They all helped bring in their bags even as they were reconnecting. It had only been half a year, but that time frame was dense with various happenings, and there was no dearth of subjects to talk about. The main problem became where to begin.
Elated by her homecoming, Angeline flitted about almost like her feet weren’t touching the ground. She even embraced Byaku as he returned from the field, earning a nasty scowl from him. Eventually, lunchtime came around, and Kasim and Percival returned from their fishing trip. They were soon joined by the children who had gone to tend to the sheep, and the house was immediately filled with energy. Angeline gushed over what she was looking forward to doing during their stay, and without missing a beat, she pulled Charlotte, Mit, and the twins into hugs. She was simply overwhelmed by joy.
Hal and Mal squealed delightedly in her embrace.
“Ange’s so strong!”
“Amazing!”
“Heh heh, behold my big-sister power...”
“Still, Bell just had to be up the mountain, huh?” Marguerite said. “It’s rare for him to go alone.”
“He’s been holed up with guild work lately,” said Kasim. “Maybe he just needs to work off some pent-up frustration?”
Kasim nodded. “I’ll bet. I’m sure he needs a breather now and then.”
“Boys...” Satie scolded. “If you think it’s that serious, why not lend him a hand once in a while?”
The two men shamefacedly averted their eyes.
For the first time in a while, all of them sat at a table among friends who could keep up with each other’s energy. Even if the meal hadn’t been prepared by Angeline’s father, anything tasted delicious to Angeline when she was eating it at home. Oddly enough, the food Satie made would often resemble Belgrieve’s cooking in its seasoning. When Angeline pointed that out, her mother smiled and scratched her cheek.
“Well, Bell was the one who taught me how to cook, initially... And we’ve been living together for a while. I guess you can say he’s had an effect on me.”
Percival and Kasim grinned.
“Sure, he taught you... But back then, the stuff you made couldn’t even be called food.”
“You just boiled it all without stirring, so the stew was always burnt, and when you served it, you scraped up the bottom, so the nasty charred bits just floated around with all the good stuff.”
“Hey, why do you jerks remember that so clearly?!”
Amidst this banter, Yakumo and Lucille made their appearance.
“Pardon the intrusion. What’s this? Already back in the swing of things?”
“You’re here too?” Percival seemed surprised to see them, but he didn’t skip a beat and continued slicing bread to pass around the table.
Yakumo smiled wryly as she found a nearby chair. “Ange coaxed us. Good grief, I didn’t think I’d be back here so soon...”
“Heh heh heh... That’s fate at work. Are you hungry?”
“You could say that. We already bought some things before we got here though.”
“This is very good stuff...” Lucille held out a fillet of roasted pork wrapped in paper. Its aroma wafted through the kitchen.
Mit and the twins cheered. Even if they had a meal to look forward to, children did love meat.
Miriam cocked her head. “What about Mr. Ishmael?”
“He went off to talk with a peddler. I told him how to get here, so I think he’ll be by sooner or later.”
Turnera was not a large village. Belgrieve’s house was a bit off the beaten path, but that also meant there was nothing around it, and it was hard to miss.
The conversation turned to their respective memories and travels over the past year. Once their bellies were full, they all helped clean the table and went their separate ways. Sasha had begged Graham for a bout, so he left for the village square with his greatsword; Mit, Charlotte, and the twins followed after him. Kasim headed for the guild hall’s construction site to help move heavy lumber with his magic. Yakumo and Lucille wanted to have a look at that and joined him. Meanwhile, Miriam lay supine on the floor, holding a cushion in her arms, Anessa tended to her bow, Percival and Marguerite sat with a checkerboard in between them, and Byaku returned to weaving a basket that had been left half-finished.
Angeline was looking forward to Belgrieve’s return so much that she didn’t want to leave the house, but her enthusiasm was also starting to drain her. Sitting around left her feeling drowsy, but if she fell asleep now, she’d miss her chance to tell him, “I’m home.” So she shook her head and went out to get some fresh air. Leaning against the fence in the yard, she gazed absently out at the rows of houses.
The sun had dipped just a little bit, and the sunlight was losing a bit of its warmth. The light cast on the mountain was beginning to be tinged with red. Thin clouds gradually rolled in from the north, and now it was like a thin veil had been cast over the blue sky. She could see even darker clouds farther north. Those clouds were making their way over, and slowly, the veil grew thicker and loomed heavily overhead. The wind was damp and cold; it felt like rain was ahead. At this time of year, a good rainstorm would bring down all the leaves from the trees, Angeline thought.
Satie dashed out into the yard. “The weather’s taking a turn. Ange, help me take in the laundry.”
“Yes, mom.” Theirs was a large family, so there was plenty to bring in. As she raced along the clotheslines, Anessa and Miriam came out of the house to help, while Byaku raced out back to retrieve the farming implements he had left out.
“Agh, the wind’s so cold,” Miriam said as she stuffed a pile of laundry into a basket, which Anessa then picked up.
“It’ll get pretty nasty outside... Everyone should be on their way back now.”
The town square had gone quiet. The minstrels of the wandering folk had stopped playing their songs as the wind chilled their hands. Angeline anxiously prayed that it would warm up again in time for the autumn festival.
As Angeline frantically brought in the laundry as well as vegetables that had been set out to dry, she could hear somebody coming up the road behind her.
“What a nice household. I can feel the kindness and warmth.”
Angeline turned with a start. There was Ishmael, his scruffy hair tossing in the breeze.
“Mr. Ishmael?”
“A guest?” Satie asked, her hands momentarily stopping.
“Yes, this is Mr. Ishmael. We fought alongside him at the Earth Navel, and he guided us to the capital from there.”
Ishmael politely bowed his head. “It’s a pleasure. I’ve heard all about you from Angeline.”
“The pleasure is all mine. It seems you’ve looked after our Ange. Thank you,” Satie said, though she had a somewhat perturbed expression on her face.
“What’s wrong, mom?”
“It’s nothing...” Satie glanced down at Ishmael’s bag and cocked her head. “Um, did you bring some enchanted tools with you?”
“Huh? Oh yes, I am a magician after all. I always have some on my person. For instance, this here...” Ishmael reached into his bag to pull something out. He was clutching an apple branch with fresh leaves still growing on it.