Author's Note: Part 2 of Chapter 17.
"Still round the corner there may wait
A new road or a secret gate.
And though I oft have passed them by,
A day will come at last when I
Shall take the hidden paths that run
West of the Moon, East of the Sun."
~ Frodo Baggins, "A Walking Song", "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King", J.R.R. Tolkien.
Later in Cavern Hole, Jared rubbed his cranium and back. He groaned and grimaced over his helping of the leftover Rainbow Trout a la Autumn.
"You know you could have just said you were sorry." Madeline smirked from across the table at him. She perched her elbow on the tabletop, chin in her paw, half-smirking.
"You could have just not used the stick." Jared grumbled through a seething wince. "Your tsinelas would have been much softer."
"All right, you two, that's enough, please." Sister Fanistra placed cups of chamomile with lavender tea beside their plates. "Not that I discourage your sparring with each other. I know you've got to keep your skills in Wungkan sharp, especially in light of the current conflict. And of course it's fun for you; I'd never want to take that away."
Then she sighed and shook her head. "As glad as I am to see that you're both all right, let's not try to deliberately hurt each other from now on. Okay?"
"He tickled me first! I was disciplining him and defending myself!"
"Defending yourself, you whacked me with a stick-!"
"I said that's enough, Tinarandel," Sister Fanistra pacifyingly snapped. She sat down between them at the head of the table, teacup in paws. "You, too, Isidith. There's already enough chaos in Mossflower without you two going at each other's throats and creating a rift. If we're going to stop Deathblade, you both need to work together."
"But, Fanistra-"
"No, Tinarandel. Enough. Or I will send you both straight to bed."
Jared stammered as if to argue-but then deflated and exhaled. He shrank under her stern but pleading gaze in defeat. "Yes, Fanistra."
"Me, too." Madeline stared down defeated at her plate of butternut squash casserole with leeks and thyme.
"Thank you." Fanistra sighed and started on her tea. She also ladled herself a bowl of the roasted vegetable soup with sweet potatoes, carrots, and parsnips.
"Whew, finally finished!" Larina appeared and sat down left of Jared, and helped herself to the cashew-buttered eggplants with pickled peppers. "I've just come from packing to go to my parents' garden tomorrow."
Jared leaned into her. "I'm still not sure it's safe, Larina."
"So come with me, then!"
The words took him completely by surprise. He gaped with his mouth wide open.
"Wait a minute…Did I hear that right?" He furrowed his brow. "You want me to come with you?"
"Yeah, it'll be fun!" the vigorous Larina responded. She sipped a cup of Strawberry Cordial, then, "You can help us out in the garden!"
Jared looked to Madeline and Fanistra. His sister raised her eyebrows expectantly without a word. Fanistra motioned for him to reply before sipping her tea. Both were smiling and smirking.
He swung back round to Larina. "I'd love to!"
"Oh, wonderful!" Larina laughed and hopped up and down in her seat, exuberant. "We can go first thing after breakfast!" She turned her focus to her dinner.
Larina later dropped by the Sandeyes' dormitory for a post-dinner hangout. She watched Jared hang their freshly-washed Wungkan uniforms on their balcony. Paws in her pockets, she wandered about the bedroom.
"Hey…" She glanced at Jared's bedside table. Inside the ajar bottom drawer, she spied a pair of decorated wooden sticks lying vertically side by side. "What are those?"
Jared did not say a word as he returned inside. He only pushed the drawer shut with his foot.
"Hey, don't close it!" Larina half-protested. "I want to see what those are! Are they for Wungkan? What style?" She knelt to reopen the drawer.
"Larina, please don't." Madeline placed a paw on her fellow squirrelmaid's shoulder to stop her. "I don't think Jared wants you to see those."
"You're not ready…" Jared added in a low voice. "...to know about that yet."
Larina glanced back and forth between the siblings but could not find the words to argue. She relinquished her hold on the drawer handle. They shared last-minute tea and crumpets, before finally turning in for the night.
But Jared tossed and turned in bed. First facing the doors leading out to the balcony. Then the wall behind Madeline. Then back to the balcony again. After five times of this, she finally pushed him onto his back. He lay still, staring at the ceiling.
