"—up. wake—up"
When I came to, I can hear a faint voice and a light shaking of my shoulders.
"Hey! Little girl, wake up! Hey!"
When I opened my eyes, all I can see was a faded silhouette. And when I remembered the bear earlier, I instinctively backed away from it!
"Kyaaaahhh!"
I screamed. My fear is still with me it seemed.
"Ah. Sorry to scare you, but it's just me. I'm not scary at all."
He grinned pointing at himself as he says that. Strangely, I calmed down eventually with his words.
"Are you hurt somewhere? Can you stand?"
It was that boy earlier; his clothes were dirty with mud. He looked really worried and he was stretching his arm towards me, he was helping me to get up.
"That was terrifying wasn't it? But don't worry! The bear is gone, I've taken care of it!"
He said while puffing his chest proudly. 'Taken care' he said? But how? It seemed impossible to believe with such a small body. He was even smaller than me. I looked at him with eyes both questioning and doubtful. Then noticing this, he sulked and said with a tone,
"Ah, you don't believe me?! Hmph! Come with me then, I'll show you!"
He gently drew me farther into the woods than where we were by taking my hand in his. In the area where we went, the tree cover is denser and the shrubs remain unaltered. We eventually arrived at the location where he claimed to have "taken care" of the bear. There was no bear to be noticed but there was a sizable hole.
He grinned at me. Pointing at the hole.
"Look."
"Ah!"
He was still holding my hand and urge me to take a peek at the hole. As I did, I found the bear there at the bottom of what seemed to be more than two meters of dig.
The bear was alive and it was peacefully eating some kind of food. Fishes, maybe?
"That bear was just hungry. It attacked you because of that."
"I-I see…"
The bear was eating unbothered. It didn't even look at us. But something is bothering me…
"Uhm… thank you for saving me."
I bowed and lifted the hem of my skirt, gracefully as I should. I am a daughter of a duke, after all.
"Hehe. Don't mention it. More importantly, do you believe me now?!"
"Ah, yes… I'm sorry for doubting you."
"Yep. You better be! But I forgive you. Hehe."
Such a free-spirited person. His blue eyes were sparkling together with his bright golden blond hair. The way he grins makes me feel comfortable and safe. It was as if he was some hero in a novel. But…
"But how did you manage to dig a hole this deep?"
"Ah, that hole is already there when I walked around. Actually, it was deeper earlier and there were spikes at the bottom of it. I thought that it would be very dangerous to leave it like that so I hauled mud to cover it. That's when I heard a roar. And as I thought it was a bear. Luckily, I already filled the hole to cover the spikes. The bear didn't die when it fell down there."
What a strange person… he even thought and cared for the bear's life.
"The fish? Where did it came from?"
"Ah, those? I went to where father was and asked him to give me some. But unfortunately, he hasn't caught any. HAHAHA. He was terrible at fishing, after all."
What a really strange person…
"So, I borrowed my father's fishing rod and fished a little. That's what I gave to the bear."
I was puzzled by how easy he made it all sounds like. Yet, I cannot see a hint of lie in his eyes. I envy how carefree he was. I sighed in disbelief and then turned to smile at him.
"You really are a strange person. Uhm, may I ask for your name?"
"Eh? Ah, sure. Gleren. My name is Gleren."
"I see. Reren; a wonderful name, it is. Mine is Elisha."
"Lisha. I'll call you that from now on. But, for now, let us go home. My mother will get angry if she sees me like this."
Not letting go of my hand he leads the way out of the forest. He was smiling all the way. Seeing this, a question was formed in my head.
"How can you be brave when you are smaller than me?"
He stopped on his track and look at me. He wears a confused look at first, but then he puts his hand on his chin as if he was thinking.
"Hm… I think being brave is not a matter of size? For me, I don't even know if I am brave or just being foolhardy. However, I won't yield to my weaknesses. If I can be of help to others while being foolhardy, then so be it. Maybe being a fool is my strength, after all? HAHAHA."
The wind blows gently towards us, and the midnight sun is greeting. As he says that, somehow, I can't seem to take my eyes off him.
"And besides, I'm not that small! You'll see! I will be taller than Lisha in no time!"
"Is that so? Alright, then. When that happen, will you take me as your wife?"
"Hm? Yep, sure. I will grow taller than you and when that day comes, I will have Lisha become my wife!"
"That's a promise, okay?"
"Yep! A promise."
That was the promise of our childhood. A promise that keeps me thinking of him no matter how many years had passed.
We returned safely to the villa. And as he had expected, he was scolded by his mother as we got home. He was the son of one of our visitors.
***
"Reren you liar…"
"My lady… Lady Elisha. Please come inside of the dorm. It's getting cold and late. You'll catch a cold."
While I was murmuring, I felt a shaking sensation on my shoulders. It was Anna, my maid. It seems that I fell asleep while having these thoughts and ended up dreaming about it.
My tea had gone cold, and the night had grown older, but the emotion I felt in that dream seemed fresh and nostalgic... I'm not certain what occurred to change his hair colour and the colour of his eyes, but I will never forgive him for forgetting our promise...
Just like how I annoyed you for two years now, I will continue as much, as long as you don't remember me...