Farmers Respite (As the Lone Bird Sings)

Prerequisite: Little and Big Hurdles

The fire crackles and snaps, weaving the sounds of the forest into a captivating melody, the soft breaths of Meadowlark beside you syncing perfectly with the howling wind and chirping crickets. Dusk had begun to set during your time of rest, and it was clear the exhaustion of your day had begun to catch up with the both of you.

“You know,” Meadowlark starts, eyes still closed and a soft smile gracing her face, “I’m happy I decided to invite you.”

“I’m happy you invited me too,” You hum, taking another bite out of your homemade granola bar.

“Good~” She coos, tilting her head to glance up at you, her eyes sparkling with warmth.

Perhaps… Now’s the time to ask what has been bothering her this whole time? You think to yourself, stealing a glance at her peaceful, inquisitive gaze. She seems to be feeling better now, but I’m unsure if that’s better or worse…

As you lose yourself in thought, she twists her face into a curious smirk as she notices you staring at her.

Ah, I better ask. It’d be awkward if I don’t!

“Meadowlark,” You start, pulling your gaze back to the fire. “You were pretty shaken up all day today… I know you tried to hide it, but it was pretty easy to notice.”

You glance at her just for a moment. Quick enough to see the look of worry settle once again.

“If I can ask… What’s been bothering you so much?”

“Ah…” She offers a faint smile. “So you noticed? I’ve never been good at hiding those things, hehe.”

She pauses again for a moment before starting once more.

“Well, I just take the art of agriculture very seriously. It’s the most important thing to me, and any slight mishaps… Well, that could simply be the beginning of the end. You never truly know when things are going to be pulled out from under your paws. The- The things you hold dear could just be gone in… An instant.”

Her eyes glaze over momentarily, as if staring into the face of a ghost you can’t see.

“So… Plants are no different, you know? We have to be super careful with such fragile things. All life is precious, even the flora. They all have a crucial role in our ecosystem, so we have to take on the responsibility of care.”

She blinks, pulling herself back into reality. You swear that, just for a moment, you saw tears welling up in her eyes.

You sense there’s more she’s holding back, but is it right to pry?

“Meadowlark…”

“My parents taught me that.” She smiles a tired smile. One that had perhaps seen to much - or perhaps the regret of not seeing enough.

“Parents?”

“Well,” She tilts her head and smiles, a smile tinged with weariness of memories untold. “The Luminites who raised me after finding me. We lived on a beautiful planet. A very lush planet. My mom always had a green paw, and she made sure to pass that down to me.”

She pauses.

“That planet is gone now, and all those crops have burned to stardust by this point. I have to keep the art alive. If I don’t, there’s not really much else left, is there?”

You nod slowly. You think you’re starting to understand what she means, now.

“I see…”

You don’t know what to say, so instead, you huddle up next to her, leaning your head onto her soft flank, listening to the beating of her heart finally slow down.

You both sit there in silence for a moment, your breath keeping in time with each heartbeat, each crackle of the fire, each howl of the wind, and each chirp of the crickets.

“Thank you.”

She spoke quietly, just above a whisper, for nobody but your own ears to hear.

“Of course.”