Yellowhair: An Elf Hollow Prequel

SEVEN | The Stranger

CHAPTER SEVEN

The Stranger

The tattered figure who stood in front of her now, gestured with one quizzical hand, plunked on his hip. He leaned more onto his staff with the other hand held over its tip. Grey and brown layered robes hung over a large belly, tied round the waist, and many things were strapped to his body. His full rounded beard wiggled as he talked. "What are ye doing here by yourself, Girl?"

Shocked, Qello froze and shrank back towards the stream bank.

"No, no. No need to fear Trader Joe," the man said. "That was a jump. My! What is it you are doing here?"

"That's mighty dangerous there, by the river. You see what could happen? You could—" He paused and gestured downstream. Trader Joe saw the look of her face and dropped his crooked arm, wishing he hadn't said such a thing at all. "I came up to the river when I heard the big roar. I was knowing, in an instant, what must have come down. I wanted to see how much damage was done."

But his hawk had been alerted to something else. He'd seen through its eyes—the strange lump on the far side of the river, draped in the silt. It still lay on the bank.

Qello's face told the tale, all too well. There had been somebody with her. Someone lost now—judging by the stricken look in her eyes. The girl he saw remained wide-eyed—lips tight.

Trader Joe still tried to prompt her. "Careful, is all. Oh gosh. Well, never mind. Can I be of any help there?" A long silence followed his question. "Answer me, Child. I don't mean you no harm." He started to move towards her, but became caught on a broken stub he was passing. "Widget! —Oh, help, now— Maybe—" He fumbled with his pack, hooked by the branch, as he tried to get closer, but then changed his mind and moved off to the clearing. "Come this way, Lass. Come sit for a moment. Let me rest. Give your feet a good rest, too." His eyes took in her bleeding soles. "You look like it took 'em—that river," then added quickly, "Your boots, I mean. Can you tell me what happened?"

Qello said nothing, but she wanted to believe the safe sound in the man's voice. She moved, unsteady, keeping her distance, and perched on a smaller bent-over tree, parallel to the man. There she stayed, a good two wagon-lengths from him, and well out of reach.

"I see you're still worried about old Trader Joe, but no such thing as—" But geese honked loudly above and he didn't finish his sentence. Qello looked up to the sky, instantly, almost forgetting to keep her eyes on the man in the woods.

"Well, I see you can hear all right. Do you eat? I'm not going to say ah bothered with so much goodness for food for just me, but I just got a special gift, here, from my last visit to Quan. Only dried fruit cakes, but I could spare you some, if you need. All has nuts in." He held his arm out, giving her a chance to reach for the meal.

Qello didn't speak and pulled her hands back.

"Ah, come on, there, Child. Ain't gonna bite you. Here! I'll put it on this here stump, closer to you. Don't jump," he said, although she was already up and off like a rabbit.

Into the trees! Qello found a huge root sticking out and ducked in behind it.

"No, no. I won't chase you." The surprise food item went down on the stump, just as Trader Joe had said and back he went to his sitting spot. He plunked himself down. "See now—is just gonna sit here and work on my wood stuff." He settled down and started to whittle. "Here, I'll tell you a story." He knew she could hear him.

They sat in silence, a bit longer, the Trader occasionally whistling, and occasionally not, while he planned what he carved. The girl needed his help. She was likely to run. He could see how frightened she was. He needed to get her calm and to trust him. He slowly began his tale.