The Lady's Maid

Chapter 24: Midnight Stroll

A shadow snuck across the creaking ground when Felux opened his eyes. It was late night, maybe early morning. He got up just as a figure quietly exited out the front door. Felux pulled on his boots and followed.

Tilda had just taken a deep breath of cool night air when she heard the crunch of dirt behind her.

Felux asked, "Something on yer mind?"

Tilda looked up at the brilliant night sky and shrugged. She said, "I-"

A loud snore erupted from the walls of the cottage. Tilda almost laughed at her father's indication of deep sleep.

She asked, "Would you like to go for a walk?"

Felux agreed and the two took the old road. They walked along in silence for a distance, listening to the rustling trees and the hoot of a far off owl. Their methodic footsteps broke the spell of solidarity the night tried to cast.

After some time, Felux finally asked, "You upset about earlier? With the priest?"

Tilda said, "Nah. Well, not particularly."

"Yer family doesn't seem to hold strong ties to the church, I've noticed."

"That's an understatement."

Felux asked, "He was a friend?"

Tilda stopped in front of a large smooth stone and said, "He was my sister's age."

"Valka?" Felux guessed. Valka, Felux learned, was younger than Tilda but older than Beniter and there was a fairly big age gap between Tilda and Valka. Her reputation, however, was being known all over as the village flirt.

"No," Tilda said, "Her name was Anra."

Felux paused and asked, "Have I met her?"

Tilda gestured to the large smooth stone and said, "She's right here. Buried six feet under."

"Oh," Felux said quietly.

The rock was a tombstone.

Tilda continued, "The church wouldn't even let us bury her in the churchyard. She was 'unclean', 'unholy'." She clenched her fist.

Felux noticed shimmering water not far from them. He could imagine kids playing in the water. He said, "We'd been here earlier."

"Yeah. This is the watering hole."

Felux remembered earlier when they were sitting, talking next to this rock, this grave.

He asked, "How'd she... if I can ask. What happened?"

Tilda sat down in her usual spot and Felux sat beside her.

She said, "I'll tell you because I trust you." And she began her tale:

༻✧༺

"I was eleven and Anra was seven. We did everything together. One night we went into the forest to look for fairy circles, we'd heard some rumor about it and were curious."

"They have magical powers," An eleven year old Tilda had said.

Anara replied, "I hope they glow."

The two girls wore flower crowns on their heads and were giddy with anticipation, but as time went on, the forest turned dark.

Tilda said, "Hey Anra, I think we're lost."

Anra nodded with trembling hands, she said, "Maybe we should split up."

Tilda lightened and said, "We could cover more ground that way." It seemed like a smart idea. Whoever found home first would come back to tell the other one.