11. Dinner
11
Dinner
Kaine
T he night wore on, and I found myself pleasantly surprised to find that Nidori was not a burden to travel with. I didn’t have to worry about feeding her, and she would be able to provide both of us with shelter. The only downside was that she would definitely not be helpful in a fight. But perhaps I could teach her to be a bit more fierce.
“I’m so relieved to find someone out here who I can count on. Especially one so brave, too.” Nidori did a little swoop in the air and giggled. I rubbed my forehead as I felt a spark of warmth in my chest. She was good. I thought I was a master of flattery, but it seemed I could learn a thing or two from her. She almost seemed to mean it.
“Hey, watch this!” She said, approaching a giant tree. Its roots clung to the slope we were approaching, winding down and she shrieked as she used them as a slide. She ended up thrown to the side and landing in a giggling heap.
“Not a great way down.” I observed, a small smile on my face.
“Pfft. Like you could do better.” She called back up. Excuse me?
I glanced at the roots. They weren’t too high and the stope wasn’t very steep. I felt comfortable around trees, especially around the lower branches. High enough to be safely out the way but low enough that I could handle a fall. Before I could think twice, I vaulted onto the smooth roots and launched myself down them. My face split into a wide grin as the wind whipped past my head and it took everything in my power to not get thrown off like she had. The end raised into the air, and I landed on both my feet on the ground, my heart racing and a grin on my face.
“Ha!” I said triumphantly and she clapped her hands together as she came towards me again.
“You have to teach me how to do that.”
When had been the last time I’d smiled like that? What on earth was Nidori doing to me?
I glanced at her again, barely stopping a frown. Was she casting her own enchantment spell? Enchantments were usually subtle, making you feel someone was more likeable and attractive. Not that Nidori needed much help in that department. She was tiny, with glittering eyes and a dress that was short enough to show a lovely view of her slender legs, particularly as she took to flying above me. She was much too small to do anything with, but no harm in appreciating a beautiful lady, even one that only came up to my shin. In fact, it was quite nice to be with someone I didn’t have to worry about seducing. It was still possible she was enchanting me though.
We carried on our way. She was humming to herself, fluttering back and forth in front of me. Every once in a while, she would flutter to the ground and pause, then announce we were heading the right way. She headed down now, resting her tiny hand on a root. She turned and gave me a small smile, which turned into a yawn.
“It must be past midnight,” She took to the air again. “Aren’t you tired? ”
“I’m nocturnal, my dear. Not by choice, I’m afraid.” I replied. “Travelling with me means travelling at night. Perhaps we should let you rest, though. It can take some getting used to.” I considered her tiny form. No use exhausting her.
“Alright.” She said, stifling another yawn. We walked until we found a suitable clearing, and I set down my pack, and Nidori landed on a branch. Now I had to get her to make me a shelter. I could simply compel her, of course, but I hesitated. Something was tugging at me, a curiosity about how amiable she was being. Could I… try asking? What would happen?
“Could you help me?” I tried. She hopped up, eyes gleaming.
“I need somewhere to sleep that won’t let in any light. I’m rather sensitive to sunlight, see, and I get some nasty burns. Perhaps you could woodweave an enclosed space for me?”
“Oh! Yes, I can help with that!” She rubbed her hands together and then reached out to the ground. Another comforting warmth swelled in my chest, unfamiliar but thrilling. I pushed it away. She was clearly trying to get in my good books.
To my shock, roots as thick as my arm burst out from the ground, tangling together and growing into a dome- shaped shelter. It was big enough for me to almost stand inside, with a tall entrance that she covered with hanging vines. I had been expecting perhaps a small, cramped space next to a tree, just enough to block out the light, but this shelter was actually inviting. She panted, wiping some sweat from her brow, and sat down heavily.
Why had she made it so big and fancy? It had clearly taken a lot out of her, to go to all the extra effort. I hadn’t even asked her to. I stepped towards it, running my hands along the hanging vines over the entrance. There were delicate flowers laced through them. I ventured further inside. It smelled of fresh earth and lavender. The floor was cushioned by thick moss, spongy and soft. I felt a lump form in my throat as she followed me inside.
