[Memory] Clearwater Rest

[Arlen]

71st of Glade, 112

[indent=20]The road through Clearwater was a stretch of packed dirt surrounded by simple village houses. Despite nestling right in the middle of a forest, it was not as crammed as the forest itself. The stumps even added an authentic feel to the lumbering village. Arlen did not doubt that many of the houses were built with the same wood from the fallen trees. As such, the village founders did a good job in opening up space, bringing in some air and clarity. They also made the whole village quite well arranged, in that Arlen spent no time at all finding the caravan.
[indent=20]The company found their resting spot somewhat halfway down that one road, in what could be called the centre of the village. The area there widened as arms opened in an embrace. In the middle, there stood a large stub which could as well work as a table. But it was now used by some of his men to lean on.
[indent=20]“So what was all that about, Arlen?” Zin asked when Arlen got within hearing distance. Zin was disfigured with scars. He had them everywhere - arms, neck even a three claw across the face. His hair was a mess and he preferred to keep it that way. Zin wanted to embody the wild nature of all Jastai and was succeeding.
[indent=20]“What do you mean in particular?” Arlen asked, yet knowing very well. He swung his leg over the horse and dismounted, making sure the scabbard of his sword did not hit anyone or anything. Now on the ground, Arlen craned his neck to look up at Zin who stood well above.
[indent=20]“The girl, the women,” Zin said, grinning.
[indent=20]Arlen shrugged. “A bit of harmless play. We all needed some distraction. And last I checked, you and Ko were happily chatting about it together afterwards." Ko had one of his booted feet on top of the stump and he was leaning forward with his elbow on his knee, picking at his teeth.
[indent=20]Zin scratched his head. “Well, frankly, we should take a different way back. That stretch of woods..." Zin shook his head.
[indent=20]“I know. Let's see what job we can find when we deliver this guy and decide then," Arlen seconded. “Anyway, rest now for a while and then we move on.”
[indent=20]His company nodded and Arlen looked towards the merchant who was at the back of his wagon, climbing in. Sometimes, employers and employees did not mesh and that was fine with Arlen. So instead, he unbuckled the sword from his belt and rested it against the much-used stump. Hands at the lower back, it was time for a stretch.
[indent=20]As the group settled in for a moment, a few villagers were peering at them from the comforts of their homes.
[indent=20]We won't be here for long, Arlen thought, feeling their gaze. After all, he promised the keeper that they wouldn't be much of a bother. And although she was not here anymore, he would keep that promise.

[Magna]

