And I am back again. Hope you like it. :)
4 months later
"Are you listening?" 'Miss Elizabeth' said.
Wendy's eyes darted back to the woman in front of her.
'Miss Elizabeth' sighed loudly "What did I just say?"
"Something about a lady?" Wendy tilted her head to the left.
The teacher shook her head. "You need to listen. That is an important skill for a lady. And reading and writing…" She gestured to the open book in front of Wendy. "Are important qualities modern men look for in their wives."
Wendy rolled her eyes.
The teaching had been fun at the start. 'Miss Elizabeth' had shown her books with pretty pictures and promised she would let Wendy borrow them after she had learned to read.
They had practiced letters and Wendy had been amazed by the smooth curly letters, that Miss Elizabeth drew in graceful motion with a steady pen.
But after some time, the teacher seemed to be frustrated.
Not with Wendy's dazed look at the beautiful people in the pictures of the books or her rather janky lettering, but that Wendy would bring up hunting when the teacher tried to teach her counting. Or her complete disinterest in what the city was like, or ladylike behavior at all.
"It seems my effort is in vain." Miss Elizabeth said and picked up Jacob's broken shepherd staff. "Do you know how my father put children like you in line?"
Wendy looked at the angry woman who stepped around the table with the staff in hand.
"Beth?"
Both of them looked out the window where Mina was standing and looking at them.
'Miss Elizabeth' seemed to straighten out and smiled warmly. "Oh, hello Mina."
Wendy got out of the chair and went to the window. "What are you doing here, Mina?"
Before the weaver's daughter could answer, 'Miss Elizabeth' corrected her.
"You should call her Miss Mina, as she is older than you and needs respect. And you should not start a conversation like that!"
Mina laughed and waved her off. "Just let it be, Beth. I do not mind. I have just gotten some bread from the baker. Why not come for lunch and tea?"
Miss Elizabeth shook her head, but Wendy nodded and went to the door.
"Good," Mina said. "We need to look at your hunting clothes too, Wendy. I have made some adjustments."
Wendy stared at the new shirt, which had a leather corset on the outside. It looked amazing.
"I figured you would need this with time and keeping it on the outside would be more comfortable." Mina smiled at the younger girl's shiny eyes. "And there is room to take it out if you grow out of it before spring."
Wendy felt the shirt between her fingers as the two women drank tea.
"We should not encourage that … fantasy of hers…" Miss Elizabeth said in a low voice. "Especially now that she is getting older."
Wendy stopped and listened.
"Without her, her family probably had not survived last winter – she kept the village well fed too. That is worth some encouragement." Mina's voice was nothing but a whisper.
Wendy smiled and played with the strings of the corset.
"Those are so it fits right," Mina explained a little louder and slurped her tea. "Your mother can show you how to do it?"
"But a young woman riding around the forest … alone?" The woman continued.
Wendy looked up at the two women.
Mina patted her head. "Well, she is a rather pretty girl I suppose."
Miss Elizabeth sighed irritated and sipped on her tea. "I guess it will not be a problem for long. Her brothers are getting older after all. They will soon take on hunting I suppose."
Wendy looked at the woman with a shocked expression.
"Beth…" Mina scolded her friend gently.
Elizabeth ignored her and looked at the young girl. "Therefore, you should…"
Before she could finish, Wendy stood up and walked out – leaving her new shirt behind.
She did not go home but headed straight to the forest.
Frozen leaves crunched under her shoes and she pulled the coat tighter around herself.
You look sad…
Wendy turned and stood nose to nose with the perfect creature that was the elven queen.
"Your Majesty," she greeted. "Are you not cold?"
She took a few steps back because she knew the elven queen would not.
The queen wore a sparkling dress that showed off her shoulders and arms as well as her bare feet.
The endless eyes studied her own limps. Pain never touches me … he has not in a long time…
A small smile appeared on Wendy's face.
The elven turned to her head and studied her human girl.
What brings you to me in sadness…
Wendy did not know where to look and fidgeted with her hands. "What if my brothers hunt and I do not need to anymore?"
The elven queen tilted her head at the girl and then smiled warmly.
How wonderful…
Wendy looked up in shock. "What?"
Pale fingers knitted themselves into hers.
Then we could dance … sing … and play … 'til the end of day…
Wendy's face softened into a smile.
Of course, that was the elven's thought.
Her Majesty slit closer and wrapped Wendy in an embrace.
It was odd to feel her skin because it felt like nothing at all.
The elven queen was neither warm nor cold. She was more like a gentle breeze's momentarily touch.
Wendy smiled and leaned her head on a bare shoulder. "Thank you…"
The elven queen released her and stepped backward with a knowing smile.
"I should get back," Wendy said and turned towards the edge of the forest. "My mother and Eva probably need help."
The elven queen opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
Wendy turned back around, not used to the silence from her.
I hope to see you before … winter turns to spring…
Wendy giggled and agreed, as she wandered towards the inn.
The elven smiled after her.
Why not take the little hunter in … in … in…? creatures echoed around her.
The elven queen's endless blue eyes watched the red-haired girl disappear out of the forest.
Time tells many tails … and I cannot compete… she whispered to her loyal folk as she faded from the forest floor.
Wendy shook the cold from her body as stepped inside.
"Oh, Wendy." Her mother said from the rocking chair by the fire. "Did you learn anything new today?"
Wendy froze at the sight of her mother.
"Is there something wrong?" She asked, as she took off her coat and hurried to her mother.
Her mother was never one to sit down.
Her mother looked down at her growing belly and gently patted it. "Oh, no my dear. I am just taking a rest for a moment. There are a few guests, but Eva has taken care of it." She smiled gently at the thought. "She is growing so big too."