"Do you think I'm wrong…to worry about her?"
Madeline thought over her words carefully. One arm rested underneath her pillow; the other pulled the blanket over her chest. "To be honest…I think I'd be worried if you weren't worrying enough."
He turned to her for clarity. She took his face in her paws.
"It means that you care, Tinarandel. About her. You want her to be safe, happy, and well. And that's nothing to be ashamed of. Besides, she's letting you come with her, isn't she?"
"I don't understand, Isidith…" Jared sat up. His side of the blanket fell into his lap. "These feelings I have. They're so…unfamiliar to me."
Madeline allowed herself a light chuckle. "I wish I was the creature to talk to about this sort of thing. But the truth is, I'm just as clueless about this as you are."
"Oo. I know, Maddie." Jared flopped back down onto his pillow, facing the ceiling once more. "I appreciate you trying to help."
"You are doing your best, kuya." Madeline rested a soft paw on his bare stomach. "And that is enough." Jared let out a sigh of agreement but said nothing.
"You're going to do great tomorrow. Deep down, you know that. All you need to do is admit it to yourself."
She ran her fingers through his headfur. He turned onto his side to face her. "And I don't mean to sound like some kind of wise sage or anything…But you know, only you can understand how you truly feel about her."
"You're right." Jared tucked a lock of her headfur behind her ear.
Madeline pushed herself up into a criss-crossed sitting position, her back to him. "Here, manong, massage me."
He gladly sat behind her to massage her shoulders. She sighed and relaxed under his touch.
"Maraming salamat, bunso." He kissed her on the cheek. "I've just been so…kinakabahan. Nervous."
"Walang anuman, manong." She kissed him back. "Anybeast would be kinakabahan in your position. I don't envy you. All I can say is that the Skyleafs are going to be so lucky to have you tomorrow. So…"
She cupped his face and turned it towards her. "Can you show me that irresistibly handsome smile of yours?"
He obliged, an authentic, loving, glowing smile. Madeline swooned and leaned back into him. Together they passed the night in soothed sleepful silence.
Following breakfast the next morning, some of the Redwallers came to see the squirrels off.
"Aww, ain'tchu a real Prince Charmin', Jared!" Weonsia swooned over the couple. "An' ya, Larina, a lovely princess! I knew all our efforts t' get ya two together would finally pay off!"
"Tumahimik ka. Buzz off, Weonsia." Jared waved a paw of dismissal. His other paw was curled around Larina's. "If I've told you once, then I've told you a thousand times. We're not together."
"I'm sure she means well, Jared," Larina comforted him by holding his arm above the elbow. She adjusted her grip on her walking stick.
"Mean' no disrespec', o' course." Weonsia shrugged.
"Give it a rest, Weonsia," Jacob folded his arms over his chest. A prideful smile played on the canine's lips for the couple. "They can handle themselves."
"My parents will be harvesting the autumn crops today." Larina waved around the parchment missive her parents had left her. "Perhaps we'll bring some back for Friar Reylia to cook!"
"A splendid idea, Larina!" Abbot Curtis exclaimed. His paws were folded inside his sleeves. "I'll be sure to let Reylia and her apprentices know."
"Oh, what a joy this is! I'm so happy for you two!" Fanistra clasped her paws over her heart. Her eyes glistened with tears and she smiled broadly.
"Why in the world is everyone making such a big deal out of this?" Jared shrugged in confusion. "I'm only going to her family garden, to help out her parents, at their home and-"
He caught himself just in time.
"Oh. Right."
Madeline couldn't hold back a giggle. "Just be yourself, Jared. That's all you can ever be." The siblings exchanged hugs and kisses.
"Please tell your parents I said 'Hi', and ask your mom how her flowers are doing!"
"I'll do it as soon as I get the chance!" Larina promised, and they too shared a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Stay safe, children." Abbot Curtis nodded at each of them. "Stick to the roads and the sun."
"We will, Father Abbot. We promise." Larina curtsied while Jared bowed. Then Larina hefted her travel bag and took her friend's paw once more. They spun around together and proceeded to the Front Gate.
"Have fun, lovebirds," Wyatt teased as he opened the Gate. Jared rolled his eyes with a groan. Larina laughed and kissed the mouse on the cheek. They waved at the others until Wyatt had shut the Gate.
