wonder-through-the-yarrow

[wonder-through-the-yarrow]

Hello, everyone! I have started a Yaelorke story call "Seeker, Do You Ever Come To Wonder," and I'm posting it on Tumblr, AO3, and Wattpad. The lark travel town to town performing and developing. The story is made up of mostly headcanons. It currently has 3 chapters and could use some love. Please give it a read and tell me what you think! If you have any suggestions or requests, please comment.

Here's a sneak peak:

Cole looked at Clementine and they made eye contact. Clementine gave an encouraging smile and they began to sing. The melody floated through the village, sweet notes left Cole’s instrument.

“Harpy Hare

Where have you buried all your children?

Tell me so I say”

[wonder-through-the-yarrow]

Chapter 3

It wasn’t until the sun was high in the sky that the lark made it to Sprototstan. The market was buzzing with noise and the crowd moved with swiftness. The children put on their masks and made their way to a small corner. Cole held tightly to his Guitarlele as they closed their eyes, took a deep breath to calm themself, and strummed their strings.

The bustling crowd stopped and stared at the strangers. It was an odd sight to see, one child wearing a hare mask, one with a goat mask, another with a moose one, and the smallest with some sort of wooden mask.

It was routine at this point, but Cole still felt nervous every time. One: get their attention. “Ladies and gentlemen!” he called with all the confidence they could muster. Two: draw them in. “Prepare yourselves! For you are about to hear a story.” Another strum of the strings. “A tale, if you will.” The villagers left their positions and walked to the children in curiosity. Three: perform.

Cole looked at Clementine and they made eye contact. Clementine gave an encouraging smile and they began to sing. The melody floated through the village, sweet notes left Cole’s instrument.

“Harpy Hare

Where have you buried all your children?

Tell me so I say”

The crowd watched in wonder as the lyrics made no sense to them, yet drew them deeper.

“All the arrows that you've stolen

Split in half, now bum and broken

Like your heart that was so eager to be hid

You can't keep them all caged

They will fight and run away

Mother, tell me so I say”

Kingsley began to dance to the tone, swaying and spinning about. The performance reminded the villagers of a simpler time. They were reminded of what it was like to be a child full of wonder, to look at the world in awe.

“She can't keep them all caged

They'll be far and fly away

Mother, tell me you will stay

We'll be far and fly away”

As the last note was played, the crowd erupted into cheers. Clapping and praising, many tossed coins to the children in appreciation.

Four: bow. All four children took each other’s hands. Clementine was so excited at their success, that they gained a bit of confidence. When Cole reached for their hand, Clementine intertwined their fingers. Cole, noticing this, could be seen with a blush across their face; Clementine summed it up to the nervousness.

The lark lifted their arms, hands still clenched and gave a grand bow.

[wonder-through-the-yarrow]

Chapter 2

It would take one and a half days to get to Sprototstan. As the children hiked the trail through the forest, they did their best to entertain themselves. Kingsley would run and jump, chase butterflies, and catch crickets. Perrine was in charge of the map and navigation, they also enjoyed drawing the landscapes. Clementine would pick flowers and make flower crowns for the group, while Cole strummed their guitalele.

It wasn’t long till Kingsley saw something in the distance and ran full speed towards it.

“Kingsley!” the others shouted and ran after him. Perrine, followed by Clementine and Cole, ran off the trail, through the trees, jumping over logs and large rocks, after Kingsley.

When they finally caught up to Kingsley, they were standing still, looking out into the distance in awe. Clemmie walked to where he stood and saw what had them in a trance.

A beautiful scene lay before them. A waterfall clashed with a lovely stream, its water as clear as glass. Connected was a shore with large rocks scattered around the edge. Birds flew through the sky and landed in the trees, singing a sweet melody. If you looked closely, you would notice shimmering -

“Fish!” Kingsley ran towards them, throwing off their cloak in the process, and jumped into the water.

“Oh, heavens! Kingsley!” Perrine ran after them.

Clementine had never seen such a beautiful sight. No, not the stream, but Cole, standing in the sunlight, looking into the brook with such happiness in their eyes. Every day their feelings grew stronger for the shy bard. Every time he sent a small smile their way, played with their hair, held their hand for comfort, or glanced their way while performing, their heart could barely take the overwhelming warmth it brought them.

“Cole?” Clementine reached out their hand. “Would you like to go for a swim?”

Cole looked at them with doe eyes and hesitated to respond. “W-what if there’s s-something in there? Like a river monster?”

“Oh, Cole. You’re just paranoid.” Clementine took their hand in hers. “Nothing can hurt you when you’re with us. We’re your family, we protect each other. There’s no need for fear.” Clementine gave them a gentle smile and they followed her to the stream.

They all decided that a quick swim would be nice, but only if Kingsley would stop trying to catch the fish. After removing some of their clothing, they each got in the water. Clementine helped Cole get comfortable, Kingsley jumped and splashed, and Perrine floated around on their back.

Perrine grabbed what little soap they had left from their bag and snuck up behind Kingsley. They quickly grabbed the child and started scrubbing its skin.

Kingsley screamed and kicked, but Perrine’s grip was strong. “Hey, Stop it! Let me go!”

“No! You are getting a bath, whether you like it or not!” Perrine insisted.

Kingsley struggled but soon accepted their fate. They each had a turn with the soap, washing, scrubbing, and playing until the sun started to set.

“Let's camp for the night,” Clementine suggested. “The wolves come out when the sun goes down. That wouldn’t be a very joyful situation.”