Following her escapade to the road beyond the village's boundaries, Magna was dragged home by her mother. Verka dispersed to tend to the convoy, and her lectures were suspended for the rest of the day. Home, for Magna, was a sizeable log cottage on an elevated piece of land somewhere near the outskirts of the village. From the window, she was able to see the rooftops of the other homes, complete with the smoke flowing from their cobblestone chimneys in dark wispy plumes. The shadows stretched longer and longer across the green grasses of Clearwater, and she knew that the sun would be setting soon.
[indent=30]The disagreement regarding her venture outside of the walls was dying to a close, but mother still had a piece or two to say while the red-haired halfbreed stared in the direction of the town's center from her window. "You don't know that for sure, Magna," stressed mother. Her argument was that Magna was unable to trust the people of the convoy, as they could have been anyone. Magna's argument was that she 'just knew' they were good people.
[indent=30]"I do," she spoke and turned to look at her mother as she did, though the majority of her form still rested on the windowsill. "Arlen's a good guy, just like the rest of the convoy," bar the stinky merchant. "I can tell."
[indent=30]"And how do you know? And for goodness's sake, Magna, don't say 'you just knew'." It wasn't something that was based on deductive reason, insight, or even experience. Perhaps it was because of the taller men in the group? something about them had drawn her there. Perhaps, unknowingly, she recognized that they were taller than most like her? Perhaps she sought something to relate to? Perhaps it was Arlen, who humored her act and granted her the title of Keeper.
[Indent=30]"You don't understand," she replied after a lengthy pause, then turned to look back outside.
[indent=30]"Don't I?" Returned her mother. "I think it's you that doesn't understand, Magna. There's no way you could have known that they weren't brigands or bandits or-"
[indent=30]"But they aren't!" Magna interrupted.
[indent=30]"But you don't know that!" she stressed again. Magna huffed and blew a lock of her amber hair from her eyes. They weren't coming to an agreement on this, it was clear. Regardless, she wanted to go and talk to them again. She had so many questions. But with her disobeying orders and attacking Lloyd, it was unlikely that mother was going to let her out to see them.
[indent=30]"Can I go talk to them?" She asked, despite the doubts she carried.
[indent=30]"No." Came the swift, stern reply. Magna visibly deflated and slumped against the windowsill. "You went out of the village despite my many warnings, spoke with strangers, and attacked one of your classmates today. Young lady, you're grounded."
[indent=30]"What!" she cried with an elevated pitch and turned to face her mother. "I already told you, Lloyd was bullying Nathaniel!"
[indent=30]"That doesn't mean you can bully him back, Magna. He might be older than you, but you're a lot bigger than he is. You can seriously hurt him." All she'd done was lift him off the floor and yell at him to apologize. She knew it was wrong deep down; enforcement from the endless lectures she'd received on being too rough with the other children.
[indent=30]With her punishment declared, the young Magna stormed to her room just across the way from the living room and combined kitchen, and slammed the door shut behind her. No further sounds came from beyond the door. Perhaps her mother was reconsidering her choice? Then again, perhaps not. She was stern and unyielding in her judgments. Mother was never wrong, and Father knew that to be true, too.
[indent=30]Though her room was small, she was lucky enough to be granted a bed, a nightstand and even had access to a window. The walls were all fashioned from logs and fully connected to the exterior log wall. As she stared out the window of her room, she considered... Mother rarely came to check on her when she locked herself in her room like this. She might be able to escape for a time? A glance at the door yielded no sound. Only shortly after did footsteps begin to trail along the floor, and end at the hearth, where the clatter of utensils ensued.
[indent=30]That was her chance. So, carefully, Magna opened the shutters of her window and moved the various bits and pieces from her nightstand to the bed before she leaned one foot into it like a stepping stool, and eased her head through the cut of her window. Once there, she steadily eased the rest of her body through and let herself down carefully. She was out. Very quietly, the half-giant tiptoed around her home, then climbed down the slope of her garden and walked around the edge of the village for a bit until she was far enough away. Once she was certain she'd made it, she began to close into the center of Clearwater, where Arlen's convoy supposedly rested.
[indent=30]Ahead, as the sun began to set, she saw it. The convoy's men and their horses tied nearby. She was positioned beside a cabin, likely out of the view of the men there. Once she'd gathered her energy some, she took a deep breath and slunk from her hiding place to approach the group. A smile pulled on the corners of her mouth, though it wasn't as bright as it had been earlier in the day. "Tidings, travelers!" She addressed the entire group with a wave, and projected her voice heroically, as she had earlier. "I've come to make sure that you're all settled in! Clearwater welcomes you!"

[Arlen]

