Meanwhile, Eddy entered the plant section of the library, it was much different than the magic section. The center flooring was elevated in a circle, and was grassy. The part of the floor sunken in, was filled with shallow water that was beautifully blue. Seeing as water and books don't go together though, the shelves were also elevated on blocks of stone and there were tiny arched bridges that lead to them. This room was also more brightly lit.
Eddy grabbed a book about wheat then laid down in the grass to enjoy an afternoon reading. The grass was soft on his belly, gently bending to his will. This truly was his favorite spot when it came to the library.
Brett came a few hours later and looked for his dear deer. He saw his most favorite person in the world and decided to go to him. In the meantime he was in awe of the buildings interior the dwarves created. Every room had its own unique feeling and was quite different from the other one. But also strangely connected.
He sat down by Eddy's side and rubbed his cheek against Eddy's as a greeting.
"Hello handsome."
Eddy lowered his book giggling at that, "Hello Bretty. Did you enjoy your reading search?"
Eddy wasn't reading anything particularly interesting, only about how to grow wheat and corn along with seasonal patterns or the best soil for them. He enjoyed it though like the strange creature he was.
"Yes. I learned a ton. Also when I suddenly hear voices I know I'm not going crazy but that it is normal. What are you reading?" Brett looked over and saw a strange assortment of souls. He had no clue about that but if Eddy thought it was important then it was.
"The growth patterns of wheat and corn," Eddy said nonchalantly, "So we can start growing it."
He told Brett the reason why so he didn't seem like a complete bore. It wasn't really boring at all! Eddy was passionate about plants!
And since it was something Brett asked Eddy to do, he didn't think it was boring as well. It was for their survival after all! Food was always good.
"Wow, that's amazing. How far are you? I already read two books. Maybe I can go and get one on aloe Vera but I don't have to." Brett gauged if it was worth getting up and getting a new book while Eddy read through his. The faun was a very fast reader but he wasn't as fast as lightning.
"I finished about two too, now this is my third," Eddy lowered his book with a small smile. He took a deep breath, enjoying the soothing feel it had.
Brett nodded, rubbed his cheek against Eddy's again and got up. Time for some plant growing books now!
"I will get another one then. Do you mind when I read right beside you?"
If so, then Brett would definitely still be close but not as close as before. Maybe where he could see Eddy.
"I do not mind, it will be nice to have your presence. It's comforting to me." Eddy said softly with a small smile. He thought it would be pleasant to snuggle and simply read. If they spent all day like this he would be happy. But they needed to get soup to Bella and Ray too. If Eddy asked about the soup, Brett would say he already made other plans. He could bring that to Belle and Ray when Eddy was at the herd as well. That way he had an excuse to go to them and to spend time with the pair. He wanted to spend as much time as he could with his love. Brett smiled down at Eddy and rubbed the tips of their nose together before taking off and getting another book. Maybe he could start learning and doing it right away!
He flopped down right next to the deer when he came back and made himself comfortable. Eddy tried to curl close to Brett and somewhat around him. This was comfortable for him, it meant he could be close to his faun, "What are you reading about?"
He glanced at the book Brett had grabbed. The faun helped by holding it higher so Eddy could easily read the title, "I wanted to start learning real magic now. How to grow plants and such. I thought I would start with the plant we definitely need the most: Aloe Vera."
Brett giggled and opened up the book. He liked it when Eddy curled around him. It was like a big warm bodily hug. And by all the gods, Brett needed that hug. Eddy as well, sure, but Brett had never really been hugged. It was nothing he had ever known and it was heavenly. The faun even snuggled closer to be in more contact with Eddy. Yes, when he was smaller, it was easier, but this was not bad as well. Brett leaned against the soft and warm body and started to read.
Once Eddy noticed that Brett had settled into reading, he stayed silent. He would hate to interrupt with any unneeded sound. Carefully he flipped through his book to pick up where he had left off. It was time to enjoy and study. Perhaps they could self sustain themselves quite soon. And wouldn't that be perfect?! Brett would like that a lot.
So for now both of them were deeply immersed in their books, only sometimes Brett whispered a word he learned. He needed to say that out loud if he wanted to memorize it in his brain. And as long as he wasn't shouting it, or said it any louder than he was, it wouldn't be a problem.
The faun turned page after page after page until he was finished and then he started on the aloe plant again. He wanted to know more of course, but rereading things committed it into his memory.
But before he got bored, he stopped and gently closed the book. He looked up at Eddy, wondering how Eddy learned. Eddy was a very studious deer. He studied and studied then practiced. Not that Brett could know that without asking unless he could read minds. Sadly reading minds was not a part of a faun's magic unless it dealt with plants' minds. Luckily Eddy was not a plant or a tree, otherwise their relationship would have a lot more kinks to work out besides the herd and trauma.
But then again, Brett didn't need to read Eddy's mind. He was happy as a clam where he was right now. Brett loved just to watch Eddy. He snuggled into the deer and started petting him.
Eddy closed his book setting it down, "I finished this one. "
He said quietly, it was thick so it took him longer to read than the other, "I should put it back."
Brett hummed but didn't get up. He rather cuddled with his partner. But alas, he had to let go at some point so he repositioned himself so Eddy was free.
"Will you read another one?"
If so, Brett would do too.
