-Chapter Two-

A Day Well Spent

"Today has been a good day," Diamond said with a content smile upon her face. She lay upon the bank of a river, feet stretched out so they just touched the water that lapped onto shore. She listened comfortably to the gurgling of the water as it rushed past, enjoying the feel of the warm sunrays stroking her face as she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. A basket rest nearby, filled with numerous fish that had earlier been caught.

"It has, hasn't it?" Prisca asked from her left. Diamond said nothing, but no words were needed. Both lasses fell silent, relishing their day -- or, in Diamond's case, her day starting from the point she and Prisca left the house hours beforehand. At the moment, her troubles were tucked tidily away in the back of her mind, and she thought no more of them for now. Any problem, it seemed, didn't seem troublesome at all out in the calmness of the setting sun.

"Mother shall like the flowers we picked for her," Prisca commented lazily, breaking the comfortable silence.

"And she should!" Diamond responded. "We trudged across half the Shire for them!"

Prisca chuckled. "Perhaps not half of the Shire," she said. "But it seemed like it."

"Aye," Diamond said faintly. A soft smile stretched across her features. "I have never seen a lass climb a tree as quickly as you, Pris," she said with a giggle. Prisca sniggered.

"You seem to forget our days many years ago, Di," she said airily. "I was the fastest tree-climber in all the Shire!"

"Think what you like," Diamond retorted. "But I seem to remember beating you a fair number of times."

A stretch of silence followed this statement, until Prisca broke it once more. "Shall we head back?"

Diamond shook her head. "No. No, not yet." She sighed and opened her eyes, squinting against the glare of the falling sun. The cool water trickling over her feet felt pleasant. Sitting up, she pulled her feet from the water and drew her knees to her chest. All around, life was abundant. Flowers from shades of blue and purple to red and pink, with whites and yellows in between, bloomed copiously along the edge of the river, filling the air with a sweet pungent scent that gave Diamond a strong sense of well-being. It brought back many memories from her childhood days. Even the trees were thick with flowers and tiny buds; sometimes, if the wind blew just hard enough, petals would be freed in it and dance about in the wind like snow.

Not long after Diamond sat up, Prisca followed suit. Chin on her knees, she watched her younger sister curiously. Diamond sat staring out across the water, seeming deeply lost in her thoughts. A smile played at the corner of her lips, suggesting her thoughts were pleasant. Several curls had freed themselves from their hair tie, and without thinking, Prisca reached out and tucked them behind Diamond's ear. The sudden movement from her sister startled Diamond, and she turned to her, her smile now growing so large it overtook all her features.

"What are you thinking about?" Prisca questioned, wishing to share the secret.

"Do you remember days like this, when we would run about all day outside?" Diamond asked indolently. "And then Mother would beg us to come inside and take our baths... but we wouldn't. Not until she threatened us. She used to say she would take our desserts away."

"Yes," Prisca said slowly. "I remember."

"Those days seem so far away," Diamond said with a sigh. "I miss them."

"Me too, Di," Prisca said softly.

"I think we should go back now, and show Mother the fish we've caught and the flowers we picked her, before the flowers wilt and the fish go bad," Diamond decided. A sudden grin lit up her face and she leapt to her feet, snatching the basket with the fish. "I'll race you," she said, and before Prisca could get to her feet or even agree, Diamond was off, racing across a field filled with knee-high grass and littered with bunches of wildflowers, a large grin plastered on her face as the basket flapped freely against her side.

"That wasn't fair Diamond!" Prisca shouted, voice laced with annoyance. She was quick to get to her feet and snatch the flowers, before taking off after her sister. "Diamond, wait! Not fair!" she yelled again and Diamond's retreating back. Ahead, Diamond pretended not to hear her, though she struggled not to burst into laughter... at least not until they were back home and she had won.

--

Diamond lay awake late that night. Her grief had returned, although no tears were brought forth with it. She watched the moon from her bed, restless and not in the least bit tired. She longed to get what had happened off her chest, but didn't know how to say it. She felt betrayed and ashamed for trusting Nob... it wasn't easy to tell others, not even her sister.

She sighed and rolled over, blocking the moon from view. Tomorrow she would have to tell her mother the wedding was off. The preparations would be brought to a halt, and Diamond was sure she would be questioned; questioned about how and why and if it was possible for the two of them to patch things up. But it wasn't, and Diamond knew it. She could never trust him again, and a deep regret and a feeling along the lines of hate had begun to form deep within her.

She sighed, twisting around miserably beneath her blankets. This wasn't going to work -- she was never going to fall asleep like this. She slipped from her bed and hurried across her darkened room. Pausing at the door a moment, she then crept into the hall.

Prisca's room was two doors down from hers. Diamond slipped in silently. Moonlight drifted in from the open window, illuminating Prisca's sleeping form beneath her covers. Quickly, Diamond darted across the floor and to Prisca's bed, climbing up on the end and inching forward. For a minute she sat near her elder sister, simply watching her. She then gently prodded at Prisca's side, eyes locked on her peaceful features.

Prisca groaned and slowly opened her eyes, blinking the sleep from them. She looked confused at first, and narrowed her eyes at Diamond. "Di?" she asked sleepily.

"Yes, I couldn't sleep," Diamond whispered.

"Did you find it absolutely necessary to wake me?" Prisca demanded, pushing herself into a sitting position and yawning widely.

"Keep your voice down," Diamond instructed. "I want to talk to you."

"About what?" Prisca asked, the volume of her voice dropped considerably. Diamond drew a deep breath.

"Nob."

Instantly Prisca was awake, leaning forward intently. She was eager to hear what Diamond had to say.

"What about him?" she asked breathlessly. "What happened between you two?" Diamond paused a moment, and then opened her mouth to spill the tale. She was worried that the words wouldn't come easily, but to her surprise, once she began talking, she found it nearly impossible to stop.