[indent=20]Their brief rest turned into a couple of hours lounging in the village centre. The weather or laziness weren’t the culprits behind the delay. But rather the merchant found himself in demand by the locals. To a certain extent so did the convoy.
[indent=20]Whilst the merchant was showing his wares to the villagers who weren’t lumbering, the convoy was either eyed by children or spoke with the odd passerby who would on occasion approach. One of those was Verka who turned out to be the village Elder.
[indent=20]She asked for news from the road and the nearest town. It seemed that Clearwater rarely received the news unless a villager ventured there to buy things they could not make or grow in the village. In that way, Clearwater was impressively self-sustained. So he and his companions shared what they knew.
[indent=20]As they spoke, Arlen observed the older woman. He could imagine her with a mean face as Magna described it. But perhaps it did not come from a bad place but a place of intimidation. After all, the child could probably handle the Elder without any bother.
[indent=20]In fact, the black-haired man found himself looking around here and there, hoping to see the mop of red hair and the gleam of silver eyes. Alas, the sun continued its journey across the arch and the Keeper was nowhere to be seen.
[indent=20]Certainly got in trouble, Arlen concluded, feeling sorry for the child who only meant well.
[indent=20]Eventually, when the sun dipped dangerously low towards the horizon, Arlen was ready to break up the merchant’s merry talk and sell. They had a destination to get to before nightfall and they were already pushing it tight.
[indent=20]“You should probably go and tell him,” Jerrick suggested, looking at Arlen who had his arms crossed over his chest, staring at the merchant.
[indent=20]“Yeah, I should,” Arlen agreed.
[indent=20]“Though the more money he gets here, the more he can pay us for an extra night,” Zin chipped in.
[indent=20]Arlen huffed. He thought about that too. Camping in Clearwater overnight was safer than moving through the forest after dark. Sure, staying an extra night would incur extra payment, but it wasn’t Arlen’sfault. Well, not entirely. They could have always stepped in and put an end to the activities.
[indent=20]But he looks so happy, Arlen thought sarcastically, head dropping to one side.
[indent=20]It was then that a bellowing voice travelled the distance to his ears.
[indent=20]Arlen turned, still leaning on the tree stump to take in the sight of the giant child strut towards them
[indent=20]“Here we go,” Zin muttered to himself but couldn’t help the amused twitch in his face either.
[indent=20]Arlen too couldn’t resist. The tight lines between his brows loosened and his face seemed to have relaxed.
[indent=20]“Good tidings to you too, Keeper,” he answered. Jerrick and Ko moved on to start preparing the horses.
[indent=20]“I’m happy to see you managed to catch us before we leave. I was beginning to think that you got into some serious trouble,” Arlen said with a nod. There was this unusual kinship he sensed in the young girl, but one he also noticed reflecting on his men. The idea of having a chance to say proper goodbyes warmed him even though the chances of meeting this girl again were minimal.
[indent=20]Behind them, the merchant dealt with the last of his ‘customers’. The sound of coins earned ringing in the distance. And the sun dipped its way closer to the tops of the trees.

[Magna]

The heart of Clearwater was a lot more busy than she'd thought it would be. Many people she knew were gathered around, buying all sorts of wares from the stinky merchant. Even if the merchant was a bit rude and grouchy, she was happy that the people of the village were getting what they wanted, at least.
[indent=30]When her silver eyes returned to the group of men, she found them gathering the reigns of their horses, all of them bar Arlen, that was. What? Were they leaving already? She looked to meet the man's eyes with confusion. She'd overestimated their rest, perhaps due to the relatively lax work ethic of the folk of Clearwater. "You're going already?" She asked as her weak smile waned to a frown.
[indent=30]A nod of her head confirmed Arlen's suspicions, she had gotten into some serious trouble. "I'm kinda grounded... It's not because of you guys, but I'm not supposed to leave the village and I got in a fight with Lloyd today." granted, her 'leaving the village' was a good hundred feet or so from the bridge over the river, and the 'fight' was just her picking a boy up by the scruff.
[indent=30]"Mom doesn't know I'm here," she kicked at the dirt path with a frown, where she stared dejectedly. Dash it all! Why did her mother have to spend so long lecturing her about things she already knew. It had cost her an entire day of stories and adventures, almost. Unless... There was a way to get them to stay?
[indent=30]"Are you really going out this close to night time? There are wolves and bears in the woods, you know." That was true, it was the main reason that her parents didn't like her going past the boundaries of the village, but they rarely bothered the villagers and kept their distance. That was something she neglected to say. Part of her doubted the threat of such animals would do much to deter the men, as most of them were bigger than bears and wolves. "Dire bears," she added with a sputter and clarified with a lie. Was there such a thing as dire bears? She didn't know.
[indent=30]"You could stay in Clearwater until morning, I'd allow it!" Offered the keeper quite excitedly. "Uhh, my Cabin's pretty big too! My dad will probably let you stay if you ask when he's home!" her mother certainly wouldn't, that was for sure. It might have been a little obvious at that point that the red-haired child was trying quite desperately to get the convoy to stay, but she did so shamelessly. She looked away for a moment as the gears in her head turned. Her large hands clenched into fists, and she clasped them together in a final show of desperation. "...Please?"

