Author's Note: I know I just updated, but I've been DYING to post these chapters for months. Hang on tight, kiddos!
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"Ah, wait!" Cliff shuffled through his jingling bag and held out a thin strip of leather to the farmer. "Here."
The blonde stared at the offering in the palm of her hand and looked at her friend curiously.
The young man cocked an eyebrow. "Hair is very flammable, Claire. Keep it tied back when you're building a fire. What was it Papa always said? Ah, yes, 'Don't be a hothead'." He gave her an indecently pleased smile.
She blinked; the pun was so bad she almost didn't want to acknowledge it. "Your father always said that?" Her friend didn't strike her as the type to use puns, and she couldn't deny the pleasure it gave her to hear him say something ridiculous and embarrassing.
The brunette bit back a sheepish grin. "Yes. Yes he did." He gave an emphatic nod as he watched the young woman pull back her hair, admiring the way the sunlight hit her golden locks.
Long hair on men was unusual to Claire; men in the city had very no-nonsense short haircuts for conducting business. "Did he have long hair too?" She fumbled with the strip of hide. Cliff made taming his hair with a simple string look so easy; she was used to elastic ties.
"Much longer than mine," her friend nodded. He wore a nostalgic smile on his face as he set down his flint. "A long beard, too. He braided it."
Claire found herself giggling with delight as she saw her friend's eyes light up when he spoke of his father. "The hair or the beard?" She knotted the leather and shook her tousled ponytail for good measure. She nodded in satisfaction when she saw that it held.
The young man's cheeks turned pink as he quickly focused the gaze on his flint and steel before she caught him staring. "Both," he laughed. "A lot of the men had long hair and beards back home. They were often gone on hunting trips for long periods of time, so it just made sense."
Cliff started the spark with his tools, leaning in to blow on it. Claire watched in fascination as delicate, wispy curls of smoke rose up to the sky from the small ball of kindling. Within time, a tiny flame crackled at the twigs and dead grass. "Ah, that's the hardest part," he smiled with satisfaction. "Once you get the flame a little stronger, we can start feeding it a little more." He nudged the beginnings of the fire into a small tent of sticks they had set up.
Claire reviewed the lesson out loud. "So, dry leaves, dead grass, dry moss… Bundle it up into a bird's nest shape…" She gave him an impish grin. "But don't add your hair by mistake; don't be a hothead!"
He chuckled. "Sounds like you've got it right." The brunette showed her the different sizes of sticks to feed to the tiny fire. "I can lend you my extra flint and knife to practice with, okay?"
"Thanks!" She beamed. The farmer stared at their creation with contentment and quite a bit of excitement; this was a major step toward outdoor cooking. She watched her friend monitor the flames and imagined a taller, bulkier version of the young man sitting beside him, laughing and spouting puns. "What about you? Think you'll grow out a long beard one of these days like your father?" She teased.
Cliff rubbed his smooth chin thoughtfully before shaking his head. "Eh, I doubt it… I don't think I could pull off a beard… But… what do you think?" His eyes traveled to her shyly and he let out a soft chuckle.
Claire played with her ponytail, vaguely aware that he was expressing that he valued her opinion on his appearance. "I like being able to see your whole face… all of your expressions," she looked at him honestly and gave him a tender smile. "I think you look fine just the way you are," she gazed at him.
He turned burgundy in response and rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a nervous laugh. "Uh… Th-Thanks… Speaking of… I wonder if I should try to look and dress more like other people in town… I mean, if I'm really going to be trying to be staying here and not just passing through…"
She was a little surprised the young man seemed self-conscious of the way he looked. "Nah," Claire giggled, "You're you." Her laughter died down, as the very thought of his residence being temporary always made her heart break a little.
"You mean I don't look like… well... you know…?" His voice trailed off. Cliff didn't really feel like repeating the insults he had heard hurled at him over the years – hobo, vagabond, bum… "I mean… I look… alright?"
