Alcingeria

Chapter Twenty Three: Another Safe Night

Chapter Twenty Three Another Safe Night:

Friday June 25th 1690

"Redmond! Are you out here to help?" Asked Raymond.

"Sure am," I said as I strode over to him.

"Great, you know the drill."

He handed me a basket and I got back to work. I moved on, keeping my gaze downwards and I bumped into someone.

"Oh, sorry!" I exclaimed, looking up to see who it was.

It was Stella, beside her was Erin. They had their backs to me.

"It's alright, Redmond." She smiled, turning around. "Is Don around?"

"I haven't seen him since I left," I shrugged. "Isn't he here?"

"I thought I saw him earlier, in the bunk room," Erin put in, "but that was a while ago."

"He's probably hurting a little." I reasoned. "He's not used to, well,"

"Rejection?" Laughed Erin, "with his excess 'charm' and cocky demeanor, I'm surprised it hasn't happened already."

We all shared a laugh over this. I was almost as surprised as Don, to be honest. The girls that he usually dealt with ate it up.

"Hey," Stella squinted past the sunlight and raised a hand to her forehead. "Isn't that him over there?"

I followed her gaze. Down the field a little, I saw Tabatha and Don. Tabatha's pointed hat was silhouetted in the late twilight and Don was holding a basket with both hands in front of him, while Tabatha had her staff. She was using manipulation magic and causing the vegetables to levitate and float over to his basket. She used her staff to manipulate their movement through the air, having them flourish here and there. It was a strange sight.

"Cool, isn't it?"

"Magic?" I asked, to which she nodded. "That's one word for it."

"It's good to see them getting along," Stella raised a finger to her chin, then added, "that was quick."

Tabatha kept tossing the crops into the basket, using her staff to control their brief flights. After a few more, she accidentally ended her levitation spell too early and the vegetable missed Don's basket by about a foot.

"Nice miss!" He taunted.

"He's going to make her angry," Erin trailed off.

Instead of making a witty comeback of her own, Tabatha lifted another vegetable, and sent it careening into Don's forehead with a jerk of her staff.

"Ow!" Don yelped, the basket falling to his side. "What was that for?"

Tabatha giggled and turned her back to Don.

"Oops, my mistake. It must have slipped."

"Well in that case," Don grinned, "it looks like your manipulation magic could use a little more work."

Tabatha turned back to face him, crossing her arms while holding her staff. She wasn't impressed with that comment.

"If you don't want another vegetable to meet your face, I suggest you take that back."

"Yeah?" Don asked while slowly tensing his arm. "Well how about you make me!"

On the second last word, Don let loose and through the basket at her. It made contact with her torso, doubling her over a little. When it hit the ground, vegetables spewed out as it rolled along in the dirt. Don started to run, making a break for the bunkhouse.