Luminous

9 - Children of the Harvest

On the third morning after Meya's homecoming, a horse and his rider galloped down the hill towards Hild Cottage.

The sound scattered the silence of dawn like the beating of drums. Meya rose from her mattress and peered at the window. So brightly red was the rider's cloak, it bled through the horn shutters' opaque white. Her heart leapt, and she scrambled to the door, bursting out with a cry of joy—

"Lexi!"

Her smile sagged at the sight of a familiar yet unexpected face—Cleygar. Her brain finally caught up, chiding her that Coris couldn't have returned so soon.

"Message for Lord Hadrian," panted Cleygar as he strove to calm his neighing, rearing horse, while Meya's family crowded out around her.

He waved a letter sealed with Amplevale's apricot tree crest, and Meya's heart sank lower. She was hoping for some word, at least.

"Off to Aynor, in 'e? Left three days ago," grunted Dad with a jerk of his head down the road.

Cleygar's eyes followed, then he righted himself and scratched his head.

"Agh..." He muttered grumpily to himself, before shrugging. "Well, got a message for Lady Meya anyway. Ain't a total waste."

As Meya raised her eyebrows and the rest of the Hilds shared bug-eyed looks at each other, Cleygar dismounted and clomped over to the Lady Hadrian.

"Lady Kyrel's given birth. 'Tis a baby girl, a Greeneye."

There was a pause as the bystanders turned to Meya, who hadn't reacted. Having no example, the family decided on the most logical response and cheered and clapped. Marin rushed at the messenger, shaking his arms.

"How is she? And the babe? How was the birth?" she demanded.

Deke gently drew her back into his arms, grinning in apology. Cleygar had noticed her bump, however, and understood.

"'Twas swift and easy, thank Freda." He shrewdly neglected to add that Kyrel already had three children. His face fell when he returned to Meya. "But now the babe's out, her time's come. Poor babe. Nobody's sure they should celebrate."

A second bout of silence followed, as the family gradually realized why Meya had remained so numb. Maro ruffled his hair, looking sheepish.

"Ah... 'tis that Lady Kyrel," he muttered.

"Could just lock her up. There's no need to hang her.." Myron glanced between his still mute sister and the messenger.

"Yea, what did Lord Sytus want? Wounnae wanna push that on his children, would he?" Morel shook her head.

Cleygar heaved a sigh and nodded with a heavy heart. "Poor Simon. Wounnae have no heart to do it if I were him."

Silence fell again as each delved into his or her own thoughts. At last, Alanna cleared her throat, mustered a smile and offered,

"You must be tired. Why not stay the night? You can set off tomorrow."

"Yea, just fly and make up for time!" Mistral squealed, thrilled at the prospect of a traveler sharing their dinner.

"'Tisn't that urgent news, innit?" supported Marcus.

"Wait, why dinnae you fly here?" Myron frowned at the horse, which was nibbling on the grass poking from cracks in the road.

Cleygar looked longingly at the coils of smoke rising from their chimney, as the chilly wind batted his cloak against his sides, then turned to the blazing pink streaks of the rising sun. The time just wasn't right.