Evelyn offered, stepping forward automatically. Kathy immediately softened and smiled cheerily at her.
"You don't need t'do that. I'm only raggin' on Luke 'cuz he's our town idiot," Kathy said with a mocking little smirk at the bluette.
"Hey!" But he was already making his way over to her as he protested.
"A sweetheart, though," Kathy assured him with a wink.
Luke frowned suspiciously. "You're still calling me an idiot, arench you?"
Kathy leaned over and kissed his cheek with a loud, sloppy 'mawh' sound that had him laughing. "Only a li'l, sweetheart. How 'bout them wires while I go mix up some drinks for us?" She sashayed away, waving towards Evelyn as she went.
Evelyn crouched down next to Luke, eyebrows high, as the man fiddled with wires and cords. "I have a feeling Kathy teases you into doing things all the time," she noted humorously.
Luke grinned over at her, unabashed and unashamed. "Yeah, you're definitely right. I probably let her get away with it way too much! But, well, we all've known each other our whole lives," he shrugged easily. "It's hard to say no."
"Or you're really a sweetheart," Evelyn joked, poking at his cheek. He sputtered and shoved at her, knocking her on her ass and making her laugh out loud. The TV and stereo equipment crackled and then screeched into life a second later, causing everyone to wince while Luke crowed in victory.
Kathy came hopping back, somehow bouncy and excited with a tray covered in wobbling, overfull cocktail glasses but not spilling a drop. "Yes! The party is on! Blueberry cocktails in honor of our hero, y'all!"
Kathy passed out glasses to Owen, Evelyn, and Luke and frowned. "Chase, what're ya doin? Git over here!" she ordered, one fist on her cocked hip and eyebrow arching high.
"I'm working," Chase retorted exasperatedly. He grunted and stumbled forward at the hard smack to his back from Hayden.
"Don't be scared to have a li'l fun, kid. I'm closing down the kitchen now and headin' over to the Fishery. Ozzie's offered his spare room, so you kids belt it out."
"Tell Toby if he changes his mind, he can come over and sing with us," Evelyn offered quickly. Hayden winked and touched the side of his nose.
"I'll do that, Rancher Girl."
Owen gulped down his drink and glanced up at the clock. "Don't tell me Maya's missin' out?" he asked a little incredulously. Kathy guffawed at the thought as Chase slumped into a chair to sip at the glass Kathy had handed him. The cook grimaced and sighed quietly.
"Maya's definitely comin', but yanno if there's a chance t'be late, she will be," Kathy pointed out, snorted inelegantly. "Fisher n' Candace were the only ones that said no."
"No Candace?" Evelyn repeated with a small frown.
"She's kinda quiet. I don't think she even comes to Brass Bar at all," Luke added, reaching for Evelyn's untouched glass. She smacked his hand away with an eye roll at him.
The door crashed open with even less restraint than Luke had shown when they'd arrived. There was a flash of pink and carroty-red hair before the door bounced back and knocked the woman right back out the door. The boys about fell over themselves laughing while Kathy and Evelyn rushed forward in worry– though perhaps their mouths might've been twitching a little. On the cobbles outside, Maya blinked owlishly up at them, dazed but not worse for wear.
"Am I late?!" she gasped, eyes ever wider. With that, the dam broke and Kathy and Evelyn burst out laughing as they helped Maya back to her feet.
"Nah, girl, you're jus' in time," Kathy assured her. "We haven' even had the second round yet and Renee ain't here yet."
"Oh, good! I don't want to miss out singing some Justin Beiber!" Maya gushed happily.
"Right, that would've been a tragedy," Evelyn muttered under her breath. She perked up seeing the bright yellow figure coming over the bridge from Clarinet District. "There's Renee! I think we can finally start picking out music!"
"I'm gonna need a whole lot more alcohol first, Rancher Girl," Kathy said mildly. Evelyn grinned in amusement.
