The speckled Nymph took a deep breath. Loosening his tense shoulders felt like he rolled boulders off of them. "If you truly feel happy then you shouldn't dampen your feelings. Leave all your guilt, sorrow, and responsibilities on Earth. Here you only have to worry about falling ill and I will do all I can to keep you healthy. Speaking of which, you must eat. I have gathered eggs and fruit and a couple of small birds we can have for dinner. " Nikolas made his way over to the basket filled with food and Ksinya sat up in her nest. "You must be so hungry, keeping your fire burning all day. I have to get better with meal planning. How would you like your eggs?" While he was talking and gathering his things Ksinya creeped up behind him to peer over his shoulder. She was surprised to see two little birds looking back up at her, frightened. "Well I can only fry them right now, when the rain stops we can—" He finally noticed her behind him and jumped.
"Can we keep the birds?" She asked him with puppy-dog eyes.
"I— Uh. Yes of course, whatever you want. You don't need to put on that face." He laughed nervously, his heart beat loudly in his chest. He picked up one of the birds gently and handed it to her. "I think they are like the chickens of Earth?"
Ksinya shook her head as she held out her arms for the bird. "No, these are much smaller, but they remind me of the chickens my family had when I was younger." She stroked the gold feathers on the head of the bird in her hands trying to calm it down. "I'll name this one Willa." She smiled and took a look at the other bird. "And that one with the red can be Frankie, those were the names of my chickens."
Nikolas nodded. "You can play with them over there while I cook. They'll listen to you, they know you are a Sorcerer."
"Even they know?" Her eyes were wide.
"Yes, every creature here recognizes you as a Sorcerer. Most creatures will dote on you." He replied sincerely.
Ksinya raised an eyebrow. "Most?"
"I will protect you from anyone or anything that tries to bully you." He puffed out his chest. He vowed to protect her happiness at all costs.
"And I'll protect you!" She smiled widely.
Nikolas almost fumbled the eggs in his hands. His ears and cheeks burned with blush. "Th-thank you but there's really n-no need…" his tongue tripped over the words.
Ksinya gave him a gentle pat on the back. "We will both protect each other, it's only fair." And with that she retreated to a corner of the cave with her two new pets in tow. She gathered some of the extra hay from Nikolas' discarded bed and started working on a nest for her birds.
The onyx haired man was still frozen with shock. It took a few moments before he composed himself. Even while he cooked eggs for them he was beaming. He couldn't believe how lucky he was. The legends he inherited all stated that finding a Sorcerer was a one-in-one-hundred chance. And finding one without any Nymph followers was an even slimmer chance. His Nymph Sire was not even the first to mate with his Creator, Evelyn. How lucky he was to be the first to meet Ksinya, such a sweet and caring person. He would work hard to deserve her. His heart melted as he watched her care for the birds he brought her. To think, there was a time when he was without her. Approximately forty years without her. Lonely and aimless were good descriptors for those years. He hadn't expected to do anything memorable in his lifetime, so when he reached maturity he set out on his own and forged his river. The Persona was supposed to be his one greatest accomplishment, he would spend forever in its waters. Now with Ksinya in his care he was prepared to abdicate his river to forge a covenant with her. He finished his cooking and brought the food over to the Sorcerer.
"These look good!" She exclaimed when she saw the scrambled eggs on the leaf plate.
Nikolas' heart nearly skipped a beat. "Dig in." He urged her.
She started eating with her hands and was very pleased with the flavor. Even without seasoning the eggs were very good. At first she was intimidated by the serving size he brought over but now she was glad he made so much. Her stomach was happy as well, she didn't realize she had grown so hungry, I guess keeping a fire lit does take a lot out of a Sorcerer.
Seeing that she was eating happily Nikolas started to eat as well. "I was thinking once the storm subsides we can travel up to Seaport for more supplies. I'd like to get some more cooking pots and some more clothes for you. And we have some time before Ultima gets here, but we should still prepare." He brought up his ideas for moving forward.
Ksinya nodded. "That sounds good."
"Is this cave to your liking?"
"Yes I like it a lot! It's very spacious."
"Okay, we can come back here when we're done in Seaport. We can get some insulation for it and maybe some decorations for it to make it more like home."
She grinned up at him. "I'd like that." Planning things didn't feel like work like when she was on Earth. Things didn't feel like obligations, they were just things to do for fun. She was finally realizing how much free time she would have. Speaking of free … "All that stuff you said, will it cost money?" Her eyebrows came together with concern.
Nikolas shook his head. "We trade. A currency doesn't exist here. Usually if you want something you can go and get it yourself. But for convenience we trade with people who have an excess. We're pretty simple here. But if you want for something even if you think it can't be fulfilled please tell me so I have a chance to make you happy. I can't read your mind so please make your needs known." He pleaded with her. He wouldn't forgive himself if he found she was suffering silently.
"I will, I promise." She reached out and touched his hand. "But what will you trade? Fish? Please let me help you catch them when the time comes!"