The Diplomacy of Beauty

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That she was stiff upon sitting up was foreign to her. She stretched and then stood up. The forest was no less intimidating in the light of a new day. This place was wrong and very little could disguise that fact. However when she looked over at Trevor she saw him smiling. It was such a simple thing but it put her much more at ease.

To Trevor's question she nodded her head. The thought of food and a dry place to rest sounded so much nice that she didn't mind at all the thought of being alone. At least for a little while.

As they started walking away from the remains of their fire, Wren still traveling very close to the beast of a man, it occurred to her that she knew very little about him. That he might be the private type was highly possible, but she never would know anything if she didn't ask. "H-how old are yyyou?" she asked in a whispering tone. It seemed to her he was nearly her own age.
 
That question, amongst other simple ones, was something he'd been fearing. Trevor could speak surprisingly well for someone who lived in solitude, and he had a good grasp on politeness. However, that was as far as his education went. He couldn't count past the number four, nor could he even spell his own name. His mother died too young; there was so much more to teach him.

"I, uh... Well... I don't know," he answered her quite dumbly, tripping over a few of his words. His face looked nervous. Trevor hoped she wouldn't think he was too stupid to be friends with now. He had other redeeming qualities, he thought! He knew how to fight, he knew how to cook, he even knew how to hunt.

"I do know that I am young, but not too young. Probably close to your age, actually. What's your number of years?"
 
The princess looked at the beastly man in surprise. It never occurred to her someone couldn't know how old they were. Well, except some of those decrepit grans who were not remembering many things. That Trevor seemed a bit nervous admitting his ignorance gave her pause. It must have been a very long time since he had a chance to celebrate with someone.

Wren Eartha gave him a smile. "I sh-shall be turning ei-eighteen just bbefore Ssp-spring ssst... beings!" She wanted to say more, but had gottened frustrated with her words. It always sounded so clear in her head, but once one word went bad it became a cascading effect until she was happier being silent.

Except on this quiet morning there was only the two of them on the road. Even if they encountered others, Trevor would not be welcomed and so he only had her and her words. She took a breath. "I th-think you're right. Wwwe m-must be about the sssame age. Wow would you llllike to," she took another breath and said the next word slowly, "celebrate," she grinned at her own success, "wwwith me?"
 
'Eighteen' didn't mean very much to Trevor, but he smiled and nodded anyway. Even though he was clueless about numbers, he felt this was an important one to remember until she had another birthday. If anyone ever asked, he'd be able to say how old she was and they wouldn't know how uneducated he really was. Plus, any information about this girl was important to him. She was precious to him. He had nothing in his life to care about until she came along.

Trevor smiled at her again, his eyes lighting up when she just kept talking. He learned quickly that she was soft spoken, and he got used to her speech problem. Actually, he thought the way she talked was cute. Then again, Wren was the very epitome of the word.

"Spring. My favourite of the seasons," he commented, as if her date of birth required approval. "I would love to celebrate with you. It's been a long time."

It really was a long time. His mother celebrated with him during his childhood, he remembered. And on that day, it was always warm. Perhaps he was born in the Spring too? If not the summer. Though, it didn't matter. The exact day was unknown to Trevor.

"What will we do on that day?"
 
"Hmm, wwell...," she paused in thought. "U-usually there's a b-bbig p-p-party. Mmusssic and food a-and games." Her hand gestures as she walked were exaggerated, perhaps to emphasis how big or maybe how fun it was. Her joy became muted with her next words. "Everyone is th-there. Mmmother and Fffather and mmmy ffffriends."

Wren shook her head. This wasn't any good. She was trying to tell Trevor about happy things and she had to go and ruin it by talking about the past and remembering. The little princess was angry with herself. She missed everyone. Missed the horribly, and if any survived the attack, if she ever saw any of them again, she would be overjoyed. But right now she grieved and she felt guilty to do so.

"Thi-this year wwwill be dddifrent. I'mmm, I'm sssure mmmmmy aunt wwwill h-have some something pppplanned. I-it's a bbbig one af-after all." Wren Eartha wanted to be cheerful for Trevor, and so even though she didn't feel much like it she smiled up at him, even though all she wanted to do was cry.
 
Parties were not places he was invited to. Whenever he encountered towns' festivities, he'd have no choice but to shy from them or spend as little time as possible in them; just long enough to swipe some food. He'd always wanted to actually explore a celebration, though. Finally, he had his chance to be a part of one.

