Elrodan had made it through the marshy Hauntwood with Zak. His mind was clearer and less confused than on their first meeting and as he approached the Starlight City, he felt cheery. The voyage over the waters was as pleasant enough, well it seemed so and the others aboard hadn't made any complaint. He had particularly enjoyed going up to the crows nest and feeling the wind.

Now back on land he set about asking for the witch house. Most were helpful and pointed him in the right direction. Although many given him full directions, he still asked many times, checking he was going the right way. As he flew along, it was easy enough to notice people stare and also talking in hushed tones. It didn't bother him, plenty of people seemed to be shocked to see a fairy, a small island he figured made it all the more surprising to see one.

Still, pointer after pointer, Elrodan made his way to Kamille's house. He had been confused when people did he couldn't miss it, the house between two hills with a river under it. He imagined a small house in the valley of two hills, maybe not even part of a big string of hills, just bumps randomly in the middle of nowhere, and a small stream that passed it. The reality was rather different. Squashed like a bridge spanning a gorge, cut deep by a big river flowing below it.

"Well that's a sight and no mistake!" he did to himself. He looked at the stairs and flew close to them, occasionally using his hands to lessen the burden. Once at the top, he patted himself down and tried to neaten himself up before approaching the door to knock. 

Like they said... easy to find.

Elrodan could feel the magic etched into every brick and plank, and all of a sudden it became easy to understand how the house would not slip and fall into the river. Even the stone staircase that led up to the place seemed carved out of the stone of the hill, as if the rocks moved out of the way to shape the steps of the stairs.

It soon became clear, however, that Kamille wasn’t home. The house was silent, dark and cold. The front door of the house had a small balcony, with some pots of plants and a small tree in a pot. It was dark already, and no sign of Kamille. But Elrodan didn’t have to wait long, since he could hear the flutter of wings, and then a familiar cawing.

"CRAAAAWWWWW! Craw?"

Mischief landed on the small tree, looking at Elrodan, as if trying to remember him.

After a long pause, he started flapping his wings.

"Craw! Elrodan!"

Elrodan concentrated hard for a moment as he realised Kamille wasn't in. Focusing on the magic he could sense all around was suddenly quite overwhelming. He could sense it everywhere, and watch it's flow when he pushed harder. Though he couldn't tell what it was doing, being quite unlike his own it certainly seemed an incredible feat of power by whoever had done it. He started to wonder if it had been Kamille who had imagined the place and set about it's creation. She certainly was talented enough right?

He stopped his focus and started to look about for a comfy looking seat when Mischief flaps in with all of his loveable noise. Elrodan smiles and bounces over to the bird. "How are you Mischief? Is your mum behind you? I was thinking I might stop by for a bit and say hello. Don't tell her, but I packed a small bit of honey in case I'm offered tea. What have you been up to? Yes, don't worry, I even picked up a little something for you. Anyway, where is the fine lady?" then peering back into the way Mischief had come.

Mischief looked down the path, and just on cue, Kamille came out of the woods. She looked a bit disheveled and her face wasn’t good, with a huge frown. She seemed even a bit distracted as she stared at the ground as she walked. Only when Mischief croaked "Visitors!" she looked up.

She squinted her eyes and seemed to be trying to understand what and who. And then she saw Elrodan. Her expression changed drastically, lighting up as she identified the fairy right on her front door.

"ELRODAN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

Then she opened her arms, as if calling for a hug.

"Kamille!" he cries aloud and flies at full speed towards her, throwing in a barrel roll then on arriving at her dodging under her arm before flying up and over in a loop-de-loop before coming in on the hug. "Good to see you again! I was just passing... you know... and thought I would drop by like you said to do. What have you been up to? You're out late. Has it been a busy day?". Backing off from the hug he smiles and falls into place flying by her shoulder so that they may continue back to the house.

"It feels like a lot has happened. I'm sure you have been more busy though, so I want to know it all. I see Mischief is looking happy as ever. Does eat bacon scraps right? I just presumed a little there. Thought it would have been a nice little surprise. I hope you don't mind? You don't keep a strict diet for Mischief right?" he says with a little laugh.

Kamille laughed lightly at Elrodan's flips and turns, eventually hugging softly his tiny body against her. She felt like a weight has been lifted over her, and she sighed deeply. She let him sit on her shoulder as she started to work her way back to her house all the way up the stairs.

"My day can wait! I want to know everything you've been up to! Did you travel safely? Were you waiting long? How was your journey? Did you meet interesting people? Tell me all about it!"

Mischief was waiting inside her home already. There was a faint light coming from inside, but as they entered, it was as if it all came to life. All the candles lighted up, showering the living room with a golden, warm light. It was kinda small and cluttered, but surprisingly comfortable. There was a fireplace with a few embers slowly burning away that suddenly burst into flames as Kamille motioned in its direction. Most of the walls were covered in books. Magic books, the majority of them. To one corner of the room, a small pace that resembled a gazebo had only one small, round table with some cards on it, an armchair and two stools - there was presumably where she took her clients to talk. The fireplace was in the center of the room, and before it, a nice and cozy, big couch. To the other side of the room, what appeared to be Mischief's perch, where he kept a collection of asorted items, and even some jewelry - all shiny things he caught from somewhere or someone. There were stairs that supposedly led to her room, upstairs.

