We are back again :)
And we have another person with us on the journey.
One month later.
Wendy opened her eyes and smiled.
She quickly glided out of bed and put on her skirt.
"Wendy...?" David opened his eyes and slowly pushed himself off the bed.
She smiled back at him.
"Good morning." She said and put on her apron.
"Early..." Edward whined and turned over.
"We need to get up and prepare breakfast, there are a lot of guests," Wendy said and lightly shook Eva.
"Tired..." Eva said and rubbed her eyes.
The little girl had been up late, helping Wendy and their mother wash the dishes.
"Father is going to check how tall we are..." Wendy said in a singsong voice, as she left the room.
It was the last day of the last summer month, and their father was going to see just how much they had grown this summer.
They all looked forward to it every year.
She got down to the kitchen and pulled the shawl over her shoulder.
"You are up early." Her mother said with a smile from her place by the fire.
"Yes," she said excitedly. "There are a lot of guests, so we have to get ready for them."
Her mother laughed and stoked the fire. "Does it have something to do with checking how tall you are after they leave?"
Instead of answering the young girl went out the door towards the chicken coop.
As she came back inside, she saw Edward riding towards the village. He was going to get bread from the baker. Inside David came in from the dining hall with a bucket of water.
He poured the water into the pot and went out to get more.
Wendy put the eggs in the pot, and her mother put them over the fire.
Eva came bouncing into the kitchen. "Is father going to check my height now?"
"Not until the guests have left." Their father smiled, as he came hobbling into the kitchen from the bedroom.
Eva frowned and stepped aside, as David came in with another bucket of water.
Their mother poured the water into the kettle with some tea leaves and put it into the fire.
As the first guests came down the stairs, Wendy was scoping the boiled eggs out of the pot.
Their father had stepped into the dining hall to greet them and told them that breakfast would be ready soon.
They heard Edward come in from the stables, and he stepped into the kitchen carrying two big bags of bread.
As their mother opened the bags, she noticed that one of the loaves was not bread at all. It was sponge cake.
She gave the young boy a sharp look.
Edward quickly showed his mother the coins, the baker's wife had given him back. "They said it was payment for the delicious dinner they had a few days ago."
The mother's face softened.
"Well, then we have a little extra to offer our guest."
She then got the jars of butter and jam and started cutting the loaves into slices.
As Wendy went out and served the guests plates of boiled eggs and bread slices, Edward walked behind her serving mugs of tea and offered the guests to get them milk and sugar. While David and Eva went around offering the guests cheese, sausage, butter, and jam, which they carried on big plates.
As Eva went past her father, she reached up and whispered something to him.
He smiled and raised his mug. "Eat up my friends, seems there is cake after this."
Laughter rang out all around the children, but Wendy saw their grandmother frowning, while she rocked little Arthur.
"I am very relieved to hear that you and your family are fine after the accident." One of the travelers sitting with their father said. "I thought, you would have to close the inn. But here you are serving us good food."
"Yes..." The father smiled warmly and looked at Wendy, who went to the kitchen for more tea and sugar. "It was hard for a time … but it got better."
"It is amazing though that you kept the inn to such a standard." A female traveler commented. "When we were here last, we just got an egg and a slice of bread for breakfast."
Suddenly the grandmother was standing beside the table.
"Indeed it is." She said and looked towards the children offering the newly awoken guests cheese and jam.
The innkeeper smiled sheepishly and glanced at his mother. "It has been a good summer for us, the pantry is stocked. And we felt we needed to help the villagers, after all they did for us."
"Well, we are eating good food, we should not complain." A third traveler said as he ate his breakfast.
The first traveler nodded, as the children went around serving slices of sponge cake. He took one from a plate Wendy offered him.
The children watched intensely, as the guest continued to talk and eat.
They waited patiently, as the guests slowly left to continue their journey, while they tried serving them as best they could.
After was seemed like an eternity to the children, the family could finally sit down for breakfast themselves.
"Are we going to measure now?" Eva asked excitedly.
Her father smiled and patted her head. "After breakfast."
Eva nodded and got up on the chair.
David reached for the sponge cake, as soon as he sat down, but the grandmother lightly smacked his hand away.
"Bread first, then cake." She said.
"Maybe we should save the rest of the cake for another day." The mother said as she fed Arthur. "Fall is coming after all."
"Indeed." The grandmother said and drank her tea.
Breakfast was over very quickly because the children were far too excited to eat.
As soon as they were excused, the children gathered in the kitchen near their parent's bedroom door.
Their father picked up a hunting knife, that had been laid out on the table for the occasion.
They started with Eva, who stood as close to the doorpost as she could. She kept looking up, so her father had to put a hand on her head to get the correct measurement.
