Day 2 - Scene 5

They finished the meal in silence. While Enar hadn't felt hungry after Steve and Gitta left his plate lay empty before him when he put down his knife and fork. He dabbed at his mouth with the napkin and realized he needed to shave.

He'd tried the rugged, unshaven look a few times at university when he was younger, but he'd just looked sloppy and had eventually given it up. Maybe he could pull it off now he was older. It wasn't like he had much choice but to give it a go anyway. He wasn't going to shave in cold water.

“There we go my friend,” Rolf let out a loud belch and patted himself on the belly, “well fed and ready to rest.”

“Manners, dear.”

Rolf stuck out his tongue at his wife, chuckled to himself and blew her a kiss. Beired stared at him and raised a finger in warning. For a moment she looked like she was about to give her husband a serious piece of mind, but then her face bloomed in smile.

Enar let out a small sigh and relaxed. There wouldn't be another argument. A thought struck him; “how does it work with payment? How much do I owe and who do I give the money to? The brochure didn't mention anything about this.”

“Brochure?” Beired raised an eyebrow.

“The instructions they give to visitors my love,” Rolf explained. Turning to Enar he continued, “it wouldn't have mentioned anything about it as there's nothing to say. You don't owe anyone a thing.

“The Restday meal is for the village and by the village. We all contribute to it and we all take part of it. If it had been our week you'd have been with me in the kitchen helping out with the dishes, but it's not our week and now you're going to go out in the field and have a nap under the oaks.

“That does sound a lot better than doing the dishes for everyone.” Enar paused and thought for a while, “has it always been like that? I've not heard of it before.”

“Aye my friend, as far as anyone can remember it's always been like this here, and it's nothing like this anywhere else. I guess we're a bit weird like that up in these hills.” Rolf crossed his arms and smiled.

“Definitely,” Beired said. “Blankets?”

“I'll get them. Will you send Eric over and help me carry when you find him. He should be around soon.”

“I'm here dad.” Carrying Loianna on one arm Eric pulled out a chair and sat down. “You had a good meal? I saw Gitta storm off in a huff earlier dragging Steve along. You know anything about that?” He pointedly looked back and forth between his father and his mother.

Rolf said nothing.

“The usual.” Beired paused for a moment and looked at her son, “blankets.”

“Oh, yes, sure thing. Here,” he handed the little girl over to his mother and stood up again. “Dad, you coming too?” and with his father in tow Eric set of towards the door of the inn.

“Mommy!” Loianna threw her arms around her mother in a big hug, “I ate all of my food Eric gave me and now I will be big like you when I grow up.”

“Good girl,” Beired said and kissed her on the cheek. “Can you walk on your own or do you want me to carry you?”

“Carry!” she yawned and added in small voice, “I'm tired.”

“Very well then,” Beired somehow maneuvered out of the chair without tipping it over or dropping her daughter. She pointed at an object on the ground, “Enar, my bag,” and after a moment added, “please.”

Enar raised a mental eyebrow, but didn't say anything. He picked up the old backpack, worn and patched, and hefted it on his shoulder. “After you.”

Beired set of towards the road and the field beyond, weaving her way through the tables, apologizing here and there where she had to squeeze through or ask someone to move. Enar followed close on her heels. He tried to avoid as much as possible meeting the eyes of those around him, but where he did he gave his friendliest, most apologetic smile.

He was a nice person and he would be respectful and make a good impression. He wasn't going to trample any flowerbeds.

When they arrived at the road they found Linus waiting for them. “Mommy, I'm tired.”

“That's a good boy Linus, did you enjoy the meal.”

“Yes mom, I ate everything and now I'm really full. Will you carry me?”

“I'm carrying Loianna already, and you're too big and old to be carried.” She smiled at the boy. “Here, take my hand.”

The boy grumbled but took his mother's hand and like that they all crossed the road and went out into the field; Beired dragging her children along and Enar carrying the backpack.

The grass grew tall enough to reach Enar's waist but where they walked many feet had passed before. A soft comfortable path lead up to the oaks in the center of the field. That didn't stop others from walking off the beaten track. An old man strode slowly through the field, running his fingers through the grass and stopping to smell a flower. A giggling girl chased a young man and Enar smiled to himself as they both fell over and, hidden by the greenery, didn't appear again for the longest while. He saw a little girl come bounding through the grass, braids flying, yelling for them to stop and wait.

When Elsie caught up with them she looked at her mother with big eyes. “Miriam's Jon said you had a fight with Aunt Gitta. He said you turned her into a goat. Is that true?”

“No Elsie,” Beired sighed, “I did not turn Aunt Gitta into a goat. You shouldn't believe everything Jon says.”

“But he said you had a fight, and he said–“

“You heard me.” Beired stopped to look at her daughter. “Okay?”

“Yes mom,” Elsie lowered her eyes and pulled at a loose thread on her dress.

Beired started towards the oaks again and Enar followed shortly after. Elsie fell in beside him and it wasn't long until he felt a small hand making its way into his. Startled he looked down and met the eyes of the little girl.

