The next morning was coming for them and Brett woke up right at the dawn as he always did. He had to water and feed the chickens and herd the sheeps on the fields they needed to go. Only when he blinked his eyes open and noticed the warm body of a deer beside him, he remembered what happened. He laid his head back down and snuggled closer to the deer, sniffing quietly at him and laying a hand on the back. Eddy was pretty warm and Brett was ready to doze a bit longer until the deer was up as well. It would be very impolite to wake up his gracious host after all.
Eddy was out like a rock, or a corpse, minus the fact that he was still breathing. He would most likely stay like that until he had to be up to work in the garden or show Brett dens he could claim as his own.
Brett in the meantime was watching the deer occasionally, stroking the back very carefully and marveling at the soft texture. He doubted he would ever get over how soft it was. He was silent the whole time, just enjoying the moment. His heart fluttered when he thought about how nice and accommodating Eddy was to him, a total stranger. Wasn't the deer afraid he would harm him? Or he didn't take him for full because he was so tiny. Regardless of what it was, he was happy about it.
Eddy's ears twitched a bit as Brett pet him, his fluffy white tail even wagged back and forth with every pet he got. He may be part human but he still had a lot of animal instinct in him and his instinct told him that he liked pets.
The faun grinned as he got the positive response and he started petting the lower back, right above the tail. The master's dog and the barn cat liked that a lot and he surmised Eddy was the same. He scratched the coat there, mindful of not hurting Eddy, just giving him some really nice sensations.
To no surprise, Eddy's tail wagged even more. He made a small sound of happiness, it was great.
Brett's instinct served him good. He repositioned himself and put his second hand on the deer as well, petting and scratching him.
Eddy grumbled softly, it was incoherent though so it was hard to tell what he was saying. His tail told Brett well enough though. Slowly his eyes fluttered open with a yawn escaping his lips.
Hastily Brett turned the scratching into massaging. He didn't want to be accused of taking advantage of Eddy's sleeping state. Which he still totally did, but oh well.
Eddy blinked owlishly, his eyes traveled to the faun. A lazy smile grazed his lips, "Did you start grooming me again?"
He didn't think it was anything malicious.
"Kinda. I massaged you. To kind of thank you for everything. Sleepy you seemed to like it. Is it okay if I keep that up?"
Brett smiled at the sleepy thing and continued to massage him.
"Hmmm it's okay," Eddy yawned again. He stayed laying down, finding it too relaxing to actually get up yet, "Did you sleep well? How early is it?"
The deer wanted to be polite to the guest he was hosting.
"A bit after dawn. I don't know when you need to be up, but it's very early. And yes, I slept good. Thank you for sharing your den with me." He wouldn't mind if they would do that more often but even he knew that was too pushy. Instead he kneaded the back, traveling upwards so his hands didn't touch Eddy's butt inappropriately.
"I probably should be at the garden soon," Eddy closed his eyes, he was still tired. A little bit of relaxation for a bit longer wouldn't kill him, would it? Maybe Belle would be a tad bit disappointed but that was of no consequence.
Also Brett could help him and he would shoulder all the blame. The faun smiled and kneaded the back, focusing on loosening up the fascias to release the tension between he muscles and the skin and for some knots to become undone. Eddy was not really the worst patient he ever had - for he had only three now - but he was tight under the skin. With help, he could get rid of that in no time. And he could touch the deer every day.
"You are a bit tense on the back. You have hardened knots on the muscles and your fascias are tense as well. Do you do a lot of heavy lifting or bending down as well as reaching over your head?"
"Yeah, I do." Eddy opened his eyes to look at Brett curiously. It was fascinating that he knew how to massage and knew what the knots meant when in the muscles. How fascinating, this could be of great use around the village.
"Hm, you don't stretch every half an hour, right? Or take a lot of hot baths or do exercises to loosen up the strain, right? Do you have back pains after walking or standing all day as well?"
Brett's touch got more clinical, not that tender and soft anymore, he now tried to see where the most damage was. Well, it was no real damage, but it could lead to a malposition which then put strain on other joints, bones and muscles, which caused them to hurt and everything was in a devil's circle.
"If you want, I can show you and accompany you to a better form and not have pain anymore. Do you get stings in the arms, legs or back which you don't know how to come to?"
"You seem to know a lot, but you're not a medicine man. How do you know so much?" Eddy knew he should answer Brett's questions but he should probably know if Brett's information was at least correct. It probably was but Eddy was a curious creature after all, "I have some phantom pains occasionally but I usually work them out. Probably not the way you'd suggest."
"I read a lot of books and occasionally a doc came to the pasture to fix my master or my master's mistress. He gave me a lot to read about that. I was helping out my master's when they were in pain as well so I have my fair share of hands-on experiences." Brett found a knot and gently pressured it to first start loosening it up. It would take actual weeks of massaging and working on it before it would get any better, but he could lay a foundation today, "The first day it may hurt a bit, but the second day you will feel like having sore muscles everywhere. It's the body's response to work to get rid of the knots."
Brett didn't go full in, only slightly so Eddy should feel a light sting, not outright pain.