By the time ten o'clock rolled around, it saw the little stage crowded with people Evelyn was already coming to count on as friends. A night of loosened inhibitions and ridiculous "dancing" to an eclectic roll call of music tended to build bonds. While there was a mix of hip-hop and hard rock for most of the others, Evelyn was more a one-hit wonder and 90's chart-toppers sort of karaoke star, Maya eagerly jumping in to sing off-pitched, but unreservedly. Even Chase mumbled words to at least half the songs and barely hid his tapping foot under the table. Luke and Kathy especially loved Queen and Metallica, whereas Renee could rap startling well about spaceships with way too many curse words for such an innocent face. Owen preferred bass-toned country songs that sounded vaguely familiar sometimes, especially the choruses that Evelyn could join in on.
'Enter Sandman' was followed by 'Barbie Girl', then 'Hillbilly Bone' to a totally left-field 'Feelin' Myself' that had Evelyn's jaw dropping at Renee. Not to mention Maya dragging Chase up onto the stage to sing their way through either a 1D song or a Bieber song– Evelyn was pretty bad at telling the difference. They ended the night with a way too drunk 'Bohemian Rhapsody' that had Kathy and Luke dancing on the tables and air-guitaring that would have done Brian May proud. And lastly, an exuberant rendition of 'Wannabe' that every single one of them jumped up and sang wildly, jumping up and down and going pitchy and breathless by the end. The incessant laughter and cocktails of ever increasing ratio of alcohol to juice didn't help, either.
And those were just the just the songs that stood out the loudest in Evelyn's brain after the fact. They all– minus Kathy and Maya– stumbled home much much later that night, sniggering and stumbling, arms wrapped around waists to hold each other up. Even Chase was tucked up in the curve of Owen's meaty arm, red-faced and disheveled and smiling.
…
Evelyn woke feeling refreshed and energized despite the late night and running around she'd done the day before. There was something about karaoke and a good group of fun people that re-charged her batteries. On the way down to town yesterday, she had stopped to put up Hera for the night and checked on her new chick, Aphrodite, who'd been deposited in her coop safely as Cain promised. Today she'd have a bit more time to get to know her little chick, though. It had been a quick, cursory check over and feeding before Luke had dragged her to Harmonica.
She whistled her way through breakfast, her throat too sore to sing, though she did cave and whisper-sing along with Finn now and then. (He'd of course stayed home to sleep when she'd gone to the Bar.) The delicious purple herb tea went a long way towards soothing her throat, thankfully. Feeding and cuddling Aphrodite was barely a chore, neither was feeding and brushing down Hera much worse. Hera had lifted her heavy head and watched Evelyn approach with liquid brown eyes that seemed to recognize her. It was a heady feeling. She might've almost thrown herself around Hera's thick neck in giddy adoration, but she controlled herself. Hera needed to get to know her a bit more before she scared the poor little calf. Her crops were easy enough to water and weed, and she stood in the middle of her field, fists on her hips and chewing her lip, wondering if she were ready to take care of more crops each day. Hera stood nearby, gazing at her placidly while Aphrodite's shrill peeps echoed through the heavy spring air.
"Heya, Evie!" shouted a boisterously loud voice, breaking the stillness and startling Hera into movement away from the source. Evelyn was already grinning as she looked up and saw Luke clomping down the path towards her.
"Heya, Lu!" Evelyn replied, grinning at his disgusted grimace. She violently protested his sudden chokehold and noogie between bouts of laughter.
"It's Luke! Not Lu! That's the worst nickname ever!" he ordered, as Evelyn squirmed and tugged at his arm.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, jerk! Get your gross, smelly arm offa me!"
"I'm not smelly today! I showered just yesterday!" Luke protested in mock-hurt, making a show of sniffing under his arms. Evelyn snorted. "Did you wanna go chop down some trees with me? I got this great swinging technique, all in the hips and knees. Your arms are kinda puny, so you need to get the… the… speed? Yeah, the speed just right."
"Pretty sure you mean momentum," Evelyn corrected with a grin and said-puny arms crossed over her chest. Luke wrinkled his nose.
"They aren't the same thing?"
"… not really. But yeah, sure, I'll go with you. I can't really afford to do much on my farm until I pay off the down payment, but I might as well start stocking up on lumber. I need a lot for all the renovations ahead of me. And my home really needs it," she admitted with a sigh. They both turned to look at the ramshackle homestead as identical grimaces twisted up their faces.
"Awesome!" Luke declared a moment later, doing his swinging fistpump. "The faster we get there, the faster we can get started. You ready?"
