Page 7 of Mushy Stuff
I nod, and she wanders around, taking pictures of the mushrooms in this chamber. I watch her face light up with each new mushroom she sees.
It is strange with her here, but I go back to tending to my mushrooms. I check all the newest ones first to see if any need extra magic poured into them. Once they are tended to, I check to see if any others are struggling to survive.
As I’m working, I realize that it’s quite peaceful with Lydia here. I like hearing the little noises she makes. She gasps frequently about things that she has discovered. She also talks to herself as she explores. It’s the opposite of the silence I usually live in.
Eventually, Lydia comes back near me. “Hey, Wold, do you happen to have anything to eat? I’m getting pretty hungry. I have some snacks in my bag, but unfortunately nothing that really counts as a meal. Water would be nice too. My bottle is empty.” With that she turns her…bottle…upside down and a couple of drops of water hit the ground.
I gesture toward the pond at the back of the cave. “You can refill yourbottlewith water from there.”
She glances at me uncertainly, then looks at the pond. “Is that water safe to drink? I don’t think I can just drink untreated pond water.”
Ah, right. I remember now that I have heard that humans are sensitive to things. It is very easy for them to get sick from eating or drinking the wrong thing.
I nod. “Yes, you will be safe drinking this water. It is of the Fae Realm, so it is clean.”
She gives me a skeptical look, but then says, “Okay.”
Then I add, “If you want food, I will have to hunt something for us to eat. Do you like hoppers?”
She looks at me confused. “Hoppers?”
“Yes, they are small fuzzy animals that hop quickly everywhere. They have long ears and like to eat plants. They have tons of babies.”
Her eyes get big. “You mean rabbits? You eat rabbits?”
I nod.
Her eyes are still huge when she says, “But they are so cute. I don’t know if I could eat one. What about not cute animals? Like rats. Can you hunt those?”
I recognize the wordrat;they are the small scuttling vermin with bare tails. I stare at her for a moment, then I say, “You would rather eat a rat than a hop—erm,arabbit?”
She starts laughing. “Okay, that does sound pretty ridiculous when you put it like that. No, I don’t really want to eat a rat. I guess rabbit will be fine. Do I have to see their cute little faces though?”
I stare at her for a couple of moments. How do humans survive in the world?
“No, I can clean it before you see it.” It has been a long time since I have cleaned a kill, so it’s probably best if she doesn’t see me do it. “I will hunt for hoppers. It is getting dark; you stay in the cave where it is safe.”
She smiles. “Okay, thank you, Wold.”
***
In no time, I chase down two hoppers and kill them. I skin and clean them, then begin preparing the pelts for drying. It has been years since I have taken the time to do any of this.
I have only just met this Lydia, yet I am taking all this time to prepare food for her. And I am preparing pelts to dry so that she may have something nice to snuggle with.
I don’t understand the hold that she has on me.
I take the pelts to a nearby cave so they will dry properly.
I then realize that she will probably want her hopper cooked, so I gather wood and kindling to make a fire and a spit.
All this work just to feed one little human female.
Chapter 6
AfterWoldleaves,Iwalk around the cave and explore a little more. I don’t recognize any of these mushrooms either, so I guess they must only grow in the fae world.
I still can’t believe I’m seeing all of this. I can’t believe all of this is happening. I get picked up by afae forest guardian monsterthat has mushroom growing magic. He may love mushrooms even more than me. I mean, what are the odds?
