Though as much fox as man, and therefore hardly squeamish when it came to the feeding habits of his distant cousins, he did notice Hazel turn away from the meal in progress, and he chastised himself for not thinking of it sooner. Surreptitiously, while she was digging for her bark, he shifted to place himself between her and the hungry carnivores, providing a visual barrier with his body. His eyes lit up at the proffered peppermint bark, and he took it with a murmured thanks. "We have it within the barrier as well. I like to make tea from it," he explained with a smile. "Are you a tea-drinker yourself?" There was no question in his mind that the Fae had tea. They were a civilized people, after all. But individual tastes did vary, and preference was subjective. He popped the treat into his mouth, and then blinked in surprise at the robust flavors that that sparked on his tongue. "It's nothing as strong as this, though!" He savored the treat happily for a moment, though he listened to her information with quiet curiosity, and a nod of understanding.
"There are humans within the barrier who have been blessed by the gods as well," he offered in return. "Safrin and Ludo and Frey... though not unless they seek out the gods and pray for such a gift." His smile returned at her pondering her own future fate, and he tilted his head thoughtfully to look her over. "A bird, perhaps? Or a lynx?" Shy creatures, but not without courage, he thought. Perhaps they would suit the gentle basketmaker... or perhaps she would surprise them all with a mighty bear or proud wolf?
He scooped up a pebble from the bank, rolling it in the palm of his hand, bowing his head towards the forest in a gesture of gratitude for letting his petite companion reach her home swiftly and safely that evening. As he turned back to her, Hazel's question caused his smile to slip towards solemnity as he thought back to that day. "I did. And Ludo was pleased with my offerings. I have been wondering..." he paused, putting his thoughts into order before he spoke again. "I appreciated your warning of the Cat Sith," he said slowly. "And it got me to thinking... how little I know of the dangers of the Woods. And how little we know of whether the dangers within the barrier are normal, and how many were the result of... what we were trapped in there with," he said tactfully, though not without a frown.
"Long Night, in particular, was - is - a time of great fear and danger. Not merely of darkness, but of angry spirits and unseen monsters that make the week one of terrible loss. Is it that way in the Woods as well? Is... do you even have Long Night?" he asked, suddenly uncertain that the blood-soaked winter's end even existed beyond the barrier's walls... Ludo had shown him a vision of the first such night, untold ages in the past, but perhaps that danger, too, had been confined to the barrier for the past 300 years?
"There are humans within the barrier who have been blessed by the gods as well," he offered in return. "Safrin and Ludo and Frey... though not unless they seek out the gods and pray for such a gift." His smile returned at her pondering her own future fate, and he tilted his head thoughtfully to look her over. "A bird, perhaps? Or a lynx?" Shy creatures, but not without courage, he thought. Perhaps they would suit the gentle basketmaker... or perhaps she would surprise them all with a mighty bear or proud wolf?
He scooped up a pebble from the bank, rolling it in the palm of his hand, bowing his head towards the forest in a gesture of gratitude for letting his petite companion reach her home swiftly and safely that evening. As he turned back to her, Hazel's question caused his smile to slip towards solemnity as he thought back to that day. "I did. And Ludo was pleased with my offerings. I have been wondering..." he paused, putting his thoughts into order before he spoke again. "I appreciated your warning of the Cat Sith," he said slowly. "And it got me to thinking... how little I know of the dangers of the Woods. And how little we know of whether the dangers within the barrier are normal, and how many were the result of... what we were trapped in there with," he said tactfully, though not without a frown.
"Long Night, in particular, was - is - a time of great fear and danger. Not merely of darkness, but of angry spirits and unseen monsters that make the week one of terrible loss. Is it that way in the Woods as well? Is... do you even have Long Night?" he asked, suddenly uncertain that the blood-soaked winter's end even existed beyond the barrier's walls... Ludo had shown him a vision of the first such night, untold ages in the past, but perhaps that danger, too, had been confined to the barrier for the past 300 years?