[Arlen]

[indent=20]Arlen nodded his head in an answer to her question whether they were leaving. Now that he was not mounted, he could fully appreciate the girl’s height. Although she was still smaller than him, her built was robust, perhaps too robust for a purely human child. He began to have an inkling that some things may not be as they seem with Magna. Though it mattered little in the greater scheme of things, given that majority of his encounters were brief and it wasn’t very likely that he would meet with Magna again after this.
[indent=20]“Yes, we best get going. Of course, it depends on the merchant, but our contract says to deliver before nightfall,” Arlen explained and walked over to Magna. Zin, on the other hand, moved to the horses instead.
[indent=20]When Magna confessed that she was in fact ground, Arlen’s face pulled into a grimace. Either the girl liked getting in trouble, or saw no issue with what she was doing. Although the reasons weren’t directly tied to him or his company, a pinch of responsibility nestled in Arlen’s mind for Magna’s predicament which by this misbehaviour wasn’t going to get any better.
[indent=20]“You really are a troublemaker, aren’t you?” He said regarding the girl thoughtfully with arms crossed.
[indent=20]“Nah, she just has fire in her belly,” Zin counter with a chuckle as he returned holding the reigns of his and Arlen’s horse.
[indent=20]“Maybe she’s one of us,” Ko joined and the group gave a good-hearted laugh.
[indent=20]“Maybe,” Arlen muttered to himself, sparks playing in his brown eyes and whatever else may have been said, was drowned out by Magna’s sudden recounting of all the dangers in the forest. Jerrick, who joined them at the point, looked at the Magna dead serious. It was as though she had just given him the most precious piece of information.
[indent=20]“Dire bears you say, girl?” Jerrick said, his voice dropping into a deep tone. It was as though her explanation was to decide whether they stay or go. Or whether she was telling the truth or not. None of their faces gave anything away, because they were not local. They did not know the forest as she or the other villagers did.
[indent=20]Arlen himself was wondering. Sure, he grew up in Wild King’s Forge and that alone was full of predators. So he would not be surprised if he didn’t know them all. Also, none of them was from around here so the likelihood of different fauna was fair. So he was watching Magna thinking about the best, Arlen understood her desperation not as a trick to make them stay, but as a genuine concern which in turn troubled him.
[indent=20]The convoy looked from one another just as the merchant approached. “The night is coming,” he announced the obvious.
[indent=20]“Aye,” Arlen muttered. His gaze returned to regard the girl. His expression was still with eyebrows slightly pulled together.
[indent=20]“Ah, you again,” the merchant noted, noticing Magna in their midst. Until then, she was safely hidden among the Jastai.
The merchant was a man of stocky stature, more girth than height, but he was still taller than the girl. The stubble on his face gave him a constant look of thought, but he did not have a mean gaze.
[indent=20]Dire bears, Arlen thought, crossing his arms. He looked at the sun that was waiting for no one and the merchant seemed to be reading his mind.
[indent=20]“Seems I got a bit carried away, didn’t I?” The merchant said, pursing his lips. “Is it still safe to continue?” He then asked Arlen.
[indent=20]“I’m afraid it might be too late now to move out,” Arlen said, his gaze trailing from the horizon, across Magna to the merchant. “It may be best if we stay the night here.”
[indent=20]The merchant sighed, scratching his head. “Is there really no chance we could leave now? I really need to be in town tomorrow.”
[indent=20]Arlen shrugged. “Well, there is. We can leave now but even if we stay on the road the forest is full of predators that wake up at night. And bandits too that’ll take the dark as an advantage. Though we could fight them, I’d rather not take the risk.” The black-haired man was honest and perhaps a little swayed with the possibility of this new beast.
[indent=20]The merchant moved to rub his chin and silence was all they got for a while. “Alright,” the merchant said with a sigh. “But I will only pay half the rate for tomorrow since I expect we be in town before midday.”
[indent=20]“Aye.” And the men shook hands.
[indent=20]“Now for the staying arrangements…” Arlen said, turning back to Magna. “I don’t suppose your parents or other villagers would be so kind as to house us for the night.” Though he was likely petitioning with the black sheep of the village, it was the best he had. And Arlen knew a bed under a roof would be a better option than camping in the open village centre.

