Prologue
A warm wind swept through the small clearing, carrying the scent of the lilacs that grew so abundantly at the far end of the clearing. The sweet scent overpowered almost every other, but his concentration never wavered. Feeling each blade of grass under his bare feet, he eased forward, slowly.
Bright pint-points of light danced above the crick, flickering in the growing gloom of dusk.
Closer he crept, and closer still, steps silent, though a soft hiss escaped him as a blade of twitch-grass cut into his foot. That, however, wasn't enough to deter him from his course, and he continued to stalk his quarry, slinking through the swiftly darkening clearing.
Lithe muscles bunched as he made ready to spring, and then he moved, hands flashing upward towards the dancing lights. The sound of metal on glass echoed through the clearing.
"Yeah!" he whooped, as his prey was caught, elation washing through him. As his admiring gaze took in his prize, one bare foot slipped on the damp grass, and he stumbled, his feet going out from under him, hands darting to catch himself, before he tumbled into the crick.
"No!" Elation turned to anguish, as his eyes took in the sharp rocks in the crick-bed, and his arms wind-milled, as he tried to regain his feet, before he lost what he'd stalked for so long.
Then a larger shadow uncoiled from the shadows, hands darting to catch the small jar, before it, and the fireflies within, where dashed on the rocks.
Panting, brown eyes meet blue, and he blinked in surprise, only now registering the strange scent, over the beguiling scent of lilacs. The wind skimmed through again, tugging at clothing to reveal sun browned skin, and whipping both brown and blond hair into tangles.
"Here."
The jar was offered back to him, and he took it, head cocking to one side, as he took in the other boy.
"Thanks."
"Y'oughta be more careful."
He stiffened at that, pride stung, his jaw tightening. "I am. Th'grass is wet, s'all. Who're you, anyway? I ain't seen y'before."
"We just."
"Logan!" The voice broke into the quiet of the dark clearing, causing both boys to startle. "Logan, it's time to come in."
He looked over his shoulder, scowling. "I gotta go," he began, then turned to face the other boy again. "Momma's callin' me."
The other boy nodded, and took a step back, his gaze turning to watch the fireflies, returning to their dance after having been scattered away.
He backed away as well, head cocked again. "See y'sometime," he offered, then, as another call of his name drifted into the clearing, turned to dash towards the lilac bushes, and home beyond, clasping his jar of fireflies to his chest.
"Yeah," was said quietly behind him, then he was through the bushes, and pelting up the path towards the little cabin, where his mother stood waiting on the porch, dancing stars clutched in his hands, and lilacs in his hair.
A warm wind swept through the small clearing, carrying the scent of the lilacs that grew so abundantly at the far end of the clearing. The sweet scent overpowered almost every other, but his concentration never wavered. Feeling each blade of grass under his bare feet, he eased forward, slowly.
Bright pint-points of light danced above the crick, flickering in the growing gloom of dusk.
Closer he crept, and closer still, steps silent, though a soft hiss escaped him as a blade of twitch-grass cut into his foot. That, however, wasn't enough to deter him from his course, and he continued to stalk his quarry, slinking through the swiftly darkening clearing.
Lithe muscles bunched as he made ready to spring, and then he moved, hands flashing upward towards the dancing lights. The sound of metal on glass echoed through the clearing.
"Yeah!" he whooped, as his prey was caught, elation washing through him. As his admiring gaze took in his prize, one bare foot slipped on the damp grass, and he stumbled, his feet going out from under him, hands darting to catch himself, before he tumbled into the crick.
"No!" Elation turned to anguish, as his eyes took in the sharp rocks in the crick-bed, and his arms wind-milled, as he tried to regain his feet, before he lost what he'd stalked for so long.
Then a larger shadow uncoiled from the shadows, hands darting to catch the small jar, before it, and the fireflies within, where dashed on the rocks.
Panting, brown eyes meet blue, and he blinked in surprise, only now registering the strange scent, over the beguiling scent of lilacs. The wind skimmed through again, tugging at clothing to reveal sun browned skin, and whipping both brown and blond hair into tangles.
"Here."
The jar was offered back to him, and he took it, head cocking to one side, as he took in the other boy.
"Thanks."
"Y'oughta be more careful."
He stiffened at that, pride stung, his jaw tightening. "I am. Th'grass is wet, s'all. Who're you, anyway? I ain't seen y'before."
"We just."
"Logan!" The voice broke into the quiet of the dark clearing, causing both boys to startle. "Logan, it's time to come in."
He looked over his shoulder, scowling. "I gotta go," he began, then turned to face the other boy again. "Momma's callin' me."
The other boy nodded, and took a step back, his gaze turning to watch the fireflies, returning to their dance after having been scattered away.
He backed away as well, head cocked again. "See y'sometime," he offered, then, as another call of his name drifted into the clearing, turned to dash towards the lilac bushes, and home beyond, clasping his jar of fireflies to his chest.
"Yeah," was said quietly behind him, then he was through the bushes, and pelting up the path towards the little cabin, where his mother stood waiting on the porch, dancing stars clutched in his hands, and lilacs in his hair.