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Second book in the Rowan Series. Our adventure continues! Add this to your library to get updates after the first book ends. This book is unedited.
The child stayed low with her head bowed to the ground, no doubt smudging the red ocher lines on it. She had obviously mistaken me for a woman named Ardu, that must live around here.
"Im not Ardu and I dont need an....offering. Go home." I told her.
She peeked up at me. Ruddy blond hair and light blue eyes. A forehead that was a bit wide and a speckling of freckles. She was on the thinner side but maybe kids here were smaller than the ones that grew at home. All the same it wasn't my business. Since the humans in the valley seem to want to get along with me I might be able to trade with them in the future. Of course if they wanted to give me a gift was the best they could come up with another mouth to feed?
I left the girl on the ground and walked home. There was still so much to prepare. When I returned the fire was nearly out and the mud was dry. "Little grandpa im back, it wasn't anything so theres no snack." I shouted over to him.
The sapling bent dejectedly. Now that the stove has cooled a little I'll be able to put in more bowls for firing My first try at pottery wasnt pretty, the brown bowls were blackened and chared in places but they were still serviceable.
Sitting down, I held my belly as i lowered myself to the ground. I continued pounding the air out of the clay on a flat rock surface, humming to myself. No sooner than i had found a nice rythm, i heard a soft breathing sound. The little thing had followed me home. She stayed low and hid in the trees poorly.
I was set to ignore her, hoping she would go home but as time progressed she continued to stay in her copse of trees. Maybe she doesn't know how go go back? It seemed simple enough to me but she was a child. I continued to think about it..
"Child are you lost?" I asked her.
She stayed quietly in her hiding spot.
"I know your there, you dont have to hide from me. I wont eat you." I told her.
Very carefully she stepped towards me. There were more branches in her hair now. It was a haphazard birds nest. She stopped a few feet from me and looked at the ground. Such a skiddish girl.
Seeing a girl come to me when i was working reminded me of my neice Fern. This girl looked nothing like her and acted nothing like her but something about hwr made me think back. Where Ferns hair and eyes were dark this girls hair and eyes were light. Fern was chatty but she was quiet. It made me nostalgic without reason.
"Do you need help finding your way back?" I asked.
The girl shook her head no furiously.
"Then have a nice trip." I told her. Her head shook no again. Is she saying she knows the way or isnt she?
"I won't understand unless you use words." I sighed.
She took in a big breath and held it. "I can't go back!" She yelled.
"Alright then I'll help you." I agreed. I rocked back in forth to help myself get up with a pregnant belly.
"No.. they wont let me come back." She said pitifully.
"You got kicked out?" I asked.
"If I go back they will say I didn't offer myself to Ardu and that i have harmed the villiage." She started to cry.
For some reason seeing her crying made me feel...uncomfortable. "Tell you what, I'll go down the hills with you and we can straighten this whole mess out." I said getting up. I syretched big as I stood up.
"They cant be mad if we explain it clearly." I said. "Little grandpa! Im going out again. Watch over the house, yeah?"
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He continued to bend dejected.
"If I find anything good ill bring it back for you." I assured him. With that promise he perked back up again. I turned back to face the girl again.
"Come on well go together." I encouraged her.
She didn't say anything but followed me obediantly. Well im sure at least her parents are probably worried about her.
We walked north down the hilly terrain. The green moss felt good under my feat but it was important to watch where i walked in case the smooth rock was covered in a layer of moisture. The tall trees smelled fresh and soft. Animals made constant noise here to the point they bothered me sometimes, This was a good place.
When we reached the base of the hills we were on the edge of the valley. I saw the houses and humans much more clearly. The clothes were plain colored but the material seemed of good quality. This meant the thinner clothes that the kid wore were probably of lesser quality here.
Unlike back home the houses here were mostly close together and in many cases touching. They looked like extentions were continously built on rather than building seperate houses a short ways from others. The people who lived like that must be very close.
When i reached the first row of houses. I stoped. Many people were outside watching our approach but not moving. One ran away at the sight of me. Others entered their houses and closed the door behind them with a bang.
"Hello!" I called out. "I dont mean you any harm. I just came to return your kid."
