The Cinders of Dezu

21st: Caddock (2)

"Everything. Who he was. Where he came from and where he was going. Like the bull was giving him a chance. A chance at a new life. But the gaze was also a warning. A warning to do good with what he had been given."

"That's... a lot," Raina said, "No offense to him but I don't think it knows about all that. I got some weird senses from him but nothing like that."

"Yeah," Caddock said, "The Savern bull is powerful and mysterious in many ways. But after knowing Orion for as long as I have, I think there's a lot he believes about the world that comes from the inside out, not from the outside in."

Caddock then frowned.

"I'm very sorry that you had to go through all that today."

Raina looked down at the root ball.

"He saved me and then gave me this... he said to take care of it 'with my life'."

Caddock looked at the ball too as they headed up a set of stairs and into a corridor.

"That's a lot of pressure for a young girl," he said.

Raina continued to look down at her strange assignment in silence.

"You know," Caddock said, "it's dinner time and my family is hosting a fine and brave young girl this evening."

Raina looked up again.

"You wouldn't disregard my invitation if I offered now, would you?"

Raina shook her head with a sad smile. It had been a frightful day in a strange land and she still didn't know when she was going to see Cairo again. But on the way through the halls, Prince found her and scrambled up her pant leg to her shoulder. He squeaked something about how hungry he'd been all day before affectionately nosing her cheek. Also there was something comforting about the sights, sounds, and smells of Caddocks living quarters. It was a home within the palace, almost like a medieval looking apartment that was attached to the north side of the castle.

Caddock's two small twin sons were rough housing in the living room while his pearlescent skinned wife prepared something spicy and deeply fragrant in the kitchen. He came up behind her and kissed her on the cheek before making the boys calm down and stand at attention for their new guest. Caddock introduced his wife as Jennivah and his twins as Moffat and Pollo. They didn't seem to know what to make of Raina at first but once the boys caught sight of Prince and how he was completely devoted to her, they were enamored.

Jennivah's food was incredible. She didn't know the meat that was in it but it seemed like a type of beef in a milky red broth with spices. It had a puffy thick grain as its starch base and it was impossibly tasty.

"Judging by that look on your face, my dinner did you some good!" Jennivah said

Raina smiled with her mouthful and then swallowed. She extended her little belly full of food the best she could and spoke in her best deep voice, imitating a pseudo European accent.

"You vant' to eat a lot, go to Jennivah's,"she said with a smack of her mid section.

Caddock laughed.

"What is that?"

Raina shook her head.

"It's a thing my dad says. Or I guess, we say it. It's our joke. Except the place was called Camille's. We asked a guy at a gas station on a road trip together where a good place to eat was and that's what he said. With the belly slap and everything. He's an actor and he got a kick out of it and we do it whenever something is delicious."

She looked at Jennivah.

"It's a weird compliment, I'm sorry. It was very good."

Jennivah laughed.

"It's the first time I've gotten that one after I made something. Since it's special to you then it's special to me. Thank you."

Raina gave a stilted toothy grin.

"Did you say an actor?" said Caddock.