They emerged into a crisp, breezy autumn morning. Leaves cavorted around them in concentric spirals from tree branches swaying in the tender gust. Wildflowers rippled and danced from side to side. The beaming sun illuminated the brush-dotted roads of Mossflower as far as the eye could see. To cap it all off, tangible scents of flowers and fruits wafted under their noises, carried by the streams of wind.
Larina turned to the northwest; Jared fell perfectly into step beside her. They walked a little ways in silence while she searched for the path, drifting in and out through the forest brush and back out into the roads and sunlight again. Littered detritus, leaves, and tree bark crumpled underfoot. Jared's paw rested within Larina's. Her grip was dainty, but secure. Her fingers interlaced around his.
"It ain't too far a walk, but want to take the trees?" She broke their grip, her paw dropping by her side. Her walking stick she tucked within the straps of her pack.
"You're on!" Jared dashed away to scale a nearby ash tree. He perched there in the lowest branches.
"Follow my lead, Jared!" Larina grinned as she too climbed up a massive aged oak ahead of him. "Just keep your eyes on my tail!"
Jared did not start jumping right away, however. He kept glancing left and right, beyond and below the treeline.
"He's not here, Jared. If his forces had reached this far, we would know."
"Alam ko. I know. I just want to be absolutely sure, Rina. You can never be too careful." But for a fraction of a second, he swore he glimpsed a brush of royal cloth underneath silver steel armor. The glint of a hunting dagger. The flash of a falchion in the sunlight. The two-pronged tongue of a snake.
He pivoted around on his branch to nod at her. "Lahat tama-all right. Tara na-let's go."
They leaped and bounced and dove from tree to tree, laughing and whooping and exclaiming. Swinging, dashing, spinning. One branch to another. One frond of leaves to the next. Down one trunk and up the other. All with adrenaline pumping in the veins, heart pounding with exhilaration, broad smiles from ear to ear.
Jared kept his eyes trained front and occasionally left and right. Larina stayed ahead of him, her auburn bushy tail and tan walking stick all but camouflaged within the red maple, hickory, amber, and oak-brown leaves.
Soon they noticed vines decorating the branches. They frontflipped and backflipped, somersaulted and tumbled, vine to vine to vine. Jared kept his eyes trained for moss on the north sides of the trees. Larina directed his course after every other tree.
He threw himself high into the air, spread-eagled. Wind rippled through his clothes and fur from head to toes and tail-before gravity pulled him back down. Then another vine to hurl himself upwards, and again and again and again.
They stopped at the edge of a large clearing, within a towering redwood tree.
"There it is, the Skyleaf family house." Larina was noticeably panting from their workout. But she pointed across the way at a rectangular mahogany gate in the middle of a short horizontal fence. Beyond sat a quaint, rectangular, single-story thatched cottage. Dark hardwood glowed somewhat muted in the yellow sunlight. The thatched roof extended over a modest wraparound porch.
"Seems they've raked the lawn recently." She also indicated piles of leaves gathered in the corners of the clearing.
"One last vine." Jared tugged at the lengthiest, hardiest, thickest vine they had seen all morning, entwined snakelike around a dense branch.
"Want to slide down together?" Larina wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's okay. I trust you."
Jared coiled the vine around his paw and wrist. He wrapped his other arm around Larina, his paw resting on her torso.
"Down we go."
"Aim for the leaves!"
They leaped in unison. The world itself seemed to fall away. Leaves drifted in lazy twirls around them. Even the morning breeze faded into a peaceful silence. They turned to each other in unison, eyes locked together.
Jared gasped as her whiskers brushed against his, her auburn fur fusing with his chestnut, a faint leafy-green in her soft hazel eyes gleaming in reflections of glimmering golden sunlight, the low collar of her sundress lingering above her chestline, their exposed collarbones aligning…Her chest rubbing on his…Their playful tails wrapping around one another…The hem of her sundress rippling in the breeze…
Larina gazed back into the captivating cocoa eyes of her male counterpart, darkened in the radiant golden sunlight, his dark, chestnut-colored fur blending with the browning leaves spinning round them…The hem of his sleeveless taupe V-neck tunic shirt rising slightly with the tension of his pull on the vine, exposing an inch or two of a very well-toned stomach…The wholehearted temptation to sneak a paw underneath filled her for one fleeting moment…And she very nearly succumbed…
Crrraaaccckkk-SNAP!