"I look forward to it, then. I'll admit, though... Meeting that many people makes me nervous." Trevor was unaware of how Wren was truly feeling about this reunion. There was much else on his mind, and she was doing a swell job at hiding behind the mask of a beautiful smile, and maybe even a giggle or two. Something in his mind tugged at his conscious, however. When she mentioned her parents, there was a plainness to her voice. The rewind of his memories told him so.

Inwardly frowning, he wondered what the problem might be. Did she have feuds with them? Did they hurt her? Trevor wanted to be alert, but he also didn't want to pry into her private life. He supposed he would find out when he got there.

Instead, he asked a seemingly innocent question: "What is your family like?"
 
"Mmmy family?" Wren blinked looking at Trevor. It was a simple question on the surface, but one she had never been asked. Everyone knew about the royal family. Well everyone thught they did. Trevor undoubtably knew very little of such things, and even if he did that wouldn't be the truth.

The little princess couldn't keep the sorrow from her features though. "I am mmmmy parents o-only ccchild. Mmmother's mmmother lllives with us tttoo." Tugging on her braid she tried to think how to put things in words. "Fffather isss often b-busy. Ruling is nnot easssy, b-but he always fffound t-time fffor mmme and mmmother."

As they walked, Wren Earth slowly painted a picture of life in the palace from her point of view. Lessons with her grandmother. About the humor of the knight protector and the debates with the treasurer and about how her lady-in-waiting, Nadia, always told her the latest gossip. She also spoke of state dinners and how much nicer family dinners were and of walks in the garden and in the end she finally was smiling. Life until a few days ago had been ideal and Wren had no notion that it could be any other way. Not that Wren was so sheltered to not know there was evil and suffering in the world, but she had thought mistakenly that it would not touch her.

With a much more sober attitude she admitted even that. She was not ready to talk about the attack though and quickly changed the topic. "Mmmaybe we can fffind a wood-ccccutter or sssomething ssso that we mmmight be able to b-buy sssome fffood and sssupplies."
 
Trevor was listening very carefully to what Wren was saying to him. It sounded like she had a busy, but kind family. Secretly, he envied all people who grew up with their parents. Even though he had his mother, he had her for only a short time. He was thankful for what memories of her he still had. As a baby, he couldn't remember too much.

When she smiled, he smiled too. During the time he knew her, she seemed to struggle with happiness. He could not blame her... The poor girl was so far from home and she was suffering the cruel tendencies of nature. He felt fortunate in being able to guard her. If a higher power did exist, perhaps they sent him to protect her. Trevor liked to believe such a miracle could exist, even with the darkness of his past. Somehow, he couldn't lose hope.

Before he could say anything about her family discussion, she brought up food and supplies. She must have felt hungry. Trevor was beginning to feel that way himself, and some supplies wouldn't hurt. Relying just on the clothes on their backs and his hunting skills wasn't going to be enough.

"I'll bet we can find somebody soon. We're almost out of the trees, so there's bound to be a lumber man or a cottage," he assured her, continuing on the trail that would take them closer to civilization. Trevor knew there had to be someone. His nose was picking up the scent of humans, as well as fresh cut plants and something stewing in a pot. So, he followed his senses with hopes of finding help.
 
Wren nodded to Trevor, believing his words that they would find someone soon. The wind more then once sent a chill into her bones, and she realized there was no way she could deal with the even colder temperatures of the mountain pass. Of course none of this had been really planned, she was in a situation she was poorly suited for, but she had no choice. It was just fortunate she had a companion such as Trevor.

They walked along the trail, that gently followed the contours of the landscape and so it was not a cottage that Wren Eartha first saw, but smoke in the sky above them. She watched it for a moment, before her numb brain put the facts together. "W-we mmmust be close t-to ssssomeones h-home," she said softly to the beastly man. "Sh-should I g-go a-lone?" The little princess was uncomfortable with the idea of talking to someone alone, but the events in town just the day before we're fresh in her mind and she did not wish for anyone to try to attack Trevor because they misunderstood his intention, simply because of his appearance.
 
Trevor also took note of the smoke up ahead. Someone must have been preparing fire for warmth and good food. At least, that's what he hoped. It would be discouraging to find out it was a section of the forest burning down, or someone just as lost as they were, just building a campfire. He preferred to be optimistic, though. Even the worst of situations could have a ray of light involved.

He took her suggestion into account. People normally weren't friendly at the sight of him, though that seemed to be mostly with townsfolk. This was probably a nice little family living happily outside of civilization, or a lonely woodsman that's seen worse than Trevor. He wanted some reason for her not to have to go alone. It was obvious that she was terrified of the idea.

However... He did not want to hurt their chances of being helped.