"You don't look like someone who doesn't belong, if that's what you're asking," the farmer smiled as she watched the small flame grow. "You look like Cliff, resident of Mineral Town." She looked him once over and nodded appreciatively, but her smile faded when she realized he was wearing his heavy set of bracers in such warm weather. Claire had noticed he was also wearing them yesterday when she caught a glimpse of him at the Spring Mine. She had a distinct hunch as to why he decided to wear them today, but she refrained from commenting on it, wishing to respect his feelings. He hadn't mentioned the incident with Gray at all, and she decided to let him bring up the subject if he so chose.
He didn't seem to notice where her gaze was briefly focused. "And you look like Claire, Mineral Town's best farmer," her friend returned, his eyes glowing.
The start of a frown that had been threatening to spread across her mouth faded instantly; the young woman giggled with glee in response. "You sure know how to stroke an ego! I've got quite a ways to go before I can even be considered that," she playfully bumped her friend's shoulder with her own. Cliff's bag sitting between them jingled from the impact. She looked at the satchel inquisitively. "What is in there, a bell or something?" She finally asked.
Her friend nodded emphatically, shuffling through the sack. "Two, actually." He placed them in her hand and she stared at them curiously. They were rather unique acorn-shaped copper bells with leather straps attached to them. Claire shook them and noticed a dissonance in the two, realizing that one was slightly larger than the other. Knowing Cliff, they served a distinct purpose; the traveler didn't carry around more than was necessary.
"So… what do you use-?" Her voice faded as she saw the young man's posture stiffen and his eyes widen in what looked like horror as the color drained from his face.
"'Afternoon," Harris tipped his cap at them. "Lovely weather, huh? I hate to be a bother, but have you seen Gotz around, Cliff?"
The young man's eyes traveled to the ground as he wrung his hands. "H-He said he was going up to the peak today."
The constable noticed the uneasiness on the young man's face. The brunette often looked like he was brooding when Harris saw him entering and exiting the church in town, but he had seen Cliff laughing just a moment ago as the police officer made his way toward the two friends. "Is everything alright?" He asked carefully.
"We're doing great," Claire replied with a smile and a playful shake of the bells.
The police officer smiled at the young woman. "Ah, was Cliff going to play you a song?" He had been hearing a flute around Gotz's cottage lately and he knew the woodcutter didn't play. "Have fun!" He waved goodbye to them and made his way up the mountain trail.
"Claire."
The blonde looked at her friend quizzically; the happiness seemed to have vanished from his whole demeanor when the constable appeared. She also was also curious about the song Harris was referring to.
"Are you available tomorrow?" He didn't look up from the fire.
The young woman's cheeks felt warm; she knew she would have trouble sleeping tonight out of excitement. The questions she had for her friend faded from her mind immediately as she shook her head. "I've got plans with Gray tomorrow, remember? He's going to teach me vocal commands with my horse."
He gave her a polite smile. "Sorry, I forgot." He absentmindedly peeled the bark off of a stick and added it to the flames. "How about the day after tomorrow?"
He seemed eager about something; she was distracted from her thoughts of the handsome apprentice for a moment. "Sure. I can hang out after I'm done watering." She looked at him with a slightly tilted head, silently asking what the reason for his excitement was.
"Thanks. There's… someone I'd like to introduce you to…" A shy smile spread across his lips.
The farmer thought she had already met everyone in town. She pictured the layout of Mineral Town in her mind and went down the streets, repeating the names of everyone she had met. "Well, who is it?" She asked, giving the strange bells a rattle.
The young man blushed. "It's a surprise…" His smile grew a little bit as he fussed with his bracers.
Claire pouted. "You're going to be all mysterious?" She grinned at his expression.
"Uh-huh," his eyes glittered at her; he was eager to give the young woman something to look forward to.
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"It's good to relax after a hard day's work," Saibara took a sip of his sake and gave a small nod to his grandson that evening; he was finally starting to show a little class.
" Yeah..." The apprentice tugged on the bill of his hat and looked across the table at his roommate. "You sure you're fine with just water, Cliff? I really don't mind paying for your drink… I paid for Gramps."
Cliff silently shook his head.
