Faded Memories Chapter 4

I woke up to the sound of birds chirping and the sharp call of Aryiana calling my name. Struggling to remove myself from the warm blanket, I groaned before finally slipping away to start the day. I pulled on one of the few clothes I possessed and walked downstairs to meet her in the dining room.

"What took you so long?" She asked, curiously handing me a slice of buttered toast.

I smiled slightly, "The bed was so comfy." My grin widens when she starts to laugh and we resume eating and allowed the silence to reign in the dining hall.

After finishing breakfast, the two of us headed out to the orchid. Ren had asked us last night if we were willing to pick some of the berries for a pie for later on. We each sorted through the various baskets and took the two with the least amount of holes for gathering.

I couldn't help the slight flashbacks that appeared once I stepped inside the orchid and close to one of the blackberry trees. This memories were coming back slower than before but were more clearer than the day before.

"Jellal, where are you?" Aryiana called out as I hide in one of the oak trees near the center of the forest.

I chuckled softly up in my perch and decided to finally drop down for her. As my feet touch the ground, I call out from behind her, "I'm right here."

Before I could duck, she spun around and landed a fast punch to my face. The force nearly knocks me over and I winced. She lets out a small shriek in shock before shouting, "You know not to sneak up on me like that, Jellal!"

I couldn't help but grin, rubbing the bruise forming on my right cheek. I take hold of her and pull her into a tight hug. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

I pull out of the flashback and can feel her hand holding my wrist tightly. Her concerned face enters my vision as I attempt to focus back on the present. "I'm fine." I reassured her as I gently pull my hand from her grasp.

"You looked like you were spaced out for a few minutes." She worriedly explains, brushing away some of my violet hair from my eyes.

"I was remembering that time we had been playing here in the forest and I had shocked you by jumping down behind you. You gave me a pretty big bruise for that." I explained, unable to keep a grin off my face at the memory.

She silently watches the butterfly flutter past and I know she's attempting to remembering that event. She finally gives me a grin and vanishes behind one of the bushes full of blueberries. I remain near the blackberries and together we gathered for most of the morning, coming inside midday to relax from the heat.

Ren comes up from the basement to find us in the living room with a deck of cards. We had been debating on a card game when we finally recovered from the many hours picking the berries.

"I still think we should play War." Aryiana grumbled, a competitive glint entering her eyes and I have a feeling that she was ruthless when playing any sort of game.

I smirked, unable to take the challenge and begin to set the cards up for the game. Ren chuckled from the doorway and we turn to see her covered in what looked like bright green glaze and I could faintly smell the clay from her pottery works on her.

"I wish you luck, Jellal." Her parting words leave me both confused but determined to beat Aryiana.

We finish the first round hours later and I find myself gaping at my friend in shock. She was grinning ear to ear in such a smug victory that I twitched. Picking up the cards, I hissed, 'Best out of three!" There was no way I would be giving up now. I was gong to beat her.

Several hours passed and she won all but one and I sighed in defeat. I had forgotten how good she had been at cards and even now I could barely keep up. We set aside the card when we smelled the sweet scent of blueberry and blackberries cooking from the kitchen.

I helped Aryiana up and we go explore the scent, curious to know what was being made. We entered the kitchen to find Ren placing a set of muffins in the oven as well as a pie sitting on the window to cool. We both sigh. It would be awhile before we could have some but the smell was heavenly.

Ren laughed at our hungry gazes at the pie. "The muffins are available when they finish after they cool if you wish to take a seat and wait."

We scrambled to the table and quietly begin to wait for the muffins that smelled just as delicious as the large pie on the window. I had the sudden memory of enjoying blueberries and couldn't wait to try them.