4. Lila #2
As Noec’s tour went on, villagers went out of their way to express that Flora would be welcome among them. Noec implied that Heron had made quite sure they would.
Well, with one exception: Rachel.
Rachel was a man. He was a man of few words about as often as he was unconscious. And in Rachel’s mind, this was his village. He was the man who, in his own words, single-handedly kept the village afloat with his precious exports: delectable vegetables.
Speaking nonsensically to no one but himself, Rachel was carefully watering his crops when Noec tapped him on the shoulder.
Rachel let out a loud yelp and dropped his watering can as if it were on fire.
Flora erupted into a childish giggle as the odd man panicked, shears, gloves and bags of seeds falling from his pouch as he bent gracelessly to pick up the watering can.
“I’m so sorry, Rachel!” Noec said, scrambling to help.
“Of course you’re sorry, child,” Rachel grumbled in his shaky voice. Flora snorted, and Rachel decided very quickly that he did not appreciate her presence in his village. He glared at Flora with a twitch in his lip, then demanded, “Now, go create chaos elsewhere!”
“I’d try not to mind him, Flora,” Noec chuckled as they fled the scene. “My aunt says he’s really nice if you never talk to him.”
“If you don’t give that to me right now, I’m pulling you and the kids down here with me!”
The voice came from the quite unfortunate, quite water-logged gentleman wading in the stream. Crouched and ready to jump, he looked between where Perri and Sona stood and where Kestra stood on the opposite bank.
“Mom, throw it to me!” Perri yelled, flailing his arms with a hop. The sopping wet edition of Ross launched up out of the water, but just a tad too early. He splashed back down as the small crimson sack flew past, landing in Perri’s hand. Perri held it in the air and cheered victoriously.
“What’s in the bag?” Noec asked, stopping at the edge of the water.
“A necklace,” the man in the middle explained. “It was my grandfather’s, and it’s very delicate.”
“Here, here, chuck it to Florabelle!” Perri begged, ignoring his father as he plopped the bag in Sona’s hand.
She smiled and beckoned. “Ready?”
Panicked, Flora smacked the tiny bag up into the air twice before finally securing it in her grasp. Kestra clapped at her side, and Flora looked back at Sona nervously. Flora pitched the tiny red sack with all her might.
As if in slow motion, the children watched in horror as the father sprung from the water and caught the bag.
“Ha!” he laughed, holding it up high with one hand. “Finally,” Ross said with an exhale. He opened the small scarlet sack and took out a necklace with warm-colored beads accenting a sharp, swirling pendant. Sticking his tongue out like a child, he secured it around his neck.
Ross waded cautiously in the water, his eye contact with Kestra unbreaking. Kestra yelped as Ross splashed at her.
Noec stepped in front of Flora, sputtering as water splattered on his face.
“DO NOT SPLASH THE SLEEPWALKER!” Sona barked, but her father was already scrambling out of the water, cackling as he darted off toward the fields. Kestra ran after him first, and Perri followed close behind.
“After him!” Perri shouted, holding a branch in the air like a sword.
“You’ll never catch me!”
Flora grinned. “I like these people,” she said to Noec.
He watched along with her, water dripping from his hair as he chuckled, “Yeah. Me too.”
Sona tip-toed to their side of the water across a narrow plank. “Just checking in,” she said to Flora. “How are you?”
Flora met Sona’s kind and sisterly gaze, and she was suddenly overcome with emotion. Tears welled in her eyes.
“Oh, sweet thing…” Sona said, kneeling down and gently combing her fingers through Flora’s hair. She sank into Sona, letting out a sniffle.
Flora dreaded the teasing, the laughing she might face if she let herself look at Noec.
“Hey... hey…” To her surprise, his timid voice comforted her. “The scary stuff... it gets easier.”
“That’s right,” Sona agreed, pulling Flora’s face back to look at her.
“And I’ll read every textbook in the world to learn more about your...
situation. You come to me if you ever find yourself lost.” She brushed a lock of hair away from Flora’s eye.
“For now, just trust that we’ll keep you safe.
” She wrapped a graceful arm around Noec, her dark chocolate eyes warm but serious, and added, “We all will.” Sona patted Flora’s head before joining her family, leaving Noec and Flora alone.
Flora cleared her throat as she and Noec walked along the water, Noec watching worriedly as she sniffed back the stuffiness in her nose.
“Hey…” he started cautiously. Then with excitement, he said, “How fast do you think you can run to Old Zet’s store?” Noec pointed to the old man’s home just a ways ahead, where Marco pawed fearlessly at a flower in a yard nearby.
Flora looked up, not usually one for a challenge. But, if there was one thing in the whole wide world she could do, it was run.
“Red fence post,” he said. Noec took off ahead of her.
“Hey! No fair!”
Flora’s face lit up as her tears were replaced by a fervent determination.
She sprinted after Noec, pumping her arms and pushing her feet as fast as they would go.
The path twisted and turned, and Noec was just a few paces ahead, glancing back and laughing.
As they approached Old Zet’s store, Marco perked up at the commotion, abandoning his flower to join the race.
Noec put on a burst of speed, but Flora stayed right on his heels.
At the last second, she surged forward, touching the old fence post a split-second before he did.
She threw her hands up in triumph, breathing hard but beaming with pride.
“Wait!” Noec laughed, pretending to catch his breath. “I think Marco tried to trip me!”
Flora squatted down, cheeks flushed, and patted Marco on the head. “Good boy.”
“Yeah, well.” From the doorway, Old Zet raised a brow at something behind them and shrugged. “I had money on the rock hoarder.”
Noec and Flora looked back to see Aonia running toward them, waving in the distance.
“Is she here every day, too?” Flora asked.