The news about Peter Donovan turned out not to be so bad. He hadn't lost his left hand, as it had been heard, but only three fingers. Unfortunately, he had been fired from the sawmill since he could no longer work as before. However, he had received a consistent compensatory salary with which he planned to open his much-dreamed carpentry shop.
Ferry learned all this from his mother, who returned to work a few days later. During the five o'clock break, she told him how much his father had changed and how many plans for the future he had made. The fact that he had lost three fingers didn't seem to make him less skilled. On the contrary.
"Your father could craft with his teeth," his mother laughed. Ferry hadn't seen her so happy in a long time.
Yet, he found it hard to believe that a man like his father had changed so much in such a short time. But he smiled at his mother and said nothing for fear of ruining the moment when her gentle eyes were smiling and he could hear her laughing.
"I like to see you happy, Mum," he said instead.
His mother cupped his face, "But you know what would make me truly happy, my dear?" she asked softly. "You coming home."
Ferry slowly shook his head, "I'm not ready yet, Mum ... Besides, does he want me back?"
"Of course he does," she stressed out the words. "At least that was the condition for me to come back. It's all up to you ..."
"I don't know, Mum ..."
"Whenever you're ready, I'll be waiting for you, my dear," she smiled.
Ferry forced himself to smile. It was enough for him to see her happy. They both got up from the bench in the inner yard of the Pride mansion, ready to return to work.
"Do you know anything about Andrew?" his mother asked him before leaving.
"I see him at school every day. Why do you ask?"
"Your father told me he hadn't returned home in a few months ... I was wondering who was taking care of him ..."
Ferry frowned, "You shouldn't care, Mom. That boy brought us nothing but trouble."His mother thought for a moment, "He's still a boy. And he has no one. There is nothing sadder in this world than being alone."
*
Every now and then, Ferry used to have dinner at Ben's. Ben's family had always loved him, no matter what he looked like, how he behaved, or what others thought. It was, in fact, Ferry's second family.
While waiting for Ben's father to come from work, Ferry used to talk to Ben. His friend's advice was always welcome. Ben had always been more mature than boys his age. Now Ferry needed his friend again. Ben was the smartest person he knew, whether it was people or fairies. The topic of the day--the Amalghams.
Ferry didn't know how to be on the subject without Ben suspecting anything. So he asked him directly, "Listen, Ben, what do you think of the Amalgham?"
Ben, who was tidying up his notebooks, looked up at him; he always had one on him since he was seven; now they were so many, Ben had to store them in cardboard boxes under his bed.
"What do you mean?" he asked, adjusting his glasses and casting a curious look at Ferry.
"I'm talking about their nature. Don't you find it weird? They're not animals, nor people, nor fairies ... What are they, exactly?"
Ben said nothing. Instead, he began searching under his bed, disappearing almost completely under. Ferry heard him rummaging feverishly. He took out an old box, dusted it off, and began searching inside. He pulled out an older notebook with bent covers.
"From my observations and discussions with Izzy," he read in a serious tone, worthy of a scientist, " the Amalghams are not born, but created. They are capable of thinking, self-awareness, and have free will. Each of them has an attribute that makes them gifted for a certain field: gardening, cooking, herbs, and war if we consider those we have observed closely. They were created to help the people of Akna reborn after the Fall of the Dragons. They are also an endangered species. From what I've learned, no other Amalghams have been created since--"
Ben hesitated.
"Since what?" Ferry asked.
"Since your natural parents died. They were the last creators of the Amalghams."
"Only the descendants of the Great Fairies can create Amalghams?"
"Yes. They are basically their parents. And since Lavender no longer has fairy powers, and her children are lost, that means--"
"I'm the only one who can create Amalgham," Ferry said.
Ben nodded.
"But how does this creation take place?" Ferry asked, even more intrigued.
"It's a complicated process. The Amalghams are part fairy, part animal, and part magic dust."
"Yes, I know that, but what does it mean?"
"Well, if we were to relate them to what human researchers do, that would be called DNA modifications."
"Meaning? I didn't study that at school. I haven't even heard of it."
"It means the DNA of the fairies is modified. To it, parts of animal DNA are brought to which it is added, of course, magic, but I don't know how that works. The only fairies I know are my friends and I can't experiment on them," said Ben, smiling.
Ferry smiled too. They were so many unknown things about fairies, even if he was one of them.
"And then?"
"Then," Ben continued, "the embryo thus created develops into false wombs until the Amalghams must be born, if I may say so. Izzy told me that there were some special rooms full of such wombs. After they were born, the little Amalghams were taken to fairy shelters and raised like other fairy babies."
"But Thyme said that the Amalgams are forbidden to love ..."
"Yes, but that doesn't mean they don't have feelings. It means that they were created in such a way that they do not feel ... desires."
"And that means--"
"It means the Amalghams can't mate or breed," Ben said, blushing slightly. "Neither between them nor with other beings. They lack ... the organs they do this with," Ben said, looking away. "But what's with so many questions about Amalgham?" he asked.
"Just curiosity," Ferry said.
