Edie

Edie

SasatheShy

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Chapter Twenty-Six: Unexpected Decisions

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It was late afternoon. Snow covered the grounds of the woods surrounding Forter. Only the sounds of few birds, and the howling wind echoed all over. Many prints of animals traced the snow, making it easier for four skilled hunters to track their prey.

Lavan led his team forward. He kept low to the ground, moving swiftly, yet silently as he and the others followed fresh tracks made by a herd of deer. They knew the tracks had just recently been printed, for another special something had been left behind to follow and examine. Deer droppings. Lavan could just glimpse at a single droplet to see when it was passed.

Turning his head, he motioned the others to keep low. They drew close to a large rock accompanied by moss. The rock had only a little bit of snow left on its sandy, rough surface. The rest of the snow was melting away, and dripping to the forest floor beneath the rock. And there, just beyond the rock, grazed two young does.

The team stayed hidden in some tall grass. Readying his bow, Lavan turned to Roddy. The two gave each other quick nods before taking aim. Pip nor Blythe could take the shot -- neither were crouched in a good enough position to take a clear shot.

Quietly, Lavan put his bow out in front of him, aligning the arrow just right. He pulled it back, keeping all his focus on the two does. He aimed for the hungry mammal closest to him, knowing that Roddy would be aiming for the opposite one. In seconds, each man released their arrows.

Two clean shots had been made. The two does’ squealed out as the arrows pierced their skin. They wobbled and tried to run, but soon two other arrows fired at them, bringing them down.

Hearing the squealing made Blythe shudder. She always hated that the animals suffered, but she knew her village needed the meat to survive. She stood back, holding the bows as the men carved and packaged the deer into the heavy sacks.

“It feels colder,” she suddenly said, causing the three men to eye her.

“Yeah…” drifted Lavan. He stared up at the sky. It was becoming gray and gloomy. “Looks like it could start snowing again.”

“Shit,” grumbled Roddy. He stretched his back. “Just what we need.”

“Let’s find a good place to set up camp,” Pip suggested. “And build a fire.”

With this agreed, the four started hiking across the rocky floor. They soon settled in a small opening. They gathered kindle and wood, and built a fire. They gathered around it, and Roddy prepared a small rabbit to make some stew.

“This is nice,” Pip said suddenly. He turned his attention on Lavan, smiling. “We’re glad you decided to join us.”

“Very,” smiled Blythe.

Chuckling, Lavan eyed the flying sparks. He lifted his gaze on the deep smoke hovering over the campfire. “It is nice.”

There was a second of silence. Lavan could feel his companions’ eyes glued to him. He slowly looked from one to the other, confused. He raised a brow. He knew what this was about, even with them being quiet. He sighed. “Do I have something on my face?”

“Lavan,” Blythe started. “We have to talk.”

“I know.”

“We want to go home.”

“Yes, I know…”

“Lavan,” growled Roddy. “Just fucking listen! We’ve been here for weeks! For fucking weeks! We’ve got plenty of kill for the village. We have to go back!”

“Roddy,” Blythe sighed. “Calm down.”

“How can I calm down when he’s -- not even listening to a damn word I’m saying!”

Shaking his head, Lavan glared over at Roddy. “I am listening.”

“Look,” Pip then said. “We know you care deeply for Edie. And we’re all happy for you. But we want to go home, we need to go home. They‘re all counting on us.”

Groaning, Lavan looked down. He grasped his head, and pulled his hair back. His agitation showed brightly. “I know! I -- I know…” He looked back up at them. He saw that they were doing their best to hide their anger. Well, Pip and Blythe were, at least. Roddy was already bursting like a volcano. “Can’t we come to a compromise?”

“Compromise?’ laughed Roddy. “Lavan, we’ve already stuck with you this far! We’re sick of it! Why the hell should we -- give you anymore time? If you want to ask Edie to join us, then fucking do it already!” He received a startled expression from his comrade, but this only made him shake his head. “Come on, Lavan. We all know you want to.”

“It’s pretty obvious that you love her,” smiled Blythe. She made Lavan turn bright red.

“And is that a problem?” he grumbled.

Blythe sighed. She shook her head. She was starting to become annoyed with her friend’s snappish, childish attitude. “No, Lavan. We all think it’s great. Like we’ve said over and over, we’re happy for you.”

Nodding his head, Lavan drew circles in the dirt. He knew they wanted to leave. And they weren’t the only ones! He, too, wanted to return home to Naltin. It was there waiting for them, filled with hungry villagers. Elderly, men, women, and children. He could not let them down. But he loved Edie to death. He wanted her to be at his side when he arrived back in Naltin. He wanted to introduce her to his friends there, and see their curiousness. He wanted to see their faces beam.

It was true that he wanted them all to be happy. However, he wanted Edie to be the happiest. He blushed as he thought this. He looked down at his dirty hands, imagining what it’d be like to have a matching set of rings, one for him, and one for Edie. The thought of asking her to marry him caused him to shiver.

“You okay?” he heard Blythe ask. He stared up at her, seeing that she seemed the most concerned.

“I’m fine,” he answered.

