Claire listened to Thomas's pair of spotted horses clomp along the path and she watched their hair bounce in rhythm with their steps.
"I don't even really have to guide them anymore after all of these years," Thomas admitted with a chuckle. "They take the same trip every day…"
Claire gave a slight nod, but his words did little to distract from her worry. Would the doctor even let her in the office if Cliff was being worked on? Did Cain make it? At the very least, she would get some answers when she got there…
They rode in strained silence for several minutes, and while the horses were moving faster than she could walk, Claire bit her tongue to keep from asking if Thomas could move any faster; the crates of grocery store goods in the back of the carriage likely shouldn't be jostled if they were to make it to Forget-Me-Not-Valley undamaged. The word SWAG was stenciled across them, and under any other circumstance, Claire would have laughed aloud at the containers assigned to Pete's farm.
Thomas wasn't blind to the worry on the young woman's face, and he didn't blame her. He hardly knew Cliff and he couldn't help but be concerned himself. He cleared his throat. "Doctor Hardy is very good at what he does… He was the only doctor around here for a very long time before Trent opened up his practice…"
Claire shifted in her seat, easing the wringing of her hands in her lap. "… Gray made it sound like he was nice… Doctor Hardy, I mean," she finally chimed in, hoping she sounded steadier than she felt.
"Ah, that's right – Airu and Feena took Gray to him when he was involved in that awful accident…"
"Accident?" Claire frowned.
Thomas didn't take his eyes off of the road. "Yes, it was pretty terrible." His wide eyes and grin in excitement to tell the tale offset his actual words. "It happened when Gray was very young. He didn't grow up here, you know. His parents would take him to visit his grandfather fairly regularly." He looked deep in thought as he rubbed his chin with his free hand. "Ah, his mother, Feena, was especially a sweet woman. She seemed to have a magic touch when it came to cooking certain dishes – her roasted corn was always so sweet and crispy… Ah, and her shepherd's pies…" He smacked his lips at the memory. "Of course, Airu was a respectable man as well – a successful mechanical engineer, if my memory serves correct… Anyway, Gray suffered a horrible accident when he was riding the horses unsupervised. Fell off and got his foot stuck in the stirrup - twisted his knee a few times around… They really thought for a while he would never walk again."
Claire cringed at the image and her heart dropped at a young Gray struggling to walk.
"Even though they weren't from around here, they continued to take their son to see Hardy because of his skill. The physical therapy definitely helped Gray." Worry clouded his expression despite the happy news. "Unfortunately, that accident caused a rift in the family… I don't know if Airu trusted Gray in his father's care after that point…" He scratched his chin. "Part of me thinks that Gray might have taken up the blacksmithing apprenticeship to defy his father, and I really can't blame him after everything he's done… Especially since…" His voice trailed off.
Her previous conversation with Gray echoed in her mind:
"I thought you loved to ride…"
"I did."
Claire kept her gaze on the trees they were passing. While the topic was incredibly interesting, she felt awkward with the amount of details Thomas was giving her and wondered if this was really information Gray would be comfortable sharing, especially with her.
Thomas's ears turned red as he shook his head; he could see that Claire was fidgeting uncomfortably. His overprotective father switch had been turned on at the thought of Gray's past. "Ah, but I suppose it's really none of my business in all that, huh? Haven't seen or heard from Mr. Airu Iwata in years. I don't think anyone in town has, Gray included…"
Claire was absentmindedly looking out at the wind turbines spinning to her right.
"Ah, and this is Vesta's farm. Friendly, hard-working woman…"
She turned her head to the opposite side and let out a surprised squeak at the fields of young plants that were already starting to produce fruit. This farm was head and shoulders above the meager plot she owned. She could only dream to have a farm that successful and she felt a combination of jealousy and awe. "S-so many plants," she breathed.
Thomas let out a chuckle and pointed out toward a few figures working out in the rows. "She runs it with her brother and another worker. I'll be sure to introduce you when you come to visit for the Harvest Festival. Speaking of which…"
Claire looked beyond the fenced-in rows of eggplants and her eyes narrowed when she saw a familiar mare tethered to a tree and a wisp of campfire smoke in the air. She jolted out of her seat and stood up; the rattling of the cart caused her to fall right back down onto her bottom.
"He's there! Stop the cart! I need off!" She wasn't aware how much she was trembling.