But he still had questions, "So their love, with those of their kind or with ... others is just--"
"Platonic," Ben replied. "But that doesn't mean they aren't capable of love. Izzy, Rosemary, even Thyme. Each one of them can love."
"What about Sage?" Ferry asked.
"I guess he, too, can have feelings," Ben said.
His answer didn't please Ferry. "Doesn't it seem strange to you that all the other Amalghams have lived with Lavender for the last seven years, except Sage?" he asked.
Ben shrugged. "No ... Matt says her family sees Sage as one of them."
"One of them in what way?" Ferry insisted. "Son, brother or ... something else?"
Ben fussed, "I don't know, Ferr. What's with all these questions?"
"Nothing..."
"Why are you suddenly so interested in Amalghams?"
It was Ferry's turn to fuss, "I'm not ... It's just-- They're my Guardians, aren't they? I should know more about them."
"Then ask them," Ben said. "From what Matt and I have noticed, they are always open and ready to answer any question."
Ferry nodded. He was lost in thought for a few moments.
"I miss her," he said without realizing he was thinking out loud.
Ben's eyes widened behind his glasses. He opened his mouth to say something, but they heard a light knock on the door, then Celia entered. Ben's face lit up and he completely forgot about his friend's confession. Celia used to meet Ben at his house once a week on the pretext that she was doing homework with her friend, Samantha.
"Hello, handsome," she said and sat beside him on the bed. This time, she wore dark clothes so as not to draw attention. She had styled her hair in a braid, too, for the same reasons.
"Hello, beautiful," Ben said, smiling at her with all his heart.
"Where have you been?" she asked, dusting off his hair. Ben let himself touched by her caresses without protesting.
"Under the bed, looking for some old stuff," he replied.
Then they just stood there, looking at each other without saying a word.
Ferry had to cough to make them remember he was there, too.
"Hello, Elf," Celia smiled. "I didn't see you."
Ferry smiled. He had become accustomed to being invisible without actually being invisible, in the presence of Celia and Ben.
"Ferry stays for dinner today," Ben said. "Would you like to stay, too?" he asked her.
Ferry saw the spark of joy in Celia's eyes, "Could I, Ben? I could say I stayed longer with Samantha. So we can spend more time together."
"Sure," Ben assured her. "My mum would be happy if you could stay. So would I. It's just--"
"What?" she asked.
"I wish you wouldn't lie to your parents," he said, looking her in the eye. "I wish we didn't hide anymore."
But Celia began to shiver and shook her head repeatedly. Her eyes were filled with tears, "No, please, Ben. You don't know my parents," she said, getting even more agitated. "You don't know what they're capable of. They could take you away from me. And if I lose you ... I'd rather die, Ben," she sobbed and tears began to flow from her pretty eyes.
"No one will take me away from you, Celle," Ben softly said, caressing her hair.
The girl began to cry on his chest, "Please, Ben, don't ask me to tell them," she said with a sigh. You are like a summer holiday in the middle of the winter," she added. "You're the only good thing in my life ... I don't want to lose you ..."
Ben took her in his arms, "You won't lose me, Celle," he said gently, holding her tight, without stopping from caressing her soft hair.
Ferry watched the scene in front of him, trying to understand Celia's unexpected reaction. He met Ben's equally puzzled gaze. Only his friend's gaze was truly worried. Finally, Celia calmed down and remained silent on Ben's chest as he continued to hold her.
"You're my summer holiday," she whispered, resting her head against his chest.
*
Ben's family was celebrating every time Ferry stayed for dinner. For the occasion, Mrs. Knight made the most delicious dishes: steaks, sauces, soufflés. Of course, for Ferry, the mistress of the house took care to prepare salads and fruit cakes. Food was always plentiful at the Knight family's tables. So an extra guest was always welcome.
Ferry could no longer sit next to Ben at the table. Celia had that place now. So, he sat between the eldest and youngest of the Knight girls; between the quietest and most talkative of them - Bella and Bianca. The other sister, Beatrice, was sitting in front of him. Of course, when it came to the Knight girls, even the quietest could easily be considered one of the most talkative persons. So Ferry was now surrounded by three merry, chirping sparrows.
Each of Ben's parents sat at the head of the table, as usual. Ben's father, despite his massive stature, was always in a good mood, with a good word or a joke on his lips.
"So? How was your day today, children?" he asked, placing a large piece of steak on his plate, along with the golden lumps of mashed potatoes sprinkled in abundance with the brown sauce in the pan.
He barely finished his words, that the Knight girls began to talk, interrupting each other, and finally arguing about who had the right to speak first.
"Alright, alright, enough, you geese," Ben's mother calmed them down. "Let our guests talk, too," she said, smiling at Ferry and Celia who watched the table dinner with wide eyes. In the Haughty home, it was strictly forbidden to talk during the meal.
"Not much happened today," Celia said. "I read, and I wrote a little ..."
"Celia writes," Ben hurried to add. "And she writes very well. One day, she'll be a great writer," he said, smiling at her.
"It's not like that ..." she said, looking down. "Keeping a journal or scribbling a few lines is not actually writing."
