Chapter 2: Caedmon Doran

"What's it like to be human?"

That's Doc for ya. Always questioning everything.

"I don't know. What's it like to be elf, Doc?"

"Good point."

He was already fumbling with the new shirt Nahum had made for him. Tomorrow we both would be traveling with his father to the Market, a place that we elves and humans have set up as a safe point to trade with each other. Can't blame Doc, I'm feeling excited as well. This is the first time either of us will see humans… I mean, what…

"So… What do you think they look like?"

"Haha... From what I hear, they look kinda like us. Just a bit shorter on average and their ears don't have the point ours do."

"Wow..."

Doc started to play with his ears, trying to bend them just right to make them rounded instead of pointed; he wasn't doing a good job of it...

"What time did your father say to be back by again Doc?"

"Hmm? Oh... We should be back by just past nightfall, that way we could get sleep heh, as if I could sleep knowing I'm meeting humans by this time tomorrow..."

"Huh... Just past nightfall... Wasn't that a while ago Doc?"

Looking around and seeing nothing but darkness illuminated by the moon, and double the normal light thanks to Euna, the disappearing moon was in our sky this time of the season. You could already tell she was starting her month fade as Spring turned to Summer.

"I wonder where she goes..."

"What? Cae, we should start heading back. Don't want to get in enough trouble to have father cancel our trip with him..."

"Hmm.. Ah, sure thing Doc. Lets go then.... Doc, bet you I can make it back before you..."

"Not that old bet. I know you can beat me thanks to the knack you learned with growing tree branches."

Doc was always smart, and knew me pretty well. He was grinning at his catch of my abilities.

"How about no Magic then?"

"...No Magic? Just running and climbing?"

He looked doubtful

"No Magic, purely fun"

"Deal."

"Alright. ... Ready?"

Doc gave me a nod and I know I'm grinning ear to ear now.

"Go!"

****

Nahum smirked as he looked out the window into the higher branches of the trees. Placing a hand upon the wood of his home he concentrated on the branches moving, just slightly enough to see the placement of the moon, and they granted his request. Moving slowly to show the moon for a moment before inching their way back to their original placement. Nahum noted the time and smiled in thanks to the tree.

"Thank you old friend."

While it wasn’t uncommon for Doc and Cae to be out after they were supposed to be, it was well over a few hours past time. He shook his head to himself.

"Cae, I hope my son is guiding you to being less wanderer and not you guiding my son to be more-so."

A knock at the door snapped Nahum out of his monologue and he walked over to open the door.

"Who is ... Oh... I didn't expect to see you at this hour..."

****

Doc gave it his all, I'll admit that. He hasn't been one for long distance though... After a good half mile of running he was down to jogging and down to walking after hitting around the mile mark.

"Cae! Now I know your plan... You knew you could outlast me running!"

I'm almost giggling to myself as I stop at turn around, waiting for him to catch up.

"Well I didn't use Magic..."

"Har har Cae. Alright though, you win, I'm going to walk the rest of the way..."

He is looking pretty beat, I'll turn him into a traveler yet though. I get into step next to him and we walk in silence for a while.

"Doc, where do you suppose Euna disappears to?"

"Hmm... Some people believe she and her Magic come down to the planet and refresh the Magic on this world."

"That's just a story though. I doubt a moon can turn into a woman like in those fairy tales..."

Doc shrugs and looks to the sky, I'm drawn to following him and we stare at Euna for a while. It being Spring turning to Summer Euna is glowing a bright light blue.

"She is pretty for a moon."

"She is Doc, she is. How she changes colors for the different seasons she appears in, almost like she is a maiden in the sky changing her dress for each season she celebrates."

"There is the camp. Let’s get home before father notices we're gone much longer."

Doc started to jog off and I'm grinning again, Nahum wouldn't be mad at Doc for staying out. He may, however, give me a talk about not turning his son into a wanderer... again...

"Hey Doc! Wait up!"

We got to Doc's home soon enough, walking in to find Nahum was speaking to a guest. The guest seemed to look at me intently for a moment and then looked away as if recognizing me and would not meet my eyes again.

"Oh... Sorry father, we'll get ready for tomorrow and get to bed..."

"Thank you Doc. Cae... I want to speak to you before we leave tomorrow."

"Heh... Ok Nahum..."

Doc and I walked to our room; I walked slightly slower, overhearing a small bit of their conversation... There was something in the way the guest looked at me...

"Ok, I'll speak to you again once we get back from Market. Good bye."

Once Doc and I had gotten our supplies ready for the next days trip and we were settling in to bed, I couldn't shake this odd feeling.

"Your father seemed pretty quick to end his conversation with his guest when we walked in..."

"Really? Maybe he was speaking with him until we got home. We're home now, so no more need to speak."

"Maybe... Let’s try to get some sleep for tomorrow. It is a half day journey to Market, after all"

Doc said he wouldn't be able to sleep because of the excitement, though he was out and lightly snoring within a few moments. Myself, however... There was something about that man... Something familiar...

"Arg, I give up. Wait for me in dreamland Doc, I'll be there soon."

****

Doc must have woken up before me, because he landed on me yelling something.

"Cae! It's morning! We're going to Market today!"

"Ooh... I hear you Doc, Market day. Let me up and let’s get some food before setting off."

"Why? We can just have some plants on the way like normal..."

"Do you want to have nothing but our grown plants all day? I'd like some corn and squash and fruits before we go."

Doc looked at me a bit then grinned.

"Oh... Hadn't thought of it like that..."

"I guessed you hadn't heh. Come on, let’s get some food."

Nahum was out in the camp gardens, most likely having the same idea that I had, as were the other three that would be traveling with us to Market. It seemed odd to me when I first heard that we would travel in small groups to Market instead of one large group. That was until I heard about REDOU and how they were intent on killing this Rebel Camp... Traveling in small groups made a lot more sense after hearing about all of that.

"Morning Nahum! Getting some food before we head out?"

"Ah Cae, yes. Doc and yourself should do the same. Just because we can survive off the grown plants doesn't mean we should. Try and keep them as rations for if you run out of food."

"Yes father. Cae was just saying something like that actually."

I'm feeling a smile come to my lips in pride that Doc would praise me to his father. It felt pretty good when he did that.

"Was he? Well very good thinking on your part Cae. You'll make a scout leader yet with that attitude."

"Scout Leader? Me?... hmm... Hadn't thought of being a Scout Leader..."

Scout Leader... me leading scouts around into REDOU and around the lands mapping out the land, trading with and learning from different Races. Maybe even see one of these intelligent felines that the humans said exist...

"Cae... food, remember?"

"What? Oh... right. Try this squash, really sweet for a squash; I think you'd like it."

This was going to be a trip to remember... I just knew it...

©2010 Cyi Taiga & Jono Taiga