Thomas's eyes widened in surprise and he halted the cart to an abrupt stop. The horses flicked their tails, confused for the sudden holdup. He turned toward Claire, who was looping her various sacks around her arms. "Well, if you would like, I can…"
"Thank you!" Claire hopped out of the cart with a pale face and sprinted in the direction of the campfire, her bags slapping against her as she hurried along.
Thomas adjusted his glasses on his nose and let out a sigh. "… I could've driven you over there…" He gave the young woman's retreating form a sad smile, silently wishing them well as he continued on his way.
The smell of campfire grew stronger as she ran toward the horse. The solid black Arabian stood out against the glittering river like a beacon, leaning over to take a drink from the water. A wave of relief and nervousness flooded her at the same time as she got closer. She stepped off of the beaten path and saw her friend staring blankly at some ashed-over embers. Cliff was normally so proactive about feeding his campfires – to see him grimly staring at the smoldering remains of one gave her a chill and her knees refused to cooperate. Claire was also concerned about the soiled cloths wrapped around his upper arms. The rags were saturated with blood and she had a feeling he hadn't redressed his wounds at all; the clumsy and rushed wrapping job looked like hers from that morning.
"Cliff!" She pushed her way through the tall grass to meet him. He swiftly wiped his wet cheeks with his hands and looked up at her in surprise and a little bit of shame. She realized with a jolt of excruciating pain that he had been crying.
"Ah! I-I'm surprised to see you here." His choice to act casual considering the circumstances was upsetting, to say the least.
Claire frowned. "I was worried about you! How could I not be? If anything, I should have come sooner!" She felt her throat tighten. Packing their things, helping Thomas get his cart ready, riding out here – it had all taken her much longer than she could stand and she felt like her heart was going to explode, even if she knew that Rick had followed him out here to make sure he was alright.
He shrank back at her words. "I-I didn't mean to make you worry…" Cliff averted his eyes as he ducked his head. "It doesn't take much… for a bird t-to bleed to death." Claire's stomach lurched and she held her breath for news on Cain's condition. If he was still wearing the same bloody bandages, had he even seen the doctor? She gulped. Did Cain die on the trip here? She thought of the bird with the round, surprisingly friendly eyes and felt her heart drop. "Doctor Hardy won't let me see him until tomorrow…" Cliff nervously wrung his hands and Claire noticed at once how flushed his face was. "I'll stay in the Valley tonight… If I go back to town, people will just ask questions… I… don't feel like I can handle that right now…"
It seemed like Gray had predicted the situation well, and Claire was grateful that he had helped pack Cliff's things. "Where's Rick? He volunteered to come and check up on you."
Cliff stared at the smoldering stick in front of him. "He did. He ran into me just like you did. Helped me start a campfire and we talked a little bit."
Claire got the distinct feeling that the conversation between the two was pretty brief, as Cliff already looked like he was done speaking for now. Still, there were some details to figure out. "Did you book a room at the inn?" she asked in a concerned manner, noticing a bit of blood dripping down his arm, the bandages completely soaked through. She wondered if he was still bleeding as badly as he was this morning.
He shook his head; he wasn't sure what the medical bills were going to be, so he had decided to play it safe. "The weather's nice today…" He stared up at the sky and Claire noticed he seemed to fall into a trance-like state. The color on his face had traveled down beyond his neck. She waited for him to say something more and became worried when he didn't. He shifted and streams of red ran down his arms and threatened to get on his bracers. She leaned over to unfasten them. He jumped in surprise and pulled his arms back in defense. "Claire… I'm fine." His voice was soft, but she heard a bit of an edge to it.
"But you're bleeding all over," she insisted with a small cry. He had been bleeding since early that morning. The panic she was feeling only continued to grow; she needed to see how his wounds were doing. "Let's change your bandages. Do you have any fresh ones?" He shrank back a bit and she couldn't help but be reminded of an injured animal that was afraid to show trust. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder and he relaxed slightly. "Let me help you," she murmured soothingly, taking his hand between hers and stroking his knuckles.
Between the fatigue and dizziness, Cliff couldn't think straight with her loving caress. He nodded dumbly, his face burning. He would gladly let her do anything she wanted… He turned toward her and Claire got a full view at his compromised state. Despite the obvious fatigue written on his face, she could feel the heat radiating from his cheeks. The slight sheen of perspiration further raised her concerns.
