Breaking the Moon

2: Questions

.^^ Max ^^

— Haven —

"You can bunk here, for tonight, we'll have something set up by tomorrow." Avery fell onto one of the two couches in the spacious room she'd led me to.

I blinked. "Wow... this isn't 'something set up'?"

"Nah, this is my room. I don't sleep here much, so I never asked for a bed." She explained.

"Ooh, a party scene in this little town?" I smiled, sitting on the opposite couch.

"Ha! We have a few bonfires a month, burn all the dead wood to keep the trees healthy, and there's usually alcohol. We distill our own whiskey, and sell it. You might have heard of 'Moon's Wish'?" She winked.

"Seriously? This little place in Oregon?" I laughed, letting that sink in.

"Yep. Everyone has some sort of job. I check the vats that we tan pelts in, and chew the skins to get them pliable enough for clothes or whatever." She took off her jacket, revealing a simple tank top underneath, and tossed it onto the back of the couch.

"Ew." I crinkled my nose, remembering the smell of a tanning vat.

"You tanned furs before?" She asked lazily, kicking her feet up.

"Used to, all the time. My dad is a bit of a survivalist wannabe. Taught me all sorts of stuff, took me hunting, fishing, everything." I smiled at the thoughts.

She nodded. "Sounds fun. We learn all that stuff here for... well, survival. Having someplace to go if the fire wouldn't start sounds fun."

"Ha! As if. My father wouldn't give up on anything, ever. I remember this one time, we were in the mountains in Virginia, middle of nowhere, and it's raining like there's a bucket over our heads, all the wood is entirely fireproofed, and we literally built a tent made of our jackets over this Fire Pit so we could have a little warmth... it was great." I laughed.

She smiled warmly. "It does sound great. So, you're wandering, huh? Always wanted to do that... just go somewhere, anywhere. I'd always come home, because this is where my family is, but the freedom of just going..."

I grinned. "It's great, yeah... lonely, sometimes, but you get to see the most beautiful things. I've been from the Grand Canyon to Niagara Falls, to the Everglades, all in that truck. Seen all the sights, done all the touristy stuff... Home is always better, though." I nodded, and laid down, looking up at the ceiling.

"Sorry about your truck. I'm sure we'll have it fixed up soon. Oliver is good at what he does."

"Which is apparently everything, as well as whatever keeps him feeling young enough to drag your giant of a father around by his ear." I snorted.

She laughed, and stood, poking some embers in the fireplace, and throwing a small log in. "Yeah... even I don't have the answer to that one. He's... special. He always has been."

I nodded. "I understand."

She sat down, and stared at me for a second, then sighed. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Darlin' I'm laying on your bed. Fire away." I laughed at the absurdity of the question.

She chuckled. "True... can I ask who your mother was? You haven't mentioned her, and I didn't want to mess with old memories, but my curiosity eats at me if I don't ask questions."

"Ah. Not a bad question, don't worry. My mother left me on my father's land when I was two months old. No blanket, no note, no name, or anything. He was a single man, he lived quietly in north Texas, little ranch, barely 20 Acres. He raised pigs, breeding stock for the local butchers." I answered easily.