Spindle Wood (COMPLETED)

Chapter 25

"Kid, where are you going?"

Pat looked up from lacing his boots. "Flower picking." He said, focusing his attention back on his shoes. "Papa and Dada said I can go outside now. On my own."

"I know, they told me." Remus said. "Repeatedly."

"So, I'm going to go out flower picking." Pat said, bounding up and grabbing a small basket from beside the window. "Papa says that there's still forget-me-nots this time of year." Pat grinned. "I'm going to go find some if it kills me."

"Maybe not if it kills you." Remus said. Pat giggled. He hesitated, seeming to mull something over in his mind, before running over to Remus and hugging him tight.

"Hey, what's that for?" Remus asked. He hugged Pat back. "Not that I'm complaining."

"I don't know." Pat said. "Just wanted to."

Remus laughed fondly. "When did you have time to grow up?" He asked quietly. Pat let him go and stepped back, grinning. He grabbed his basket and Remus could see he was excited.

"Have fun." He said. "Just don't go too far."

"And don't speak to strangers." Pat finished. "I know. I'll be careful, bye." Remus raised a hand in a half-wave as Pat left.

"Hey, hey, Logan! Logan!" Pat called as he ran down to the river. His basket was full of forget-me-nots and he couldn't wait to give some to his friend. "Logan, Logan! Look what I got!"

Logan looked around at his voice. Almost at the sight of him, it seemed, his posture seemed to relax slightly.

"Look, look, look!" Pat held his basket out in front of him proudly. "Forget-me-nots and a lot of them!"

"That's wonderful." Logan said. Pat grinned and gave one of the flowers to Logan. "Oh, I couldn't possibly-"

"No, I picked them for you." Pat said. He held the forget-me-not out towards Logan. "Well, mostly for me- but I want to give you one. Cause it's nice to give your friends things."

Hesitantly, Logan took the flower, a soft sort of smile spreading over his face. "Friends." He murmured to himself. "Thank you, Pat."

Pat grinned and shrugged. "It's no problem. I got loads for myself. I'm gonna wheedle some jugs from Uncle Remus and have a whole display of forget-me-nots."

Logan tucked the flower behind his ear for safe-keeping. "That's sounds much more worth-while than what I have to do."

"What's wrong?" Pat asked. He cocked his head to the side. "What d'you have to do?"

"Every week, me and my brother have to have our portraits painted."

"That sounds fun, though." Pat said. "I'd quite like to have a portrait painted." He grinned at Logan. "There's something fun about it."

"Yes, maybe." Logan conceded. "But it's actually dreadfully boring." He sighed and threw himself down against a tree, leaning back against it. "Especially when the painter's half blind!"

Pat tried to smother his giggles and sat down next to Logan. Logan glanced over at him. "It sounds awfully petty, doesn't it?" He asked.

Pat shrugged. "A little, yeah. But if it's the only issue you ever really know then..." He trailed off into another shrug.

Logan let out a little laugh. "You know, for someone who self-proclaimedly lives alone in the woods, you know an awful lot."

Pat shrugged again. "I guess it's just how I've been brought up." He said. "Everyone I live with is actually really smart, in their own ways. And when you grow up around all those different types of intelligence..."

"You sort of absorb it into yourself and your learning?" Logan finished as Pat trailed off. Pat nodded.

"Yeah, I guess." He said. A small giggle escaped him. "See? You know an awful lot too."

"I never said I didn't," Logan said, "but it's to be expected, I guess. I've had all the doors to the world opened for me before I even learnt how to read. There is nothing to do but learn and learn how to help open those doors for others."

Pat grinned and nudged Logan with his shoulder. "You're really cool." He said. "Out of everyone I've met - which is not a lot of people - you're the coolest."

Logan tried to smother how big his smile grew at this. "Thank you, Pat." He hesitated. "You're cool too." Pat laughed.

They're friends and it's cute.
Bye,
Blaize