"Oh, yeah. Lemme put up my tools and grab what I'll need. Do you mind if we swing by Marimba first? I wanna get some more seeds to plant. I'm finally getting fast enough that I think I'm ready for a decent-sized crop," Evelyn told him as he followed her into the house. He 'hm'd and 'hah'd as he peered around– not the least bit ashamed of his rude curiosity which only made Evelyn roll her eyes and snicker as Finn scolded the fairy-deaf carpenter furiously.
"The inside isn't much better than the outside," he announced a second later. Evelyn laughed outright, but Finn pretty much cartwheeled in outraged shock. "We can swing by Marimba, no problem. Maybe she'll have some canned spinach from last year in storage still. Pops is running low," Luke mused wistfully.
"Was Popeye your favorite cartoon growing up?" Evelyn asked amusedly. She thrust a beat-up old thermos of tea into his arms and shoved him towards the door.
"Eh?! How'd you know?" he exclaimed, eyes wide in awed surprise.
"Lucky guess," Evelyn retorted with a chortle.
The walk to Flute Fields was just as nice as her walk with Toby had been the day before. They even swung by the beach so she could collect more shells– she also found some mussels that Luke stuck his tongue out at. Unfortunately, Toby wasn't there again. She recounted her story of finding the Yellow Bell there, minus Collin, making Luke laugh and demand to see it when they got back to her house later. He vaguely remembered seeing another Bell and Arch, but they were all over Castanet and he couldn't exactly remember where he'd seen them all.
"There's definitely one down in the Mine. Ask Owen about it and he'll show you where it is. He knows the Lower Mine like I know Fugue Forest," he suggested as he pushed open the door to Marimba.
"Thanks, I wi–" They froze, feeling irrationally guilty and awkward as raised voices reached their ears.
Ruth and Craig came into the shop from the living area, too busy arguing to notice the two of them standing in the still open doorway. Craig was more silent, with a mulish look on his face and a stubborn turn of his mouth. Ruth, however, was sharp-tongued and vocal about the displeasure clear on her features.
"You can't just give up, Craig! That's exactly why our children left, because you refuse to try anymore."
"What's the use of trying?" Craig finally burst out in the middle of her diatribe. "The soil's all but sand, and the crops are puny if they even manage to grow at all. The land is dyin' and there ain't nuthun I can do 'bout it. Good thing they left. They're both smarter than you'n me ever been." With that touching comment, Craig brushed past Evelyn and Luke, shoulder clocking the male as he went. Luke grunted and rubbed at his chest as they both stepped more into the shop and let the door slam behind the older farmer. Behind them, Ruth sighed.
When they turned back, she looked shamefaced and weary. The smile she attempted didn't actually deserve the name. "I'm sorry you had to see that. Especially you, Ms. Tallesin. This is the second time you've seen my family at their worst and you're barely even moved into town," Ruth apologized, tone too dry and heavy to sound quite sincere. As if she were too tired to truly care anymore. Her thin, brown hand rubbed at her forehead.
"It's all right, really. If you need me to, I can come back at another time…" Evelyn trailed off as Ruth waved her hand in the air to cut her off.
"You'll most likely see yet another argument. Might as well get what you came for. More seed?" Ruth inquired as she trudged towards the counter.
"Yes. Please," Evelyn answered haltingly, stumbling towards Ruth at Luke's none-too-discreet prodding to her back. She cast a glare back at him– narrowing her eyes at his butter-wouldn't-melt-in-his-mouth expression– and hurried to place her order. "I couldn't help but hear… I mean, obviously, er– I mean… I didn't mean to hear– What's wrong with the soil?" Evelyn stammered and blurted as her face heated up. Behind her, she could hear both Finn and Luke snickering at her expense. Ruth's wry smirk made her blush deepen.
"For the past few generations the land's been getting weaker and weaker. In my grandfather's day, the whole fields would be filled with thriving crops and flowers. Even then, there'd be patches where crops didn't grow as well as the others, but we still had famous, award-winning produce to sell in the cities nearby. Nowadays, getting even decent-grown crops is hard. I inherited this land, and I remember the stories my grandfather told me, of the blessing of the Goddess and the wealth of the soil. My husband grew in Castanet, too, and he's loved this land just as much as I do, and knows the history just as well. No matter what he's tried, nothing comes close to the stories we grew up on," Ruth explained sadly. Despite the continually depressing topic of conversation, her work-hardened hands deftly weighed out and tied out little bags of seeds without hesitations while Evelyn counted out the right amount of auree.