The kitchen looked bigger, but was even more cluttered. Spices and herbs hanged from the ceiling and, of course, in the middle of the room, a big cauldron with something bubbling inside. The same way it happened to the fireplace, a few dying embers burst into flames, as if they had been burning for hours. To one side of the room, normal kitchen appliances - knifes, cleavers, pots and pans - and to the other, a long counter with her alchemy glassware. A big cabinet kept a few potions in bottles of every color and size.

Elrodan wrinkled his face a little, "Hey I asked first!" he then blows a raspberry before deciding to answer anyway. "I have travelled very well. So.. let me see... where to start. Hmm... Well my first port of call was another of the forests. Huntwood, with a big boggy marsh area to it. A little better than Deadwoods but still not as nice as Kingswood." He then is silenced as they enter the house.

"Wahhh woooow!" The sight of everything springing to life was incredible to the little fairy. Then it was a case of taking in all of the sights of Kamille's life. The books, the food, the area for Mischief. Every little aspect was like a revelation, regardless of it being mundane life. There was so much he wanted to go look at closer, touch and inspect but he flew from place to place as if looking, and though he was, such was his excitement that he didn't take in much if anything of what I saw. At last he decided to settle down and find a place to sit. The big comfy sofa looked inviting so he went and snuggled up into that.

Kamille left her cloak next do the door and went to the kitchen, leaving Elrodan free to look at everything as she prepared their meal.

"I hope you're hungry. Want something to eat? You can see everything in time, I'll only ask you to beware the old scrolls and the potions cabinet. Other than that, you are free to see and touch everything here. Oh, and I'd avoid Mischief's perch. He gets very grumpy if you touch his things."

She listened with interest as Elrodan started to talk about his journey. Her main concern was probably nothing to worry about - he arrived safely, that's all that mattered. She waved a hand, and a broom shot out from behind the door and started to sweep around on its own.

"Oh, and I forgot to answer. Yes, you can give whatever to Mischief. Just give it a small piece at the time so he won't get a bad tummy. But yes, he eats everything."

Everything.

"How did you like the marsh when you went through there? I hated the marsh. Found an undead crocodile there while looking for a blood lily. It was giant. Luckly, there was a knight that helped me. But I much prefer the forests."

She came back with a bowl of stew for him, and one for herself. It was hot, but not too much, as she knew he liked it.

The sound of food was good. in his rush to get here he had quite forgotten the fact he hadn't really eaten. When Kamille mentioned this, his tummy sent a pang of pain squarely reminding him of the fact he hadn't really eaten. "Yes please. I'm very hungry. Are you cooking talents as good as your tea and medicine skills? I bet they are! How do you not have a partner? Mischief... is that your fault? She won't love you any less if someone else comes along you know. In fact, you'll then get more too!" he say, wriggling in comfort in the seat while his eyes continued to look about the room. "You have so many interesting things, I could spend a year no doubt trying to look at everything and still not be done.".

He watched with interest as the broom shot out, sweeping around and cleaning up. He startled rustling through his little pouches at his waist. "I hope you're not tidying up on my accounts! I don't mind. You get rather used to little things blowing around or crawling about when you live in a tree. Ooo... here you go Mischief!" Elrodan finally brings out a couple of small scraps of bacon and placing them on the top of the seat back. He then went to another pouch, one that he'd kept shut for probably too long during the sea journey and path here. Running his finger over the little pumice stone box he undid the lid and watched Sparky jump up and do much the same as what he had but in a closer loop to remain near Elrodan. Sparky eventually decided to move away over to the perch of Mischief, though for whatever reason, Sparky decided to float just above the very end of it rather than the middle.

The Marsh held memories over any creature that had attacked, and they were now able to make him smile. "An undead crocodile?! That sounds scary, I'm glad there was someone else there to help." he then accepted the bowl of stew and let it rest on his legs while he continued. "Hehe. I met something else though... a celestial!" he then took a spoon of the stew gave it a little blow and tried to test the temperature on his lip, he smiled at Kamille and wobbled his head before putting the spoon in his mouth to taste it. Through the mouthful of stew he hummed a laugh. "You can! Hehe." and then continued to tuck in to the rather delicious stew.

Kamille chuckled at that.

"I'm not sure Fate has prepared Love for me in this lifetime... Only dissappointment."

She took a serving for herself, and watched as Elrodan released Sparky, that flew over to Mischief's perch. The raven seemed a bit wary, even if in the past he got along just fine with Sparky. His perch had a collection of assorted items he gathered, from pieces of shinning pearls, metal and rings. Always shinning things.

Kamille took a seat by Elrodan, with her own bowl of stew. She was actually a good cook, if her stew was anything to go by. She seemed genuinely excited when Elrodan mentioned his encounter with the celestial.

