Raven sat opposite of Caeli and uncovered her tray to reveal an obscene amount of food, as was custom it would seem. Caeli couldn't recall a time at the forest where Dorn had not made her practically a buffet for each meal.
And don't forget tea-time.
A bowl of porridge served beside a granulated sweetener that reminded her of sugar but darker.
Pats of butter, an immense bowl of cut and prepared fruits, a sautéed vegetable mixed with eggs, a jar of something sweet and preserved, muffins of two different variety but each the size of her fist. And much more.
She realized that the tray seemed much smaller in Ravens hands when truthfully it took up half of her table.
"Goddesses above…", she said quietly. The amount of food intimidating.
Raven chuckled.
"Perhaps they anticipated your asking me to dine with you?", he said jokingly before realizing how implicative it sounded.
"Not to say that that was the expectation.", he said quickly.
Caeli hardly seemed to notice. Her eyes sparkled and widened, her excitement evident.
Raven smiled inwardly. Why did he love each and everything about the girl?
It was torture to be touched so deeply so often.
Caeli started eating methodically. Her left arm still getting accustomed to its new demands.
Without thinking she accidentally knocked a piece of fruit off of the table.
Raven deftly caught the piece with his hand and tossed it into the air to catch it with his tongue.
He chuckled and only barely opened his mouth enough to pull the fruit in, hoping to avoid terrifying the girl with what laid beneath the emotionless skull.
"You needn't do that.", he heard her say softly.
He glanced her way and watched as she ate another bite of food, her eyes locked on the plate in front of her.
"Hide your mouth, that is. If that is what you're doing of course, I don't want to assume but you did it when we first met as well.", she said quickly, still averting her eyes.
"Most would not like their senses burden with such grotesque imagery. Quite the contrary, many would lose their appetite. Some have even ran in fear.", he said with a laugh.
It pained her to hear him dismiss such hurtful actions as though it were something to laugh about.
"Well I for one, am not one of those people, my lord. So please, you needn't worry on my account.", she said firmly. Feeling anger at the inconsideration he had been shown in the past.
Raven recalled their nights together and how she had treated him like any normal creature.
Of course if anyone were to accept him for who he was, it would be Caeli.
But better not to think on it too much, lest his fears are realized and she turn away from him in terror.
"Thank you Caeli.", he said quietly. Her words touching him deeply.
"Now what happens, since the feast has come and gone?", she asked, hoping to turn the conversation to a more neutral atmosphere.
Raven sighed contentedly and leaned back in his chair.
"We prepare for the winter. Thankfully the forest is deep and well insulated so we experience very mild cold seasons here. There are a handful of crops that will continue to grow and be harvested in the winter but many like to have the luxury and security of the things they grew during the warm season. My people have been taught a preservation technique in which a tight seal is placed on a glass jar and once heated, causes an even tighter seal that helps keep produce edible through the cold months. That's likely what most everyone will be doing. Stocking for the cold season and readying their homes to guard against the colder air.", he said, sipping from his small cup sagely.
"How extraordinary.", Caeli said in awe, looking out at the village.
Her people knew of canning but few had the knowledge or the resources. Many still relied on cold storage in the ground to keep food during the winter.
"You've all made so many advances to enrich your lives. It's a marvel to be sure.", she said smiling softly.
Raven shrugged and set his cup aside.
"Long ago, humans and Folk lived side by side. Many of the things you see here were ideas that humans had before the fall out. Ideas we had meant to develop together. Humans have the creative and innovative mind. The folk are who used to specialize in materials and crafting. Hand-in-hand we once were a formidable force. Advances in medicine and inventions was fast and bounding. Of course that all came to a halt once the human king declared folk to be evil and his followers distanced themselves. Not long after that was when folk became hunted, cast-out or attacked. The severance in our relations was quicker than the formation of them by far, I'm sure you can imagine.", he said sadly.
Caeli nodded thinking of the sad stories she had heard along her way. Families torn apart, folk children never to be found again. Even in her own village.
The thought made her burn.
"There most be a way to stop it.", she said with conviction. How could such atrocities continue?
Raven shook his head slowly.
"It would take an immense reconciliation, and even so, I can't be sure that all Folk would forgive the humans for what has been done.", he said softly.
Caeli nodded slowly in understanding.
"So no true union could be made. There would be those that would fight against it. And it would create a problem itself.", she said, furrowing her brow.
Raven nodded in agreement.
"We would find ourselves hunting our own and attempting to keep them in line for the sake of our union with the humans. Not a task I would look forward to.", he said shifting in his seat and crossing his arms comfortably.