She couldn't help but worry about him as she dug through a paper sack he handed her. "Is this what Doctor Hardy gave you?"
He gave a single nod. "I told him to focus on Cain. I told him I would be fine. I haven't really gotten a chance to clean my cuts yet, but I will later tonight." His voice gained a little more confidence as he watched her shuffle through the bag's contents.
Claire produced a roll of bandages. "Are you feeling warm?" she asked innocently.
He nodded once again, a little hesitantly. The signs of his fever were pretty obvious. She rustled in the bag once more and found a bottle of penicillin. At the sound of the bottle of pills rattling he crinkled his nose. Claire decided to focus on changing the bandages for now; the wounds could be cleaned properly when they got to the inn and she had access to running water and they weren't sitting in the dirt. She removed her canteen from her rucksack and handed it to him, silently encouraging him to drink while she worked on his dressings. She shyly reached for his arm and he gave it to her, murmuring his thanks as he sipped at the water.
His bracers were damped with sweat and as she removed them, she could almost swear she saw his skin underneath steaming. Claire loosened the bandages and he winced but sat obediently. She gasped at what she saw underneath and her stomach turned. The puncture wounds were deep and still bleeding badly, and they were much dirtier than she remembered when she initially wrapped them. Even through all of the blood, she saw that the cuts were pink and inflamed. "Cliff, these look like they're starting to get infected."
He said nothing in reply, but gave her an apologetic look. She covered the swollen wounds once again. "I'll clean these when we get to the inn; there's nothing to clean them with in this bag." She could feel him tensing up in pain. "I know you're hurting over Cain, but you need to take care of yourself, too. He wouldn't want to see you like this." He defensively began to pull his arms back, but Claire caught him by the wrists, realizing she was scaring him away. She exhaled, recomposing herself. "I'm sorry. I know you have other things on your mind right now, but all I have on mine right now is you." She heard a small gasp escape from his lips and when she looked up at him, she noticed that his face had gone from pink to burgundy. She realized the depth of what she had said as her heart jumped into her throat, her own face warming. "I-I… I care about you a lot, Cliff…"
His lips moved wordlessly as he tried to form a reply in his mind. Surely I'm taking these words too seriously… "Y-you're far too kind to someone like me." He hung his head in embarrassment.
"Nonsense. Let's go somewhere with a sink and a garbage can. I'm going to get us a room at the inn. You can lie down and rest, and I can order us a hot meal. My treat."
The young man looked at his haphazard campsite and she noticed his eyes grew misty again. "I, uh…" He gulped, nodding his head as he averted his eyes to the ground.
She gave his hands a squeeze. "I'll take care of you." Their eyes locked for a few moments and she felt his posture relax a bit. "Now… I just need to figure out where the inn is," she admitted with a halfhearted chuckle.
Cliff stood up and dusted himself off, packing up his things and dousing the remains of the fire with the canteen before retrieving his horse. "I'll take you there."
Claire looked around the empty lobby and her eyes perked up when she saw the bell on the counter. Giving Cliff's hand a squeeze, they walked together to the counter and she rang the bell.
A muffled voice could be heard from another room.
"Mooooom!" A whiny tenor had stretched this out into several syllables. "There's a guest ringing!"
The pair could hear a few clankings of pots and pans followed by the soft padding of footsteps. A stout woman came out of the kitchen, bringing the savory smells of stew along with her. "Good afternoon and welcome to the Inner Inn. Traveling?" Her beady eyes traveled over the young man and widened in horror when she saw the bandages. "Goddess, Cliff, is that you? What happened to your arms?"
He hesitated before moving his gaze to the ground. "Hunting accident…"
"Well, let's get you both to your rooms so you can settle in…" Ruby led the way up the stairs, reaching into the closet to grab an armload of linens. "I'll just put some older linens on the bed, hon."
They walked along the hallway and as Ruby fumbled with the keys, Claire could hear a television in one room and the floor creaking from footsteps in another. She swung the door open and Claire unrolled one of the shikibutons on the floor.
"Aw, you didn't have to do that for me, sweetie," Ruby gushed, nimbly dropping to her knees despite her age to dress the cotton mattress.
