When a Young Heart Loves (The Secret of Moonacre Fanfiction)

Building Trust and Sand Castles

Maria and Robin walked in silence. Maria was still filled with indignation at having been frightened by him and caught in such an incriminating action. Although Robin attempted multiple times to start a conversation, she refused to reply with anything more than a simple "yes" or "no".

"You know, I have come to the conclusion you Merryweathers are awfully good at glaring."

The two reached the Moon Princess' dwelling and without a word, Maria crawled straight into the tree. When Robin entered the room he saw her vanishing through the secret door into the dark tunnel.

"Maria hold on! We should stick together, we might get lost!"

"And give you another opportunity to frighten me? No thank you!"

With a frustrated groan, Robin took a torch from the wall, used his flint to light it, and quickly went in after her. He did not want Maria navigating the tunnels alone. Not only for her safety but for his own as well. The last time they had walked through the passageway, they had the Moon Pearls' light and were led by the apparition of a white horse that only Maria could see. Without Mother Nature's guidance, they would surely get lost.

As Maria continued walking further into the tunnels, she blinked and rubbed her eyes to adjust to the dimming light. She took a few steps to the side, using her hands as a barrier, and shuddered as she touched the cold surface of the wall. Her hands guided her along the rocky tunnel and soon all that she heard was the gentle tapping of her footsteps against the ground. After a few more minutes, Maria came to a reluctant conclusion: this was not a good idea. Maria had hoped Moonacre's white horse would appear to her again, but perhaps because the curse was broken, or because she was not in any grave danger, there was no such apparition. She was alone in the dark. Maria's ears picked up Robin's approaching foots steps. There was a distinct tapping between each step.

"We're lost, aren't we?" He asked her as he finally managed to catch up.

Maria was beginning to feel disappointed. Just this morning she had been looking forwards to spending time with the bird boy. Yet now that they were together, most of it had been spent in fighting and angry silence.

At not receiving a response, Robin frowned and sat down. He leaned his head against the wall where he closed his eyes.

"Does your head still hurt?" she asked, finally breaking her silence.

"Only a little. Hold on, I'm trying to listen," Robin replied, putting his finger on his lip.

Maria huffed at being told to quiet. "What are you trying to listen to?" She whispered.

"Close your eyes, and tell me what you hear."

Scowling, Maria closed her eyes and listened. "I don't hear anything."

"Give it a moment. There, did you hear it?"

Maria furrowed her brow and closed her eyes again. She listened. Then she heard it, a low rhythmic crash off in the distance. The ocean's waves. She opened her eyes and met Robin's gaze. He was smiling at her.

Robin jumped to his feet but the sudden rise left him feeling wobbly. "It's the ocean, we're not that far off, let's go!" He would take a few quiet steps, then stop and listen for the ocean. Maria admired how quiet he was. She tried to be silent too, but her heeled boots and skirts made it difficult. After walking for a bit Robin stopped abruptly and shook his head with a quiet chuckle.
"I'm sorry princess, but could you stay here and wait for me?" He asked her. "My headache and the sound of your skirts make it hard to pick up any sound from the ocean."

"What if we get separated?"

"Ah don't worry about that, I've left a trail for us to follow back." He took a small pouch out of one of his belt pockets and produced a few brightly colored stones of red and blue.
"See these stones, I have been dropping them since we entered the tunnel. Besides, weren't you trying to leave me behind earlier?"