After spending the day visting with everyone, I found myself utterly exhausted. I actually went to bed earlier than the children, and I was at peace with it. I slept like a rock and I went undisturbed for the whole of the night.
The next day, I found myself galumphing about with the children. When I had awoken I had went to Miss Peregrine in hope that she would accept my help caring for daily duties. To much surprise she declined my offer. She explained that she wished for me to relax for the day, and suggested that my life had been much too serious the past year. She might have been a woman who rather enjoyed productiveness, but even she had to admit that letting lose every once-in-a-while was good for the soul.
Firstly, the children and I enjoyed a heavy breakfast that Miss Peregrine prepared. The amount of food that we all consumed was ridiculous. There was no doubt that we were all we satisfied when the children began to file from the dinning room.
Before heading outside, I approached Miss Peregrine. I reached into the pocket on my skirt and revealed the falcon lighter.
"What is this, Miss Stonington?" Miss Peregrine asked me.
I gave her a sly smirk, and flipped the top of the lighter. The lighter sparked then ignited.
"This, Headmistress," I said, holding it up to her, "is the highest of quality lighters. And this one, happens to be for you."
I put the flame out, handing it to her, making sure that the falcon immediately caught her eyes.
"My goodness!" she exclaimed when her green eyes caught the image of the peregrine falcon. "I've never seen such an item. And the peregrine is rather... gallant." She held the lighter to her for a moment. "Thank you."
Leaving her to disappear into the world of dirty dishes and dust mops, I made my way to the garden, where I found the children at play. Millard, Enoch, Horace, Hugh and Jake were taking part in what appeared to be rather a heated game of soccer. Whilst the boys played, Emma was reclined under a tree, barefoot, with a book in her grasp. Bronwyn was across the lawn, picking up anything bulky she could find to throw into the woods. Little Claire was swinging on the tire swing, and Olive was balancing on a branch of the tree the swing hung from. I caught a glimpse of Fiona nestled between two bushes, growing some flowers from some seeds she spread.
I took it all in. The sights of all the children playing about the yard filled me with such a warmth that I felt as if I could not possibly bear to be separated from Peculiardom again. It was a feeling that I was becoming more and more used to as the days went by. It was a feeling that I hoped, deeply, and with all my heart, that would remain inside me forever.
"Minnette!" called Emma from her book when she took notice of me.
Weaving past the boys, I jogged to her side and sat next to her. She was reading a romance novel- I could tell by the couple kissing on the book cover- that looked as if it was older than me. The cover was leather with the pictures etched into its surface.
Emma sighed and closed her book. "You really have no clue how wonderful it is to have you back," she admitted, her eyes focused on the group of scrambling boys. "They seemed so put out when you left."
I felt a small sting in my heart. The day I had went back to America, the mood of the loop had seemed to dull right before my eyes. I soon found myself in a stretch of a fews days where I was constantly trying to assure myself that I had made a good decision.
"I'm sorry, Emma," I replied. "But I had to go."
"I know. I understand. It was the rest that had a difficult time grasping the fact that you would come back."
"But I promised," I reminded her.
She nodded. "Indeed you did. Unfortunately the rest of us have been disappointed many times before by past peculiars. A promise is hardly a believable thing in our loop anymore. They've hurt Miss Peregrine the most, though."
I began to fiddle with my fingernails. I didn't ever want to hurt anyone in the loop, especially Miss Peregrine. Losing so many children in the past- no matter to what circumstances- had taken its toll on the Ymbryne, and she wasn't deserving of any more pain. I guess Emma was right, they truly were glad that I had returned.
Just then, Fiona, who must have escaped the garden earlier, came running up to us.
"Minnette! Emma!" she huffed. "There's a policeman at the door. He says he wants to speak to whoever is in charge, but I can't find Miss Peregrine anywhere."
I looked at Emma.
Emma groaned and shook her head. "The pub," she said.
"The pub?" I asked.
"Yes, yes, the bloody pub! Yesterday, before you arrived, Jacob, Olive, Millard and I went into town, in search of some sweets we could buy to share after supper. Well, let's just say that the bloody pub owner managed to tip off Olive, and Millard broke some of his windows with rocks." She then raised her book to her forehead shamefully and groaned again.
