Faustine the Sensible

Chapter 12. Pranks and pixie dust

~in which mistakes were made~

The following morning I awoke bright and early  to onyx gently purring while sitting squarely on my chest staring at me.. He meowed loudly, and said "Good morning, princess. Time to get up."

I smiled and stroked his fur. "Good morning, Onyx. You're such a good boy." I gently pushed him off my chest as sat up and got a good stretch. I slowly got to my feet and walked over to my vanity where I was shocked to behold my particularly disastrous morning hair. What in all the lands had I gotten up to in my sleep!  If I was being honest even onyx was looking a bit unkept as well.  Time for a brush. His brush was in the drawer in my vanity so I took a quick few minutes to tend to him as well.

Putting on a simple dress I headed on ever to the kitchen.  Time to  prepare breakfast.  I decided to finally break into those survival meals I had fled Elysia with.  It made me laugh out loud just thinking about it. The forest had been so welcoming that it was now 4 days after I had left the palace and I still hadn't touched it! I shook my head. So ridiculous.

I settled on some bread and cheese for myself, and some milk and fish for Onyx.  Next I  filled a bucket with water and sprinkled in a handful or so of  oats for Saraphina, although I know she had forage o' plenty out in the literal mini meadow of a backyard we now had. But still I decide why not bring her a nice treat.  She more than deserved it.

Once I had slowly eaten my breakfast it was time to slowly mosey my  way outside, with Phina's  bucket of oats in hand.  I smiled as I saw her peacefully munching away at some grass under a shady tree.  The sun was shining through the trees, and the birds sang cheerfully their morning tunes. Everything was peaceful magical and perfect in the enchanted forest as it should be.

"Good morning, Saraphina," I said as I approached her,"Are you hungry?"

"Good morning, Faustine," Saraphina replied, "I'm always hungry. Especially for oats."

I chuckled settting the bucket down in front of her. To which she responded by  eagerly dipping her head to munch on the oats. It was then I realized that she hadn't left the yard yet or gotten to explore the woods.   I felt a ping of shame as I realized how caught up I'd been and basically ignored her needs for days in end!

"Oh!  I've just realized something awful!" I began."

"What could possibly be awful," she replied bemused.

"You haven't explored the woods yet.  I is feel terrible!  I completely forgot!"

"It's ok really.  I've been enjoying this space perfectly fine."

"Yes but you certainly need to get familiar with the forest.  It is your new home as well as mine...if not more so!"

"If you say so," she shrugged in a horsey manner, what'd you have in mind?"

"Well...let's go for a ride.  Just me and you? We could maybe walk the stream and see what's around?"

Saraphina lifted her head looking at me with her big kind brown eyes. "That's a nice idea.  I like it let's do that. "

"Ok great!  Let's plan to go out in the next hour or so.  I have to be back with enough time to visit the palace and grab some things I left behind.

"How are you gonna do that?"

"Through the void," I said and regaled her with all the details of the Void Way.

"Wow! Well that really sounds like something grand. I'd like to try? Is it suitable for horses?"

"I imagine so. No harm in checking though. It would be fun to try it out sometime. Together I mean. "

"Yes that be great! We could go anywhere we wanted!"