Private Tales Right Place, Right Time

[Tharu San'Seya]

Tharu took a deep breath of the Faewild air, holding it in his lungs and letting it linger for as long as his body could manage before exhaling again. It was so rare that he was allowed to travel this far from his court's home of Falwood that Tharu felt an innate need to savor every second of it. Not that he minded his home, but Tharu was a special case; he'd been cursed, chained to his Father for much of his early life. Freedom had been nothing but a dream to him for many, many years. Now he had reconciled with his father, certainly, but his position as Ambassador to the Spring left him little free time even now.

This was no vacation trip, of course. Like always, Tharu was here on business: A meeting between some delegation from the other parlor courts in regards to the recent uptick in violent activity from wildlife across Arethil. Tharu's presence had been requested because his court, namely, was hit the hardest by this violence. He'd told them that much when he'd requested assistance from the other courts months ago and received nothing. None of them cared until their own lands began to show signs of change.

He sometimes hated when his Father was right.

Nairth San'Seya had predicted as much, and he'd even told Tharu quite bluntly not to expect any sympathy at the meeting. Sure enough, his presence there seemed more formality than anything, and he set about returning with almost nothing to show for it. That he took the scenic route through a densely wooded area was in equal parts to soak in the wilds and to calm his simmering temper with the whole debacle.

It was quite sudden then, that the hairs on the back of his neck stood up as though a bolt of lighting rapidly approached him. Something was gravely amiss, the very dirt beneath his feet quivered in fear. It was a sensation he knew all too well, and immediately he rooted himself to the spot. One of the purveyors of the violence he'd come here in hopes to quell was close, and it had spotted a meal. It could have been anything from a fawn to a wolf, the strange darkness he and his Father had been combatting twisted and enraged.

Then a shriek. Without a thought Tharu rushed in the direction of the disturbance.

Zaria

 

[Zaria]

Zaria hissed as she fell against the bars of the iron cage that held her. Wings fluttered wildly as she tried to keep herself from touching them. Small fists clenched tightly at her sides. Deep, rich brown hair was pushed away from her face as sounds of screams and scuffles reached her little pointed ears from outside.

It sounded like the Night Court black market merchants were getting attacked. But she was stuck inside the wagon with a cover over her cage. Typically, if she stayed right in the center, she could avoid touching those scalding bars. But she couldn’t do anything about it when her cage was jostled.

There was a second scream this time. Closer. And then her cage went flying, landing tipped over on the ground, the covering slipping somewhat free so she had a small window to the outside world.

This time a cry of pain left her throat as her back and wings hit the bars.

 

[Tharu San'Seya]

The King had given Tharu explicit orders not to engage any unsavory types while he was outside of Spring territory unless they left him no choice. It was an order that Tharu never had any intention of following, and he prided himself on being assertive, taking action when necessary. His Father had been warming his new throne for so long now that Tharu was beginning to think the elder San'Seya no longer could.

Reservations about his father aside, maybe he was right; whatever had gotten its hands on the covered wagon and merchants he emerged onto a broader path between two swaths of trees was immensely powerful. It had been thrown onto it's side, deep claw gouges on the cover and wood. The merchants themselves had been eviscerated. It was more grisly a scene than any Tharu had encountered in centuries.

To do all this and be gone so quickly... What manner of beast could do such a thing?

He had no time to pay it a thought, before a sharp shriek, light, and yet piercing to his ears escaped the overturned wagon. A survivor? If it was of the Night Court then he wasn't so certain he wished to aid them, but... It would go against his tenants not to make an attempt to preserve a life. Walking briskly to the wagon, he pulled at the cover until it ripped from the tears and gouges, falling away to reveal the iron cage underneath.

"A pixie?" He murmured to himself, observing the small woman as she struggled against the bars. "Night Court snagged you, did they? One moment..." Truly, the shamelessness of that rabble astounded him. Tharu's power was far from at it's peak at this time of day, but the shade provided by the half-there cover of the wagon should suffice. Focusing on what little remaining darkness there was within the wagon he twists the shadows, compressing them into then tendrils that reach out and wrap around the bars of the cage. Then, he would pull them taut, grip tight enough to bend the cage enough for her to escape.

"Sorry about the wait. Didn't want to risk hurting you. Are you okay? What is your name?"