The apprentice had invited both of the men to the bar as a sort of apology for the other day, and Cliff had refused to accept any drinks from him. Maybe he's still mad…
Gray noticed that his friend had been wearing a rustic set of leather bracers for the past couple of days. He hadn't seen Cliff don them since mid-spring when the weather was cooler. The apprentice had watched his roommate remove them last night before going to bed and Gray felt a wave of guilt when he saw the purple bruises that dominated his forearm. Gray's own hand had been sore the day after the incident, and he was still mad at himself for his lack of control. Cliff had mentioned nothing about the injury, and he seemed to be keen on keeping the whole thing under wraps, literally. Gray was grateful for this, but it also made him feel worse about the situation…
"Come on… I'll buy you a sake, too…"
"R-really… I'm fine…" Gray's roommate shook his head; he felt uncomfortable that Saibara and his trainee were relaxing after a day of work and he was still unemployed. He hardly felt like he should be sitting with them at all. He knew the only reason Gray had invited him along was because he felt guilty about the other day. Cliff felt accountable as well; he should have been less easily swayed when Saibara invited him to hike in the mountains with them. He knew how the young man felt about his time alone with his grandfather, but Cliff had been too selfishly excited to be included in a group outing to give much thought to any potential consequences. He hadn't considered Gray's feelings, only his own…
"Well, I'm going to buy you something anyway… You're making me feel weird about all this…"
"It's okay… really…" The brunette honestly wished he were anywhere else but here. He couldn't help but feel that his tablemates had the same desire for him.
"When someone as cheap as him offers you a drink, you should accept it." Saibara's sudden gruff voice startled both of the roommates. "Don't be ungrateful, Cliff."
The young man stared at the floor, embarrassed. "… I'm fine with some grape juice."
Gray rolled his eyes, but he was relieved his grandfather had taken his side for once. He decided to ignore the comment about him being cheap. "Hey, Ann, can we get a red wine over here?"
Cliff's eyes widened. "Th-that's not what…!" His cheeks flushed with embarrassment; he felt like he was being an imposition.
Ann bounced over to the table. "Sure! What kind?"
"Whatever has the highest alcohol content," Gray smirked. "A nice, big full glass, please. Cliff wants to get trashed!"
Saibara roared with laughter.
"Oooh, someone's feeling dangerous tonight!" The waitress teased as she walked past their table, giving the brunette's ponytail a playful tug before bouncing back to the bar. The young man rolled his eyes and scowled at the two chuckling blacksmiths.
The door to the bar creaked open loudly, and the three men looked in the entryway. Claire was carrying a bundle of young corn, and her face lit up when she saw them sitting at the table. She began heading toward the men, her disheveled ponytail from that afternoon replaced with long, sleek cascades of gold.
"Good evening!"
"And a good evening to you, Miss Claire," Saibara nodded politely to her. The old man checked the reactions from his companions of the corner of his eye. His grandson looked exasperated and was doing a poor job of hiding it, and Cliff was smiling at the young woman, but his eyes looked pained.
"I'm surprised to see the three of you here together," Claire laughed nervously as she shifted the bundle in her hands.
Saibara observed the farmer's excitable behavior and wondered if she was going to take a seat or not. "The boy decided to treat us tonight," the old blacksmith gave her a grin as Ann returned with Cliff's wine. The waitress gave her a kind wave, not before drooling a bit at the tasty-looking bundle she was carrying. The blonde waved in response, but she was too busy staring at a particular occupant of the table to notice the redhead's silent begging for a cob. Ann shot the apprentice a poisonous look before heading back to the bar and he gave her a feeble shrug in response.
"H-how sweet of him," Claire's face was flushed. She was becoming increasingly eager for tomorrow's lesson with Gray and Tucker.
Cliff took a sip of his wine and didn't look up.
"Meh, I try sometimes," an uncomfortable Gray tugged his hat over his face and folded his arms across his chest.
"W-well… Since you're all three here, you can all share this gift from me!" The farmer nervously hoisted the bundle of corn on the table, trying her best to hide her heavy breathing. She had expected on giving the entire bundle to the apprentice as a thank you for agreeing to train her tomorrow, but she felt very flustered to present the gift in a group. It hardly felt polite to not share the gift, given the company present.
