Claire counted out Cliff's portion of coins from the shipment the night before as she consulted his list of contributed items. She smiled when she saw the scratchy handwritten note scribbled beneath his typical businesslike list.

Don't forget to meet me at the Goddess Spring at three o'clock!
-Cliff

The farmer smirked - as if her friend really needed to sign his name. She noticed he had drawn a silly smiley face next to the note and found a grin of her own creeping across her mouth; he had a very distinctive artistic style. Her friend was in a playful mood and she was looking forward to spending some time with him. He didn't need to remind her about their appointment, either; Claire was more than just a little bit curious about Cliff's friend and was eager for an introduction. She walked outside, watering can in hand. If she wanted to make good time today, she would need to start right away.

Watering her crops was much more manageable since she was only doing half of her plots each day. She had originally planned on watering the entire field every day once she was healthy enough to be able to work again, but it was simply too much work to do; she'd have to plan better next season. Karen was right, though – Claire was definitely going to be bringing in a lot of money this summer. The farmer knew right away how she wanted to spend some of her earnings – she was planning on going to Won's shop soon to order a few new outfits. The merchant had lent her a catalogue of available items around a week ago, and the young woman was having a hard time deciding what she wanted to purchase. The very idea of owning another set of clothes made her a little giddy. This was a thought for another time, though, Claire realized as she hurried inside to prepare for her outing.

She had no idea who this person was, but the farmer didn't want to show up empty-handed. Claire's parents had taught their daughter from an early age to offer a gift to a new acquaintance if possible. The young woman tidily bundled up some blueberries she had found in the mountains earlier for an introduction gift of sorts. This particular bundle was the neatest one she had constructed yet, nice and sturdy; Cliff would be impressed by it, and surely, so would his friend. She waved goodbye to a napping Koro in the shade and headed out toward the mountain trail.

Claire thought that she heard some faint singing as she made her way to the spring, but the voice blended into the waterfall and she couldn't make it out very well. The song had a joyful, yet simple melody and she found that it had given off a contagious happy feeling. The farmer shuffled her bundle of berries in her hands as she excitedly bounced to the spring.

The young man was sitting cross-legged in front of the waterfall and his friend realized he must have been the one that was singing. She was a little surprised, but she figured she would have recognized her friend's voice immediately if she had heard better. She hadn't gotten a very good listen, but the voice sounded comfortable and confident, two words she would have never associated with Cliff when she first met him. "Hey." She greeted her friend.

Cliff beamed at her. "Hi!" A pair of dancing blue eyes stared back at the farmer as the young man stood up excitedly.

The young woman was eager to see her friend in such an upbeat mood, but she was suddenly aware of how nervous she was about meeting another new person. What if they didn't like her? How uncomfortable would it be if this friend got along well with Cliff but not her? She clumsily held out the bundle to the young man in giddy confusion and then hugged it to her chest. She was eager to make a good impression. "I, uh… I brought a gift for your friend. Are we going to go to their place?"

Cliff nodded. "Yeah… I guess you could say that." The brunette saw the berries and gave her a curious look. "Hey, Claire, don't worry about the gift. He doesn't really eat berries." The young woman was taken aback to hear him let out a soft chuckle.

The farmer felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. "W-Well… I, um…" She nervously shifted them into her bag. Claire had wanted to make some sort of offering to this new person, but now she was empty-handed. Dumont house rules told her that this was unacceptable; her parents would scold her for not bringing a gift to a formal introduction such as this. She shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. "O-Okay…"

He shook his head with a smile, hoping to ease her anxiety. He had meant for this venture to be fun for her, not stressful. "Seriously, you don't have to bring him anything; I've already got him spoiled pretty badly. If it makes you feel better, I've got something for him for later. I'll tell him it's from you." Cliff gestured for Claire to follow him as he picked up his lantern off of the ground and led the way to the Spring Mine.

The blonde frowned; this made her feel even worse. She had done such a poor job of picking a gift that he had to step in and help her. She was distracted from her uneasiness as she saw Cliff enter the cave. She was immediately reminded of Gray's tales and she placed a warning hand on her friend's shoulder. "Wait, why are we going in here? Are we going to meet an… oni or something?" she cast him a sideways glance.

The brunette raised his eyebrows at her and bit back a chuckle. "Oni?"

"Well, yeah… Gray said they lived in the mines," her voice trembled and she laughed a little more loudly than she meant to. "I don't know if this is the best idea…" She wasn't in the mood for losing a finger, and she wasn't keen on her friend getting injured either.

"Well, Gray's not very educated on youkai and the supernatural. If he was, he'd know there is no way an oni would live this close to a town full of people; he's all talk." He was about to mention something about this quality probably existing in Gray due to the fact that he was a "city slicker", but he held his tongue. The young man lit his lantern at the mouth of the cave.