Wendy smiled relieved. "And grandmother and Arthur?"
"Your grandmother is in the kitchen watching the stew, you can get some if you are hungry. David took Arthur out to help chopping wood."
Wendy laughed at that.
"He wants to be a good brother," the mother smiled, as the chair gently rocked.
Wendy sat down at her mother's feet by the fire. "And where is father?"
"He is in the stables working on the surprise."
Wendy stroked her mother's legs.
For a few weeks her father had worked on something in the stable. He had called it a surprise and every time he left the stables, he covered the surprise up and told them all not to look.
"But what troubled you today, my big girl?" Her mother asked and patted her hair.
Wendy sighed. "Miss Elizabeth is very odd."
Her mother laughed unexpectedly. "She is … because she is from the city."
Wendy looked up at her mother confused.
"You will probably not remember. She came when you were about 8 or so … her family stayed at the inn for a night or two, because of the weather." Her mother said from behind her big belly and smiled secretly. "and during that time, she and Jacob meet."
Wendy made a face.
"She came with a chaperone … I think she called it … a few more times and Jacob proposed." The mother continued and smoothed Wendy's hair. "Her father apparently did not like it, but Elizabeth convinced him. She never quite fit in in our little village, so I figured she could teach you to find her place."
Wendy leaned against her mother. "What if she could not teach me?"
"Your father would. Out here the parents usually teach the children what they need to know." The mother said.
The door to the outside got pushed open.
"Mama!" Arthur dropped the log he held in his arms and ran to his mother and lit up when he saw Wendy and ran in for a hug.
David hobbled in behind him and shut the door with his elbow with his arms full of logs and pushing the one Arthur dropped with his foot.
"Good boy," their mother said, as he put the logs down near the fire.
"Now…" She continued and slowly began to stand up.
Wendy stood put to help her, pulling Arthur up with her.
"I hope you can consider what I told you just now." The mother patted Wendy's chin gently and waddled towards the kitchen. "I need to see your grandmother and the stew."
"Wendy!" Arthur said excitedly and pointed at the logs by the fire. "Wood."
She smiled as her little brothers explained about how they had chopped the wood into logs … well Arthur mostly babbled, and David mostly talked about how carefully he was with Arthur there.
That evening
Their father patted his belly as he sat down for dinner. "I am really hungry today."
"Well, you have been working on the surprise since morning." His wife smiled, as Wendy sat two bowls of stew in front of them.
"I finally finished it." He smiled back.
Wendy turned to them and walked backward toward the guests with bowls of stew in her arms.
"Can we see the surprise then?" She smiled innocently.
"When Edward gets home." The father responded.
"Surprise!" Arthur giggled in his grandmother's lap and shook his spoon.
Wendy turned back around in a smooth motion and put the stew in front of the guests.
The door opened and Mina and her father stepped in.
"Come and get some food." The innkeeper called to them, as they took off their coats.
"Thank you," Mina said as Wendy put the stew in front of her.
Many of the villagers ate at the inn because Edward had been sent to the next village to get things the village could not make or get themselves.
"I have something for you," Mina said and gave Wendy the folded shirt she originally gave her at lunch.
"What is that?" Eva watched the shirt with big eyes as Wendy unfolded it.
"Oh," her mother reached out and touched the soft fabric content. "This is an adult's shirt."
"Well … she is getting older." The weaver agreed.
Suddenly doctor William's son stumbled in the door. "Edward is back!"
The children came outside and watched the dim light of Edward's lantern grow, as he and Dilidon and their wagon came into view.
"Did you get everything?" Wendy asked as Edward jumped down from the wagon.
He proudly patted the side of the wagon. "Yes, everything is here."
The other children helped get the things inside, as Wendy and David helped him get the wagon off Dilidon and feed the horse.
"I heard something interesting." Edward smiled mischievously, as they sat down for dinner.
"Oh, what?" Their mother smiled.
Edward looked at Wendy still smiling.
"They talk a lot about Wendy … they call her the girl hunter…"
Wendy smiled and felt her cheeks get warm.
A light laughter rose in the big hall.
"You do deserve it." Her father said and patted her shoulder. "You have done something grand by helping your family."
Wendy did not know where to look.
The talk continued until they cleared their plates and bowls.
"Now I think it is time for the surprise." Their father then said and leaned on the table to get up. "Would I be able to get some help?"
Two workers from Blackstone's farm helped him by carrying two big, covered things into the hall.
After they had put them in front of the innkeeper's family, the father pulled the covers off.
The children looked on confused.
It was a handmade wooden rocking chair and a crib.
"Why do we need those?" Wendy asked confused. "Grandmother already has a rocking chair, and the crib is not broken."
Before her father could say anything, the doctor rose from one of the tables.
"Yes, my dear." He said. "But that crib can only hold one child and with another rocking chair rocking the children to sleep will be easier."
The children looked at each other confused.
Their mother laughed. "I am not having one baby; I am having two…"
Eva giggled as she crawled into bed.
"We're getting two new siblings. will they be girls?"
"No, they should be boys." David corrected her.
The three youngest bickered about it, while Wendy smiling removed her apron – catching the coin before it fell from her pocket.
She smiled at the bird on it in the dim light, before she slipped it back in the pocket.
"Wendy!"
She looked confused at the other three.
"Boys or girls?" David asked irritated.
"How about one of both?" She smiled and tilted her head.
David and Eva mumbled irritated, as Wendy slit into bed and blew out the candle.
She smiled at the darkness.
The girl hunter … she liked it.
So ... please tell me what you think.
I really liked this one.