“Will that do?” She asked. “Sorry it’s not bigger.”
I leaned over to her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, which made her blush.
“It’s perfect.”
“Okay, now you stay in here and cover your eyes!” She said. “No peeking!”
I raised my hands, but my stomach turned as she left. I peered through a slit in my fingers, muscles tense. What was she doing? Why was she hiding it from me?
She was standing in the clearing, her tongue sticking out and a focused look on her face. Plants sprung from the ground beside her, and I twitched. Was she trying to escape? Had this all been to lull me into a false sense of security?
But the plants didn’t come for me, instead blooming around her and swelling with all sorts of fruits and vegetables. She clapped her hands in delight, and I felt my shoulders loosen. I continued watching as she made two smooth bowls; one big and one small, and started piling her harvest into them.
“Just a little longer!” She said, glancing at the shelter and dragging the big bowl closer to me. She put the little bowl down in front, and then frowned. With one last sweep, she grew some flowers between the two and then nodded to herself.
“Okay, you can come out now!” She announced. I lowered my hands and came out, an unfamiliar squirmy feeling in my chest as I took in the spread before us. I swallowed, unsure of what to say.
“Is this alright?” Said Nidori, voice suddenly tinged with worry. “I just thought, I haven’t had a meal with another person in so long, I wanted to make it special. But you don’t have to-“
“I love it.” I croaked, cutting her off. I cleared my throat and moved to the bowl, lifting it up and shoving some gosberries into my mouth. They were perfectly ripe, bursting with sweetness as I bit into them.
“You know, I can’t remember the last time I had a meal with someone either.” I gave her a smile. She flew towards me and I stiffened again, but it was only to wrap her arms around my neck.
Something occurred to me then, and I considered it deeply as her tiny, delicate body pressed into mine. It was possible that Nidori wasn’t just trying to flatter me or win me over. It was possible that she genuinely meant everything she said, and had made the shelter and the meal for me just because she wanted to. She’d decided I was worth doing nice things for.
Well shit.
As I raised my hand to rest on her back, I felt a warmth build inside me. It was as if she was a candle and her mere presence was heat and light and hope.
“I’m so glad we found each other.” She whispered. I held her close.
“Me too.” I said. Somehow, I had managed to find someone not only useful, but someone who made the world seem a little bit warmer.
I couldn’t stop looking at her as we ate together.
She followed me into the shelter after, chatting as I settled into the soft moss on the ground.
“Goodnight.” She said, fluttering towards the door.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I sat up.
“Oh. I was going to make a nest outside.”
I snorted. Absolutely not.
“How am I supposed to protect you if you are outside and something happens? ”
The thought was horrible. If someone came during the day, I’d be helpless to do anything. It was better that she stayed right next to me.
Nidori’s face had gone pink.
“I suppose I could make one here,” She waved her hand and a orb formed on the inside of the dome, near my head. Perfect.
She flew over and snuggled in.
“Thanks for protecting me. I promise I’ll take care of you.” She whispered in the dark.
The warmth from earlier came back into my chest. Her breathing slowed as she fell asleep, but I lay awake. It was far too early for me to settle down, and my mind was buzzing with thoughts.
I hadn’t used compulsion on her tonight, and I was so glad I hadn’t. It would have ruined this whole evening and every sweet word that had come out of Nidori’s mouth. I turned and let my fingers rest against her little orb nest as I decided two things.
I liked this. This feeling that I was someone who was worth her time and attention. I was going to keep up this illusion that I wasn’t a monster for as long as possible, and that meant not using compulsion. Yet.
The second thing I decided was that I was never ever going to let her go. And I was sure that would be when I would use compulsion, because once the illusion was shattered, there was no way in hell she’d want to stay with me.
***
Nidori
I slept a long time, but the sun was still up when I woke. Kaine was stretched out, chest rising and falling gently as he slept, his hand resting on the top of my orb protectively. I watched him for a while before shifting forward and making myself a careful path out of the shelter. I was bored and antsy, wanting to go explore. I’d only be gone for a bit. I’d be back before he woke up.
