Fertile Soil

 All was calm in the land of Rosehelm Grove. Suddenly, dawn broke, cascading down over the lush forest below, revealing a tripe hidden underneath. A place untouched by human hands, for only those who lived in Panadonia were able to find it. A quaint village far from the outside world, a place of sanctuary... a place of peace, and that's how the Pandorians liked it.

On the outskirts of this village lies a tree house far from the forest floor. It was small but cozy, with just enough room for two, which was all it needed to hold.

Throughout the house, a Light glowed through the window leading to the hand of the young faun woman who was lying peacefully in her bedroom. Waking from her slumber, roses began blooming, ornating the hair around her head as she slowly brushed off the sand from her eyes. She reached beside her for her most prized possession, her wedding ring; a large golden hoop, placing it on her left ear. It was at this moment that she was drawn to the large man fast asleep next to her. It was hard for her to get a good view of his face as she moved his thick, wavy hair out of the way. Among the scars on his face were one that ran down his right eye and another that ran over the bridge of his nose. However, his beauty was not diminished by it.

She watched in dismay as he lay covered in his own sweat, his face disgruntled as he lay there; she watched him toss and turn. She could tell that he was having a nightmare, and she felt helpless as she watched him struggle in his own mind. She wanted to do something to help him, but she knew there was nothing she could do but stay by his side. She kissed him as she gently wiped off the sweat from his brow with her hooves, leaning in close to him. Soon he slowly relaxed and drifted back off to sleep.

As she arose from the bed, she reached for her robe. Gazing down as she got dressed, she noticed her tiny snoring companion curled up beside her.

She softly said, "Time to get up, Love Bug," while collecting and kissing the small feline bee.

As it slowly opened its eyes, the small bee feline purred, "...mmmeow?"

"Yes, blossom, we have to. Come, we must hurry before Damion awakens."

The kitten got up, spread its bee-like wings, and fled into the kitchen. Before rushing to follow Blossom, She tucked the blanket to cover the sleeping man, observing him with concern as she gazed down at him. She could tell that something was bothering him, but what Concerned him was a mystery to her.

Within the next room was a conjoined kitchen with a display of dried meats and herbs. There she found leftovers: a cold pot of rabbit stew provided by Damion, who heroically hunted them the night before.

Snapping her fingers, a small flame emerged on the tip of her nails, similar to a lighter. She placed it down on the kindling, setting it ablaze. She started to warm up the stew as the kitten returned with a small basket in its mouth. It flutters towards the woman as she grabs a bowl from the cupboard.

Looking inside the basket, she found fresh eggs sitting at the bottom; she happily said, "Oh, good job, Blossom!"

The woman reached down to hand Blossom a small piece of rabbit to reward the kitten's efforts. Blossom happily accepted this gift as a reward, flying up to sit on the faun's long chestnut hair while purring. Content with her accomplishment, Blossom curled up in the faun's hair, using her soft curls as a pillow as the kitten went back to sleep. The woman smiled and petted the kitten on her head as she cooked. They stayed like this for a few minutes, basking in the moment's warmth.

The morning was pleasant in the household as the music flowed through the air. Suddenly Damion jolted awake, opening his eyes with a crazed look. His heart raced as the sweat on his forehead was cold against his skin, and he shivered as he tried to collect his thoughts. Damion gripped his chest tightly as he felt dread and unease. Looking around quickly for something, he noticed a figure in the corner of his eye. As he quickly turned in that direction, he only found his adorable wife singing along with the kitten sleeping in her curly hair as she sang away. He smiled with a small smirk; as he struggled to get out of bed, he reached out to them. As he towered over them from behind, Damion held them tight. As a result, the woman dropped her spoon and looked up at him with a surprised expression.

"'Oh my god!" The faun woman shouted, "You scared me, Dum Dum! You know I hate it when you do that!"

Though Damion loved to scare her, she could tell something was wrong. His hug was warm and soft, but his grip was too tight. For he tried to pretend everything was ok, but his body said otherwise.

Before she could say anything, Damion laughed and pulled her closer, planting a soft kiss." That's why I love doing it!"

"Damion!" she yelped, surprised again as her face flushed, forgetting what she was about to say. She reached for her spoon and whacked him with it giggling.

