(Happy Father's day, all you not Fathers! I hope your dads have a great day celebrating with you!)
The music seemed to be coming from a nearby field, peaking Hahner's interest.
"That really sounds like Keya's flute..." He thought to himself before carefully and quietly climbing down from the window. "Who could be playing it...?" Hahner swiftly scampered back into the woods for cover and headed toward where the music was coming from.
As the music got louder, Hahner became more careful not to make a sound. He didn't know who was playing the flute let alone if they were friendly but he had to know for the sake of his friend.
He soon came to the clearing but stopped along the line of trees. For cover, Hahner climbed a tree that leaned into the field but seemed secure enough to observe the player. What he saw made his heart drop.
There, sitting on a stump in the center of the clearing, was a human boy no more than eleven. He had a small wooden flute to his lips and he was playing random long notes and occasionally a short ditty. It was clear he wasn't a musician but appreciated music.
Hahner's fear and disppointment became irritation as he narrowed his eyes. "How can he play that? It's not his, it doesn't belong to him." He thought before taking a deep breath. "Okay, well... I can't just go down there and demand it back... Mom always forbid me from interacting with the humans..." Hahner glanced back toward the direction he came came and sighed. "I'll just have to tell Keya what happened... She's going to be so upset... What good this did to make her feel better... At least she'll know where it went?"
As he was climbing down, he accidentally missed one of the low hanging branches and slipped. Thankfully he caught himself but the boy stopped playing and looked in his direction.
"Hello?" The boy remarked curiously before standing up.
Hahner made brief eye contact with the boy before running for his life.
"Wait!" The boy exclaimed before being interrupted by a woman's voice.
"Jireh! Are you still in the field? It's lunch time!"
The boy glanced back at his mother and then the direction he just saw the ridgerunner go. By the time he looked back, he saw no trace of Hahner. To this, Jireh sighed and and went to be with his mother.
Upon entering the house, Jireh's mother questioned him. "Jireh Raah, who in Aerwiar were you talking to out there?" She asked as she served him a bowl of stew at the table.
"I thought... I thought I saw a ridgerunner." Jireh replied honestly. "I guess he heard the flute I found."
"Is that the same flute I found in the barn?" Jireh's father was busy sharpening his sword in the corner, listening in.
Jireh looked over at his father and nodded. "Yes... I wanted to see if I could play it."
Jireh's father stopped sharpening his sword to look at his son. "Son, you shouldn't play random woodwinds you find laying around. It could of belonged to the ridgerunner that broke into the storehouse last night... And if that's the case, you could get ridgerunner flu. We don't know what diseases they carry from not washing their fruit."
"Don't worry, dad." Jireh replied. "I made sure to wash the flute really good before using it."
"Hm..." Jireh's father started sharpening his sword again. "It's a wonder it'll even playing if you washed it in water. Water makes wood weak."
"I only used a little bit." Jireh replied before looking at his mother. "Do you think he'll come again?"
His mother sighed, "Jireh, you shouldn't be so fascinated with them. They're horrible creatures." She began cleaning some dishes. "Obsessed with fruit... They haven't been this bad in years..." She looked back at Jireh. "You need to stop reading so many books on them."
Jireh began eating the stew provided to him. "But mom- there are good ridgerunners out there. Remember the writings of Zarabean the ridgerunner? He believed in the Maker! I wonder if he's still alive today..."
"If he is, he's as old as dirt." Jireh's father remarked. "Your mother is right, you shouldn't be so invested in them."
"Buuuut..." Jireh glanced at his dad. "What if knowing more about them can help us figure out how to best prevent attacks?"
"Son." Jireh's father paused and looked at him. "That's why you're in the Durgan Guild early. The guild masters know you live close to the border. They'll teach you more than what those books at the Books and Crannies can¹. They're going to teach you field work."
Jireh mumbled, "And how to get beat up..."
