"So why the sudden interest in whether you live or die?"
"Something reminded him of my mother," Liesel said softly. It was a long while before Kurt responded. Finally, she sighed, "I know he has been awful, but-"
"He almost let you starve!" Kurt blurted out. "And he would have if-" he stopped himself before he went on, but Liesel knew what he was going to say.
"I haven't forgotten about that," she said quietly. "I never will. But my mother is dead, Kurt. Isn't it understandable that I might want something with the one parent I have left?" She looked down at the ground. "My father will never be able to love me like my mother. He wants to love me though. Wouldn't you want that from your father?"
"I suppose," he mumbled. Liesel breathed a sigh of relief. She knew he would come around. He was too good not to. "But are you sure you're only going to this dance because he wants you to?" He finally looked up at her, no longer scowling, but not yet smiling either. She gave him the most reassuring smile she could.
"I promise." She laughed, "I told him no one will want to dance with me though. It's a waste of time."
"Look, are we going to do this or not?" Kurt grumbled.
"Do what?"
"I was going to show you how to preserve the vegetables, but if you're too excited about this dance-"
"Kurt!" Liesel finally grabbed her ribbon and tried to smack him on the head with its tail. "I will happily beat you to death with this ribbon if you don't let it go!"
"Alright! Alright!" he threw his hands up, and laughing, reached down for the large pan at his feet. "I brought some of the early stuff from our garden to show you how to cook them, even before I show you how to keep them. You probably didn't have all of these foods in your fancy city kitchens, so you need to know how they taste." Relieved and happy, Liesel spent the rest of the afternoon and evening watching her friend show off his unusual skills. She'd never heard of a boy that knew how to cook and preserve food. The city boys would have frowned upon that as womanly. But, she considered, Kurt was an unusual boy. As she was beginning to walk back towards her own home, Liesel turned one more time.
"Just so you know, when we have our adventure one day, we can go anywhere we want." She meant her words to be reassuring, but Kurt frowned just a little before nodding silently and turning to go. Liesel puzzled over this all the way home. For some questions, however, she decided, there were no easy answers. Kurt was full of mysteries. She would simply have to work harder at solving them.
8. STAY
The next evening, Liesel walked beside her father, trying desperately to look more composed than she felt. Wearing her mother's dress to this festival had been hard enough. It was like admitting all over again that she was dead. As long as the clothes had stayed in the trunk, it had seemed like they were simply waiting for their owner to return. Taking them out, washing them, and even fixing the moth holes hadn't been so bad. They had still smelled of Amala, a scent Liesel had spent hours breathing in before she'd washed them. Wearing them though, had been completely different. Her father had been right. She was finally tall enough. But wearing them was admitting that Amala was never coming home. And though Liesel had admitted it before, it killed her to do so again.
The idea of trying to catch a dancing partner on top of that was nearly too much. She'd almost feigned an illness to stay home, but when she saw the way her father looked at her in her mother's dress, she knew she couldn't. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, and a genuine, gentle smile lit his face.
"You look just like her, Leese. I always said that hair was a halo of its own." With that, he offered Liesel his arm and they left for an evening she knew was a huge mistake.
"You know your mum was the best dancer in the city," Warin's eyes were bright with the memory. Liesel couldn't help but be intrigued. "That's how we met. Her ribbon was pulled, and I got the first dance."
"She told me you met on Holy Day!" Warin's grin just grew, and he wriggled his brows mischievously.
"It's true that I first saw her then, comin' out of the church, but we didn't meet. Your grandfather took one look at me and took your mum straight home. He couldn't get rid of me that easy, though! From the moment I laid eyes on your mum, I knew I was going to marry that girl. You should have seen the look on his face when he saw me pull her ribbon at the dance!" Warin was laughing now, his big voice booming down the quiet road they walked. Liesel had to smile along with him. When he found something funny, which was highly unusual outside the tavern, Warin's laugh was catching.
"How did you manage to pull her ribbon?"
"I bribed the mayor."
