The Woods

Part 2

Quintin and his family did not live very close to the town of Lighthill, though when paying the head tax, the form was filled out with his mother's neat handwriting, spelling out the word. Of course, the only words Quintin knew how to spell were Quintin Luke Regazzini and Lighthill. His mother knew more. Honestly, Quintin didn't know why she didn't teach Bri herself. Bri was the only one in the Regazzini family that had ever gone to Education to learn.

As Quinn was daydreaming, he didn't watch where he was going carefully. He ran into someone, causing the letters to scatter around the pair's feet. He knelt to pick them up, but stopped when he saw the shoes. They were extremely contrasted. His worn brown boots had holes in them and were covered in dirt, whereas the other shoes were jeweled heels that only carried a bit of dust on them, despite the mud that Lighthill had been covered in for the last few weeks. He looked at the person to apologize, and was slightly surprised at who he had run into, though he should have guessed from the shoes he had seen.

Lucia Vermont was the most beautiful woman in all of Marahue. Although she was only a middle-class woman compared to the nobles that sometimes passed through the town, she was part of one of the wealthiest families in their village and always seemed to smell of lavender and honey, an unlikely combination, but a lovely one. She had hair that was almost white, though not from age, and beautiful dark green eyes that were sometimes a deep blue. Light freckles dotted her cheeks, and although her family lived a working life, she had hands as soft as rabbit's fur. And she was staring straight back at him.

"Um, I'm so sorry Lucia." He cursed to himself. A peasant was not supposed to address a higher classman by their first name, no matter their age. He was still one year older than her, and that would never change, but she had been born into a capable family that had no trouble when paying for food and head taxes.

"It is alright, though you should be more careful, maybe next time I will be someone else." She laughed lightly. Her features were stunning, but her voice was even more so. No matter who she spoke to, her voice was lovingly soft and innocent, with only a touch of Stoneridge's accent, with her h's accented. But that was nothing compared to her laugh. Her laugh could make even her worst enemy smile. It sounded light and airy. Pleasing. Something you would want to make happen. Something he wanted to hear every day.

She looked down at her hands, clasped together in front of her flowery dress. Quinn's hopes dissipated. He could never provide for Lucia. She never had to worry about food. She had grown up in a nicer home than he could ever afford. A mansion compared to his tiny cottage on the hill. There was a huge difference between middle-class and peasant status.

Lucia cleared her throat and Quinn snapped to attention.

"What?"

"I asked how your folks are. Apparently there is more you must work on other than walking, Quintin". They both chuckled a little, and then Lucia bid him farewell without waiting for a reply. As she brushed past, Quinn smelled the beautiful scent that he loved. He breathed it in deeply, hoping it would never leave him.

Most of their encounters were like that. A simple "Hi" and maybe a little comment or question if he was lucky. Different statuses never mingled too much, unless the lower classman was wishing for marriage. He wasn't sure he wanted to tell her how he felt yet, though.

He bent and picked up the scattered letters on the ground. He had forgotten all about them while he was talking to Lucia, and had been so blinded by her beauty that he hadn't noticed that his gorgeous crush hadn't bothered to help him gather the letters. Or apologize. And he hadn't even noticed the annoyed look in her green eyes that captivated him so much.

By the time he arrived at Lighthill, the sun was halfway across the sky, shining down on his face. He ran into the mailing room, throwing the envelopes into the Sending Box. He knew that Lucia would be heading home, and if he could get to their meeting spot from earlier, he could maybe talk to her some more. He even forgot to make sure he hadn't accidentally returned any letters that were actually theirs, he was in such a rush.

He stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed something, his hand touching the smooth wooden door.

"Where was she going?" He whispered to himself

"Hey, Regazinni, right?" Quinn turned around to see the keeper of the mailing room behind him. He simply nodded. "Something wrong, boy? You look sick." He shook his head, not saying anything. The man reached for his forehead, as if to check his temperature, but pulled up short. "You sure? I have some medicine in the back, I'd be okay to share some," Quinn was about to decline when he realized what the man was saying.

"You'd do that for me?"

"Yeah, sure, why not? We folks gotta look after each other, eh?" The man laughed light-heartedly, his belly shaking a bit.

"You're not from town, are you?"

"Why, I don't see how that's got anything to do with anything, but yeah-" Quinn's lips broke into a smile, astounded at the luck he had just found.

"That would be great, you know, the medicine. My family is not doing so well right now. right now, half of us are sick. Two dead already." He faked a sob. However, Quintin couldn't look in the man's eyes. He hated lying and deceiving, but if his mother ever found out, he would be disowned. His mother was the exact person who had taught him to do this.

"Two what's?" Quinn could tell that the man knew what he was lying about. He choked back another fake sob.

"Ricky and Hannah. They were the youngest. The first to go. Without proper shelter-"

"You're homeless?!" Quinn was surprised that the man didn't catch the fault he had accidentally let slip. If you were homeless, you didn't get mail. The man rushed to the back room of the mailroom and returned with a bottle of dark liquid and his equally heavy wife. She looked at him in concern and gently pushed a bag of coins into his hand. His mouth dropped open a bit, but not enough for the kind couple to notice. He couldn't believe the luck he had come across.

"Take care of yourself. There are many things out in the world that are not as kind as us." Then more quietly, she added; "People are not always as they seem." She stood awkwardly, then gave him a small hug. "And don't forget to stay out of the woods. It has no mercy for young men such as yourself." She paused again. "And if you ever need anything, come see me. My name is Dilly." He turned to leave, but she placed a delicate hand on his shoulder, stopping him. "And tell me if that medicine works."

"Thank you so much," and with that, he left for home with the liquid that would cure his sister and the money that would help his family pay the head taxes for the year.