Where could Miss Peregrine be? Although I was not yet familiar with my inner ymbryne senses, they were telling me that she was in the vicinity. I could feel her presence, but it wasn't like she was right next to me. She must have been somewhere where the children were not permitted to go. I was stunned for a moment.
Finally Emma lifted her head and looked me dead in the eyes. "You'd better go, Minnette. After all, you are an ymbryne."
Not totally confident in myself, I twisted my face in an odd manner and got to my feet. I had absolutely no experience in dealing with the law. I wouldn't have a clue what to say to a policeman in my world, let alone what to speak about to a policeman from 1940. I made my way to the house, hoping with all my might that Miss Peregrine would appear and take care of business for me.
But, alas, no Miss Peregrine.
When I reached the front door, I found myself looking into the face of not one man, but two. The officer was clad in the overly expected blue uniform. The man who stood beside him was stout, wore an aged waistcoat and bore the nastiest frown I had ever seen on someone on Cairnholm. They both looked surprised when I strode up to the door, which Fiona had left wide open.
"You there!" hissed the stout man.
Emma had stuck to my heels, and I felt her hand grab onto the backside of my arm.
Deciding that it was a wise decision to act experienced with the law, I stiffened my posture. Be the Bird, I told myself. "Yes, gentlemen," I said, "how may I assist you?"
The officer presumed to peer around me at Emma, who looked nor acted afraid at all. He did not appear as nearly as angry as the other man did.
"And who might you be?" the officer asked in a low, serious tone.
Immediately I offered my hand. "Headmistress Raven," I stated. Using the moniker that was to become my permanent name in the peculiar world felt right for this situation. "How do you do?"
The officer went to reach for my hand, but the other man rudely smacked it away.
"We have not come here to get friendly with these people," hissed the man at the officer. He shot a darting look at me. "We are here to complain about your disgraceful pack of children."
Emma squeezed my arm.
Disgraceful? How dare him!
I could feel a small tension begin to rise in me internally. Emma had said that it was the pub owner who had tipped off Olive- and this man in front of me was him, no doubt- which had caused Millard to break his windows with rocks. I knew that Millard was just looking out for young Olive, but I had to make it appear that I considered his choices unnecessary and ridiculous.
"By what right?" I asked the pub owner.
His face began to turn red. "By right of my broken windows, that's what!" he spat. He pointed a finger at Emma. "Ask the lass, she was involved."
Hoping that Emma would get the drift that she had to play along, I crossed my arms. "Is this true, Miss Bloom?" I made sure to keep a Miss Peregrine air about me.
Emma bit her lip, then dangled her head. "It is, Headmistress." She performed well.
"You're damned right it is!" barked the pub owner. He took a step closer to me and I got a hefty whiff of whiskey. "Those children are complete and utter pick-a-ninnies!"
The officer threw an arm in front of the pub owner. "Easy, Greg. No need for that kind of language."
But the man would not settle himself. In fact, he became angrier yet.
He pushed past the officer and advanced closer to me. "I want my bloody windows replaced! And I want your children banned from the village!"
I was becoming defensive. "You have not the right to banish my children from anywhere," I replied calmly, yet lowly.
The man bore his yellow teeth then got right in my face. The smell of whiskey on his breath was beyond overpowering. He soon was so close to me that I almost vomited due to the stench. "Listen, woman, I want my windows replaced. Installed and bought, before the week is out. Or I will come up here and rid the world of every last one of you. These children are monsters; no one would miss them."
"THEY ARE NOT MONSTERS!" came a voice from behind Emma and I.
I whirled on my heel to see Miss Peregrine standing half-way up the staircase, crossbow in hand, aimed at the pub owner. She looked completely and utterly ticked off. I felt a wave of relief fall off me. She jumped in at just the right time.
"Oi! Who are you?" asked the officer. He didn't seem alarmed at the fact that she had a crossbow aimed in his general direction. I quickly observed his person, why, he was unarmed.
She crept down the stairs, not breaking her aim, and came to stand beside me. "Headmistress Alma LeFay Peregrine," she said darkly. "This is my home, and these are my wards, and you, good sir, are tresspassing on my property." As angry as she was, she remained polite and kept her wits about her.
Just then, without any forewarning, the man lunged forward, his hand encircling my neck. I began to twist and turn as he began to choke me. I cried out.