Zaria

 

[Zaria]

Before the area quieted, bloodied screams long since silenced, she saw a massive shadow. As quickly as it came it was gone. Just as her wings were about to give out, she heard another voice.

A tremble ran through her and she hovered toward the back of the cage. But he was….helping her?

Honey-whiskey eyes widened in surprise as the bars finished being bent open by that strange magic. With a burst in speed, she zipped out before her wings gave out. With a wince, she fluttered toward the ground, sprawling atop a brightly colored red and orange leaf shortly fallen from the trees above.

Burn marks from the cage covered any exposed skin and gossamer wings. Small, rapid breaths filled her lungs as she gazed up at the, very tall, stranger. She couldn’t help the tension that filled her limbs. Was this a trick? He’d helped her but…it was easy to see why she didn’t trust so easily. Even after he’d let her out. She’d been in a cage a very long time. Owned by others for a very long time.

Head shook at his question. No. She wasn’t okay. She tried moving her wings again but pain lanced across her fair features. Teeth ground in frustration. What good was she if she couldn’t fly?

“Zaria,” little voice called out. Filled with pain and fatigue. She shifted on the leaf. “Who are you?” By the moons he was so tall. And not at all hard to look at.

 

[Tharu San'Seya]

She was hurt, those iron bars had seared her terribly. Tharu didn't have any means of mending her wounds, at least not out here. The audacity of The Night infuriated him, but there was nothing to be done about that now, and least of all by him.

His first priority was getting this pixie... getting Zaria out of here before the shadows came back. "My name is Tharu San'Seya. I'm from the Spring Court." He spun around, looking for signs as to where the attacker might have gone. He could see prints in the dirt, but far too many to tell which left most recently. "Luck is in your favor today, Zaria..." He muttered back to her, wary of the silence. "You could have very easily been devoured by something far worse than the Night's slavers, yet it didn't notice you."

Turning around back to where Zaria struggled upon the bright autumn-colored leaf resting on the ground."Come on then, Zaria, I'll explain everything later, but we need to get somewhere safe first. Can you fly?" The injured pixie didn't need to answer, Tharu's eyes skimmed over the slightly burnt and limp wings hanging from her back and lowered a hand for her to climb onto. "I'll give you a ride then." A comforting smile crossed his lips. Normally he would have been much less hasty but... if that thing came back, the Prince couldn't promise that he'd be able to take it on.

Zaria

 

[Zaria]

Spring court. Thank the daisies! Night court would’ve brought more trouble. And Summer were cruel. Fall unpredictable and Winter the same. If only she could remember where her home was.

A small shake of her head. A wary look at his hand as it lowered. She couldnt stay here. She knew with the burns. She wouldn’t be able to make it far.

“Okay Tharu,” she said. There was no recognition to the importance of his name. Pushing to her bare feet, slender legs limped the few steps as she made it into his palm. She was immediately comforted by the warmth of his hand. Her arms wrapped around the curve of one of his upturned fingers so she wouldn’t lose her balance as he stood and lifted his palm. The tips of her wings brushed against his skin and they’d feel like the softest thing he’d ever touched in his life.

“Where are we?” A question as she realized she didn’t know.

 

[Tharu San'Seya]

Tharu was acutely aware of how vulnerable Zaria was right now. After all, up until only a year or so earlier he'd been the same size as the pixie, cursed to ensure his obedience. Needless to say he took extra care to be gentle with her.

As soon as she was steady on her feet, Tharu began to make tracks from the grisly scene. Not running, but rather walking at a pace that betrayed just how badly he wanted to get away. "The Steppes, just beyond Bhathairk." The meeting had taken place in Underhill, and Tharu had been taking the scenic route home. He looked down at the pixie resting in his hand with a sympathetic smile. "Who knows where they planned on taking you? I'm sure you would have attracted some interested parties."

Shooting a look behind him, Tharu quickened his pace, lifting Zaria up onto his shoulder, offering a bit of his long hair to hold on to. The path underneath his feet had quickly given way to overgrowth, but the Spring fae wasn't worried about becoming lost. His bloodline could feel nature, speak with it as though it were any other person. The trees guided him to safety, leading him to the camp he'd rested at the night before.

