Tefh
Near present day.
The apple crunched as teeth bit into it. The deep, enticing red of the fruit was almost as flavorful to the eyes as it was for the mouth. An easy Twelveswood breeze blew through Tefh’s hair as she stood perched on a tree branch. The girl closed her eyes, and took in a breath of the fresh air.
Leaf-litter crunched, and her ears flicked to turn towards the noise. She opened her eyes, and gazed down upon an older Hyur man. He was silent as he stared up at the Miqo’te in the tree.
“’Ello.†Tefh greeted the farmer with a smile despite holding one of his grove’s apples.
The man tipped his field hat with his thumb and finger. “That wasn’ ready for harvestin’.†He spoke in a relaxed tone.
“Tastes ready.†The Keeper replied with a smirk and shrug.
The man nodded slowly “what’s your name, miss?â€
“I ain’t a miss. I’m Tefh.†She answered simply before her teeth dug into the apple once more.
Their exchange paused as nearby birds interjected with songs and calls. A giant flower turned on its stem to hiss at one of the birds that got too close. Tefh and the farmer’s gazes remained on each other.
“Well… Glad you like my apples.†The farmer broke the silence. “They’re my livelihood, after all.†His face was a stoic mask, but his tone was soft and casual.
As Tefh chewed down her meal, she looked at the man with her green, Keeper orbs. There was a wariness about her – a mistrust that could be seen in her stare. With a hop, she let herself fall down from the branch, and landed in front of the man. The fifteen fulm drop did not seem to bother her. She pulled a ten-gil coin from her shirt, and offered it to the man.
He shook his head. “Keep it. But you coul’ buy from my stall next time. It’d be much appreciated.â€
Tefh canted her head, but slipped the gil back in her shirt. Her face betrayed her confusion, and her ears lowered. “You grow good trees.†She spoke in an awkward tone. Her voice no longer bore the apathy it had moments before. She turned and briskly dashed away before the man could repond.