"You what?! A celestial?! Tell me everything about it! What happened?"

"Oh no! Disappointment?! How can that be? Are you one of those that always ends up going for the Orc warrior like you mother no doubt told you not to?" He says moving from a genuinely upset tone to one of admonishment.

Meanwhile Sparky was being taught his place by Mischief. However Sparky had been putting in some practice of his skills of his own. It's little black eyes became smaller and the spikes of flame atop started to flicker quicker and went almost white before a small eruption of sparks volcano forth for a few seconds glittering away and the fall down around the mote, before Sparky calms down and returning to normal.

Response adequately received, Elrodan recited his meeting. "Well I was resting in a tree when I noticed a little chick struggling on the ground so I went down and helped it back up. Then when I returned to the perch myself in a tree a little ball of light approached me. It said it came as a blessing from Este and apparently I'd proved myself. Then offered me it's power and become her acolyte. I was a bit unsure to accept but went with it. Then it came and went into me just here", points to his chest. "And that was a little odd so I fell out of the tree but that's when Zak appeared and caught me! He seemed to think it was his divine calling. I think now maybe it was for sure as he also helped me see the good and right in my choice. I was very panicking a little... ok maybe a lot, that I had done the wrong thing and it was a trick of some evil thing but I don't think it can be any more." he then took a breath at last.

After a few more mouthfuls of stew he turned with a more serious tone. "Are fairies that rare out here? Everyone I asked for directions, and I did ask quite a lot of people, were really friendly but I couldn't help notice people looking at me and talking to each other."

Maybe surprisingly - or not - Elrodan would notice Kamille to be blushing.

"Ahm.... hm........ You could say that, yes... Only it was not an... orc warrior..... it was a.... royal guard........ a very hansome one......"

Elrodan would probably never see her cheeks that red ever again. She was very reticent about her life before coming to live at Moonglade. As Elrodan started to tell his story with his mysterious encounter in the woods, a bit of the flush faded and gave place to a discretly concerned expression. She, for one, wasn't a superstitious or religious person, so the story of a god reaching out for anyone and offer power in exchange for nothing or almost nothing... It didn't sit well with her. But then again, her own experience showed how those who most mocked or frowned upon Fate and the Gods, were usually the ones punched harder by them.

That, she knew first hand.

But then her thoughts were completely derailed when Elrodan mentioned Zak. She felt she was blushing again. Couldn't be the same person, could it?

"Wait... This person that helped you... What was his name again? What does he looks like?

Elrodan looks at her in surprise. "Well that's a lot better than an orc warrior, but was he a naughty guard then? Come on, you can't leave it at that!" the colour of her cheeks seemingly oblivious to the fairy. It was almost enough for him to forget about the delicious food but not quite, so he spooned more food into his mouth, fixing his gaze on her to make it clear she needed to talk.

"Hmm oh, Zak. I guess the best thing to describe him would be to say about his scar through his left eye. He mentioned that you knew each other too so it's likely to be them if that's what you're thinking. He seemed a very good person. Not a naughty one." he says nodding with approval.

He then reaches into the pouch with bacon and puts a couple more pieces out on the chair behind him. 

Naughty wouldn't have been a problem, Kamille thought, and bit her tongue just in time. Mischief quickly came to grab the pieces of bacon left by Elrodan, dancing in appreciation.

Her eyes lit up as Elrodan spoke of Zak. Yes, that was the Zak she knew. What was he doing around that area? Once again, she was all flutered at Elrodan's questions. That was a part of her life she'd rather have no one knowing - but she trusted Elrodan. What could go wrong?

"It's.... complicated."

It was always complicated. It wasn't supposed to be so complicated.

"But you must promise me you won't be telling this to random people, okay? Well........ Now he is a knight, this person I told you, the royal guard. He has always been my friend. I'm not sure if I told you this, but.... Sometime ago, I wasn't living here. I lived at the Court. I was apprentice to Valatar, that occupies one of the seats at the King's Council. He is a member of the King's guard now..."

She looked away for a moment. It was clearly something that weighed in her heart still.

"It was... perfect. Except for one tiny detail.... He's a nobleman. And I'm... not."

She hoped that to be self explanatory for Elrodan. Surely he knew of nobility of most races to want to avoid to blend with the common folk. And despite living most of her life at Court, she nearly forgot her place in the world.

Most of what kamille had said was new to him, he listened intently. At last the conclusion point, she wasn't noble... Was that it. He sat in silence, slowly chewing the last mouthful as he mulled over the issue. At last it clicked, it was just as them with the elves of home. He was fairly sure they had similar cares with the royals that they wouldn't entertain the prospect of a half elf. Fairies were just tolerated, but he'd been pushed aside before for being a fairy and not an elf and he had fought through it. He had learnt much when given the chance. Though, it maybe not everything they could have. One other point went through his mind as she had reacted to Zak.

"Was that knight Zak? Did you try to make a go of it? Was it he who turned you away? How long ago was this?" his questions spilled out, needing answers ready for the next set his mind reeled to say but knowing half would be irrelevant depending on answers.