He didn't mind that Eddy was asking his question first, after all the deer didn't know where his knowledge came from so it was to be expected.
Eddy groaned with a small hiss, okay that admittedly hurt, "Maybe you could have a career in that here then. Helping the other creatures out with their muscles, so everything is in alignment."
He folded his arms and buried his face into them.
"Sounds good to me. I can show them exercises and plan with the herbs I can get with you sister. Maybe someone is responsible for hot water here? It's a very big thing to pull off. There is not only my work, but everyone, especially the person who needs the treatment, has to work together. Only then it can unfold and the person gets better."
Not only that, but Brett had no desire to work this closely with predators. Not after learning he could be killed easily. Also sometimes things hurt, like he hurt Eddy right now. He eased up on the spot, gently stroking over it, trying to maneuver the pain.
Eddy grunted slightly but was thankful that Brett eased up slightly, "We can look into that, once you're completely settled in, yeah?"
His ears twitched, not sure if they wanted to go flat against his skull or stay neutral.
"Of course." Brett completely gave up on loosening any more tension and just kneaded and massaged the back again. No need to force pain on Eddy when the deer didn't consent to that.
"But back to my questions, how about them?"
"Okay, fair is fair. I have some pain in my legs or back from standing. I stretch in the morning but not all too much and I bathe in cold water not warm water. It would also be nice if you showed me some stuff. My sister and I just deal with healing or herbs, so the physical stuff isn't really to our knowledge." Eddy lifted his head once he felt the pressure lessen.
"I can show you some exercises, yes, and maybe when I accompany you and your sister in the gardens today I can interject right where I see problems if you want. I like to rip out the problem right at the root." The pun was not intended but Brett smiled anyway. His hands worked their way up to Eddy's human back. He knew he had to be more careful now. The sheep on the pasture told him he was too soft for them when he took care of their ailments in the same way he took care of the mistress'. So humans were more fragile, but animals not so much.
Eddy chuckled softly at the unintended pun, it was silly, "That would be very nice Brett, thank you. We also have to find you your new home too. When would you want to do that?"
He also wanted to let Brett meet the other creatures that lived there.
"Whenever you feel fine to do it. I can wait until you finished tending to the garden with your sister or we can do it before. You choose." Brett rubbed the human skin and worked his way up to the shoulders where he massaged them.
Eddy shivered when Brett's hands ran up his bare human skin. It felt like heaven. Well a small part of heaven but heaven nonetheless, "Maybe if I tend to the garden first you can go around and meet the others."
"I would rather stay with you and your sister if you will allow me," the faun mumbled. He really was not keen on meeting too many people too fast. He was getting selfish after only one day, he couldn't believe it. His hands kneaded and rubbed over the back. Brett was never really selfish before, so why was he now? He didn't understand it and he didn't want to. So he took his thoughts off of it, focusing more on the tensions and knots, avoiding them or just giving them a gentle caress before moving to another spot.
"I don't mind, you can stay with us if you wanna,"' Eddy melted under Brett's hands like putty. He wished he could just stay like this.
The deer laid his head back and Brett's smile widened. He massaged him more and more, rubbing and kneading the sensitive skin and got actually to work out two tiny spots. He didn't mind him treating Eddy like this, he could do that all day long. The softly wagging tail of the deer was very cute as well.
"Good, I will accompany you then. We can look for my home when your work is done."
He could then get a more in-depth look at the various plants and herbs as well. It would be to his advantage to know what they had and maybe what they needed more.
"Hmm okay, you deserve a nice home. You really do," Eddy wanted to curl up and sleep again. There was no time for that, sadly.
Brett could probably seduce Eddy to sleep again but he didn't want to get the deer in trouble. He rubbed over the shoulders one more time and then stopped.
"With a massage oil it's even better, I swear. Also when do you want to meet with your sister?"
Brett sat back and looked down at the deer. Now he was taller but not for long. If he was really lucky he could go after Eddy when they left the den again.
"We should probably go now actually, I don't want to though," Eddy didn't want to get up but it was time to get up. He unfolded hisany arms and sat up.
"Okay. Do we have breakfast or do we eat at the garden then?" Brett was used to breakfast even if it was mostly a thin slice of bread with an apple or something small like this. He could watch out in the forest if he found something but he doubted it. The harvesting time was over and all the fruits and vegetables were usually wilted or not edible anymore.
Brett scooted back even more so Eddy had enough space to comfortably move around. The faun grabbed for his scarf and bundled that around his scar ridden neck.
"I personally have breakfast in the garden so you will too," Eddy sat up, he started to crawl out. They needed to get going so he would wiggle out.
That explained it and Brett wasn't going to argue with that. He waited for Eddy to get out and then followed. As the day before, he had no trouble getting out. They stood side by side in the forest and Brett stretched himself, hearing and feeling some bones cracking. He shook his whole body to energize it and cracked his neck as well. He felt good and his body didn't hurt as if he were sleeping on the stone cold flooring of the kitchen, more like when he slept in the hay. The faun trotted to Eddy and looked up at the deer. He was ready to depart.