The earsplitting noise forced them back to reality in an instant. Both glanced straight up. Their combined weight had pulled the vine taut. By sheer force they had snapped the branch in two. They scarce had an instant to process before-
Suddenly they plummeted into a heavy freefall. The forest floor came rushing straight up to meet them. Falling, falling, falling. Directly downwards towards the roots of the redwood until-
"Jared, look out!"
"Aw, buwisit!"
-Whoomph!
They plunged beneath the surface of a pile of leaves. The vine and its branch flopped onto the ground with them. Fronds scattered in all directions.
Larina emerged first. She scrambled to the surface gasping for air. Jared surfaced to the right of her and spat out a mouthful of leaves. Larina exhaled in utter relief.
"Jared!" She wasted no time hugging him by the neck. "Oh, thank Martin!"
"'M fine…" He patted her on the back. "'M okay. I'll be alright." He tossed the vine-and what was left of the branch to which it had been attached-aside.
"One heck of a freefall, huh?" He chuckled, trying to assuage Larina's initial fears. "Something to tell everyone back home." He plucked a leaf out from between her ears.
"I'm just glad you're alright." Larina wiped dirt and twigs from his fur and clothes. She turned him this way and that, looking for bruises or scratches.
"Rina, you don't need to fuss over me."
"I know, but-"
"Larina? That you, dahlin'?"
Larina wheeled around, and Jared followed her gaze. From behind the open gate, none other than Evelyn Skyleaf herself sprinted towards them.
"Ah heard an awful thump while working on the bellpeppers. Are you okay?"
"Mama, thank goodness you've come!" Larina hopped to her feet. "Jared and I were swinging on the vines and we took a bit of an erm…drop. Into the leaves."
"Heavens to Betsy!" Evelyn held a paw to her heart and breathed a long consoled sigh. "Well, the leaves are an easy enough fix; ah'm just relieved y'all are okay. Welcome home, Larina!" The Skyleaf mother opened her arms for a hug. "Gimme some sugar!"
"Mama!" Larina practically fell into her arms. They exchanged hugs and laughs, and Evelyn kissed her many times on the forehead and face.
"Jared Sandeye!" She turned to Jared, who still sat in the leaves, composing himself. "What a surprise!"
"Evelyn!" He hopped immediately to his feet and bowed, paw to heart. "It's good to see you."
"Likewise, Jared." She beamed at him. "If you don't mind my saying so, I didn't expect to see you coming with Larina. Bless your heart, child. Though, Larina," she turned to her daughter. "Why did you ask him to come with you?"
"Why not, Mama?" Larina shrugged, staring at her mother with honest skepticism. "Surely you're aware of what's been going on. A vermin horde has been in the area, enslaving our poor vermin neighbors."
"In her defense, I was worried that it wasn't safe." Jared stepped up beside her. "She invited me personally."
"It…kinda happened on impulse, really." Larina put her paws behind her back and stared down at her feet. Her toes drew irregular shapes in the dirt. "I was worried you might…well…freak out?"
To their surprise, Evelyn chuckled and held her daughter gently by the shoulders. "Oh, that's nice, dear. But with a vermin horde in the area, we've been focused on more important things."
Larina spread her arms wide. "Welcome, Jared Sandeye, to the Skyleaf family garden!" She giggled at the twinkles growing in her male companion's eyes.
"I'm sure y'all must be plumb tired from your trip here. Not to mention your…impromptu fall into the leaves. So, why don't we have a little picnic first, befowah we start with the harvest?" She beckoned for them to follow her.
They passed through the open garden gate into a whole other realm. Glistening morning dew still clung to the garden. Round and disklike, divided into four evenly-shaped semicircular portions. Pungent tomato vines sprawled out over the soil around it. Pumpkin patches bulged at the seams. Plump beets and thick carrots pushed their roots and greens out of the dirt. Cabbages had started to crack and lettuce spread their heads open. There were thick leeks with stems no wider than an inch. Budding broccoli shone greener than a midsummer morning. Pleasantly earthy mushrooms tickled their nostrils. And of course, shiny bellpeppers in rich hues of red and orange and yellow. A lofty maple tree sat in the center of the garden, a regal monarch surrounded by decorated subjects. It dripped its brilliant scarlet leaves onto the dark soil below.
