[alaklondewen]

Memory of Tree's post

The rain suited May’s mood exactly. She sat outside the wagon, moody and silent as the cold rain soaked through her dress and petticoats and stockings. May was in what Henry called her “weird mood.” Periodically she got like this – sullen and silent, happy one moment, angry the next. As she sat there shivering and utterly miserable, May began to softly sing a non-sense ditty she had made up as a very little girl.

Plink, plunk-ity, plank,
The rain keeps falling down.
It drips and drops
And never ever stops
Until the sun comes back.
Plink, plunk-ity, plank!

Frigid water dripped down the back of her neck. She sighed drearily, then climbed up into the wagon to change into dry clothes. The Whitfoot children were supposed to be here any minute.

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Alak's post: Henry Chubb

When they pulled into the campsite that night, Henry and May took up the responsibility of their contractual obligations with the Whitfoots. Crispin showed a bit of an attitude toward Henry and would not talk to him, and the older boy was certain this was merely the beginning of an unfortunate relationship between himself and the Whitfoot son. The Chubb offspring and Crispin had volunteered to help with the bonfire (Alora was the exception as she was sleeping soundly in the wagon), so they were not present when the argument broke out between their parents. Now the four, the children and their guardians, lined a small log, silently observing the madness that had overtaken the adults.

Henry began to wonder whether he and May were the only sane one’s left and was soon getting tired and irritated, not to mention embarrassed, by his parents’ behavior. Glancing at the other end of their bench, he was surprised to see May with an expression of pure entertainment. Was she enjoying this? Shaking his head in amazement, he turned his focus from the dispute and tried to find something else to amuse him. Most of the other settlers were either watching the Whitfoot-Chubb match. A few were resting in their wagons, doing their best to mind their own business, but no one was doing anything exciting. Even the Boffins were relatively somber.

Henry sent a fleeting look over his shoulder toward the forest that loomed behind them. He sure wanted to check that creepy old place out. Looking around him, from his parents to the nearest adults and then to May, he decided if he was going to be able to do some exploring…the time was now.

“Hey, Crispin,” Henry nudged the soon-to-be adolescent trying to sound upbeat, as much as knew how to be upbeat anyway. The boy just looked at him without answering. “Do ya like to explore?” Crispin’s eyes widened. Henry had his attention now. “Wanna check out the forest?”

“Sure!” Crispin quickly agreed and hopped off the log.

“What are you doing?” May questioned them with a hint of suspicion in her voice.

“We’re just going to do some exploring,” Henry shrugged off his sister’s penetrating eyes. “No big deal, Sis. Wanna come?”

“I do!” Alora excitedly stood up on the log, jumped off, and grabbed her brother’s hand.

“Where are you going, Henry?” May was not letting them get away that easily.

“Just around the edge of the forest, that’s all. Come on, May…it’ll be fun.”

“Henry, you know that’s not a good idea. Mr. Whitfoot’d skin you alive if he found out you were taking his kids into that forest.”

“He’s not going to find out,” Henry said simply, throwing another look toward the adults. “You can come or not, Mayflower, but we’re going.” With that Henry grabbed Alora’s other hand, and the threesome quickly and quietly made their way into the forest.