With the excitement of the hunting competition over, it was time for the servants to prepare the journey back home, while the nobles said their goodbyes. Tilda and Felux were busy packing the tent rolls on the back of the carriage, when Yrse stormed by leading the way for Grysle and the priest.
Tilda just happened to be in his path when he spat, "Out of the way, wench!"
Felux stood beside Tilda and said, "Watch how you treat a woman."
Yrse moved close to Felux, saying, "You want to make something of it? I've had a rather uneventful time and I'd love to see some action."
Grysle spoke, "Stand down Yrse."
Yrse snickered as Grysle stopped long enough for Yrse to begin walking again.
What's he planning now? Tilda wondered as she watched Duke Grysle proceed away.
༻✧༺
Lady Selinda stood with her posse as she waited for her servants to prepare her departure. She was surprised when Lord Falquen approached, holding a fox pelt.
Falquen said, "Lady Selinda. A moment of your time?"
Selinda glanced towards her girls, then nodded at Falquen. The couple moved a bit of a ways off to give off the impression of privacy.
Falquen held out the fox pelt, saying, "I couldn't find you yesterday when the men were giving their quarries to the ladies but… I saved this for you. If you would so desire it."
He was nervous, worried that yet again, he would be rejected.
Selinda accepted the pelt and brushed the soft fur. She said, "It's beautiful. Thank you."
Blushing, Flaquen bowed and left.
Tilda, passing by with a bucket, flashed Selinda a thumbs up. Selida waved for Tilda to come closer.
Whispering, Selinda said, "He gave me a pelt."
Tilda said, "It's beautiful."
"I'm no lady of the hunt but, it's weird, I kind of feel like I am."
"You like him."
"Oh, no," Selinda said, "It's nothing like that. I can't like a viscount's son. I'm the daughter of Marquis Pa-"
"Marquis Pafster," Tilda interrupted. "I know. You're a noble."
Selidna exhaled, suddenly remembering that when she was around Tilda, she didn't have to be anything. Selinda said, "You know, you would have won the lady of the hunt."
Tilda raised an eyebrow.
Selinda continued, "That beast your knight slew was much bigger than the leopard the Duke brought in."
The dots were not connecting in Tilda's head.
Selinda said, "Commoner or not, if your knight had dedicated that beast to you instead of discarding it in the river, you would have been the lady of the hunt."
Tilda laughed.
"You and your nobles…" Tilda said, rolling her eyes. "I don't need a dead animal to feel special."
"You commoners don't know how to appreciate the finer things."
"If you say so."
Tilda shrugged and carried on with her duties.
Alone now, Selinda ran her hand across the pelt. It was so soft. She giggled at a surge of happiness that crept into her heart. Then she coughed, to try and cover it up. As she resumed her stoic demeanor, she rejoined her entourage of loyal followers.
༻✧༺
As they left Sparrow's glade, Delrik sat across from Cosaria in the carriage. Lady Cosaria, as beautiful as ever, looked out the window with awed curiosity.
I should say something, Delrik thought.
The carriage passed over the bridge. Then the carriage passed the grotto. And then the obelisk. And then the old pine tree, and the small cottage, and the river, and the cattleyard, and the town, and the forest…
Delrik hung his head in shame, thinking, I have no idea what to say.
Meanwhile, Tilda and Felux rode together on his horse, talking the entire way back.
Felux was finishing a story, "-After that I'd spent the next five days cleaning the stables out."
Tilda laughed.
Talking with Felux was like discovering something new about yourself. He had a way of making mundane things seem new and extraordinary. It was both entertaining and enlightening.
With the hunting competition ended, that was the way in which the couples rode home together.
༻✧༺
A day or so later, in the town just outside of the Arquix castle, a group of jugglers entertained a crowd as Lady Marley Von Garlikson watched. Soon her coachman approached her to update her on the status of their delay.
The coachman said, "Sorry about the delay but once the horseshoe is replaced, we'll be on our way."
Marley said, "Oh, nah, don't worry about it."