"My Pops talks about her, too, the Goddess and her Tree. Says she'd been getting weaker and weaker and Castanet is dyin' with her," Luke added with a tone a little too serious. He turned and winked down at Evelyn. "It sounds like stories to me, but my Mama believed just like Pops. She used to go to the Spring and pray with my Pops 'fore she died." Ruth nodded mutely, then she handed over the portioned out seeds and scooped up the small stack of bills and coins on the counter.
"Is there anything I could do? To help Mr. Craig?" Evelyn asked, already stuffing the little bags and her wallet into her rucksack. For a fleeting second, a genuine smile flitted over Ruth's weary face.
"That's a sweet sentiment, but unless you can grow a bushel of better than decent lettuce to send to the city for me, there's not much to do," Ruth wryly replied in a defeated tone.
"I could! I could do that!" Evelyn exclaimed, eyes lit up and earnestness fairly oozing out of her. Ruth blinked and stepped back a little. "I'll grow you a whole bushel full of really good, delicious-looking lettuce that people won't help but buy."
"You don't really need to do that, Ms. Tallesin. But I suppose… if you're offering… it would help me and my husband a bit…" Ruth said slowly. Evelyn held up a fist.
"I will. Count on it."
"Thank you. If you'd like, I could give you a discount on seeds–"
"No thank you, ma'am. That defeats the purpose of making you a bit of extra cash after all. Maybe… Maybe you could help me find something? A big yellow arch for a bell?" Evelyn inquired hesitantly. Ruth looked shocked once more.
"Of course. Why in Goddess's name do you care about that old thing?"
"You know what it is?!" Evelyn exclaimed with both palms slapping flat on the counter. Finn thudded against the back of her head and clutched at her hair.
"It's been on Marimba land for generations," Ruth replied, eyes rather wide and body leaning back a little ways from the force of Evelyn's exuberance.
"Whoohoo!" Evelyn pumped her fist in the air as Finn flew around her in dizzying circles. She grabbed Luke's hands and jumped up and down excitedly. "We found it! We found it!" Luke blinked, then grinned widely and started bouncing up and down with her.
"We did it, Evie! It wasn't hard at all!" Finn chimed just as exhilarated, his fairy glow like a shower of glitter around their heads.
"You found it! I don't get it, but it's awesome!" Luke shouted, while they sprung around in circles. Ruth raised a single, perfectly arched eyebrow.
"If you're quite done, I have peace and quiet I'd like to get back to," she said dryly.
"You got it, Mrs. Marimba, ma'am!" Luke saluted. He lifted Evelyn, rucksack and tools and all, and ran out the shop. "SHE FOUND IT!"
"LUKE! PUT ME DOWN!" Evelyn shrieked in laughter as she waved towards Ruth. "THANK YOU, MS. RUTH!" she hollered as the door slammed behind them.
Hours later, after lunch in the forest and a good pile of lumber having been chopped (compared to the mountainous heap that Luke had cut down, she hadn't done poorly), Luke stretched out along the grass in front of her house with a loud groan. Aphrodite immediately scuttled over to him to investigate while Evelyn began hoeing away at her field. Her arms were wobbly from axing at trees all morning, but the long break for lunch already had her feeling rested enough to at least get her seeds planted. She had a lot of lettuces to grow after all.
"I could help," Luke called over even as he played with the curious chick climbing all over his legs.
"No, I got this. I get better and faster every time I use this, so I can't just give up now," Evelyn grunted, wiping sweat away. She grinned when she finished a patch large enough for the first bag of lettuce seeds. "See! Took me half the time it did just a couple days ago. How long have I been here?" Evelyn muttered in confusion. Luke shrugged.
"I've only known you a day, so I wouldn't know." Evelyn made a face over in his direction, unimpressed by his 'helpfulness', which only made him grin widely in response. "C'mon, Speedy, I wanted to go work a bit in the workshop before dinner," he added with a whine. Evelyn rolled her eyes.