"It's fine," Claire replied. "I don't mind. Do you have a first aid kit here? We'd really like to clean his wounds."
"Ah, yes. I have one right in the cabinet here…" Ruby pulled a case from the bathroom. "Always nice to have just in case. Looks like now's the time to use it." She looked over at Claire, who was finishing making the bed and Cliff, who was dragging a few bags behind him. "Can I get you two anything else? Will you be staying next door to him, Miss?"
"Uh… a-actually…" Claire stammered, her face turning redder by the moment, "I was just going to book this room for the two of us if that's alright…"
The innkeeper's eyes curiously flicked between the two and Claire nervously rubbed her arm while Cliff's cheeks turned even rosier, giving his friend a shy glance.
"I-I'd like to keep an eye on him, is all," Claire added, even though the voice in the back of her mind told her she didn't need to make an excuse. "He's my best friend…"
Ruby's eyes softened and she placed a hand on Claire's shoulder. "That's quite alright, hon. Breakfast is served in the downstairs kitchen from seven until nine. I'll take the payment at that time. Four-fifty and that includes breakfast." She dropped a set of keys into Claire's palm. "Let me know if you need anything else."
"A basin of water, some rags, and a garbage can, please." Cliff's tired but courteous voice caught both women by surprise.
The innkeeper smiled warmly. "Coming right up, Cliff. Just toss the rags when you're done with them." She extended a hand to Claire. "I'm Ruby, by the way."
"Claire. Thank you for your help."
She gave them a friendly nod and hurried downstairs to grant Cliff's request.
Cliff clumsily fumbled with the wrap on his arm. "It happened so suddenly… Neither me nor Cain saw her coming." He shook his head, as if urging the memory to leave his mind. "I ran over to where they landed…" His eyes grew shiny as he struggled with the lump in his throat, tossing the bandages in the wastebasket Claire had pulled next to him. She sat in front of him on the cotton mattress, frowning at the blood that was getting all over his shirt.
"Here…" She took the clean rag and water Ruby had offered them and gently dabbed his arm to clean it. "Alright, this needs to come off." She gave his shirt a gentle tug. He quickly complied without hesitation and she set it off to the side to clean in the bathroom later. She took over changing the dressings and they were quiet for a minute before she looked up at him sadly. "I can't imagine how scared you must have been… I know that Cain means a lot to you." She tried to imagine what she would have done if a larger animal attacked Koro and her blood ran cold.
She was met with a weak sound of agreement as Cliff focused his gaze on the wooden slats of the ceiling.
A soft knock on the door startled them both.
After getting a slight nod from Cliff, Claire turned toward the door, continuing her dressing of the wounds. "Come on in. It's unlocked."
Ruby opened the door. "Honey, you have a guest…"
Cliff's posture stiffened as an old man standing behind Ruby made his way through the doorway. His stooped posture didn't make him any less intimidating – with a stern expression, white smock and large scar running along his face with an artificial eye, a small gasp of fear escaped Claire's lips. He looked like a character out of a science fiction movie. His terrifying appearance stopped at the waist, however. With a pair of striped Bermuda shorts and a set of flip-flops she wasn't sure what to make of the strange man. He walked across the room, his footwear snapping loudly as he did so.
"Young man, I've been looking all over for you," he scolded. He set his medical bag on the floor with a loud thump. "You should not run away from a doctor when they are giving you medical instructions!"
Claire's jaw dropped and she felt Cliff shrink back. "Did you… run away from him?" She was reminded of his antsy behavior in Mineral Town's clinic that spring.
Cliff looked like he wanted to dig a hole and hide in it. "I didn't want to be a distraction… It's not like my life was in danger! I-I wanted to make sure you could focus on Cain," he insisted stubbornly.
"And that I did. Your falcon is in stable condition for the moment. I'll perform another procedure on him tonight, and that's going to be the big one for him. I feel fairly confident he'll pull through, but I need to make sure you are doing alright, too. It doesn't seem that the eagle that attacked him was ill, thank goodness, but you may still have a reaction." The doctor shuffled through his bag and produced a case of syringes and Claire could feel her friend's breath quicken. "Let's see what we're dealing with, eh?"
