Toxophilite

III

The sunlight poured through the open windows filling the little cottage with light and warmth.

Spreading to all dark corners as they welcomed it into their space.

She stood over the large pot stirring her stew with nicely cut pieces of the red deer she had caught the other day, filled with fresh vegetables from her plot of land outside such as: english potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, squash and a few ears of corn.

The thick stew bubbled and sizzled adding a different sound to the morning air and as the time ebbed away the sweet smelling aroma filled the atmosphere as it wafted around.

The fumes rolling in the light.

With another turn of the wooden spoon she took the board of finely chopped: organic rosemary, turmeric, onions and additional spices and gradually added them to the mix while simultaneously flicking her spoon held hand as she churned the stew together.

Taking the cover she capped the pot off and placed the wooden spoon on the plate to her right before the remnants began to drip onto the floor.

After straightening the plate and putting the discarded vegetable skins into her plant pot and saving some for her garden she turned to the boy.

The still sleeping Rin lay huddled in the covers seemingly trying to absorb all the warmth they emitted as he lay peacefully hair slightly disheveled from turning during the night.

A gust of wind from the window rushed in and danced in his soft curls carrying strands all around and then leaving, allowing them to softly fall back down again until another gust came.

As time passed he began to stir as the smell of the simmering stew pulled him from his sleep induced state.

She tilted her head a little to the right as she watched him awaken from her place at the pot.

He rose a bit comforter sliding down from it's snug place around his shoulders allowing the morning air to rush in.

His eyes fluttered a bit drifting open and shut as he brought his hands up to rub his eyes in effect clearing the dust that had formed while sleep reigned over him.

After he was situated in a sitting position his hands glided down to meet his lap in an embrace.

He looked around at his surroundings eyes going over the little library filled with a variety of books both old and new from classics to much more modern ones, his eyes lingered on the Maximum Ride series she had neatly lined up on the third shelf for a few seconds then directly over to the hammock she had occupied the night before watching it sway soundlessly in the breeze and finally to the little kitchen where she resided.

His eyes caught her already watchful ones and just as they did he became flustered allowing them to drop to his hands as his face began to light up under her amber gaze.

His pale pink lips moved in order to convey words.

"You're weird you know."

Her eyebrows rose the slightest bit at his words as she found him finding great interest now in the palmar flexion creases on the palms of his hands as he traced the pale lines up and then down in a rhythmic motion.

Tilting her head a bit she hummed audibly.

"I'm curious tell me how so."

He peeked up at her for a couple seconds before looking back down as he interlocked and unlocked his long fingers.

"You stare alot is all."

She already knew what he meant as she'd always been the observant type never feeling the need to talk much only watch but for some reason she didn't mind talking to him, although she was rather intrigued by him and sometimes she didn't even notice she'd been staring.