𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐍 𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐒 | hunger games ✓

chapter 2

━━･❪ 🌸 ❫ ･━━

After letting the sheep graze for another hour and returning them to their pen, Daphne, Lysa and Tobe had headed down to the marketplace, Barley trotting at their heels. The marketplace, always bustling with activity, had been unusually quiet this morning.

They'd visited the bakery that Esther usually worked at, drooling over the loaves of freshly baked bread on display and wishing they could afford to take some home. By some miracle, Mr. Pash, the mousy little man who ran the bakery, gave them each a tiny loaf of butter bread free of charge. Maybe all the mooning had finally paid off, though part of Daphne suspected it was only because he pitied them. They'd given him a few plums in exchange anyways, since there was nobody around to trade with today.

The trio separated into their own homes for a bit after getting back from the marketplace. Daphne set the butter bread on the dining table, far from the edge to ensure it was out of Barley's reach, before heading back outside. 

Rourke was out in the sheep pen, a thin man with oily brown hair crouched beside him. As Daphne approached, she realized that the man was Tenner Espinoza, and the two were examining the hind leg of a sheep. Rourke heard Daphne's footsteps drawing near, or maybe it was Barley's audible panting that alerted him, but either way he looked up and waved his daughter over.

"Daph! Great timing," he said as she leaned against the picket fence of the pen. "One of the ewes has a cut on her left hind trotter. Did you notice anything that might've caused it while taking them out to graze this morning?"

Tenner glanced up at Daphne, as if just noticing that she was there. His thick eyebrows knitted slightly together, as if he were trying to mask his disdain from her father. Daphne gave him a hard glance back as she replied steadily, "I don't think so. We followed the same path as usual."

Tenner Espinoza did not like Daphne; he made that clear as glass. It was probably because she, Lysa and Tobe had once included his daughter Azalea in their little group. Daphne had trusted those three with her life, even going as far as admitting her infatuation with Caelum once a couple years ago.

Azalea, one day last year, apparently thought it was funny to inform Caelum and everyone else at school of this, and her action had marked the end of their friendship and trust. It wasn't her betrayal that hurt Daphne the most, it was the things they'd spat in the argument afterwards that ripped open wounds in both of them. Wounds that never fully healed. 

It made Daphne's blood boil every time she thought of Azalea. Azalea now avoided Daphne like she had the plague, and since Lysa and Tobe were determined to stick by Daphne's side, she stopped seeing them as well.

As for Caelum, he'd never been the same since. He used to be comfortable talking to Daphne, randomly walking up and striking conversation about a new book he'd read or cracking a joke. Now, he avoided her like Azalea, except Daphne never actually understood why. Maybe it was the awkwardness of it all, like a mountain had sprouted between them.

Azalea's parents still kept in touch with Daphne's, since small communities had to stick together. Tenner was the best livestock doctor they had around here, which meant he stopped by often whenever one of their animals needed some bandaging.

Daphne hung around until the ewe was taken care of, Barley keeping a watchful eye of Tenner. Daphne noticed that Rourke's grip was tense as he shook the other man's hand before he departed. As soon as Tenner was out of sight, both father and daughter loosed a breath, then looked at each other and chuckled.

"I don't know what it is about him, but that man always makes me uneasy," Rourke sighed, tugging off his gloves.

"Yeah," Daphne muttered, shaking her head. "So does his daughter."