travelling through Gloria on our way to the Royal city, we have been on the road for some hours.” Eve paused to smile at the couple and continued. “We were looking for a place to stay just for tonight; I asked in the village and Olga said to come here. I hope that we are not imposing.” Eve smiled her sweetest smile. Albert and the brown eyed woman, who Eve assumed to be his wife exchanged whispered words. Turning back to Eve, Albert confirmed that this was indeed the place to come. Asking them to wait, he disappeared back into the cottage.
“Sorry, I haven’t introduced meself. I’m Betty; Albert’s me husband, he’s just gone to get the key to the guest accommodations,” Betty explained. She seemed to bob on the spot as she spoke, which Eve found endearing, although by their muffled coughs and sniggers the men found it amusing. Thinking she would have to remind them of how to behave in public later, Eve returned Betty’s smile and complimented her on the lovely flowerpots she had lined against her wall.
“Here we are, follow me please,” Albert instructed, as he shuffled down the street. Thanking Betty once more, they followed Albert’s retreating form. Five doors up Albert stopped and inserted the brass key into the door. Pushing it wide and mumbling maidens first, Eve preceded the men into the cottage. Albert closed the door and explained the house rules to them and then, handing over the key to Caleb, he left.
“Well that was different,” Jericho said as he looked around the sitting room. It was a cosy room with plump chairs and a sofa practically hidden under a mountain on cushions. There were two doors other than the front door, one led to the kitchen at the back of the cottage and the other to a short hallway, off which there were a bathroom and two bedrooms. Not happy that he would have to share a room with Jericho, Caleb headed back towards the kitchen, hoping he would find a tasty morsel, which might satisfy his grumbling stomach. Caleb was most disappointed, finding nothing but veg and some strange bottles of Goddess knows what, he gave up his pursuit for sustenance and made his way back to the sitting room, he flopped down into one of the chairs.
“What on earth is the matter with you, Cal? You have a face like sour milk,” Eve asked as she entered the sitting room. She was wearing a pair of cropped trousers and a tunic she had found in the wardrobe; thankfully the Fae were not under the misconception that elves were wee folk like the witches had been before the alliance, combing her fingers through her damp hair she waited for Caleb to answer her.
“Nothing, bath any good?” he replied, not really answering her question. Eve nodded; Caleb then got to his feet and headed down the hall to find his room and prepare for a bath.
“He is hungry,” Jericho stated, throwing himself down on the sofa.
“How do you know?” Eve was confused, how being hungry could be a reason for such a sullen mood. Chuckling, Jericho explained that even though they were from different species, males behave the same wherever they are from when hungry. Not fully understanding this, but not wanting to offend him, Eve went to the kitchen to find something for their tea.
Jericho gave Eve the ‘I told you so’ smirk later that evening as, after two bowls of steaming vegetable soup and bread Eve had found in the larder, Caleb was more himself. Although it was lovely to have a comfortable place to rest for the night, it bothered Jericho how easy it had been to enter Gloria. He knew full well that Caleb had not performed any elaborate spell before the mirror, that it had been an act for Eve’s benefit. There should have been a guard or a trap of some kind; the Fae were known for being ultra-careful. He voiced his concerns to Caleb and Eve.
“I did feel someone cloaked by the fallen tree, but whoever it was, didn’t attack or prevent us from entering,” Caleb admitted. Jericho was incensed; it was incredibly
“Sorry, I haven’t introduced meself. I’m Betty; Albert’s me husband, he’s just gone to get the key to the guest accommodations,” Betty explained. She seemed to bob on the spot as she spoke, which Eve found endearing, although by their muffled coughs and sniggers the men found it amusing. Thinking she would have to remind them of how to behave in public later, Eve returned Betty’s smile and complimented her on the lovely flowerpots she had lined against her wall.
“Here we are, follow me please,” Albert instructed, as he shuffled down the street. Thanking Betty once more, they followed Albert’s retreating form. Five doors up Albert stopped and inserted the brass key into the door. Pushing it wide and mumbling maidens first, Eve preceded the men into the cottage. Albert closed the door and explained the house rules to them and then, handing over the key to Caleb, he left.
“Well that was different,” Jericho said as he looked around the sitting room. It was a cosy room with plump chairs and a sofa practically hidden under a mountain on cushions. There were two doors other than the front door, one led to the kitchen at the back of the cottage and the other to a short hallway, off which there were a bathroom and two bedrooms. Not happy that he would have to share a room with Jericho, Caleb headed back towards the kitchen, hoping he would find a tasty morsel, which might satisfy his grumbling stomach. Caleb was most disappointed, finding nothing but veg and some strange bottles of Goddess knows what, he gave up his pursuit for sustenance and made his way back to the sitting room, he flopped down into one of the chairs.
“What on earth is the matter with you, Cal? You have a face like sour milk,” Eve asked as she entered the sitting room. She was wearing a pair of cropped trousers and a tunic she had found in the wardrobe; thankfully the Fae were not under the misconception that elves were wee folk like the witches had been before the alliance, combing her fingers through her damp hair she waited for Caleb to answer her.
“Nothing, bath any good?” he replied, not really answering her question. Eve nodded; Caleb then got to his feet and headed down the hall to find his room and prepare for a bath.
“He is hungry,” Jericho stated, throwing himself down on the sofa.
“How do you know?” Eve was confused, how being hungry could be a reason for such a sullen mood. Chuckling, Jericho explained that even though they were from different species, males behave the same wherever they are from when hungry. Not fully understanding this, but not wanting to offend him, Eve went to the kitchen to find something for their tea.
Jericho gave Eve the ‘I told you so’ smirk later that evening as, after two bowls of steaming vegetable soup and bread Eve had found in the larder, Caleb was more himself. Although it was lovely to have a comfortable place to rest for the night, it bothered Jericho how easy it had been to enter Gloria. He knew full well that Caleb had not performed any elaborate spell before the mirror, that it had been an act for Eve’s benefit. There should have been a guard or a trap of some kind; the Fae were known for being ultra-careful. He voiced his concerns to Caleb and Eve.
“I did feel someone cloaked by the fallen tree, but whoever it was, didn’t attack or prevent us from entering,” Caleb admitted. Jericho was incensed; it was incredibly
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