The girl had grown an inch over the summer.
She smiled and clapped her hands.
Both David and Edward had grown almost two inches each.
When it was finally Wendy's turn, she stepped over to the doorpost with a smile.
She kept her head as still as possible, as her father edge the line into the door frame right over her head.
Wendy stepped away and watched, as he edged her name into the wood.
"Looks like you grew a whole three inches over the summer." Her father smiled at her.
Wendy smiled shyly and pulled at her skirt.
"That is unfair." Edward frowned and looked at the doorstop. "That is too tall for an 11-year-old."
Wendy turned to her little brother with a big smile.
"Yes, but I turned 12 this summer."
Edward crossed his arms, but then he looked up at his father with his big green eyes. "Can we measure again?"
Their father smiled and patted the boy on the head. "Of course."
"It is not going to change how tall you are." David pointed out.
Their father measured Edward again.
"You still grow almost 2 inches." He smiled down at the boy, but he just frowned.
"Do not worry, my boy." His father said and patted his head again. "You will grow more til next year, and at some point, you will even grow taller than Wendy."
That got Edward cheered up, and he beamed up at his father.
Wendy smiled, as her little brother went past her, knowing that she was still taller than him.
She was used to the buttons on the shirt now.
Wendy looked at her reflection in the room's only small window.
She really wished they had something better.
She held up her hand and looked at the shirt sleeve.
There was not a sign of her growing out of the clothes yet, but surely there would soon.
Wendy looked back at her reflection and pulled her hair behind her shoulders and started to braid it.
"You are getting much better."
She jumped and turned to her mother standing in the doorway.
"Did I scare you?" She asked with an innocent smile, as she came into the room.
"No," The girl shook her head. Her hair flowed around her, the braid undone.
Her mother smiled at her and sat on the bed, patting the place beside her.
Wendy sat down beside her mother and turned away from her.
"You should know, I am very proud of you." Her mother smiled behind her, as she braided her hair.
Wendy smiled and straightened her back. "I grew three inches. I am going to need new clothes soon."
Her mother laughed. "I meant how you have brought back food for the inn for the last few months." As she finished the braid, she tightened it and tied it with a string.
Wendy got up and looked at her mother.
"I am getting better at braiding too." She smiled proudly.
The older woman smiled as the child left the room to go hunting.
She would not be a child for much longer.
Wendy stared at the stepping stool for a moment, before she pushed it aside with her foot.
She took a hold of the saddle and raised her leg to get her foot in the stirrup.
She huffed, as she tried to raise her knee even higher, but her foot just could not reach the stirrup.
Edward smiled at her.
"You are still too short." he grinned.
She glared at him and pulled the stool back in position.
"You are shorter than her," Eva said as a matter of fact, as she came into the stables with bread and water for Wendy.
Wendy smiled, as she swung herself into the saddle.
Edward frowned, as he helped Eva give Wendy the food and water.
As Wendy rounded the corner of the inn, her father sat ready by the kitchen door with Wendy's bow ready.
He gave her the bow and quiver, and Wendy expertly secured them both.
"Try to come back with something today." Her father said with a gentle smile. "There will not be many animals in the forest during the fall, and we have to make the pantry last as long as possible."
Wendy nodded with a smile and directed Temper towards the forest.
Wendy smiled as she and Temper passed through the stream and went deeper into the forest. During the last month, her father had allowed her to go further into the forest.
She liked it. This part of the forest had always seemed mysterious and magical to her
Though it was also the part of the forest, where her father fell off Temper.
Her eyes searched the undergrowth for animals.
She had caught plenty of rabbits and birds, but she had not yet caught a bigger animal like a deer.
Wendy pulled the bow off her shoulder and balanced it on the front of the saddle. Fall was coming soon and she would like to come back with something bigger before then.
She patted Temper's neck. "Do you think you could carry a deer home?" She asked.
The horse snorted in response.
Wendy patted him again and narrowed her eyes, as she searched the darker forest ahead for movement.
She saw something moving far up ahead.
She kicked Temper into a gallop and they quickly moved through the trees.
Wendy steered Temper a little to the left to follow the rustling leaves, and quickly duck down when a branch came towards her.
As she sat up in the saddle again, she saw the animal. It was a beautiful deer completely white.
It was beautiful ... and what she needed.
Wendy smiled and reached into the quiver.
Like the horse knew what she wanted, Temper kept following the deer in a gallop, as Wendy took aim.
The arrow struck a tree.
Wendy paid it no mind but just reached for another one.
After missing it for the third time, Temper slowed down.
She patted the horse's neck again. He was gasping just as much as she was.
