A Night in the Garden
The cool evening breeze ran through the garden like a child playing tag, bringing with it the scent of the coming rain. Tilarria shivered as the cold air brushed past her as she sat on the cold stone bench. For once the garden was empty and she enjoyed the time alone with her brother. Norlen sat between her legs on the ground as Tilarria ran a brush through his tangled hair. “I do not know how you get so dirty in one day.” She says as she pushes his head back to look down at him.
The young man looked up at her and smiled broadly. “Carefully.” He teased as he stuck his tongue out at her. She shakes her head and shoves his head forward playfully as she pulls the brush through his hair once more. “Maybe if you had a little more fun you would get this dirty.” Norlen commented as he lifted up the thick branch he had lying across his lap. “You know you don’t have to work all the time. Papa hired enough people that you can take a break.”
Tilarria sighed and shook her head. “I cannot leave him to do it all alone. He needs me.” She says quietly. “Besides, what would you suggest I do? Run through the orchard and play Sunreaver like you…Do not think I don’t know what you are doing when I am not watching. I have eyes everywhere.” She says playfully as she leans down next to his ear. “It is not proper to hit others with sticks.” She scolds as she reaches forward to point at the branch.
“I didn’t hit him hard, and he got a few good hits in anyways.” He whined as he raised the leg of his pants to show a bruise on his shin. “It was a fair fight and I won.”
Tilarria leaned back and sighed, “I am sure you did. You are going to make a fine soldier one day.” She placed the brush beside her on the bench and looked over at the small pile of apple blossoms she had collected. A wicked smile tugged at her lips as she plucked one off of the pile. Slowly she began weaving the stems together as she spoke to her brother. “You know if you are going to be a soldier you will need more than sword skills. You need to spend more time on your studies. I spoke to father and we are going to try and find you an additional tutor.”
“Why? I spend enough time reading those old tomes and memorizing facts I will never need to know.” he complained as he pulled a small knife from his belt. She pressed the blade into the wood and sliced at it, pulling free a thing strip of the wood. “Besides, I am sure I am doing just fine. I do what is required of me…Shit, if I don’t Papa won’t let me outside.”
At the expletive Tilarria’s hand lashes out and smacks the boy on the side of the head. “Language!” she exclaims as she returns to weaving the flowers together. “ You are not around your peers and I do not wish to hear you speak like that. Your friends are studying just like you need to be. Besides, one day you will be expected to return to the Grove and help me run this place, and you want to be prepared for that, don’t you?”
The young man sighs and shrugs, “I don’t know, you have everything taken care of…It isn’t like I am needed here. Besides, don’t you and father both tell me I need to find myself and strike out on my own.” She one more presses the knife into the branch and slices a strip away from it.
“Yes, that we do. You do need to be your own man one day, but wouldn’t you like to help make this place something grand. It is your legacy, and besides one day I could marry and have to leave.” She explains, though she says it halfheartedly. Norlen stops abruptly and leans back to look up at her, a look of bewilderment etched across his features.
“You wouldn’t leave me?” he asks, a little unsure of the answer.
Tilarria rolls her eyes and smiles before leaning forward to press a kiss to the boy’s nose. “Of course I will not leave you now, or anytime soon. You are still young and need me. One day, though, I could leave…wouldn’t you want to be here to help the Grove flourish?” she asks him warmly.
“I don’t know, maybe?” he admits as she returns his focus to wildling away at the branch. “Maybe I will go to the floating city and learn how to make fire or join the Sunreavers to go off to war.” He muses as he twists the branch and works on a new area.
Tilarria nods at his statements and says, “Maybe…though first they must open the city back up to our kind. You really must start listening in your lessons.” She chuckles as she ties the string of apple blossoms she had been weaving together into a circle. She gently places the ringlet of blossoms on Norlen’s head. “Besides I would miss you if you went that far.” She kisses the top of his head and says, “It is getting late and you need to get ready for bed. Now off with you.”
He slowly rises from the ground and looks down at her. He bows low and wraps his arm around his waist. “M’lady.” He says with a giggle as he reaches up to pull the ringlet off of his head. He places it on her head and leans in to kiss her cheek. “Good night, Tilly. Love you.” Quickly her turns and runs towards the house.
“I love you too.” She calls after him, a huge smile on her lips. She leans back and grips the edge of the bench as she looks up at the stars. “I am trying, mom.” She whispers to the night sky. “I wish you were here to tell me what to do, but I will do the best I can for you.” She yawns and propels herself off of the bench. She stretches as she walks and thinks, “I hope this isn’t all too much for me. I must be strong for both of them.”