- Mia and Arine: Spring -

Chapter one

Stopping to loosen a pebble from between her foot and sandal, Arine looked across the blue vastness and smiled. The sea was one thing that gave her only happy memories. Soon the spring would have warmed the waters enough for her to go swimming. She grinned. Truth be told, it was still really cold, but that hadn't stopped her before. Floating in the gentle waves, swimming to the tiny scattered isles that would be warm from bathing in the sun, she could forget any worldly problems.

The paved road to the town would have avoided the pebbles and the occasional tangly seaweed, but now that the strong winter winds had blown away, she could find no reason to use the road. Every boulder and crevice in the sandstone cliffs looked so familiar even after nearly half a year. The drifts of seashells always moved, though, and every now and then she would stray to pick up a small spiral shell. She liked the purple ones the most, maybe because there were so few of them.

Rounding a sheer cliff, the town of Wynmere came to view. It looked as cozy from the coast as from the road. The whitewashed buildings with dark wooden paneling, few more than two stories high, gathered around the single church. Farmhouses and pastures dotted the rolling hills around the town. It was the small but thriving heart of the surrounding countryside, its market square bustling every day save sundays. Arine looked forward to picking her favourite foodstuffs from the magnificent array of colourful vegetables, fresh herbs and the countless different grains. She loved cooking almost as much as the sea, if you could compare the two. The villagers were familiar with her dislike for meat, and accepted her choice. Old Mrs. Fern always had the prettiest vegetables reserved for her in a separate basket, no matter how many times Arine told her that all of her vegetables were delicious. Today, she just couldn't stop smiling.

.......

Arine weaved through the bustling market. The sun beat on her back, and her bag already weighed more than she had expected. It was simply impossible to choose what not to buy. Fresh leeks stuck out of the bag, and her small backpack bulged from the weight of potatoes. She would have a hard time deciding whether to take the road back to her house. Three miles in the soft sand of the shore with the weight she was carrying was not impossible, but she had work to do tonight. Still, she grinned and exclaimed at the colours and smells of the market, and refused to consider that she might already have all she needed. Walking in the throng, she exchanged greetings with other smiling people. Everybody seemed to be in a jolly mood on this the sunny spring day. She noticed some folks who had meen all but pent up at their farms all winter, and made it a point to chat with all of them. Most of the conversations started with the weather, and many were marked with a roar of laughter at a well-placed joke. After the long gloomy winter it was as if everyone had shaken off the their usual reservations. She too, she noticed; she usually didn't enjoy crowds all that much, but today everybody just felt like a long-lost friend.

Looking at the big clock in the front wall of the town hall, Arine smiled ruefully and started towards the side of the square. It was time to get back to her house, and it would have to be the road. But this was such a fine day that her mood wouldn't be brought down by anything. The sun was still high, too. In the evening she could walk to the shore to watch the sunset and listen to the sea birds. As she neared the edge of the square the throng began to open, and she adjusted the shoulder strap of her backpack as she walked past the clothes stalls. Glancing up to see that she wasn't walking into anybody, her eyes met a reddish brown skirt embroidered with white and purple beads, and a white flowing shirt. Dark chestnut hair curled over the shoulders of the girl who was chatting with a stall keeper. Even without the delicately pointed ears of the Aéann, she would have stood out in her beautiful clothing. Most people here liked simple linen and cotton in browns and grays, sometimes plain blue; only on festival days would they dress in bright colours. Aéann were not an uncommon sight here, since many families lived nearby, but Arine slowed her step to get a closer look at the girl who had her back turned towards her. She had chatted with the Aéann a few times, and it was always memorable; she had felt like she gained a small piece of wisdom.

Moving a bit closer to the stall, Arine tried to catch a glimpse of the girl's face, but she was examining a piece of lace and her dark hair obscured her features. Arine thought about walking by; it was not her habit to introduce herself to every new person she saw. Her good mood encouraged her to walk to the stall after all. Since the girl had caught her interest, she might as well say hello to her. Arine set her bag on the ground in front of the stall and greeted the stallkeeper, then looked at the slightly shorter girl beside her. The dark-haired girl noticed her and turned to her, the lace still in her hands. Her eyes were large and dark, and she wore a small smile. Under those deep eyes Arine suddenly forgot what she had meant to say.

"Hi", the girl said, smiling.

"Hi", Arine managed. She should say something, but with the girl looking straight into her eyes she couldn't seem to think straight. "Uh, I haven't seen you here before." Stupid! That wasn't too polite.