"How very generous," Saibara commented as a grin spread across his face.
The blacksmith's apprentice could feel his mouth watering as he got a better look at the bundle. "That's roasted, isn't it?" He lifted the brim of his cap and his eyes widened.
Claire nodded and gave him a shy smile. "Y-yeah. Cliff taught me how to make campfires today, so I went home and thought it would be a good idea to practice roasting something over one." She recalled Gray expressing his love for corn at Cliff's birthday and she was delighted to see that he looked very interested in the offering.
The brunette looked up from his glass, and Saibara noticed the aching in Cliff's eyes had increased. "Yeah… corn roasts well over a fire…" he replied kindly and returned to his drink; Gray's love for roasted corn wasn't exactly a secret.
"It really does taste best over a campfire; I tried an ear myself before I came over," Claire nodded at Gray. "It's really good… I just picked it this afternoon, so it's really fresh... W-well… I'll see you all around. Have a great evening, and enjoy the corn!"
"Thanks, Claire. It looks great," Gray grinned, digging into the bundle.
"We will definitely enjoy!" Saibara grinned at her, tipping his glass toward the young woman.
The farmer gave them a courteous nod and turned to leave.
"H-hey, Claire…?" Cliff's voice was quiet as he looked up from his glass of wine.
"Hmmm?" The young woman turned around, her blonde locks shining under the bar's light fixtures.
"Thank you… you know… I'd be happy to show you how to cook some fish over a fire sometime," he said carefully, giving her a shy smile as color rushed to his cheeks. He swirled the burgundy beverage in his glass as he looked up at his friend. "And there are a lot of things you can cook over a campfire. It's… a very useful tool…"
"Alright, I'd be happy to learn!" She gave her friend a polite grin, distracted with her excitement about the next day's events. "Good night!" She left the bar, looking rather pleased with herself.
Saibara sat pensively for a moment after the young woman left. Gray had already started munching on one of the ears of corn, and Cliff drank deeply from his glass, his face blanching as he stared at the gift his friend had left in front of them.
The elderly man was keenly aware of the strained tension at the table. He wasn't surprised that his grandson appeared to be oblivious to it; the boy's reasoning often got muddled when his favorite food got involved. "It's odd that she didn't stay for a drink... She didn't even look like she wanted to sit with us." The old blacksmith commented slowly, as he gave his tablemates a curious glance.
His grandson shook his head as he chewed. "Oh, she rarely stays to drink unless she's with Karen," Gray replied with his mouth full.
"So she stops by here regularly…" The old man took a sip from his glass. He was already well aware of this; he recalled seeing the farmer going upstairs the other evening.
Cliff said nothing, but took another very deep drink. The conservative brunette's glass was already nearly empty. This told Saibara more than any words could.
The old man cleared his throat as he calmly poured himself another sake. "Gray?"
The young man looked up at his grandfather; he rarely called him by his given name unless it was to scold him. "… Huh…?" He swallowed his food and could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stick up.
"You haven't been giving it your all at the forge lately," Saibara started, his voice emotionless as he touched the alcohol to his lips.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" The young man immediately got defensive. "I-I'm always focused!"
Saibara cocked an eyebrow and set down his glass. "You expect me to believe that? We both know that your mind is elsewhere!" Saibara's eyes flashed at him dangerously as his voice rose in volume. "Don't we?"
Gray turned a bright shade of red. "Wh-why are we talking about this now?" He glanced around them, but Duke and Basil were too busy laughing to pay any attention to them; the pair looked like they had had their fair share to drink, and Gray was grateful that their focus was elsewhere.
The old man slammed his empty glass on the table so loudly that both young men jumped. "Is that a serious question?!"
The brunette shrank down in his seat and silently set down his empty glass. "M-maybe I should-" Cliff's eyes nervously shifted between his tablemates.
The old man gave him a stern look. "This concerns you as well!"
"I-it does?" Cliff's eyes widened as he remained frozen in his chair.
Saibara sighed; young people could be so dense sometimes. He drained his glass of sake and swiftly poured a new one. "How long has Claire been stopping by here to bring you gifts?" The old man's eyes turned to his grandson and they didn't move from him as he drank.
