Valentina and Ellerie continued their secret rendezvous for the weeks to come. Every night they laughed until the sky was black, and every night Ellerie snuck in and out. The young woman's heart was slowly mending at the companionship, filling with joy and non-circumstantial love. Their connection wasn't forced—it all came naturally. It was the realest, and most pure relationship the brunette had with another person. The raven haired woman wasn't compelled to speak to and love her out of obligation—she genuinely wanted to. And that's what filled Val's heart tremendously. She was learning her worth. Love was being spoken to her, shown to her—unadulterated kindness.

Shifting her head in the other woman's lap, Val looked up and into golden eyes. Her heart skipped every other beat. Her mind was muddled with too many emotions. Love for Ellerie had already blossomed, but was it completely platonic? Valentina wasn't sure--she had never loved another before, especially romantically. And was it socially acceptable to have these feelings for another woman? She hadn't seen such a thing in her village, but was it common in others? Either way, she was not entirely sure how to proceed, or even how to define what she was feeling.

Thin lips curled into a smile. Ellerie reached down and ran her hand through brown waves. "What are you looking at?"

"Just you," Val whispered, catching the same smile that the raven-haired woman had.

Nimble fingers removed themselves from thick,  chestnut hair. "I don't have many friends either," she frowned, remembering Val's admission, "but I like to believe that you're my closest friend."

Sitting up, Valentina placed both hands on flushed cheeks, pulling the other closer to her. "Of course I am, and we shall always be. I love you."

She hadn't meant for the second part to come out. That kind of revelation could ruin everything that they had built. Worry seeped into thin bones and spread through her whole body. The possible repercussions of her words were unfathomable. Val wouldn't be able to conceal her anguish if their friendship ended. But she could blame her outburst on comfort—she had been so lost in comforting her friend that she felt as if it would help to say that. That was her best option, especially if Ellerie became upset.

The older woman stared into green eyes. She leaned forward. For Val, everything went in slow motion. Soft lips tentatively pressed against hers, and for the first time, the brunette was speechless. Her eyes shut, reciprocating the kiss. Ellerie's lips tasted like maple syrup, thick and saccharine. Valentina was becoming intoxicated by the taste, but before she could be completely ravished, thin lips pulled away. She immediately missed the feeling, but once their eyes met again, her heart felt as if it were soaring above the tree tops and into the clouds. The brunette tried to find words, stumbling over her sentences until the darker haired woman burst into laughter. Valentina's cheeks burned.

She reached out and slapped the latter, "Why are you laughing!"

"You're speechless," Ellerie continued, her chortling lessening. "You are never speechless."

When Val noticed the wily glint in golden eyes, she smiled too. "You are horrible," she snorted.

A loud tap against the window stopped her from saying anything further. Green and aurum eyes snapped to the window. A large, black wolf stood there, shimmering, golden eyes staring at the women. A lengthy, pink scar adorned the right eye, healed but still fresh. It's teeth were bared, a stained eggshell color. Guttural growls were heard through the glass, and Valentina bristled.

"I have to go," Ellerie announced abruptly.

Valentina was bewildered. "You can't. That wolf will surely harm you—look at him."

The raven haired woman stood up, and pecked the brunette on her lips. "I will be fine." She walked to the window—the wolf nowhere in sight now—and climbed out.

Val followed her and leaned against her window sill. "Goodbye!" She whispered as loud as she could.

"Until tomorrow," the other called back.

She disappeared in the trees, and Val went about cleaning up the evidence of the other woman's presence. In the midst of closing her window, she saw gold orbs hidden in the foliage. Her lips curled and she continued her task until it was complete. The lithe woman curled into bed and fell asleep, dreaming of nothing but those soft, thin lips moving against hers.

When she awoke, she got ready for the day. The brunette did not have to go to the bakery this morning, which meant she had household tasks to do; laundry, gather wood and water, and weed and plant in the garden as spring was approaching. Discarding her chemise with her other worn clothes, she dressed in a black slip that fell to her thighs. The only time she wore it was when she ran out of clothes as it was far too revealing for her liking.

She gathered her worn clothes and shoes and took them to the living room, laying them in a deep, woven basket besides the door. Tossing two logs into the fireplace, she stoked the dimming flames and worked to prepare breakfast, grateful that her grandmother had not awoken yet. Soon enough, milk, fruit, and sweet knots of bread were displayed on the table. Valentina portioned some for herself, eating ravenously until her grandmother left her bedroom. The old woman stepped slowly to her rocking chair, easing herself into the seat. Her bones cracked with the movement, and Val whined before gathering a plate for her. The woman ate, grumbling under her breath, of which Valentina chose to ignore.

She popped one more sweet, knot of bread into her mouth before fetching her grandmother's clothes. The red cloak she always wore was slung over her back, and leather shoes were slipped on her feet. The brunette carried the basket outside, sitting it on the river's edge. It was a calm morning—birds sang, the wind caressed, and the water flowed gently. The air smelled fresh and crisp. Spring tantalized Valentina, giving her only a little of what was to come.

