The Winds of the Past [Rune Factory 4]

Chapter 20

Kiel went home shortly after Avani left—no doubt to begin telling everyone what had happened, "to make sure there are no misunderstandings," as he no doubt would have put it. I sighed in sympathy for her, for her feelings upon discovering that her very private affairs had been made public, and sat down with a book to wait for her return.

It was well over an hour before she came in, and from her appearance, I surmised things hadn't gone well. Her eyes were red from weeping, and she looked somewhat bedraggled, as if she'd been running all over for the past hour—which she may well have been doing. I set my book down, saying, "No luck?"

She shook her head as she came and sat down next to me, leaning against me tiredly. "No. I found him finally—it seemed to take forever to track him down—but he wouldn't talk to me. He just gave me a look of pure disgust, told me he couldn't believe I'd treat him like that, and walked off. He wouldn't give me a chance to explain or apologize or anything."

I put my arm around her shoulders and gave her a little squeeze, saying, "He's a stubborn one, Dylas is. He'll cool down—eventually. But it might take him a while. He's the sort that the more he cares, the more keenly he feels injuries—real or imagined. And he does care deeply about you. Just give him some time, and sooner or later he'll come 'round." She nodded, and I looked at her sharply. "Hey, will you be okay?" I asked her, concerned by her lassitude.

She looked up at me sadly and gave me a half-hearted smile, saying, "I suppose. Sorry for being out of sorts tonight. I'll try to be back to my usual cheerful self again by tomorrow."

I ruffled her hair affectionately, then said, "Hey, why don't we go to the lake tomorrow? We can go fishing if you like, or just sit and enjoy the view."

She nodded, then looked at me, saying, "That sounds nice. Thanks, Leon. And don't worry—I did hear this invitation," she added, wincing slightly.

"I wasn't worried," I said with a fond smile. "I'll come by for you around 11:00, and I'll pick up some boxed lunches to take with us. See you then?"

She agreed, then rose and gave me a tight hug, whispering, "Thank you, Leon," before releasing me and darting out of the room.

************

The next morning, when I stopped by the restaurant to order our lunches, I was surprised that Dylas wasn't there. Normally he'd be getting things ready for the lunch crowd, but Porcoline was alone. I'd hoped to give him a piece of my mind, but it seemed that would have to wait for now. I figured I'd catch up to him sooner or later, so I paid for the lunches and headed to the castle. Avani was ready and waiting for me when I arrived. Her face was still a little pale and she had dark circles under her eyes, but she made a sincere effort to be cheerful, just as she'd promised.

As we left, she said, "Oh, if you don't mind, I need to stop by Carnation's before we head to the lake. I have a question for Lumie, and I'm afraid I won't catch her in time if I wait until after our picnic. She often closes early if the weather's nice."

"Sure thing," I replied, smiling down at her.

We headed over to Melody Street and into the flower shop, but it was Amber who manned the counter this morning. "Hi, Amber, is Lumie still upstairs? I have a question for her," Avani asked as she looked up the stairs.

"Oh... uh, yes she is, but..." Amber replied hesitantly.

"Thanks!" Avani called back as she darted up the stairs.

I looked curiously at Amber, who seemed fearful and distressed, and I thought she was giving off an odd vibe this morning. Suddenly I was filled with a sense of foreboding and turned to stop Avani, but she had already vanished up the stairs. I ran after her, taking the steps two at a time, and reached the second floor just in time to hear a shriek coming from the back of the living quarters.