"I am not sure, do you want to? I will base my answer off of that," Eddy stretched a bit as he got up. He needed to move his muscles!
"I don't mind either. I like reading a lot so I don't mind spending more time here. Also it's still an hour's journey to come here. So I would say, if you want, let's stay the whole day here. My pain is almost gone, simply settling down and reading helped that." Even his right hoof didn't hurt anymore! So it was a win-win for him. And on top, he didn't mind the other people circling in and out of the library. He got used to that as well. Well, there were only a handful of people in a very wide space, but it was still training.
"I will get another book then, but are you sure you want to be here all day?" Eddy asked to make sure. He still wasn't sure about when Brett wanted to do the soup. He wouldn't pester about it though.
"Sure. When you are back at the herd, I will make the soup for Ray and Belle so I can annoy them with my wonderful presence. And shock them with my new height. And the more I can learn, the more I will be able to help you and Belle in the long run, so it's all fine with me."
Brett rubbed his cheek against the warm deer back before getting up as well. If Eddy got another book, he would do too, "Also, can we use magic in here to try it out? Or do we have to leave the library for that?"
If so, Brett wouldn't mind that. He could try a few things, come back, read more or read the passages and pages again and find out where he struggled.
Eddy thought about the question as he put his book back, "There is a section for practice; it is the one that is straight back from the magic section. It's more of a secret area behind the bookshelves though."
He said softly, "I could show you if you would like."
"Yes, please." Brett followed the deer like the good little faun he was and nodded along. Yes, that would be very nice. He could finally get in touch with his real nature! It was a wonderful day for the big faun. Not only did he wake up being taller than ever, he got to practice magic. Being told that he was a plant-based mage was even better! Maybe that was why all the herbs and plants he cared for grew big and strong on the pasture? Or the garden? Well, about the garden, he wasn't caring long enough for that to actually make a difference, but the pasture of course. A spring in his step he was beside Eddy, happy with what he had learned today.
Eddy walked out of the plant section to lead Brett to what he wanted. The shelves created an obstacle illusion to where there seemed to be no opening but there was a passage behind the shelves that led to a room. Magically it could be whatever the user needed. It would shift to what was needed.
Brett was flabbergasted. So many hidden doors and passages and rooms! He needed those for his den as well. Tens of those! When they stepped into the room, they were all alone and Brett used that to gently stroke over Eddy's butt. Just because he could. And it looked very pet-able. Also he was a very good faun the whole time. Only platonic touches, nothing too intimate and now they were alone so he could do that, right?
"That's as amazing as your butt."
"You're comparing my butt to a room?" Eddy lifted an eyebrow at Brett. He guessed he could understand with all the mating they did. It could be seen as a cavern or room for Brett's dick to go in. Then again his butt didn't necessarily have to include that part.
"No. I just think your butt is amazing. The room too, but your butt is way more amazing. Lush, wiggly, soft. Perfect. Sorry. I will never compare your divine butt to anything less than a god," Brett grinned and stroked over the aforementioned and highly praised butt one more time. He simply couldn't help it. His hands had a life of their own!
Eddy shook his head with a laugh, Brett was weird but he loved it, "I think you're here to practice magic, not worship my butt."
He smiled down at Brett. He was sure there were people in life who would worship such things but he would not let Brett be one of those people.
"Hmmmm I can do both. And I don't worship it, I extremely love and worship it, please. Because it's a part of you, and I love you the most," The faun grinned and scratched the butt gently. Yes, that was a good wiggle! Maybe he could slap the butt when they were mating too? He would need to talk to Eddy about that first. But now he was happy to learn more magic and to practice it!
Eddy tilted his head down to kiss Brett's forehead, "Yeah, yeah sure."
He said playfully with a grin, "Anyways do you want me and my butt here or do you want to practice by yourself?"
He asked softly, he still needed to grab a new book.
"Hmm, tough choice. I like you and your butt close to me. Otherwise your butt will get attention from someone else. But I know you can kick them in the next dimension as well. Hmmm," Brett cocked his head and looked up from the delicious butt to Eddy's eyes. He grinned, showing that he was just joking about all the butt things - even though there were some truths strewn into it.
"I think I will leave the choice to you. You can watch me fail or you can leave me alone. Do what you want. I'm fine with either."
"I think I will grab a new book and come back to you to watch," Eddy smiled softly, he turned around, trotting on out to find a new book. He would read but be close so Brett didn't feel alone or completely embarrassed from Eddy witnessing failure.
The faun nodded and went to the middle of the room. He looked around and saw so much lush and green grass! It was so soft as well. He bent down to pet it lovingly. Maybe he should try to let it grow now. And that meant working.
Once Eddy found a book to his liking, he trotted back in to watch Brett. He found a corner to sit in then started to read whilst Brett tried to unleash his faun power. And his immense faun power resulted in ... nothing. Brett did as the book told him: he closed his eyes, concentrated on the flow of life in the grass - only one stem at a time of course - and pulled it. But nothing happened. He did it a second time. A third, a fourth. And then he stopped counting.
His back began to hurt from his hunched over position, so he laid flat on his tummy and poked the grassblade, "Are you mocking me? Asshole grass."
He swatted it. At least it didn't retaliate. Brett sighed and started anew. Maybe the beginning was wrong? Could be; the book described the force of life as a strong, vibrant green or white thread rushing through the plant. He maybe saw a soft glimmer. If he didn't look very hard and very closely onto the grass blade, he would have missed it.
