Not Your Damsel in Distress

5

Auberon had this amazing dream. He was free of the curse and was again at his own life.Carefree, drinking in taverns, ladies kept on throwing glances at him. Not the kind of glances he got now, but those he used to get. Those that often ended in walking up the stairs to his room with some pretty face. But something woke him up. He groaned and looked around, blinking, his eyes slowly adjusting to the light of the morning sun. He rolled around to look at Charlene. The two slept back to back to have them covered and to avoid awkwardness. But Charlene was not there.

"Lenny?" asked Auberon and looked around. He was always first to wake up thus he thought the worst. He stood up to look around. "Lenny?!"

"Why the shouting?" she asked, walking out of the forest behind them. She had a few rabbits in her hand.

Auberon sighed in relief. "I thought something happened to you."

Charlene smiled. He worried about her and it made her feel warm inside. "I'm fine. I went to catch us some breakfast."

"That is a lot of rabbits for one breakfast," said Auberon and sat down.

"I thought we could have some for later." Charlene sat down on the opposite side of the fireplace and then she saw it. "The fire is out."

Auberon's big eyes went wide. "How?"

"I put on some wood before I left!"

"And when did you leave?"

"An hour ago."

"And you thought it would last that long?"

"I had no idea you were going to sleep that long!"

"Why didn't you wake me up!?" he was shouting at this point.

"Don't raise your voice at me," said Charlene with a cold, commanding voice, raising her chin. "It was not my fault you slept as long as you did."

"Are you saying it was mine?!" exclaimed Auberon. He wasn't shouting anymore, but there was still irritation in his voice.

"I'm not the one pointing a finger here, Ronno."

The two were interrupted by little colourful flying lights flying from the forest towards them. When they came closer they turned out to be faires. Three of them. Blue, pink and green were flying towards them. "We heard shouting," said one of them in a high pitched voice and landed where the fire used to be.

"Not mine," said Charlene, sending Auberon a poisonous stare who returned it.

"Can we help somehow?" asked the green one and landed next to the pink one.

"Could you light up the fire?" asked Auberon and blinked when he recognised the face of the blue fairy that was flying close to him. "Saphira?"

The blue fairy landed next to him and quickly made herself to be of human size. "Ronno, hi!" she smiled, a bit forcefully. "Long time no see. A lot had happened, I see."

Auberon bit his lip and shrugged his shoulders. "I guess. Can you light up the fire?"

"Sure," said the blue fairy and with a wave of her hand lighted up the fire again. "Why don't you do it?"

"Would someone help?" asked Charlene, who was skinning one of the rabbits.

"We gave you fire, you us meat?" asked the pink fairy.

Charlene looked at her and smiled. "I'm always up for trading."

The pink fairy turned human sized. She sat down next to Charlene and proceeded to use her magic. "You caught these?"