"Alright. If you need anything, I'll be just over there. And don't worry yourself, we'll be at the castle early this evening."
Marley nodded and the coachman left. One of the jugglers breathed fire as Marley clapped. As she observed, she noticed one of the entertainers staring at her. Smiling and waving, the entertainer pulled off her hood and showed her face. She was breathtakingly beautiful with pitch black hair and midnight blue eyes. Marley waved back. The entertainer approached Marley and held out an apple. She asked, "Care for a conversation?"
Marley took the apple saying, "Oh, sure, yeah!"
The woman rested besides Marley on the bench and said, "My name is Luten."
"I'm Marley," Marley said with a mouth full from biting into the apple. She pointed at the jugglers, "You guys are really good."
"Thank you," Luten said. "We'll be performing a play here soon. Will you be staying to watch?"
"Oh man. No, I'll miss it," Marley said. "I've got to start my new position and I can't mess that up. I'm brand new, I'll be the Duke's wife's, that's the Duchess, her lady in waiting."
"Congratulations. Sounds like a big step."
"Oh man, yeah. It is, you know. It's a lot of pressure but I just have to. I have to start making my way in the world, be my own woman, make my family proud. Show that I can do it. You know?"
Luten said, "Sounds like a lot of pressure."
Marley avoided answering by taking another bite of apple. Suddenly, her nose caught a distinct scent. Glancing sharply at Luten, Marley said, "You smell like campfire."
Luten cocked an eyebrow curiously towards Marley.
Marley blushed red and said, "Oh man, I'm sorry. That uh, just came right out. I don't, didn't mean it rudely. My Grammy, she always smelled like campfire. I actually really like it. Yeah, it's just that you reminded me of her. That's all."
Luten said, "Don't worry. You reminded me of someone as well. This might seem, also an odd question, but is your grandmother the daughter of Kirith?"
Marley nearly choked on her apple, but managed to swallow instead. She said carefully, "…Yes… Kirith is the name of my uh, great-grandmother." She was a legend in the Garlikson household and one of the reasons Marley fought so hard to distance herself from her family. She didn't want to have to live under that umbrella any longer.
Luten said, "Hm… you look like her. Do you know much about Kirith?"
"Do you?" Marley asked. She knew this was a sensitive, dangerous subject. One she had hoped would never come up.
"She was a close friend of mine."
"Oh man. Then that means you must be… you're not… are you… like her?"
"Yes," Luten said. "I am."
To admit that… Luten was putting a lot of trust in Marley. Putting her hands in her lap. Marley asked, "Why would you tell me this?"
Luten said, "How is she? How is Kirith doing?"
"She, ah… died… a few years ago."
"How?"
"She stopped drinking… her medicine. She said that after Great-Grandfather died, life just didn't hold the same meaning. Yeah, she said she had waited for so long for the chance of returning home, but then she didn't want to wait anymore. So she, ah, she wanted to see Great-Grandfather instead. So, yeah."
"Was it painful for her?"
"…Yeah. I think it was."
Luten asked, "Was it painful for you?"
Marley said, "…For all my family. Yeah. She was… we really loved her."
"I'm sorry."
"Nah man! That's, don't be. It's not like it's your fault. She just… you know. Yeah. Though I wish. She wished, she said that her last wish would have been to see home one last time."
A sadness fell around Luten. "Home, huh."
"Do you… ah, miss your home too?"
"Yes," Luten said. "Some of us weren't as lucky as your Grandmother to find a purpose here."
"Oh," Marley said, "Oh man."
Just then the coachman came over and said, "Sorry to interrupt miss, but the carriage is ready."
"Okay," Marley said. She stood up and held out her hand saying, "It was nice to meet you. Ah… oh man, I'm sorry, what was your name?"
"Luten."
"Thanks for the conversation, Lady Luten. If you ever need anything you can call on Marley Von Garlikson, that's me."
Luten shook Marley's hand.
Luten said, "And the same to you, Lady Marley."