We had left the outskirts some time ago and were well into the Witherwood now. It was one thing to hear tales about the great royalwood trees of the south, but it was another to look up at them and feel so tiny. They stretched so high, I couldn’t make out the tops, and each trunk was almost as thick as a house. Even though the sun was still up, not much light made it through to the forest floor.
I decided to look around, flying up and darting through the trees. I enjoyed the smell of the ferns and leaves down below. I could hear crickets chirping and feel the winds stirring through the trees. A bright light nearby caught my attention, drawing me closer for a better look. I froze as I saw what it was.
A huge figure was making his way through the woods.
He had dark blue skin, horns, and massive wings that rose up from his back. He carried a sword and shield, and I couldn’t decide what description he matched from my books. He had a handsome face and was dressed like a knight, but only monsters and demons in the stories I read had horns and a sharp tail like he did. The light that had caught my eye was floating in front of him, guiding his way.
I flew closer, trying to figure it out. Knight or monster?
Hmm. He looked massive and kind of scary, but also very tired.
I wanted to go and ask him, but I figured I should probably be a bit careful after what happened last time. Especially if I didn’t want anyone dying. I’d have to get Kaine to tell me how to make people fall asleep.
The figure was making his way around a mass of thick roots when I struck, summoning a tangle of vines and sweeping him upside down .
He growled and tried to cut through them with his sword. I wrapped him more securely before I approached. There. That should do it.
“Hello?” I said, landing above him. He looked funny upside down, his white hair dangling down in sleek waves, and I giggled and hung upside down as well. Oh. My dress had fallen to cover my face. I pushed it back up. Perhaps that’s why sprites didn’t usually wear things like that.
Up close, he was very interesting to look at. He had dark blue-grey skin and long, wavy, white hair. It looked different than Kaine’s; it looked smooth rather than soft. His eyes flicked to me; they were black where they should be white and an iridescent blue in the iris. Wow. They were gorgeous, large, and almost glowing. His face was long and strong, but he didn’t look angry, just surprised.
He hadn’t replied yet but had stopped struggling when he saw me.
“Hello?” I repeated, flipping the right way again and frowning. Maybe he was a monster, after all. They didn’t usually talk.
“Hello?” he replied in a low voice. I nodded, satisfied that he had passed one test. But there was still a problem.
“Now," I tapped my chin. “Kaine said that if I saw anyone else, I should stab them.” I frowned. I stabbed the air to test out how it would feel. It felt nice, so I did it again. There was a problem with following Kaine’s directions, though. “…but I don’t have a knife.”
“I really don’t want to be stabbed,” he said, raising an eyebrow.
“Really?” I asked. “You look bitey. And sharp.” I eyed his tail and the barbed part on the end. But the way he was talking sounded very nice.
“I may look scary, but I’m not. I’m a Paladin. I’m oathsworn to destroy evil. ”
“Oh, yay!” I said, clapping my hands. I had read about Paladins in my stories. They were basically magic knights who got their power from an oath. And despite his pointiness, he was being friendly. “I’ll let you down, then.”
I concentrated, sticking out my tongue and spreading my arms out. He crashed unceremoniously to the ground. Oops.
I landed on the ground by his feet and looked up at him, almost falling backwards to see his face. Holy greenmother , he was tall.
“I’m Nidori of the Western Reach,” I announced, projecting my voice, in case he was too high up to hear.
“Talon, Paladin of the Order of Vengeance,” he said, politely crouching down to talk to me, his wings stretching to the side as he lowered himself. His tail swept some moss and twigs off his outfit.
“I like your light,” I said, pointing up at the glowing orb. “That's why I decided to catch you.”
“I’m not sure it’s helping much. I got very lost back there. Made it all the way back to the edge of the wood when I realised I was going the wrong way,” he said with a crooked smile. “But if you like the light, I can make others.” He held his hand up, summoning more. They swirled in the air, dancing around me. I spun, reaching my arms out and touching them. They felt warm and tingly.
