Changing Rain

Upwards and Outwards

Raiyne brushed aside the slushed snow to get a closer loom at the bright green of new grass trying to push itself up through the last frozen crust.

"What be it called again?"

"Spring. There are four seasons, Summer is hot, and plants grow. Fall is cool and its when everything is finished growing. Winter is cold, and the earth sleeps, spring grows warm, and everything is reborn." Elih explained patiently. He had long ago deduced that shifters had hidden themselves away in deep caves, producing child like ignorance such as Raiyne's.

Spending time with her was like a little like being with a child. She practicality burst with with curiosity, and it bubbled out of her in a stream of questions. 

Elih left her to her study of spring grass as he reset the rabbit snare. It was a simple noose of a leather string set above their trails, letting the little panic stricken animals strangle themselves. 

Raiyne had set up near thirty of the little traps throughout the forest when she had made her decision to stick with the humans. He had asked her how she knew to make them, and she had explained that rats where an excellent source of emergency food. He hadn't asked about it further. 

Five rabbits fat from the very early spring growth lay beside Elih, he had hoped for more, but they would do for the work team. If he held still and listened, Elih would be able to hear many pounding mallets and shouts of instruction.

Finished with the grass, Raiyne moved to the buds on the trees.

"And, what be these?" She asked, gently caressing the velvety buds. "

"Those will be leaves, but the fruit trees will have blossoms, tiny white or pink flowers that will turn into fruit." Raiyne raised an eyebrow, disbelieving.

"Truly?"

"Truly." She nodded, and bent down to gather up the rabbits for him. Sloppy crunching alerted the pair to someones approach, and they looked up to see Thomas with an old doe slung over his shoulder, bearing a slightly smug smile. 

"I win." He said simply. Raiyne rolled her eyes.

"One doe does not feed a village for a winter." 

"But it does for a night. And quite well I might add." Elih shook his head but didn't try to stop the smile creeping onto his face. Child like, the both of them. 

Raiyne tied her rabbits to her shoulders then shifted before running off towards the village, the rabbits bouncing comically on her back. The two men watched her go, hanging back and waiting. Joseph emerged from the same direction Raiyne had run off to, shaking his head at the sight Raiyne must have made.

"What a strange sight, a wolf being ridden by rabbits." Joseph smirked. But Elih remained serious.

"What did you learn Joseph?" Joseph maintained a kindly smile.

"Raiyne isn't in any danger from the people. Many still resent her being a shifter, but many have accepted her as she is. And no one wants to harm their only healer, inexperienced as she may be." Elih breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good, and the rebuild?" He asked as he led the three of them back to the town of canvas. 

"Well, we have Marshall's and Shawn's foundations layed and wall skeletons up. By the end of the week we should have the roofs on and three more foundations layed." Elih frowned a bit as he thought.

"That's more then we trying to to now." Joseph nodded and Elih shook his head.

"No, we keep it contained to two dwellings at a time. It may only be two, but with all our work force concentrated, we will get finished houses up faster in a week rather then spread out, and months for everybody to try and build their own again."