The Prince didn't take any offense to Zaria's lack of formality; Tharu didn't have the arrogance and self-importance most Fae did; he'd lived most of his life in servitude, after all. As the forest broke away into a clearing, the amenities he was living in spoke to that; It was almost human in nature, the large tent in the middle of the Wylds. "We'll be safe here, I have wards placed that will warn us long in advance if we're being followed."

Zaria

 

[Zaria]

Zaria's bare feet padded along the expanse of his shoulder. Wings tucked in tightly as she sat, slender lengs draping down the curve of his shoulder near his collarbone. Hands took his long strands of hair and began braiding them.

"You have very beautiful hair," she tutted as she fussed with it. And for a moment, her body glowed and pulsed with magic. If Tharu was feeling worn down or drained of any magical stores, he'd soon find a little boost being added to his reserves.

"We were coming from the black market in Kana'ti's kingdom. I think they were taking me to a buyer in Summer but," she sighed, pulling in more of his hair to start on another section. "with the iron cage, it was hard enough to just keep...being."

To survive.

Even though she had burn marks on her skin just from being away from the iron, she already looked healthier than a little bit ago.

 

[Tharu San'Seya]

If Tharu hadn't been so focused on getting them safe and collecting their bearings, he may have blushed at the compliment. The Prince was... sheltered, to say the least. Never had he received compliments on his looks by anybody. He understood why some found it addicting, that fluttering feeling in your stomach... "Thank you Zaria. I'm sure your wings outshine me though, when they're healthy." Tharu offered, approaching the nondescript tent and pushing open the folds at its base to enter into the rather less-nondescript interior.

The tent certainly had looked to be made of rags, but the inside was a dome, much larger inside than out, comprised entirely of twisted tree branches, dim light provided both by hanging lamps with glowing flowers trapped within and from the thin rays of sunlight leaking through the wood. A soft green mat sat in the center, beside a table with several finely whittled sticks giving off a pleasant aroma and a bottle of bright orange liquid.

Tharu offered his hand to Zaria, gently moving her onto said table should she accept, sitting on the green mat either way with his legs crossed. "They weren't particularly bright, placing their 'goods' in a cage that could seriously harm it." The San'Seya shuddered. Such disregard for life made him nearly feel ill. Waving a hand towards a small tub tucked against the side of his lodgings he looked over at her, concern in his eyes. "We'll rest here, and then I can help you get where you want to go. There is water for a bath, as well as plenty to drink. Certainly, you must be exhausted."

Tharu reached out, moving his hands towards her wings and stopping just short. "I won't touch, don't worry..." He muttered softly, as he tilted his head to look over them. "I'm so sorry, Zaria. I certainly hope they will heal, and that your burns will fade. I dislike seeing beautiful forms of life treated so callously... It goes against everything my Father and I believe in."

Zaria

 

[Zaria]

A small hesitation at his proffered hand. She finished off the small part of his hair she'd tugged into a braid, fussing at it a little. Then she stood so he could lower her to the table as he sat on a matt across from her on the floor. A quiet huff of agreement about her captors.

Even with him seated and her small form standing on the table, she still had to tilt her head to look up at him. Waves of thick, brown hair flowed down her back between her wings and across her shoulders as her chin lifted. She couldn't help the involuntary flinch away from his fingertips as he brought them close. It was clear she had a history of being roughly handled. Treated as a commodity rather than a living being.

A small undertone of warmth spread along her cheeks at his compliment.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for," she said quietly. "It's not like it was your fault I ended up in that cage. I am in your debt. For helping me." Her expression was serious and offerent no room for negotiation. A stubborn clench along her sharp jaw.

"Besides," she carried on as if he would argue. "I don't remember my home and don't really have a place to go to. At least, for the moment." Bare shoulders rose and fell. Hands dropped to smooth out the dress she wore, made from an intricate pattern of stitched leaves. She looked down to where her arm had hit the iron. The burn mark there was already starting to fade a little. At least there was that.

"Is your father here, with you?" Honey-whiskey eyes flickered back to his face.

 

[Tharu San'Seya]

Well, she certainly wouldn't need to worry about being a commodity as long as she stuck around the Spring. Tharu was more than aware of how abused and oppressed Pixies tended to be by the larger races. It had been one of the many topics Nairth had discussed with the new group of enforcers he was seeking to employ in Spring's land, in an effort to drive out poachers, thieves, and criminals who preyed on life for anything other than natural sustenance.