Eddy chuckled softly, it was amusing to see Brett stretch out and shake about. He wouldn't comment on that though, it was rude to do so. It was safer to giggle and grin rather than outright say anything. However, Eddy did have a big mouth, "Does the way you stretch help with your joints and muscles?"
It was an innocent question, for the most part. He was seeing if Brett would have him do something like that to make sure he got all stretched. Not that he would mind, but it would result in him rolling in laughter, because of probably looking far more ridiculous doing it than Brett.
"Actually yes. I do them because I slept in an unusual bed - or on the ground actually - and to get my biorhythm moving. So my body knows it has to be awake now. Also it gets my blood pumping and I feel better. I can show you something like this for your body as well, seeing that you are indeed different than me. I have to check things first so please be my test-person for this."
Brett didn't take any offense to that because why would he. He asked Eddy a lot of probably stupid stuff yesterday as well so now it was Eddy's turn to ask more.
"You're very smart. I will gladly be your test subject, I am sure you will be able to figure everything out," Eddy wondered if anyone had ever expressed to Brett how smart he was. He figured not since the treatment of the small faun seemed to be poor. No it was poor treatment, no seemingly about it nor argument. The lashes all over the creature's body told a story of a cruel taskmaster.
Brett flushed hot red and immediately lowered his head. No, he was never told he was 'smart' or even 'very smart'. He was mostly called a 'nuisance' or a 'dirty faun' among other, more hurtful things. Even the mistress never called him that. The highest compliment he got was 'he was not as dumb as he thought' so there was that. The faun twiddled his hand in the wooly scarf and rubbed the back of his head, laughing softly.
"A-anyway. How about we go greet your sister?"
"Of course, it's time to make haste so she doesn't eat my soul." Eddy was pretty sure that Belle had that secret ability, even though she really didn't. He wasn't going to take any chances testing that theory, however. It was better safe with a soul than sorry without a soul.
"I doubt your sister would do that. She seems very nice and cordial. I don't know her intimately like you do, but I like to think that, being her brother, must weigh something and that she really loves you."
Brett gave Eddy a gentle, but pained smile. He never had siblings. The humans treated him like garbage and the sheep and goats treated him differently as well. He didn't fit in either category and it made the beings around him uneasy.
"Siblings are something special, yes, but it's also a theory I don't want to test. Even if she does love me," Eddy said playfully. He would have bumped Brett to show more playfulness, but he had a feeling that was a bad idea. Brett after all was an abused creature with his own deep traumas so it could be interpreted as aggression. The cervitaur wasn't willing to risk that. Brett needed to feel safe and Eddy wasn't going to destroy that feeling.
"I always wanted a build-in friend, you know. Someone with me, at least when I was younger. Now I am very happy that no one else had to live through the days I had."
The faun started walking by Eddy's side, they still needed to go to Belle.
"Unconditional love only a family can spend... I read that in one of the books. Is it true?"
Eddy trotted, thinking it was slow enough for Brett to keep up but also fast enough to get them there. It was like speed walking, "It depends on the family, some people are very conditional when it comes to love even when it's their own flesh and blood. I would like to believe that my family has the unconditional kind. They've always loved and supported me."
Brett nodded along but then a thought crossed his mind, "Did you ever defy them? I mean, I followed the orders as well and was treated okay then, but whenever I did something bad or not good enough, I was punished. Did you ever cross them or disagree with them?"
His big brown eyes settled on Eddy, waiting for his answer.
"I have because I have my own ideas that don't always align with theirs. We just don't discuss it that much or when I was more adolescent and flat out rebelled I got disciplined but they never stopped loving me. Ultimately they're just trying to do what they think is best for me even if they don't always know how to go about it." Eddy didn't defy them much anymore, he was older now and he decided that some battles aren't worth fighting. Sometimes staying quiet was a good way to go. He chose peace over rebellion.
"I see." Brett couldn't say anything on that really. He hadn't had a proper family and didn't know how deep such bonds ran. On one hand he was grateful for it, on the other, he desperately wished for it. His eyes fell on the hand of the deer. The nails looked well trimmed and clean. Brett looked at his own. There was dirt underneath them and his hands were calloused. He had worker hands, but even when Eddy said he tended to the herbs and plants, he had such unblemished ones. He pressed his lips together.
Eddy watched Brett from the corner of his eyes, trying to figure out what he was thinking. Which was nearly impossible, unless one was a mind reader it was impossible to know what was going through someone's head. That's what communication was for, "Did you know your parents at all?"
He asked softly, it may be a sore topic.
The faun shook his head, "No. I don't remember them and the master said I was just a pitiful thing, found by my mistress on the paddock when they herded the sheep there. They said I was malnourished and weak and they nursed me back to health. So, basically I'm alive because of them. But after the master shot at me, I'm not sure if that's actually the truth here. Maybe they killed my parents, maybe they did not. Maybe I'm just a 'freak of nature' or an 'unholy being, conceived from an unholy mating of a sheep and a goat'." He shrugged, not caring about that. Those were terms thrown in his face all day long if the master had a bad day. Brett himself had no idea why or how he was conceived and still alive. On some very dark days in the past he wished for all his might that he would not see another day. But here he was, defying everything and still breathing.
