Season of Memories

Fall was Amelia's favorite season.  Yes, it was often chilly, but there was a crispness in the air and she just adored the colours the leaves would change into.  As a child, she used to collect them and keep them in a small box.  Of course, they would eventually disintegrate and she'd get a scolding from the maids for making a mess, but she felt that was a worthy sacrifice to make.

The group was passing through a small town that was getting ready for a harvest festival that evening.  As soon as Lina heard this, she insisted on staying since, as she put it, "Only a fool would turn down free food!"  Gourry happily agreed with her.

Amelia didn't mind, although Zelgadis was strangely quiet during the conversation.  He just seemed to nod as he drank his tea and stared out of the tavern window.  He didn't care for festivals and Amelia had half expected him to argue that they didn't have time to waste while there was research to be found at the next town.  She wanted to ask him if something was on his mind, but got distracted as Lina stole her bacon.

Amelia hadn't seen Zelgadis since.  Gourry mentioned that he saw Zelgadis heading towards the edge of town.  Growing curious, Amelia decided to go and track him down.

She found herself walking through a grove of apple trees-although the locals had plucked their trees clean of the apples, except for the few that had fallen on the ground.  I hope Miss Lina doesn't eat their entire supplies for the winter.  The last thing Seyrune needed was to pay back a town for Lina's eating habits, again.

The wind blew by and up ahead she saw it catch the back of a familiar white cape.  "Mister Zelgadis!" she called out.

Zelgadis's head appeared from behind the largest tree in the grove.  "Amelia, what are you doing here?"

"Finding you," Amelia answered as she approached, the leaves crunching beneath her feet.  "You seemed to be lost in thought this morning."  She frowned.  "Is something bothering you?"

He shook his head.  "No, no, nothing serious."  He laid his hand against the tree.  "I was just feeling nostalgic."

"Nostalgic?"

He gave a small smile and pointed her to his side of the tree truck.  She moved around with her hand against the trunk.  From where Zelgadis stood, a pair of roughly written initials were carved into the trunk.  "Z.G?" she muttered and then it hit her.  "These are your initials?"

"I did it when I was nine years old," he replied while tracing his fingers over the letters.

"I didn't know you lived here?"

"I didn't, Rezo and I just spent a couple of days here," Zelgadis corrected.  "I used to have a habit of leaving my initials at tree of every town we stayed at."  He patted it.  "This tree was my first one, although I haven't done it in years."

Amelia stared in awe.  Zelgadis rarely talked about his past, especially his life before Rezo had turned him into a chimera.  She had wondered what his childhood had been like, being forced to wander from place to place.  

"Where else did you leave your initials?"

Zelgadis paused and stroked his chin.  "It wold be too many to count honestly, I'm not sure I can remember even half of them."

Amelia frowned, she had really wanted to know more.  "Well, if we happen to pass by any other towns where you carved initials would you mind showing them to me?"

Zelgadis shrugged.  "I can if you want, I don't think it's that interesting though."

"It's interesting to me," Amelia replied, but then blushed as she realized what she said.  "I..mean..uh....I believe remembering your childhood is important."

Zelgadis stared and blushed.  "I suppose I can do that, but you have to promise not to tell Lina."  He sighed.  "She'd probably tease me nonstop if she knew."

Amelia giggled.  She really didn't think Lina would bother with something this trivial, but to him it was still private and she felt pride in the knowledge he could share this memory with her.  She briefly wondered if perhaps he would help her carve her initials next to his.