They crossed through a wooden archway wreathed in Virginia Creeper, and weaved through a grove of apple, damson plum, fig, and pomegranate trees. Jared's every footstep sunk a bit into the ground; residual mud from the week's consistent rain squelched beneath his feet. Birds twittered their melodic songs from the surrounding forest. Insects hummed between the trees. Not far beyond, he could barely hear the faint rippling babbles of the River Moss.
"By the way, Mama," Larina was telling her mother when they neared the end of the grove. "Madeline says 'Hi', and wants to know how your flowers are doing."
"How very thoughtful of her!" Evelyn cooed. She gestured to her right, down the path. "See for yourself about our beautiful blossoms!"
As they drew nearer to the house, Jared noticed a medium-sized wooden rectangle sitting separate from the main disks. In it sat a couple short rows of terracotta flowerpots. All with a variety of autumn flowers budding or blooming. But all open to greet and drink in the sunlight. At the far end the last horizontal row sat empty: perhaps for snapdragons.
Wow… Jared couldn't help but think to himself. Maddie would love it here. Especially this section.
All in all, a healing ambience swelled over him like a wave of relaxation. The meditative, hypnotic atmosphere eased the aches and pains from his jumping and swinging.
"And all three of you manage this entire place on your own?"
"Yes and no." Evelyn pushed a plum tree branch aside. "Ah know it looks like an awful lot, and rather simple compared to Redwall Abbey, but we ain't exactly poor. Our vermin partners from 'round the forest used to come and help regularly. And them good foxes from the gorge over yonder, they come from time to time, too."
"So all of this is a collaborative effort?" Jared stepped over a hollowed-out ash log, then turned to help Larina over the same.
"Darn tootin'! Last time the foxes were here-that was about three weeks ago-they left with a wheelbarrow full of gourds! Enough to last them an entire month!"
"That's a lot of gourds!" Jared exclaimed, eyebrows raised.
"It sure is," Larina giggled. She again took Jared's paw, interlacing her fingers with his. "Do you know a weasel named Smackpaw?"
"Smackpaw, yeah, I know him!" Jared gladly took her paw while nodding. "The chef weasel. I made some kitchen knives for him once."
"Believe it or not, those pumpkins were his idea." Larina pointed at the pumpkin patches receding into the distance behind them. Jared licked and smacked his lips. "And our ferret friend, Wuuzir, loves to cultivate those flowers, too. The main gate, too, and the archway? Malgumm Wegendell built those!"
"I knew I recognized his handiwork!"
Plop! The distant sound of fruit falling onto the garden floor compelled a sudden switchback. There upon a step ladder, dropping apples into a basket, was-
"Daddy!"
Peter Skyleaf turned over his shoulder. He instantly broke into a toothy smile beneath his bushy broom-bristle mustache.
"Larina!" He climbed down the step ladder and crossed the grove to Larina, arms wide open. "My Larina!"
Larina fell into her father's embrace. They spun around in a circle before he put her down and kissed her sweetly, lovingly, adoringly on the forehead.
"Look at you, all pretty as a peach." Peter took his daughter's face in his paws.
"Daddy…" Larina laughed and blushed a tint of red. She turned away, bashful. Jared felt his heart flutter in his chest.
"Ah knew you'd get our letter. We've missed you so since Nameday. Odd that you ain't been around here much. Have you been well?"
"I have, Daddy!" Larina reassured him with vigorous nods. He rubbed her cheeks with his thumbs. "Just so much has been going on lately. And look who I brought with me!"
She gestured at Jared. He had hung behind at Evelyn's side, head down, gaze averted. One arm stiff by his side, the other rubbing it up and down above the elbow.
"Howdy, Jared Sandeye!" Peter beamed at the young male squirrel. "Real good to see you again, lad!" He removed his paws from Larina's face.