"Maybe it's a good thing not to know, that way you can't miss them or mourn their loss. I think that would be better but I wouldn't know." Eddy thought it would be easier to lose someone that he never knew or never loved. To get emotionally attached and to love someone to only lose them was a lot harder.
"It's quite a sad topic though, so we don't have to continue. We're almost to the garden anyways," The willows could be seen in the distance and heard as the gentle breeze ran through them.
Brett hadn't anything to say to that, simply nothing. He didn't know what was worst. Yes, he lost his home, but he didn't lose the people he loved. Also he didn't know how it felt. So he simply shrugged and tried to keep up with the deer.
He was simply looking forward to working with Belle and the plants again, getting a deeper look and maybe helping the siblings to get better. Maybe Belle would let him touch her like Eddy did and he could feel for any problems under her skin.
Eddy stayed silent, letting the wind speak instead. It rustled the leaves around them and gently ran through the crass, making it sway and move like waves. It was a sound that pleased the deer the most, along with the sight. If he could get wind chimes around his den or in the garden it would be perfect. He would love for that mystical sound to be a constant in his life. Once at the curtain of weeping willows, he parted the long branches, "You can go first."
"Thank you." Brett smiled at the deer for the kind gesture and went through the part. He loved the willows as well. Not only the sight but also the sound, just like Eddy.
The faun knew the way from here, but he had trouble remembering the way from Eddy's den to the garden. He had to take better care of the route next time. He waited for the deer when he was through, not wanting to rush off, leaving his gracious host behind.
Eddy ducked through, finding his place by Brett's side, "Belle's probably tending to the water lilies, it keeps the Nøkken happy. They were kinda like gifts from people so it's good to keep them all nice."
"Wait, you have Nøkken here? Are they not evil? I read a book about them - a human book to be fair - and there they say a Nøkken is luring men into the water to drown them. I am male. You are male. Well, Miss Belle not really, but are they friendly towards other magical beings?"
Brett never heard anything good about them at all. Given, it still was a human book and humans were not known to look upon magical beings friendly or worthy of anything, but Brett also never met a Nøkken. He couldn't say if they were kind or not.
"We do, and yes they drown people but they don't just drown men. They drown women, children and occasionally men, but their main prey is humans although occasionally mythical creatures. Depends. They aren't pure evil as one may think, they often warn people of disaster and teach them how to play violin magically, well of course through gifts of water lilies. But that's just general lore. The one we have here is kind enough, even adopted a little girl who once was human but they were drowned, not by him so her spirit wanders with him. It's softened him a bit up which has made him nicer after centuries of trickery. So in his case he will not drown anyone that belongs in the garden. If it's a trespasser or thief, that's more questionable." Eddy paused to see if they could hear any violin playing, sometimes he played for Belle out of gratitude for his lilies being taken care of.
"I see, so as long as I am friendly to him and the girl, I am safe?" Well, that was a relief. He didn't like the tales of the Nøkken, but given that they were capable of being friendly was good to hear. He actually found himself wanting to meet him.
"How is he like? I mean, I want to meet him if possible. Maybe making a new friend."
"Interesting, to say the least. Very sauv but caring in his own way because I think that comes with being a forever dad, because we all know ghosts can't grow up. It's also amazing to hear him play, there's a rumor going around that my friend Hilary learned how to play from him." Eddy chuckled as he trotted down the path. He would have to let Brett hear Hilary play if he couldn't hear the Nøkken play.
"Hilary? Who was Hilary again? And what did he teach her?"
Brett skipped next to Eddy, grinning up at the deer. New and nice people were always a good thing in his book.
"She's a snake lady, I'll let you meet her tonight at a show," Eddy smiled down at the skipping faun. Absolutely adorable.
"A show? What is a 'show'? Do you mean like where everyone wears masks and such?"
The faunling wondered what Eddy meant. He lacked in so many departments the knowledge, especially with the social interaction and mundane things, everyone knew about.
"It's like something we go to watch. So sometimes performers wear masks depending on the show. But Hilary for hers will only play her violin. It's to listen to music," Belle came into their view and sure enough she was trimming the lilies.
"I see. Maybe I can hear the wonderful music again, that would be very nice." If there was music, Brett would definitely go. He loved the sound of it!
He spotted Belle leaning down to trim the lilies and gasped. Her back was bent in an unnatural state - both of hers actually - and the woman would have a lot of pain! He almost ran to her and sat down right next to her, trying to keep a respectful distance to the water.
"Miss Belle, is your back okay?" He laid his warm hand on one point where he surmised it would hurt a lot if she had been doing it for a long period of time.
"Your back doesn't look very happy with you - both of them."
"They're fine right now. Do not worry," Belle didn't even startle when Brett came running over or when he touched her. She was very focused on the water lilies. It was important not to mess up a single petal.
The faun didn't want to annoy her but he also felt a small lump under his fingers. Belle would surely be in pain afterwards. He nodded to himself, he would help her afterwards.
His hand fell off - he didn't want to touch her too much in case it was not allowed or frowned upon here - and he turned his gaze to the lilies. The sweet alluring scent was infiltrating his nostril and he sniffed it. It was a nice, subtle smell; he liked it.
