Sorry for the delay. I had some family problems
The next day
Wendy looked over at the musician as she passed him to give her father a cup of tea.
The man was whipping his instrument down, so it shined in the light from the window.
He caught her gaze and smiled. "It is pretty, yes?" He mumbled and showed off the shiny fiddle.
She nodded.
He put it to his neck and played a melody.
Wendy laughed to the rough-looking man and spun around for him.
The few guests that were around clapped when he put his instrument down.
"You really are quick on your feet, lass…" The musician said and patted her shoulder.
Then he looked over at her father. "Is your friend coming soon?"
The innkeeper nodded. "He should be here before noon."
The other man nodded thoughtfully.
"Are you leaving?" Wendy asked as she went to start gathering the plates on the nearby tables.
"Yes, the road calls again and me needs to answer. There is still lots to see." The man gave her a crooked smile.
Wendy thought about living on the road, as she cleaned up the dining hall. Seeing new places and playing and singing for food. It sounded exciting.
A while later, after the other guests had left, a man from the next village over came in for an early lunch like he usually did once a month.
Her father sat him down next to the musician.
From what Wendy could gather from hanging around the table. That the man from the next village over was going north with his wagon and the musician could tag along for a while.
"Well," The musician said, as Wendy's mother handed him a bag of meat and bread from yesterday. "I guess it is time to leave…" he then took the fiddle and the bow and held them out for Wendy to take.
Everyone looked at them confused.
Wendy was confused too. Was she going with him?
The tattered man smiled at her. "Me old fingers are getting a bit too stiff to play. You, my lass, will get more out of me fiddle than me."
Wendy took the fiddle and saw her reflection in it.
Eva pulled at her skirt for her to lower it so she could take a look too.
After the musician left, she put the fiddle to her neck and tried to move the bow over the strings.
A loud screechy sound came from the fiddle.
Eva and David held their hands to their ears.
"I think you should practice in the forest for now." Her father laughed and stroked her hair.
Wendy put down the fiddle and looked at it. It was rare for her to receive gifts from anyone when it was not her birthday.
Should she show the elven queen?
"Can I take Temper out for a ride?" She asked.
Her mother snorted. "Of course, child, but do not stay out for too long."
It was odd there was no sign of the elven queen anywhere.
Usually, she appeared as soon as Wendy entered the forest or stopped for a break.
But she did not appear at all.
Eventually, Wendy gave up and just rode through the forest to explore, since it was a nice sunny day.
She was busy looking around at the different colored flowers and the big trees, that she did not notice the incline of the forest floor.
When she came to what she thought was a clearing, she noticed that she was actually at the edge of the forest leading out into a big field where sheep were grassing.
How had she ended up here?
"Wendy?"
Wendy looked toward the voice and saw Alfred coming her way with a shepherd staff in his hand.
"What are you doing here?" He asked as he got closer to her and Temper.
"I am just out riding for a bit … what about you?"
Alfred smiled. "My uncle asked me to help Jacob out today, so I could learn sheepherding."
Wendy nodded and looked at the forest. She should return home. She could show the elven queen the fiddle another time.
Alfred took hold of Temper's headcollar. "Do you want to eat my lunch with me?"
Wendy shook her head. "I should go back."
"It will not take that long." Alfred insisted still smiling.
He moved to Temper's side while holding onto the reins. "And it could be very fun."
They went back and forth. Wendy did not want to get down from the horse, but Alfred kept insisting that she should.
His smile was strange. It was oddly wide, and he was showing his teeth.
When he reached out for Wendy's arm, suddenly another voice joined them.
"What are you doing?"
Both of them looked up and saw Jacob standing a few feet away, leaning on his shepherd's staff with a calm gentle smile.
Alfred sputtered and looked very flustered.
Jacob just looked at him for a moment and then looked over his shoulder. "One of the younger ones wandered off, will you go find it?"
Alfred snapped for air and then went out into the field, after sputtering an "Of course," to Jacob.
Jacob watched him for a while as Alfred disappeared behind a hill, then he turned to Wendy who did not know what to do.
He held up his bag. "If your horse does not attack the sheep, I think we have something to talk about it."
She let Temper go and followed Jacob to the hill where he laid down, so he could still watch the sheep.
"What happen just now?" Wendy asked and looked over the shoulder to where Alfred had disappeared to.
"He will not be back in a while," Jacob said and handed her some bread. "And…" He looked towards the sky. "I think it is best if you tell your mother what just happened and ask her. Just know, that if he does that again you have every right to hit him."
Wendy chewed on the bread. "Is this about Miss Elizabeth then?"
Jacob looked at her as chew on his bread. "Does it bother you?"
Wendy nodded. "A little."
Jacob ruffled her hair and then looked up at the sky. "Everything is fine. Beth sometimes misses the city and people of the same mind as hers. She had good intentions, but her temper got the best of her. I hope you do not hold it against her."
Wendy watched the shepherd, who seemed so content with lying on the ground and watching his sheep. Why would he marry a woman obsessed with the city and proper manners like Miss Elizabeth? Wendy could not understand why.
"Was she angry, that you hit her?"
