Alaunt Mistress: Hello, hello, one and all. Sorry that I haven't updated lately, but I've had dance auditions so I've been pretty busy lately. Anyways, here's the fourth chappie.
Disclaimer: I do not own FMA
Woods of Song
Chapter 4 – Into the Woods
It was surprisingly spacious inside the tiny looking cottage. There was a quaint entrance room that held a small table, kitchen facilities, and a fireplace. There was an oil lamp on the table. At the end of the room, next to the woodstove, was an open archway into a hall. A calendar hung above the fireplace that was directly right of where the brothers were now standing. The Air Sister was looking at it. After a moment, she sighed, then turned back to the brothers and motioned them to follow her. As Ed passed by the table, he noticed a small picture. Deciding to look at it later, he stepped past and through the archway into the hall, Al just a step behind them.
There were three doors all in a row in front of them. At the end of each hall was yet another door.
"Bathroom…" the sister said, pointing to the door at the left end of the hall. "Study…" she continued, pointing to the door at the right end of the hall. "My room…" she said, pointing to the door closest to the study. "The rest are guest rooms. Take your pick."
Ed immediately chose the room directly across from the entrance to the hall, and shut himself up. Al, having no other choice started for the left room when he was stopped by the air sister. "Dinner's soon." She stated, then asked, "What are your names?"
"Oh, I'm Al, and my brother is Edward." Al replied.
"Thanks." Was all she said, then turned to go to the kitchen.
"Edward…" the sister said softly at the door to Ed's room, wondering whether or not the blonde alchemist was asleep. Al was already sitting at the kitchen table, although he had refused the food offered him. Oh well, if he wouldn't eat, that was his problem, although suspicions were starting to arise in the young girl's mind. She pressed her ear to the door to see if she could hear anything.
"Food." That was all it took. The door flew open and the sister found herself on the floor being trampled by Edward in his mad dash to the table. She could hear Al scolding him for running over "the nice sister", and smiled into the wooden floor. She picked herself up to find Ed ready with fork and knife in hand. She simply smiled and went about serving the food.
'He has quite an appetite.' The sister thought to herself as she listened to the sounds of Ed inhaling food as she herself picked at hers. There were things that needed to be done, and the brothers were going to be a slight complication.
"Are these your sisters?" she heard Ed ask through a mouthful of food.
The sister looked up in surprise, and then followed his eyes to the picture on the table. It showed her and her water and fire sisters. The water sister wore her long flowing brown hair back in a ponytail, and her eyes were ocean blue. She wore a tight long sleeved shirt that completely covered her hands, fingers included. She also wore a long blue skirt. She was sitting next to a fiery little redhead who was putting bunny ears on her two sisters. The fire sister's hair was short, red, and spiked. Her eyes were a honey brown and her attire was a red version of the water sister's, except that she had cut holes for her fingers and had opted for pants instead of a skirt. The air sister sat to the right of the fire sister, her usual glass sparkling in the sunlight.
"Yeah," the Air sister said, almost dreamily.
"Where's the Earth sister?" Al inquired.
"Taking the picture."
"Couldn't you have had one of the villagers take it?" Ed asked, plate empty for a change.
"We don't like to be seen together."
"Why?"
"I don't know, I guess it gives us an air of mystery."
"It also makes suspicions arise." Ed said, looking into her eyes. She stared right back.
"If you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to with my sisters. Most of the books in the library are about Alchemy if you're interested. Feel free, but my room is off limits. Please respect my privacy." She said, standing and heading towards the door, then stopped and turned around. "The lamp stays on."
The starlight shone unnaturally brightly on long flowing hair, and it blazed auburn red even when shadows crossed it. Deep blue eyes gazed at her home, and she stretched from a hard nights work, dropping her arms and sighing. The fields would yield well, but it had taken a toll on the girl. The new moon took girl's energy away, as her alchemic powers were amplified by moonlight, but starlight had no effect. Her throat was hoarse and raspy from having sung the night away, but it was for the village and so she did it. She started to walk down the long slope to the house; she could see the friendly light of the lamp and smiled at the thought of her warm bed. She was dressed all in black, and most of her coloring came from her red hair. She wore a long skintight shirt that had a low V-neck and covered all of her hands, except for her pointer and ring fingers. Her stomach and palms also showed. On her right palm was a triangle. On her left palm was an upside down triangle. Another upside down triangle with a line through it was on her navel. Her pants came down to mid shin, but didn't show much skin due to the long black boots that she wore. A slight breeze caught her hair and it tinkled with glass. The hair lifted a bit to show a right side up triangle with a line through it on the back of her neck. She came to the door, opened it, and quietly jumped back a step or two.
A blonde haired boy was asleep on the table, a book under his head and his coat on the chair behind him. The girl smiled to herself, and quietly walked up to him. She had to be quiet; otherwise he would awake and find her like this. She nimbly picked up his jacket and laid it over his shoulders. As she turned to walk away, she was stopped by a hand gripped on her wrist. She slowly turned to meet triumphant golden eyes. Now, she had to tell them.
Alaunt Mistress: Haha! Yes, I am the Cliffhangar Queen. If you can't stand them, this isn't the story to read. By the way, I love reviews and thank all of you who have R&R'd even though I don't individually write them out. If you want to know what the triangles mean (although it will be a spoiler for the next chappie) go to http:www.fullmetalalchemist.info/alchemy.html Keep an eye out for Woods of Song: Chapter 5 - Secrets Revealed