He bowed to the water in case the Nøkken was here and whispered, "Greeting from a land dweller to a water dweller. I do not intend to cause harm. I came in peace."
Brett lifted his head and worried his lower lip. He remembered this greeting because it was in one of the books that contained neutral information about magical beings. He didn't know if it was correct, but at least he tried and was civil, right?
The water rippled slightly as Brett finished whispering his greetings. A pair of blue glowing eyes could be seen in the depths of the waters as something emerged. His black hair floated atop the waters, it was decorated with flowers and twigs and something like kelp. His skin was pale with some greenish tints to it. He simply stared at Brett because the faun was never a helper in the gardens.
Belle looked at her friend with a small hum, "Don't worry, Brett is allowed to be here."
The faun looked at the being, smiling gently at him. He nodded again, showing he meant good and wouldn't attack him or be hostile.
"I am new here, Nøkken, please forgive me if I have made a mistake."
The cold eyes sent shivers down his back for Brett had never seen a creature without pupils but he was still smiling at the creature. It couldn't help for their eyes so Brett wouldn't discriminate against him. He folded his hands in his lap, waiting for the other man to make a move.
He pushed more out of the water so he would be more than half a face. He smiled a polite smile, even though his teeth were sharp like from a shark. If he was gonna eat people, he had to have the teeth for it.
"Welcome then." He did a tiny bow.
Belle smiled at this, his attitude had been getting better. To some extent she thought she was the reason for that. After all, they talked every morning.
Brett was relieved. The man seemed nice, even if he was a tad uncomfortable looking.
"Thank you. I hope we will get along for I wish to help Miss Belle and Eddy with taking care of the plants and herbs. If I make any mistakes, please do tell me so I can avoid them next time."
He bowed back. After all he was the 'lesser' of the two of them.
"As long as you don't mess up on my lilies you should be fine," It wasn't a lie that he cared about his water lilies a tad bit more than any other living creature. It would be best to let Belle continue tending to them. She seemed to be their main caretaker besides the Nøkken himself. Eddy wasn't even brave enough to touch those things. He rather not risk being pulled into the water over a flower. No thank you. Belle was undoubtedly the menacing creature's friend, though, so she was trusted to do it.
"Brother of mine, why don't you take Brett to the herbs and show him how we tend for them," Belle also liked everyone to have busy hands. They could chat with the water spirit later.
Brett's ears turned to Belle at that. It seemed he was taking up space here. He understood the unspoken language well enough so he got up, nodded to the Nøkken and Belle and retreated to Eddy's side. He smiled at the deer and motioned to the high gardens.
"Please Eddy," he whispered, "just show me." He would have loved to chat more with the water creature but it seems he was a bother there. The mistress always had the same tone as Belle right now. Brett simply assumed he made a mistake and now Miss Belle was angry at him and wanted him to be moved to a different part of the garden. The faun's ears were half-mast and he nibbled on his bottom lip. His tail swished back and forth and it was agitated. The faun didn't dare to scrape over the grass for he feared it was another mistake.
Eddy gently put a hand on Brett's shoulder as he smiled to the others, "We'll be back to chat at lunch."
He informed before guiding Brett away. It wasn't too hard to tell that the faun was nervous. The lip chewing, half mast ears and swishing tail, was all too obvious. However, Eddy thought it best to move before he said anything about it. Instead of saying anything as they walked, he gently rubbed the faun's shoulder with his thumb.
He waited until the other's voices were nothing more than a whisper, then he spoke, "Hey you did nothing wrong."
Eddy got straight to the point, he would explain why Brett hadn't once he knew why Brett thought he did.
"But I apparently did. Miss Belle sounded like my old mistress. Anyway, just get moving, it doesn't matter anymore." Brett rubbed over his face and sighed. He should be learning to take care of the plants, not standing around, chatting.
"Just show me how you two care for the plants. I want to learn it." The faun needed to be useful to stay in the community so it was only fair. Maybe when he had an hour left of the day and the Nøkken wanted to engage in a conversation, he could come back and they could chat.
Eddy squeezed Brett's shoulder gently, as he looked down at him with soft eyes, "It's just a work morning, you're okay and it's okay."
He offered an assuring smile, they had been a bit late to the garden so that was probably why his sister was antsy. But Eddy didn't think it would be wise to explain that, since the faun could blame himself for them both being late, "I'll show you everything, don't stress yourself."
Brett already thought it was all his fault but that would not stop him from doing his best. So he simply nodded to Eddy's explanation, not wanting to waste more time. Maybe at the end, Belle would see the faun was not useless. One could only hope. He followed Eddy to one of the herb-high gardens and watched him.
Eddy trotted over to the herbs, "First check the soil, just to make sure it's all good and not overused. Then we sprinkle the herbs with water infused with some pixie dust. After that we harvest what needs to be harvested."
It was simple enough. Herbs weren't too hard to grow as long as they had sunlight and a bit of water.