"I heard that." His father replied before softly laughing. "It's good for you, Jireh. You'll see."
Jireh sighed. "I guess..."
-
Back with Hahner, he ran through the forest like a thousand toothy cows were chasing him. He can't believe he saw a human! How frightening to see! And how frightening to have been seen! In his panic, he ran into one of the elders of the tribe.
"Oof!" The elder exclaimed before nearly being knocked over. "Young one! Watch where you're running!"
Hahner realized who he was and apologized profusely. "I'm so sorry, Counselor Pummi! I didn't see you!"
The very elderly and beardy Pummi looked inquisitively at the youngster. "Where have you come from, smaller one?"
"U-uh..." Hahner stuttered. "I um... I came from..."
"You weren't near the border, were you?" Pummi asked with an eyebrow up.
Hahner knew he looked guilty and so admitted his act. He looked at the ground. "Yes, sir..."
Pummi sighed. "You didn't steal anything, did you?"
"No, sir. I was... I was looking for something for my friend Keya... She lost something important..." Hahner replied with his eyes to the ground.
Pummi was silent in response before patting the child on the back. "Don't go down there again, understand? It's enough that the counsel has turned against my rulings... But I needn't see youngsters following their path to theivery. Now, get home."
Hahner looked at Pummi and anxiously nodded. "Yes, sir." He replied before running off.
The next day, Hahner paid Keya another visit but this time he brought her breakfast up instead of Conrow.
Keya was still sleeping so Hahner was careful not to make noise as he set a bowl of grapes on the side table.
It was like Keya had a sixth sense because as soon as she heard the bowl hit the wood, she knew it was grapes. She woke up and sat up immediately. "Grapes?" Keya sounded groggy but enthusiastic.
"Here." Hahner handed her the bowl, seeing as she was ready for them. When she started to eat, Hahner began the conversation. "How's your head feeling?"
"Mwuch bwetter." Keya replied with her mouth full of grapes. "I want to go to my faworite spwot twoday."
"The spring in the clearing?" Hahner asked, sitting on the edge of her bed. "Isn't it still risky to leave the trees?"
Keya shrugged and swallowed her bite. "Maybe but... If I can't play my flute, I want to at least enjoy some quiet away from the people."
Hahner felt a pit in his stomach. "Keya, there's something I have to tell you..."
Keya looked at him with a confused expression on her face.
"I uh... I found out where your flute went...-"
"Hahner, I told you not to go!"
"I-I know but... You were so sad yesterday... I had to do something." Hahner replied before sighing. "I saw a human boy playing it..."
With Hahner's last sentence, Keya fell silent. It would of been one thing if it was destroyed or a wild animal had gotten it... but a human? There would be no chance at all to get it back! "Was... Was the boy... that farmer's child?"
Hahner nodded. "Sadly..."
Keya's bottom lip started quivering. "I'll never get it back then..."
"Don't say that... Maybe there is a way!"
"No, Hahn... I would have to steal it back and... I don't have the strength for that..." Tears rolled down her face. "I'll just... Maybe I'll just go down there to... To say goodbye for the last time."
Hahner appeared guilty. "I um... may have been told not to go down there again... I want to come with you but... A Counselor's word is law..."
Keya popped another grape into her mouth. "You think you could join me half way...?"
Hahner thought a moment before nodding. "I suppose I can. Counselor Pummi just said not to go near the border."
"Perfect." Keya smiled sadly before offering her friend a grape. A ridgerunner to offer fruit to another was considered one of the deepest acts of friendship there was.
Hahner smiled, knowing Keya had often shared her fruit with him many times before. He obliged and took the grape from her and plopped it in his mouth.
The two enjoyed the bowl of grapes together before heading back to the border.
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¹The Books and Crannies in The Green Hollows was a lot like the one in Glipwood except it was bigger and its bookkeeper was not Oskar Reteep. However, the owner of the book shop admired literature much like Reteep did 150 years ago.
Pummi!!!