The color drained from his face; he saw where this was going. The apprentice winced, preparing for a scolding. "Ah… since… the beginning of spring…?" He was too terrified to lie to him as his heart dropped to his stomach.
Saibara gave him a small grunt. "Cliff… Is this true?" He raised a snowy eyebrow at his grandson's roommate.
The young man froze. He wasn't sure how to answer; he would have someone angry with him either way. The brunette nervously wrung his hands and decided to stick with the truth. "… Y-yes…?"
The blacksmith wanted a more solid answer. He gave his companion a cold glare. "Well, is it a yes or no?" Saibara slammed his fist on the table.
Cliff jumped at the sudden noise. "I-I really don't know… She stops by when I'm out most of the time…" He couldn't meet the old man's gaze.
Gray's heart stopped. He cursed under his breath; he didn't feel quite so bad for bruising Cliff's arm anymore. "Look… if this is about me seeing a woman without a chaperone, I'm a grown man and can make my own decisions." He tried to stick to the lesser of two evils in an attempt to reason with the old man.
He was met with a snort in reply as the elderly blacksmith folded his arms across his chest and furrowed his brow. "Yes, I know that you are." The blacksmith nodded.
Gray let out a sigh of relief.
His grandfather stared up at him with stern eyes. "But we all know where you go when your shift ends; you've gone there nearly every day for the past few years." Saibara had stopped yelling, but Gray would have preferred his screaming to the low, dark voice his grandfather had used instead.
The apprentice could feel his face getting hot. Why did he have to bring up this up in front of his roommate?
The old man continued. "And you…" He pointed accusingly at Cliff and his voice rose a bit. "You are definitely not making the situation any better."
The young man was confused. "I-I… I was just trying to show her some survival skills…" The color drained from the young man's face as he weakly attempted to defend himself. He still wasn't quite sure why he was being scolded.
Saibara rolled his eyes. Did he really have to spell it out to both of them? "I am in the company of a couple of fools tonight. Why are you both letting this happen?!" He drained his sake glass and went to pour another. Upon finding the flask empty, he slammed it down on the table in frustration. "Well?!" He waited for a reply from either of his companions.
Neither of the young men said anything. They took turns looking at each other uncomfortably, Gray's gaze eventually drifting toward the ceiling and Cliff's focusing on the floor. Saibara sighed; he hadn't really expected them to reply. His anger faded a bit. They were both still young after all, and therefore, fairly stupid. "You both need to be firmer with Claire. Neither of you are getting what you want, are you?"
The men had opposite reactions; Gray went pale, and Cliff turned a deep shade of red.
"Y-you're the one who told me to always accept gifts!" Gray shot back.
"You're accepting more than gifts from her, boy. Don't be an idiot." Saibara went to take a sip of from his glass. Being reminded once again that it was empty, he clanked it back down with a groan. Both of them were being so thick that he was getting tired of speaking in a manner which he deemed as tactful.
Cliff stared silently at the tabletop, waiting for his half of the scolding. Upon seeing the old man's frustration of his empty glass, the brunette waited for his words to be sharper. He slightly bowed his head, as if pleading the blacksmith to go easy on him.
In truth, Saibara's heart went out to the young man; he wasn't blind to the look on Cliff's face when he saw what Claire had done with the skills he taught her. "I know you made an attempt tonight, young man…" The old man's voice was gentle. "But we both know you're not going to get anywhere until the boy wisens up. He may need your help."
Gray gritted his teeth; things were always his fault in Saibara's eyes. "I don't have to take this!" He stood up.
The old man stroked his beard calmly; he knew Gray wouldn't go anywhere. "Yes, you do. I thought that you told me Cliff was your best friend. Sit." He frowned at no one in particular.
The apprentice found himself unable to do anything but obey. He plopped down and folded his arms across his chest, tugging down on the bill of his cap. "I just wanted to take you both out for a drink to say I was sorry, Goddess!" He let out an overdramatic groan.
"Another sake over here!" The old man hollered, tapping his empty flask on the table. He turned toward the brunette and gave him a playful wink. "Order something else, too, Cliff."