"Just go without me."
"What?! Why would I do that? I'm supposed to show you the mine so you can find Owen, remember? I'm not gonna just leave you here!" Luke protested vehemently.
"I'm pretty sure I can find the mine all by myself. I even have a map if I get lost on the single street in Garmon," Evelyn retorted in a so-dry-it-burned tone. Luke snickered quietly.
"Yeah, okay, point," Luke conceded. He slowly got to his feet, wary of the tiny yellow ball of feathers next to him. It wasn't often she saw Luke so careful and aware of his surroundings and it was… kinda cute, how worried he was about where his boots went. "You sure it's okay I take off?"
"Yeah, please do. You're throwing off my groove, man," Evelyn drawled. Luke laughed and dusted off his pants.
"Right, sure, Kuzco." Evelyn grinned wide at Luke's catching onto her reference. She waved as he jogged away, axe glinting from his shoulder.
"Eeevvvviiieee, I've been so bored and the Forest is scary. Let's never do that again," Finn wheedled as he buzzed around her shoulders.
"Sadly, I'm going to have to go there a lot, with or without Luke. You do see the buildings we're living in, don't you?" Evelyn pointed out as she waved around the farm. Finn sighed and thumped on top of her head.
"Do we really have to go to the mine today, too? I don't like creepy dark places, they're creepy!" Finn asked. He peered over her forehead to watch her hoe break through soil.
"Yes, but only to see that Bell Luke talked about. Owen should be able to take us straight to it and then we'll come straight back. If it'll make you feel any better, we can stop and spend time with the Goddess. We have to ask her how to help Collin, might as well rest for a while."
"REALLY? We can?!" Finn shrieked excitedly. Evelyn winced at the volume even as she smiled.
"Yup. If we wait till after the mine, we can spend all evening with her. As long as you want," Evelyn offered graciously. Finn cheered and hugged the crown of her head as best he could which made Evelyn giggle.
Finishing up planting her rows of lettuces and turnips didn't take too much more time, and they were on their way towards Garmon before afternoon was too far along. It was nice to meander her way up the hill, smiling at Finn's twinkling high spirits, stooping occasionally to pick mushrooms, berries, and even a few herbs along the way. She'd gotten pretty good at spying out the wild mint from the grass as she walked. Bo was outside the Carpenter's as she passed, his arms full of hewn and de-barked logs which all tumbled to the ground when he tried to wave. Evelyn snickered behind her hand and kept walking. No need to make him even more embarrassed after all. It was easy to find the blacksmith's, since Garmon District was quite literally a single dirt path with houses and a mountain on one side and a cliff on the other.
"Hallo?" Evelyn called out hesitantly as she pushed open the door. Right in front of her was the counter and register, behind which was a squat furnace filled with ash. There was a slight glow of embers amidst the cinders, and it was even warmer inside the shop than out, but nothing really seemed new. The few tools hanging on the walls for sale were old, the metal dull and the wooden handles dark and smooth from use. A loud clomping noise from her right had her turning to see an older grizzled man with a large hooked nose and wearing an oily, cracked-leather apron. His face was lined and dark from soot, his hands huge and covered in old burn scars, but his dark eyes twinkled under his craggy brows and his bushy mustache quivered over a mostly hidden smile.
"This is the famous Rancher Girl, is it? My grandson was telling me about you. Something about 'Eye of the Tiger'?" the older man mused just a shade too politely. Evelyn's face heated.
"That may be my go-to karaoke solo, but speaking of loud-mouthed grandsons, where is Owen?" Evelyn replied in a rather desperate sounding tone. That giant bushy mustache quivered harder.
"He's already down in the mine. He said there was a rock fall he needed to clear, down on the tenth floor. I see you already have a hammer. Owen give you that? It looks like one of mine," the blacksmith queried, stomping his way behind the counter.
"Um, yes, it is. He gave it to me yesterday. I'm sorry, I don't think I know your name?" Evelyn queried, embarrassed and mentally kicking herself for being so rude. "I'm Evelyn."
