Lost and Found [Harvest Moon: A New Beginning]

Competition

"On your marks, get set... GO!" Dunhill shouted from the podium in the festival grounds. Shrieking with glee, the three young children of the village bolted out of the grounds, followed closely by Rio, Rod, and Tina. The rest of the younger adults followed at a brisk walk, while the older adults trailed at a more sedate pace.

Vaughn had finished up his morning chores without catching sight of Rio, but he'd spotted her immediately when he arrived at the festival grounds for the start of this so-called 'Critter Festival'. She was standing front and center of the crowd of villagers and tourists, and even from behind he could sense her excitement. That didn't really surprise him—what did surprise him was that Neil was nowhere near her. Instead, the golden-haired young man was hanging around at the back of the crowd with goofy Rod and suave Allen. They seemed like such an unlikely trio that Vaughn just stared for a moment before recollecting himself and looking away. He moved over to one side of the crowd, near enough to see Rio and to hear the announcement, but still separate from the group.

He was glad afterwards that he had kept to the side, when he saw the way those kids tore out of there like they had jet-packs strapped to their backs. Toni was shouting that this year he was "gonna win for sure" while a pretty little blonde girl screeched after him that no, he was not. Niko stumbled along after them, scanning the ground for grasshoppers and beetles as they all headed towards the river.

Rio had started off after them immediately, but paused when Iroha had called out to her. They spoke for a moment, then both laughed as Rio shook her head vigorously before turning to dart off westwards towards the mountain path at the back of the village plaza, choosing to go in the opposite direction of the children. Rod had raced off before her, but with her long legs and athletic build, she quickly overtook him, leaving him to chase after her with laughing protests, and Tina followed close behind.

Sauntering slowly out the gate, Vaughn watched Neil as he trudged after Rio. His body language betrayed his complete lack of interest, but he seemed determined to follow her anyway. Whether his intent was to spend time with her, keep her out of trouble, or keep him away—or possibly all three—Vaughn couldn't tell. He hesitated at the entrance to the grounds, then turned to the east and followed the road out of town towards the river. He passed Iroha, Felicity, and Allen all chatting a short ways down the road, near Iroha's house and smithy. Felicity called out a cheerful greeting, Iroha and Allen following suit as they turned to look after him. He tipped his hat at them, then continued on his way.

He looked around as he strolled out of town on the dirt road, passing over the small stone bridge that crossed the river and turning to follow the river's course. He could see the three children darting around, trying to catch insects as they headed up the trail towards the mountain. The light breeze carried their laughter and shouts down to him, and he smiled to himself. Selecting a shady tree near the river, he sat on the grass and prepared himself to wait for Rio to come back down the mountain.

The children disappeared from sight, and the only sound was the droning of the cicadas and the rushing of the nearby river. It was a hot day, and to his annoyance, Vaughn realized that once again he'd left his water bottle behind at the farm. Looking around and seeing no one in sight, he removed his hat, pulled his vest and shirt off, and removed his gloves. Then he ambled down to the edge of the river and scooped up water in his hands to drink. The water was barely even cool, bordering on tepid there in the shallows where he knelt.

After a few drinks, he felt a little better, and still kneeling at the water's edge as he wiped the drips from his chin with his arm, he looked around a little more closely at the scenery around him. The stream was shallow along either bank, but deeper along the center. The water was so clear, he could see several species of fish as they swam by, and freshwater crayfish creeping along the rocky bottom. Rocks and makeshift wooden bridges here and there provided a means of crossing to the far side. On either side of the meadow, massive boulders and sloping hills rose to create a sort of dale through which both the stream and the dirt road passed. A dense forest of mixed evergreens and broadleaf trees surrounded the meadows and covered the hills and mountains, and a few large oaks still dotted the grassy meadows.