[Magna]

To be recognized as 'one of them' welled Magna's heart with pride, even if it was because she was a trouble maker. She didnt mean to be, but she had yet to understand that her actions had consequences that affected others, regardless of her intentions. In that instance, it would be the convoy.
[indent=30]That lesson fast approached, however, as her tall tales presented a serious problem for the people of the convoy.
[indent=30]Magna held her breath as the giant man inquired of the dire bears she spoke of. Was he on to her? Quickly, she nodded; it was true, she swore it. "Dire wolves, too," she added in assurance.
[indent=30]Then, the merchant joined them. It was the stinky one from before. But, his attitude had changed a little, his aura wasnt as bland or pasty. Perhaps he was just tired from the road when they first met? Or perhaps he cheered up at the fact that he'd made some money during his rest. Magna gave him the benefit of the doubt, and waved quietly to the wide man.
[indent=30]They began to talk, and Magna considered them carefully. The men were coming to the decision on whether they would stay or go. Steadily, the reality sank in that the men had originally planned to arrive at their destination before nightfall. And because Magna had opened her mouth, that wasn't happening. Ah, well. At least they were getting paid for it, right?
[indent=30]Eventually, the two men agreed to resume the journey tomorrow. Magna smiled. Not out of wickedness or malice but because she had the chance to speak to the Caravan guard; an opportunity to hear something of the world beyond the woods.
[indent=30]The question came, and Magna rose her brows. A place for them to stay? Well, there weren't any Inns in Clearwater, as so few travelers wandered that far north that the business was redundant. Besides, how was she going to hear Arlens stories if she was grounded under a different roof? So, to Arlen's request, she nodded.
[indent=30]"My house is pretty roomy," admit the girl. "We dont have enough beds for everyone but it's a roof and four walls. If you ask my dad he'll probably say yes. He's super nice!" Her smile returned. Everything was going according to plan. Ah, but there was a problem.
[indent=30]"Uh, but if you do come over, you gotta give me a chance to sneak back in first, cause they don't know I'm gone," she hoped, at least. An awkward, but bright smile spread her lips, and she looked about the group.
[indent=30]Something about what the men had said stuck with her. Maybe she's one of us. The idea alone made her heart flutter with purpose. To imagine being out on adventures in a big group like that inspired her. If it weren't for her mother, who didnt want her to cross the village's bridge, she likely would have asked to go with them.
[indent=30]"I live on that little hill by there," she pointed to the direction, which showed one of the larger cabins on a slight rise above the others. Smoke was flowing from the cobble chimney, but most of the building was hidden behind other cabins. Finally, she looked back to the convoy and awaited their decision.

[Arlen]