"Oh, so you're an expert?" she forgot her nerves once again and flashed him a mischievous grin as she looped her thumbs under her rucksack straps and rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet. That playful side of him was coming out today, and Claire relished in it.

He gave a pleased laugh when he realized that the thought of scrambling to defend the apprentice hadn't even crossed the young woman's mind. "Hardly. I don't know if anyone ever could be. Carter says there are countless things in this world that humans aren't even aware that they can't comprehend."

"Fair enough… but I've been told there's something… dangerous living in the mine," she replied, tightening her hold on her straps.

Cliff gave her a rueful smile, shuffling his feet abashedly. "I know, and that's my fault. I owe you an apology and an introduction." He led the way into the cave.

Claire almost tripped over her boots and she wasn't sure if her instability was due to her friend's comment or the craggy floor. "S-So… we are going to meet… whatever's been living in this cave?" her heart pounded in her throat.

"Yep." The dim light from the lantern reflected off of Cliff's eyes. The young woman reached for his arm and clutched it. He flinched a bit and she felt a wave of guilt, remembering there was a reason why he wasn't carrying the lantern in his left hand. She shifted her hold to his upper arm and he smiled at her. "There's no reason for you to be afraid, Claire," he laughed innocently, but he prayed she wouldn't let go. Much to his delight, she did not.

Claire had never been to this far corner of the cave. She heard the fluttering noise and stifled a gasp.

"His name is Cain; we've been traveling together for years. Wait right here for a moment, okay?" He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"A-Alright." She could hardly hear him over her pulse thudding in her ears. She watched mutely as her friend lit a few oil lamps and he was speaking to his companion in a soothing tone. The young woman listened to the slight lilt in his pleasant folksy voice and found herself calming down. Something was perched on a rock formation in the shadows near her friend. Was it a giant bat? The friendly chirp the young man received in reply made her think otherwise. "I've heard of mines having canaries…" she laughed nervously.

"Oh, don't tell him he's a canary," Cliff laughed, "or he'll stop hunting for us. You can come on over. He's actually quite used to people and he's tethered; you're both perfectly safe."

Claire walked to the corner of the cave and recognized the bird immediately. "Hey, it's that falcon! So he's yours?" Her fear faded as she remembered the large bird soaring over her head the other day. He was even more beautiful up close. Claire admired the bird's sleek feathers; it was truly a treat to see such a magnificent creature in such an intimate setting.

The young man donned a heavy leather gauntlet on his right hand. "Oh, so you recognize him then…?"

"On the afternoon of your birthday, he was watching you fish when Karen and I came over," Claire recalled, stepping a bit closer and staring into the bird's piercing eyes. "You fed him the scraps from your fish. I thought you were just really kind to animals."

He was grateful she felt this way about him even though she knew he hunted. Claire was also very observant, he realized. "I'm… actually impressed you noticed," he admitted with a blush, thankful that the lighting of the cave was so poor.

The bird stretched his wings and Claire stared in amazement. "So, you have quite a pet. I don't know why you didn't tell me sooner."

The young man held out his gloved hand and the bird fluttered to perch on his forearm. Claire's eyes widened at the impressive wingspan on the creature. "It's not like I was trying to hide him from you… But I'm not sure what the regulations are around here…" That explained his nervous behavior around Harris the other day, Claire reasoned. The brunette continued. "I actually wanted to tell you for a while, but I thought he might scare you," he confessed sheepishly as he stroked the bird's feathers. Cain gave him a deadpanned stare in response. Cliff smiled at the bird. "What? I didn't mean that in a bad way, Cain!"

The bird blinked at him and Claire stifled a giggle; she could easily tell that they had spent years together, and the pair seemed to have a sort of understanding.

The brunette rolled his eyes at Cain. "Well, anyway, I prefer to think of him as more of a partner," Cliff grinned. "We've traveled a lot together. I fly him at least once a day. He really likes it up here in the mountains." Perhaps Mother's Hill reminded Cain of home as well, the young man thought with a wistful sigh.

The farmer's gaze was locked on the bird. "Wow, a falcon… That's so cool!" The concept of owning one sounded so foreign to her. They were so wild and fierce, seemingly untamable. Claire realized at once that she sounded like Karen on the day they had first spotted Cain. The grocer's daughter had gawked at their mutual friend while he was fishing and was a little over-the-top with her reaction. Claire feared she sounded similar and found herself casting her eyes downward in embarrassment.

"Really?" It seemed perfectly natural to her friend; he looked at the bird perched on his arm curiously. In truth, he couldn't remember a time in his life when he didn't practice falconry; his father was known throughout their small village for his skills with raptors. Falcons and hawks were quite common in Akiyama Village, but he was aware that a peregrine like Cain was hardly a bird for a beginner. Thanks to his childhood time spent with his father, Cliff was far from being considered a novice falconer, but saying so out loud felt a little boastful, as eager as he was to share this part of his life with his friend.