"I-I… er… I've gotten into plenty of scrapes before," Cliff replied quickly, his mouth going dry. "I really don't think any shots are necessary. Claire was just helping me clean up and change the bandages…"
Doctor Hardy was already unraveling the dressings from the arm she hadn't gotten to yet. Claire couldn't tell if she was relieved or more nervous. "Claire…" He knew he had heard the name somewhere. Perhaps she was in the newspaper a while back? "Is this your wife, young man?"
He shook his head emphatically, flushing crimson. Hardy noticed the shade of her face wasn't too far off. "Sorry, Miss. I'm going to have to ask you to wait outside."
"Please let her stay," Cliff's voice was dangerously close to a whine. He reached over and squeezed Claire's hand as if Hardy was going to tear her away from him.
"Very well," Hardy snorted, rustling in his bag for a flashlight and his stethoscope, snapping on a pair of latex gloves. He leaned in to inspect his patient's eyes. "Let me check your throat." He peered inside with his flashlight and carefully fingered around his ears and lymph nodes. "I can already tell you have a fever just from the heat you're giving off. No allergic reactions?" He put the stethoscope on Cliff's bare chest and he jumped a little in discomfort at how cold the metal apparatus was, shaking his head. The old doctor's eyebrows rose in suspicion and Claire couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. Cliff reached for her hand again and she took it as Hardy began to inspect the wounds he had uncovered.
"You didn't take any of the medicine I gave you." His words weren't a question, but rather a statement. "Where were you when you were attacked?"
"Mother's Hill…" Cliff's voice trailed off as he braced himself for a lecture.
"I told you to clean these wounds. Infection." A bottle of alcohol was produced from the bag and he swiftly began cleaning. He let out a frustrated sigh, showing Cliff a couple of bloody pine needles and a cotton swab covered in bloody dirt. "Dirty cuts can cause a lot of trouble, young man. Infections can lead to blood poisoning and sepsis. You don't want those – trust me."
He gave an apologetic nod and hung his head.
The thought of Cliff getting seriously ill caused Claire's eyes to water. "I should have cleaned them earlier. I thought about it, but he needed to get Cain here as soon as possible." Her voice cracked. "I just wrapped them so he could travel." Her shoulders sunk. "It's my fault."
It wasn't as if Cliff was thinking about that when we were at the poultry farm this morning…
Cliff turned toward her. "Claire…"
"It's not your fault," Hardy quickly replied. "I told him to clean these earlier and he didn't follow my advice." The old man's voice softened as he looked at the two friends. "Cliff, your bird responded well to my treatment so far. His outlook is alright, but you need to take care of yourself as well. Look at Claire's face." He obeyed, turning scarlet in shame. "Look at how worried she is about you." Claire choked on the lump in her throat and her eyes welled up with tears.
The deep blue eyes that met hers reminded Claire of the lonely young man that sat in the front pew of the church, searching for purpose and afraid to inconvenience anyone. "I-I'm sorry." His voice was hardly audible.
Soap-scented steam escaped the bathroom as Claire stepped out in her pajamas, her day's clothes bundled in her arms. Throwing her wet hair over her shoulder, she put the things back in her bag and her eyes were drawn to the tray of food Ruby had brought up earlier. Cliff had hardly touched the cream stew she prepared and it sat uneaten and congealed, much less appetizing than when it was presented to them. They hadn't spoken much through the meal and the visit with the doctor seemed to have worn Cliff out. Claire was grateful that his cuts had been cleaned properly, though. She had called and updated Gray on the situation shortly after Doctor Hardy left.
"We hatched him from an egg, Papa and me…" Cliff's voice was quiet as he stared at the shabby comforter on his bed. He leaned forward and picked at a loose piece of blue thread, his untied, slightly damp hair falling across his bare shoulders and down his back. "He was this awkward, fluffy, white little thing." His eyes moved up to the ceiling as he let out a soft chuckle. "Probably kind of ugly to most people, really, but to me, he was the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen…"
Claire sat cross-legged beside him and he didn't seem to mind the close proximity as he was still lost in thought.
"Especially once he lost those wispy white feathers… He started looking like a real falcon… He was…"
… Breathtaking.
Cliff paused, searching for the right words as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "Papa helped me raise him with the intention… of him being my hunting partner… I'd been training with an older red-tailed hawk named Aspen, but Cain… he was always meant to be my companion…"
Claire chose her words carefully. "I think he's really happy to have you, too." She scooted a little closer to him but still kept a little distance, avoiding bumping his arms.