"You what?" Liesel gasped. The ribbon dance wasn't by any means sacred to her, but she knew some couples who had wedded solely because of the ribbon dance. They believed the Maker had coupled them that way, and so it was meant to be. The Holy Man had preached against such superstition, but there were a good many families that still held the dance as much more than a festival tradition. Every town in the region had its own ribbon dance, according to Liesel's grandmother. That her father would interfere with something so important shouldn't have surprised her, but she'd thought even he had limits, but apparently not. Still, from the joy the memory had brought to his face, he believed it had been the right thing to do.
"Your mother was so lovely, Leese. Your grandmother had insisted on puttin' her hair up in some ridiculous curls before they arrived. Said it was only proper. But as the evenin' went on, and we danced into the night, the more her hair fell out of place until it floated around her. It was like seein' waves of golden wheat rollin' in the wind. We danced the whole time, and when it was all done, I tried to kiss her. She would have none of that though! Said I'd have to marry her before she let me steal any such sweetness from her.
"Bein' the young, wild man I was, I had nothin' to my name but the clothes on my back and the few coins I earned doing odd jobs here and there. Your mum changed all that. After that night, I found a blacksmith and hired myself out to him. I'd learned to smith from my own father back in my own county, and in a year, I'd married your mum. You came along not long after that." Liesel listened, spellbound, to the story she'd never heard a word about from her mother. Liesel supposed the way Amala and Warin had met was probably a bit embarrassing to her ever proper mother. Or perhaps, Liesel wondered, Amala had feared it would give Liesel the idea to follow in her footsteps. Whatever the reason had been, it would remain forever hidden now. Liesel turned to study her father as he walked beside her. His eyes were distant, and the smile he wore now was a sad one.
"Your mum was good to me, Leese. She brought me back when I strayed, and she always forgave me when I stumbled. You're a lot like her, girl. Don't you forget that."
"Thank you, Father," Liesel murmured. And she meant it. For all his faults, Warin had loved her mother faithfully.
The sound of an excited crowd pulled her from her reverie, and Liesel felt her heart quicken as they entered the town square. There had been a few people that had passed by them as they'd headed into town, three or four neighbors on the outskirts of Ward, but it seemed now the whole town was gathered around the stage that had been set up in the square. Mayor Odo was standing on it, along with Izaak and a few other dignitaries Liesel had seen here and there around town.
"Don't look so ghostly now," Warin gave her a small shove from behind. "Drop your ribbon in the bucket before they start to draw!" Liesel nodded and did as she was told, trying to ignore the terrified stare of the woman holding the bucket as Liesel dropped her ribbon in. Only then did it occur to her that she could have embroidered someone else's name on it. Then, even if her ribbon was picked, she would be saved from having to make a fool of herself before the entire village. But it was too late for that now, and her father was watching her with delight, so she dropped it in with a sigh. There were lots of other ribbons, she tried to comfort herself. Surely they wouldn't pick hers for Summer Maiden.
"Good evening," the mayor's voice boomed across the square, signaling the begi
nning of the ceremony. "Welcome to the Autumn Festival! I'm Mayor Odo, and for those of you visiting our town, I hope you find your stay here pleasant." Liesel wondered who he was talking to, as she recognized every face in the crowd from their Holy Day visits. That she was aware of, she and her father were the newest people there. The only less familiar faces she could see were some of the traders and merchants, and she recognized most of them immediately. One of them seemed to feel her gaze. When he turned his head to return her stare, she realized it was the peddler who had tried so hard to warn her. She gave him a hesitant smile, and he nodded. Just then, her father nudged her, moving her attention back to the mayor's speech. "I know most of you are familiar with our tradition of choosing our Summer Maiden. Each eligible young lady has brought her ribbon this evening. Whomever has her ribbon chosen first will be our Summer Maiden, and this year, she shall have the first dance with Landry Stu, winner of last week's archery contest." Landry walked up to the top of the stage. His eyes were hidden by the hair that drooped down his face, but his grin was wide and full of pride. "Are you ready, Landry?" The mayor pointed at the bucket Liesel had dropped her ribbon in. Reaching in, he pulled a ribbon out, Liesel couldn't see what his choice looked like. Landry handed the ribbon up to him, and the mayor began to read it out loud. He stopped immediately though, and much to Liesel's surprise, somehow managed to pale in the fading gray light of the forest evening. Liesel still couldn't see the ribbon he held, but she did hear him mutter to the young man,
"Pick another one."