"I can watch from behind the trees, in case anything goes wrong. I'd like to go with you, but I don't want to risk being rejected. At the very least, you could get something warm for yourself," he replied, satisfied with his decision. If anything were to put Wren in danger, he could spring into action in no time.
 
"Aaalright," she said squaring her shoulders. She could do this. It was a simple request after all. Food, clothing, maybe the conditions of the pass. Wren Eartha smiled up to Trevor and continued on the path, not looking in his direction because once she chose to do this, she needed to be ready to do it alone.

As she rounded the bend she saw a happy little cottage. The smoke they had both noticed was coming from it's chimney. Wren did not have to go to the door however. Out front of the cottage was an older man swinging an ax. Something about how he went about picking his logs and spitting them seemed wrong, but Wren could not put her finger on it. She paused when she she noticed the man stopped chopping. "No reason to be timid," the man said. He then turned in her direction and beckoned her over with his hand. "Come on over and speak. I don't get many visitors here."

Wren walked over, smiling. This old man seemed relatively non threatening. "H-hello sir. I wwas wondering. Ddddo you hhappen to have ssssome food to sell?"
 
Trevor watched the events unfold from a safe distance. He stood behind a tree, using its thick trunk and the shadows to keep him from being noticed. One thing he was best at was hunting. Without the technology of weapons, he had to make do with his predatory gifts, like his nails and sharp teeth. To do so, one had to be very stealthy!

So far, nothing was suspicious to him. This appeared to be just an elderly man doing his daily chores. Trevor observed hopefully, his mental voice praying that they'd be given something decent to eat. Something warm would be so nice, too. In this horrible winter weather, it was difficult to find anything good. Even killing something for its meat wasn't easy; everything fled to someplace warmer. Or they were hibernating.

Curiously, he watched the door to the cottage. He wondered if anyone else lived there. Trevor liked families, even if it meant he could only watch them from afar. Children were fascinating creatures to him, and he envied the ones with loving parents.

[I hope this works okay. It's been so long, I forgot if I was supposed to do anything other than wait and watch. xD]
 
"Food? I suppose I might have some to spare," he said thoughtfully, scratching his chin. He didn't look right at her, which Wren would have found rude if it were not so off putting. "I have some soup on the fire right now if you're both wanting to come inside."

Wren opened her mouth to reply, the blinked. "B-both?"

"Don't think I didn't notice your friend in the bushes. I might be old and blind but I still have my wits about me. Don't be thinking you can rob me neither..." His friendly tone had an edge to it now.

"R-rob? Never!" Wren was too insulted to be afraid of if he could follow through on his insinuated prowess.

It seemed to do the trick though, because he smiled and visibly relaxed. "Then I suggest you both come inside and have lunch with me." He then motioned with an arm to come over at Trevor's general direction, before bending to try to grab some of the split wood.

"Oh, ppplease. L-let us ddddo that!" It was the least she could do after all.
 
With a dumbfounded expression, Trevor took a few steps out of hiding. This old man was an eye sore, but he was no fool. He was already earning Trevor's respect. Especially since the kind elder was willing to share some food and warmth with them.

While adjusting his hood, he made his way to Wren so he could walk inside with her. Along the way, he heard her offer some assistance to the man. With a smile, he stopped at the pile of wood that needed to be moved. "Please, sir, let me get this for you. Thank you for helping us." Trevor gave the man a respectful bow before rolling up his sleeves to prepare himself for the chore. The gesture was something he picked up on during times he'd spy on humans from out of sight. How else was he to learn the customs of his people? As beastly as he was, he considered himself a person still.

Trevor rubbed his hands together to warm them up before starting to stack the wood on his arms. He was effortlessly picking them up one by one even after he had a sizable stack balanced on his limbs. Pretty soon, he had a good collection of the split logs. Patiently, he waited to be told where to take it all.
 
"Ah, thank you lad. Well then, both of you this way." He didn't look in Trevor's direction, but instead lead them both inside. The cottage was a neat little build with a front room, that had chairs and a fire and some tools neatly placed near the window. Tucked behind in one corner was the pantry where the cooking supplies were kept on the other side a hall, presumably to a few bedrooms.

"You can put the wood on the other side of the fireplace lad, and lass you will find bowls and spoons back in there." He pointed to the pantry. "It is nice to have company. Widow Elsen and her granddaughter come to check on me once a week, but during winter that is about it. Where are you two going in this weather."

"O-over the pppass," Wren admitted as she came back with bowls and spoons. They had been easy to spot and she had only been out of the room for a moment. "The pass? This time of year? Surely you can wait until Spring!"
 