The prince drew his hand slowly away from Zaria, an amused little smile on his face. "My debt? No, Zaria. In saving you I was just following the Spring tenets. I wouldn't be fit to be Prince of the Spring if I had done anything less than risk my life to preserve yours." Still, the way she seemed so flustered about the whole ordeal was rather cute. If she wasn't less than a foot tall, she'd be a fetching woman.

Tharu rose as she explained her living conditions, moving to open a tall cabinet built into the wall of the dome, retrieving a few things before moving to the tub of crystal clear water he'd brought with him all the way from Grovehaven's spring. Taking the small thimble he'd retrieved from his belongings, he filled it with water. "Oh, I wouldn't worry then. You're more than welcome to stay with me. The Spring is very welcoming, I'm sure my father could procure you somewhere to stay in our land."

He spoke as if it wasn't any major deal as he sat the thimble in front of her, taking a small scrap of his clothing that had been torn by the thick branches as they'd fled and placing it down as well, for her to use as a cloth should she need it. When she asked of his father, he chuckled. "No, he has business in Autumn. I'm merely out because I had a meeting with a few other ambassadors. Trying to get them to do something about the monster that killed those night-fae. Though I guess it worked out for you..."

Zaria

 

[Zaria]

Honey-whiskey eyes bulged. They followed with with no small amount of sharpness or gawking as he set the thimble full of water down at her level. “You’re the PRINCE?! And your father the…king of spring?”

Fingers raked through her thick, brown hair. Wings fluttered lightly before tucking back in close to her body. Fingers tugged at her leafy dress as if she could make herself more presentable.

“I’m not used to being around royalty,” she admitted. “Though I’m not sure I’d ever assume you to be one until you said something.” She always imagined royalty sitting on chairs and drinking goblets of wine. Being surrounded by bodyguards. Not adventuring on their own, caring enough to stop for a pixie. Walking to the thimble, she dipped her hands in, drinking some of the water, then using the rest to wipe down her skin. Using the scrap of cloth he left behind, she dried any lingering water away.

“Perhaps I can help you find this beast? Pixies are good at sensing darkness.” She took a seat and stiffled a yawn. Healing from the iron was catching up to her. And she didn’t care what he insisted on. She still owed him a debt.

 

[Tharu San'Seya]

Tharu winced at the squeaky shout that filled the dome. He could never get used to it, being seen as different because of who his father was. The Prince had been a servant so long that he'd merely failed to develop that ego that so often came with royalty. The young San'Seya saw himself as no different than Zaria, save for their appearance.

So when she quickly set about trying to make herself look like she hadn't just narrowly dodged a painful death, he waved a hand. "It's really not a big deal. I look at it as more of a job than a title, Zaria." It came with far more duties than it did perks-- The Spring wasn't exactly an aristocracy, after all. "I don't see myself as any better or more important than you.

As Zaria began to clean herself off, Tharu averted his golden-hued gaze out of respect for her modesty, sliding his tongue into his cheek at her suggestion. Nairth would be most unpleased if Tharu moved against the shadows on his own accord, but Zaria was right in that a Pixie would be a valuable ally. Hearing Zaria's yawn, Tharu looked back to her, reaching out and retrieving the thimble. "Even if we found it, we aren't sure how to kill it yet." Tharu explained. "As far as we can tell, the Shadow is a parasite, inhabiting ordinary creatures and causing them to grow in size and violent tendencies. When we kill that creature, it just jumps to another."

It was clear though, that the Pixie aimed to thank him for his trouble. Brushing his silvery hair behind his ears, the Prince hummed thoughtfully. "Well, we've both had some preconceptions shattered today. You found a Prince traveling alone who cares for Pixies, and I found a Pixie who's far more interesting in a conversation and good-spirited than any of the ambassadors and Fae politicians I've spoken with. If you're intent on helping me, I suppose we will have to make something work."

Zaria

 

[Zaria]

"Yes I suppose we will," she agreed, a small smile gracing her face. "But," she yawned. "I think right now I need to rest. Don't you dare think about leaving without me," a stern-little finger pointed up at him. Followed by a twitch of her wings.

