and she didn’t see any sign of Peter. After packing some food supplies into a basket, she set out for her grandmother’s house. It was only once she set foot into the woods that she realized she didn’t have her dagger. Horrified, she froze.
What happened to it?
Then she remembered letting it fall to the floor of the wagon. She closed her eyes and groaned. She would have to see William to get it back.
She opened her eyes and forced herself to start walking. As she strode farther into the forest she began to relax, remembering that for a few weeks, at least, she had nothing to fear.
The trees whispered above her, but they didn’t seem to have anything of importance to say. She listened to them and to the few birds who had decided to stay and face the winter’s wrath. There was a bite to the air that had not been there the week before.
It feels like snow. Before long winter will be here in full force
, she realized. A squirrel ran across the path, his cheeks bulging with nuts for his collection. Soon the furry creature would seek out the warmth of his denand spend the winter feasting on the fruits of his labors.
She smiled to herself and took the extra time to really look around the forest at the creatures surfounding her In the past she had always raced through at such a pace that she had rarely noticed the comings and goings of the other creatures.
A branch cracked in the distance, and she turned just in time to see a deer slipping out of sight. She stopped for a moment to marvel before moving on again. By the time she reached her grandmother’s house she had seen more wonders in the woods than she had ever allowed herself the leisure to see before.
She was smiling as she walked into her grandmother’s house. Giselle looked up and eyed her shrewdly, though.
“What’s wrong?” she asked bluntly.
Ruth’s eyes fell upon Peter, occupying a chair near the fire. “Nothing is wrong, Grandmother,” she said in a weak voice. “I just took my time this morning.”
“It isn’t that which I’m talking about,” the older woman huffed. “But we can discuss it later.”
Several hours later Ruth took her leave, without having had a chance to discuss William with her grandmother. She and Giselle had spent the time talking with Peter about some of the plants that Ruth already knew about. Peter was still trying to learn all that Ruth had in the years she had been studying. When she left, Peter accompanied her.
Just as they were about to leave the clearing, Mary and James entered it from the other side. They looked startled at the sight of Peter, but after a moment they nodded their heads shyly.
“Who were they?” Peter asked once they were out of earshot.
“Mary and James—friends of Grandmother’s.”
“Do they study with her as well?” he asked, his tone somewhat sharp.
“You’d have to ask them that,” she said cautiously as she looked at Peter.
He didn’t look any better. If anything, he looked worse. His hair had grown even longer and was unkempt. His eyes seemed slightly larger, like he was constantly staring at something. His nostrils flared wide, taking in great draughts of air even though he and Ruth were walking slowly.
“How are your studies going?” she asked hesitantly.
“They are not progressing as quickly as I had hoped,” he admitted, his voice hard.
“Give it time. The first thing I learned from Grandmother was patience.”
“Patience. That is one thing I need no more of,” he said, a hint of anger in his voice.
“I didn’t mean anything, Peter,” she hastened to assure him.
“I know,” he said with a sigh.
They walked a little way before he asked, “What all has Grandmother taught you?”
“She’s taught me a lot about most of the healing plants that grow in the woods. I’ve learned how to make poultices to help with swelling, stop bleeding, and reduce pain and fever. I’ve also learned how the stars are different in the winter and the summer. I’ve been
What happened to it?
Then she remembered letting it fall to the floor of the wagon. She closed her eyes and groaned. She would have to see William to get it back.
She opened her eyes and forced herself to start walking. As she strode farther into the forest she began to relax, remembering that for a few weeks, at least, she had nothing to fear.
The trees whispered above her, but they didn’t seem to have anything of importance to say. She listened to them and to the few birds who had decided to stay and face the winter’s wrath. There was a bite to the air that had not been there the week before.
It feels like snow. Before long winter will be here in full force
, she realized. A squirrel ran across the path, his cheeks bulging with nuts for his collection. Soon the furry creature would seek out the warmth of his denand spend the winter feasting on the fruits of his labors.
She smiled to herself and took the extra time to really look around the forest at the creatures surfounding her In the past she had always raced through at such a pace that she had rarely noticed the comings and goings of the other creatures.
A branch cracked in the distance, and she turned just in time to see a deer slipping out of sight. She stopped for a moment to marvel before moving on again. By the time she reached her grandmother’s house she had seen more wonders in the woods than she had ever allowed herself the leisure to see before.
She was smiling as she walked into her grandmother’s house. Giselle looked up and eyed her shrewdly, though.
“What’s wrong?” she asked bluntly.
Ruth’s eyes fell upon Peter, occupying a chair near the fire. “Nothing is wrong, Grandmother,” she said in a weak voice. “I just took my time this morning.”
“It isn’t that which I’m talking about,” the older woman huffed. “But we can discuss it later.”
Several hours later Ruth took her leave, without having had a chance to discuss William with her grandmother. She and Giselle had spent the time talking with Peter about some of the plants that Ruth already knew about. Peter was still trying to learn all that Ruth had in the years she had been studying. When she left, Peter accompanied her.
Just as they were about to leave the clearing, Mary and James entered it from the other side. They looked startled at the sight of Peter, but after a moment they nodded their heads shyly.
“Who were they?” Peter asked once they were out of earshot.
“Mary and James—friends of Grandmother’s.”
“Do they study with her as well?” he asked, his tone somewhat sharp.
“You’d have to ask them that,” she said cautiously as she looked at Peter.
He didn’t look any better. If anything, he looked worse. His hair had grown even longer and was unkempt. His eyes seemed slightly larger, like he was constantly staring at something. His nostrils flared wide, taking in great draughts of air even though he and Ruth were walking slowly.
“How are your studies going?” she asked hesitantly.
“They are not progressing as quickly as I had hoped,” he admitted, his voice hard.
“Give it time. The first thing I learned from Grandmother was patience.”
“Patience. That is one thing I need no more of,” he said, a hint of anger in his voice.
“I didn’t mean anything, Peter,” she hastened to assure him.
“I know,” he said with a sigh.
They walked a little way before he asked, “What all has Grandmother taught you?”
“She’s taught me a lot about most of the healing plants that grow in the woods. I’ve learned how to make poultices to help with swelling, stop bleeding, and reduce pain and fever. I’ve also learned how the stars are different in the winter and the summer. I’ve been
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