"Yeah!" she gave him a perky nod.

"Well, don't you see Koro as your partner?" He stroked the bird with an affectionate hand. Claire noticed he did not invite her to do the same and she suddenly realized Gray's warning about "losing a finger" might have actually had some weight to it.

"Hmmm…" The farmer thought of her young dog chasing his own tail and laughed. "No, he's more like a pet."

"Well, I think he'll surprise you someday," her friend returned kindly. "Dogs are wonderful animals; we had a lot back at home." Cliff smiled at the bird as Cain fluttered back to his perch, preening his wings. "I think that people and animals were meant to work together as partners… Want to head back outside?"

"Sure. Bye, Cain!" Claire gave the bird a shy wave and giggled when she received a chirp in reply.

The young man extinguished the lanterns in the area. "He knows his name," Cliff laughed, leading the way with the final lantern.

The young woman was grateful that her friend kept a slow pace for her to match. "I think it's great that you have a special friend like Cain," she looked at her friend thoughtfully.

He gave her a genuine smile in return as he carefully watched the uneven floor. "Thank you, and I'm glad you have Koro to help with your farm."

Claire snorted. There he was going on again about her adorable, yet useless puppy. "I honestly think he's a lost cause," she confessed with a playful giggle. All her dog was good for was following her around and tripping her as she attempted to water her crops. The farmer could've sworn she saw her puppy stumble over his own paws a few times when he got too excited. "Don't get me wrong; Koro's the sweetest dog ever, but I don't trust him with anything. I have another animal that I'm hoping will be more useful in the future."

"Tucker." The young man didn't have to guess as the pair took a seat in the grass beside the Goddess Spring.

Her entire face lit up, and Cliff wondered if she was thinking of the horse or the instructor. His silent question was answered almost immediately. "Yeah… horse training went well yesterday," she added casually, her cheeks turning pink.

Her companion let out a nervous chuckle and stared down at the grass, selecting a few very long strands and knotting the ends together. He began to braid them, and Claire realized that he used these little "ropes" regularly for all sorts of things. "Ah, that's good…" He gave her a civil smile and his voice was lighthearted, but Claire noticed his body language suggested otherwise; his shoulders were slouched a bit and he wouldn't meet her eyes. She didn't recall Cliff's posture always being this poor, and wondered why she was suddenly aware of it.

She was about to gush over Gray's gentle handling of her colt, but her voice caught in her throat. It wasn't as if the lesson had gone perfectly, after all, and she was a bit unsure how she felt about the whole thing. Claire found that she immediately regretted bringing up the subject. She was reminded how rude she was to Cliff when he was trying to teach her some basic cooking skills with foraged goods at his place; once Gray got involved, she had a tendency to forget about everything else. Why did it hurt so much more today to realize she was doing this? She bit her lip. Confused by her conflicting thoughts, she grabbed a few long strands of grass for herself and began mimicking her friend. "I… I should have asked you about the song the other day… I'm sorry." She gave him a sincerely apologetic look.

His focus moved to the young woman and a quizzical expression could be seen on his face. He was pleasantly surprised to see she had changed the subject. "What song?"

Claire tightly braided her grass, admiring the knotting she had done on the ends. "Well, Harris asked if you were going to play me a song the other day. Don't you remember?"

The young man chuckled. "Oh, that! It's no big deal and you don't have to be sorry…" he shyly rubbed the back of his neck and Claire caught a bit of color on his cheeks. He stopped slouching almost immediately, she noticed.

He was so polite despite his rustic appearance, often diverting the conversation about himself to give someone else a chance to speak. She wanted to learn something new about him today. "I'd love to hear a song from you. Do you play a musical instrument? Or do you sing?" She remembered his singing at this very location earlier and grinned.

Cliff finished braiding his strands of grass and set them on his knee. "Uh… actually, I do both," he failed miserably to hide his excitement, and he rifled through his bag, pulling out a wooden pan flute. There was a light behind his eyes, and Claire was reminded of his vague description of his rowdier childhood days. The young woman studied him curiously and the word endearing had resurfaced in her mind while a smile spread across her lips. It was always satisfying to see her friend so comfortable, and she was a little surprised he didn't seem flustered at the notion of performing. "What would you like to hear, Claire?" His eyes glowed at her.

This was a side of him she had rarely seen before. Claire ran her fingers through a strand of her hair. "Uh… I dunno. What songs do you know?"

"Lots," he admitted with an impish grin.

She bit back a laugh. What words had he used to describe his younger self? Obnoxious and loud? She could easily picture a rowdy young Cliff with this same smile. "Why don't you play me one of your favorites?" Claire suggested kindly.

