Trails of Intertwined Stars: Chapter 74 {Part 1}

~Chapter 42: The Village~

As soon as they arrived at the village, Jiu had never seen the girl look so excited. Leora stood there amazed, with wide eyes; pointing at all the intricately designed houses and the cliffs surrounding the outskirts of the village. The smell of fresh bread and pastries, probably for the morning market nearby, wafted heavily through the air.
"Jiu, look!" Leora grabbed onto his arm, bouncing excitedly on her feet like some energetic child," It's all so pretty, just like the books in the library said!"
Jiu chuckled," Calm down Leora, it's not going anywhere. Want to go in?"
Leora stared at him with wide eyes.
"We can enter? Just like that?"
"Sure we can," Jiu squeezed her hand, pulling her along," It's open to everyone. In fact, they welcome it."
Leora looked as though she may faint with joy as soon as she stepped out on the paving stones of the village. She immediately crouched down and traced each one with her finger, eyes wide.
"What are you doing down there?" Jiu laughed, unable to contain it," You'll get dirty hands, Leora."
"They feel so warm!"
Jiu smiled," Maybe we should actually explore the village rather than the stones?"

"Right!" Leora bounced up, her head nearly connecting with his forehead with her eagerness.
"Hang on," Jiu frowned, his hands wandering to her hair.
He tugged on the knotted bits of hair and sighed.
"All that running has made your hair knot together and I don't know a thing about separating it."
Leora frowned and glanced around the village. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she pointed ahead of them.
"What about them?"
Jiu followed her finger to a group of three sisters, in-between the ages of five to ten, sat on the fountain ledge; braiding each other's hair and adding an assortment of flowers to them.
Jiu rubbed the back of his neck,"I dunno if those kids will do your hair, Le-...and she's gone."

Surprisingly, the three sisters were extremely eager to do Leora's hair; commenting on how soft it was. They braided her hair into one plait, pushing flowers into each groove of the hair. Leora watched them with a fascination, smiling at the sight of their happiness over the novelty of something like doing up someone else's hair.
As soon as they'd finished, Leora stood up and spun, admiring their work," Thank you!"
"It's okay!" One of the girls grinned, before chasing after her sister's, who'd run off to squeal to their mother about the encounter.
Jiu couldn't help but smile when he heard them talking about how they must have done a princess' hair, because she had such a pretty dress.
"What do you think?" Leora grinned, walking over to him.
"It suits you," Jiu commented, a blush rising to his cheeks as he saw it.
Wildflowers scattered in her hair. Leora glanced at the market, which had started to grow more lively for the morning sales.
"I'm hungry, aren't you?" Leora swiftly grabbed his hand and tugged him forward, her eyes shining with delight.
That was how most of the morning went, Jiu being tugged vendor to vendor; purchasing things for Leora with Henry's money. First it was an assortment of breads and pastries, followed by a necklace, then a book stall. Both had seemed to have forgotten that time passed, and by lunch time, Leora and Jiu were stood queuing for a small piece of cloth designed like the village's flag; a crimson rose on a purple background. As they'd conveniently come to the village of a day celebrating the lost soldiers in the civil war of the 1650s.

As Jiu stood, counting the coins, getting ready to purchase from the vendor; Leora glanced to her side. She spotted a large mural of a willow by a river, a river that looked oddly familiar to her, and watched as a nearby child placed a flower on the slab beside it.
"It's to commemorate the dead," Her grandmother croaked, settling a hand on the granddaughter's shoulder.
Leora tilted her head slightly, inspecting the mural with curiosity. She then plucked a flower from her hair and set it onto the slab, not entirely sure who she should be commemorating it to. She turned around suddenly, hearing music start to play from a street band; her grin growing by the minute. As soon as Jiu glanced back at her, finally purchasing the bit of cloth; he spotted Leora in the town centre. She was dancing, and it somehow reminded Jiu of his dream of her and Duncan dancing, yet it gained the attention of quite a few people in the village; who started to grin and clap along. Leora pulled in a child to join her, then a man and his wife, before long the whole village was there, dancing to the merry street song. Jiu watched from the sidelines, his arms crossed, smirking. Leora waved for him to join, but the general shook his head with a chuckle. With a sudden movement, Leora tugged him on, forcing him to join.

A good portion of their day was spent like that. One moment dancing; the next drawing on the stones with crayons to create vibrant images to celebrate. The next buying cupcakes to eat; then going into the village library, sitting on the floor and tracing their fingers around the maps on the pages as they explored the whole world in a single hour. Before, going back to dance. The whole village had been filled with laughter and music, like a joyous harmony, and the manor seemed like some distant dream. Almost like a past, and Leora looked free from its gruelling chains. Everything was lighter, and Jiu wished it would stay that way. Though, one thing bugged him; every time there was a duet dance, either him or Leora had been whisked away before they could dance. The song was coming to an end, and it was the final song of the evening. He hunted for Leora in the crowd and spotted her. This was his chance, she was no longer dancing with anyone! Instead, her eyes were closed, and she spun around on the stones; smiling. Jiu gently swooped her into his grasp, as the song ended. They stared at each other, grinning and panting for breath, as their hands yet again Intertwined like their fates; the red ribbon on Jiu's finger, gently brushing against her own.