A Change of Nowhere (A Centaurworld Fanfic)

Chapter 6: Heart Beats

After they finished breakfast, Adalie goes to help Emilia with the flowers they were going to use for the festival coming in a week. Josiah hums as he goes to his workshop, "Hey Elk, want to lend me an extra hand with something I'm working on for the festival?" Elk nods, "Yes sir. I'd love too." He follows Josiah to his workshop and sees a wooden hand carved moon piece. Elk was surprised how big it was, "Wow." Josiah chuckles and grabs the tools, "Yep, working on it for two months. It'll be ready by next week. Now help me sand it down, then I'll need some herbs to add to my staining mixture, which will take a couple days to dry." Elk grabs the sanding paper and helps Josiah sand the carving down, being careful not to get any splinters.

After that was done, Josiah showed him what herbs he needed and where to find them and gives him a basket. Elk goes outside, and picks a few of them, then catches a glimpse of Adalie with her mother, watering white, yellow and blue flowers. He watches them before his focus goes to Adalie, watching her every move as she checked the plants. Her smile, her eyes, everything about her, words can't describe how he was feeling. He fell in love once, but that backfired due to his mistake, but this time....it felt different than that one. Like...it can be different, like there's a chance. Elk's heart beats through his chest and Adalie catches him looking at her and she waves, smiling sweetly.

Elk felt his cheeks burn a bit as he smiles and waves back, before snapping out of it when he heard his name, "Elk? Everything alright?" He gathers the rest of the herbs, and rushes back to Josiah, "Coming!" He hurries back and gives Josiah the basket, then stands back as he grabs a crusher and a bowl, but notices Josiah continued to look at him, "I feel like there's something going on with you towards my daughter." Elk turns away, trying to hide his red cheeks, "N-No sir, no I wouldn't do that." He hears the old man chuckle, "Oh, love at first sight. That's how I met her mother. I was head over hooves for her, I tell ya." 

He chuckles as he mixes the herbs together until it makes some type of oily liquid and he grabs two brushes, "Alright, help me stain it now, but be careful not to get it on yourself, it's pretty sticky and hard to get off. You'll need two baths, trust me, it's happened to me." He gives Elk one of the brushes and they stain the carving, and Adalie walks by the window, humming and she peeks through. Elk looks up, feeling his cheeks burn again and she giggles, and a smile forms on his face as he gets distracted, nearly getting the staining mixture on himself before Josiah snaps him out of it, "Hey now! I said be careful!"

Elk shakes his head, watching Adalie go back to the house, and Josiah scratches his beard, "There IS something going on, I can tell it in your face." Elk clears his throat, trying to get himself out of the mess, his heart racing before seeing that Josiah wasn't angry at all, "Now, I want what's best for my daughter, and I would love it if she found a nice partner, one who would treat her right...Not all the boys want a chance with her, not even girls, saying she's too quiet. I'm sorry, my daughter is shy." He turns to look at Elk, "I have a good feeling about you though. Something you're hiding might try to change my mind, but you seem like you can do better." He smiles and they finish staining, the sun now at high noon, shining over the small village as in the shadows, a pair of eyes glow, watching.

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