[Memory of Trees]

May was wandering through their cozy little house back in Bree, letting the comfortable feeling of home seep into her bones. Her parents had decided to turn back after all! May sighed dreamily. Everything was exactly as it should be – the furniture, the warm, clean smell of the cottage, even the shadows below the windows were just how she had known them all her life. May stepped out the door and into the radiant sunshine. She knelt down my the little flower garden by the front of the house, and cupped the blossom of a smiling daffodil in her hands, drawing it close to her eager face. May breathed in deep the fragrant aroma of… mushrooms? And suddenly the pretty little flower turned into stick and poked her hard in the side. May yelped in surprise as the stick hit her again, harder!

May jerked awake, her fingers closing instinctively around the stick. Both eyes popped open, and she was staring into Henry’s cheeky face. “Oh, good,” he said, smiling impishly. “You’re awake!”

May sat up on the bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Yes, I’m awake, little brother,” May said, her voice dripping with syrupy sarcasm. “And you, my friend, are going to pay very, very dearly for it!” She jerked the cane away from him and leapt from the bed with a wild cry.

Henry jumped back and took off running with May in hot pursuit. “Get back here, you little rogue!” she yelled playfully, brandishing the stick with a dramatically comic air. Henry gave a whoop and bounded off the back of the wagon. May was right on his heels, roaring outrageous threats as she chased him around the wagon.

As they rounded the other side of the wagon, Henry ran smack into the sleeping Grandpa Fordo, or Forgo, as May called him. May crashed headlong into her brother, and they both tumbled breathlessly to the ground. “Eh? What’s this?” said Fordo crankily. “What’re you doing with my cane, May? Here, give that back!” Their grandfather snatched the gnarled stick away from his disheveled granddaughter. “Now what’s this all about?” he demanded, squinting fiercely at the two of them.

May tried to explain between fits of giggles. “Well, you see… haha… Henry… oh hoho… he was chasing me… whooohahaha… or rather I… haha… was chasing him… hehehe… but he… poked me… up!” At this point both May and Henry dissolved in a helpless laughter so contagious that even Grandpa Forgo couldn’t resist a small smile.

“Ah, well,” he said finally. “I suppose you two had best run along. But no more of this dashing about like headless chickens! Leave an old man to his rest.”

“Okay, Grandpa,” May replied, hauling Henry to his feet. “Sorry abou that!” As they walked away from the old man, May felt something cool and hard against her leg. She reached into her apron pocket and pulled out the coins her father had given her a few days ago. “Oh, yeah!” She grabbed Henry’s arm, pulling him to a stop. “I keep forgetting. Here, half’s yours!”

Henry’s eyes grew wide as three bright copper coins dropped into his outstretched palm. “Whoa! Where’d you get these, May?”

“Silly! It’s not like I stole them or anything. Daddy gave them to me. Said we could spend them however we like. I plan to save mine, along with whatever I earn babysitting those Whitfoot children.”

“You’re going to do it, then?” Henry asked.

“You know I am - I already told Daddy that. You were there!”

Henry grinned. “I know. I just wasn’t sure if you just said yes, or if you really meant yes, if you know what I mean.” He paused and frowned up at her. “I surprised that you would want to work for the Whitfoots, I guess.”

May took the time to inspect her shoe before answering. “I suppose I don’t, not really. But it’s okay to work for them, because they’re paying us, so it’s not as if we’re their servants or anything.” She stopped, her eyes scanning the horizon. “Besides, I need the money,” she added abruptly, eyes still on the sky.

“For what?” Henry said incredulously.

“Oh, I’ve got a few plans,” May replied vaguely, and set off at a brisk walk again. “So, when do you think we’ll be going into that big old forest ?” she inquired, changing the subject.