“Mom doesn't like to talk to me about important things,” she whispered.

“Oh,” Enar raked his mind for something clever and comforting to say, “really?”

“She says I'm too little, but I think it's because I'm weird.” Elsie chewed on her lip.

“You're not weird Elsie.” He hesitated. “I think you're fine. You're a good girl, aren't you?”

She thought about this for a moment. “No. Sometimes I try but it's really hard. I'm too thin and ask too many questions.”

“I'm sure you'll gain some weight when you grow older, and asking questions is a good thing. My friend Neta always says that if you don't ask you don't learn.” His comment gave him an idea and he hurried to continue, “why don't I ask you a question? Then I can learn something too. How about that? Why don't you tell me about the oaks here?”

“Yes!” The little girl brightened up instantly, and started talking very fast. “The oaks are really big and really old. Aunt Gitta says that Anna planted them here when she created us but my mom says they're really just very old.

“They're really tall too but no one who fell out of any of them ever died.” She hesitated for a moment, “but I don't know if that's true, I always get bruises when I fall and when Eric was little he fell out and broke both arms and a leg.”

“Do you like climbing the trees,” Enar asked.

“I love climbing trees. I can climb all the way up to there.” She pointed her free hand at somewhere halfway up the nearest tree. “You must promise to watch. You can't speak near the trees so I can't yell to you when I'm up there.”

“That's very high up, are you sure that's safe?”

The little girl looked up at him. “Anna watches over the trees. Both mom and aunt Gitta say so. Now promise you watch me.”

He couldn't well argue with that. The girl was convinced the goddess would protect her and who was he to say otherwise – the faith of children and so on. For all he knew she may be right. “I promise.”

He let go of her hand, gave a sly wink and made a thumbs up sign. Elsie giggled and with a shout she ran off again, heading straight through the grass to the nearest of the trees.

The oaks were enormous; huge green mountains, easily as tall as the Cathedral of Telos back in Kul Viller and covering about the same amount of space.

Just like when approaching the cathedral he felt very small walking up towards the trees, but here, unlike at home, in a good way. The cathedral with it's towering stone spires and it's statues of human saints and human heroes always made him feel a little intimidated and out of place, but here, he belonged.

Stepping in underneath the leaves a warm, quiet calm came over him. Perhaps this was a holy place after all; perhaps his goddess really did watch over him here.

Ahead of him, Beired slowed her pace and after a few steps she stopped completely and bowed her head. Even Elsie, who'd ran and hollered just a moment ago, had slowed to a walk.

Very little direct sunlight made its way through the canopy and everything was tinted a warm, dark green. Now and then, as the breeze moved the leaves just right, spears of light shot through and hit the ground; little golden rays of sunshine blinking in and out of existence as the wind willed.

Enar walked up to stand beside Beired but she gave no sign that she'd noticed him. Both of her children, Loianna on her arm and Linus by her hand, waited patiently and without making a sound. Over by the foot of the tree Elsie too had stopped with her head bowed, one small hand resting on a bulging root almost as wide around as she was tall.

Seeing the others pay their respects Enar's first impulse was to do the same but something stopped him. He wasn't entirely sure what they bowed their heads to – although, admittedly, he could probably make a good guess - and doing it just because they did would be an empty gesture. He was welcome here as he was and he didn't need to appease anyone or make a good impression on the locals to be allowed a spot in the shade. He could say his thanks when he had something to be thankful for.

Beired turned her face up at him and nodded for him to lead the way. Slowly he started forward. They had left the tables early and not many people had arrived before them. Those who had were spread out, alone or with their families, at respectful distances from each other. Many had blankets, some already sleeping, but a few sat or lay directly on the ground.

Here and there stood ladders, leading up to hammocks or little platforms nestled among the lower branches of the trees. Enar would have liked to climb up and have a look and maybe have his rest up in the tree, but the thought of Beired trying to maneuver two tired little kids up a ladder made him decide against it.

A spiral staircase wound its way around the trunk of the furthest oak, but as he watched, a young couple, with eyes only for each other, started up it. Maybe he could come back here on his own another day to climb the trees and explore their secrets.

Taking care not to walk too close to anyone Enar eventually made his way to a good spot near the far side of where they'd entered, a respectful distance from anyone else. He put down the backpack he'd been carrying and turned to face Beired. The little woman had a look around, surveyed the area and nodded. She let go of her sons hand and set her daughter down on the ground.

Linus instantly lay down on the ground, curled up into a little ball and went to sleep. Slowly and methodically Loianna started pulling up grass and covering him with it. Beired looked on with a smile but made no move to stop her and Enar decided it was about time he checked how Elsie was doing.

The girl must have reached her destination. He didn't see her at first but when he did spot her she sat with her legs dangling on a branch so high above the ground Enar had trouble making out it was really her. It had to be though; there was no one else moving in the tree and when she waved he waved back, happy to have fulfilled his promise of watching how high she could climb.

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Continued in Day 2 - Scene 5 - Part 2.

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