When she looked up again, she saw the white deer standing in a meadow by a small waterhole.
It raised its head and looked at her.
Wendy reached into her quiver. There was only one arrow left.
She took a deep breath. It was her last chance.
Then the deer turned and ran.
She gasped and kicked at Temper's side.
The horse ignored her and headed for the waterhole instead.
Wendy sighed in defeat and glided down from the saddle, as Temper dipped her mouth into the water.
She looked around.
The trees around the meadow were big and enclosed the well-maintained patch of grass beside the waterhole.
It looked like a good place for animals to gather.
She was wondering if she should head deeper into the woods when she looked back at Temper.
The horse was happily grazing by the waterhole.
Wendy sighed. She may as well eat too.
She went over to Temper pulled the food and water out of the saddle bag and sat down beside the horse.
She bit into the bread and stared at the waterhole.
This could be a good place to play ... if she wasn't hunting.
She let herself fall backward into the grass, as she continued to eat.
Small fluffy clouds danced across the sky.
It was a beautiful day.
Her eyes were getting heavy.
She sat up with a start and looked around.
What … was … that...?
Something moved through the meadow.
Wendy got up.
Was it an animal?
Temper stood beside her with a raised head.
Wendy put the bread and water in the saddle bag and pulled Temper along in the direction of what had just gone through the meadow.
When she found a fallen tree, she used it to get in the saddle and steered the horse forward at a slow pace.
She didn't want to tire Temper out again too soon.
The branches were getting thicker and the space between the trees got narrower, the deeper they went.
Wendy moved around in the saddle the best she could to avoid the branches.
It was getting harder for Temper to move forwards as well, as there was little place for his hooves.
Wendy ducked down to avoid another branch and lay down flat against the saddle.
She looked down at the hooves that trotted on despite the lack of space.
Perhaps it was best if they turned back...
She straighten her back again and froze.
Up ahead stood the same white deer, she had chased through the forest. It just stood there and looked at her.
Wendy wasn't sure it was a good idea, but she kicked Temper into a gallop.
The horse followed her command, and as they speed closer, the deer turned and ran.
She held the bow tightly in her hand but did not take out the last arrow. She only had one chance.
The deer jumped gracefully through the trees.
Wendy leaned down on the saddle and watched the animal.
It was so beautiful.
She sat up in the saddle again when a branch came straight for her head.
She quickly ducks down. But when she came up again, the deer was gone.
She pulled the reins and Temper stood up on his hind legs in irritation.
Wendy held onto the saddle in pure fear.
When Temper was back on all fours, Wendy just sat for a moment and breathed.
She was scared to pull on the reins again, scared to do anything.
Temper was irritated, and Wendy was usually on the ground when that happened.
Was he going to kick until she fell off the saddle?
She gave the horse the tiniest kick she could.
It huffed and snorted, but started walking.
White deer, or not. She was not making him gallop anymore.
Up ahead the trees seemed to part a little.
As Temper stepped closer, Wendy saw they parted into a large field, where deer grazed.
She held her breath and lightly pulled on the reins.
The horse stopped without a sound.
Wendy breathed again.
The deer hadn't noticed them.
The white deer wasn't there, but that didn't matter anymore.
Wendy pulled the bow free from the saddle and placed the last arrow on the string.
She could not miss this time.
She let go of the string.
The arrow flew towards the herd of deer.
A deer fell.
The entire forest fell quiet for a moment before the herd scattered.
Wendy jumped down from the horse and stepped towards the deer.
It was beautiful too.
She smiled and pulled off the rope, she had tied around her waist and tied it around the deer's legs.
She looked towards Temper, who sauntered closer.
Wendy lifted the deer up on Temper's back and tied it to the saddle. It was really heavy.
She took a deep breath. She didn't want to be scared when she got in the saddle again.
She put a foot in the stirrup and swung herself onto the horse.
She stopped for a moment, then she smiled. Not noticing the rock hidden in the tall grass, she had stood on, when she got in the saddle.
Temper calmly walked through the dense forest.
It was not nearly as hard to go back. Though Wendy kept a steady hand on the deer tied to the back of the saddle to make sure it didn't fall off.
The only thing they had to do now was to get the arrows, she had lost along the way and get back home.
She looked down at Temper and patted his neck.
She did not want to push the horse again.
They could take their time getting back.
A wind blew through the trees making the leaves rustle.
Wendy shivered.
Fall was coming alright
A yellow-brownish leaf danced in front of her.
She reached out and it landed in the palm of her hand.
She looked at it fascinated.
Suddenly she heard a whisper in the wind
'til next year...
Well, I hope you liked it
See you next week :)