Frogs & Friendship

Church bells sound throughout the halls, and doors begin fly open as young girls burst out of their classrooms. Free of chores and lessons for the day, they gather under trees outside the Church building. A young Rowan is pulled along by a curly-haired human girl, the two giggling as the Matron shooed them out the front doors.

The pair arrive at the lake together, hand in hand. Their boots slip in the wet mud, and Rowan quickly grabs onto Lydia’s arm to stabilize herself. Lydia tosses her head towards the sky and laughs, watching as a crow flies overhead. Rowan pulls Lydia in for a side hug, and releases her when she hears the sound of a frog croaking in the weeds.

The girls look at each other with sly grins, and Lydia moves away from Rowan towards the frog. She moves silently, reaching out her hand and snatching the frog out of its hiding place. The frog gives a strangled croak, and Rowan laughs in delight as Lydia returns to her.

She’s holding the frog tightly, giving it no room to squirm out of her hands. It attempts to escape, and then goes limp, exhausted by the futile attempt. Rowan lets out a worried hum, her fingers brushing over the frog’s throat to make sure it’s still alive. She feels the beating of its heart, and watches as Lydia stuffs the frog into her pocket.

The girls spend the afternoon catching frogs, hiding them in the pockets of their uniforms. Once, Lydia approaches Rowan with a frog hanging limply in her cupped hands, her face stormy.

“They die so easily. I didn’t mean to, it just made a crunch when I grabbed it.” Lydia’s voice is quiet and her eyes narrow in dissatisfaction.

She holds the dead frog out to Rowan. “Fix it, will you?”

Rowan nods in assent, taking the frog and whispering a spell, watching as it slowly twitches back to life. Lydia’s dark look recedes, and she holds out her hands for the frog. Rowan pets its head and carefully returns it to Lydia. Lydia gives Rowan a smile and tosses the frog back into the pond with a splash.

“You’re getting better by the day, Rowan. I bet you’ll be able to reanimate a person by the end of this summer.” Lydia wipes her hands on her dress and plops down underneath a willow tree.

Rowan’s gaze dips downward and she sits down beside Lydia. “You think so? What if I mess up?”

Lydia sighs, exasperated. “But you WON’T. It comes naturally to you, and you’ve never mucked it up before.”

Rowan gives Lydia a hopeful look. “I suppose you’re right. You’ve never been wrong before.”

“Exactly.” Lydia stands up and extends her hand for Rowan to take.

Rowan lets Lydia pull her up, and they head back to the church.

Lydia stops for a moment, and stares up at the Church’s steeple. She pulls Rowan to a stop and turns to her.

“Rowan,” Lydia says, “Why don’t you speak to the adults here?”

Rowan blinks, surprised.

Lydia lets go of her, placing a hand on Rowan’s shoulder. "You only talk to the girls and me.”

Rowan squirms out of her grasp, fidgeting uncomfortably. “The girls are nice. Adults aren’t.”

Lydia tilts her head quizzically. “Family again?”

A shadow passes across Rowan’s face. She nods.

“If I ever meet your family, I am going to rip them to shreds. Starting with your mother.” Lydia’s voice drops down to a low growl.

Rowan shakes her head, smiling. “Virren’s not that bad. Kinda screwy, but harmless. And Dria gets it worse from Mom cause she’s older. I’m the lucky one.”

Lydia pulls Rowan into a quick hug. “Say something to the adults, okay? The Matron said they’re sending girls away soon, and I want us to stay here together.”

“I promise.” Rowan untangles herself from Lydia’s embrace and links pinky fingers with her.

Lydia grins and the girls continue their walk back to the Church. A series of croaks emanate from their pockets, and the two quicken their strides as they reach the front steps. Lydia and Rowan wave at their sisters, trading remarks about the weather as they pass through the Church doors.

Rowan makes a point to greet the Church Matron, who smiles widely in response. She is surprised by Rowan’s sudden willingness to speak to her, and returns the greeting as the girls head off to their dormitory.

Rowan and Lydia gleefully shut the door to their room, and begin emptying frogs into a glass terrarium. The frogs seem content with their new home, and settle down into the tank. Lydia gestures for Rowan to sit down on the bed, and the girls spend the night observing the frogs.

Lydia narrates while Rowan writes, and they’re happy. And if Rowan looks at Lydia for a moment too long, no one else is there to witness it.

There is a certain kind of comfort that only those we love can give us. Rowan reaches out to hold Lydia’s hand for that comfort, and it feels like a prayer for which no words can describe. A declaration of faith and trust, if you will.

For even if Rowan never truly placed her trust in the Goddess, or the Church, or her country, she trusted Lydia with her entire being.