They laid their wet clothes on tree branches to dry and started a fire. Then, they sat near and ate dinner, which consisted of dry meat and berries. They were running low on many things and needed to get to the market no later than tomorrow.

“I saw another berry bush down the stream. We can eat those for breakfast if they're ripe.” Perrine always thought two steps ahead. Always the mature one, always looking out for everyone else.

“Sounds wonderful!” Clemmie said in a soft, cheery tone. Clementine was an easily excited person. You could tell them one small good thing and they’d turn to smiles, but they always kept a soft tone, especially around Cole.

The lark pulled out their blankets and lay on the hard ground. Settling, they looked up at the night sky, watching the stars twinkle. Kingsley, of course, was the first to fall asleep, Perrine following after them. Clementine always stayed up a bit longer to keep Cole company.

Clemmie turned on their side and laid their head on Cole’s shoulder. “Cole?”

“Yes, Clemmie.” Cole softly whispered.

“I’m happy. I wasn’t before I met you all, but now I am. Thank you.” With that, Clementine drifted off to sleep, a small smile played on their face.

Cole was stunned. He’d known a bit about Clementine’s upbringing, but not all of it. They all had their own untold stories.

Cole reached over and ran their thumb over Clemmie’s cheek. “I’m happy,too . . . you make me happy.” they whispered, glad that Clemmie was asleep so as not to hear it. They held Clementine’s hand and looked up to the heaven, silently thanking anyone who would listen for their small family.

[wonder-through-the-yarrow]

Chapter 1

The sun rose from the east and the dew sparkled in the light, four children can be found sprawled across the soft, grassy ground of the meadow. The youngest, skin tanned and hair in brown curls, lay with their limbs spread and mouth ajar, a little snore slipping out. The eldest sat braiding their dark hair into two lovely braids, and watching over the sleeping children. The second oldest lay in peaceful sleep, blond hair spread across their face, warmed from the heat of the second youngest who held onto the other in their sleep. Clementine had a habit of clinging to Cole when they slept, their blond curls framing their freckled cheeks.

Perrine, being the first to awake, walked to the stream to fill the water canteens. When returning, they used their foot to gently poke Kingsley’s side. Kingsley simply pushed the foot away and turned onto his side. Annoyed, Perrine opened one of the canteens and poured a small amount of water on Kingsley’s face. Kingsley quickly sat up, water dripping down his wild hair.

“Good, you’re awake,” Perrine said in a light tone, as if they didn’t just soak Kingsley’s head, and walked to the dead fire.

Kingsley looked up at Perrine with a frustrated pout. “Why do you always wake me up first?” he called after them.

Perrine, not bothering to look back at him, responded, “Because, you’re the first to fall asleep. Therefore, you get to help me pack up camp. Besides, Cole has difficulty sleeping at night and Clementine is no fun when she’s tired. You, on the other hand, have the energy of a monkey on its sixth cup of coffee.”

“Ugh, fine.” Kingsley wasn’t actually upset about being woken, they just pretended. Perrine liked to take care of Kingsley and that made him feel special, though they’d never admit it. If Perrine asked him to climb the tallest mountain, they would do it.

Clementine was the third to awake. Sitting up, and taking a big stretch, they look to their side to find Cole still asleep. It brought a small smile to Clementine’s face.

Afterward, Clementine starts their morning routine. The other three knew not to interrupt her routine, especially if she hadn’t slept well the night before. They went down to the stream to wash up and clean their face. Then, they combed their hair, adding just a bit of oil to keep the curls smooth. Next on the list was to catch Kingsley and do the same for them.

As Clementine was chasing Kingsley, Cole awoke from their slumber. As they blinked in the sunlight, they picked the grass from their clothing.

“Good morrow, Cole.” Perrine greeted him while preparing breakfast. “How was your sleep?”

“Good morrow,” he said, groggily. “I can’t say it was the best, but the soft light of the stars helped a lot.” his voice turned into a whisper, “and Clemmie.”

Perrine, barely hearing the last bit, gave them a knowing smile. “I see. Well, I suppose it could be worse.”

Cole’s face flushed, knowing Perrine knew his secret. “It’s n-not like t-that, Perrine,” he uttered. His stutter gives away their anxiousness.

“Well, whatever it is, it’s working. You look good, well rested. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you this healthy.” Perrine has always worried about Cole. Their insomnia makes it almost impossible for them to function properly some days. Ever since Clementine joined their little band, Cole has started to come out of his shell, talking more, sleeping better, etc. Clementine was good for Cole and Perrine was happy for it.

Once Clementine had tamed the beast that was Kingsley’s hair, they all sat down for breakfast. They ate and conversed about anything and everything, from their dreams to the sight of stars shooting across the sky the night before.

“Okie dokie, Cole,” Kingsley suddenly shouted, making Cole jump. “What town are we traveling to now?” The rest of the group looked towards Cole for the answer.

“I . . . suppose we could start toward Sprototstan. I hear the villagers are very welcoming.” Cole nervously replied.

“I’ve also heard that the market is splendid,” Clementine added. “We are running low on food and some more soap wouldn’t hurt.”

“Yes, we are low on supplies, aren’t we?” Perrine acknowledged.

“Yay! A new quest!” Kingsley exclaimed, excited.

“No, not a quest, Kingsley. Simple a small tour, Which means absolutely no lolly-gagging,” said Perrine strictly.

The wind blew through the tall grass as the children packed up camp and headed for the trail into the woods, headed for a new town, a new audience.