In Stone

19: "You're a sculptor?"

19: “You're a sculptor?”

Caia expected some sort of disbelief when she woke up. Surely she shouldn't be accepting that she was opening her eyes on a new world as easily as she did.

But, in fact, it was exactly like that. Caia's eyes snapped open towards the wooden ceiling with a smile already splitting across her face. She was up and jumping out of the bed after barely a second, rushing towards the window. It opened outwards, and Caia found herself looking out to the bright morning sunshine of a forest town over water busy with their chores and duties.

She leaned on her elbows and bit her lip, just beaming at everything before her. This place at night had been enchanting, in the morning light it was like something out of a storybook. The rush of the waterfall, the gentle glub-glub of the water beneath the wooden walkways, and the happy calls of the people who lived there all merged together to create a soothing ease to the day. The people moving out and about on those walkways weren't in any sort of hurry. Villagers with baskets, full and empty, firewood, and babies all milled about and talked to each other as if they had all the time in the world to do their tasks. Her fingers itched for a camera.

“Up already?”

She turned back eagerly to see Caspian entering, breakfast on a tray for her. He lifted it a bit, “I wasn't sure if you would want to eat with uncle. Elanil says you can eat in your room this morning, for your own comfort, but she wants to see you in the dining room later. Eating in your room is for invalids and pregnant women who can't move. That's what she says anyway.”

Caia giggled as she ran towards him. He barely had the time to set the tray down on the bench at the foot of her bed before she was leaping into his arms. Her legs locked around his waist and his hands clamped down on her bottom to steady her without thinking.

Before he could say anything, she was lowering her mouth to his and kissing him energetically. Her body was tingling with happiness and the joy at discovering something new and fantastic. She wondered if she could convince him to join her in bed for a while longer.

He returned her kiss eagerly enough, and when she pulled her head back, he was looking at her with eyes dancing. “Do you do that to all men who bring you breakfast?”

“Oh, without exception,” she giggled happily, holding on tighter to him. She liked the ease of which he was holding her, like she weighed nothing at all.

He chuckled appreciatively and stroked the base of her back with his thumbs. “Elanil has demanded to meet you. Don't worry, she's only slightly intimidating. She's also volunteered to take you to buy some clothes because she noticed that we don't have anything with us.”

Caia leaned back and noticed that he wasn't wearing the jeans and shirt that she had bought for him. He was wearing something closer to what he had worn when she had first met him. Dark, forest green trousers, some kind of tan colored tunic cinched at his waist with a belt, and a pair of big, brown boots that traveled halfway up his shins. His sword wasn't at his waist this morning, but she could see where he would fasten it to his belt.

“You look medieval,” she laughed delightedly.

“This is what I'm supposed to look like,” he corrected her. Inside, he was pleased at the way she was behaving. He was worried that being so suddenly torn from her home would have effected her negatively. He should have known she would continue to smile.

Caia pulled at her sundress a bit. “You don't suppose that your people have dresses like this? I don't really like wearing pants.”

“I'm sure Elanil will find something you'll like.”