Jacob sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He sat up and took a gulp of his water flask. "Little Wendy," he started and smiled at her calm as ever. "Hitting someone is not right, but Beth yelling at you and hitting you was not right either." He looked into the field with a distant look in his eyes. "Force or violence is really never a good thing, but it can still be used to save people."
He laid back down on the grass. Wendy watched him for a bit.
"You know a lot of things." She said.
He smiled up at her.
"Out here there is nothing but me and my sheep, that gives me all the time in the world to think about these things." He said.
He then laughed. "I suppose it was these thoughts that made Beth fall in love with me."
Wendy sipped on her water flask. "Really?"
"I believe so," he nodded. "I thought things that no man in the city ever thought of."
Wendy laid back down. "Then … why did you fall in love with her?"
When she thought about it, she could not figure out why the calm and gentle Jacob married the agitated Miss Elizabeth.
The shepherd smiled knowingly at her. "She was pretty."
Wendy lifted an eyebrow. "Just that?"
He chuckled. "Most boys do."
Wendy shook her head as Temper strutted through the forest.
She was a bit sad that she had not seen the elven queen.
She had barely finished the thought before the elven queen appeared between the trees and Temper slowed to a stop.
Wendy blinked for a moment. "Oh, your majesty."
The beautiful creature tilted her head and stepped forward.
You look … ever so lost my little hunter… she echoed through the trees.
Wendy looked around. She was not far from the inn, but she could not remember the way completely.
"I think I am…" She said slowly.
There are many ways of getting lost…
The elven queen stepped closer and held out a hand for Wendy to get down.
Wendy got down from the horse and followed her majesty to a tree.
The green dress billowed gracefully as the elven queen sat down. Wendy sat down next to her not quite as gracefully.
"Something strange happened to me," Wendy mumbled, and the elven queen turned to her silently.
The endless blue eyes were hypnotic.
"I meet a boy from the village boy a little bit ago," she continued and pointed in the direction she came from. "At the edge of the forest … he tried to get me down from Temper."
Her majesty titled her head.
A hunter…
Wendy snorted. "No, he was herding sheep."
The endless blue eyes glittered in the light.
Not all hunters hunt the same prey…
Wendy looked at her confused.
There was quiet for a while, as green children played around, then Wendy remembered the fiddle.
"I have something to show you," she said and got up.
She got the fiddle from a saddle bag and showed the elvens.
The green children awed at it and the elven queen smiled.
What a beautiful instrument… she echoed and ran long, pale fingers over the shiny wood.
"I got it from a guest at the inn. Though, I do not know how to play it yet."
Wendy sat down beside the elven queen again.
Time will lead to knowledge…
Wendy smiled. "Yes, I know."
The elven queen smiled at her.
I wish you could spend more time here with us…
Wendy became aware of the elvens and other creatures, that were bustling through the forest.
Her majesty's laughter echoed around her.
You rarely see what is right in front of you…
Wendy leaned back against the tree and enjoyed the sunshine.
"Sometimes I want to. It is so easy to talk to you and I really do love riding through the forest." She said and added: "Temper does too," when the horse snorted.
I enjoy this time too… the elven queen said.
A tiny winged little creature landed on Wendy's nose.
She closed one eye to look at it.
The creature stared back at her with big eyes and then flew away.
"Are there bad elvens in the forest?" Wendy asked and looked over at her majesty.
She was glowing in the sunlight.
The elven queen nodded and looked toward the sun. We do not know the sun rises if it never sets…
Wendy nodded, understanding the meaning of the words.
"What if those try to harm me?" She then asked.
You are far to dear … to me… the elven queen echoed.
Wendy blushed. "Why do you like me so much?"
The hypnotic, endless eyes meet hers.
Why do you love your sister … your brothers … why do you carry around those little things in a basket…?
Wendy smiled. "I see."
I will let anyone here harm you … my little hunter … the elven queen said, as she played with the red curls surrounding Wendy's ear.
Then she leaned in and Wendy felt something warm just behind her ear.
In my forest, you will always be safe…
After some time, Wendy headed home.
Strangely it was still early afternoon when she reached the inn.
Her grandmother was sitting in a rocking chair with Eva and Arthur playing at her feet and entertaining the twins giggling in the basket.
"There you are," her grandmother smiled and looked up from the other children's play. "I thought the fairies would keep you…"
Wendy smiled and slid down from Temper.
Her grandmother did not know of her friendship with the elven queen, but her odd sayings something felt like she did.
"The queen would not keep her, she promised me." Eva sternly said to her grandmother.
"Wendy, play with me!" Arthur said and spread out his arms.
She smiled and let Temper be, as she came closer and pulled Arthur up in her arms.
He laughed and linked his hands around her neck and looked down at the two babies in the basket.
"This is fun." He said slowly as if he were instructing the babies.
Wendy laughed and spun around.
Arthur squealed and clung to Wendy, as they spun around faster and faster.
As she sat Arthur down again and Eva stood ready to get her turn, her eyes caught her grandmother's.
The old woman sat frozen and stared at Wendy.
Silently she motioned for Wendy to come closer.
Wendy bent slightly when her grandmother reached for her hair.
She felt her grandmother's fingers pull back the hair around her ear.
"Oh, dearest child…" her grandmother whispered.
So, I hope you all like it. And ... please tell me what you think :)