Submission (#2345) Approved

It had been almost half of a year since Caspian had left Bellmoril. Trapped there for several months until the miasma finally lifted; he had sworn, once he stepped foot off the wooden bridge, that he would not be returning. However, the longer he was away the more frequent he thought about the friend he had made, Fleur. 

She was a timid, if not shy, kittom that was comfortable in her own space. Often found downstairs in the bookshop beneath the home the two of them had lived in for the duration of his stay, if not there then the library was a second favorite. Although she didn’t think herself courageous enough for an adventure of her own, Fleur loved stories and he had promised to bring back many to share and gifts from the places he intended to visit. 

He had plans to visit Faerindell but hadn’t quite made it that far,. Unfortunately, there were simply too many things in Palu’au to take care of, that was his home after all and he had been away for far too long. Aside from the cleaning that needed to be done, the insatiable desire to swim almost every day was something that couldn’t be denied and thankfully the weather was quite beautiful and waters were always crystal clear. 

Caspian had spent a significant amount of time treasure diving and gathering dried sand dollars or unique shells. Small gifts to take back to his friend; among the bobbles were smooth pieces of sea glass, a few pearls and a simple gold ring. Everything was tucked away securely in a small wooden chest that was inlaid with a soft black felt like material, the perfect size for long travel. 

Warm sun kissed colored trees were the first indication that he was approaching the familiar city with its stone paved streets lined with market stalls. A city surrounded by a perpetual Fall yet the trees weren’t bare as one would expect them to be. 

Caspian wandered around for a while before finally making his way to the familiar suspended bridge where he had said goodbye to Fleur. Unlike when he left, there were many Elnin and their younger kittoms out on a leisurely walk. Even from where he stood at one end, he could tell that the Bellmoril was bustling with life as if the miasma had never lifted. He would have thought there would have been an exodus of Elnin looking to go back home or some place more colorful, for lack of a better reason. 

Seemed he was wrong. That, or more people lived here and were returning than he expected; it was, afterall, a rather large city. 

His feet led the way while his mind simply wandered and even though most of the buildings looked the same he knew without a doubt he found Fleur’s home. The door to the bookstore opened as a vividly purple elnin exited the store and for a moment he thought it was the same kittom he had run into before. 

It was not and a part of him was glad for it.

“Fleur?” he called out as he walked through the isles expecting to see her standing next to a cart with books that were ready to be shelved. “Fleur?” Caspian called her name a bit louder this time. However, rather than the familiar voice he was expecting to hear, It was an older Elnin emerging from a back room that answered instead. 

“Oh, Caspian!” They said with surprise. “It has been quite a while. What brings you back to Bellmoril”

“Hi miss Astrea,” he bowed his head in a polite nod. “I bought some gifts for Fleur,” yellowish green eyes glanced over at the small wooden chest he carried with him. 

“That is so sweet of you. Unfortunately, Fleur isn't here right now, she has the day off you see.” Caspian seemed a bit surprised by the statement. Even when she wasn’t working, his friend was still here reading or doing something book related. 

“Do you know where she’s at?” He asked curiously.

The shopkeeper paused for a moment, recounting the last conversation they had with their young ward. “I think she mentioned wanting to spend the day near the waterfalls.” Not exactly the most peaceful place to be with the roaring sounds of rushing water but it was a nice escape from the bustling chatter outside. 

“I see…” Caspian looked over towards the staircase that led to the upper levels of the building where the bedrooms were situated and he hoped that the room he stayed in previously was vacant.

Seemed that Fleurs foster mother understood his expression and circled around the front counter to help relieve him of his baggage. “Yes the room is still available and you’re welcome to stay. I’ll take this upstairs for you.” 

“Thank you Miss Astrea.” He shrugged the bag off his shoulders and left it in her care. 

“Of course,” she smiled. “She should be outside the western gate. 

“I’ll go find her then,” there was a light in his eyes that had been absent while he traveled. But now that he was around friends again he felt more welcome and happy than he had since returning to the Palu’au Islands.

While he was still a kittom, Caspian was not as young and inexperienced as the new litters that roamed the streets with wide eyes and a sizable amount of curiosity and wonder. He had traveled with Pachua and seen many things, but more than that he knew this city well enough to maneuver the streets without getting himself too lost; only two time as most did he find himself at a dead end. 

Soon enough he finally found himself at the western gate and beyond it was the sea of endless orange trees and the roaring sound of water rushing over the edge of a cliff. It was a sound that called to him in a way he couldn’t explain, the same way that cresting waves beckoned him to the beach. It is near the water that he found peace and could quell the anxiety of feeling trapped. 

It was there, at the base of said waterfall that he spotted Fleur; soft purple and white colors stood out in contrast to the bright orange and yellows of the immediate terrain. “FLEUR!” he shouted and from his perch he saw her jump back clearly startled by the way she looked around for him. 

“UP HERE!” finally she spotted him and almost immediately looked relieved. 

“What are you doing up there? Come down here!” Her voice was not as loud as his but he heard her well enough. 

“I’LL BE THERE IN A MINUTE.” He disappeared behind the treeline and hurried down along a well worn path to the base of the waterfall. She, however, was on the other side of the narrow river. Fortunately that was hardly an obstacle for someone who loved to swim. 

He jumped in with no hesitation and emerged on the other side, coat soaking wet but he didn’t mind and knew she wouldn’t either. “Not used to seeing you outside the city,” He shook himself free of the water droplet, a few of which splashed on her. 

Fleur laughed and shook her head. “I um, have been trying new hobbies.” Beside her was a net and a fishing pole that had a hook but no bait. 

“Fishing?” He raised an eyebrow questioningly. A common hobby in the isles but here? That was a bit strange.

“Yes, fishing!” She seemed almost embarrassed by the way she tried to push them aside. “Don’t judge!” a soft pink bush swept across her face and for the first time she found it difficult to look him in the eyes. 

“I’m not judging!” Caspian replied, “I’m just not sure how much luck you’ll have finding fish here.” The waters churned too rapidly here, even if there were fish in these waters, the rapids would destroy her line. “If it’s something you’re interested in, you should have sent me a letter. I would have come sooner and offered to bring you to my home to teach you.” The sandy beach would have been a beautiful place to show her a trade he was actually quite familiar with. 

That seemed to have caught her interest and attention for she looked at him intrigued if not hopeful. “I’d like that,” she replied almost so quietly he almost missed what she said. 

“Really?” 

“Mmhmm,” she nodded. “Ever since you left I’ve been considering what I want to do with my life and after some time I had decided I wanted to see the other parts of Eyre. I don’t want to live vicariously through other stories and only see these places through pictures on the pages of books.” Unfortunately, by the time she came to this realizeation she had been too late to ask if she could go with him.

“Well, I brought you some gifts from the Palu’au Islands. If you want to go back to the bookstore I can show them to you. Then, maybe in a few days, I can take you back there with me?”

Fleur watched him for a moment, half expecting him to say that it was a joke but when nothing more was said she nodded. “I’d like that a lot.” Honestly, spending just a day with him was more than enough but realizing that his absence had left her feeling more lonely than she’d openly admit made her more eager to accept his offer despite how terrified she was to leave the only place she knew as home. “Thank you for keeping your promise, Caspian.” She said softly before brushing her cheek against his and in response his face turned a light shade of pink as hers did when he finally found her.