Brett nodded and went beside the deer to check the soil. He had done so countless times at the mistress' garden. He wiggled his finger inside the soil, pulled it out and sniffed at it. He had a very good nose and could smell that everything was fine. He told Eddy as such and after the deer pointed him in the right direction, Brett got the watering can and filled it with infused water and brought it back.
"So you see the little ladle in the bucket, just dip it in the water then sprinkle what's on the ladle onto the herbs. Maybe we can use some of the herbs to use for breakfast. Or chew on it," Eddy was a bit bummed that they didn't get breakfast but that happened when late.
"Yes." Only barely the faun suppressed the 'Yes, Sir' - but only very, very barely. Not that Eddy was commanding or harsh to him, but it was normal for Brett to obey and not lead.
He did as Eddy told him and tested every soil of every high garden before watering it. They made quick work of it for they were two now. Brett was used to not having breakfast or only something really small, so he didn't mind one bit. The faun didn't even miss it.
"You're very good at this," Eddy praised softly, he wasn't sure if they should move on or not. There was certainly a lot more to do but Belle only told him to bring Brett to the herbs.
The faun was not stupid, he saw Eddy hesitating. So he put on a smile.
"You can go ahead, I will stay here with the herbs. I guess Miss Belle doesn't want me near the more delicate plants. I can understand that."
He would probably sit down and wait, maybe check with the herbs again.
"No no, you can come with me. Like job shadowing," Eddy didn't want to leave him behind, that would simply be too cruel. Especially since the faun seemed a bit bummed after being sent off.
Brett hesitated. Belle wanted him to stay with the herbs, nothing else, but on the other hand, Eddy wanted him close, so it was a tight spot he was put in. Maybe if he didn't touch anything?
In the end, Brett nodded and followed Eddy.
The deer's hand once again found Brett's shoulder as he walked them through the garden, "So let's just grab one of the weaved baskets. You can hold that as I pluck some of the fruit."
That was a very easy task and Brett could do that easily.
So he carefully took one of the pointed at baskets and brought it over. He held it close in case it got heavy and was always besides the deer. He let his gaze wander over the back of his companion. Maybe a pair of well crafted saddle bags on either side would help Eddy and his balance because he was not walking round that was for sure. He would try to ease more of the tension and knots this evening probably. Well, if he was allowed to and Eddy wasn't dumping him for offending his sister.
Eddy made sure to only pick the ripe fruit. He didn't want that bitter stuff, their time would later come.
"So, do you know how to cook?" Eddy wanted to make small talk so it wasn't quiet between them. Sure there were birds chirping and the sound of water, but it was different from actual talking.
"I can roast things and cut it but I wouldn't dare to call it actual cooking. You are a herbivore, do you even need things to be cooked? I just like the taste of it."
And rarely he got some meat but it was more the bones, not really food in itself. And in all those years he could count the times on one hand.
"I technically don't but I still prefer cooked, since I'm not full on animal. And I also like the taste better," Eddy wouldn't say he could cook well either, just enough to make it work. It didn't always work though, "We still make meals and such, not just grass or tree bark."
He grinned with a chuckle. Hearing that and the wonderful giggle, Brett couldn't help himself and softly laughed as well.
"My Master brought home a lot of deer, in the slimming season sheep and goat home. I didn't touch all of those, but he rarely came home with a rabbit so I stole a few bones from that. I never liked the taste of deer. So you and your sister are safe from me."
The faun shook his head, still smiling. It was probably clear why he didn't eat sheep and goat though.
"Thank you, I like not getting eaten. It's a good day not becoming someone else's meal," Eddy giggled as he plucked fruit, "So you like meat in some ways?"
"Some, yes. But I never had enough to actually taste it so I'm just assuming that. And you look too good to be considered food anyway. Who would be that stupid to kill you, when you are so much more winsom looking alive?"
Brett shook his head, it was a miracle to him.
Eddy giggled more, a blush spreading across his cheeks, "Well thank you I think."
He ran a hand through his hair, pushing a few strands behind his ear shyly.
This was the behavior Brett didn't understand. He complimented Eddy the whole time so why was the deer now so shy? Well, the blush suited him.
"You are pretty when you blush."
Eddy smiled, it was all he could do under the flow of compliments,"Thank you."
He wasn't used to the compliments from people who weren't related to him. It wasn't like he got a lot of attention from the ladies either. Not with his damaged antlers. And if someone did call him pretty it was usually one of the male deers who thought he was a girl or was mocking him. This was a nice change of pace.
Brett smiled, yes he was right. Eddy was very pretty when he blushed. It meant his compliments were good, right?
"I just thought, when I met you yesterday," he started but caught himself before he could dig his grave deeper. Some things were not supposed to be spoken out loud. Maybe Eddy was not comfortable with too much flattery and felt uncomfortable with it. So he rather stop and smile.
"Anyway, being pretty must be in your blood because Miss Belle is very pretty as well."
"It must be that or at least because we take care of ourselves. Speaking of, want me to do your fur again today?" Eddy wanted to offer, and continue treating Brett's fur if the faun wanted that.
"I would love to, but then I would probably sleep again in your den. It relaxes me too much. And we still need to find a den for me and to work on your back tension."
