Harvest had arrived and all around people were busy tending to their fields and gathering the crops they'd grown, preparing and storing much of it for winter.
Today the weather was calm and the left over warmth from summer had a few turn lazy to lay back and enjoy, knowing that it would be months before such warmth could be enjoyed again.
"Rowan!" Rîlhel yelled from the top of her little lungs as she rushed through the field "Rowan!"
The man stirred from his nap at the call of his name. It had been years since the nickname had been given but even now he found it odd to hear but at the same time pleasant, it was not only her that called him this anymore. He remained quiet and turned to look out into the field to see where a small patch of copper poked out from the tall grass, the girl sputtering and giggling while she made her way through the maze she had found herself in.
Rîlhel hopped out of the field and with a huff looked behind herself, triumphant having managed her way through the tall field of grass. The soft grey eyes lit up once she spotted the man she was looking for, sat at the top of a nearby hill with his back leant against some barrels of hay.
"Rowan!" Rîlhel called again, her little legs sprinting her forward to climb the hill. He watched her in amusement "What did you do now?" he came to question when the girl was near enough to hear.
Rîlhel did not stop to answer and instead threw herself into his lap once she'd reach the top of the hill, tired after the long run and climb. The man winced and his body contorted awkwardly as the young girl's knee struck a sensitive area as she threw herself on. He groaned painfully and looped an arm around the girl to adjust her choice of seating "What have I told you about doing that... You aren't as small as you once were." He grunted and leant back again, eyes shutting as he waited for the pain to wash over.
Rîlhel giggled and lazily leant back to rest against her uncle's chest, staring out over the field she had managed to get her way through. "I'm going to hide here with you"
He dragged his hand down his face and then rested it around the girl who'd made herself comfortable, the arm kept around her to make certain she would not fall and go tumbling down the hill "Yeah?" He muttered in turn "Managed to make things hard for your mother again?"
"I did not!" Rîlhel protested craning her head to look up at him, her small hand coming up to pinch one of the braided prongs that dangled from his chin. "Then what did you do?" he pressed the question, grunting and tilting his head back to try and escape the girl's grip.
"The cat was dirty!" Rîlhel answered defensively, her uncle already finding himself amused. "And?" he added looking down at her.
"And I filled the tub with water and was going to wash him but he jumped out and tipped the bath over! The water went everywhere!" Rîlhel pouted and slumped back against him, her small arms crossing over her chest "Mommy got mad"
He tried his best not to laugh as the image moved through his head and it wasn't long after he could hear the distant calling of his sister looking for the girl.
He planted a hand on top of her head, giving her copper locks a playful ruffle and leant back to relax again, not too bothered about her mishap "Then we'll hide here until supper" he mused tugging one hand behind his head while the other remained over the girl in a protective manner.
The pair enjoyed a moment of silence that was only interrupted by the distant calls of Glîrel before Rîlhel spoke up again, some fright finding her voice "The man came by again."
Her uncle's feature's darkened and his eyes opened to peer down at her "What did he do?" he questioned sternly.
"Stood there but then daddy told him to go away and he did." Rîlhel answered looking up at her uncle then out over the field again.
"Do you remember what I told you?" He asked, watching her meaningly.
"Don't talk to him again." Rîlhel answered, her head tilting to look up at her uncle "Why?"
With a grunt his arm tightened around her and with a shift he pushed to his feet with the girl dangling in his grip and giggling. "Because he isn't the same man we once knew." He explained briefly and began to make his way down the hill "Come on. Time to go home."
