amisha

For some, autumn is not a very desirable season, as it brings dampness, rain and melancholy and sadness about the past warm summer days. Others welcome the cooler weather with open arms, rejoice in the nature that has painted the trees in all shades of red, orange and gold, enjoy warming drinks and show off their stylish seasonal outfits.

For farmers, autumn always means hard work and a bountiful harvest.

Miranda and Julian wasted no time picking apples from the trees they had planted a year ago in the small dugout that used to serve Pelican Town residents as a community garden. Lewis offered both farmers a small plot of land with the hope that they would transform the overgrown, unattractive dugout into something that would at least not be an eyesore. Miranda had suggested to her friend that they plant some apple trees, so that they could pick sweet fruit all autumn long. The blond boy had agreed at immediately - apples were his favourite fruit. Miranda had slightly different plans for the apples...

The juicy, ruby-red, sweet fruit fell from the branches as soon as the two farmers started shaking the trees. After putting all the apples in the large baskets, Miranda took one of them, washed the dirt in a barrel of water nearby, and with a knife cut off one part of the apple, dividing it into two small pieces. She held one out to Julian, to which he gratefully put the apple in his mouth immediately, chewing slowly.

"Mmmmm... Sweet as honey. Great harvest," Julian said happily, wiping the apple juice from his lips.

"June's sure to love it..." Miranda realised she'd said it out loud, and at Julian's questioning look, pointed the knife she'd just used to cut the apple in his direction. "You heard nothing." Julian smiled slyly, and showed with a gesture of his hand a "zipping" on his lips, promising that he would take that secret to his grave.

The two farmers, with baskets full of apples, strolled towards home, sharing along the way who would do what they would do next with the large crop of sweet autumn fruits.

"I only recently sold a lot of pumpkins, so I'm thinking of keeping the apples for myself. Jam, cider, pies, that sort of thing," Julian retorted, already tasting homemade apple & cinnamon pie.

"I'll sell most of it after all. Only keep some fruits for... my own use," Miranda blushed a little, and a plan was already in her head about a "chance" meeting with a pianist who really liked apples...

They didn't immediately notice Isaac and Lance, the adventurers from Castle Village, walk past them, not far from the Saloon. The pink-haired man greeted the two colleagues with a polite nod, when all Julian and Miranda heard from the adventurer with the scar was a short snort. The girl turned around and wanted to shout something not too polite to Isaac, only Julian stoped her, explaining that it wasn't worth it.

"I didn't think that prick would annoy me any more than Mr. 'I'll come to your place at the earliest possible hour and bang on the door'. Who the heck does Isaac think he is," the girl flicked her long curls off her shoulder a little irritably. She was itching to point the middle finger at the adventurers.

"Trust me, he's like that to everyone," Julian said, then added: "Heh, you two look alike in some ways, by the way. Both a little explosive and impatient."

Miranda laughed.

"Bullshit." With her free hand, she took an apple from her basket and began eating it. Julian understood the sign, and the two farmers continued on their way in silence.

The thought, however, did not leave the young man. Isaac and Miranda had very similar looks, and from the 'stink eye' Miranda and Isaac gave Lance...

"Say, do you happen to have any relatives from Castle Village?"

Miranda tossed the apple stump into the nearest trash bin, then gave Julian a small but painful flick on the nose to stop her friend from asking stupid questions.