Back Again Lass

"I had a thought, that when the war is over and I can live where I please that I would get a proper cottage and I could build a pond in the yard to keep fish in.

I could catch two and let them live in there, as they breed and grow you would have a continuous source of fish for the entire year."

He would never be a rich man, so he thought of ways that he could live for very little.

"I'd plant only fruit and vegetable baring plants and not have to worry about having to go to market."

If he got good enough at leather working he could make his living that way and exist quite happily.

"That's quite a lovely dream."

A little cottage. A fish pond. A garden of food-bearing plants.

He could already imagine such a pretty area. And the prettiest thing of all would be Elleon knelt in the garden caring for it all.

"I hope you get your cottage and your pond and your garden."

"I hope so too."

He replied with a little smile as he dried his hands on his cloak and padded back toward the house.

Elleon would love his little cottage and his garden, it would be nicer than living in this tiny shack, hidden away deep in the woods.

"Sadly even I can not see whether or not I will be so lucky." He murmured softly, in a near whisper.

He tried not to peer into his own future, more often than not if he tried he saw images he would rather forget and pretend had never appeared.

"I'm sure you'll get it."

Garen grinned, ruffling the boy's white hair again.

"I'll even help you build it with my own two hands if I have to." He'd built numerous houses before. He knew how to make them and if he was still hanging around Elleon, he'd help build the boy's house.

Elleon smiled and leaned into the hand in his hair as it was ruffled, chuckling softly at Garen's offer.

"You were a stranger yesterday and now you're offering to build me my dream. You're an odd man Garen."

He replied with a little laugh, he felt like the two of them had been friends for a much longer time than just two days.

"Bring some of the firewood in and I'll roast some meat for dinner."

He liked cooking food that he could leave for hours to slowly cook and become tender.

"I've been called odd before," he chuckled.

Many people thought he was strange. It didn't bother him.

If people thought he was strange, then he was strange. He'd accept that title and and be happy with it.

"Aye." Garen disappeared outside and returned a few moments later with some firewood.

Elleon picked a few herbs on his way inside, a few cloves of garlic from the plait of them hanging on the wall, a stalk of rosemary and a small amount of thyme.

He brought them inside and began to crush them together into a paste which he spread onto the cut of deer meat, coating it well and placing it into the stone oven, ready to be fired.

Elleon gave a soft purr as he smelled the herbs on his hands, they were divine and he couldn't wait to share this meal with Garen.

Garen set the wood down next to Elleon and returned to the place that he had decided was his own now.

He'd claimed this little patch of wall and floor space as his own.

The man began humming as he pulled a chunk of wood closer to himself.

He'd begin carving the bird.

It'd give him something to do while dinner cooked.

He reached over to where Garen had placed the wood, stacking it into the base of the oven along, when it was all neatly stacked he added some smaller pieces of kindling and struck his flint and steel until he could smell the slowly burning fibers.

He blew on them gently until the fire burning well enough to cook with.

Now it could be left to simply cook for an hour or so.

Elleon grabbed his little basket once he had washed his hands and pulled out the gloves he had been working on, sitting down on the rug in front of the fire and he slowly began to stitch.