A Sweet Homecoming

 

            

            Twigg’s first thought on the morning of their first day home, before he had opened his eyes, was that the sun must be up because he heard humming from outside of the Alder Tree House. He smiled. Then memory flooded back.
            “Oh!” He sat up suddenly. There was Leely, nestled in with Koba, beside him. They slept on. The humming beckoned him to come outside. So, he carefully laid aside the wonderful quilt made by Mak’s palace seamstresses, and being careful to move silently, he opened the door and stepped out into the morning.
            Tears filled Twigg’s sweet eyes. He was so glad to be back in the meadow, the same meadow where he and Marge had met, part of the Great Forest of his home. But, he was smiling too because he was surrounded by hundreds of B’s all buzzing their jubilant greetings.
            “Morning blessings, B’s,” he called in the Old Language of the forest.
            The dew was just drying off of the grass and fireweed blossom, and blackberry blooms. An entrancing scent filled the air, the scent of summer in the Great Forest. Twigg breathed deeply, and sighed. He looked at the sky; there were no clouds. It would be a hot day. The sun was just peeking through the tops of the Douglas firs.
            A breath of wind came to pay a quick visit with the prince of the forest. Twigg raised his arms to acknowledge its passing. Content, the wind passed on.
            He wandered out into the deep grass, found a stand of fireweed, being worked by the B’s, apologized for disturbing their labors, and picked one of the stalks. It was the very spirit of summer in the meadow.
             He was heading back to Leely when he saw the red door open. There stood Leely with Koba in her arms.
            “Morning blessing, Dear Love,” Leely said in correct Saslingua. It came easily to her, and she was picking up a bit of it in passing. She wore a simple dress made of a fabric quite like cotton by the palace seamstresses. It was grassy green and unornamented. Her dark hair hung long around her shoulders. She smiled.
            “I bless thee,” he returned, likewise, then grinned. “Look, Leely, we’re home. They don’t have fireweed on Ord, do they?”    
            “I didn’t see any,” she said. She took the stalk of pink flowers, and handed Koba to his father. The child woke then and looked around at his mother and father, and the world all around him. Of course, he didn’t speak yet, but he never cried either. He was just old enough to hold his head up and focus well on his surroundings. Koba smiled.
            “What shall we do today?” asked Leely.
            “My father will come later, and we will go fishing or maybe hunting. There are no palace cooks for us here, my love,” said Twigg.
            “There are some nice things left from yesterday’s feast. We should eat,” said Leely.
            Their breakfast was made of rolls of rich bread, a sort of butter, berries, and a cup of that very light bubbly wine. All the fruits or Ord, Mak’s home planet.
            As they sat inside the Alder Tree House with the door left open so they could see the meadow outside, Leely said, “I’m so thankful to be back, Twigg. It was an adventure like no other, but I am eager to be truly your Fire Keeper.”
            “And so you shall,” said Twigg. “For you do all things well, and are full of wisdom.”
            Leely blushed, because praise was new to her.
            They took Koba out for a tour around the meadow, showing him each flower, each bush, and the Gifting Stump, until he was tired and needed to go back for a nap.
            Later in the morning, Ralph appeared accompanied by Bob and Berry. He carried a bag.
            Ralph stepped inside to see Leely and Koba, who was still sleeping in his little basket bed.
            “Shall we go fishing?” Ralph asked his son. “Ramona likes trout, even more than turkey or venison. Maybe Leely would like some trout too.”
            “Of course she would,” agreed Twigg.
            “Yes, I would!” said Leely.
            Berry and Bob were so happy to see their old playmate, that they head butted him over and over. They smiled their secret cat smiles, and their golden eyes glowed happily.
            When Ralph and Twigg had set off together, Leely was just considering whether she should take Koba to visit Ramona, when that lady, and Cherry, came to see them instead.
            Ralph and Twigg remembered to fetch some firewood for Leely, so that she could actually cook. Ralph, Ramona, and Cherry stayed for dinner.
            All in all, it was a perfect first day home.

🤍🌿🤍