"Oh, I just moved here this spring. Do you live here, too?", the girl said with a kind smile. Whether or not she noticed Arine's stammering, and Arine was sure she had, she didn't look at all amused or offended.

"Yes, my house is a few miles from here, on the shore. Um, my name is Arine. Nice to meet you." Arine breathed in with relief. There was no reason to feel awkward.

"I'm Mia. It's a pleasure to meet you." Mia smiled and turned to the stall to pick up another piece of lace, which she wrapped around her neck. "Do you think this one would suit me better?"

Arine was taken by surprise. However much reservations she and the townspeople had shed on this spring day, this girl hit her with an openness that she hadn't prepared for. Arine looked at the dark lace around Mia's neck, and down at her shirt. The sleeveless white shirt bared the girl's shoulders and showed the top of her chest, although her breasts were well covered. She raised her eyes back to Mia's face. Mia was looking into her eyes expectantly, and Arine lowered her gaze back to the lace around Mia's neck, her face colouring slightly. She suddenly realized she might have offended the girl by studying her so openly. The truth was, she was beautiful. Beyond beautiful, and the lace around her slim neck made Arine blush.

"I didn't intend it for everyday clothing, mind", Mia said, laughing. "Please, say your honest opinion. If it's too gaudy I'll pass on it."

"It's beautiful", Arine said, raising her eyes to Mia's and trying to fight the blush. It was just that people usually wore that kind of clothing only on special occasions, like weddings and dances. She couldn't imagine herself in such beautiful and revealing clothes even for a dance, but Mia made them look natural and comfortable. That's what she had always liked in the Aéann. They were at ease with themselves, something that she herself felt only on especially good days like today.

"Really? Thank you! I think I'll take it, then", Mia said happily, turning to hand over the coins to the stallkeeper with a thank you. "I've only been here a few times, in this town", Mia said, turning from the stall to face the sunlight. "Today, my uncle had business in Thierva, so I asked if I could ride the cart with him here. I like the market, and the people."

"I come here a couple of times a week to buy food. It's a really nice walk from my house along the shore", Arine said, looking at Mia, who had taken a necklace from her pocket and was fitting the clasp behind her neck. Small thin bracelets in browns and reds clinked merrily on her wrists.

"Oh! I love the sea", Mia exclaimed. "I came from the inland, so this spring was the first time I've seen it. It's too long a distance for me to walk from Falow, where my family lives. Otherwise I'd love to walk here along the shore. Now I have to wait for my uncle to come back from Thierva. It might be night before he comes, but I'll just have to wait since I wanted to come", Mia said, smiling sweetly.

"That's too bad." Arine looked at Mia, who had her eyes closed and her face turned to the sunlight. She liked this girl already and didn't want to part yet. She wondered if Mia would like to be her friend. The few good friends she had all lived far away, so she only met them occasionally. Falow was only about seven miles from where she lived, not too much to walk. She grimaced. The sun had her socializing much more than usual, but Mia was probably kind and happy to everyone. Just because they had a nice chat didn't mean Mia was particularly interested in her. She must have made lots of friends since coming to the coast. Maybe it was time to leave already. She'd likely see Mia again here during the summer.

She should go, but the idea of walking back to her house by herself suddenly felt much lonelier than she was used to. All the bustle made her want to live in the town, to live with someone. Her chest felt tight, and she tried to think how fun it would be to cook tonight.

"Mia", she started. The name felt strange on her tongue. "My house is near the road to Falow." She swallowed. Why was this so hard? She was afraid that Mia would kindly decline. She would still feel awful now that she allowed herself the hope of making a friend. "Would you like to walk there with me? I-I could make us supper. We can ask somebody to tell your uncle?" There. She had said it, so why was her heart pounding? She hated herself for being so awkward and pessimistic, and expected Mia to tell her she had something else to do.

Mia looked at her with those clear, happy eyes. "Really? I'd love to!"

Arine stared at her. "Great!", she managed, smiling as well as she could. "Do... you have anything else to take care of here?"

"No, I was just spending time. We can go as soon as you like."

"Okay. I'll just fill my water bottle from the fountain", Arine said, still finding it impossible to believe she was going to walk her favourite route with Mia. She picked up her bag from the ground.

"I'll carry that", Mia said, smiling, and extended her hand. Arine handed over the bag with a smile.

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