This was frustrating! He let his head fall into the soft grass and munched on it because he needed at least a tiny bit of revenge. He looked up to Eddy and whined. Maybe the deer could help him?
Eddy looked up from his book when he heard Brett whine, he noticed the look the faun was giving him. It seemed dejected, to him. Thus he put the book to the side, "Do you need my assistance?"
Brett had his mouth full of ripped and dying revenge grass and so he chewed but couldn't answer verbally. So he nodded. He was a sad, grass eating lump in the middle of the grassy field, waiting for his savior to come and rescue him again. He could see clearly the white force of life running through Eddy, so why was he being stupid when it came to plants? He didn't and couldn't understand.
Eddy rose from where he sat before gracefully walking over to Brett, "Once you swallow you can tell me what you need help with."
Eddy kneeled down softly, he wasn't sure if he was a good teacher but he could try to help.
Brett rubbed his cheek against the muscled deer thigh and indeed swallowed his revenge, "I don't really see the life force of these grass blades. I can see yours perfectly clear but not the plants one. And if I can't do that, then I can't manipulate it or let it grow. Ergo, I'm useless then."
Because Brett sure as hell wouldn't poke and mess with Eddy's life force. Oh no. He would never!
"And I tried what I could think of, but it's not better. How do you do it? Maybe I can get it then."
"It's okay not to get it the first time, you're in a learning process. As for me, I try to meditate a bit before I actually try to grow certain things. So relaxing and slowing your breathing. Then I try to imagine what I want to do in my head. If I can visualize it, I can achieve it," Eddy looked at the sad faun who was trying to learn the ways of his kind.
Meditating, imagining, visualizing. All that was mentioned in the books before. But Brett still couldn't do it. He still nodded though. He really appreciated Eddy's help - he really did - but he couldn't implement the knowledge he was given. He took a deep breath and tried again. He focused on one tiny blade - one he didn't munch on - closed his eyes and tried to imagine what it should look like afterwards. Then he pulled the wisp of thread. He did it again because he didn't feel the pulling sensation the book was talking about. He blinked one eye open and sure enough, nothing happened. He pulled again, harder this time but still nothing. After more than ten times of trying for this one blade, Brett opened his eyes and saw the tiny blade still being tiny. He turned to Eddy, "Maybe I simply can't do it? I mean, I can barely see the magic in the grass anyway. Maybe it's too early." Maybe he needed more time to get more acclimated to the magical world. Or he was simply stunted in his magical abilities as well.
"It's not as simple as can't do it or can do it. Sometimes it just takes time to learn. Sure there are prodigies in this world but for most it takes practice. This means going through the motions which are the foundations for the form of magic. Even if nothing happens you can master the foundations, then perhaps you will be surprised when something does," Eddy said gently, to him it wasn't so black and white. Today was the first day, it was common to have no results. Magic took a lot of practice, just like an instrument.
Brett sighed, while Eddy was definitely right, he didn't want to hear it! He wanted to grow things! But nothing would go his way like that, so he succumbed to the realization he needed to actually practice. Oh wow, what a bummer. But it was clear that the world would simply give him everything he wanted. So he sighed and nodded.
"Yeah, probably. Thanks though."
He smiled as he tried it again but again failed. He would do that over and over again until he was happy. But not today. The faun snuggled closer and kissed Eddy's hand.
"I love you," Eddy said softly with a little smile, wanting to make Brett feel a bit better and lighten up. Practice made one appreciate their progress more. If it happened with ease there would be nothing to be proud of. Only when hard work was poured in it could truly be appreciated. Otherwise it would be squandered. But it would be nice to have at least a small amount of accomplishment! Alas, this was not the time for Brett to be praised. He smiled and kissed Eddy's hand again - they were not in their den so he couldn't do something radical.
"I love you too."
But he could respond to Eddy. That was the very least he could do. He kissed the hand again and nodded.
"I hope you will be victorious when you come back with a new book."
"I certainly will be but first I will be victorious in finishing the book I am currently on," Eddy chuckled, he had left it in the corner where he had sat. He simply had set it down to help Brett out. Or at least try to help him out. He was more of moral support really.
Brett nodded and kissed Eddy's hand one last time, "Then you should get to it, my love. I will just stay here and whine and try again. So yeah. But thank you for all the support."
"I am here for you," Eddy stepped away from Brett, going to his corner, "If it means anything, I think you're doing good."
Eddy thought so at least since Brett had come from no magical background, but seemed to understand the basics. It seemed to be the right thing to say because Brett's face brightened. Yes, he loved praises!
"Thank you. I will continue to struggle! And someday I will be able to do anything!"
Brett laid his head on the eaten grass and watched Eddy before taking a deep breath and started anew. Eddy smiled softly at Brett as he watched him. He was happy to have said the right thing. He wanted to lift Brett's spirits as best as he could. High spirits made a hopeless feeling situation better. It helped too, since if all people saw was failure, all they would do would be fail. But if someone had a mindset of something working or succeeding, they would often find success. It wasn't always like this but one was still a better mindset.
And while Brett would still fail spectacularly at a lot of things, he still would get up and try again and again. Not only because he needed that for himself but also for Eddy.
