familiarity breeds ....

   As they drew closer to the music, they began to hear actual lyrics, although they didn't necessarily understand what the song was about.

  "Something about a ship wreck," mused Lyri, "but I'm not sure why any kind of a wreck would be something to sing about, and I don't know what a ship is."

  "I think a ship is like a boat," Eldrin offered. "Bigger than a raft or a canoe, and much bigger than a boat.  Something to go on the water, maybe a lake bigger than anything we've ever seen?  Speaking of which, I was just looking at this creek and there seems to be some large trout in it.  Lyri, do you have something I can use to make a hook, and I'll catch us some for dinner in case they aren't friendly?"

  "Do you ever stop thinking of food, Eldrin?"

  "No need to get testy.  I was thinking for all of us."

  "Which is quite unexpected, to be honest.  I may have something you can use, just one moment.  Thal, do you think we should stop here and wait while you and Kael go forward to see if they are friendly?"

  "That's not a bad idea. You and El wait here, while Kael and I scout it out.  Don't light a fire in any case until we know if we have to leave quickly."

  "Oh, what I would give for some of your mother's buttermilk biscuits, Lyri, to have with some fresh trout!"

  Thal rolled his eyes, "And keep El quiet if you can.  We don't need to announce ourselves just yet, and all his talk about food is making my stomach growl."

  "I'd love to shove a biscuit in his mouth if it would shut him up," Kael remarked under his breath.  He clenched his fists until they were white-knuckled.  The last few days together had made all of them just a little buggy with familiarity, and what he wouldn't give for some peace and quiet.

 [This is an ongoing chapter a week story that began with the first Words for Wednesday for 2025 on 1 January. I'm hoping to continue it through 31 December, the last Wednesday of the year. To start from the beginning, click on the Words for Wednesday 2025 label to the right and it will pull up all of the weekly posts, beginning with the most recent. To start from the beginning, continue to click "Older Posts" at the bottom of the page until you get to 1 January 2025, then click "Newer Posts" to read the next date. You can thank Blogger for the inability to list them by chronological order under the labels.]

This week's Words for Wednesday prompts can be found here.

the joy of it all ...

   Now that the four of them were free to travel during the daylight hours, they were making better time than they previously had.  On the second day, they could see a village in the distance, and the smell of food being prepared was reaching them occasionally on the breeze.

  Naturally, Eldrin was the first to remark on the scent in the air.  "Oh, my goodness, I can't believe how much I've missed real cooking.  I hope they invite us to stay a night.  No offense, Lyri, but purple beauty berries and weeds just don't fill me up like a good rabbit roast does."

  Lyri side-eyed him, "Umph.  See if I try to cook for you again."  When she had been born, the fairies had given her the gift of conviviality which had served her well as she got older.  Others in their forest community, not just Kael and Thalion, had developed an adoration for her, and whether she knew it or not, she'd often been protected from harm by the forest animals.  It was taking Kael a great deal of willpower on this journey to not speak of his feelings for her because he could clearly see that Lyri and Thal cared deeply for each other although neither of them showed it in front of him or Eldrin.  It was as it should be, and the change in Kael kept him from speaking out and risking his newfound friendship with both of them.

  The closer they got to the village, the more they could hear the mellow, gentle sounds of a guitar.  "Perhaps it is a celebration?" Lyri remarked.  "It would be nice for one night to relax and dance, don't you think, Thal?"

  "Hmmm.  Perhaps.  We will have to see what kind of a reception we get from them when we arrive.  These are unfamiliar woods, and we don't know if they are wood elves who would welcome us or something else.  I think it would be wise to observe from a distance before we just waltz into their village."  Vondran's warning to him that not everything in the forest was friendly to wood elves was still on the back of his mind.

 [This is an ongoing chapter a week story that began with the first Words for Wednesday for 2025 on 1 January. I'm hoping to continue it through 31 December, the last Wednesday of the year. To start from the beginning, click on the Words for Wednesday 2025 label to the right and it will pull up all of the weekly posts, beginning with the most recent. To start from the beginning, continue to click "Older Posts" at the bottom of the page until you get to 1 January 2025, then click "Newer Posts" to read the next date. You can thank Blogger for the inability to list them by chronological order under the labels.]

This week's Words for Wednesday prompts can be found here.

the mentor

   As their journey continued, Thalion woke every day with a new story that Vondran had given him which he then shared with Lyri, Eldrin, and Kael.  Mile after mile, as they walked toward the horizon he told them of the heir's life and all the things that he had experienced or learned.  At some point, Thal realized that Vondran was mentoring him to become the king he hadn't been able to be when he was alive.  It was as if Vondran's consciousness was joining with Thalion's, but that wasn't something he shared with the others.

  One day he woke to tell them that they no longer needed to travel by night, that they had left the danger far enough behind them that they could continue walking in the daylight.  What he didn't tell them was that they were getting closer to their journey's end and they would need to be able to see distant landmarks and enemies.

  They spent that day foraging for food and supplies in the forest, which were much easier to see since they did not need to rush to be on their way as the moon rose.

  "You know, Thal," Eldrin began as the four sat relaxing on the edge of a small pond, "if I were a theorist who specialized in dreams, I would say that there is a great chance that some of yours have been more like nightmares lately.  Not only might you be having dreams that Vondran is giving you, but you might also be having just normal dreams of your own.  How can you tell them apart?  Do you ever feel like his thoughts and memories enhance your own?  Or is it more like an out-of-body experience where you enter his?"

  Thal looked at him and blinked several times.  "To be honest, I've never even thought of that.  It has happened so gradually that I think now many of my dreams before I first heard his voice in my head were actually things he was showing me.  Sometimes it's almost as if we are one in the same."

  Kael looked over at Thal, "Before I encountered the man and the gnolls, I would sometimes see myself through your eyes when I'd been rude or dishonest about something.  A part of me would want to take back whatever I'd said or done because I could see the hurt that I was causing.  But then I would just continue to do it.  It took me a while to realize that everything I decided not to change, I was actually choosing, and I began to dislike myself more and more every day.  I don't want to be that person anymore.  I want to be more like the three of you."

 [This is an ongoing chapter a week story that began with the first Words for Wednesday for 2025 on 1 January. I'm hoping to continue it through 31 December, the last Wednesday of the year. To start from the beginning, click on the Words for Wednesday 2025 label to the right and it will pull up all of the weekly posts, beginning with the most recent. To start from the beginning, continue to click "Older Posts" at the bottom of the page until you get to 1 January 2025, then click "Newer Posts" to read the next date. You can thank Blogger for the inability to list them by chronological order under the labels.]

This week's Words for Wednesday prompts can be found here.

time flies ...

 More procrastination projects among other things ...

Rearranged the Hens & Chicks in the front garden to make room for some Sage.

Project on the way!  Super excited!

The Littles had their first shots!  They were "handsome," "adorable," and "petite."

Oliver weighs a full pound more than Calliope!

Charlie has been feeling out of sorts lately, so a vet visit for him also.  

This was his "sneak-up-from-behind" response test from their resident cat, Poppy.

He passed with flying colors.

Sibling snuggles.

Have a wonderful week ... Ci💚