Author’s Note: This is a short story, set in the same ‘ficverse’
as Missing in Action, and takes place about two years prior to the events
of MIA. I’ve included as many characters as I could that have endeared
themselves to myself and my fellow Suikofans. Some I managed to work in,
others I was forced to give a name cameo only, since I couldn’t feasibly
think of a way to get them to Iksay for the Harvest Festival.
Also, I’m honored to borrow Straya’s Ardeth and Jael, and
MercWanderer’s Rachel.
It is going to be a beautiful day tomorrow. I can tell by the sunset. The
sky is red, and when it’s red it is clear. Sadie will bless us with
good weather. That’s what the old women in town say. They told me that
they’ve never had rain on Harvest Days. They said that Sadie likes her
festival more than we do. I don’t know about that. I never asked her.
But I will take their word for it.
The party tomorrow will be exciting and I’m just happy to see it all
put together. I’m sitting on the front step to my house and watching
some of the men tend the meat on the pit fire. They are laughing and drinking.
I think that boar has been roasting for a day now. By tomorrow it will be
fully cooked. Mother said if they cook it that slow it would taste better.
I don’t really understand that, but I trust her.
The people working in the sunset are fun to watch. But they are not the reason
I’m out here tonight. I picked up a packed dirt ball and threw it, just
to see it explode into a cloud. Then Charlotte walked by and I tossed a big
one right at her feet. She’s the girl who lives a few doors down.
She’s always coming by and wanting to play. I don’t want to play
with her. Not because she’s a girl, but because she’s annoying.
“Ryan!” She screamed. “It’s not nice to throw dirt at
a lady!”
I laughed and then stuck my tongue out her. She hates that more than I hate
her screaming.
“You are disgusting!” She yelled.
I didn’t care if she thought I was disgusting. I thought she was a bother.
So I started to chase her. I think she likes being chased, so I picked up
some more dirt bombs and threw them at her as she ran in circles from me.
Oh, and she was still screaming.
And then…I heard it. My mother called me in and she sounded mad. She
was standing on the steps scowling at me. I stopped in my tracks and Charlotte
laughed. I wanted to throw another dirt bomb and hit her right in the back.
After curtseying to my mother, she ran off. I know she was happy that I got
in trouble.
I half-listened as my mother fussed at me about the way I treat Charlotte.
It’s all been said before and there’s no use in arguing. She’s
right. I should be nicer to girls. Father says that someday I’ll appreciate
them. I doubt that, if they’re anything like Charlotte.
When my mother was done blessing me out, she went inside and got some ears
of corn. I knew what was coming next. I was going to have to shuck them.
I hate doing that. It’s the worst job ever. I’d rather muck stalls
than do this, because it’s so boring and because knights have to care
for horses but they don’t shuck corn. I’m going to be a knight
so I have to learn those things, but she knows that I hate this so I’m
sure that’s why she makes me do it.
I heard the door close behind me as I was left with the corn. I grabbed an
ear and started to peel back the rough green layers. Even though I was mad,
I was happy that I got to stay outside. I wanted to be the first to greet
Father when he came home. He always came home for the Festival, even with
the war going on.
Three ears of corn later, and the little blond hairs from the ears all over
my shirt, I was still hopefully looking towards the town gate. The sun was
leaving us, and I knew my father wouldn’t travel at night if he didn’t
have to, so I was getting nervous.
Mother opened the door and let me back in. She took two ears of the corn
and put them in a pot. I guess Father wasn’t coming home after all.
Maybe she knew? I don’t think so, because she always tells us.
“Come on, Ryan,” she said, as I gave one last glimpse towards the
east. “It’s getting late and we still have to eat
dinner.”
“Yes, Mother.”
And then the door clicked closed.
We ate in silence. I knew Mother was nervous now, because every time a horse
would pass the house, she’d sit up a little straighter in the hopes
it would stop. But each time it happened, they never stopped.
She put Geoffrey to bed right after dinner, but let me stay up a little later.
I went to my room and picked up the small gifts I had made for Mother and
Father for Harvest. They weren’t much. Just little cards I made. I made
one for Geoff, too, but he can’t read so I didn’t write anything
in it.
I decided to wait and give her the card in the morning, even though we usually
gave presents the night before Harvest. Maybe Father is late because he is
busy buying her a really special present? Yes. I bet that’s what happened.
He probably had to go all the way to Vinay del Zexay to get it. Last year
he gave her a new pair of earrings. They must have been very expensive.
I went back downstairs and saw her looking out the window. I guess another
horse had passed. I asked her to tell me a story about when she was the Captain
of the Knights. She gave me a smile and told me it was too late and that
I needed to go to bed. She never likes to talk about that, I guess. She always
has an excuse. I have to get all the stories from Father and Uncle Borus.