Barren Harvest

The well-dressed man nodded, a smile emerging on his face. "My name is Harold Vicente, and it is my understanding that I owe you a great debt of gratitude."

Her father then elaborated, "He's Anita's father. Master Clovis ran into his men searching for her, and sent him along to the house."

With all eyes on her, Danica felt more than a little intimidated and embarrassed. "I was... I just happened to be there."

"Much more than that, I am told," Harold said. He then nodded to Jared and added, "It is my understanding that your bow sang in my daughter's defense as well. I am now doubly pleased to have encountered you in the forest."

"I'm the one who just happened to be there," Jared responded. "Danica's the one who found her and got her away from that necron... Necrob..."

"Necromancer," Danica's teacher corrected as he walked up. "And I must agree that Danica is understating her heroic deeds."

Harold's smile widened. "I have little reason to doubt the words of a man of the cloth, and Master Clovis was quite adamant as to your heroism, young woman, and that of those who came to your aid. Mere words are as nothing, but I will begin with them nevertheless. You have my deepest gratitude for nothing less than my daughter's life — indeed her soul."

"I... I don't know what to say," Danica said, her cheeks burning. "It all happened so fast."

"Quite understandable," Harold said, cracking a smile. "I wish to extend an invitation before I take my leave. Others will wish to thank you, and surely you must have some reward for your actions beyond my words. Will you guest on my estate until my wife has sufficient time to plan appropriate ceremony?"

The opportunity Danica sensed burned through her embarrassment. "Of course."

"My wife will surely be pleased. I will send the carriage after the Harvest Festival, if that meets with your approval?" When Danica nodded, he glanced back at his carriage for a moment before turning back. "I do not wish to leave my daughter alone for long, and so I shall take my leave. I look forward to seeing you."

He bowed his head, and then returned to his carriage as the normal sounds of the Harvest Festival slowly gained momentum once more around them.

Danica's mother walked over to pat her on the shoulder. "I'm proud of you, dear."

"That's not the only good news, either," her father revealed. "I had a bit of a chat with him on the way over. He's got warehouses overflowing with potatoes and rice, and the rich folks have moved on to something else. Selling it down here for coppers is better than watching it rot, and he wants to help out after what folks down here did for him, so this winter won't be quite so hungry after all."

"Come along and dance. Let the children have some time to themselves," Danica's mother said as she led her husband toward the music and sent her son off to a group of similarly aged children playing a game.

Jared took Danica's hand and said, "What are the odds?"

"We're not passing this chance up, either. I'm going to try to find work while I'm there. If I can, then you can take that job on his estate."

He shook his head a little, his eyes widening. "I hadn't even thought of that."

"We could find a little place of our own," Danica said, her tone and expression suggesting what they might do with that privacy. It was hardly lost on Jared, and he broke out into a deliciously naughty smile.

Though her mind was on other things, she couldn't help but notice the change. The wind had softened, and no longer carried the biting chill it had for the last week. The smell of dust, chaff, and crops dead in the fields no longer wafted through town. The oppressive pall that had settled over the land was lifting.

The ritual was working.

That in turn sparked a memory of reading about the ritual magic behind the Harvest Festival, and the part that had made her cheeks grow warm. There was one part of the ritual she hadn't yet participated in.

Tugging on his hand, Danica led Jared down the road out of town toward her conveniently empty house. She meant to remedy that oversight as soon as possible.

As the people came together in fellowship and love, the darkness retreated — sealed away for another year.

♠~~~~Π~~~~♠

Hope you enjoyed this tale, which delves deeper into the Harvest Festival — the Halloween of my fantasy world. The winners of the contest are determined by reader votes, so I'd certainly appreciate yours, and encourage you to vote on all the contest stories you read.

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For those who know my work, this tale continues my Arts Ardane series, following the timeline in order of release. The series are all standalone stories, but you can get a richer picture of the Ardane sisters by going back to the previous stories to see what came before.