Ander - Part 2: Subchapter 9
9
"Ander!" Kiana cried in alarm. "You're going to rip your stitches out! Be careful!"
"My stitches are fine," Ander said, holding up the left side of Old Jonathan's wagon while his son replaced the broken wheel. It was the least he could do after the old Fox had let him inside the windmill, even explaining how all the gears work.
"Maybe you should listen to the little lady?" Jonathan said as he supervised the operation from his stoop, his grey fur shining almost white in the sun. "I could always go fetch a strut?"
"No really, I'm fine. See?" Ander raised and lowered the wagon a few times, the wood creaking under the pressure. Not as much as Jonah, though. Old Jonathan's son still wasn't used to being so close to a 'mythical' Wolf, and every sudden movement would cause him to flinch. Still, he stuck to the job at hand without complaint, replacing the wheel efficiently, if a bit hurriedly.
"All done?" Ander asked.
"Y-Yeah," Jonah replied. "It should uh... It should be fine now. Um... I'm just gonna go... over there, for a bit. Yeah. Um, thanks."
Ander gently lowered the wagon onto its newly replaced wheel. It was nice being able to help someone in ways other than shooting deer through the neck with sharp pieces of metal for a change.
Jonah walked over to join his father, obviously trying not to look like he was hurrying, but doing a lousy job of it.
"Thank you for showing me the mill, Sai." Ander said to Jonathan. The old Fox nodded in return and said, "No problem. Just don't tell Beth I let you do any heavy lifting. That vixen scares me."
"She scares me a little, too."
Jonathan laughed heartily. "Well, you two best run along, then. And tell that Rufio he still owes me a new hoe blade!"
"I'll be sure to remind him," Kiana said. "Take care!"
"You too."
Ander waved at the pair of Foxes as Kiana led the way back down the winding path to the main road. Only Jonathan waved back at first, but a good hard elbow to his son's ribs soon fixed that.
As they started their trip back to Kiana's house, Ander couldn't help but ponder the strange mix of emotions he was feeling. The sun had just started its downward arc, tingeing the world in the lazy glow of late afternoon, the breeze soft and cool. He could see open grasslands dotted with wildflowers of red, white and yellow. Beyond that lay the Cora, its woodland blanket spilling past its base and sending long fingers of spruce and maple into the valley.
He still couldn't exactly identify what he was feeling, but by the time they rejoined the main road, he thought he was beginning to understand it.
He felt... light.
That was the closest word he could think of. For the first time in his life, he didn't need to dread the morning. He didn't have to worry about what his tribe expected of him. He didn't have to feel forced into doing anything he would later regret. Perhaps best of all, he no longer had to hide his true feelings. He no longer had to pretend to be a Wolf he really wasn't. Even with that mask, the other Wolves never accepted him. But here? He felt like he could just be. And that was all right.
He missed Hezzi, and he was truly sorry for what happened to Banno. The dreams that came for him every night would be the price he had to pay for his actions, but even so, for the first time, walking alongside Kiana in the sunshine, he felt like he could be happy.
And that was a good thing.
"Ander? Are you still there?" she asked.
"Where else would I be?"
"Miles away, by the looks of it."
"I was just thinking."
"About?"
"About how nosey you are."
She giggled and made as if to punch him in the arm. "You better watch it, Mr. Wolf, or I'll have Fa make you sleep outside."
"That won't be so bad. I'll be able to escape his snor - Oh, no."
"What is it?"
Ander sniffed the air, hoping that he was mistaken. But, as it grew stronger, he knew that was only wishful thinking. After all, you don't just forget the scent of one who has tried to kill you.
"You'll find out in just a second."
With Ander's words still hanging in the air, a Fox crested the hill, a crossbow tied to his belt.
It was Mateo.
Sorry for two short uploads in a row, guys. I promise Monday's will be nice and long. :)
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