Dragonsoul

Chapter 21

As Leonie and Rim joined her mother in the daily chores, Leonie could not prevent her eyes from straying towards Rim. It was mindboggling that he was able to speak as if he were an adult, and yet have moments when he would act his age, exploring the world and causing mischief.

There seemed to be two tides crashing inside of Rim's being, and Leonie was not sure what would happen. Would all that dragon knowledge hurt him since he received it too soon or shall it enable him to become stronger.

Still, she could not prevent a smile enveloping her whole face when Rim started chasing his tail or the birds. The birds that were naive enough to come and take a closer look at the most enchanting creature of the forest, the Green Scaled Dragon.

Although the birds were not as conscious as some other beings that inhabited the forest, Leonie could see that even they could feel Rim's power, the potential of who he could become.

Still, it warmed her heart to see him put aside all the dragon wisdom and run playfully among the birds chasing them while never hurting them. After all, hunting for food, was acceptable, it was a necessity. Hunting for any other reason was cruelty.

"Are we done yet?! Are we done yet?" Rim asked.

Nald, who had risen later than usual, had joined them but was as eager as Rim to say goodbye to the chores and enjoy one of what could be the last sunny days of the season. Although he did his best not to show how tired he was, it was evident that both Nald and Rim needed some playtime.

No matter how mature, either one of them was, they were both very young to the world, they needed to experience the beauty of living to balance out the horrible things that happened to them.

Leonie also needed something to take her mind of all the things that had happened, of all of the tasks they needed to accomplish before they could hunker down for what was bound to be a long and harsh winter. If she did not do something silly and fun, she thought she might go insane.

Being an adult was a greater responsibility than she expected. In her young mind, adulthood always seemed to be something precious, something that enabled one freedom to do what they wished. However, she wondered if that was true if she had been wrong.

So far, adulthood had felt like a prison which she could not escape. The worst thing about it was that she did not even wish to attempt to leave. Others depended on her, on her strength, on her help.

Yet, having fun could be refreshing, and it was something she needed, it was more necessary than breathing. Only that could distract her enough from the pain and fear. Fear that no matter how much she tried, she could not protect the ones she loved. After all, she could not protect her father, either.

In her heart of hearts, Leonie was terrified that it was her fault. Maybe in one of her past lives, she had done something horrible, and her father's death was a way for the Fates to punish her awful deeds? Perhaps all the suffering was caused by her?

What if she could have done something, said something to save her father? A person's life path could change by the smallest actions. The route that had once led to death could lead to a prosperous life if the person chose wisely. What if the choices she made had led to her father's death?

Since the moment she heard of his death, she felt guilty although she did not wish to admit that even to herself. It was too terrifying to think that she was the reason the person who understood her better than anyone else since they were so similar was dead.

A few days before her father died, they had one of the rare arguments, about something frivolous, she could not even remember what it was. Yet, she could not help but tire her mind out, trying to remember what it was, trying to remember what exactly she had said. Had she been cruel? Did she say something she did not mean?

The whole argument had become vague in her grief-stricken mind. She could only remember fragments of what happened. She remembered that not being kind to her father, but when he went hunting that day, they had forgotten all about the argument.

Even though she was sure of that fact, it pained her to realize that she was still unsure if she had said any of those hurtful things children say when they feel wronged. Had she caused his course to change and lead him to his death?

Those thoughts plagued her mind constantly, always in the background, as she tried to suppress them with all her might. Perhaps telling someone could have cured her of that illness that was polluting her body and mind, but she dared not.

How do you tell someone that you might be responsible for the death of the person they loved the most? How do you tell a small boy that your actions might have led to his father's death?

There was no way for Leonie to let out all the tension that was built up in her chest. Instead of trying to let it all out, she buried everything deeper. She decided to focus on the here and now, to let the feelings of guilt be just a part of her nightmares. 

"You know what, Rim? We are finished for now. Why don't we play Catch the Butterfly?" Leonie asked.

"Yes!!! I love that game! It's the best game in the history of games!" Nald exclaimed enthusiastically.

While he went into an excited chatter to explain the rules to Rim, Leonie went to find her mother and tell her they were taking a break. The work for the morning was almost done, and she thought they could all use some rest after the night they had.

"Mom, we are taking a break. Why don't I get you some fresh lemonade, and you can relax and have a break, too? We have enough time." Leonie said.

"That sounds great, thank you, my dear," Amitola said.

Amitola didn't seem in the mood for a break, but they did everything together. Besides, Leonie could see that her mother was trying to please them to make them feel better.

As Leonie came back with the refreshing drink for Amitola, she could see her mother gently smiling at the overexcited Nald as he explained the rules of the game to Rim. Rim seemed to share Nald's enthusiasm, and Leonie was happy to note that they were still as young as their age, even though sometimes they appeared to be adults.

"Here you go, mother," Leonie said, giving her mother the drink.

"Thank you, my dear. You should go and have fun. You deserve it. I'm just going to sit here for a bit and enjoy your games." Amitola said with a sad smile.

In the past, both her mother and father sat on the bench, watching her and Nald play games. Leonie was sure her mother missed her other half.

Knowing there was nothing else she could do, Leonie went to Rim and Nald. She was just in time to hear Nald finish his explanations. Rim's eyes were bright and excited.

"Let the games begin!" Rim told her.

"Rim is ready to start," Leonie informed Nald.

That was when they started running around as if they were chased by evil witches. The rules of the game were that the one who was caught by the others was out of the game. The last one left running was the winner.

There was a lot of laughing, screaming, and dodging. Although Nald was the youngest, he was also the fastest, so it was difficult for either to be caught. Nald had the speed, Leonie was cunning, and Rim had strength. It was an evenly matched game that ended without a winner when they all dropped on the grass exhausted.