Chapter 2: A Climb

(Enjoy & also vote on the poll!)

It was a crisp autumn morning. The trees' gold and red leaves flamed against the robin's egg blue sky, and the black birds flying overhead cut sharp slices out of the clouds. The air was cold, and frost made paintings on the windows of Akire's house.

Xerin was out in the fields, chasing the chickens back into their coop, when Cadahn Werthyn rode by on his gray-dappled horse. Cadahn was Estelle's husband, and the father of Athan, Akire's best friend. He was a part of the council of Lloches, as well as running a trading post. Xerin didn't know Cadahn that well, but Estelle often talked about him.

Cadahn caught sight of Xerin, and reighned in his horse. "Xerin!" he called.

"Hello Cadahn," Xerin replied. "What brings you out to the Flickerclaw farm?"

"I am looking for my son," said Cadahn.

Xerin was speechless. Thinking of that....where is Akire???

☆☆☆☆☆

"I wonder what the view looks like from the top of that tree."

"I bet you can't climb to the top of it."

"Yes I can!"

"No you can't!"

"Yes I can!"

"Then climb it."

"Alright. I will."

In the middle of a forest, two young children stood in a sunlight filled glade. Although the boy, Athan, was older than the other by one year, two months, and seven days, he was the same height as the girl. Athan's sandy hair was lit up by the sunlight streaming through the trees. Akire sat on top of a large boulder. Her hair was long and brown, and her violet eyes were sparkling.

"I'll climb that tree and bring you down a twig from the top," she promised, getting up and grasping the lowest branches.

"No good," said Athan. "You have to tell me what you saw when you looked down from the top."

"Fine." Akire started to climb. As she ascended, the stray branches in her way thinned out and it got lighter. At one point, she shook a branch and two angry redbirds flew away in disgust.

Finally, Akire reached the last branch. And there she was, overlooking the woods. To her left, her farm and Lloches lay. To her right, a river ran like a band of silver. But ahead, towns were dotted against the road, and forests covered much of the land.

She breathed deeply, and sighed. This is my home, she thought.

This is where I belong.