[indent=20]“Your house, child?” The merchant questioned raising his eyebrows and scratching his chin again.
It certainly had a whiff of awkwardness and Arlen struggled to see how this could work. So together with the rest of the convoy, they considered Magna’s proposal.
[indent=20]Any house was a comfortable size for the black-haired man, but not so much for his Jastai companions. And could he truly take advantage of the offer in such a way?
[indent=20]The men exchanged looks, communicating without words but also without telepathy. Since there was none available to their kind. Silence reigned only for a moment longer before Jerrick then waved his hand. “We stay out here. These houses look small and I’d rather spend my night upright than bent over.”
[indent=20]Just as I thought. Arlen then looked at the merchant who shrugged, but his eyes were alight with the offer.
[indent=20]“Well, in that case, we can leave your cart here with the others…” Arlen started but the merchant pulled his face, eyes bouncing between the three Jastai and his goods. “...or we can move it to the house where it won’t be guarded. Your choice.” Arlen surely did not plan to spend the night watching over it. It was then that the merchant raised both his hands, giving in.
[indent=20]“Right. In that case, you three organize a nightguard,” Arlen said to his men as he walked over to his horse and unfastened his supplies. The merchant himself made no such move.
[indent=20]“You’re not taking your sword?” Zin questioned pointing to the weapon resting against the tree stump.
[indent=20]“It’s a village, Zin. Not a town. The only danger here is your imagination,” Arlen answered with a grin. Also, arriving at someone else’s house armed probably wasn’t the best way to make good first impressions. Especially if they were secretly invited by an occupant.
[indent=20]The skies and the horizon were also in favour of their arrangement with a spotless darkening arch of deep blues, soon to be peppered with aetheric diamonds.
[indent=20]“Well, that settles it,” the black-haired said and his attention was once again on Magna. “Lead the way, keeper. And if you disappear at some point, we’ll take it slow to give you time,” he told her with a wink.
[indent=20]If it was up to Arlen, he would deliver Magna to the front door. The notion of bearing personal responsibility for her behaviour was still heavy in his chest. He wanted to appear to be the good guy, not some tease that took advantage of young girls. Alas, he knew that taking Magna to the front door would only worsen her situation. In this case, the girl had the lead.
[indent=20]“So tell me about your parents, Magna. I know your dad is a nice man and a lumberjack. What about your mother?” Arlen then nudged the girl for some information. He had to prepare for what awaited him. From their brief encounter on the bridge, Arlen did not have a well-rounded understanding of her mother. So he listened to Magna and made mental notes as best as he could.
[indent=20]Eventually, their paths had to part since the journey to the house did not take long. When Magna disappeared, Arlen slowed the pace to allow her to get back as agreed.
[indent=20]“I would have never thought that a Jastai and a hardened convoy would entertain a child’s fancy,” the merchant said, looking at Arlen.
[indent=20]His lips twitched. “Well, the good thing is that I am not Jastai.”
[indent=20]The merchant smiled as though it was a theory confirmed. They spent the rest of the short walk discussing Magna and her propensity to mischief.
[indent=20]Moments later, it was Arlen’s knuckles that knocked on the door.
[indent=20]“I hope you have this figured out,” the merchant whispered before squaring his shoulders and adjusting his clothes.
[indent=20]Arlen took in a deep breath. He hoped so too.

[Magna]