He laid on his stomach, face in the grass, just letting the calm wash over him. He never had a chance to really listen to the nature around him. Yes, he admired it and every chance he got, he enjoyed it, but really taking his time and just listening to nature he never had done. That was also maybe his problem. So now he took his time with it.
He reached out blindly, taking one blade between his fingers and tried to feel the energy circulating in it. Technically he should already know and feel that, thanks to him being a faun, but it was apparent that it was not the case.
So he had to learn something other faun's grew up with. But he was not discouraged. After all, he had his very own fan and moral support.
Eddy stayed very silent, letting Brett have peace. Any noise could ruin the tranquility of it all and Eddy wasn't going to be the reason it was ruined. He wanted Brett to feel like he had no interruptions or factors that were distracting him.
The fact that Brett could still very much see and feel Eddy here was indeed very comforting to the faun. Eddy was still with him, not leaving him to deal with it himself. So that mental pressure was not there.
He tried again and this time he got a very fragile thread of green between his fingers. He grinned, yes that was it! Gently he pulled it but he was too excited and pulled too hastily, it erupted. Brett blinked his eyes open and to his surprise a roughly one meter grass was in front of him. Having the soft feather at the end of it as well. He forced the poor grass to push everything it did in one year, down to one second.
"Whoops."
Eddy looked over amazed. Brett had done it! No not perfectly but he had done it. In the one day of reading the book! If Eddy knew anything about faun's he would know this was technically Brett's birthright which made it easier. Eddy did not know that though so he was very amazed!Brett was embarrassed but happy. He now knew how to do it but he had to be very, very careful! He smiled at Eddy and gave him a thumbs up. Yes, he did it!
Now he could work out the kinks and problems. With renewed vigor he got back to work.
Eddy gave him a thumbs up in return, he would praise Brett when he wasn't worried of breaking his focus. He would be seen but not heard as to give Brett the space he needed to practice. Once Brett was done practicing though, Eddy would make sure to tell him how impressed he was.
But that could take a while. And it did. Brett played around for a few hours to get comfortable with it. In the end he had at least regrown the grass he had eaten. Some of them were a bit too tall - some a meter, some more, and then the latest ones even less - but they were grown!
Brett had a spring in his step when he returned to Eddy's side.
"Sorry to leave you so long but it was a lot of fun!"
"No apologies needed, you were adjusting to your magic. I am honestly surprised and impressed with how fast you managed to learn how to do it," Was it perfect? No, but it was something and it was quick progress. Brett went from nothing to something! An occurrence Eddy didn't see often.
"Hm, well, since the books about faun's basically told me that I should be able to manipulate grass since I was a wee baby. So technically I'm 20 years behind," sheepishly Brett rubbed the back of his head, "But thank you for the compliment. Grass is said to be one of the easier things, if course so yeah, I will see what I can do when we are back at the den. Maybe I will try out the moss next. Or the trees surrounding us or something like that. Oh, maybe vegetables! Then I will always have food!"
And maybe he could recreate the glowing mushrooms he had read about in another book from the pasture. Then he could have light inside his den! But that was far in the future. He was still at grass-level and looking back at his failed attempts he still had to learn a lot.
"I think I was born the wrong species if faun's can do that as babies!" Eddy exclaimed, he was a gardener for crying out loud. Skills like that would have really helped. Not that it mattered now. With practice he was pretty decent at all that magic stuff with plants.
"Well, our children will be masters of plant magic then." Brett laughed and rubbed his cheek against Eddy's. He wanted to have some contact with the deer right now, "And then we will get both depressed because they will do amazing things when they are babies while we worked our butts off all those years. Unfair, isn't it? But we will still love them."
While Eddy had a mild case of midlife crisis, Brett had a very deep rooted problem. Yes, he was raised differently, but what would other fauns say when they met him? He would stand out like a sore thumb. An adult and mature faun, magically on the level of a baby. At least only Brett thought of himself as a disgrace for now. Eddy liked his progress so he tried not to think too hard about all this negativity. He had a different start and so he needed to relearn everything. Since he technically didn't work a lot - because taking care of the perfectly kept garden of Belle was not really work - he had a lot of time on his hands to get better.
Eddy pouted a bit, he wondered if life as a faun would be different from the one he had with the herd. Or would they be the same except for being different species. Hate and control came in many forms and many species. It wasn't an isolated thing, Eddy wished it were though, "Yes we will love our kids even if life is unfair to us."
Brett nodded, "Yes and we will love them unconditionally."
He flopped down right next to his lover and snuggled close. He was 'alone' for hours and now he wanted physical contact. Yes, he could have gotten up and cuddled with Eddy any time but he wanted to finish the grass first. That was the goal he set out for himself. He never said he would make it perfect.
But now he was finished and he wanted his cuddles! Eddy curled around him like he always did, "Would you like to go home soon?"
Eddy asked not referring to Brett's den or his own. They practically lived together so it was home. Their home. And Brett loved that word. He nodded but paused.
"Only if you are finished though. I can still hold out here but I'm getting kinda hungry so I would like to eat something. Is there a possibility to eat something here?"
His stomach rumbled softly. He was fairly sure he would hold out until they were home but it was a long hour walk to that. A snack wouldn't hurt at all!
"Sadly no, because it is a library," Having food near books was sacreligious. So many wrong things could happen because of that! Eddy didn't say that though since some thoughts were only for himself, "We can go now though. I am done."
