These will be her first cowberries in years. Is wanting to let her have as much fun as possible too overbearing of me? Belgrieve wondered.
“It’s a good time to head back.”
Belgrieve took another sip of water and gazed up into the untamed blue. In the distance, he saw a kite swooping down sharply upon some unsuspecting prey.
○
The newly paved roads definitely made it far easier to travel. The distance they were traveling was hard to gauge until they reached the craggy, as-yet unimproved roads on the way to Turnera. Compared to the level roads they had been enjoying riding on until now, which were smooth enough for a passenger to enjoy an afternoon nap, the carriage rocked so much it was hard to ever relax.
Work on the road had been conducted simultaneously from both Rodina and Turnera. In between these two projects was an untamed span of road, where sleeping was the least of their worries. If they tried to speak, the carriage could suddenly lurch and cause them to bite their tongues, so everyone kept their utterances to a minimum. But it didn’t last for too long, and soon they were riding comfortably once again on the stretch of road being constructed from Turnera.
Are any of my friends part of the construction team? Angeline wondered. It was a busy season, so it was likely all of them had returned home to help out early in the fall.
In any case, Turnera was near. They’d left Rodina in the early morning with the expectation that they would arrive before noon. When they’d stayed at Rodina’s inn the night before, Angeline had been so excited that she hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep, and dawn had come even as she was still tossing and turning in bed. The soft rocking of the wagon lulled her into an inadvertent sleep until she was patted on the shoulder, jolting her awake again.
“Huh?!”
“Whoa!” Miriam was startled. “W-Was it that surprising?”
“Did I...nod off?” Angeline asked.
Anessa smiled. “You were pretty soundly asleep, with a happy look on your face.”
“Ugh...” Angeline bashfully scratched her head.
Marguerite, who had been gazing out the window, turned to her. “We’re almost there. Look—the forest’s completely turned red.”
Angeline peered over Marguerite’s shoulder out the window. Fall grass swayed all over the rolling hills along the gently sloping road. The distant peaks above the crimson tree canopy glistened in the sunlight, reflecting the blue color of the sky above. The nostalgic sight and scent of chimney smoke greeted her.
Angeline gently pinched her own cheek. “I’m home...”
Just seeing the scenery of her homeland was enough to fill her with joy. She had only been away for half a year, but she was so happy she didn’t know what to do with herself. She was amazed she had managed to hold out for five years before that.
Even when Angeline returned to her seat, she was so restless she felt she might burst out of the carriage at any time, but they still had a little ways to go. She consoled herself for the time being by hugging Miriam. The girl was soft and, conveniently, sitting right next to her.
“Eep,” Miriam groaned. “What are you doing?”
“Heh heh heh...” Angeline buried her face in Miriam’s softness and nuzzled. Miriam writhed ticklishly, but Angeline had a firm hold on her and wasn’t about to let her get away.
“Quit it!”
“Stay still...”
Anessa sighed. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Marguerite and Helvetica laughed at their antics.
“It’s not Merry you want to indulge you though, right?”
“I’m not trying to be indulged...” I’m trying to contain my urge to run off, she wanted to say, but she was too overcome to be articulate, and after stumbling over her words, she gave up and grabbed Miriam again.
“Eep!”
“So soft...”
Their grappling went on until Sasha peered in through the window. She had wanted to ride a horse today, so she had taken the lead on horseback since they’d left Rodina in the morning.
“Ange! We’re almost there!”
“I know. I’m happy.”
“Sasha, could you go on ahead and inform Seren we’re arriving?”
“Understood, sis!” Sasha called out before galloping off down the road.
Angeline released Miriam and pouted. “So unfair... All those people who can ride horses are cheating.”
Helvetica seemed surprised. “Oh, are you not good at riding, Ange?”
Angeline nodded. “I’m just kinda...bad at it.”
“Hee hee... So even you have some flaws.”
“This girl is nothing but flaws,” Marguerite teased, poking Angeline in the cheek.
Angeline grabbed her wrist and tugged. Because Marguerite was already off-balance, she was easily captured and held in Miriam’s stead, struggling to resist. “Stop!”
“Cheeky Maggie. Take this, and this!”
“Agh!”
Angeline tickled her all over. No matter how much Marguerite kicked and flailed, she couldn’t escape Angeline.
“This is bad,” Anessa muttered. “She’s going mad from joy.”
The carriage trundled onward even as they tussled, and eventually it passed through the village gates. Angeline knew there were nomad troubadours in the square because she could already hear their joyful tunes.
Helvetica peered out at the teeming crowds. “Oh dear, has the festival started already?”
“No, not yet... A lot of people arrive before the festival. Even more, I’d wager, now that the roads have been improved,” Angeline explained. She was still restless, but she released Marguerite. Finally freed, the elf straightened out her disheveled clothing and caught her breath.
The carriage rode on into the town square, where it began to slow down. From outside, they could hear somebody loudly call out, “Lady Helvetica is here!”
Angeline couldn’t wait any longer. Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, she opened the door and jumped out, causing the eyes of onlookers to widen.
“Huh? It’s a Bordeaux carriage, but Ange came out!”
“She’s always flashy.”
“Welcome back, Ange.”
Familiar faces greeted her in turn. “I’m back!” Angeline exclaimed, waving her hands and looking around. Since the peddlers had set up shop, she thought she might have seen someone from her family, but none of them were around.
“You’re so impatient. Settle down a bit,” Anessa chided her as she got down from the carriage and smacked Angeline on the back of her head.
Angeline turned around, biting her lip. “I mean...”
“I know. I get that you’re happy.”
“Ms. Angeline!” the blue-haired peddler called out, rushing over to greet them.
“Oh!” Angeline grasped the woman’s outstretched hand. “It’s been a while... Have you been well?”
“Yes, thanks to you! I must have just missed you—I arrived only yesterday, myself.”
“Huh, so you did...? Did you see dad?”
“I did, yesterday. I haven’t seen him around today though.”
“I see...” Angeline glanced at the woman’s stall. “Um... I’ll take a good look at what you have later.”
The peddler nodded, a bright smile on her face. “Of course. I’ll be waiting!”
Yakumo and Lucille climbed down from their carriage, followed shortly by a haggard-looking Ishmael. Lucille’s drooping dog ears flapped around as she strummed her instrument.
“Oh, it’s a fiesta! Let the good times roll!”
“This is as good a place as any to disembark. I was just feeling hungry... Hey, Ange, how about we find something to eat here?” Yakumo suggested.
“I’m fine... I’ll eat at home.”
“Oh? I see. Very well, I’ll buy something before I stop by.”