Ravenswood Ch. 14

Her thoughts were a jumble of mixed emotions, mostly centered on Jason and why he didn't pay more attention to her, all of which, of course, was Maura's fault.

Hidden further off the path, she spotted a sapling bent over tightly to become the springing device to trigger the net and snare its prey. Maura tiptoed over to the sapling and cut the small rope tied to hold the sapling in place. The net whipped up and surrounded Grace, flinging her into the air. She spun around angrily spitting out obscenities and shouting to be let down.

Maura emerged from the side of the path folding her knife and returning it to her jeans pocket. "Why should I? Perhaps I should leave you there to think about what you've been doing to me lately and to consider the consequences."

"Don't you dare!"

Maura chuckled as she found the rope that Grace used to bring the sapling down and set the trap. As she lowered the tree, and Grace leapt from the net, and rushed across the path to tackle Maura. Both girls fell backward towards a mountain stream and splashed into the shallow water, sputtering as they stood, covered with weeds.

Grace was the first to recover, she leapt towards Maura who shifted her stance laterally and easily dodged her attack. Thwarted but not defeated, Grace jumped again, grabbing Maura's jacket. The frigid water splashed about as the two girls wrestled amongst the weeds.

Finally, chilled to the bone, and laughing at the image of two girls wrestling in frigid water, they both staggered towards the bank and crawled out of the stream crying 'uncle' as they lay exhausted and warmed by the morning sun.

After she caught her breath, Grace leaned over and propped herself with an elbow into the grass. "I have a question. Why don't you move fast all the time? I've seen you do it, but just now when I tried to tackle you, you just moved out of the way. I don't understand it, you can move so quickly it's breath-taking?"

Maura considered Grace's question, her first real question since they met months ago in Vera's cottage. "Terrians don't move like that all the time because it takes a serious amount of energy to do so. We have to make a conscious choice based on the circumstances. Sorry, but your attacks are predictable and I merely chose to use standard sword-play tactic rather than a need to move rapidly."

"I suppose the same applies to your strength?"

Maura nodded. "In most cases, yes. It would be like shaking your hand or giving you a hug. If it was at full strength, I would crush you, which would be bad, for both of us."

Grace picked up a blade of grass and chewed on it as she considered her next question. "Why do you like Jason?"

"Because I do. At first he was just the cute guy who sat in front of me in math class, but he has become so much more, so very much more."

"So...do you love him?"

Maura blushed and nodded. "I do, a lot."

Grace settled back into the tall grass and nodded, scrunching her lips into a sad smile.

Maura sat up and grinned. "I don't suppose you've noticed the admirer you have following you around the village, do you?"

Grace scoffed at the thought. "What admirer?"

"He's actually a bit timid but he seems totally taken with you."

"As if, where's he from?"

"Roan, it's a nearby village and he was apprenticed to Master Yaol several months ago. I've watched him mope about, always watching you from a distance. Even now."

Grace sat up quickly. "Where?"

"Over there, behind the tree." Maura pointed off to the left.

Grace began to turn.

"Don't look now. You'll scare him off, he's very shy."

"Who is it?"

"Doanun, an apprentice guardian whom I met last week. He's been assigned to Yaol for a couple of months." She paused a moment and glanced at Grace. "He's kind of cute, too."

Grace's face flushed scarlet. "What should I do?"

"Do you know him?"

Grace nodded. "I met him once when my father introduced us. He didn't say a word, I thought he was arrogant."

Maura shook her head gently; people always seem to assume that it's arrogance when it's actually timidity.

She wiped the weeds from her hair and face then smirked. "Well, I'm hardly one to give advice but I'd say he's smitten, and you are the one who's captured his heart."

She paused a moment as if hatching a plan. "I know...why don't you walk along the path that leads back to your father's cottage? Stay far enough ahead to partially lose sight of him. Then sit on something, like a rock or a log, and wait for him. When he arrives, invite him to sit next to you and take it from there."

"And...?"

"Ah, you're a smart girl, figure it out," she said, laughing warmly.

Maura walked back out of her private space. She felt the warmth of emotions flooding out of Grace. She smiled subtly; apparently, Grace was just looking for attention and Doanun was the one who would provide it...which meant that Jason was now off the hook.

A subtle smile spread across her face as she stood and continued on her way back to Vera's cottage. Her boots squished water and her clothes were sopping wet, still chilled from their romp in the water as she plucked weeds from her hair.

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:

The author copyrights Ravenswood and all of its parts. The reproduction of any part of Ravenswood without the written permission of the author is expressly prohibited. This story is a work of fiction. All of the characters, their names and the places they visit, are from the imagination of the author. Any resemblance to persons, places, or things is not intentional and purely coincidental.