"I don't want to rip you away from your books, Eddy. I can go out and find something if needed. But I figured you might be hungry as well." Brett leaned into Eddy and his warmth. He didn't want to leave since it was such a wonderful place to be, with all the books and knowledge, but then again they needed food to survive, "Is there something akin to a bakery or vendor close by where we can get some food? If not. Then we sadly have to go back. But we can return any time!"
"Yes there is a small place near here, a small village on a lake," Eddy said softly, not sure if Brett wanted to be near a village, "There are many scattered around."
Eddy closed his book, because he was done for all anyone knew or cared to know.
The word 'village' was not something Brett enjoyed hearing. 'Small' was more like it. So he nodded, "Let's try our luck there. But don't we need something to trade or so?"
Humans did everything with gold, silver and copper coins. Here it was handled differently apparently. But how exactly except trading Brett had no idea.
"Sometimes that can be through services, not just things. We can offer a service for food in return." Eddy smiled softly. He was sure they could come up with something they could barter. Even if they were using themselves.
That sounded a bit... too sexual for Brett's taste but he nodded.
"Sure. Why not?" Brett smiled, happy to hear they could get food. Maybe he could grow something the people needed?
Eddy didn't even catch that it could be considered sexual, since he only had experience with ruts and with Brett. He was thinking more along the lines of manual labor. That was probably safer than offering his or Brett's body to a stranger, "Shall we go?"
"Yes please." Food was good and Brett was hungry. They would see what it would cost them. The faun got up and rubbed Eddy's cheek to calm himself and the deer down. He wouldn't mind if they would eat a whole deer right now. In more than one sense. But it would be very disrespectful to fuck in the library of course.
Eddy got up with his book to put away, "Let's go then, love."
Eddy stretched trying not to be too sore. He had stayed in the same position for hours after all. Brett helped Eddy and together they put back the book before wandering out of the library. Brett smiled softly whenever he noticed their not-so-much height difference. He somehow felt proud because of it. But alas, he knew it was not all sunshine and rainbows. For now, it was though.
They stepped outside and Brett looked around, "Where to go now, Eddy?"
"Towards the stream so we can find the lake town," Eddy looked around with a hum then started trotting in some direction. He waited for Brett so they could be side by side. He wanted to enjoy every second with Brett before he had to go back to the herd in the morning.
Brett quickly walked up and took Eddy's hand. The faun nodded and followed the deer. The outside was as calm as the inside of the library. Some people went towards it, some left it, but nothing too much. It was all good for Brett and he could handle it for now. The farther they left the village behind, the better he felt.
"Hmmm, what do you think about moving here? To all the knowledge? Leaving everything behind, maybe asking Belle and Ray to move with us, and just spend our lifetime in the library? Sounds good, ey?"
"What about the garden though? And the hard work you put into your den? I mean I like this area but I don't know if I could just pick everything up and leave," Eddy was honest about it at least. He truly wasn't sure if he could leave his life behind, even if it didn't seem like much.
Brett shrugged, he had no real sentiment towards the environment; for him, Eddy was important.
"I dunno. I mean, Yes, it's built, but I can always rebuild it. Yes, it's a lot of work, but work I would put into when we want it," Brett shrugged again and looked in the distance. He knew that Eddy wouldn't say yes to that; the deer wanted to be with his parents. But he was allowed to dream, right?
"But anyway, I know we will not move. It would be too far from the herd."
Eddy nodded slightly to that, he wasn't sure how to take the statement. Was it simply a statement or one that was passive aggressive. If the latter Eddy would purposely ignore that, "I don't want to leave what I know behind, I guess."
He said softly.
"That is understandable," Brett smiled upwards; his eyes shone with warmth. He didn't intend to be passive aggressive to Eddy; it was a simple observation. They needed an hour to get here and the herd was not far from where Eddy's den was, so it would be highly unwise to move to the library and then Eddy had to walk every day two hours - one to the herd and one back. That would make no sense. On top of that it was clear that Eddy was not ready to leave everything behind. And Brett wouldn't force the soft deer to decide between the herd and him. He knew he would lose and also it was simply not a nice thing to do. He didn't want to see Eddy unhappy. "And I know it would be too much to ask of you. So I won't ask. I just like to wonder and dream about the 'what if's'. Don't take it too seriously. Sometimes I get lost in my dreams, but don't worry. I know what is reality and what is not. Even though sometimes I feel like I'm in a dream when you are close."
"You're very sweet Brett," Eddy said softly as he watched Brett. He wanted to appreciate the faun more, he was really sweet even if some things came off the wrong way. Eddy cracked his back gently then smiled, "I love you."
"I love you too," Yes, sometimes Brett was a bit clumsy with words, but he had all the best intentions. And he tried to do better as well! But sometimes it came out wrong. So he tried to say things about the herd in an absolute neutral tone. He wasn't trying to be condescending nor accusing. He was simply stating a fact. His thoughts that the herd brought Eddy more pain than gain were his own. He didn't need to voice them.
Eddy led them to the lake side so they could find themselves some food. The huts were built on stilts in the water. There were also probably some water folk within the lake. Perhaps like mermaids or water nymphs.
