Chapter 43: On the road to Elias
It hasn't even been a day since the adoption, and Erin was already happier. Belle had come to tuck them in, the previous night. She had sung them a song, which only nymphs knew. Erin's face had threatened to split up, from his bright smile. That night, as he cuddled against Lysander's back, he was the happiest boy in the world. Even though, he ended up just with a mother, and not a father.
Lysander had promised him; he'll share his own father with Erin. Tine had chuckled at that, and had agreed readily. Yet, despite the happiness of the two boys, they still needed to get some more cloth bundles, and to trade their herbs. For, their parents couldn't help them. In a sense, they were mostly moral support.
What use did a dead wizard have for money? What use did a nymph have of meat? The boys knew that little has changed, and yet, they still had the most restful sleep, that they had since the day, they met.
As Lysander was busy checking the bottomless bag for everything, Erin was also busy. He was watering the saplings, and the shrubs outside. Lysander had told him, that they would be gone for a week, so, Erin needed to make sure the greenery around Belle's tree was well watered. She was his mama, after all. He couldn't let her down.
Just as Erin was finishing, Lysander came out of the hut. He was in full traveling gear, and he even took his walking stick. It had a sharp point, where his dagger was tied. A makeshift spear, so they could hunt on the way to the mountain settlement.
Erin poured the leftover water on the roots of Belle's oak tree, and then rushed back inside the hut. Quickly, he put on his traveling gear, and took his own stick with a dagger tied to it. He didn't know if the cloth would hold, but it was better than nothing.
"Do we go and ask Elias to come with us?" Erin asked. For the satyr was quick-witted, and would surely know how to get them out of bad situations.
"Sure. We would have to be doubling back, but we can check on the forest that way. Maybe, we will find deer or something else on the way," Lysander said, and then offered his hand. Erin took it.
The blonde felt like a baby, having to go everywhere while holding hands. Yet, he knew, that Lysander had not yet forgotten how Erin had gotten captured by Goldana. It would take many years, for the wanderer to trust the blonde again.
They locked the hut, and then began to walk in a brisk pace. For, they needed to reach the satyr's house before nightfall. As they walked, Lysander was on the lookout for herbs.
Most of what grew on the side of the road, were flowers. There were more nymphs than just Belle, looking after the forest. It would be stealing, to take their flowers. But the herbs, their nymph guardian had told them, were there to be taken. As all nymphs had this rule about helping budding herbalists.
When they saw a blueberry shrub, the boys shared a look.
"Ly, can we eat some berries?" Erin's mouth was watering. Surely, the nymph who planted the shrub, wouldn't mind, if ten or so went missing?
"Nymph, who owns this blueberry shrub. Can we please pick thirty berries?" Lysander called out into the forest. A tree vibrated, and a nymph stepped out of it. She stretched, clearly having been asleep up to now. When she saw the two children eyeing a shrub, she giggled.
"Well, aren't you adorable? Who are your parents, munchkins?" The nymph asked, as she made her way to the two children.
"My father is Tine the wizard," Lysander said.
"My mama is Belle the nymph," Erin said, happy as can be, to be able to say such a thing.
"Aren't they together? Aren't you brothers?" The nymph asked.
"No, no. Mama, and Ly's papa, are not together. Nymphs and dead wizards can't marry," Erin was quick to clarify.
"Oh, I see," the nymph said. Then, she remembered why she was awoken. "What do you have to trade for the fruit?"
"We have money," Lysander tried, but she giggled.
"What use are the money to a nymph?" She asked them, and the two bowed their heads.
"And why thirty? Shouldn't you be asking for twenty berries?" She asked them the next question.
"There is this satyr friend we have, Elias. We want to bring him ten berries," Erin said. The nymph nodded.
"Well, if you water my tree, I will give you the berries," she was a kind nymph, but it hasn't rained in quite a bit. The tree, two boys and a wolf, must have water on them.
"We like watering trees," Erin said, as he took off his water skin, from his belt. Quickly, he went to the tree from which the nymph stepped out of, and began to empty the water skin on its roots.
"Ah, this feels nice," She said. Then, she felt bad. They must be on a long road, and she had taken an entire water skin from them. "Help yourself to as many berries as you want. It would be a waste, if they rot on the branches."
With this, the nymph went back to her tree, without even giving up her name. Lysander made a mental count of how many water skins they had left.
The two boys had twenty more in the bottomless bag, plus the one on Lysander's hip. The berries were worth it, though. Lysander took out a box, and began to fill it with berries. The two boys didn't even leave a single berry behind. They figured that they could eat them during the long journey in the mountains.
"Thank you for the berries," Erin said, and then he felt a breeze coming from the nymph's tree, which ruffled his blonde locks. He giggled, and then did a bow. "You were very nice."
Lysander also did a bow, although the breeze tickled his nose, and he sneezed. Erin giggled, and they were back on their way.