Like he was told, Trevor set the firewood at the side of the fireplace. His arms were tingling from carrying that much weight; it felt good. Since he was traveling with Wren, his body got a lot more exercise than usual. He got in a lot more fights, too. The physical challenges were appreciated as much as the new discoveries they made. It almost saddened him to think their journey would someday end. What would she do with him then? Would she send him back to the forest to live like an animal? Would he get to see her again?

The man's voice broke him free of the thoughts, suddenly. He chose a chair to sit in, waiting in silence to be told what to do next. The smell of food made his gut growl.

When the kind stranger talked about passing through in the Spring, Trevor shook his head at him. He wasn't about to explain why; he respected the privacy of their situation. However, he did stop being silent so he could ask: "What is your name, sir?" As always, he was shy to speak up. Talking to humans always made him nervous, but being in one's warm, safe house? That never happened. He didn't know what to do with himself.
 
"I... I'm afraid it cccan't." Wren did not want to explain, but thankfully Trevor asked him a question.

"Madison," the old man said with a nod to himself. "Jeffery Madison. Lived here most of my life I have," the was a smile on his face as he said that. "Build this cottage myself. I know it's every crook and cranny."

It seemed to Wren that she ought to scoop up soup for the old man, Mr. Madison. Such mundane task were forgein to the princess but she was not clueless and she carefully laddled a big helping of soup in the first bowl and handed it to the old man. "Hhhhere you ggggo."

He took the bowl and took a sip of the soup. Meanwhile Wren laddled up a second bowl for Trevor, smiling as she gave it to him.

"You children should stay the night, it's getting on in the day and you can pay for your food and lodging by a bit of extra work around here. Say a second bale of wood? I have extra supplies if you are in need, and I suggest you take extra, the pass is bruital this time of year." He was old, but no fool.
 
Trevor smiled gratefully at Wren when she handed him the soup. The bowl felt warm on his cold palms, sending a pleasant tingle throughout his digits. He growled hungrily, but non-threateningly. Their travels worked up a monster of an appetite for the man, whose wild behavior sometimes surfaced even in polite company.

After blowing on the soup to cool it off, he took a sip directly from the bowl. He was at least cautious to not let any drip down his chin. Admittedly, he struggled to use eating utensils. Ever since he was taught how to eat by himself, he was taught to use his own hands and mouth. Sometimes, he wished he could be more civilized.

"I would be more than happy to help, Mister Madison. Anything you need." Trevor was happy to agree to the kind man's terms. He was willing to give them a place to sleep and send them off with supplies. That sort of helpfulness was worth much more than a bale of wood.
 
Mister Madison instructed Trevor on how he wanted his wood, he then had Wren follow him around as he suggested various supplies to take. He even had cloths that nearly fit her! He later that night related the sad tale of how his daughter and him had grew estranged after his wife's death and how shortly there after she had run away with her beau, a man that Mr. Madison didn't trust, but he admitted he never actually met the boy and had no idea what sort he was.

After dinner, where Wren did her best to tidy up and clean, Mr. Madison showed them where extra blankets were and then to his daughter's room. It was only once the old man went to go to his own bed that Wren realized how improper the whole thing was. Sure she had slept beside Trevor these last few nights, but they had been in the woods and Wren would have likely have frozen had she not slept next to him. Now though they were in a house, civilization, and decorum stated they should not be in the same bed. Obviously the old man had assumptions, but that didn't matter, did it? Wren fretted, how could she even explain her dilemma to Trevor?
 
Trevor felt happy as he could be. With a stomach full of warm food and a roof over his head, he couldn't complain. He wished Mister Madison a good night before joining Wren in the spare room where the man's daughter once slept.

With puzzled blinking, he looked between the girl and the bed to figure out what she was thinking. Sometimes, it took him a moment to understand her thoughts and feelings. The poor dear was shy, with a speech impediment to match. After half a minute, he realized what was on her mind. There were two of them but only one bed!

"I'll sleep on the floor!" Trevor insisted. There was no reason she should have to give it to him, or share. Another lesson his mother managed to nail into his head was chivalry. The lady saw to it that her son knew proper manners before she passed away, knowing he would need the communicative skills to survive. Most women screamed at the sight of him, but some passing travelers had been kind enough to him just for good behavior.

"Ah, if that's okay with you, that is. If you'd feel better about sharing, I promise I won't bite." He smiled sheepishly after his light joke, hoping to make her feel better about the small dilemma. No matter what they did, there were no hard feelings to fret over.
 
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