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Peregrine considered themself a bit of an introvert. Although they had friends and would go out, sometimes even on their own accord, they found great joy in moments of quiet solitary. Which brought them to where they were spending their fine Saturday afternoon. Homework done the night before, their window propped open to bring in the spring breeze and birdsong and the smell of the magnolia bushes in the front yard. They were curled up in bed with a book and their radio turned on low.
It was tranquility, it was bliss. Peregrine let out a sigh of content and shimmied with comfort as their eyes continued scanning the pages in rapture.
That was, until the sound of small feet thumping through the hallway and up to their door disrupted it.
“Perrine! Come play outside with me!” Kingsley shouted as they burst through the door. Peregrine let out a yelp at the intrusion before slamming their book shut and sitting up. “How many times do I have to tell you- please knock you little heathen!” They shouted. Kingsley’s enthusiasm dampened a bit at that, but undeterred they shook it off. “Yeah whatever sorry,” they responded as they began the younger sibling mission of touching everything on Peregrine’s shelves and putting them back in the wrong spots.
They let out a groan and pinched the bridge of their nose, “Why can’t you go play outside with Clémmie? I’m sure they’d be happy to indulge you in whatever pranks and mischief you obviously wanna go do.” Kingsley put the now horribly messed up Rubik’s cube down and turned to face them. “Well… I would love to but they’re on a date with Cole today and besides, I came to you to hang out.” They gave their best puppy dog eyes which, like always, was instantly effective.
Despite the messy state of their perfectly organized room Peregrine couldn’t help but soften a bit. They put their book on the bedside table and grabbed their boots from the closet, walking past Kingsley and stopping only to ask, “Well? What are we going to be doing?” Kingsley let out a joyous whoop and trotted alongside them. “I knew that somewhere deep down in your angsty teen heart you still loved me!” They cheered. “I wanted to go to the woods, I need to drag a log across this ravine I found for a bridge but it’s too heavy for me to lift,” they excitedly prattled on.
Peregrine feigned thinking deeply, too casual to sound like they didn’t secretly care, before they mumbled, “Sounds like something I could probably do.” Kingsley’s eyes lighting up and a grin breaking across their face was worth it as they laced up their sneakers. “You’re the best,” they said as Peregrine grabbed two hair ties from the kitchen table, deft fingers immediately braiding one side of their hair. “Mmhmm,” they hummed, “Are these the same woods you and Clémmie made those small stick huts?” Kingsley plopped down on the chair beside Peregrine, swinging their legs to and fro. “Yep! They’re pretty impressive, not to brag.” They boasted proudly.
“I’m sure they’re fantastic,” Peregrine nodded along, fingers switching to the other side to braid the rest of their hair. By the time they grabbed the house key and shoved it in their pocket, Kingsley had already jumped up and started outside. Both took a big inhale of the flowery scent of the yard, fresh and alive and sweet, before sharing smiles with one another and starting down the road. “You know,” Kingsley began, “You should really thank me for bringing you along, you’re always hanging out in your stuffy room with your nose in a book or headphones on.” Peregrine let out a little laugh at the seriousness of their tone.
Their concern was sweet and not entirely unfounded either. “I know, I know, but I do keep my window open,” Peregrine argued back lightly, minding their tone not to goad Kingsley on. They snorted at it regardless, “That’s nice but you need to get out more. We haven’t gone on an adventure in a while,” they said, sneakers stomping on a puddle and splashing Peregrine slightly. From the moment they had agreed to go out they knew they wouldn’t be coming home without mud or water or grass stains, but they still frowned a bit at the murky liquid now staining their jeans.
Kingsley led them to the right, off the road and into what looked like a tiny stretch of trees but actually opened up wider and went back miles and miles. “Isn’t this someone’s property?” Peregrine asked. Kingsley looked at them nonplussed, “Doesn’t look like they’re using it right now, I’m sure they won’t mind.” Peregrine sighed and they both trudged forward. The brush wasn’t thick, clear evidence that others had been there before. Peregrine wrinkled their nose up at an empty beer can and Kingsley kicked it as they walked along until they got scolded by their sibling to stop.
The woods didn’t seem anything other than ordinary to most. Trees and prickers and ugly looking plants. But in the spring it seemed to brighten up, feel a bit softer, and looked a whole lot greener. Flowers didn’t bloom back there but the smell of plants growing was still fresh and heady. Trees loomed over and dappled the ground with the shadows of their leaves, turning the world into a spotted painting that had Peregrine itching to take a picture of. They left their phone at home but tried to take a mental picture as best they could.
Kingsley was humming as they stepped carefully over the bigger thorns, they were happy as a clam and looked entirely relaxed. Peregrine felt some of the tension bleed out from them too, the warmth from the sun on their face tugging on their lips until they formed a smile. They almost tripped over Kingsley when they had suddenly skidded to a stop. “What? What’s wrong?” They asked, stepping to the side and surveying what was in front of them.