"Ramsey Gravel. My granddaughter is around here somewhere… if you see a little red-head with her nose where it doesn't belong, that'll be my Chloe," Ramsey told her with a fondness in his gruff, crackling voice that made Evelyn's anxiety settle and seep away. He was the kind of teasing, sweet, old man with a crusty exterior she'd always wished her own grandfather could be. "I would offer my services to upgrade that old thing Owen gave you, but well…" His dark eyes trailed over to where the ash and embers glowed weakly. "I never can get the fires hot enough. It's the damnedest thing, excusin' my language," he tacked on hastily as he rubbed his face wearily. "Not even the hot springs are hot enough to have a lie-in, and the lights in the mines just won't shine bright enough. I've had to close the upper floors because it's too dark to be safe, not that it stopped that mule-headed Kettles girl," he muttered to himself.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Mr. Gravel. I'm sure it'll get better soon," Evelyn assured him awkwardly. "But, um… I better go before it's too late…"
"Ah, yes, you do that. Be careful in there. And if you see my Chloe, tell her to get back in here, would you?"
"Of course. Uh… thanks? Bye!" Evelyn stammered before rushing out.
"It's gotta be because of the Bell! The Red Bell!" Finn blurted the moment the door swung shut behind them. "Alana's melody invigorates fire!"
"When you talk about those bells affecting everything in Castanet, you really weren't kidding. Even fire can't get hot enough without it?" Evelyn asked incredulously. Finn nodded so fast his head looked ready to fall right off. "That must be what's messing with the Ocarina's ovens, too. Though… that seems a little weird for just magic leaving. I mean, other places don't have magic and they can make fire hot enough to melt metal. It seems more like…" Evelyn broke off, biting down on her bottom lip. The mine's entrance loomed ahead, thankfully distracting Finn from pushing for the rest of her thought.
"Do we have to go inside, Evelyn?" Finn whispered as he tucked himself along the curve of her neck beneath the curls of auburn hair.
"We won't be long and then we'll see the Goddess, okay? We'll be fine," Evelyn reassured him. She patted his head and made her way into the mountain. He trembled as the light drastically dropped with the temperature. There was a mess of wooden slats, boxes, and dented, wheel-less carts in the open area, and across the way two different entrances. The one to the right seemed to lead slightly upwards before succumbing to almost pitch-blackness, but to the left was a reinforced doorway, well-lit (comparatively), and a staircase that she could see led downwards when she got close enough. "Just ten floors to go."
"Just ten," Finn repeated shrilly. "Oh yes, that's not much at all."
"I think I've been a terrible influence on you if you're already using sarcasm…" Evelyn murmured, ignoring the shiver of her own trepidation. With a breath to brace herself, she made her way down.
The steps creaked ominously, but neither sagged nor cracked under her weight. The worst part was the steps seemed to only lead one flight down, something she confirmed once she found the small wooden sign nailed to the doorway at the bottom of the stairs. She had to search over the entire mine floor, picking up weird white mushrooms and toadstools as she went, before finding the second set of stairs down. Each floor was the same game of hide-n-seek with the staircase leading lower. On one floor she searched every dimmed corner and cranny before she'd caught sight of it under a large rock she then had to bust apart.
"What the helicopter is this about?" Evelyn grunted as she kicked away rubble. There was a bright red rock with shiny ripples throughout it amongst the debris that she pocketed with a shrug.
"Ramsey did say there was a rock fall. Maybe it happens a lot?" Finn suggested as he hovered around her. He hadn't left her shoulder until she'd needed to swing her hammer around. The moment she started down the steps, he was back to shivering under her ear.
"That's probably it. What a pain. And this guy does this every day. For fun?" Evie grumbled rhetorically. "I think I'd rather chop down trees. I'd rather be Paul Bunyan than one of the seven frackin' dwarves."
"You know seven dwarves?" Finn asked in confusion.
"Right, so Disney movies are now the top of your educational list."
"My educational list? What does that mean?"
"It means you've missed out on too much and I'm going to educate you on some fun stuff you should know about. Disney movies are definitely something you'll enjoy, I promise. Not like Firefly, though I honestly should've seen that coming. What floor is this? Hover up close to that sign there, would you, twinkle toes?"
"My toes don't twinkle," Finn protested although he did as she asked.