The lake was filled with colorful water lilies and the green leaves looked healthy and well nourished. To top that, Brett looked closer and yes, he could see a faint circulation of threads in them. Would the Nøkken appreciate it if Brett made different colored lilies pads? Maybe he could. Or maybe he should definitely learn and practice on something different before he would work on the lilies. Maybe the cut stuff? Those were waste anyway and the Nøkken was fine with them being discarded. Brett turned his head and looked at Eddy, not noticing the few people around them since he was a bit too focused on the beautiful flowers on the lake, "Look Eddy! Lilies! Maybe I can examine one so I can make different colored ones for the Nøkken! Do you think he would like it?"
"I think he would, but be careful getting too close to the water and touching them. Something may try to drown you," Eddy warmed like he had been as a kid. Some creatures weren't the nicest.
The faun hastily nodded, yes it would be no good if he was killed now, "Yes, I will be careful and ask the spirits and beings that live in the water."
Maybe he could ask if he would examine a colorful one if they brought him one? Alas, it was just a thought again. But he liked the idea.
"Where is the food stall here anyway? I'm a bit hungry." And that was not a lie. Brett's stomach growled and gurgled since it was very unhappy to not receive any food as of late. Next time they did something like that, Brett would make some sandwiches or portable food so they could enjoy it without starving.
"It's with the huts in the water. We will have to go over there," Luckily for Brett there weren't many huts. It was a pretty small place with a little population. At least on the surface, everything was underneath it. Eddy kind of wished he could breathe under the water so he could truly enjoy it.
Brett looked around and indeed, he saw maybe one person right beside a hut. He should be able to do that. But just in case he still held Eddy's hand to give himself the courage.
"I see. Then lead the way I will be beside you until I can't anymore. But so far I feel good."
"Okay, you never have to push yourself with me. I hope you continue to feel okay though." Eddy walked slowly to give Brett a chance if he needed to back out. He hoped Brett would be comfortable with this though. Eddy looked around as they made their way on over.
"I will do what I feel comfortable with. If it gets too much I will stop, I promise," Brett would try not to run away like the first time. It made a huge unnecessary mess for them both and he didn't want to deepen his trauma. But then again, a little bit of discomfort would remain until Brett was strong enough to handle the village. But little by little, not the hammer-hits-nail-method. That wouldn't work well with him.
So he looked around. A couple of times something moved in the water but since Brett didn't want to take a dive, he would ignore them as they were letting them be as well.
"Okay, I want what's best for you and your health," They neared the huts, luckily there was a wooden walkway, much like a dock. This would make it easy for them to walk out, considering neither of them could walk on water. Although it would be cool if they could. Eddy looked at the dock, making sure it would hold his weight as he stepped on it.
Brett carefully tread on the sturdy wooden boards and looked around. Jupp seemed sturdy enough to hold them both. It would be a bummer if it didn't. Carefully, they made their way down to one of the huts, being mindful of the creaking boards and holding hands the whole time. It would definitely suck if they drowned here. The water spirits wouldn't hurt them for an accident, right? That depended on the spirits because some were meaner than others. On the other hand, most within the walls of the realm were nice. Key word being most, not all.
"The little food place is down at the end. They do a lot of fish and such," Eddy said softly as they approached. Luckily Brett hadn't bailed out yet, Eddy thought. Since there were not a lot of beings around them that Brett could see, he wasn't nervous. A bit, yes, because of the things happening right outside his visual sense - he heard the 'blubb' of something in the water more than once - but since he didn't see anything, he was fine-ish. Not fine, but also not no-fine.
"Fish? I like fish. I liked baked fish. The crisp skin was always delightful." Because that and the tiny bones were the most he got. He made a lot of fish stock for soups as well.
"But you don't eat animals; so what will you eat?"
"Probably a kelp salad, they're naturally salty and seasoned." Eddy chuckled lightly, he would find something to eat but more importantly he needed to think of what service they could give. Perhaps he would simply ask the stall owner.
Oh yes, Brett almost forgot. Maybe they should talk to the being first before they order. Maybe they would be willing to put their trust in the faun and the deer and let them trade with nothing but a promise? If they liked wine, Brett could bring it to them when the wine was done. Or peaches? Or something else Maybe. He peeked to Eddy; the deer should probably speak to the being instead of him. He had no idea after all. But he could give examples of stuff they - or Brett himself - could do for them.
Eddy came on up so he could address the creature who was an anthropomorphic frog no less. He wasn't sure how to address them exactly since he wasn't often here but at least he had experience.
"Hello, my partner and I would like to barter services in return for food," He decided to get to the point so they would have an easier time. The frog seemed to nod to that, finding it acceptable and always having work to be done.
Brett didn't want to let go of the hand he held for so long - it would probably be weird to let go of Eddy's hand right now anyway - so he hoped that the frog-like-human-or-was-it-an-animal?-thing wasn't against them being 'partners'. It was green - no shocker here - and had big bulging black eyes that had a distinctive deadness in them. The frog blinked slowly as he turned to the tall deer.
Brett gripped the hand harder - still being mindful not to hurt the precious deer - as it opened its big mouth, "Welcome, welcome. What food do you want, young childs? Kappa wants to know first." Depending on what the both wanted for food, the seemingly male being would give them the option to choose for one of the tasks he had.
"I want a kelp salad and he wants your fish," Eddy said softly, then he waited for the verdict. What would they have to do to be able to eat? Eddy hoped it wasn't something too obscure.