"Hold on, now!" Warin shouted out, his voice indignant. "He pulled my daughter's ribbon! Why would you have him pull another?"
"Really, Father, it's-" Liesel tried to stop him, but Warin was already charging up to the stage. Before anyone could react, he'd snatched the blue ribbon from the mayor's hand and was waving it in front of the crowd.
"The rule is that the first ribbon pulled is the name of the first Summer Maiden, and that's my Liesel!" He looked around at the people, expecting their support. The sinking feeling in Liesel's stomach intensified when her father realized no one agreed with him. Instead, they simply stared, and the fear in the air was palpable.
Liesel had expected nothing different, but it was clear her father had. Long ago had she accepted her place as the town pariah, but Liesel could see the rage growing on Warin's face as he looked for support at all the people he had assumed were his friends. Turning back to the mayor, he held the ribbon up and shook it in Odo's face.
"My daughter was right about you people! You're all addled in the head, thinkin' somethin' like this is acceptable. I thought perhaps my wife's death was an accident, but I can see now that Liesel was right. There is evil in this town, and I won't stand for it! Come, Liesel! We're leavin’!" Murmurs arose as he stormed off the stage. Liesel nearly had to run to keep up with him as he stalked back towards the cottage.
Part of Liesel's heart felt giddy as they arrived home and Warin began throwing everything into piles.
"Where are we going?" Liesel was almost afraid to ask, terrified her father would change his mind. For a moment, he didn't seem to hear her. Finally, however, Warin's shoulders slumped and he came to a stop.
"We're goin’ back to Weit. No, rather, we're goin’ to your grandparents. I've done a fine job of makin’ you miserable here," he turned and looked at her, his eyes repentant. "You need a woman's touch to help you grow." Unable to hold herself back, Liesel flung herself at her father and wrapped her arms around him. She felt him hug her back, hesitantly at first, but then his grip tightened. "You're much wiser than your old man, Leese. Your mum would have been proud of you tonight." Liesel felt tears sting her own eyes as he pushed her back to look at her face. "And I don't mean just your beauty. You held yourself together with dignity, even when they tried to hurt you. I mean it. Your mum would be so proud." It took Liesel a moment to recover her voice.
"So when are we going?"
"Tonight." As he spoke, however, a wolf's howl sounded in the distance. It made Liesel shiver, and even seemed to chill Warin a bit. "Although I suppose it wouldn't hurt to wait until the mornin'. We'll get a bit of rest tonight, instead." Liesel nodded emphatically before continuing to help him pack the few dishes they had in the cupboards.
As they worked, Liesel couldn't help but feel torn. It was awful to think that she could be second-guessing their decision to leave, but something nagged at her. Kurt's face continued to entertain her mind as she worked. If they had been leaving like this the year before, Liesel would simply have felt as if she was leaving a friend. But Kurt was more than a friend. He had kept her alive for an entire winter, breaking his father's sacred rules to do so. He'd promised to keep her safe when no one else would. He'd stirred up feelings within her that she'd never felt for a boy, the ones her mother had warned her about. Kurt had become her whole world. It would be incredibly wrong, she decided, to leave without at least saying goodbye. And reminding him of the promise he'd made.
Since they were leaving in the morning, she decided, she could sneak out early and meet him at the waterfall. He usually didn't arrive that early, but if he didn't make it in time, perhaps she could leave him a letter explaining what had happened.
