Forever Green

~1~ An Emerald Green

The sun was just kissing the edge of the world when Theiden Guster set off to run a last errand before heading home. As the night crept in, the last few rays of sun shot vibrant streaks of color through the sky in arcs of red, gold, and purple.

Relishing in the feel of a light breeze brushing through his dark hair, Theiden stopped for a moment to look up and take in the beauty that nature had painted above him. His mother tended to refer to this time of day as the magic hour, but no one else would dare utter such a phrase, lest they be driven out of the city. But magic or not, Theiden wanted to enjoy this brief moment of beauty while it lasted.

A sharp staccato of heeled boots striking stone drew his attention from the sky, just in time to see a tall, cloaked figure come striding around the corner. The person moved so quickly that Theiden wasn't able to move out of the way fast enough, and his shoulder painfully collided with the stranger's.

"Beg your pardon," Theiden said, turning back while adjusting the strap of the hunting pack that had slipped off his shoulder. To his surprise, he realized that the other person was a woman—she had run into him with so much force that he had been expecting another man instead.

Rather than reply to Theiden's apology, or even turn to face him, the woman merely tugged the hood of her black cloak lower over her face and gave a single nod of acknowledgement over her shoulder. Then, gripping the covered wicker basket in her hand more tightly, she strode off down the street without a single glance back.

After a brief moment, Theiden shook his head and continued along the uneven cobblestone road. Above him, hinges creaked as people leaned out the windows of their apartments to close their shutters for the day.

Despite the lengthening shadows, Theiden and the woman he had nearly collided with were not the only ones still out at this time of the evening. Those who still had yet to reach their homes passed by with disinterested glances, always giving Theiden and any other pedestrians a wide berth.

The woman's reaction earlier had not been unusual—everyone was wary these days. Theiden could see it in the way parents clutched their children to their sides as they hurried through the streets, and in the shifty gazes of lone passerby who drew their cloaks tighter around themselves when another stranger brushed too close. Trust was a hard thing to come by now—the desperation of the poor bred by the never-ending greed of the upper classes, combined with the threat of the creatures in the mountains, made sure of that.

Theiden crossed an empty intersection and headed down the hill to the tannery at the end of the street. When he shouldered the heavy door open, the groaning of the rusted hinges echoed to the darkest corners of the foul-smelling building, announcing his presence.

"What've you got for me today?" a voice called out from the back of the tannery. "More rabbits?" The soft shuffle of leather-clad soles against the worn wooden floor gradually grew louder until Theiden could make out the lean figure of the woman who had spoken.

"I'm afraid so, Evaly," Theiden replied, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Oh!" Evaly exclaimed in mock surprise, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder. "Well, then, how ever could I refuse such an offer?" Her carefree laugh lightened Theiden's spirits, and he stepped up to set his hunting pack on the counter as Evaly approached.

The young woman loosened the drawstring of the bag and peered inside, giving the contents a sniff. Theiden couldn't help but admire how her softly curling hair fell over one shoulder, and how her nose crinkled slightly in surprise once she got a whiff of the strong scent.

"Whew! A few days old then, eh?" Evaly said, taking a step back from the counter. She and Theiden had known each other since childhood, and her tone was teasing. Still, the truth of the matter made him grimace.