laneys.info Beware of Yankees, drunks, and loose women.

The distant rumble of the river coupled with the birds singing as they flitted high above within the oak, birch and hickory carried him back through the Black Mountains and the endless days of riding and fighting. He was amazed at how much he had seen in such a short span of time as his blue eyes scanned down to the kaleidoscope of colors that graced the garden which fronted Abbott and Sonja's home - the hillside that he now sat on. Bees glided between each, tending to their own garden and distributing seed.
Footsteps quietly crunched in the grass behind and to the left of him, prompting his blue eyes to gaze to the wide spot of sunlight and two heads joined to a lumpy silhouette. He turned to see the tiny twins, both with curly brown hair and big brown eyes as the pair straightened.

"I told you," the girl stated, glaring at her brother.

"You were closer," he shot back.

"Yes," Alex interrupted. "But, now what do I do with you," he grinned as he slowly turned towards them, eyes wide as they backed. "Ahhh," he yelled as he lurched towards them as they both screamed and tried to run. Longer than their strides, his arms caught both as he scooped them up and laughed as they finally calmed down, eyes wide as their short, pudgy arms tried to push him away. Soon, they laughed along with him as he sat down and perched them on each thigh.

"What's your name," the boy asked.

"Alexander, what's yours?"

"Easel, this is my sister, Eanna," he motioned and Alex noted the enamored girl whose arms twisted in a knot as she smiled at him.

"Hello," Alex greeted, noticing the white, perfect teeth which reminded him of the Lady immediately.

"Do you have a girlfriend," she asked.

His smile melted as the fun became uncomfortable. "No. Templar are dedicated to Arhus which keeps them from being married."

Eanna's smile faded. "How come?"

Clearing his throat, "Well, we give ourselves to keeping innocent people safe from evil men, outlaws and monsters. That keeps us busy all the time and if we don't do it, who will?"

"You're a knight," Easel asked, his eyes wide.

"Not yet. I'm a squire." His thoughts flashed to the battle that he had been a part of and he wondered how it had ended.

"You wanna see the town," Easel asked as he jumped up.

"Yeah, come on," Eanna grabbed his hand and nearly yanked his arm out of its socket as she pulled. He rose and followed them passed other gardens clumped within fenced yards that all threatened to burst from their wooden containment. Below the road, terraced farmland was now empty as winter was setting in and ended as the road descended with the contours of the foothills, cut by a long waterfall that fell at certain points over dark grey rocks. Passing over a stone bridge, they entered a busy marketplace where he noticed locals in equally colorful dresses and clothing shop among stalls that fronted eight larger buildings, their thatch rooves tanned in the noonday sun. Pigs, chickens and rabbits were bartered alongside goats and mules and all eyes gazed to him, then smiled at his tour guides who introduced him to relative and neighbor alike while dragging him to the next. He tried his best to keep up as they finally exited the central part of Prestwick and reached another bridge that overlooked the Yaro beyond.

"The elders told us to stay away from the Yaro," Easel informed as they quietly watched over the stone railing. Grey boulders, half buried within the white spray and roiling waves that thundered westward posed a menacing border to the beautiful green forest on the mountainside beyond that seemed to reach into the sparsely clouded sky. "Many people have fallen in and never returned."

"I can imagine," Alex quietly mused, being a passenger of it himself.

"It's almost dinner time," Eanna interrupted as she grabbed Alex's hand and began leading him back towards the marketplace. He picked both up and jogged through the crowd in town, knowing that he hadn't had any excercise in some time. They both laughed and waved as he passed and ran back up the winding road along the hillside, through mottled shadows until finally reaching their home, next door to Abbott's.

"Alright, here we are," he announced as he lowered them to the ground. "I'll see you two later?"

They both nodded enthusiastically, then ran towards the front door as it opened, nearly slamming into Abbott as he exited with a small leather pouch in his hand. "Hey," he yelled as he spun to keep from dropping the leather sack. "They're not going to eat without you."

"Yes, we will," another male voice stated from deep inside.

"See you later, Balan," Abbott bid as he closed the door.

"Alright."

Alex watched as the older, brown haired halfling exited the garden and closed the gate, pipe still actively producing long, wispy clouds of its own. "You're of a military order back home, right?"

"Yes, sir," Alexander stated as they walked towards his benefactor's home. "Why do you ask?"

"We've been having problems with giants to the north and east for the past several generations. One of our elder's brothers was lost in that area during a hunting expedition. He's most likely dead but, we've been discussing your visit here and wondering if the Lady didn't bring you to us for a reason. As soon as you're fully healed, Curry, our elder mage would like to speak with you."

"I'd be happy to. Although, I don't know how much help I'd be without a sword or shield."

Abbott's cheeks puffed with his smile. "We can take care of that."

"I also don't have any money," his thoughts then drifted back the necklace that his mother had given him. He frantically searched his pockets and realized that it wasn't on him.

"No need for money, if you do this for us, they'll be our thanks. What are you looking for?"

"Did you happen to notice a silver necklace on me when you found me?"

"No. Maybe Sonja has seen it, she washed your clothes while you slept," he suggested as they headed inside and walked towards the kitchen. Alex's mind raced and prayed that he didn't lose the only link to his mother. Being so far away, he couldn't bear to think that it had fallen out of his pocket in the river.

"Honey, did you happen to see a silver necklace on Alex when you washed his clothes?"

"Yes, it's in your room on the nightstand." She set the saucer of butter on the table as she straightened.

His heart began to beat again as he sighed. "Thank the gods," Alex straightened, hitting his head on the ceiling again. "Ow." He smiled as her blue eyes sympathetically glanced upward.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just need to keep in mind where I am."

After dinner, he went to the room and scanned for the small pouch and noticed it laying on the nightstand beside the brass candleholder. Picking it up, he opened it to see the gleaming necklace within. "Thank you," he whispered. Tying the strings, he placed it in his jacket pocket and headed back outside where Abbott and Sonja sat with Balan, Cacy and their two children on the low slope opposite the road that continued on eastward to other relative's homes. He sat within the cool grass against an oak and listened to their banter and friendly conversation while the twins chased one another through falling leaves. This was what home was supposed to be like, he thought.