"Erm…He-hello, Mr. Skyleaf." Jared raised a timid paw accompanied by a nervous chuckle.
"Ain't nuthin' wrong with being nervous, boy." Peter's sunny demeanor did not diminish in the vaguest. "You know you are more than welcome here! Any friend of Larina's is a friend of ours."
"Um, thank you, sir!" Jared blurted out without thinking. "I'm happy to be here."
"Come! Shake my paw!" Peter offered his paw to the teenager.
"Go on, s'all right." Evelyn put a comforting paw on the small of Jared's back. He gulped and cleared his throat. Then he marched right up to Peter to shake his paw.
"Haha, there's that firm blacksmith's grip ah remember!" Peter praised with a confident grin at the strength in the youngster's clutch. "How is your dear sister?" He dropped his paw by his side.
"Madeline's doing great, too," Jared stuffed his paws into the pockets of his trousers. "I appreciate you asking, sir."
"And may ah ask why you accompany my daughter to our family garden?"
"Actually, it was Larina's idea." Jared nodded at her. "I was worried the woods are not safe right now, and she pitched the idea to come with her."
"Yes, I did, Daddy." Larina admitted with a confirmatory nod.
"Made the right choice, if you ask me." Peter raised his eyebrows, but nodded. "We know about them awful vermin who've been creeping through the forest. But they haven't attacked us…yet."
"I was thinking we might have a little picnic, dear," Evelyn informed him. "Befowah we start the harvest."
"An inspired idea, Lyn, my old darling." Peter nodded and smiled in agreement. "I've nearly gotten all the apples. Jared, may I ask your help with the remainder? You ever picked apples before?"
"Oo, yes, sir." Jared too nodded. "In the Abbey Orchard."
"Perfect!" Peter turned back in the direction of the trees. "Come and ah'll show you where the last of the apples are. Many paws make light work, as they say! I'll even give you some to take home to Madeline!"
"Go ahead." Larina gestured with her head in the direction of the fruit trees. "Mama and I will set up the picnic table while we wait."
As soon as they'd disappeared into the trees, Larina and her mother exited the grove. Together, they spread a red-and-white plaid tablecloth over a rectangular redwood picnic table.
"Wow…" Larina exhaled with deep relief. She unfolded the corners of her side of the tablecloth. "I did it. I finally brought him to you and Father."
"We couldn't be more proud of you, Rina." Evelyn smiled from the opposite end of the table.
"You're okay with this?" Larina looked her mother in the eyes while smoothing out the creases in the tablecloth. "You're not surprised? Really?"
Genuine surprise struck her when her mother chuckled. "Larina, swatie, every single time you visit you talk about this boy. Frankly, we're just plumb surprised it took you this long to get together properly."
Larina snuck a furtive glance over her shoulder: Jared jumped down from the tree onto the ground. He dropped an armful of apples into the basket.
Larina clapped a paw to her heart, her face flushing. "Oh, my," she laughed. "I think my dear heart is fluttering."
"Ah understand if y'all wouldn't call yourselves officially together yet." Evelyn brushed dust and leaves from her side of the table. "Honestly, ah ain't surprised. These things take time, Larina. Your father and ah didn't take to each other immediately at first, you know."
"We haven't actually sat down and talked about it." Larina watched Jared drop another armful of apples into the basket. Peter took it, brimming with the precious and delectable fruit, and led the way out of the grove; Jared tailed close behind.
"And there ain't a darn thing wrong with that." Evelyn crossed over to put a paw on her shoulder. "Defining the relationship can come later, in your own time. There's no need to rush anything. What matters is that you're making these milestones one at a time, right?"
"Right, Mama." Larina nodded, smiling. "Thank you."
"Oh, my swateheart." Evelyn kissed her on the cheeks. "My little Rina is growing up. I caint be happier for you and Jared than I am now. I'm so proud of you. This must've taken a lot of courage, and you should be proud of yourself for doing it, too."
Larina sighed as she laid her head on her mother's shoulder. Evelyn rubbed the back of her head up and down, and stroked her ears.
"One thing at a time, dear. Come what may, ah have a feeling you and Jared will be very happy together."
"You really think so?"
"Call it a mother's intuition."
Peter placed the basket on the grass. He sat down on an ash log with a relieved sigh.