Brett would love to feel the soft hands on his body again but he was not sure if that was the best thing they should continue doing. His head was filled with the pretty boy all the time and he doubted that was good.
"We can do it in your den then, once we find you one. Would you like it to be around mine?" Eddy smiled, he didn't mind continuing to do that. It would be lovely to see the faun healthy and happy.
Hastily Brett choked out a "Yes please". It was like a dream came true. Eddy didn't want to get rid of him as of now! His ears perked up a bit and he hummed a tone while he wandered from tree to tree with Eddy. The basket was full so he got another one.
"We'll find you a good den then. Maybe during lunch. Just so there's time to make it all homely," Eddy snatched a pear for himself, he was gonna munch on it since he missed breakfast. This was his comfort.
Brett nodded, still happy. He didn't mind that Eddy either forgot to tell him to also eat a fruit or because something else. He had a very low standard of his position anyway. The faun was simply happy to be allowed near Eddy.
Eddy glanced at Brett, noticing he hadn't took anything and was standing rather still. He took it that he was still nervous,"What's your favorite fruit Brett?"
He could probably find it for him.
"I like them all equally." Because for him they meant food. He played no favorites ever. Brett simply didn't have the right to it. Everything was delicious when you didn't get food every day.
"Really? Well then, which do you want? You can have one of your choosing," Eddy bit into his pear, the juices came squirting out, dribbling down his chin.
If Brett had only one pea as a brain he would have said "You" but he didn't. He had one and a half.
"Uhm. What are you eating? You look... I
I mean it looks delicious." especially all the translucent fluid on his face and over the jaw and neck. Brett swallowed and looked down at the half filled basket.
"It's a pear, do you want one?" Eddy licked over his pink lips then started to wipe off the juices. He didn't want to be completely sticky.
At that the faun could only nod and pick one of the fruits from the basket. He bit gently into it, not wanting to have a smeared face as Eddy. He knew pears and he knew he liked them. So in no time the fruit was gone, only the tiny stem was in his hand.
Brett knelt down and put the stem into the ground, not hiding it, but burying it. The earth would take that back even if it was just a tiny little thing. Then he got up again, waiting for Eddy to continue working.
Eddy did something similar to Brett when he was done but used his hooves to accomplish that. After that he pushed the dirt back attop it, "So we still have a bit of fruit to pick."
"Then we should get to it." His tone was chirpy and his tail wagged, not that Eddy could see it. So when the deer went to the next tree, Brett skipped beside him. The faun smelled the air and indeed, the peaches were ripe too! Even though it was close to winter and the season for them was long, long over. What a strange but fantastical world indeed.
"I want to show you more of this place, besides the garden and my den. I think you would love the village. And well so you can see Hillary play her heavenly music," Eddy thought it wouldn't be fair to just lock Brett away in the garden.
"I would like that. Seeing more of this world. How big is it anyway? It seems quite big to me."
Brett was nervous to meet the village people but if they were like Eddy, kind and inviting, Brett doubted he would have much of a problem with them. Of course, he didn't mind being 'locked up' in the garden as well. He liked the company he had now but new people were always more exciting.
"Actually pretty big since it houses so many. It's like a whole realm of its own. It's really nice," Eddy wasn't sure how to fully explain.
"How is a realm and a world different? The size? The inhabitants?"
The faun had no idea, but it sounded all the same to him so he wanted to know the difference. What was considered a realm and what a world. The next tree was also finished harvesting from and they moved to the next.
"A realm by definition is a kingdom. So it is big but only a fragment of what a whole world would be. So it is by size and definition that makes it different," Eddy hummed his explanation and hoped it made sense.
It probably made sense, but not really to Brett. He still nodded and hummed. So a small thing inside a big thing? Well, he could live with that. Maybe when he knew more later he would understand. His mistress always told him he was 'too young to understand' so it was probably the same with that as well.
Eddy was silent this time, not sure what to say next. Silence was a rare moment for him. Not because he was the most social, but because he generally talked so much. Whether to himself or to whomever was in his company. It simply was a habit to fill the silence. Not this time, however.
The faun probably wouldn't mind getting talked to but he was more accustomed to silence. When he helped with the sheep and goat or on the orchard or with the herbs, he was doing it alone. So silence came natural to him. Brett hummed a soft tone while they were working, not wanting to bother the deer with more questions.
Eddy listened to the tune and wondered what it was. He hadn't heard it before, "What is it that you hum?" Was it a melody that Brett made up himself or was it a common melody on the farm? Eddy didn't know but he'd find out soon.
Brett looked up at Eddy and stopped humming. Did it annoy the deer? He didn't look annoyed though.
"Uhm, I just hum anything I like. I haven't heard a lot of music before so I just think what would be nice to listen to and that I hum. Do I bother you with it? I can stop."
Big brown eyes were looking at the deer, blinking occasionally.
"No, no it doesn't bother me. I just thought it sounded nice, so I wondered," Eddy flashed the faun a small little smile. He didn't want the faun to think he was in trouble again.