He gave a slight nod. He was the future I thought I would never be able to have… And I fought so hard to make that a reality. To lose him now… His shoulders slouched and more hair fell forward. His bangs fell in front of his eyes, masking his expression, but Claire knew it wasn't a happy one. "I just… can't lose him…"
Claire carefully leaned her head on his shoulder, their damp hair mingling together. "Doctor Harvey is trying his hardest… Everyone says he does very good work… He said Cain responded well," she reminded him.
She could feel Cliff gulp. "Y-yeah… you're right… But he said he doesn't work on birds often…"
Claire placed her hands in his. "We just need to have faith… Would you like to pray for a while?"
She felt a small sigh from him. "I never prayed much before I came to Mineral Town… I didn't see the point." She lifted her head from his shoulder and he gave her a wry smile. "Does it surprise you that I wasn't always religious?"
Claire shook her head. While they had spent countless hours in the church reciting prayers together, Cliff would occasionally shyly ask for advice on which ones to say, sometimes concerned they hadn't repeated a specific one enough times.
Claire was a little surprised when he gently leaned his head against hers. "I didn't start praying until Carter recommended it, and then I'd spend hours every day reciting and repeating… mostly hoping for a miracle, really – like I'd magically become happy… It helped take my mind off of the things that were bothering me at the moment, but… I don't know if I really sent a message to the gods that way. I never really pondered the meanings of the words in those prayers… I admitted that to Carter a couple months ago and he said I could make my own– have a personal conversation with the gods – but I never knew where to begin…" She felt him swallow. "I guess… there's still a part of me that is afraid that they won't listen even if I did have something to say…" He hung his head. "I-I'm sorry, Claire… I didn't mean to bother you with my worries…"
"It's not a bother at all." She reached over and squeezed his hand. "And they will listen," she murmured with a small smile. "After all, they brought you here to me… and everyone else in Mineral Town!" she added hastily as a rosy blush immediately covered her face.
He brought her hand to his lips and gave it a gentle kiss. Claire couldn't help but notice he became more confident each time he repeated the gesture. A small smile played at his mouth – the first real one she had seen all day. "Hey… I'm glad we met."
She nodded, her heart thudding in her ears. "Me, too."
He shyly looked at her for a brief moment before averting his eyes to their clasped hands. "Would you… be willing to say a prayer with me for Cain? I mean… can we make one together?"
This is why I'm here right now…
"I'd love to."
Claire opened her eyes the next morning to an unfamiliar ceiling. She remembered at once the previous day's events and leaned in toward Cliff; she had pushed her futon against his last night and had heard him tossing and turning in his sleep quite a bit. She leaned over to brush his hair out of his face, eager to be a source of comfort for him. "Cliff, how are you feeling?" she murmured softly.
His eyes opened tiredly. In any other instance, he would have been ecstatic to wake up beside Claire, but he shifted uncomfortably as his skin burned and he fought a wave of nausea. "''Morning…" He decided not to answer her question in fear of coming off as weak, yet he felt too frail to sit up.
She let out a gasp and her eyes widened as she pulled his blankets back. His bare torso was dotted with spots, and she instinctively looked down at her own bare arms and legs for signs of bedbugs, feeling a little guilty for jumping to that conclusion. Ruby was a sweet lady and the inn was very clean. Still, one never knew... The sickly look on her friend's face confirmed his ailment. "Cliff, you must be allergic to the medicine you took last night!"
"Eh?" He sleepily rubbed his eyes and noticed the red welts on his skin.
Doctor Hardy swiped Cliff's arm with alcohol and stuck him with the syringe before he could react.
"Yep, that's definitely an allergy to penicillin. I'm glad it's just the hives, though. They should clear up within a week or so; just be sure not to scratch them."
Cliff immediately halted his hand that was hovering over a patch of itchy welts on his forearm. "You haven't said anything about Cain."
Claire could see that her friend was visibly panting in his anxiety and his trembling hand reached out for hers, gripping it tightly.
Hardy gave him a warm smile. "I'm glad to say he's going to be fine. The procedure went very well. I would like to keep him for a couple more days, though, while he recovers. He's not exactly a chick anymore, so it's going to take him a little bit of time. He does seem awfully sweet-natured."
