When Given a Lemon

Part 34

What’s got her all upset this time?

I try to think back on the events of the day to find what either of us could have done to have such a look focused on us, but nothing rang any bells. If it's because of our mishap with the nest, then I hardly think she is being all that fair. If it was her that had fallen in…

“But it wasn’t me that fell in.” She spat out. Clearly more than a little irritated, “it was you. It’s always you. If you weren’t so busy getting injured every other time you leave the safety of your tent, then we’d probably already have explored the entire hillside.” She glowered. “I bet we would've already located the filthy beast and have done with this hell-hill by now.”

She picked up a heavy jug and poured far more than I could have drunk down her throat, wiping her chin after dropping it back into the ash pile to the side of the fire pit and leaving it to slosh some of its contents over the sides till it settled. She was up and gone before I could even think of a retort. I’m not sure what she wants from me, but pinning the blame on me isn't going to help anybody. I sighed, not even sure whether or not what she said was right because sometimes I felt the same way as her.

Denyel patted my knee and shook his head, dismissing what she had said. Still, a part of me was in agreement with her.

“Don’t let’er both ya, Keenah,” Cayeol smiled widely, lighting up his eyes as he did. “I heard from some of the others that they think the fuzzy-fliers are somehow connected to the bugs, so finding their nest was actually very helpful.” Denyel nodded in agreement but didn’t attempt to elaborate, instead picking up the jug and quaffing his drink much like Kipol had. Not having anything else to do and still feeling a bit sore, I partook as well, though mine was a lot less impressive. Settling back to let the heat fill my stomach, I wondered when Lemon would resurface.

I woke to them shaking me. The fire had died down quite a bit, and I started to shiver as soon as I moved. I didn’t even realize I had dozed off. Kipol, Denyel, and Merryl were gone. Obert and Cayeol sat across the fire from us speaking in low tones to each other. Rather than bother them I followed Lemon’s urging and climbed inside the warmth of the tent, yawning greatly as I did. I was out within a few seconds, blinking away the dawn light the next I woke.

I’ve been putting my body through too much. It’s revolting against me today, making sure each movement I make is tight and uncomfortable as if I’ve been tightly wound up like a toy. It takes a bit of effort to crawl out of bed, an ordeal that Lemon watches with the edge of their lip curled up.

“You look like you’re enjoying yourself,” their smirk grows with my scowl.

“I just need to stretch.”

“Need help?”

“No!” I try to stand but my leg muscles tighten up and I land on my knees. Groaning an expletive, I finally respond with “maybe.”

Helping me out of the tent we come face to face with Obert, Merryl, and Cayeol. The first is mixing a sticky paste together that I don’t even have to guess at what it is. I’d run but my body won’t let me! With the other encouraging me by holding my arms down, I’m slathered once again before Obert and Merryl head off to get the day’s tasks done.

‡

“Where’re you headed?” Cayeol jumps up to join us, it doesn't take much effort to catch up, I'm still slow. Lemon doesn’t give him the time of day but I refuse to be rude so I tell him that we are headed over to the training area to get some stretches in before I try my luck with sparring.

“Great, mind if I join? I could do some stretches myself.” I nod, happy for them to join, ignoring a rude pinch on my arm.

My body is a lot more stiff than I had hoped it would be and limbering up takes a lot longer than anticipated. This is supposed to be the easy stuff we do before starting our training, but by the time I was done with all of the stretches to open up my arms, shoulders, and chest, I’m already feeling like taking a break. I haven’t even started on my lower half yet!

Lemond helped with some of my back exercises but soon Cayeol also joined in, taking turns with me while we pulled each other’s legs, and even helped me open my hips, relieving pressure I hadn’t realized I had let build from favoring my back injury. Usually Lemon spends most of our time together blathering on about one thing or another but today they were more reserved than usual so I found myself filling the awkward space with my own nonsense. I found myself talking about an upcoming local festival back home that we were undoubtedly going to miss because we're stuck up here on this gods forsaken hill.

“It’s a festival for a goat?” Cayeol tilted his head to the side, intrigued.

“Sort of.” I laugh at their expression, “it’s more of a spring celebration that has a goat for a mascot.” I only get an eyebrow lift.

”Okay, okay. So several generations back, there was an elder living in an old house near the sea, below the hill with the lighthouse,” I specify. If anyone had ever traveled to the region I’m from they would have seen or at least knew of the lighthouse.

“The old man had a favorite goat that he cared for for as long as anyone could remember. Well, one day the man went to take the goat out to the pasture after being holed up during the winter storms but the goat had disappeared. No matter how high or low the old man looked he couldn’t find it anywhere. Even several of the locals joined in the search, which wasn’t easy because all paths were rather treacherous; they were having an extra long winter that year. After everyone else had given up, the old man continued to look and it started to snow. Can you imagine? Instead of new flowers blooming it was as if it had become midwinter again, covering everything in a heavy blanket of white.

   ‘Still the man didn’t stop lookin until finally he was too thirsty to go on so he stopped by the old well at the bottom of the hill and drew up the bucket, only to find his goat! The bucket it was sitting in was covered in flowering vines that he said had kept it afloat and fed while it was trapped and as soon as he set it to ground all the snow melted and spring began.”

“A spring goat?” Cayeol chuckled, “I’d never heard that one before.”

“Yeah,” I bit my lip, feeling a little sheepish.