The Shadow of Beauty

Ch 6- Stay or Go

Morning...

Kendrick awoke slowly, not immediately rising up. He was facing the wall with the fireplace and the rest of his home to his back.

Was she still there? Did she stay or did she leave last night?

Kendrick wanted to roll over and look but for some reason he dreaded it.

Why?

Very slowly, Kendrick rolled over, eyes tipped all the way over in their sockets as if trying to peek over a wall with a sniper on the other side. He looked to the darkened fireplace and the piled-up shirt he'd set Twillow on. He could see the fae's wings glistening atop it. He quickly put his head back down.

She's still there!

His mind scoffed at his optimism, "What are you so excited about? You woke up before her. That's all. Just you watch. The moment she wakes up she'll try to sneak out the door without waking you."

Kendrick stared at the wall for a bit. If she was going to leave he'd at least pretend he was asleep so she wouldn't have to endure the fright or awkwardness of leaving while he was aware of it. But as he waited for her inevitable departure, his morning stomach growled at him. He sighed, deciding he'd just get up and make breakfast.

What difference would it make anyway? 

He would get his answer sooner or later...and he was pretty sure he knew what it would be.

...

Twillow dreamt she was flying; a common dream amongst fae. She wasn't sure where she was or why she was flying but she could see a light gleaming as a portal before her. Through it she could see the golden light of her home, calling to her. She flew to it. But no matter how long she flew she couldn't get any closer. The portal shrank smaller and smaller, growing further away. She flapped furiously but something was pulling her back. Suddenly, a huge gray hand came down and a dark mouth devoured her.

...

Twillow woke up with a start. She couldn't recognize her surroundings for a moment and flapped her wings as her mind tried to process. A shadow fell over her and she gasped when a huge towering back filled her vision. Her memory came back with sharp clarity. She was in the home of the giant, Kendrick. She realized she wasn't by the fireplace anymore. Instead, she and her cloth bed and been moved to the surface of his stone table.

Had he moved her without waking her?

That might've been why she dreamt what she did. She hoped it wasn't some dark premonition.

Kendrick was tending something in a pot over the fire. He held a wooden spoon and tasted the contents, sampling it. His head cocked a bit as if mulling over the flavor. He reached over and took a bowl filled with what looked like a spice and pinched a bit into the pot. A quick stir and a second taste yielded an approving hum from him. Satisfied, he set the spoon off to the side and then turned, bright amber eyes falling upon her. She instinctually shied down under his gaze, wings falling back.

"Oh. You're awake. I uh...made some oatmeal for breakfast. Are you hungry?"

"What's oat-meal?" Twillow asked naively, sampling the unfamiliar food name.

Kendrick raised a questioning brow, looked at the pot and said, "It's...uh...it's a grain mixed with milk. It's not much but you can put fruit or honey in it and make it better. Do you want some?"

At first Twillow wanted to turn down the offer but the familiar twinge of hunger was picking at her stomach. And she certainly didn't want to offend him. So, Twillow nodded.