"Perhaps an agreement? Not a reconciliation but a permanent cease-fire.", Caeli said thoughtfully.
Raven cocked his head to the side and shifted his red eyes to fall on her.
"An agreement in which each side gets half of the land and keeps to themselves. Barring anyone who wants to mingle of course. Those with good intentions and a desire to learn should be permitted on either side. But they might be afraid.", Caeli said.
"There is always the chance of danger. But an implementation of royal guards to keep peace between all could be devised. Of course it would be difficult to do it on such a large scale. I doubt we could find enough knights to watch over half of the land as you put it.", Raven said shrugging.
Caeli nodded in return.
"Perhaps if we limited it to certain cities along the border. It would leave time to organize the educational entity that would help teach everyone about each other. Perhaps it is the general level of naivety of common folk that fuels the fires of discord between the Folk and the humans.", Caeli said with a furrowed brow.
Raven laughed and leaned forward.
"You'd make a great diplomat, albeit an optimistic one, I would appreciate your help in the future. Of course we'll need to start on the first step. Coming to an agreement with the humans.", he said seriously.
Caeli's brows rose in surprise.
"Me? A diplomat? No, no, my lord. I don't think so.", she said laughing.
"I'm serious Caeli.", Raven said quietly.
Caeli's mouth opened and closed, unsure of what to say.
"You have a mind for observation and problem solving. Two valuable attributes of anyone in a role of leadership. I know you have your own quest to pursue, and I will be there to help in anyway that I can. But know that you'll always have a place here. Should you want it.", Raven said softly looking out across the landscape.
"Even if I am one hundred years old by then?", she asked jokingly, hoping to lighten the mood.
Raven turned to stare at her.
"Even then.", he said solemnly.
Caeli's heart skipped a beat and her face flushed.
"Speaking of which.", Raven said, holding out his palm.
In a small flume of smoke appeared a thin stack of papers.
"The symbol you have hanging in your room. It's the symbol of the Old Fae. The half-human, half-dragon race that we had spoken of. The story goes that a white witch discovered the Seeing Stone and utilized its powers to turn her dragon lover human. Hence the beginning of the race. The witches name was Caeli.", he said handing her the stack of papers.
The gravity of this connection was not lost on Raven. Could it be a sign that their friendship could be more? A foreshadowing of sorts?
Or was that just his wishful thinking?
He decided it was more than likely the latter.
Caeli took them and looked them over but not before glancing at her wardrobe, the one that contained her Seeing Stone.
"Everything there is what I have found so far on the Old Fae. Like I mentioned before, I don't remember them very well but I've looked into what little I could find. I've made notes that you're welcome to look over although I'm not sure it'll be of use.", he said apologetically.
"Thank you my lord.", Caeli said, touched by his efforts.
"Of course if there is more I can do for you, please let me know.", he said with a nod.
"I will.", she said smiling up at him.
Raven nodded once more before gathering the dishes from their breakfast.
He stood with the tray and bowed.
"I will leave you to rest. You're welcome to join the dinner hall for supper should you feel up to it.", he said nervously.
"Thank you for sharing breakfast with me, my lord. And for everything else.", she said sheepishly.
Raven sent her a telepathic smile in return, to which her own broadened.
Raven left the room, the door shutting softly behind him.
Caeli took a deep breath and turned her attention to the papers.
The first three pages were what looked like a family tree.
At the top was the name of the story character, Caeli. Directly opposite of it was Veldora.
Beneath their names began branches of other names, spanning through the next three pages.
Caeli read down them, none looking familiar. The last one listed, presumably the most recent descendent, was named "Venti".
The next three pages were mostly notes on the story itself in which she had already read in its entirety.
The last page was what looked like ingredients for a sort of spell. Question marks at the ends of eight out of the twenty-eight listed.
She sighed heavily and sat back in her chair.
She would ask to borrow the children's story once more and compare them to Raven's notes later. For now she needed to stretch her legs and digest some of her meal.
She hurriedly gathered her cloak and journal before making her way out of her room.
Bat appeared beside her as she exited the castle.
"Let's visit Argenti.", she said conspiratorially to the creature, sure that no one would like the idea of her being off on her own.
"I won't be on my own though, Bat will be there.", she said out loud to herself, proud of her own restraint at disappearing for awhile.
Something she often did back at "home".
It was strange to think of that place ashome.
She deliberated as she walked, where she DID feel like home.
Her intrigue was bittersweet when she realized the Midnight Forest was the closest thing she'd had in a very long time.
The closest to what she would consider home.
And a place she would eventually have to leave.