Barbed wire, a whole fence of it.
“Don’t worry,” Kingsley said cheerfully, walking alongside it to the left, “There’s a gap in it that’s big enough to slide through.” Peregrine followed them a bit slower, “But what if it snags you? This stuff is no joke, bug, it’ll hurt bad.” Kingsley shook their head, “The gap is big and I’m always careful. You worry too much.” It was indeed larger than Peregrine had expected, “Looks like a deer could fit through here,” They said aloud. “That’s dumb, they’d just jump over it,” Kingsley griped as they crouched down and carefully stepped through. Peregrine followed with a little less grace and practice, before rolling their eyes. “Come along now, our huts are a little ways down,” Kingsley said.
It was clear that they spent a lot more time back here with Clémente than Peregrine realized, as they looked down and saw a small footpath of once grass but now dirt weaving through the trees. “You have to close your eyes so I can do a grand reveal!” Kingsley said suddenly, hopping slightly from foot to foot. “Of your stick houses?” Peregrine said, amused and a little curious. “Mhm, mhm,” they responded, “No peeking.” They grabbed Peregrine’s colder hand with their warm one as they led them for another minute down the trail.
Kingsley let go of their hand and stepped back, “Alright! You can open them,” they said. Peregrine did and their face must’ve shown impressed shock because Kingsley started to laugh and clap. “I told you they were cool!” Two little stick huts, circular in shape and up to Peregrine’s chest stood tall and unmoving. The roofs had dead grass and straw packed tightly on top and there were gaps in each to enter. One of them had little white flowers weaved into some of the smaller sticks around the opening. Peregrine gently ran their hand against them and Kingsley commented, “That one is Clém’s, they picked those on the way here one day.”
“You guys seriously made these?” They turned to look at Kingsley, chest puffed up a bit and beaming smile directed towards Peregrine. “We sure did, they’re something special, yeah? Here, come sit inside mine with me.” They both squeezed in and sat on the dirt floor, it was a tight fit for both of them but they still managed. “It really is something special, I mean these are incredible,” Peregrine said, ruffling Kingsley’s hair. “Good job, bug.” Kingsley grinned and leaned against their older sibling. After a moment of sitting inside, Kingsley grew restless once more. “Lemme show you our town hall,” they said as they gestured outside. “Town hall?” Peregrine questioned, following them out and down through another footpath.
Kingsley said nothing, only looking back at them to wink and pick up the pace a bit. The chatter of squirrels and birdsong always seemed to be around in these woods, as if the animals themselves, not just Peregrine and Kingsley, were revelling in how wonderful the forest was. Up ahead Peregrine saw two metal boxes settled on the grass and a foot in front of them a giant rusted bar with one wheel on each side, placed standing up. “Please tell me this isn’t…” they trailed off, hiding their smile behind their hand. “Town hall,” Kingsley confirmed, taking their place behind the wheel. “This is my podium, it’s where I- I mean we decide the plans for the day.” They continued, placing their arms on the wheel and lacing their fingers together.
“And these little boxes are the chairs?” Peregrine said doubtfully as they took a seat. Kingsley nodded enthusiastically. “They’re not as impressive as our houses but boy were we happy when we found this junk and dragged it out here.” Peregrine narrowed their eyes at that, “And where exactly did you find thi–” Kingsley cleared their throat loudly and cut them off. “Thank you for joining today’s meeting, my faithful civilian. Today’s goal is to begin and finish construction of the bridge so we may visit our neighboring town and decide if they are friends or foe.” Peregrine smiled brightly, as silly as their sibling was they loved how imaginative they were. They loved it even more when they were included in it as well. “If you are amenable to assisting in the heavy lifting, dear citizen, you will be rewarded handsomely.” Kingsley continued, grinning at Peregrine.
They leaned forward seriously, as if they truly would be paid for their time, “Oh? And how much would I be gaining from this?” The dutiful mayor glanced up at the trees, “Three- no five! Count ‘em five crickets. Eh?” The flat look Kingsley received left them scrambling, “Man you drive a hard bargain. Eight?” Peregrine watched a ladybug crawl across their boot before flying away. They stood up abruptly, “Make it ten and you have yourself a deal.” Kingsley stepped to the side of the podium and they shook on it. “Pleasure doing business with you, Perrine, you won’t regret it!” They both kept the serious facade up for a couple more moments before laughing. “You’re so goofy sometimes, Kingsley,” Peregrine said as Kingsley took their hand and led them away from town hall.
“And you’re burning daylight,” they complained as they dragged them along. “How far is the ravine?” Peregrine asked. “Not too far, if we follow it all the way to the left it thins out enough to jump over but that’s too far away from camp to be practical.” Kingsley explained as they walked forward. They traversed through the forest for a couple more minutes, hand in hand, as they looked around gleefully. Although the woods were more of Kingsley’s domain, wild child that they were, Peregrine could admit they found lots of peace in it too.
