when she was younger, but Franklin had eventually given up on that subject to teach her others. Dancing had replaced reading just as cooking had done to writing. He had almost been able to pass for a loving caregiver, but those days were long gone now. She tossed the book to the side and concentrated on drawing the shapes she had seen.
Most of the letters came naturally, in time, as did the words. Some of them she struggled over until her head began pounding in her ears. Periodically, she looked back over the book to check her work before turning back to her words in the wet riverbank. The sun rose steadily in the sky and her back and neck were starting to get hot. She brushed her hair away from her face and tried to focus on the words.
Sweat trickled over her neck and shoulders and she swept her long hair off her back. Finally, she groaned in desperation and slipped out of her clothes. She stacked them into a small pile in the grass and waded into the river. The river swirled around her and she dove into the cool water. As she came up, her hair lay plastered against her forehead and she laughed. Brightly colored fish nibbled on her toes as she slid into the water. She let it wash against her shoulders as she closed her eyes and gave into the pleasure. A twig crunched behind her, but she brushed it off as nothing.
There was a laugh followed by a footstep and another twig crunching. Bryn opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder. Her eyes instantly widened, and she smiled at the boy behind her. "Hi," she said uncertainly.
"Hello Bryn," the boy replied.
"How do you know my name?"
The boy laughed and sat in the water next to Bryn. "We know everything that happens in the forest."
"Who's we?" The boy laughed and brushed his long dark hair behind his ears. Bryn smiled at him. "You're an elf."
"Yep, and you're a Strytas," the child replied.
"What's your name?"
"Cass," he replied softly. "You're pretty." He blushed deeply and looked into the water.
Bryn ruffled his hair. "How old are you?"
"Twelve." He paused and smiled hopefully at her. "But I'm mature for my age. Check out my muscles. My father says I'm going to grow up to be strong someday," Cass insisted as he flexed his arms.
Bryn smiled at him. "How long were you watching me?"
He blushed and looked away. "Long enough."
She blushed too. "Ah. No spying again, okay?"
Cass nodded. "Thanks for not being mad."
"How could I be mad at such a cute little boy?" Bryn quickly planted a kiss on his cheek.
He blushed deeply and pressed his hand to the ground. "Watch this." Cass smiled at her, and his hand shone brightly. As he pulled his hand away, it revealed a small pink rosebud. Bryn gasped and smiled at him. "For you," he said as he handed the flower to her. She smelled it and blushed deeply.
"Thank you, Cass."
He nodded. "I have to go. Bye, Bryn."
"Bye, Cass."
"See you later?" he asked as he stood up.
"Sure."
They waved goodbye to each other and then he disappeared into the forest. Bryn slid back into the water and closed her eyes as the cool blue river lapped against her body. Her mind wandered to Mariah and her cheeks instantly flushed a dark red. Her face and smile filled her mind. Bryn's lips trembled as she thought their short time together. She found herself quickly falling in love with her, despite her resistance. Mariah had always treated her like a lady, like the women in fairy tales were treated.
Lovers weren't mean to the princesses of the childhood stories; they didn't hurt them, ever. Although Mariah was private, she wasn't secretive. Bryn knew that if she ever wanted to know something about her, all she had to do was ask. She wanted to tell her everything about herself, but the hesitation and fear of rejection were still strong within her.
Bryn shrugged and decided to give it some time and just let whatever happened happen. It was her first real friendship with any human, and she didn't want to ruin it. Humans can be tricky creatures , she
Most of the letters came naturally, in time, as did the words. Some of them she struggled over until her head began pounding in her ears. Periodically, she looked back over the book to check her work before turning back to her words in the wet riverbank. The sun rose steadily in the sky and her back and neck were starting to get hot. She brushed her hair away from her face and tried to focus on the words.
Sweat trickled over her neck and shoulders and she swept her long hair off her back. Finally, she groaned in desperation and slipped out of her clothes. She stacked them into a small pile in the grass and waded into the river. The river swirled around her and she dove into the cool water. As she came up, her hair lay plastered against her forehead and she laughed. Brightly colored fish nibbled on her toes as she slid into the water. She let it wash against her shoulders as she closed her eyes and gave into the pleasure. A twig crunched behind her, but she brushed it off as nothing.
There was a laugh followed by a footstep and another twig crunching. Bryn opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder. Her eyes instantly widened, and she smiled at the boy behind her. "Hi," she said uncertainly.
"Hello Bryn," the boy replied.
"How do you know my name?"
The boy laughed and sat in the water next to Bryn. "We know everything that happens in the forest."
"Who's we?" The boy laughed and brushed his long dark hair behind his ears. Bryn smiled at him. "You're an elf."
"Yep, and you're a Strytas," the child replied.
"What's your name?"
"Cass," he replied softly. "You're pretty." He blushed deeply and looked into the water.
Bryn ruffled his hair. "How old are you?"
"Twelve." He paused and smiled hopefully at her. "But I'm mature for my age. Check out my muscles. My father says I'm going to grow up to be strong someday," Cass insisted as he flexed his arms.
Bryn smiled at him. "How long were you watching me?"
He blushed and looked away. "Long enough."
She blushed too. "Ah. No spying again, okay?"
Cass nodded. "Thanks for not being mad."
"How could I be mad at such a cute little boy?" Bryn quickly planted a kiss on his cheek.
He blushed deeply and pressed his hand to the ground. "Watch this." Cass smiled at her, and his hand shone brightly. As he pulled his hand away, it revealed a small pink rosebud. Bryn gasped and smiled at him. "For you," he said as he handed the flower to her. She smelled it and blushed deeply.
"Thank you, Cass."
He nodded. "I have to go. Bye, Bryn."
"Bye, Cass."
"See you later?" he asked as he stood up.
"Sure."
They waved goodbye to each other and then he disappeared into the forest. Bryn slid back into the water and closed her eyes as the cool blue river lapped against her body. Her mind wandered to Mariah and her cheeks instantly flushed a dark red. Her face and smile filled her mind. Bryn's lips trembled as she thought their short time together. She found herself quickly falling in love with her, despite her resistance. Mariah had always treated her like a lady, like the women in fairy tales were treated.
Lovers weren't mean to the princesses of the childhood stories; they didn't hurt them, ever. Although Mariah was private, she wasn't secretive. Bryn knew that if she ever wanted to know something about her, all she had to do was ask. She wanted to tell her everything about herself, but the hesitation and fear of rejection were still strong within her.
Bryn shrugged and decided to give it some time and just let whatever happened happen. It was her first real friendship with any human, and she didn't want to ruin it. Humans can be tricky creatures , she
Similar Books