A firm nod came her reply to the Merchant's question. Indeed, her house. The group entered debate again. Not with words, but with looks. Magna stared awkwardly as the group processed her offer, and they came to the decision that the larger men would stay behind to guard the caravan. That was probably for the best, though Magna didn't voice it.
[indent=20]Excitement fluttered in her chest once the pair was ready to proceed, and she led the way through the small, disorganized layout of Clearwater. All the paths they walked were streaks of dirt in the grass, worn down by the boots that had tread upon them in repeated patterns. Those were the paths most often walked, and the one they were on led from Magna's house to the village's belly.
[indent=20]When the dark-haired man inquired of her mother, Magna pursed her lips in hard thought. What could she say about her? She was strict and worked hard to keep Magna's fire contained. She spent most of her time at home, either working around the house or gossiping with the other mothers in the village, which often congregated at their spacious cabin.
[indent=20]"She's nice too," assured Magna, "but she tells me off a lot more than dad does because dad is always working," she spoke, almost in a parrot-like fashion. Magna did, on occasion, confront her mother about her strict attitude, and sometimes compared her parents. That was often the response to that argument, only more heated. "She makes really good venison stew, though!" she added at last.
[indent=20]Whent the time came that they were before the slope that led to her house, Magna bowed her head to the pair, then broke into a light run around the building, only to crawl beneath the windows before she arrived at her bedroom window once more. Once she'd positioned herself appropriately, she climbed in once more, and let herself down from her nightstand.
[indent=20]She'd been gone for what, less than an hour? Her father was likely home, though she couldn't know for sure. Carefully, she reached over the nightstand and brought the window shutters to close. A knock on her door accompanied her father's voice. "Magna? Are ya awake?"
[indent=20]At once, the girl steadied herself, and looked to her hands, which were dirtied from the crawl. "...Yeah, dad," she spoke as she wiped her hands in her fur kilt, then sat on the edge of her bed.
[indent=20]"Can I come in? I knocked a bit earlier, but you were asleep." Magna's eyes widened, and she drew a sharp inhale through her teeth. She'd almost been caught.
[indent=20]A nod of her head came her reply before she realized that her father couldn't see her. "Uh, yeah," she answered after a lengthy pause.
[indent=20]The door creaked open, and he wandered in. A tall, burly man, perhaps half a foot taller than Magna. He wore a dirty beige tunic complete with a brown leather belt and pants of a similar color. His boots were dark, almost black, and slightly muddy from the ground out where he worked. Brown eyes peered from his tanned complexion, which was framed by a thick, head of brown hair and a bushy beard of matching color. He looked as though he belonged in the woods and the raw earthy scent that accompanied him only strengthened that notion. Despite his wild appearance, he closed the door behind him as he entered the room.
[indent=20]He sat at Magna's side on the bed with something of a sad smile and the entire thing creaked at the addition of his weight. It spoke volumes of his remorse for the girl. Perhaps he understood? "Yer mom told me ya got in a fight today," he spoke after a moment or two of silence. "Wanna talk about it?" Magna sighed.
[indent=20]"Lloyd was bullying Nathaniel, so I picked him up and yelled at him," came her simple explanation. The man looked at her with both eyebrows raised.
[indent=20]"Picked him up? Like how?"
[indent=20]"Like... The way you picked up those puppies a while ago..."
[indent=20]The father furrowed his brow and tilted his head a little, then lifted his hand. "Like... this?" he asked, as he reached out into the air in front of him, only to grab an imaginary puppy by the nape of their neck.
[indent=20]Magna nodded in affirmation, then looked to her father, who was beaming with pride.
[indent=20]"Wow! What is your mother feeding you? You're getting so strong!" He praised, and her features brightened with a smile. Darkon smiled back, then cleared his throat the moment he caught himself. "What I mean to say is, ya shouldn't pick up Lloyd, Magna, or any of the other kids."
[indent=20]"I know..." She spoke as her smile waned, and her whole body slumped a little.
[indent=20]"But, ya were standing up for little Nathaniel, which tells me yer heart was in the right place." He smiled, then placed his hand atop her head and ruffled her amber locks. "Just don't tell yer mother I said that," he warned with a sudden turn to seriousness.
[indent=20]Magna brightened up again at her father's kind words, then giggled a little as he spoke his warning. "Alright. I won't do it again, either," she spoke in assurance and maintained her smile.
[indent=20]Darkon grinned back, and offered a "good," before the rap of knuckles against the door sounded. Darkon looked to Magna's door, but the sound was further than that. The front door. "Who could that be, eh?" groaned the weary lumberjack as he stood again. Meanwhile, Magna did her best to conceal her excitement.
[indent=20]She followed her father out of her room and into the main living room, which was filled with the scent of stew. Not venison, as Magna liked, but the savory vegetables and rabbit meat together still brought her mouth to water. Her mother, who had been stirring the pot, looked to Darkon as he approached the door, then spied Magna from across the room.
[indent=20]Magna had activated her Poker face and assumed a look of unknowing as Darkon opened the door to the two men. The warmth of the air inside the cabin, coupled with the scent of fresh home cooking graced the two when Darkon presented himself, still dirty from his time in the woods.
[indent=20]His brow furrowed as he looked the men up and down, but found no weapons. There, his discerning gaze softened, and a light smile spread his lips. "Ah, the two of ya's must be from the convoy, right?" he spoke in common, then extended his dirty, calloused hand to shake. "Darkon, nice to meetcha," he offered before he stepped back and motioned his hand for the two to enter. The family wasn't accustomed to receiving visitors from outside the village, but the father made an effort to be a kind host all the same.
[indent=20]If they accepted his offer to enter, he'd close the door behind them and gesture to the coatrack in the corner of the room. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
[indent=20]Meanwhile, Magna could barely contain her excitement, and half-bounced on the spot. She was beside herself with glee.