Gently lowering herself to the table, she curled onto her side and closed her eyes. It said a lot for a pixie to sleep in the open. It meant she trusted the prince. Soon enough her breathing steadied into smaller, quieter breaths as she drifted off. And as she slept, if Tharu got close enough, he'd feel a pulse of strengthening magic coming off her. As if she was a battery, charging up anyone with power who might be near enough.

 

[Tharu San'Seya]

The Prince was glad Zaira wasn't the type to push herself past the point of exhaustion. The pixie would definitely need rest after the eventful day she'd had, and the sleep would hopefully bolster her healing even more. Tharu quirked an eyebrow, crossing his eyes at the rather accusatory finger pointed at him. "I wouldn't ever dream of it, Zaria." Tharu assured her.

The young San'Seya knew well that Pixies, despite their demure stature, were surprisingly hardy and resilient. There was a reason they were still around when the world was filled with much bigger beings; They knew how to take care of themselves, and the same would be said of Zaria. As she turned her back and got comfortable, Tharu rose from his seat, slowly stepping to the doorway of the large tent and moving a hand to peek outside at the now dark sky.

Tharu could take Zaria home with him, give her refuge within Grovehaven and potentially plan against the 'Shadow' from there. Unfortunately, he knew that his Father would never allow him to set out against a foe so powerful with only a Pixie; Nairth himself had nearly been killed by the evil entity when last he'd fought it, surviving only with the help of a traveling mortal with powerful spells who had helped him. Zaria's enthusiasm was appreciated, but finding the Shadow with the two of them alone would only result in their deaths, Tharu feared.

If Zaria was against traveling all the way back to Falwood with him, he supposed they could be content to gather intelligence. This was the first time he'd seen the Shadow outside of Spring's land, which raised many questions and worries in the Ambassador's heart; If this being began to attack the other courts, and they learned it originated in Spring, Nairth would be blamed. The Spring would become an enemy of many.

With a sigh, Tharu reentered the tent and walked to the long mat he'd brought to rest on, made of similar materials to that of his bed at home. Slipping his somewhat dirtied robes off of his body and stepping out of the pool they made on the ground, he retrieved another, somewhat sleeker and lighter one from the wall, pulling it loosely over his body before laying down to take a small nap himself...

Zaria

 

[Zaria]

She awoke to a quiet tent. The steady breaths of her companion filling the space that seemed large to her. Since being freed from the tiny space the cage offered, any space seemed large to her now. Wings fluttered and she stretched, hopping to her feet.

The burn marks on her skin were all but gone.

Tentatively stretching her wings, she smiled, feeling their strength returned. With a light jump off her toes she flew into the air and fluttered about the tent. Being a pixie she was naturally curious...and nosy. And she tried to be quiet but she did end up knocking a few scrolls over.

 

[Tharu San'Seya]

Tharu's dreams were surprisingly more peaceful than they had been in recent memory. The Prince had experienced some less than pleasant scenes in his life-- macabre moments that still clung to the sides of his psyche at times, haunting him like a ghost. For whatever reason, they now granted him some small reprieve, and when his eyes slid open to the sound of some of his clutter being knocked over, he felt quite rested.

He felt so relaxed, in fact, that he didn't feel the need to look over to see what had made the noise. "Are you feeling restless, Zaria?" a smile spread across his face as he rolled onto his side to watch her, the loose-clinging cloth falling over his body as he let out a small yawn. "I suppose I would be too, after a day like you had. I'm glad your wings seem to be in order, though!"

Tharu was glad. Iron was no joke when one came into lasting contact with it. He'd seen far larger Fae crumble faster than Zaria had lasted in that cage. It went with just how hardy Pixies were, he supposed. Plus, Zaria seemed rather quick to heal even for one of her kind. Slowly, Tharu would raise to sit on his mat, crossing his legs and stretching out his back before reaching back to tie his unruly silver locks back into place. "Lucky I don't have much to hide, else I'd be wary of having a pixie snooping around my tent."

It was a joke, but there was truth to it. If she'd asked about anything Tharu had with him, it was likely he'd tell her.

"Since you're already jumping around, let's get to work. I have a way you can get some exercise."

