He was Almost Absorbed by the System

Chapter Forty Seven - Growing From Dusk to Dawn

"Mama!  Wiwo run way agin!"

"Oh no you don't, young man!"

Willow was grabbed by the neck of his vest and pulled back into the house, where he glared at Corn for telling on him.  The boy looked at him with two large innocent green eyes, before playing with the doll Willow had carved for him not so long ago.  "But mum...!" Willow wailed, stretching the words out as if they would have more of an impact.  His mother was not moved. 

"Chores," his mother told him, handing him the broom, before rushing to the nursery where her month old twin daughters were crying pitifully.  Willow swept at the debris upon the floor without enthusiasm, with heavy sighs. 

"I don't know what all of your noise is for," his sister, Fern began to lecture, as she cleaned their bowls and plates in the stone heated water.  "I've been helping mum around this place for years now and I think you have gotten off lightly until now.  If anything, mum is still too soft on you!"  She turned to see how her brother was reacting to her words, only to see that Willow had vanished, the broom left against the wall by the entrance.  Corn shook his small head and returned his attention to his toy.

It was dusk, the sky alight with its usual fire, but Willow did not head for the caves as the boys had discovered a better place to meet.  Upon the other side of the lake, Willow had discovered a small dark cave, nearly hidden by the foliage, but had forgotten about it not long after.  But that week, he had Slate had almost been caught during a dusk visit by the trading wagon guards.  They had agreed that they needed to find somewhere else to meet and Willow had taken him to the lake and that cave.  Slate had been lucky to discover that though the tunnels it led to were twisty and tight, he could find his way home from there and so the two boys had their new haven.

There were a few small animals still lingering at the lake; a great eared gazelle, it's abundant lobes flickering at the slightest of sounds, a family of wading birds enjoying the peaceful moment before sunset and one small, grey boy, sheltered in the shadows of the lakeside cave. He wore the cloth about his eyes for now, resting them from the light which was still too bright for them at this point and he quietly listened to the song birds fading tunes before he heard a loud splash nearby.

Startled, he looked towards the lake, where the gazelle cried out and fled and the waders took to the sky. The water surface rippled and bubbled before a shock of red hair burst from it. "Hahaha!" Willow laughed as he paddled towards the cave.

"Must you always?" Slate complained.

Willow tilted his head for a moment and replied; "yes!" Slate sighed but grinned, the forest boy's smile was too infectious. "You should join me!"

"No, I told you, that water is too cold!" Slate involuntarily shuddered. But a familiar twinkle had already entered those jade eyes and despite the grey child's quick retreat, found himself tugged backwards to fall into the lake's sudden depths. "Ahhh!" he screamed, before paddling quickly to dry land. Willow was rolling upon the grasses in fits of giggles as the dripping wet boy climbed out of the water. Slate removed his soaked tunic and threw it at the other boy. It landed on Willow's head, but that just made him chuckle harder. Slate could not remain angered for long and joined the other boy in laughter.

****

Upon his flat stomach, lying in the long grasses which sheltered the cave's entrance, the boy deftly wove the long stalk of the small blue flower into his arrangement, before plucking a nearby daisy between green fingers. The boy was mostly naked, having enjoyed a quick swim not long before and his damp clothes once more hung from branches nearby.

Slate felt as if he should be used to seeing his friend like this, but on occasions, he still felt the heat rise in his cheeks, turning his grey skin to nearly black. "Sorry, I am late!" He called out from the shadows of the cave before leaving the shelter. The dusk light had become tolerable allowing him sometime to play outside with his friend.