In His Name

Chapter 59 - Reading lesson

The moon is bright and full tonight. The far away tops of the tall evergreens are well coated in the soft silvery light. But the forest floor is dark and shadowed because so little of the moon's glow is making it through the tree's thick canopies. The gluttonous plants gobbling up all the light for themselves. Rather rude of them if you ask Rosco who is still quite troubled by his interaction with Kenneth. He stumbles aimlessly through the underbrush, his hands waving around him in automatic circles to keep him from walking face first into any trees. His thoughts are swirling in his head, bleak and dangerous, trapping him in the sort of downward currant he's unable to escape from alone. His brain has managed to convince him that being the single beacon of brightness in this densely packed forest would be wrong somehow. Like it would be disrespectful for him to try to be the bright spot in anything. And so, his lamp, which would solve his tree = face problem, hangs from his wrist, unlit.

"There you are," Hayden almost sings, his low voice light with happiness.

Rosco's head snaps up from his feet to find Hayden leisurely leaning against a tree trunk, surrounded by a swarm of fireflies. Each tiny roaming light, casting Hayden in a perfectly choreographed dance of light and shadows. The bugs seem to brighten at his words, fueled by the god's apparent excitement. Awestruck, Rosco's entire world comes to a halt, drinking in the sight before him. In a smooth yet powerful motion, Hayden pushes away from the truck of the tree, closing the distance between them. The fireflies go out ahead of the god, to gather themselves around the boy, dressing him in the halo that had been Hayden's.

"I sent them out to guide you here, but they just returned, complaining you had yet to enter the forest," his god's near white eyes carefully wandering the boy's shape, "Why are you walking in the dark?" Hayden asks with a tilt of his head, "And how did you manage to find me?"

"I just followed the pull," Rosco answers honestly, still feeling dazed. The whole way here, his thoughts had been trapped in a fog that all too suddenly lifted, excessively heightening every sensation. The evening wind blowing through the trees, is cold against his skin and deafeningly loud in his ears. The subtle glow of the fireflies, is brighter than the sun, almost blinding to his eyes. And the comforting scent of summer rains is flooding his nose, thoroughly masking every other smell of the forest.

"Pull?" Hayden questions, tapping his fingers against the lamp, tuning it on. Rosco blinks back against the sudden onslaught of light, expecting the added illumination to be painful to his oddly sensitive eyes. But the lamp actually improves the situation, bringing everything back down to normal. The wind is still blowing, but not quite so loudly. The fireflies are still buzzing, but the light scattered them throughout the trees, and Hayden's personal scent of rain has softened to a point Rosco laments its loss. The boy almost catches himself leaning forward to chase it against Hayden's chest.

Rosco rocks back on his heels, troubled by how often he is unconsciously leaning into Hayden lately, "I'm sorry, what?" he asks, realizing his god is still waiting for an answer to a forgotten question.

Hayden's eyes crinkle in his lipless smile and Rosco feels the pull yank against him, almost physically dragging him forward.

"I asked about this 'pull' you spoke of?" His god reminds gently.

"Oh," the boy's free hand rises to press against his chest, as if to hold his own body in place, "I don't know really?" glancing up to meet his god's eyes, "I assumed it was something you were doing?"

Hayden's expression falls slightly, eyes drifting up, looking inside himself, "I don't think so?" he hums softly, "But I have been having some strange thoughts of late," mulling over his words, "No, not so much strange, as unexpected," He amends, fixing his gaze back on the boy, "When did you first notice this 'pull'?"

Rosco shrugs, genuinely unsure, "I don't know, but I have noticed it a lot more often since we left your sisters temple? Not that that was the first time, but I don't remember exactly when the first time was? Sometimes, it's really soft and I only realize it was happening because it stopped. I wasn't even really paying attention to it this time I was just kinda lost in my own head and it led me straight to you anyway," eyes widening slightly, "Oh gods, I totally just walked off into the forest in the dark with no idea where I am or where I was going! I could have gotten really lost! Not that you wouldn't have come to find me eventually, but it would have made my night way more uncomfortable." Wrinkling his nose at the thought.

Hayden's smile blooms in amusement, "I was about to come looking for you anyway," dismissing the worry. "But I regret to inform you, I do not know why you feel a pull or even what it might be. It seems every time I start to relax, you throw me another mystery. I am starting to believe I will never solve them all." Shaking his head, "In any case, it's time for us to begin your lesson or we will never make any progress," motioning for the boy to sit. "Though I must admit to you, I have never attempted to teach anyone to read before."

"Really?" Rosco asks, settling in across from Hayden, positioning his lamp to fit them both in its circle of dancing shadows, "who taught the first people then?"

Hayden beams like a proud parent, "Human's actually formed their written languages themselves. Not even the spirits used writings until the humans established theirs. Mother, Gia and I have symbols of sorts, but it is not quite the same and I have certainly never tried to teach someone how to make or understand them, so this will be a learning experience for the both of us." Drawing a simple shape in the dirt with a finger, "honestly, I find your language clunky and inaccurate," glaring at the ground, "It's excessively difficult to use and understand properly. I am always impressed any of you succeed at communicating effectively at all."

"Sorry?"

Hayden looks up, confused, "it's hardly your fault?" Pointing back down at the shape, "Anyway, my research has suggested the best way to start is to teach you your alphabet."

"Research?" the boy questions, trying to mimic the shape himself.

Hayden hums a noise of confirmation, scattering the dirt and indicating he should try again. "I watched many people teaching their children and read a few books on the subject."

Rosco wrinkles his nose and tries again, "When have you had time to do all that?" he asks, frowning at his second attempt and starting his third, "You've been with me almost all day?"

"I have been planning this for some time now," Hayden admits, "I have only felt prepared to make the offer as of yesterday. I did not wish to promise to teach you if I was not up to the task," frowning slightly, "Like I said, I find your language difficult."

The boy's hand veers completely off path, ruining the shape he was trying to make. His eyes flick up to Hayden's, unbothered by his failing with the letter, "How long?" he asks quietly.

"Since you first told me that you could not," His god answers plainly.

Rosco's cheeks burn with the warmth filling his chest. Embarrassment weighs down his face, dropping his gaze back into the dirt. He hears the gentle rustle of Hayden's movement and then his god's hand fits around his own, guiding him through the prosses of forming the shape correctly. Hayden's breath of satisfaction brushes over Rosco's ear, sending shivers down his spine. From where Hayden is sat, pressed so close against him, Rosco has a perfect view of him and His god's eyes are firmly fixed on the ground, so Rosco takes the opportunity to stare while Hayden guides him through the next shape and all the ones following it.

When Hayden deems the lesson completed and sends Rosco back to bed, the boy can't remember a single one of the letters he'd been shown, their names or how to draw them. He does, however, feel that he might now be an expert on how well Hayden's hands fits over his own. Or how his smaller size seems exactly suited to sitting under Hayden's arm. Or the rhythms of his breathing and the expression of his face lost in concentration. And the boy is certainly never going to forget how safe and comfortable he felt pressed into Hayden's side.

Rosco slips into his blankets, too drunk on excitement and warm jitters to feel any guilt for basically ignoring all of his first lesson, even though he keeps trying to tell himself that he should.

Tansy sleepily makes their way to Rosco's side from where they had been dozing with Kenneth. The warm, dopy smile plastered over their face rivaling Rosco's. They take one look at each other and do their best to stifle their giggles before succumbing to sleep.