Cliff let out a deep sigh of relief and gave Claire's hand a squeeze in gratitude. "Can I see him?"
"Of course. He's out cold, though."
Cain was in a cage on the far side of the room. Cliff hurried over toward it and his fingers gently hooked around the thin bars of the enclosure as he blinked away his tears of relief.
Bound with gauze, the falcon was much smaller than Claire ever remembered him being. He almost looked like a stuffed toy, lying there silently. "I'm glad he's okay," she whispered.
"M-me, too…"
She longed to wrap an arm around him, but the hives made that difficult at the moment. She opted for giving his hand another squeeze.
"Cliff, I'd like to discuss some instructions for Cain as he recovers and then we can settle things before you go on your way." Hardy's voice broke through the silence.
The young man reached for his wallet in his bag. "Sure."
Claire's heart filled with relief as she saw the bird snoozing in the cage. "I'll meet you outside, okay?" She turned toward the Hardy. "Thank you so much for taking care of my friends."
He cracked a smile that would have frightened her the day before. "You're very welcome, young lady. Have a safe trip back."
She practically skipped outside, her heart feeling lighter with the knowledge that Cain was safe. Cliff's oldest friend and connection to his old life… he would still be there for him. She stroked the neck of the mare Cliff had ridden into town.
"Everything's going to be okay," she told the horse with a happy sigh. "Just a little time for healing…"
The fall breeze caught her loose hair and caused it to whirl about her. The young woman let out a soft a relieved laugh, tucking it behind her ear. Perhaps the gods were trying to tell her to cheer up in their own way. She watched the fluffy clouds sail across the blue sky and the brisk air renewed her energy.
"Everything's going to be okay," she repeated aloud, untying the horse's reins from the fence beside the house.
She heard the door to Hardy's close as Cliff slowly made his way to her. His eyes remained glued to the ground as he walked beside her.
"Welcome back!" She couldn't fight the lively tone in her voice.
The young man gave her a silent nod in reply. It wasn't unfriendly, but it immediately put her on edge. Claire watched as Cliff slipped his wallet back into his bag, reaching for the offered reins and missing them completely as Claire dropped them.
"I'm sorry; I thought you had them." Claire looked over at him as he fumbled to gather the reins and they continued along, an uneasy feeling rising within her.
The startling emptiness in his eyes was something she hadn't seen before, and it felt like her heart had dropped down into her stomach at the very observance of it. He had the look of someone who would never be happy again and he stared at the ground ahead, almost appearing unsure of where they were going.
"I-Is everything alright?" She knew it was a stupid question the moment it left her lips.
He said nothing, but continued along with an exhaustion that seemed even a bit exaggerated for his allergic reaction.
She knew he must be worried about his friend. "I guess Cain's been with you practically every day since he was a chick… Hardy did say he was going to make it through, right?"
He gave a single nod as he gulped.
This has been hard on him… It's been hard on both of us…
She wanted to reach for his hand, but his posture was so closed off that she decided against it. "Well, he'll be able to come home in a couple of days and the two of you can catch up on healing and resting."
Cliff nodded once again as his walking speed slowed even more.
Claire looked at the horse they had brought with them. Their bags were draped over the horn of the saddle and the Arabian looked perky as they walked along; Claire wondered if she was familiar with the trail and knew they were headed home.
"Cliff… why don't you ride her? You don't look like you're feeling well." She noticed he was shivering a bit and Claire doubted it was from cold, as the temperature was rather pleasant.
"I… think I will. I don't know how much farther I can walk," he admitted under his breath. He stopped moving and ran his hands along the mare's neck, giving her a pat on the shoulder. Cliff walked to her face and gave her cheeks a couple of strokes. "Are you okay with carrying me?" The horse stomped one of her hoofs down and blinked at him, and for a brief moment, Claire wondered if her friend could actually communicate with animals. He gave her a nuzzle. "Thank you." He pulled himself up on the horse, biting back a sharp cry of pain as he did so. The mare's ears flew back in surprise.
Claire stepped over to them, placing a hand on his knee. "Cliff, are you alright?"
He winced and bit his lip, blinking the tears out of his eyes. Claire watched in horror as the bandages on Cliffs arm began to dot with red. "Ah, I'm okay… Some of the wounds just reopened."
The young woman cringed, and she already missed having him by her side. "I-is there anything I can do?"