Chapter 43: On the road to Elias
It hasn't even been a day since the adoption, and Erin was already happier. Belle had come to tuck them in, the previous night. She had sung them a song, which only nymphs knew. Erin's face had threatened to split up, from his bright smile. That night, as he cuddled against Lysander's back, he was the happiest boy in the world. Even though, he ended up just with a mother, and not a father.
Lysander had promised him; he'll share his own father with Erin. Tine had chuckled at that, and had agreed readily. Yet, despite the happiness of the two boys, they still needed to get some more cloth bundles, and to trade their herbs. For, their parents couldn't help them. In a sense, they were mostly moral support.
What use did a dead wizard have for money? What use did a nymph have of meat? The boys knew that little has changed, and yet, they still had the most restful sleep, that they had since the day, they met.
As Lysander was busy checking the bottomless bag for everything, Erin was also busy. He was watering the saplings, and the shrubs outside. Lysander had told him, that they would be gone for a week, so, Erin needed to make sure the greenery around Belle's tree was well watered. She was his mama, after all. He couldn't let her down.
Just as Erin was finishing, Lysander came out of the hut. He was in full traveling gear, and he even took his walking stick. It had a sharp point, where his dagger was tied. A makeshift spear, so they could hunt on the way to the mountain settlement.
Erin poured the leftover water on the roots of Belle's oak tree, and then rushed back inside the hut. Quickly, he put on his traveling gear, and took his own stick with a dagger tied to it. He didn't know if the cloth would hold, but it was better than nothing.
"Do we go and ask Elias to come with us?" Erin asked. For the satyr was quick-witted, and would surely know how to get them out of bad situations.
"Sure. We would have to be doubling back, but we can check on the forest that way. Maybe, we will find deer or something else on the way," Lysander said, and then offered his hand. Erin took it.
The blonde felt like a baby, having to go everywhere while holding hands. Yet, he knew, that Lysander had not yet forgotten how Erin had gotten captured by Goldana. It would take many years, for the wanderer to trust the blonde again.
They locked the hut, and then began to walk in a brisk pace. For, they needed to reach the satyr's house before nightfall. As they walked, Lysander was on the lookout for herbs.
Most of what grew on the side of the road, were flowers. There were more nymphs than just Belle, looking after the forest. It would be stealing, to take their flowers. But the herbs, their nymph guardian had told them, were there to be taken. As all nymphs had this rule about helping budding herbalists.
When they saw a blueberry shrub, the boys shared a look.
"Ly, can we eat some berries?" Erin's mouth was watering. Surely, the nymph who planted the shrub, wouldn't mind, if ten or so went missing?
"Nymph, who owns this blueberry shrub. Can we please pick thirty berries?" Lysander called out into the forest. A tree vibrated, and a nymph stepped out of it. She stretched, clearly having been asleep up to now. When she saw the two children eyeing a shrub, she giggled.
"Well, aren't you adorable? Who are your parents, munchkins?" The nymph asked, as she made her way to the two children.
"My father is Tine the wizard," Lysander said.
"My mama is Belle the nymph," Erin said, happy as can be, to be able to say such a thing.
"Aren't they together? Aren't you brothers?" The nymph asked.
"No, no. Mama, and Ly's papa, are not together. Nymphs and dead wizards can't marry," Erin was quick to clarify.
"Oh, I see," the nymph said. Then, she remembered why she was awoken. "What do you have to trade for the fruit?"
"We have money," Lysander tried, but she giggled.
"What use are the money to a nymph?" She asked them, and the two bowed their heads.
"And why thirty? Shouldn't you be asking for twenty berries?" She asked them the next question.
"There is this satyr friend we have, Elias. We want to bring him ten berries," Erin said. The nymph nodded.
"Well, if you water my tree, I will give you the berries," she was a kind nymph, but it hasn't rained in quite a bit. The tree, two boys and a wolf, must have water on them.
"We like watering trees," Erin said, as he took off his water skin, from his belt. Quickly, he went to the tree from which the nymph stepped out of, and began to empty the water skin on its roots.
"Ah, this feels nice," She said. Then, she felt bad. They must be on a long road, and she had taken an entire water skin from them. "Help yourself to as many berries as you want. It would be a waste, if they rot on the branches."
With this, the nymph went back to her tree, without even giving up her name. Lysander made a mental count of how many water skins they had left.
The two boys had twenty more in the bottomless bag, plus the one on Lysander's hip. The berries were worth it, though. Lysander took out a box, and began to fill it with berries. The two boys didn't even leave a single berry behind. They figured that they could eat them during the long journey in the mountains.
"Thank you for the berries," Erin said, and then he felt a breeze coming from the nymph's tree, which ruffled his blonde locks. He giggled, and then did a bow. "You were very nice."
Lysander also did a bow, although the breeze tickled his nose, and he sneezed. Erin giggled, and they were back on their way.