Zaria

 

[Zaria]

Her skin warmed and she fluttered away from one of the scrolls she'd opened. She went to flit around the prince's face until her small, booted feet set down on the tip of his nose. Unlike when they'd first met, her skin had an extra healthy glow to it. Her hair an extra sheen of volume a luster. Eyes bright and magical. Wings an even more vibrant of gossamer. "Don't you know it's in a pixie's nature to be curious?" She admitted, one hand gripping her arm and offering a slightly apologetic shrug that didn't seem apologetic at all.

And he was right.

She had felt restless and it felt wonderful and glorious to be able to fly again. She hadn't realized how long she hadn't felt like herself until today and being away from iron for so long. She'd forgotten what it was like to have this much energy and that this was her true normal.

Then her arms crossed warily beneath her chest, wings tucking against her back as she remained perched on her nose, staring into those larger eyes of his. "Oh? Straight to business I see." She teased lightly. "And what is this plan his Majesty came up with?" Eye lashes batted up at him. Her wings flickered and sparkled.

 

[Tharu San'Seya]

Tharu crossed his eyes to look up at her, an amused smile on his lips. Yes, she was acting much more lively now that those awful iron burns had healed up. Zaria now looked like every bit the magical ball of bountiful energy one expected from a pixie. "Curiosity is one thing." He reached up to pat her head with a finger. "It's another when some of those scrolls are rolled tight to hold things inside them."

The last thing the two of them needed was a Ballacap powder spill, or perhaps even worse, Gerrin root. Luckily, as Tharu stood up to stretch his legs after an admittedly light sleep, he saw that the ones she'd knocked over were more or less unimportant. "Just a little exercise to see what condition you're in, give your wings a workout." He answered, raising an eyebrow up at her. "And please, just Tharu."

Reaching into a small pot that sat beside where he'd slept, Tharu pulled out a handful of round, black seeds, around the size of a cherry's pit. "You'll see what I mean soon, I think you'll enjoy it well enough. I need to dress though, this thing is far too drafty. Head outside and I'll be with you shortly." He only offered her a moment to leave out of courtesy. Tharu knew not all Fae were so casual with their bodies.

To say Zaria was rather endearing when she had the energy to be was an understatement. Tharu's exercise served a practical purpose beyond working out her wings, but he also found he quite looked forward to seeing her zip around to her heart's content.


Zaria

 

[Zaria]

A brow the color of rich earth lofted at his modesty. But she didn't fault him or question him for it. With a small push of her pointed toes she lifted from his nose and fluttered around the air for a moment, a zip of sparkling energy before heading outside his tent. Arms stretched above her as she shot up toward a shaft of light filtering through one of the tree branches above. She'd forgotten how good it felt to be in the open air. To feel the sun warm her wings without the tang of iron first.

There was a struggling ladybug on a piece of treebark. Zario flew over and brushed it lightly with her fingertips. There was a small transfer of energy and the ladybug seemed to shake something off before climbing with a renewed vigor.

Zaria flitted about until she landed atop a large, brown mushroom bulb, walking delicately on its porous surface.

"Well, well, well, how long do you think a prince takes to get dressed?"

 

[Tharu San'Seya]

Tharu's change of dress seemed rather superfluous anyways, as the outfit he emerged from the tent wearing seemed more revealing than the one he'd had on previously. The colors blended together beautifully in sapphire, emerald, and violet hues, but the sleeves rested quite low on his arms, and the V down his chest rested precariously above his waist.

The fresh air of a new day filled his nostrils and his lungs with renewed energy, a smile spreading across his face. That Shadow hadn't followed him; the foul stench of darkness didn't cloud the air as it had the night before. Raising a hand and counting the seeds resting in his palm, he shoot a look up to the impatiently waiting Pixie with a smirk.

"You're awfully cocky now that you've got a pair of working wings, Zaria. How about we put them to the test?"

The Prince holds out his hands to show her the seeds.

"I'm going to throw these high into the air, one by one. The goal is to catch them, and then drop them back into my hand." They weren't ordinary seeds, obviously; Tepprin seeds were especially easy to speak to for Tharu, and by throwing them in the air, Tharu could question them about what they'd seen and get a feel for what was happening around them. Zaria bringing them back was just a convenient exercise that would get her back into top form.

"That is, unless you don't think you can..." Tharu challenged lightly, grinning as he threw the first one high, above the tree line.