The amphibian creature rubbed over his chin, thinking about it. Fish and kelp salad. It wasn't much they were asking for. But he doubted the portions would be small. Deers needed to eat a lot and the faun didn't look like he would be happy with one tiny fish as well.
"Hmpf, Kappa sees. Fish and salad, big bowls. Hmpf, Kappa thinks." The frog-human rubbed his three fingers over the chin again and thought. fauns were known to be specialized in plant magic and fauns were pretty, but very haughty. It was indeed a wonder that the mighty deer even stepped a hoof into this etablissement. The cervitaur, Kappa knew, would rather look at him in disgust because he served meat and vegetables together from one kitchen. That brought Kappa to a thought. How humiliated would the deer feel if he had to clean the kitchen? The frog-like being smiled with his big mouth as another devious idea entered his mind.
"Hmpg, Kappa thought of something. Kappa will bring you a big bowl of each. But you-deer and you-faun need to clean the baskets outside where we keep the leftovers from skinning the fish and such. It's disgusting, but easy work. Does that sound fair to you?"
"It sounds fair to me," Eddy said with a soft smile, being too innocent to understand what the amphibian was trying to do, "What's your preferred cleaning method so we can do it to your liking."
Eddy was honorable and did as he was asked considering how docile he was in nature. He looked down at his faun with a smile, "Does it sound okay to you though?"
Brett raised an eyebrow, not liking the glint in the frog's eyes. He saw that a lot in the master when he was planning something utterly disgusting or degrading. Cleaning out stuff like that was what Brett had done a million times, but the glint made it worse.
The faun still nodded, "Sure. I don't mind."
Kappa smiled brightly and nodded, "I dun' care about how ya do it. Just do it. It has to be clean. Nothing else."
It was very surprising that the deer immediately said yes to that and asked his 'partner' for his opinion as well. He didn't meddle with other people's business, even when it was fun. With both of them agreeing he pointed to a table and asked them to wait there; he would tell the kitchen what to make and bring it to them.
Eddy shuffled over to the table with a hum, "Cleaning isn't too hard but I do really want to know how he does it. Because it seems impolite to just do it in the lake unless the creatures down there eat the scraps. Otherwise it must be like polluting it! Or maybe we will have a clean bucket of water to rinse them and turn it into compost for the land."
He sighed to himself, he liked knowing the details.
"Maybe he will tell us later after we are fed? If not, we can probably ask someone else." Sadly, the male had only looked and talked to Eddy, Brett didn't have a chance to slip in and ask if the frog liked wine or something like that. But cleaning was not the worst they had to do. And in exchange for food it was really fine. More like, cleaning up after yourself. Brett sat down on one of the chairs and looked at Eddy. Would the cervitaur maybe like to eat on land so he could lay down? Because to be honest, the floor was not looking very appetizing to look at. Not awfully dirty, but a speck here and there.
"I do hope so, it's easier to do when we know the process and don't risk angering the folk under us," Eddy referred to the ones most likely under the dock. It wasn't good to mess with spirits. Spirits were never tied to any mortal rules. They couldn't be controlled nor would they allow themselves to be.
"Yeah. Maybe they like the scraps though. We will see after we have something to eat, okay?" And if Eddy was disgusted with the work, Brett could easily do it. Cleaning dead carcasses was an easy task for the faun.
As if he was summoned by them talking, the frog came out, a huge bowl of kelp-salad and a big big on top of rice and different vegetables in his hands. He placed it in front of them. Brett could decipher a lot of plants, so he looked up and smiled at the frog, "Thank you."
Eddy gave his thanks as well as he looked at the food.
Kappa nodded and gestured to the food, "You are welcome. Just eat up and then Parvus, my son, will guide you to work."
He nodded at them and left the table before Eddy or Brett could respond. Brett blinked in confusion; the frog was harsh but the portion didn't lie. It was really big and it smelled wonderfully!
Eddy smiled at the food, "It looks good, doesn't it? And smells delicious too."
He stated the obvious as he carefully sat to eat his kelp, he could wash up his fur later. Right now he would just enjoy the food and Brett.
"Mouth watering delicious," Brett agreed and watched Eddy lay down on the dirty floor. He looked over to the frog but he was already busy tending to other customers. He could at least give Eddy a blanket or something! But no, they could be happy to get food in the first place. Brett softly sighed and started to eat. The fish was sprinkled with salt and spicy herbs and was very tasty. Gently, he pulled the fish apart to see it had been cooked with the herbs inside its empty stomach. So that's how the flesh tasted so strongly! Brett grinned. What a wonderful thing to do! He tasted the kelp and was okay with it. Not very much to his liking, but he wasn't picky so he would definitely eat it.
"It tastes amazing. How is your salad?"
"It's really good, it has a subtle sweetness to blend perfectly well with the salt," Eddy smiled at Brett. He didn't really focus on the vendor or on what he should have done or not done. Eddy was really only focused on Brett. Brett he could understand after all and he could appreciate, "Do you want to try it?"
"I have enough of it on my plate, thank you. I'm a bit sad that I can't feed you now though." Brett smiled gently and pulled meat from the fine bones to eat the fish, "I will do so when we eat dinner tonight. All I can make is soup but I will make a splendid soup for you, I promise."
The faun happily munched on his fish. It was so soft and tasty! One of the best he ever ate to be honest.