"It's the ninth floor? Sweet, just one more. See, that wasn't so bad, right?" Evelyn asked cheerfully as she ducked around a huge rock studded with gleaming white quartz. If she weren't in a bit of a rush, she would've probably taken the time to bust up some more rocks and find more of the pretty orangey-red rocks she'd found earlier. She could collect them, put a bit of ambiance in her shoddy little cottage.
"I guess it wasn't… But I still can't wait to leave. I like the forest more than this! At least I could hear birds and squirrels and other animals in there. It's just dark and drippy and gross in here," Finn whined. "There! The stairs! Thank goodness!"
"Hey, it seems like there's more light down there. Do you hear that, too?" Evelyn asked as she swung through the opening and landed a few steps down.
"It sounds like… pounding… on rocks! It's a hammer!"
"Yup, I think I see Owen– whoa what is this place?" Evelyn exclaimed, her voice echoing through the cavern. Faded murals flickered under the torchlights, collapsed pillars created strangely smooth swells and shadows over the ground, and across the wide, mostly cleared floor, a tall, awkward shape loomed.
"Evelyn!" Owen boomed in his distinctively deep voice. His large, gleaming hammer slammed to the ground and he leaned against the large boulder at his back. Chunks of rock and rubble were scattered around him, signs of clearing the rock fall Ramsey spoke of. "You came to see the arch, didncha?"
"You remembered. Is that it? Over there?" Evelyn asked, picking her away around rocks and waving towards the odd structure beyond the boulder.
"Yup. Sorry, I was trying to get this cleared before you got down here, but it's been a mess. I had to chase Chloe off one time, too. I think, though, I cleared enough for you to get by. I'll help you–"
"I got it. More than enough room to get by," Evelyn quickly interrupted as she patted Owen's sweaty, thick arm. "Why don't you take a rest, man? Thank you so much for doing this for me."
"It's not a problem. It's not like I can do much at the smithy these days," Owen replied with a shrug. He perched on a fallen pillar and fished a water bottle out of a large sack lying on the ground near their feet. "Go take your looksies, sweetheart. I'll be over here."
"I don't appreciate the sweetheart thing," Evelyn tossed over her shoulder as she stumbled her way over the debris. Owen guffawed cheerily in response.
"Ooooohhhh, Evie! Can you feel it?" Finn whispered as they approached. "It's Alana's Arch. It's so warm, like fire in my tummy all the way to my toes!"
"Yeah, I feel it… a little, but Finn…" Evie's eyes narrowed as her voice trailed away. The closer they got, the more something seemed wrong with the arch. They stopped in front of it, eyes taking in the ruby red metal, the soot and rock dust that obscured the strange old-fashioned markings carved beautifully into the iron. "Finn, the Bell…"
"The Bell?" Finn repeated, breathlessly. Then he saw it… or well, didn't see it. "THE BELL! THE BELL IS GONE! EVIE, THE BELL IS MISSING!" Finn shrieked, arms and legs waving and wings fluttering faster than a hummingbird's. He buzzed around her, a tiny whirlwind of glittering light, before taking off around the cavern. Whatever fear he had for the dark mine was forgotten or ruthlessly shoved aside as he fluttered about, illuminating every darkened corner. But no bell, fairy-touched or otherwise, was found among the ruins and rubble. He slumped onto her head with a wailing sound. "It's really gone," he cried in dismay. Evelyn swallowed down her own disappointment to calm down Finn.
"We'll find it, Finn. Don't worry. Hey, Owen!" Evelyn called as she made her way back to where she left him. His big, gloved hand reached around the boulder and he tugged her easily over the mess and back to his side. "Thanks."
"Not a problem, sweetheart," Owen winked with a teasing smirk. Evelyn rolled her eyes.
"Stuff it, rockhead. I found the arch, but, you know, I read that book Hamilton gave me. I coulda sworn there should be a bell hanging on that," Evie prompted, taking his proffered water bottle gratefully.
"Well, yeah. It's been there long as I can remember. My grandpa swears up and down that there's a melody, an old song, that his grandfather taught him. He called it the 'hearth song', and he still whistles it."
"That's fascinating and all," Evelyn retorted, barely reining in her impatience, "but the bell isn't there. It's gone."
"What? Really?" Owen said dumbly, big eyes blinking in confusion before they flickered towards the Arch.