"Okay…" There was a hint of a shy smile as the young man took a couple of slow breaths and began to play. He had grown and changed just like he had said a few weeks ago, but he was still had the same spirit. Claire had noticed the brunette's teasing and playfulness with Cain earlier. Cliff hadn't lost that childlike wonder for life, despite what he thought when he sat quietly in his pew at the church. His song was proof of that.

The farmer had never heard a live pan flute before. She smiled at the pure, airy tones. Her friend had selected an upbeat melody with a bouncy beat that sounded like joy in musical format. A strong wave of euphoria washed over her; something about the notes and especially the emotion behind them tugged violently at her heartstrings and she realized at once that this was more than a mere hobby for her friend. For a few minutes, the young woman forgot about her fields of crops that needed tended, her young horse and the man who agreed to help train him, her quandaries over whether or not to invest in a hen, her looming tax and utility bills. For that brief moment, she was simply a person listening to a song.

He was finished before she knew it. Claire sat in silence for a few moments, relishing in the experience. She dabbled on the ocarina, but his skill was unlike anything she had personally witnessed. "That was beautiful. How did you learn to play like that?"

"Oh, thank you!" Cliff reddened, setting down the flute. "I…" he immediately lost his voice as he stared pensively at the grass, as if he was debating whether or not to answer the question. The young man bit his lip. He had agreed to play for her, after all, and it would be rude to not reply. Still, he found himself hesitating; this was a very slippery slope and if he wasn't careful, he might end up burdening Claire with much more than she deserved. "Ma trained me," he answered with a slight smile on his lips, but his gaze did not move from the ground.

Based on his body language, she felt she had to speak carefully. "Did you perform for groups?"

He gave her a nod and a sad smile. "You know, I used to really enjoy being in crowds… Sometimes… sometimes, I even enjoyed performing. Bet you never would've guessed, huh?" His laugh sounded joyful and bitter at the same time and it made Claire confused.

The blonde tilted her head at him curiously. "You seemed like you were having fun when you played a moment ago."

He looked up at her with such anguish in his eyes that Claire was taken aback. "Playing for your own pleasure and having it be part of your life's work are very different."

The young woman played with a long blade of grass. She could relate in a way. "You know… I always enjoyed playing with numbers as a kid. Mum and Dad always told me that I'd be an accountant in a big firm, handling finances and bringing home big paychecks… and I did for a while." She turned toward her friend and found that the smile on her own face felt a little forced. "But it didn't make me happy. It wasn't the work itself that made me so miserable… I'm probably not making much sense, am I?" she shook her head and let out a chuckle.

The fact that she wasn't overcome with regret caused Cliff to fall out of his own despair. He felt that he never asked her enough about herself. Just because he didn't want to speak about himself didn't mean that he couldn't listen to Claire's story. "What about it made you unhappy?" he asked, scooting a little closer to her, his eyes widening in genuine curiosity. "Was it the fact that you had to do it as a living? … Carter says a lot of people have trouble with that because people tangle their hobbies with their income," he attempted to comfort her.

Claire shook her head once more and felt a lump form in her throat. "No, it wasn't even that… It was because I wanted to be able to choose my career myself."

Her comment hit a little too close to home; the young man struggled to regain his composure while the young woman stared up at the clouds listlessly. She seemed to sense his uneasiness and didn't look down from the sky, allowing him to calm down. "But you chose to be a farmer here, right?" he stammered.

A warm sensation rose through Claire's stomach and she grinned at her friend, nodding. That had really made all the difference with her; the young woman's outlook on life felt so different. To be honest, she had never even considered being a farmer until she saw the ad in the newspaper. The promise of freedom was enough for her to leave behind everything she had ever known, and much to her delight, she found that she didn't miss her old life in the city at all. "Right. Just like how you chose to live here with Cain…" she reminded him.

"Yes," he beamed at her and their eyes locked. He was silent for a long time, but Claire didn't say anything in reply; it looked like there was something he wanted to say and she waited patiently. He gave her a friendly chuckle. "Things happen for a reason, I suppose," his wide eyes moved up toward the clouds.

"Yeah…" Claire looked back up at the sky, oblivious to her flushed cheeks.

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: A big thank you to everyone reading my story! Your support means more to me than you know!

I attempted to show a lighter side of Claire and Cliff's friendship in this chapter; they are getting more comfortable talking about their pasts together. I'd love to hear your comments or questions!

P.S. I pictured Koro as a puppy tripping over his own ears and just died a little bit from cuteness overload. In my file of the game, my dog was so stinkin' clumsy – running into walls and fences, barking at nothing, and flailing on his back like he wants me to rub his belly. I tried to channel that into this story, haha.

P.P.S. Random Trivia: the chapter title is a line from "The Penniless Optimist" by The Electric Swing Circus. Yeah, I'm on an electroswing kick.