The young man shook his head, half in confusion and half in decline of more alcohol. Saibara's mood swings had left Cliff befuddled, to say the least, and the wine had already caused his mind to slow down quite a bit. "Oh, I couldn't…" He was suddenly aware of how strong his beverage had been and he vaguely remembered that he hadn't eaten since that afternoon when he and Claire had roasted a couple of small things over the campfire; it had been a light snack at best.
"Pah…" The blacksmith rolled his eyes at the young man. "Another wine for the kid!"
The apprentice shrugged and figured he might as well order something else, too. "Scotch on the rocks! … Make it a double..." Gray downed the rest of his drink. He knew it was going to be a rough night, anyway…
"Gray?" The old man's voice was gruff.
"Yeah?" He sighed, resting his arms on the table. He looked up at his grandfather with a slightly harassed expression as he pulled off his cap and cradled his head in his hands.
The old man was taken aback; perhaps he had been too rough on the boy. "You are lucky that your young lady is so patient with you," his expressions softened, as did his voice. "A woman like that is more precious than gold; treasure her."
Ann returned with their drinks and the three men drank in silence for a few minutes.
The apprentice stared at the ice cubes in his drink as he tilted the beverage toward his mouth. No matter which way he rotated the glass, the ice remained right in front of him. The whole concept reminded him of a particular person. He took a pensive sip. "How am I supposed to reject Claire's gifts without hurting her feelings?" Gray asked quietly, thinking of his regular offering of copper in the evenings. "You're the one that says I should be a gentleman…"
"I said nothing about rejecting gifts," Saibara replied thoughtfully, drinking deeply.
The young man waited for further instructions, but his grandfather said nothing more. Gray sighed and turned toward his friend. "What do you think, Cliff?"
The young man looked up in surprise; he wasn't sure how to respond. He took a sip from his glass and found he was lamenting the fact that he had no experience on such matters. Women never sought his attention, but it wasn't as if he had ever willingly approached any during his travels. "I-I'm not sure… I've never had that kind of problem before," he realized with a slight twinge of jealousy.
Gray scoffed, taking a swig from his glass. "Consider yourself lucky, then. Doesn't Claire ever give you anything?" He was surprised, to say the least.
"Ah…" The young man turned very pink. "She thinks she's being sneaky when we're foraging; she tucks extra things in my pack." He fidgeted with his bracers as he said this; surely Claire was just trying to be polite and nothing more. It would be silly for him to even wish that it was anything beyond a friendly formality, but he still felt heat coming to his cheeks. The young man pushed away his wine; he was thinking into all of this far too much…
Saibara looked at Cliff with interest; perhaps things weren't as one-sided as the young man believed. He took a long drink and looked over at Gray. Things weren't going to change for Cliff unless his grandson did something about the two women in his life; and until then, he was going to have an apprentice who couldn't focus properly on his work. Truly, no one was getting what they wanted.
Saibara finished off his glass. Gray had been dragging out this whole thing with Mary for far too long. "So, boy… You've got yourself quite a situation… You can keep metal in the fire for as long as you like, but if you ever hope to make something of it… you need to take it out and pound it," he winked at his grandson as he poured himself a fresh glass from his flask.
Gray's eyes widened and he turned a deep shade of red, choking on his drink. "G-Grandpa!"
The old man stared emotionlessly at the young man for a moment. What was he getting all worked up over? Cliff was attempting to hide a snicker, but he did a poor job of it as he shook his head, the soft chuckle turning into a genuine laugh. What was so funny? Perhaps the brunette had a little too much to drink… Saibara suddenly realized the innuendo in his choice of verb and threw back his head, laughing heartily; the fact that he hadn't meant to make a dirty joke made it even funnier.
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Author's Note: Is it painfully obvious that my favorite villager is Saibara? Haha!
If there's any real lesson to be learned in this chapter, it is that your own lack of decisiveness can cause others harm, even if you're trying to avoid causing harm in the first place. Well, that and "Don't be a hothead". Obviously.
Feel free to leave me a review in the box below. Always appreciated!