Almost as much as they feel when left alone.
Kingsley tugging them along kept reminding them that they weren’t.
A bright smile found its way on Peregrine’s face again as they caught sight of a single yellow dandelion. “We’re here!” Kingsley said, pointing to the ravine. It wasn’t too deep, not for Peregrine at least, but certainly would be a challenge for Kingsley to cross. It was mostly dry but there was a small stream of muddy water running slowly through it. To the side of them there was a large heavy log, Peregrine’s mouth dropped open a bit at it. “How the heck did you guys manage to even drag that here?” Kingsley laughed, “It was a whole day endeavor. We were so disappointed when we realized we couldn’t get it across.”
Peregrine hummed thoughtfully, stepping closer to the edge as they tried to get a feel for the terrain. It wasn’t a step drop, there were little divots all the way down that would make good foot and hand holes. They silently mourned the state of their clothes as they inched down. Kingsley stood at the top, looking over with wide eyes, “Be careful Perrine!” They called out fretfully. Once Peregrine was down they called up to Kingsley, “Scoot the log down slowly and I’ll see what I can do!” Kingsley gave them a salute and went to drag it to the edge. “If you drop that thing on me you're so toast,” they warned. Kingsley’s eyes narrowed, in focus or in trying to find a retort, Peregrine didn’t know, but the log began dropping down carefully on its side.
Once Peregrine could meet them halfway and get a good grip on their end it was much easier to maneuver. Clémentine and Kingsley truly had an eye for this kind of thing, Peregrine thought as they dragged the log across and lifted it up slightly. It was the perfect fit to go across, and even though the person wanting to cross would have to shimmy down in the dirt it wasn’t comparable to the drop they would’ve had to face without it. “You did it, you did it!” Kingsley shouted with joy, “You’re so strong, I knew you could!” They slid down cautiously before their feet found the safety of the log. Peregrine was still standing down there so they offered their hand to Kingsley’s for balance as they crossed. Once they were on the other side Peregrine scrambled up to meet them. “We should find a long stick to balance ourselves on the ground,” they said, brushing the dirt off their clothes, “That way one person won’t have to go all the way to the bottom every time.”
Kingsley nodded, “Good idea! I’ll keep my eyes peeled.” They both scanned their surroundings, taking in the new undiscovered land before them. It looked very similar to the other side, but a bit more overgrown. Thorns crept closer to them and the grass was taller, making perfect hiding spots for critters and other unknown creatures. Peregrine grabbed Kingsley’s wrist and brought them behind them. “Step exactly where I step and watch out for snakes.” They said, “I know this is exciting and fun but it isn’t our home and some animals probably won’t like us being here.” Kingsley looked up at them, a bit taken aback by how serious they were but shrugged anyway.
“I guess you’re right. Unexplored terrain is scary even for the most expert of explorers.” they begrudgingly mumbled. “And you are quite the explorer,” Peregrine placated, “the best one I’ve ever seen, in fact. I just don’t want to have to go home and explain to Tita why you got bit by a snake, or worse.” They explained as they took big steps through the tall grass, eyes scanning for any hint of animals. “I am the best explorer,” Kingsley agreed, eyes gleaming again. After a couple minutes the grass opened up into a decent sized clearing with shorter grass and deer tracks.
Peregrine and Kingsley both stopped to stare at them and grin. “If it’s safe for them it’s safe for us!” Kingsley said, “Let’s hang out here for a bit, it’s so cool.” Peregrine nodded, “This is a sweet little spot. Oh look! A honeysuckle bush,” they both darted over excitedly. Hands already plucking at the delicate flowers and extracting the middle stem to get a couple drops of honey from it. “Yummy,” Peregrine sighed contently, as they took a seat against the tree trunk beside it. After a couple more flowers Kingsley joined them and plopped down in the soft grass. Hands full of the small white and yellow blossoms, they started placing them in between the strands of Peregrine’s braids.
“What are you doing?” They asked, equal parts quizzical and delighted. “Making you prettier,” Kingsley said, matter of factly. Peregrine laughed and grabbed one of the flowers from their small pile before placing it in Kingsley’s messy crown of curls. “There, now we match,” they smiled warmly. Kingsley stuck their tongue out but grinned back. “Gross, I don’t wanna match with you.” Peregrine playfully swatted at them for that before giggling again. “I’m glad you dragged me out here today. I can see why you guys like this place, it’s really nice,” they said, fingers idly playing with the blades of grass beside them.
Kingsley rolled over on to their back, arms folded behind their head and a ray of sunlight cutting through the trees shining directly on their face. “I’m glad you let me drag you out here. Love you, Perrine,” they said. Peregrine blinked the tears out of their eyes just as quickly as they appeared, Kingsley, despite all of their annoying habits and the proclivity to pick fights with them constantly, really was so precious to them.
“I love you too, kiddo,” Peregrine said as their hands moved mindlessly to play with the honeysuckles tucked in their hair. “I love you too.”