summer

Summer days rarely were as insufferable as winter days in the fair city of Ondolinde, but they still happened. Particularly that day, where Anar hit the city with the brightest rays seen that year, and for once the winds decided to blow in the opposite direction from the valley, making it worse. It was unusual and Sinilatamo wished he had remained in the cool confines of his house. Instead, he let his betrothed drag him for a stroll, as she claimed that he would otherwise become "lethargic".

There’s a lovely patch by the brook
full of flowers and grass so green
where I love to sit down with a good book
dreaming of places I have never seen

As I slip my bare feet into the shallow waters of Halecatch Lake, I breathe out a sigh of relief. The waves that lap at my ankles pick up the hem of my dress, muddied from where I had been kneeling at the shore only a few minutes before. I had come down to the lake to escape the busyness of Bree-Town, but also because my painting smock was in a desperate need for a wash and Marsie had refused to do it with the rest of the laundry anymore.

The young girl sat under her tree, parchment on her lap, Cat taking a nap next to her. Syllea’s own eyes were shut as she gripped the pen in her hand. The breeze blew across her, and her long brown hair flowed behind her. It was times like these where the teenager looked like a princess, instead of the orphaned girl she truly was; her hair flowed like a chocolate river, her skin glistened in the sunlight, her small smile shining with love and kindness. The girl opened her bright, emerald green eyes and looked around.

When summertime fell on the small hamlet of Archet, so did a worsening of Diane's health. Though she did her best to hide it from her husband and her daughter, Odelynne noticed.