The rabbit stew was heating up over the fire. It soon came to a boil. The four friends passed around wooden bowls. Roddy served Blythe, first. She blew on her stew and sipped on it as the three men helped themselves. They ate in silence, enjoying the sounds of the forests. They heard birds singing, crickets chirping, and even some coyotes howling.

Come later, the four made their beds for the night. Pip watched Roddy lie down with Blythe on the other side of the camp. He looked to his left, then, noticing Lavan was looking out through the thick woods.

“Are you okay?” he whispered. His question made Lavan jump. “S -- sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Lavan said. He fixed himself into his woolen blankets. He sighed as he leaned back. “I was just -- thinking a crazy thought.”

“And what’s that?” asked Pip, knowing he just had to ask. He eyed his friend, seeing a hint of a smile trying to form. “Lavan?”

“I think -- I’m going to ask Edie to marry me,” he said proudly.

“Really?” gasped Blythe from opposite of them. She quickly sat up, making Roddy groan arrogantly. “Are you serious?”

The smile finally spread over Lavan’s lips. He nodded at Blythe. “Mm hmm… I know I want to. I’ll ask her to marry me, and then we can all go back to Naltin together.”

“Fantastic,” cheered Blythe. She giggled. She hugged Roddy, who had sat up, too. He was tired, though, and about ready to glare daggers at Lavan.

“But --” Lavan then began. He bit his bottom lip, and looked down. “But what if she says no?”

“Why would she say no?” asked Pip.

“One word,” Lavan frowned. “Cain.”

His friends thought about that. They weren’t sure what to say, nor how to react. Pip brought his covers over his body as Roddy scratched the back of his head. Blythe was the first to respond. She started by smiling. Then, she gave Lavan a reassuring reply.

“She doesn‘t love him, Lavan. She loves you. We can all tell. I think when you ask her, she’s going to be very thrilled.”

For a reason unexplainable, Blythe’s words had been soothing to hear. Lavan sighed, and he nodded at her. “Thank you. You’re -- you’re right.”

“Great,” yawned Roddy. “Now, let’s get some sleep.” He laid down, hitting his head against the hard, cold ground. This did not bother him, and it made his friends laugh.

Blythe laid down with Roddy. Pip turned his head. He smiled at Lavan. “You shouldn’t worry. She will say yes. Nothing will go wrong.”

As Pip laid down, as well, Lavan stayed sitting for a second. He looked up at the sky. The clouds started to move away, showing the sparkling stars. He smiled, remembering comparing Edie to the stars, once. She used to be so mysterious. But now -- now, she was everything.

“Right,” he whispered as he, too, readied for bed. He smiled as he closed his eyes. “I have nothing to worry about.”

--

Edie stood before her mirror. She stared back at her nervous, lovely reflection while fixing her hair back in an elegant ponytail. She kept her eyes focused forward, taking in what she was wearing. A dress colored deep blue clung to her skin. It was loose enough for her to breathe, yet tight enough to make her appear beautiful. White lace decorate the collar and sleeve rims. She wore a new pair of boots, courtesy of Leigh. But these boots actually fit Edie, allowing her toes to breathe.

She was ready.

Slowly, she turned her head. Her eyes made contact with the dying bouquet of flowers on her dresser. Their smell was starting to fade. Edie knew that she’d have to dispose of them soon.

There was a knock at her door, then. She looked back into the mirror.

“Come in,” she called.

The door opened. In walked Tonisha. She was dressed in her usual purple dress. There was open service, that night. But the kitchen was closed. And for a reason.

Tonisha took a few steps forward, acting hazily. She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked in a whisper, sounding worried.

Edie licked at her lips. She tasted saltiness. She knew that she was sweating. She’s been doing so since she woke up that morning. She kept her eyes on her mirror. She looked her dress over one final time. “Yes.”

“Well, I can’t stop you.” Tonisha stood next to Edie. She smiled at Edie’s reflection. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Edie said calmly. She turned her body, facing Tonisha. “I have butterflies.”

Smiling, Tonisha took Edie’s hand. She rubbed it gingerly. “That could be a good sign.”

Edie looked up at Tonisha. “I just -- feel like I owe him a single dinner. He did -- help Amana.”

“That’s true,” Tonisha sighed. “As strange as he’s been acting -- I suppose. Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you?”

“No.” Edie shook her head. She smiled. “I rather walk by myself.”

“Well --” Tonisha nodded. “Just -- be careful out there, okay? There are a lot of weirdoes. Even more so than Cain.”

Such a comment made Edie giggle. She gently hugged Tonisha. “I will be.” She held Tonisha, then, for a few seconds. She was glad for Tonisha’s motherly support. “Tonisha?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

Blinking, Tonisha pulled a bit away in order to stare down at Edie. “For what?”

Edie smiled. “For -- everything.”

Feeling overwhelmed, Tonisha stuttered a gasp. She finished hugging Edie. “You should get going. I’ll expect him to bring you back late -- like last time.”

“Yeah,” Edie agreed. She grabbed a nice blue shawl and wrapped it over her shoulders. She walked alongside the woman she admired as they left her bedroom.

Her butterflies had suddenly vanished.