"Are you joking?" Ben protested. "They are among the best lines I've read. And believe me, I read a lot."
Celia smiled, reached out for Ben's hand resting on the table, and held it. The boy held hers, and they both stared at each other. Their gesture did not go unnoticed by Mr. Knight who exchanged a meaningful look with Mrs. Knight.
"Ben wants to be a scientist or an explorer," Bianca said proudly. "He wants to travel and see the world, the big world beyond the hills."
"Oh, there's nothing more beautiful than traveling," Ben's mother said with a nostalgic look in her eyes.
"Have you traveled a lot?" Celia asked.
"I," said Ben's mother. "When I was a wanderer with my people. We went everywhere, wandering the world, eating what the forests and wildlife offered us, and on summer nights, we slept in the open air, only with the wind watching over us," she said with her eyes lost in the sweet times of her childhood. "But then I met a wonderful man and I settled, "she smiled, looking into her husband's eyes who wrapped her in a warm look from across the table.
"I want the same," Bella said. "The part with the settling, I mean," she added.
"Do you want to stay in this town?" Beatrice said, glaring at her sister.
"What's wrong with settling down?" Bella snapped at her sister. "To find someone kind and gentle, to build a home where to cuddle every night ... Why looking for other places that are foreign to you, cold or maybe hostile? Why leave something that is beautiful and safe?"
"There's nothing wrong with that, duckling," her father told her.
"But this is not a dream," Beatrice protested. "Or at least it's not a big dream."
Ferry thought Bella was right. He realized that, in fact, his dream was very similar to hers. "No one should tell you how to dream," he said. "Or how big your dream should be. It may seem small to others, but to you, it may be the biggest or the most beautiful. And that's all that matters," he added, smiling at her.
Bella looked at him, then thanked him with the biggest and brightest smile.
"Whatever your dreams are and wherever they take you, we will not stand against them," Mrs. Knight said, looking at each of her children.
"What about you, my little flower?" Mr. Knight asked Bianca, the youngest of his children. "What did you do today?"
"Well, after school I went to my friend, Celeste, and played. Then we went to pick flowers in the forest.
Mister. Knight suddenly became anxious, "Bianca, how many times have I told you not to go near the forest?" he scolded her.
"I'm sorry, Dad, I just--"
"That place is dangerous. We don't know what lingers there," he continued as if he hadn't even heard her. "Thieves, criminals, monsters, fairies ..."
"But I like fairies," Bianca protested.
"I don't want you to come near that place again, did you understand?" his father concluded, cutting his steak so furiously, that the entire table shook.
Bianca nodded, looking at the ground.
"Your father is right," Mrs. Knight gently said. "Now let's eat. Ferry, another salad leaf?" she asked, and everyone laughed.
*
After dinner at Ben's, Ferry hurried to reach the poplar in front of Matilda's house. Seeing Matilda at the end of each day had become a habit. It was his secret and his alone. He felt he couldn't start a new day without seeing her the night before. He kept some cookies in his pocket in case he needed to throw them in Sage's head again.
He found them both, as usual, in the backyard. This time, they weren't training. Matilda was sitting on the grass, and Sage was standing in front of her. He told her something, tumbled and the girl laughed.
Buffoon, Ferry thought, preparing to take flight towards Matilda's backyard and throw the cookies in his head. But a gust of wind stopped him. It was a moonless night when the shadows became denser if you looked at them. The wind brought the conversation between Matilda and Sage to his ears. At first, he didn't understand what the wolf-man was saying to her. Then, the words became clear. They were in Elvian, the language of fairies. Sage told them, then Matilda said what it meant. Ferry then understood what was going on-- Sage was teaching Matilda the language of fairies. But why?
The wind suddenly turned cold.
"We should go inside," Sage said. "I don't want you to catch a cold."
"Another one and we're done. Please, ask me something else. Something hard to understand," Matilda asked him.
Sage suddenly turned serious. He said a few words in that sweet language that made the vowels longer as if the words became a song when spoken. He told them in a low, mysterious voice, without laughing, looking at her without blinking.
"What does it mean?" asked Matilda.
"You'll find out, someday," he said, then smiled, and went inside.
Ferry felt a heatwave coming over him. Lavender's lessons in Elvian had paid off. He wished they hadn't. He understood Sage's words: You are beautiful.
Matilda was still in the backyard, her gaze lost somewhere far away. Then, the wind brought her sighs to him. Was she crying? Why was she crying? She seemed cheerful and carefree just a minute before. Ferry descended a few branches below so he could have a better look at her. The girl sat with her knees close to her chest, and her face buried in her palms, her body slowly throbbing. Then, she wiped out her tears and stood up.
But before she could go inside, something made her stop. She turned and looked up, into the distance. All the way to the tree from where he watched her, almost forgetting to breathe. The girl stared for a few moments. Ferry knew she couldn't see him, protected by the thick branches and the darkness. Did she feel he was there? Or it was just his hope?
The wind brought her whispers to his ears, "I miss you ..."
Ferry felt his heart aching. Literally aching.
"I miss you, too."
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know nothing important happened, but I left some clues for what is to come ;) Thank you for reading!