Zaria

 

[Zaria]

"You're awfully cocky now that you've got a pair of working wings, Zaria. How about we put them to the test?"

"And you are scantily clad, Tharu," she laughed as she let her eyes give him a teasing, lingering gaze from her perch on the mushroom. Her wings fluttered behind her and with a graceful leap she was airbound and flitting around the prince, pausing to hover at his eyeline.

His eyes were like twin pools of gold. She had to wonder how many others had found themselves drowning in them.

"Of course I ca-," and she took off after the one he threw. "Cheater!" A quick quip over her shoulder though he likely wouldn't hear it. And Eeeeeep, this fae had quite the arm. She zipped under and around branches, through the foliage.

Narrowly avoided some spider webs, calling out apologies as she went.

But she caught the seed in both her hands and clutched the package to her chest, returning it to the prince. And she'd continue to do it and after she dropped the last one to his growing pile in his palm, she flew up and collapsed onto one of his shoulders. Chest heaved, the back of her hand wiping across her brow and rich brown hair.

"You throw well, your highness," she said between gulps of air, teasing at his title.

 

[Tharu San'Seya]

There was something to be said about Tharu's humble nature when compared to some of his brethren, but he had nothing to be ashamed of when it came to his physical appearance. Zaria's blatantly wandering eyes were met with a smirk that bordered on flirtatious, but whether it was genuine or an attempt to throw her off before he launched the first seed was up for debate.

Tricks or otherwise, Tharu could only cross his arms and admire as she zipped to and fro, catching each seed with incredible dexterity and precision. He'd known pixies were dexterous, but to see in person was a sight to behold. So soon after iron burns, as well.

With each seed she dropped into his palm, The Prince would briefly hold them up to his ear, listening to them carefully as they recounted what they could see. Most of them served only to give him a detailed lay of the land around them, but one of them had seen something off to the west, headed towards the Ixchel North portal stone.

Interesting... It was moving quickly, as though it were fleeing from something.

Tucking the last seed back into his loose-fitting garb as Zaria collapsed on his shoulder, Tharu grinned at her from the side of his vision. "I do plenty of things well, Zaria. You just have to find them. That was a wonderful effort you made. I could barely follow you with my eyes." The Prince tucked his silver locks out of the Pixie's way before turning to carry her back into the tent, where he poured her another thimble of water. ]

"And please..." He chuckled as he offered it to her. "Your Highness is my father. Just Tharu, unless you plan on teasing me for the rest of our time together with the honoraries."

Zaria

 

[Zaria]

"I do plenty of things well, Zaria. You just have to find them.

"Is that a challenge?" A brief smile lit up her tired face.

She sat up but remained perched on his shoulder, her legs crossed beneath her. Wings tucked tightly into her back. She took the offered thimble of water with a quiet thank you and took a nice long drink, cradling it on her lap after she was done.

Just Tharu, unless you plan on teasing me for the rest of our time together with the honoraries."

"If you didn't want to be teased perhaps you shouldn't have freed a pixie," she laughed, a sound like chiming and playful bells. But her mood shifted as easily back to serious. "What information did you find out about the darkness?"

 

[Tharu San'Seya]

Tharu would merely give a coy shrug of his shoulders at her first question, finding he amused by the little bit of banter the two of them shared. "I wouldn't want to pressure you with such a task." He teased. It was something he'd never really experienced before, a conversation that didn't carry any weight. To not need to tiptoe around his words was a weight off of his shoulders he didn't realize he'd been carrying.

"To just leave you to die would have made me a rather poor representative of the Spring, wouldn't it?" He laughed a little, before moving his head to the north. "There's something moving towards the North Ixchel Portal Stone at a rather rapid speed. Whether or not it's chasing something or being chased I can't say, but either way, it sounds like trouble."

Taking a moment to look over the pixie, Tharu just couldn't help but feel himself making a bad decision. Really, he should have taken them straight back to Grovehaven. It was safer there, and Nairth could help Zaria far better than he could. But this was fun, the freedom to do as he pleased with company that encouraged him to be so adventurous. Ultimately, the part of Tharu that yearned for freedom won out.

"Normally I'd say we leave them be, but... Well, If you're feeling jumpy, I guess we could go stick our noses where they don't belong. It's much more fun being nosy with a partner."

Zaria