A crossbow bolt came hurling over my shoulder, and hit the man in his eye socket. He made not a peep as his hands went limp, releasing me, and he fell to the floor. The man's blood had squirted outwardly and had covered my face and neck. I fell to the floor, and grabbed at my neck, stunned that someone actually had enough guts to try and choke me before Miss Peregrine. Emma got on the floor beside me and held my hand as I tried to regain myself.
I couldn't believe it. Miss Peregrine had killed someone! I knew that she was sworn to protect us, but I never expected her to shoot a human like she just had.
The officer looked so stunned that he say not a word, he stood idle with his jaw agape. It was odd to me that he seemed not a very brave law enforcer; Cairnholm must have been a peaceful place, until today.
Miss Peregrine advanced on him. She broke aim, and swung her crossbow and rested it on her shoulder. She seemed to look down at the man. She then reached in her pocket and pulled out a long, gray feather. I recognized it as one from her alternate form. She went to the officer, and waved the feather in his face in a peculiar way, like a shaman casting a spell. She mumbled something in a language I had never heard.
"I suggest that you forget what you previously encountered," Miss Peregrine said, in a really deep tone. Our Ymbryne sounded angry, evil- in a very subtle way- even.
I watched in awe as the officers eyes became big, he nodded distantly, then began to walk from the house. As soon as he was off the lawn and had entered the woods heading back toward town, Miss Peregrine lowered herself to her knees and set her crossbow down. For a moment she stroked my hair as I managed to regulate my breathing. I put a couple of fingers under my chin and gently raised my gaze to look her in the eyes.
"It's all right," she cooed in human. "Just breathe, my dear."
Emma had leaned herself up against the door frame and was staring out into the countryside. She sighed. "I hate humans," she stated. "All they ever do is try to hurt us."
Miss Peregrine made a small sound, acknowledging what she was speaking about. "I'm rather not fond of them, either, Miss Bloom, but they are the habitual species no matter where we go, so, alas, we must acknowledge- and avoid- their presence."
The way Miss Peregrine gently stroked my hair seemed to relax me more than any massage I had ever received. Weather it was my ymbryne senses magnifying the comforting energy she dispelled, or just the comfort of having her mother-like comfort that was causing me too feel so relaxed, I did not know, nor did I care. I wasn't that shaken up, but I was shaken up enough to sit idle for a few moments.
"Why, Miss Stonington," Miss Peregrine said after a few moments. "This was quite an unfortunate encounter." She looked out at the corpse of the pub owner. "Miss Bloom, please go and check on the others, and make it so they are unaware of what just happened."
Emma nodded then walked off.
Miss Peregrine helped me to my feet. She brushed off my shirt for me and she examined my neck withe tender fingers. "There may be some bruising," she said. "In which case, we will have to think of a proper explanation for the children."
"I am stunned," I admitted, "that you actually killed someone."
"All in sake of the children," she replied. She bent down and collected her crossbow. "Had he not attacked you, he could have walked away with his chum." I watched as she loaded another bolt into the crossbow with ease. "You will learn, Miss Stonington, that even in this world, violence is not completely inevitable. In fact, when it comes to the protection of the wards as a whole, it is required. This is something that you will learn undoubtedly and without regret from Miss Avocet."
Miss Peregrine moved to the corpse, and nudged it with her foot. I wondered what was going through her mind.
"Miss Peregrine?"
"Hmmm?"
"What was that thing you did with the feather?" I asked.
She stiffened. "Oh, that. Well, that is something you shall learn from Miss Avocet, as well." She spoke in a way that was a mixture of mysterious and haughtily. It was obvious that she would speak no more on the matter.
Jacob then came jogging over from around the house. Emma must have sent him.
"Mister Portman, would you be so kind as to hide our friend?" Miss Peregrine asked, pointing to the corpse.
Jacob looked questioningly at me when he saw me coated in blood. Emma must have told him about Miss Peregrine knocking off a man, but must have forgotten to explain why she had to knock off said man. He gazed at me for a moment, then, quickly bent down, collected the corpse and began to drag it across the lawn.
"Miss Stonington I suggest you go and bathe yourself," said Miss Peregrine. "I have wards to punish." Throwing her crossbow back on her shoulder again, she strode off the porch and rounded the house.