Two Moons of Sera Read Online Free PDF

want to come in?”
    “No... birds not good.” Tor’s face scrunched in disgust.
    I laughed, earning a scowl. “They won’t hurt you.”
    “No. Birds... ‘huh,’” he said, gesturing futilely with his
hands.
    “It’s okay. If you’re afraid of the birds, I’ll do it by
myself.”
    “No! Not!” he insisted, still looking for the words.
    It wasn’t nice of me to tease, but his reaction was funny
and I was so nervous around him that just saying something set me as ease. I
didn’t know the man standing outside the boundaries of the coop. He frightened
and excited me, but more than anything, I longed to see him smile again.
    I dropped the basket near the hutch and picked out the warm
eggs while ignoring him as best I could. Still, the burn of his gaze ate at my
skin. I carefully gathered ten eggs into my basket, before looking up. Tor was
not there. The touch of his gaze had been a creation of the mind, the shadow of
a sensation I’d never experienced.
    “Sera.”
    I looked behind me in time to see him jump over the
enclosure wall. He landed in the middle of the chickens, scattering them.
    “What are you...?” I squealed as a group of frightened birds
hid behind me, seeking safety from the man invading their home.
    “Not fear.”
    “Okay, you aren’t afraid of the birds. You didn’t have to
scare them half to death, though.”
    “Birds not good.” He picked up one of the chickens nearest
him with a large hand, holding it around the middle in an unceremonious grip.
Walking toward me he turned the bird in his hand until its backside pointed at
me. He gestured to its rump and said again “Not good. Not... clean.”
    The appearance of Tor—covered in scars and scabbed-over
scratches, towering over me with intensity, holding a small bird and pointing
at its rear end—was simply the funniest thing I’d ever seen. When I burst into
laughter, Tor growled and dropped the bird to the ground. I couldn’t catch my
breath, and tears came to my eyes.
    “Tor!” I squealed and had to bend over. I laughed harder
than I had in years.
    He waited, an annoyed grimace on his face, while I attempted
to get ahold of myself. But, every time I glanced up at him, I started again.
The more aggravated he got, the more my amusement grew. After a few minutes, he
gave up on me and picked up the basket, walking through the oblivious chickens
toward the gate.
    “Come on,” I gasped, straightening so I could follow him. “That
was funny.”
    “Huh,” was all he said, not bothering to look back at me.
    “You can’t be mad,” I insisted, hurrying to his side.
    He opened the gate, careful not to let any of the offending
birds out before looking at me.
    “Not mad.” Despite his reassuring words he still wouldn’t
look at me. A hard set to his jaw.
    We walked side by side in silence, away from the chicken
enclosure and back to the beach. When we reached the cave entrance, Tor stopped
and handed me the basket. For a moment, I thought he was leaving, that he
really was mad. The idea of being without him made my throat close.
    “Tor...,” I began. Nervous flutters passed through my body,
my breath catching.
    He nodded to the basket without looking at me. “Sera make
food.”
    “Are you going to leave?” I had to know. There was nothing
for me to lose. If he left, I returned to my sun-filled prison. What harm lay
in asking?
    “Huh?” This time his eyes met mine, his dirt-streaked brow
furrowed in confusion.
    “Are you going to go?”
    “No. Why ask?” His soft voice danced against my ears, his
confusion replaced with concern. “You... you want I go?”
    “No! I just... I thought you were mad.”
    “Told you, not mad.”
    “I know, but you got quieter than before—if that’s
possible—and... I was worried.”
    “You worry. No worry. I not go.”
    “Okay....”
    I turned away, taking a shaky breath as I tried to reorient
my life to include another person.
    “Sera... Sera laugh.”
    Glancing behind me I saw the