The sun's rays shone brightly down, warming me, and helping to ease my mind.  It was like the day was trying to calm me, even the small breeze that had started kept the bugs from biting my bare skin, so there was one less nuisance to deal with.  My knees dug into the dense dirt that harbored thick blades of grass.  I grasped at them and slowly tried to pull them out by the roots.  It was tedious work, but on a day like this one, I couldn't complain.  Especially since I was able to get home before mum awoke, which meant today I was greeted by the call of our rooster and not by mum noticing me come out of the forest.

I flung the grass out onto the rest of its cohorts in the metal pail and continued to pull. Hoping that the moist weeds would wipe off the silver that stuck to my hands. In my attempts to save that creature, what I had initially thought was goo must have actually been its blood and I had gotten it all over my hands and all over my dress.  If I was lucky, my dress would stain all over too, as it was too early to wash either without suspicion from my family.

I had heard that some creatures had it, silver blood, like unicorns for instance, but I never knew if it was true or not.  It seemed almost too much to believe.  But I guess that was an assumption on my part, like thinking the one I had helped was a unicorn.  The creature was built like a horse, like unicorns are compared to, the only problem was that I didn't see a horn. 

My mind wandered to the other creatures that lived in the forest.  What other creatures had silver blood? Were there other creatures like the one I met?  Was it a fluke?  Was it circumstance? 

I grew up learning that everything in that forest was evil, and I believed it, but that creature wasn't anything like I'd heard about. It seemed scared and gentle, not destructive and bloodthirsty.  It went against everything I had been taught, and now I was left to wonder if any of it was true at all.

Gingerly, my fingers wrapped around a stray pansy and a tiny mantis swatted at me, its hooks sticking into my finger. It snapped me out of my thoughts, and I pulled my hand away for a moment, spooked from the sudden change and the small tinge of pain. "Sorry, I must have scared you." I told the small insect as I offered it my finger. Coaxing it with a stray weed, it clambered forward, ready to attack. "Here." I took it down to a climbing cornstalk, its gold almost ready to harvest. "Protect this one."

The small mantis walked onto a spotting leaf, and then I was able to get back to weeding. But, not long into the process I could hear the team approach me. "Hey." William interrupted.

I looked over, and saw him guide the team of horses over.  The youngest – a brown stallion with a white nose and matching boots – tried to nip at the sleeve that hung from his arm, convinced that it would win my brothers attention.

He pushed the horse back with the side of his body, his hand being preoccupied with the lead. "That's not how a team works." He told the young horse, not deterring him in any way.  The significantly older horse – white with painted spots – stood patiently, obediently following the lead tucked under my brother's belt.  The stallion lipped at my brothers hair, sticking walnut brown strands up.  Again, he forced the young horse back, this time it stayed and instead choose to bug its older companion. 

I smiled, happy that he didn't let the stubborn stallion deter him. "Aren't you supposed to be mending the fence? Why do you have the horses?"

"Just thought they needed to stretch their legs; they haven't been able to roam freely since that windstorm."

I nodded, reflecting to a few days ago. We were lucky that most of our corn field survived, but it showed the weakness in our old rickety fence. Because of all the work we had to do, the only exercise our horses were able to get was when we got to ride them, which wasn't enough for the young stallion. But that wouldn't be an issue if he would hurry up. "Because the fence needs to be mended." I shot at him.

"You try doing that with one arm." He chuckled, his dark eyes gleaming.

I smiled, he was more than capable, more than most. But no one saw him that way, sometimes I wondered if he held their hurtful words to heart. But he never seemed to show that it did. 

I looked down to get back to weeding; the silver that once covered my hands was now covered with dusty earth.  Even though the dirt had done its job, my heart quickened.  It felt like I had was caught in a lie.  I hated keeping secrets.  But I couldn't tell him because I feared that he might tell mum, and I was still upset with her.  I forced myself to shake the thought and grinned. "That's what happens when you work, you get dirty." I flicked the dirt at him, my palms clapping as I directed the ammunition.

He looked away, trying to avoid the dirt.  "He shook his head.  "Actually, I'm hooking the team up to the wagon, mum plans to go to town today to pick up some things.  I'll get to work on the fence after I'm done."

I nodded and got back to pulling the weeds.  I wondered why mum had to go to town.  Probably to sell some of our produce and pick up some flour, but the back of my mind told me it was to give Thomas' father the wedding date.  I huffed bitterly. 

"Are you okay?" He asked.

I sighed.  "I wish mother asked me first."

"Oh."

Which reminded me.  "Did you know?" My voice quieted, but the words were enough to cut.

He paused, mauling over what to tell me and then solemnly answered.  "Yes." He signed. "But I think you're overreacting."

My eyebrows narrowed. "How so?"

His eyebrows pressed together, and his lips lowered. "Mum was only trying to do what she thought was best. Would you rather marry someone you don't know at all? At least Arthur would be good to you."

I frowned, of course it's great that I'm not marrying a stranger, but that wasn't the point. "So, I don't get a say in any of this?"

The old cow painted horse shook their head and the reins loosed from his belt, causing him to readjust it. "Of course, you get a say, but I think if you had the choice, you wouldn't get married tell you were 40, and by that point I don't think there will be anyone suitable for you."

"You don't know that." I told him exasperated, grasping the dirt and clenching it in my fist. The anger in my body pushed me up to my feet.  "But that's not the point.  I want to find love, true love, and I can't find that by marrying someone mum picked."

When our eyes met, I could see the wrinkles that had deepened in his forehead. He was thinking about something. The stallion whinnied and whined, throwing his head to the side; he was getting restless. William let out a deep breath. "I'm going to prep the wagon." He said turning away.  "At least consider it Tessa." He asked before he walked away.

I huffed, trying to calm myself and sat back down to get back to weeding. My long brown hair piled in front of me, and I angrily pushed it back over my shoulder.  How could he even ask me to consider it? I thought, pulling the weeds from the ground. Didn't he want what mum and dad had? I hesitated.  Didn't he want that?

I pulled some more weeds, mulling over the thought.  The clattering of wheels broke my concentration and I looked towards the road.  My eyes narrowed and I jumped up.  I snatched up the bucket and ran towards the coming wagon; ready to chew out my best friend.