Love Beneath The Moon

Chapter 5 - Aurora

Aurora did not know she liked gardening. She didn't even know what gardening was until now, not until Leigh showed her what it was. It's a simple process: you take a seed and bury it. However, first, you have to prepare the soil in which you'll bury that seed. These were the rituals practiced by the followers of Darius back home in Coldlands. Among the many gods they worshipped, one of them was Darius, who oversaw the fertility of things.

She helped Leigh in doing that, toiling the soil from the earth, mixing some ingredient into it and making sure it is soft enough for the seed to grow into. She even found worms and Leigh said it is good for the soil. She loved the way she would prick the soil with the trowel. It left like stabbing. It doesn't feel like the snow back at Coldlands. No. The soil here is harder and denser, yet extremely softer than solid ground. It felt like killing.

"Now help me carry those pots Aurora." Leigh said. "It's where we'll plant them."

They carried ten pots into the Garden. She is familiar with pots and she knows how to make them. Her people taught her making pots, yet they use it for foods, not for planting. Leigh know so much about these things and Aurora was amazed. The blood of Darius definitely flows through her veins. She would make a good potter priestess of Darius.

"So Aurora, we fill them up with soil. But not too much, give some empty space. The roots will occupy them and the soil rises then. Like so." Leigh explained while filling one pot.

"Hey, this one has a hole in it." Aurora said after she found three holes on the pot she picked.

"It's alright. All of them has holes in them. When you water the plant after, the water will escape down there so that it will not drown the plant."

"Oh." She said. The pots they make back home doesn't have holes in them. The food will leak if there's hole. But this is for plants so... Aurora shrugged.

"You know, Lucas doesn't like gardening." Leigh said picking another pot to fill.

Lucas? "Who's that?" She asked "Your brother?"

"No silly." Leigh smiled "It was another Noble Farmer. Our age, no, older. Maybe your age. I don't know, you seem older. How old are you Aurora?"

"208" Aurora said.

"What??" Leigh laughed "That's too old silly. That's like my grand mother's grandma."

"What do you mean?" Aurora asked, confused. I'm not joking. Does she think I'm joking? She looks like she think I'm joking.

"My grand mother's old you know. She's 80 or something."

That's like a child! Aurora thought, filling another pot with soil. She found another worm. Big this time. "Another worm!" She gladly announced.

"Put it in the jar!" Leigh said playfully, picking it with a stick. "How old we're you really, Aurora?"

I'm 208 moons old! I told you, she thought, mildy infuriated, do people here age differently?? She compressed her annoyance down, and forced a smile. "You, how old are you, Leigh?"

"Me? I'm younger, I think. Sweet 16 years old." Leigh showed a pretty smile, holding her jaws with the back of her hands.

Years? They measure ages in years?

"That's interesting." She said.

"How's my age interesting? You, you haven't told yours yet Aury." Leigh complained.

"Hold on." She said while filling another pot, trying to solve her age in years. "Twelve moons in a year right?"

"Yeah... so?" Leigh looked more confused now.