He laughed and grabbed her hand, pulling her closer."I love you, Fauna,"

"I love you too," she replied, reaching up and pulling his horn down, kissing him. They held each other close, their hearts beating together in complete harmony. Getting back to her senses, she looked up at him

"Damion about earlier.."

Suddenly, his stomach growled. As they both looked down, he let out a big laugh and pulled away, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

" I guess I'm hungrier than I thought."

Fauna gave a small smile as she turned back to the stew and asked, "How would you like your eggs cooked? Scrambled, sunny-side up, boiled, or in an omelet?"

He thought momentarily and then said, "How about surprising me?"

Fauna smiled and said, "You got it! How about scrambled, sunny-side up, boiled, and an omelet surprise!"

He nodded in agreement, and she began to prepare the eggs, grabbing the plates and cutlery and setting the table as she cooked.

They seemed to understand each other, as she knew immediately what kind of eggs he wanted, and he didn't need to clarify; He also seemed to know exactly how to help her without asking.

When the eggs were done, they enjoyed a delicious breakfast together and a peaceful morning in silence. As the peace settled around them, Damion's restlessness grew. He started to fidget while he pushed the eggs around his plate, unable to focus on eating. He was anxious about something, but Fauna was at a loss to figure out what it was. Fauna spoke up,

"Damion, is something wrong? You seem so restless and anxious. Is there something you want to talk about? You were covered in sweat earlier," she asked, placing her spoon on the table.

Damion shook his head. "It's nothing...just a nightmare, nothing more."

Her eyes were fixed on his. "Damion..."

"I'm fine, Fauna..."

Upon hearing that, she could tell he was bothered by the conversation, so she tried changing the topic in an attempt to divert his attention.

"Is there anything you want to hunt today?" She asked, picking up her spoon beside her and began to eat again.

The man cut into his meal with a wooden fork, shoveling eggs in his mouth, causing him to slur his words as he said, "BEar."

The sight of bears so early in the summer season surprised her. "Really?" she asked. It was common for bears to move to higher elevations as the weather warmed up and more food was available around this time of year.

"I know," he replied, "but the bear tracks suggest they're out and about already."

Fauna pondered for a moment, then looked up at him. She knew that having extra food would help them, especially in times of uncertainty. But she worried that hunting a bear would be too dangerous and that he might get hurt or worse. She knew extra food would help them, but she also wanted to ensure his safety. But Damion was a beast in his own right, being a Seven Foot goliath of a man. She trusted his judgment and knew he had the strength to do it, for he had done it multiple times without any issue.

"Okay then, just promise me you will make it home alive, okay?" She said, with worry in her tone.

Fauna couldn't help but look helplessly at her husband. They had been together for a long time, and she had been through this many times before, but she could never get used to him doing something so dangerous. So, she ends up saying the same thing; with Damion, always responding with,

"I promise."

She weakly smiled at his words, not caring about the promise or not. Because even if he promised, she couldn't help but worry for his safety.

Although Fauna thought this, she had gone through this many times before and knew that he would return, even though her negative voice said otherwise. So, she joked.

"Well, if you don't make it home alive, I will hunt you down."

"That's the spirit!" Damion laughed, getting from his seat.

"Nothing like bear meat to spice up a dinner table!" he smiled and kissed her forehead, reassuring her that everything would be alright before returning to their bedroom.

Fauna felt relief, knowing he was there to support her. Damion's positive attitude and willingness to take risks reassured her that no matter what, they'd make it through anything. knowing this She smiled.

Heading back out fully armored, he finished his meal and grabbed his bow and arrows; before he left, he pulled his wife close and kissed her.

"My darling, It might be a couple of days, but I will be back as soon as possible. I love you, Fauna, till the end of time."

With that, he was off, ready to face whatever nature threw at him. He was equipped with a new set of armor, a stronger sword, and more supplies than he had ever had before.

Fauna wondered why did he need all this extra equipment, Why was he so determined to face these dangers? What was he hoping to find?

Damion turned back and waved one last time before disappearing into the brush below.

Standing up and walking out the door, Her heart was heavy with fear. She felt a bad premonition as she watched him walk away as if something awful was about to happen. She stood there for a few moments, unable to move, unable to shake off the feeling of dread that had settled in her chest.

Standing there, She prayed to Keiouia for his safe return.