"No, I'm lying for kicks and giggles. Yes, really. It's gone. It's just a big ole red bell frame."
"Maybe it fell when all this mess did," Owen suggested, smacking the boulder next to them. "I'll finish clearing this all out and give it a good search through. Come back again tomorrow, 'round lunch time. I'll know for sure by then."
"You'll do that for me?" Evelyn asked in relief. His hand clapped onto her shoulder, warm and heavy.
"Yeah. Besides, that bell is special. It's like, an heirloom, kinda? My grandpa would skin me alive if I didn't try and find it. Don't worry, I know these mines like the back of my hand. I'll find it if it's down here," Owen promised. Evelyn smiled brightly.
"Thank you so much. You still can't call me sweetheart." She left him laughing and shaking his head. "See you tomorrow, Owen!"
…
The sun was setting, and her stomach was rumbling quietly, but Evelyn stayed stretched over the soft grass, eyes closed and lips curved up. The gentle sound of water lapping at marble was more soothing than a lullaby and it took too much willpower to re-open her eyes to meet the Goddess's. The beautiful fairy was seated on the grass beneath her achingly bare tree. Gossamer wings lay on her back and trailed over her lap like a silken cloak. Her azure gaze was fixed on the distance, pensive and melancholy, even as her nimble, pale fingers sifted through Finn's thick, black hair where he sat curled up like a tiny kitten on her lap.
"Harvest Goddess?" Evelyn queried softly, wincing at her own interruption of the Goddess's reverie. That intense, fatigued gaze settled on Evelyn and a tiny smile bloomed over the fairy's face.
"Yes, dear heart, I'm still here. Just going over what you've told me. I'm glad you have two arches, and one Bell, already in your sights. But the news of my dear Alana missing… I can feel my connection to her still. She is close, I am sure she is still in Garmon Mines, but I do not hear the echoes of a mine. I hear the giggles of a child and the snap crackle of fire."
"Owen and Mr. Ramsey… they both mentioned a Chloe, didn't they?" Evelyn pondered aloud. Finn chimed bemusedly.
"What's a kah-low-ey?" the tiny sprite asked groggily. Evelyn huffed fondly.
"You mean you weren't shamelessly eavesdropping on every word?" His drowsy little smile had her reaching out to rustle his hair with her fingertips. "Chloe is Ramsey's granddaughter." Finn blinked and sat up abruptly.
"Owen said he had to chase Chloe away today! Down by the Bell Arch!"
"That's right," Evelyn agreed. "She must have the Bell. If she found it while Owen was clearing out the rocks, I bet she took it to play with. She's just a little girl from the sounds of it," she reasoned excitedly. Finn happily laughed as the Goddess's smile widened.
"I knew I could count on my hero. All you needed was a little nudge in the right direction. Tomorrow I'm sure you'll find Alana. Now, onto poor Collin."
"Collin, the yellow one?" At the Goddess's nod, Evelyn bit down on her lip. "Is there was way to help charge him up? I made a promise to Ms. Ruth about those lettuces, but even if we get into the field, he was too weak to Ring the Bell."
"It's true. You'll have another step ahead of you. To revitalize the magic of the Yellow Bell, you'll need moonlight."
"Moonlight?"
"Indeed. Across the district of Castanet are moonstones. They soak moonlight into themselves, like sponges to water, but to access the moonlight, you must stand upon them when the moon shines down onto their surface. You'll know they're ready when they glow," the Goddess explained softly.
"How many are there?" Evelyn asked, already frowning in thought.
"Three. I know for sure of one near the sea," the Goddess looked away, her gaze distant and hazy once more. "On the edge of the sea, where once man-made light blazed a path over the waves. A cat guards the stone, those strange creatures always seem to know where magic gathers strongest," the Goddess murmured with an amused smile.
"I think I know where that is. I dunno if there's a cat over there, but there's a lighthouse past the dock. I bet it's there. Tomorrow night, after I get the Red Bell, I bet I could hunt down that stone," Evelyn announced firmly.
"I believe in you, dear one," the Goddess said simply, but with a depth to her tone that belied the simplicity of the words.
A glowing warmth spread through Evelyn's chest as a blush spread over her cheeks.
A/N: EDIT: 2/11/18