He shook his head. "It's alright."
The walk back to Mineral Town was a relatively quiet one. Claire wasn't sure what to talk about, as her mind was still racing from all they had been through. Judging from the quietness from Cliff, he was likely feeling the same.
They dropped off the horse and walked back to the inn. Claire instinctively found herself reaching for his forearm, but his hands were clutching his satchel tightly. She tried to search for the right words as he opened the door to the inn. She followed him with a bag in her own hands.
Ann and Doug looked up from the bar, both giving the pair a friendly welcome. Ann was about to bound over to them and stopped herself, her face going a little pale at the hurt look on Cliff's face and the hives dotting his body.
"We'll check on him later," Doug murmured in a reassuring tone.
Ann's eyes darted between the two friends, hoping for answers as she reluctantly went back to her work restocking glasses in the bar.
They walked up the stairs in silence, and with every step, Claire felt her heart grow heavier. There was an oppressive feeling in the air that made her uncomfortable. He unlocked the door and set his things on the table, letting out a deep sigh as he leaned forward on it on his elbows and stared at the pile of belongings.
A soft touch on his back made him flinch a bit.
"Ah, I'm sorry! Do the hives still burn?"
He slowly stood up but didn't turn toward her. "'S'alright…" His shoulders began to droop.
Claire wracked her mind with things to say. Would talking help? Perhaps they should do something fun together? Maybe a meal downstairs would help? She nervously wrung her hands. "Hey… do you want me t-to…?"
"I think I need to be alone for a while," he mumbled, his voice a bit husky. "Thank you for all of your help. You've been far kinder than I deserve."
"Cliff…" She didn't want to take his energy debating on something like this. Did that make her a bad friend? She took his hand and gave it a squeeze, hoping to ease some of his pain.
It seemed to have the opposite effect. "You're a… g-good friend…" He raised her hand a bit and her heart began to flutter as she waited in anticipation for his lips to touch it the way he had the night before. He halted halfway and gave it a gentle pat. "Th-thanks…"
She hated that her heart dropped a bit. "Of course." She gave him a light hug and wasn't surprised when he didn't return it. "Rest and feel better, okay? Maybe taking a soothing bath would help with the hives… I took oatmeal baths as a kid when I got chickenpox and it helped a lot." Part of her felt like she was talking too much, but she couldn't stop herself.
He made a soft grunt of acknowledgment and she debated giving him another kiss on the forehead, but he had already turned his focus back to his belongings on the table. Perhaps that was too much right now, even if she was trying to help… She had been expecting a much more cheerful reaction to Cain's prognosis, but Cliff was likely emotionally exhausted. Claire gave him one last weak smile before heading home, closing the door after her.
The young man's eyes darted around the room as he gathered his bow and shifted his hunting gear in a bag, his heart pounding in his chest and his breath shortening in panic. He gathered some food supplies and stuffed them into the satchel, his knees going weak as he threw the bag over his shoulder and across his body. A bit of sweat ran down his face and he sat down on the bed with a loud creak, exhaling deeply.
How am I supposed to…?
His body filled with fear and dread, yet he found himself unable to get back up as he was overwhelmed. Still restrained by the bag, he allowed himself to fall backwards on his bed, waiting for the tears to come.
Author's Note: Phew! This was quite a meaty chapter! I hope you enjoyed it!
I wanted to give Gray an Irish/Japanese ancestry. I named Feena after one of my favorite characters from Grandia, who happens to have an Irish name. Gray's father's name, Airu, means "love flow". This isn't the last we will hear of Gray's past or parents. Those who have played Harvest Moon 64 are familiar with Gray having an injury that leaves him unable to ride. I kind of put my own twist (terrible pun! It wasn't intentional, I promise!) on his injury and adapted it to this story.
I decided to make Cliff's horse black for a reason. I read that a black horse symbolizes death, but it also symbolizes the maturity to handle what life throws at you. I thought that was pretty cool, so I included it.
Cliff's reaction to the medicine is based on an ordeal my father went through when he got bit by a dog. The medicine ended up causing him more discomfort than the actual dog bite. It's never fun to find out you have an allergy that way.
Well, there you have it! Cain is safe! :) I appreciate all of you reading along this far! Thank you so much for the reviews – they seriously lift my spirit so much, y'all seriously have no idea how much!