"Maybe you could go fishing with Ray since you seem to really like the fish," Eddy wasn't offended by meat eaters. He just felt bad and weird about it, considering he was part animal and it felt like he could possibly be related. They were all connected through nature anyways. His own personal conviction was not everyone else's. Thus he would not push it onto anyone else. It wasn't his job anyways, "Ray's really good at hunting."
"Yeah I bet he is. Well, he had to be. At least he is not eating deer or goat or sheep. That's comforting. I think Belle would not be a big fan of having deer on the dinner plate though," The faun chuckled as he nommed on the tasty fish. It had a deep flavor profile and cooked to perfection. He would love to have a chat with the cook if that was possible. Maybe when they were cleaning? Hopefully so!
"Anyway, let's quickly eat and then work our debt off. Then we can return home. Next time we will be better prepared!"
"Yes, we will bring many amazing bartering gifts that could possibly be wanted. We should ask though, what kind of produce they may need or want. So we don't bring something that is useless to them," Eddy shoved more kelp in his mouth, chewing along happily.
"I bet a lot of people would want peaches or peach wine. Or dried peaches. We will make a lot of it. Or healing salves and creams. We have a lot to offer after all. And what we can't barter, we can eat ourselves." Brett was in a very good mood. Eddy had food and was happy, Brett was the same and the woes of tomorrow would come later. Today was a good day, even when it started not as such.
"That is true but it is only valuable if people want it. That's what Belle always tells me." Eddy nodded all bubbly as he ate. He smiled at his faun still, finding him to be intelligent even if both of them didn't know all that much from experience.
"True, true, but it will be valuable regardless of people's needs. Peaches are food, and wine is something to enjoy. Healing creams and salves will always be needed since everywhere an accident can and will happen. And like I said, even if people won't buy the peaches, we can eat ourselves. But asking them what they need is a better strategy of course." That was very true. Brett just said what he was thinking right at that moment. Because he didn't see any peach trees out or on their way to the library. So maybe the people didn't know? "When we know what they want and need, we can also get better prices and the items will find a new owner right away. So Belle is definitely right in that."
"Yes, we must know what our own merchandise is worth. We will become masters of the system!" Eddy declared with a grin. They would overcome everything! At least that was how Eddy saw it.
That brought out a chuckle from the faun. Becoming masters of the system? Probably not, but if they knew their worth, it was easier to get a better deal. So he simply nodded along, "Yes, yes. And then we take over the world with Belle's peaches. Sounds like fun."
And it did. A bit unrealistic, but then again, he loved Eddy. And how unrealistic was it that he was loved back? So yeah, it could happen.
"It would be fun," Eddy giggled softly with a little smile. He thought it was a silly idea to take over the world with peaches, but anything was possible!
"And a lot of work. It would force us to travel a lot too. Well, not that it is a bad thing. I would be able to see everything. It sounds like a very good plan indeed." Well, if that was the truth, not just some dreams they were talking about. Brett finished his fish and cleared the plate from the kelp salad. Yes, it was nice, but nothing he would order for himself. But if Eddy liked it, he could maybe grow it in the pond of the Nøkken? Then Eddy could eat it whenever he wanted to! That sounded like a very good plan to him. Brett put the cutlery to the side and leaned back, watching Eddy as the deer ate. Eddy hummed as he ate, "We are taking a traveling trip in spring. Perhaps we can start with that."
There were seasonal travelers after all and perhaps it would put them in high demand for the things they brought with them.
"Yes, we can start there if you want." That meant Brett would be pretty busy drying the peaches. But it was a welcomed work and not as hard as one thought. But would the herd allow Eddy to leave? Brett didn't say it out loud, but he doubted that. Then again, maybe he heard too many bad things about them and misjudged them hard. But he didn't think that Eddy's dropping mood and him visiting the herd was a coincidence. But he would have to wait and see what the future would bring. For now he would believe in Eddy and prepare as if the herd and their opinion didn't exist.
"Let's, it will be fun," Eddy finished up his food so they could get up and clean,"I think we can go clean now."
Eddy would have to clean himself too. That would have to come later though. Brett and Eddy would definitely need a bath after that. He really loved the deer but not when he was stinking the den up with the garish smell of old fish.
They had their plates in hand and approached the frog again. Kappa looked up and took their plates, it was still his job to take care of such things.
"Hmpf, go around the house and then you see a few big baskets. There is all the stuff inside you need to clean. Parvus will come out and explain what you will have to do, hmpf." Brett nodded and smiled, "Thank you."
The faster they were done, the faster they could leave.
Eddy nodded as well with a smile, sharing the sentiment with Brett. Gently he took Brett's hand again so they could go back together. No one in these parts knew them so he wasn't all too concerned.
Brett liked that so he took Eddy's hand eagerly. They left the restaurant and rounded it. The baskets and trash cans were easily visible and Brett looked up at Eddy. Was the deer really willing to clean that? Eddy was willing to clean it. He was occasionally on the lazy side but he knew hard work and how to get his hands dirty. He was seen as dirty anyways so it didn't matter. Once they were shown how to do it, the deer and the faun started. They made quick work of all the filth. Neither of them lost their smiles, seeing as they had one another to talk to and enjoy the other's company. This way it probably appeared less humiliating than the amphibian would have wanted. In no time they finished up and were ready to leave. Sadly they still stank like dead fish. But at least they did it together.