“Wow!” I said. “You’re good at that!”
“Light is my specialty,” he said. “Light and fire.”
Fire? My toes curled in excitement. I needed to see that.
“Is that why you came here?” I asked. “Because it’s cold and dark? I think you’d have to make a lot more than that to fix this forest.”
He chuckled, a gruff, rumbly sound that made me smile. “Not exactly. I was sent here.”
“Me too!” I said, waving my hand at him enthusiastically. “Lei Lei picked me! ”
He held up his palm, and I saw gold on it as well. I flew up, pressing my hand to his as I had with Kaine. His hand was nice and warm and bigger than me. Wow. He was big . I was taller than Kaine’s hand by at least a head length.
“You could come and join me!” I said. “I have to travel at night now, so we could use your lights. And you can help if we run into bad people.” I leaned closer, whispering. “Lei Lei said that I should try and find some big, strong fighters to help me.”
He smiled, the action lighting up his eyes, but then his face fell.
“It would be my honour,” he said. “But I… should do this alone.”
“No, no, no . You come with me, all right?” I said, furrowing my brows. “Do you like strawberries? I can grow strawberries. And nuts. Any plant, really. And I’ll play you music at night. Well, day, because we have to travel at night, but still.”
He hesitated. He was close, I knew it.
“Please?” I asked, my lip trembling. He couldn’t go. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around his hand. It was much warmer than Kaine’s. “I need you.”
I knew it. In every tiny bone in my body. This was a good person, just like Kaine, and I needed him to stay with me. And maybe show me some fire.
“All right,” he relented. “But just for a bit. Then we’ll part ways again.”
“Excellent.” I nodded again. “I’m sure Kaine will be delighted to meet you.”
“Who’s Kaine?” he asked, frowning.
“He’s my hero ,” I said. “He’ll be waking up soon. Come on, let’s go get him!”
I jumped up, taking off, glancing back to make sure he was following. To my surprise, he didn’t fly after me, choosing to navigate the tangle of roots that covered the ground on foot. I watched, curious. My wings were stiff but light, laced like a butterfly. I could flap them fast or slow and steer with them. They were wings, and that was that, but his seemed to be more like a second set of arms that had grown from his back. They had bones, elbows, joints. He used them deftly, and they even had a talon on the crest of each that he used to help him when climbing. I was very impressed that he managed to keep up with me so well, despite his feet remaining firmly on the ground.
We soon reached the small clearing. I landed by the large shelter I had made and knocked on the top.
“Kaine, the sun’s down. Are you awake?” I sang, shooting Talon a grin. I just knew they were going to get along. They were both so nice.
“Fresh as a daisy, my dear,” came a sleepy reply. I swept my hand sideways, opening the vines that covered the entrance. Kaine climbed out, stretching luxuriously before rubbing his eyes. His hair seemed to glow in the faint silver lights, his blue eyes glittering as he looked at us curiously. That reminded me—I hadn’t felt Talon’s hair yet. It looked silky. I’d have to do that soon. My hands twitched, and I glanced at him but decided now wasn’t the time.
They looked at each other, and Kaine clicked his tongue, eyes narrowing. “Nidori, my sweetheart, I thought I told you to stab anyone else you found,” he leaned back against the tree and folded his arms.
Oh, dear. Guilt twisted in my stomach, and I rushed to explain. “Yes, but when I caught him, I didn’t have anything to stab him with. And he’s got lights and fire and said he’d be honoured to help me!” I laced my hands together anxiously.
“Is that so?” he said, raising one eyebrow at Talon.
“Please don’t stab him or make him go to sleep. He’s really nice,” I added .
Talon cleared his throat, eyes fixed on Kaine. “I don’t know that Nidori actually needed to stab me, considering you already did once.”
“Oh, that’s perfect, then!” I said, breathing an internal sigh of relief. “See? Now we’re all happy.”
“This isn’t going to be a problem, is it?” Talon asked. “Nidori was so happy when I agreed to join her.”
Problem? Why would it be a problem?
“She’s the boss,” Kaine said with a small bow, making me glow with pride .