After Warin finally went to bed, Liesel took a quill, ink, and a piece of parchment from her bag. She rarely used the writing materials, as they were nearly impossible to afford, but such an occasion merited a whole book, she decided. As neatly as she could, Liesel related to Kurt all that had happened. As she wrote, she thanked the Maker again and again that Kurt could read. In her letter, she promised that she would still keep her side of the bargain, that she would meet him when they were older, that they would still explore the world together. She wouldn't forget, and she was going to be holding him to his promise not to forget either. It seemed so strange, she mused to herself, that she could feel any sort of sadness about leaving the woods. She'd wanted nothing more than to return to her grandparents since they'd arrived. In the time that they'd lived in Ward, she'd lost her mother, been ostracized, and nearly starved. And yet, a piece of her mourned leaving this boy behind. Through it all, he had been there. Simply leaving without saying farewell in person seemed so wrong. And yet, she sighed, what else could she do? Warin's mind was made up. They were leaving at first light. He was determined to be out of the forest by the first night, and to do that, they would need to ride steadily. There would only be time to rest the horse.
Liesel had nearly nodded off with exhaustion by the time she sealed the letter with wax. Getting into her little mattress for the last time, she smiled as she rested. In just two nights' time, she would be laying on her bed at her grandparents' house. Never would she take the feeling of safety in their home for granted again.
***
Liesel didn't even realize she'd fallen asleep when the door creaked open. The events of the evening had taxed her more than she'd expected. Rolling over, she decided to let her father start loading the bags into the cart without her. She wasn't strong enough to lift most of them anyways. She awakened fully, however, when she heard a strange guttural sound from Warin's bed. When she opened her eyes, she nearly fainted.
A large wolf was standing over her father's body, blood dripping from its black muzzle. Warin's face was ashen, and he wasn't breathing. The wolf stared at her for a long moment, and like the first wolf, its eyes were hauntingly human. Even worse than that, they were familiar, although Liesel had no idea where she had seem them before. But it didn't matter. Instead of the paralyzing fear Liesel had felt the first time, Liesel felt rage fill her veins and pump through her heart. She nearly invited it to try and come at her. Instead of attacking, however, the wolf finally turned and simply ran back through the door. In an instant, Liesel was out of the bed and had her father's crossbow in her hands. Because of the cold, Liesel had taken to sleeping in her shoes, and was morbidly grateful for this tonight as she plunged into the darkness.
The foolishness of trying to hunt a wolf in the night evaded Liesel a
s she sprinted after the beast. It didn't matter either that she was terrible with the crossbow. Her grandfather had only given her a few lessons on the vineyard before Warin's surprise move to Ward. Still, she tried to load the bolt as she ran. Thanks to her time with Kurt in the forest, Liesel had become better at navigating the brambles and stumps that tended to trip one on the forest floor. Still, it wasn't long before Liesel could no longer hear the sound of the wolf as it ran, and was forced to stop.
"Are you afraid?" She screamed into the night. "Are you too cowardly to come and finish the job?" Sobs began to escape from her chest in gasps as she tried to shout, the lifeless form of her father filling her mind once more. Without a plan, she started to run again, but a pair of strong hands caught her and held her tightly as she thrashed, trying to escape.
"I have to find it!" She sobbed to whomever held her. "I have to kill the wolf!"
"No, Liesel!" Kurt's voice was cautious but controlled. "You'll just get yourself hurt."
"But he killed my father!" She cried. She quit fighting him, however, the long run making her suddenly lightheaded.
"I know," he whispered into her hair, his voice strained. "I know." Liesel no longer had the strength to run, or even stand, or even wonder how Kurt already knew. Instead, she collapsed into the young man's arms. She felt dead inside. Just when she had dared to hope that her life was turning around, that she was getting her family back once more, her hopes had been dashed to pieces. As terrible a father as Warin had been, she had loved him, and he had loved her. There was no reason that this injustice should have happened. None of it made sense. Kurt had been right, she thought morosely. A dark magic lay over the forest. Nothing but evil had befallen her family since they'd arrived. Liesel clung to Kurt's shirt as he tried to comfort her. She didn't care that she was half sitting in the dirt, or that she was in the middle of a forest at night. All she knew was that Kurt was holding her together, every little broken, bitter piece that was left of her soul. She could do nothing but hold on tightly and cry.
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