In Stone

11: "Tell me your story."

11: “Tell me your story.”

Caia beamed at him like he offered her the world in that single statement. She let out a squeal of excitement and jumped on him, throwing her arms around and hugging him close. Caspian hesitated only a moment before reaching up and hugging her back. A hug was something that friends did and he did just agree to be her friend.

He would be lying to say though that he didn't enjoy it. She fit just perfectly into his body, her small frame nestled into him like it had been made to be held. She was beaming and laughing slightly as she squeezed him tightly. Caspian had been wanting to take her in his arms for a long time, and to finally do so soothed a deep part of him that he didn't want to admit still lived.

She looked up at him and laid her chin on his chest. “You know what this means, right?”

He raised an eyebrow curiously.

“You have to tell me your story now.”

“I do?”

She nodded eagerly. “Friends tell each other things. So you have to tell me about yourself.”

“I would think that friends accept each other without needing constant justification for their actions.”

“Well, I'm a bad friend,” Caia laughed at herself and leaned back. She took his hand in hers and led him from the kitchen and back into the living room. She sat down on the couch and then pulled on his arm until he did the same.

“So?” she looked at him expectantly. “Tell me your story. Where do you come from? How did you get to become a statue? What's an enchantress? Tell me everything!”

Caspian hesitated for a moment. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her and, even if he did, he wasn't entirely sure where to start. She was believing everything he said so it wasn't like he needed to worry about her doubting him. But he had never told anyone this story. Even before being trapped in stone, he had never told anyone the full truth.

But Caia was looking at him with bright eyes, waiting patiently for him to start. He sighed mentally and figured that some things were worth sacrificing. If he had to give up this personal part of himself to her in exchange for her power later, then it was worth it.

He licked his lips as he thought about where to begin. Then he leaned back against the couch and looked across at the painting she had hung up of a forest made of light.

He took a small breath. “I was born in a small town far from here.”

“Like different country or different continent far?”

“Like different world far.”

Caia's eyes went wide with wonder and excitement. “Wow, really?!”

“Yes. It's called Galmora. It's in the middle of a large forest, and it's built around the a holy temple to the goddess. My job as the headman's son was to care for my people, protect the holy statue, and one day be headman, and temple keeper, myself.”

“You were the headman's son? What's the holy statue? Who's the goddess?”

“One question at a time,” Caspian had to hide a smile. She was like a child with endless curiosity, and he found that he didn't at all mind. “Yes, I am. It's the statue given to my people before even the founding of our village. It's a statue that has always been in the temple and is a conduit from us to Her. The goddess is the goddess. Anyway, as per tradition, when I was a babe, I was betrothed to one of the girls of the village.”

“Was she nice?”

“She was. Her name was Rowan and she was the daughter of my father's best friend. She was very beautiful and sweet. And...delicate. So delicate. I had to take care of her all the time because she couldn't do it herself. She was always getting hurt.”