The Bride Rite: Sea of Trees

The Village

---Photo of Aeron---

"Papa! Papa! Are the cookies done?" Johanna begged as if she wasn't full of delicious egg. Mama had even toasted some bread to dip in the gooey golden centers.

We were shuffling through the door separating our home from the bakery that was in front of the village, the store already filling with our neighbors. We were the only bakery in Asura, not that a town our size needed two.

"My Jo-Jo... Nein, cookies are not for breakfast," he scolded before hoisting her up and giving her a kiss on the cheek. Lena pulled at his shirt for her turn.

Emilia was studying herself in the reflection of the big shop window, pulling at an invisible thread, or worried about the starchness of her dress no doubt, while Christian shoved an apple strudel into his handkerchief, so much for no deserts for breakfast.

"Did Mama give you the money Addie?" He asked reaching behind the counter for the lockbox once he put Lena down. He took the key from around his neck and quickly opened the little box filled with mostly copper-colored coins, each with a perfect square cut into their centers.

I reached into my apron for the braided fabric of my money string, the brightly colored yarn something Emilia had put together in one of her projects to beautify the house and raise us to a more esteemed status the Klein girls had one almost as nice as the ones she made. They didn't take up too much yarn, and Papa was more than happy to amuse her for a few copper coins worth of dyed wool. She'd braided the colored strands intricately for Mama, Papa, Christian, and me. Mine was a bright purple and held the various coins well so I wouldn't lose them. I had a few coins on it already, I'd been saving up for quite some time. Maybe I needed to shop, after the disaster of this morning. Mama's words still rolled around in my head, even if the egg had helped dull the edges of my irritation.

"No, I have the list though," I said pulling the parchment from my apron pocket. The joke had always been that Papa had Mama sew in extra pockets because I picked everything up. Which honestly was true if the almost full loaf of honey bread was any indication.

I shuffled the empty basket in my arms as I tried to string our household funds on my woven chain, tying it up in a nice bow before dropping it into my apron pocket, shifting the dark green cloak on my shoulders.

"You have such sweet girls Niklas!" Old lady Weiß gushed, reaching up to pinch my cheeks just as I had done to Anna earlier in the morning.

"Frau Weiß, you really don't have to do that anymore," I protested lightly, an awkwardness entering my chest at the affection. If she noticed me tensed she didn't care. She was an onery old woman, with wild grey hair, and a pension for mending clothing, when her joints weren't bothering her, I don't think anyone really knew how many winters she was at this point. "What's that Em? Yes, we do have to get going!" I called hopefully towards Emilia who shot me a disapproving look before shrugging as if I exhausted her.

"I have sewing circle this morning Frau Weiß we have to get going, I'm sorry," Emilia frowned, accepting her cheek pinches with much more dignity. "It was lovely seeing you this morning, if you need anything let me know, okay?" She said sincerely.

It took a moment for us to work our way out the front of the building past the seven or eight neighbors who were lazily looking at the shelves and discussing Asura's dirty laundry. For some reason, everyone came here to gossip. It was pretty hilarious most of the time, I doubted anyone found it proper to wag their tongues about my family at our establishment. Which suited me just fine.

"You looked so scared when Frau Weiß got your cheeks," Johanna cackled as she grabbed up Lena's hand and started hopping across the snow-covered road between our home and the rest of the square. The school was past our small market that we had made of six carts and eight buildings. I felt bad for the pedlers who would have to stand out in the cold today.