Her knees lowered to the ground, finding a comfortable position. She rolled up her sleeves and began washing the clothes, dipping them into the river, scrubbing them, and folding each article off to the side until every piece was clean. The clothes found their way back into the basket. Valentina carried them to the clothes line hung behind the cottage and spread each article out, letting the wind dry them.

While they dried, the young woman grabbed the gardening tools and began working, pulling at the weeds with her bare hands until the patch of soil was well-tended. She wiped her hands in the dewy grass, and hurried inside to grab the seeds she had purchased last summer. They were planted in designated spots of the garden—tomatoes in the top right corner, onions in the bottom right, and potatoes on the entire left side. If they did well this season, Val would be able to save some of her earnings from the bakery. Perhaps she could buy better fabric for clothes, or save enough to have her own cottage built—or purchased. In that home, perhaps Ellerie would live with her.

Her lips curled and heart skipped at the sheer thought of the possibility.

When she was finished, the sun was high and she was drenched in sweat, but Val knew she was not finished. She plucked the axe hidden behind the cottage and walked down the well-worn, dirt path. Bony knees were marred with dirt and grass stains. The hem of her black chemise was fraying. Her back ached, moaning in pain at the stiffness. Valentina persisted.

She found a patch of smaller trees, and assumed they were only a few years old. Picking one that was slightly taller than Val, she took a stance. Swiftly, the woman swung at the bark, chipping it away until it fell over with a heavy crash, leaves and twigs crunching underneath. Soon, the long piece became many, but not enough, so Valentina chopped another one down, working in silence until the amount was twice as many. Sweat clung to her brow. She wiped it away swiftly and carried as many pieces back to the cottage as she could.

It took her four trips to the patch of trees. Her body ached more so, and yet, she continued. She filled a large pot with water from the river and left it to sit over the fire. Her grandmother said nothing, busy with whatever she was knitting, so Val went back to the river. She discarded her clothing and shoes, cool air caressing her battered and overheated skin. The sun provided enough warmth that she didn't feel cold, almost ready to start setting.

Cautious legs dipped into the river—the water still brisk but warm enough. The lithe body dove into the water. Val stayed underneath the surface, eyes closed and hair wild until her lungs begged for breath. She sprung up and planted her feet on the bottom of the river, pushing her hair back. Her sweating and aching body was grateful for the soothing that the water offered. Stained knees were also grateful, the dirt washing away.

The brunette hummed in contentment, then burst into song, singing one of the melodies that her mother used to sing to her. She continued singing, scrubbing her scalp and skin. Green eyes were shut loosely until a growl of sorts echoed in her ears. Her eyes flew open, her heart in her throat.

A large, black wolf sat on the shoreline. Massive, black paws held the beast up, chest puffed out. Sharp teeth were bared and gold eyes burned. Valentina gasped at the pink scar over the right eye, remembering the wolf from the night prior. It's woolly, charcoal tail whipped ferociously, and it's eyes were locked onto the young woman.

Her hands covered her chest, and she cautiously stepped further back. This wolf acted differently than the others had. It was territorial, threatening, and tenacious whereas the others were uninterested and disengaged with human life. "Calm down," she squeaked out, "I'm not going to harm you."

It growled again, it's voice reverberating through the air and Valentina's bones.

"Okay," she tried again, putting a palm out towards the beast. "I'm sorry if I angered you. Just let me gather my clothes, and I will return home."

Instead of a verbal response, pronounced canines were exposed further and the wolf sat, eyes never wavering.

Val knew what that meant--there was no way for her to get out of the water without going through said brute. She sighed heavily and started to walk to the edge, feet cautiously moving forward. The black creature growled again, surely a warning to the brunette, but she continued, only stopping when another howl broke through.

A similar wolf ran towards them, lacking the scar. Grey and black mingled on it's chest, but the rest of it's body was black. It was slightly smaller in comparison to the first, which lead Valentina to believe that this one was a female, or a younger male. The newcomer snarled at the original, puffing out it's chest. Almost reluctantly, the larger wolf submitted, glancing at Val one last time before running into the forest. The second did the same thing, almost communicating an apology with gold eyes before following.

Not waiting for anymore wolves to show up, Valentina got out of the water, skin dripping, and dressed, rushing into her house. She went through her nightly routine, and before she knew it, the moon was high in the sky and she waited in her bedroom, window open. Ellerie would be returning soon, and Val couldn't wait to tell her of what she had experienced. It was almost unbelievable, but she was sure the raven-haired woman would listen: she always listened,

Time passed quickly, and Valentina continued to wait. Her friend had yet to show. It was late, about the time of night when the woman would be leaving. Sorrow and disappointment burned in the brunette's stomach. Perhaps she had done something wrong the night prior--that had to be the reason that Ellerie did not show up. She no longer wished to be friends with the brunette.

Valentina closed her window, tying it tightly and laying in bed. Her heart was heavy and tears threatened to overflow and spill from her eyes but she held them in. Curling her knees into her chest, the woman forced herself to sleep, begging for a busy schedule in the morning to keep her occupied.