"Oh," Brett smiled then and started humming the same tone. After a while it looped seamlessly and he started anew. It made the work go by quicker in his eyes and if Eddy liked it, it was even better. While the deer was getting the fruits and worked his way around the trees, Brett watched him move. He saw a lot of problems and a lot of the knots and tensions made sense now. It was not that Eddy was stupid to work like that - a lot actually couldn't be avoided - but the deer-centaur never did any stretching between it, which was worrisome to the faun. He would love to check on Belle as well, but he thought it would probably be better to do at another time.
Eddy looked up at the sky: The sun's positioning told him that it was almost lunch time, which meant break time. That was the best time of day in his opinion, "Let's get everything to storage I guess then get ready for lunch."
Brett nodded and gave Eddy one basket to fetch the other one to follow the centaur. He looked at the fruits and smiled. It reminded him a lot of the orchard.
"Luckily the magic will preserve them a bit until we do something with them. We like to store up in case of famine." Eddy yapped, "Not that we are concerned of facing famine ourselves but the other's on the outside. Some will come to get food from us."
"Outside? You mean, you help other magical beings on the outside as well? Not just the inside? Can they pass through whenever they can?" Could he do it as well? Not that he wanted of course, but was it possible for him?
"Like, can I go through the waterfall whenever I want?"
"Yeah, they can pass through and you can too. We typically have one of the lions by it though to make sure no one dangerous comes in. Other than that, it's a free for all. We try to help who we can." Eddy found their storage hut to put everything in.
Brett followed him and also placed his basket right next to Eddy's while he listened to the younger deer. It was interesting for him, since he really didn't know jack shit about the realm.
"So, what do we do now?"
"We now go eat lunch and do as we please. I typically go to my napping spot," Eddy lived a very simple life. Then again their realm seemed to be very simple too. He was because of the world around him being so.
Napping? While there was still so much work left to do?! Brett saw all the ripe fruits and couldn't believe it. He blinked confused. Well, it was a different world, so of course it would differ, but Brett would get all the fruit off the trees today, even if he had to work until he couldn't see anymore. It was the least he could do. But the faun smiled at Eddy and nodded after a moment of owlishly blinking at him.
"I see. Well, if you would allow me, I would love to show you how I would pick the fruits, so maybe I can get a few off the trees, if that would be okay with you?"
"I don't mind, I'll watch and see how you do it," Eddy flashed a small smile to the faun. He had nothing against the suggestion, why would he? Brett seemed to be experienced and trustworthy, so no need to be so fickle. Or Eddy was just too quick to trust people.
The smaller one nodded and grabbed a new basket. While Eddy was settling down on the lawn to watch him, the faun trotted to one of the trees and got a few fruits before running back and showing Eddy the unblemished fruits.
"I will continue doing this because I'm not really hungry. I will pick a few more if that's okay with you. You can go and rest in the meantime."
Eddy's brows furrowed, the little thing needed food or he would burn out. That just wouldn't do, "I'll bring you back lunch. Okay?"
His gaze softened as he watched Brett, he didn't want him to just keel over. Food was the least that he could provide.
"Ah it's okay, really." Brett gave Eddy a very big smile, "I am really not hungry. I had the pear, remember? I will just do a little bit and then wait for either you or Miss Belle to come back, it will be fine."
He swore to himself, he would pick all the fruit he could get and maybe even craft or build a ladder so he could reach higher to get the rest as well. It would be of help for him in a lot of situations because he was really not that big. Or maybe a stool? He would think about it when he was picking the fruits.
"A pear is not enough, you need some more fat on your bones," Eddy's own tone reminded him of how his mom talked when worried about his health, "It will take me a bit to get everything but I will still be back with lunch for you."
And he would be back to make sure Brett wasn't dead.
"I promise, I will have just a good dinner and then I will be fine. Don't worry about me. Get some rest instead."
Brett chuckled; Eddy was really nice and thoughtful. Maybe he would snack another pear while he was working. It would last him until the night fell. He was used to it, so it was no problem. An empty stomach was nothing to fuss about. Not in his eyes.
With a warm and soft gaze he looked up at the deer. He liked how the other was so considerate. He was really, really benevolent. It suited Eddy.
"I'm going to worry about you, you're new but are still working and didn't really eat breakfast. It was only a snack that you had between now and then," Eddy wasn't sure if it was just because of their different species or because Brett was used to not eating. It was true that Eddy was bigger and a bit broader because he was a deer. So Brett could be short and thin because he simply was a sheep. Less mass meant not as much food was needed. However, Eddy couldn't be sure so he would still get Brett a small portion.
The faun noticed that Eddy wasn't going to budge on that so he shrugged his shoulders, still smiling.
"Just rest, Eddy. You need it. You worked hard. Just let me take over now."
And with that, the faun turned around and trotted happily to the trees, gathering more and more fruit. He would not rest until he got all of it.
Eddy would be back with food, no arguing or changing his mind. He was as stubborn as the faun who wanted to pick everything. As Brett wouldn't stop his work, Eddy wouldn't stop worrying until he fed the creature. There was no way around it, "I'll be back."
He assured him before turning around and walking away.
The faun waved at the deer when he took his leave and concentrated on the fruits. He gathered more and more, storing it in the hut Eddy showed him and grabbing another empty one to fill up. That way he was very busy.