She drew him in so easily. He had heard the legends and saw the way his father looked at his mother; however, he never expected it to be like this. To see Ksinya's smile and to never want it to falter. To hear her laughs and to want to keep her that happy forever. She fit perfectly in his arms and he tried to remember what they were used for before they held onto her. It just seemed like everything in his life was leading up to this moment and now everything was falling into place. He found purpose in the Sorcerer in his arms.
They talked for ages, beyond the cave was the blackness of the stormy night. The warm glow of Ksinya's fire relaxed them both. Nikolas was still against the idea of letting her go for now and he laid them both in her nest. She smiled up at him fondly. "Will you sing me a lullaby?"
Without question Nikolas cleared his throat and sang softly. "Nighty night, until tomorrow~"
Ksinya took a sharp intake of breath. "My grandmother sang this one to me when I was a child." She whispered. She noticed his hesitation, and urged him on by stroking his arm.
"Nighty night, for what sweet sorrow
To be parting dear, from you
With a farewell kiss or two~"
Once he sang this part Ksinya kissed his cheek, and the firelight became the second reddest in the room. She giggled. "I'm sorry, go on." She apologized.
Nikolas pulled her even closer, singing into her ear.
"Nighty night, while my arms take you
Nighty night, till birdies wake you
Dream of me and just sleep tight
Darling, nighty night~"
"Again," she urged. "This time I won't interrupt." She closed her eyes and actually started to relax.
Nikolas obliged, singing the song again. He stroked her back to comfort her further. When he finished the song he hummed it for her until her breathing slowed and he was sure she was asleep. Only then did he let his own mind drift away to dream.
Ksinya was the first to wake in the gray morning. She felt at ease with Nikolas' arms around her. She took the time to memorize his face. He looked so peaceful, his long black eyelashes touched his round cheeks, his plump pink lips were parted just a bit. He was the male version of Snow White. He was her fairy tale prince. She brushed his onyx ringlets off of his forehead gently. She could watch him sleep forever. Sadly; soon after, he started to stir. He even awoke elegantly. His eyes fluttered open slightly revealing his blue pools. His lips stretched into a smile as he looked at Ksinya adoringly. "Good morning,'' she whispered.
Nikolas frowned at the greeting. He felt his heart drop. He had slept until morning? Ksinya raised an eyebrow and he decided to explain himself. "I meant to wake up earlier. I didn't mean to sleep so long, I was going to weave you a basket and get another meal started and get some more clothing for you and—"
"Woah woah, calm yourself." She rubbed his arm. "One thing at a time, I'll be fine. I never usually eat first thing in the morning anyway. And we have all the time in Forever for basket weaving and clothes designing."
Nikolas wasn't satisfied. He reluctantly pulled away from Ksinya's embrace and sat up. "Well I still have to hunt. I wanted to do it while you were asleep, so it would be like I never left. " He stood and started to gather his leather roll of knives.
"I'm sure you won't take too long with all the rain out. Hunting will be a breeze for you right now." She tried to cheer him up but he wasn't buying it. "Okay! How about you hunt something easy?" He turned to her curiously.
"No. Whatever you have a taste for I will get." He stood his ground. What kind of Nymph would he be if he could not make all her wishes come true? He was set on his silent promise to her. To keep her happy and to never have her covet anything.
"Well this will work because I really have a taste for eggs! I love eggs." She looked at his work on a basket in the corner. "Let's finish a basket then you can collect some eggs. I've never woven a basket before, let me watch you." She arose and took his hand dragging him over to the project area. She watched him with anticipation.
Nikolas couldn't argue with her. Her brown eyes looked up at him so cutely, it made his heart melt. He grabbed her and sat them both down, resting her in his lap. It was like she was made to fit there. Her back rested against his chest and he picked up where he left off with the basket. "This one I already started, I'll teach you how to start one another time." He spoke softly.
She watched his slender fingers at work with fascination. She was amazed at the meticulous movements he made. He was finished in no time at all. He didn't really go slow enough to teach her but she took in all she could anyway. He put some excess hay on the bottom and gave it a spin to examine it. "You're so talented, Niko!" She exclaimed and Nikolas felt his cheeks grow hot.
"Thank you. I must go now." He muttered. Ksinya reluctantly crawled out of his lap and stood. He got to his feet in front of her and she escorted him to the entrance of the cave. Beyond the green hanging vines there was a light gray drizzle. "I'm going to gather as many eggs as I can and some fruit as well."
"Sounds good. I'll see you soon." She said quietly as she gathered him in a hug.