"So, Jared," he began as Jared sat down across from him on a tree stump. "Ah'm sure you're darn curious to know just why Larina brought you to Evelyn and ah."
"To be honest, yes, sir." Jared fidgeted and shifted his weight. "I'm in the dark about it. She wasn't exactly clear."
"Ah don't think it takes a genius to figger it out." Peter held up a knowing finger. "Rina has her heart set on you."
Jared's jaw dropped open. "Wait…she…does?"
"Darn right!" Peter nodded to confirm. "She talks to us about you."
"Larina talks? To you? About me?" Jared's eyes had grown wide and round as his tree stump.
"'Course, lad!" Peter spread his arms for emphasis and laughed. "Why else did she introduce you and your sister to us at Nameday? Why would she bring you to our home if she wasn't serious about you?"
"I…" Jared thought over the elder squirrel's words. He shifted his weight on his seat. "I've never thought of it that way before."
"She's very fond of you, Jared." Peter smiled fondly at the younger male. "The real question is, though…"
He leaned forward, locking eyes with him.
"How do you feel about her?"
The question took him by surprise. He seized a moment to choose his words.
"I…I feel a certain comfort when I'm with her. A different kind of comfort than what I feel when I'm with Madeline. But I don't know if that's just my hormones talking…or me."
"What does your heart tell you?" Peter dropped his voice to an empathetic low tone.
Again Jared met his caring stare. "That…she's the one for me."
"Then you know what to do." Peter grinned from ear to ear, his mustache seeming to likewise grow in size. "If you know you both feel the same way about each other…Well, then, what's the harm in telling the truth?"
Jared bit his lip but could not find the words to answer.
"The only thing stopping you is yourself."
He nodded. "I know, sir, I know."
"You're a mighty fine young beast, Jared Sandeye." Peter stood up and strode over to Jared. He held the younger squirrel's paws. "You have a good, stalwart, and loving heart about you. We know you will take good care of Larina."
"You really are okay with this?" The baffled squirrel asked, staring up at his elder. "Me dating your daughter? I'm an Easterner, remember? Not native to Mossflower."
Peter sighed and knelt down on the ground. "You're confused as to why we approve of you. But you're also afraid that we may find somebeast better for her than you. Am ah understanding this correctly?"
Jared nodded, and Peter brightened up.
"Jared, there ain't anything wrong with worrying." He dropped to his knees to place a paw on the youngster's shoulder. "Your feelings are natural, valued, and most of all, valid."
He squeezed Jared's paw to reassure him. "Look, kid. You can argue 'til our dear sable neighbor Saltface's cows come home. But Evelyn and ah knew from the very beginning, ever since we met you at Nameday, that you were the one for our beloved Larina. Nothing has swayed our opinion of you since then, and nothing ever will. But we can only do so much. Some questions you can only answer on your own, by looking inside yourself, and listening to your heart."
He plopped into a cross-legged position. "As for you being Easterner, lemme tell you sumthin'. It don't matter a hill of beans to us where you're from. You could be from Noonvale or Southsward or even from Ruddaring. We'd still accept you just the way you are." Jared nodded to show his understanding.
"And besides, Evelyn and I? We're migrants, too, just like you and your sister. Moved here from the south side of Mossflower before we had Larina. So you could say we're like kin, our family and yours."
"I don't understand why I'm feeling this way, sir." Jared confessed in a low voice. "Why does my heart act the way it does for Larina?"
"Would you say you are ashamed of your feelings for her?"
"Not ashamed, really, just more…confused, I guess."
"You're still young, Jared." Peter tucked his paw underneath Jared's chin and pulled it up to face him. "You have time to figure everything out. The best part is that you ain't alone: Evelyn and ah will be here to help you every step of the way. So will Madeline." He smiled and nodded at the boy. "All right?"
"All right," Jared nodded in return, matching his smile. "I promise, sir, I will do my very best to take care of Larina."
"And your best is all we need." Peter patted Jared's shoulder and stood to his feet. He held out his paw to Jared to the same.
"By the way, we're glad you're here with us today, Jared."
"Me, too, Mr. Skyleaf."
"Call me Peter. Now come. Let's drink."