How far they walked, Ilona did not
know. But suddenly, Knut stopped in front of a weeping willow tree.
Ilona gazed at the tree. Long, soft branches draped to the earth,
creating curtains of pale green.
Knut swept an armful of branches to
one side. āAfter you, my lady.ā
Ilona hesitated and then pressed
into the willow. The branches tickled her arms and draped over her head.
She parted them and walked into the shelter of the tree. There were
more branches, and she parted them as she continued.
Everywhere she looked, the green boughs hung around her.
She couldnāt even see Knut anymore. The farther she went, the more
branches there were.
And then suddenly, the branches
thinned again. She parted the last ones and stepped into a clearing.
It was sheltered on all sides; the forest itself had created a courtyard
ā a hidden refuge for these people.
Men, women, and children of all ages
were scattered through the clearing. Some were cooking. Some were
weaving. Some were spinning. One was sweeping. Another was
fashioning clay. They all looked up when she entered.
Ilona froze with all eyes on her.
A little girl stood up and pointed
at her. āIs that Ilona?ā
For a moment, no one else
moved. Then an older woman hurried
forward and gathered the surprised Ilona into a warm embrace. āAh, dear!
You look just like Amalia!ā
A stout man with graying hair
laughed. āAre you blind, Flora? She is the river image of her
father!ā
Ilona pulled away from Floraās arms,
trying not to panic. āHow do you know my parents?ā
āNot your father, dear. Only
your mama. Thereās not a day that we donāt miss our little Amalia.ā
Flora patted her hand over her heart.
Ilona looked around at each person.
What were they saying? She was so confused. And a little bit
frightened.
Another woman stood up ā a younger
woman. āWelcome to the Derwald village, Ilona. You are quite safe
here.ā She held out a hand. āI am Veranaā¦Amaliaās little
sisterā¦your aunt.ā
(by Esther Brooksmith)
I love this little hidden village! Her aunt, tell me more!
ReplyDelete*record scratch* Didn't see that one coming...
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