CROSSING FAERYLAND

Dinner Talk

On her way to camp, Cat cringed as she heard Sam’s laughter.  Oh, she was in for such teasing now.  Her eyes teared.  She was the eternal little sister and now she’d been humiliated in front of the last person in the world she’d ever wanted to be.

She stopped just outside the light of the fire and wiped away her tears.  She’d just act as if everything was normal.  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  In spite of it all, he’d been beautiful.  She wouldn’t have missed seeing him to save her soul…or even embarrassment.  Cat could only hope Sam would someday see her as a grown woman.

They were using real wood for the fire tonight, so they must have come across another dead tree.  Traveling with a Dryad, even a half Dryad, could be a pain.

Dinner smelled wonderful.  Maybe there was meat.  Too many of the animals or creatures of Terrantoo were sentient or related in some way to Sam or Marnie and therefore not suitable as the main course.  Of course, there was also that ogre-attraction thing that meat, any meat seemed to have.

It looked as though she needn’t have worried about Marnie or Jake noticing anything.  Still angry about their earlier tiff, Marnie sat on the opposite side of the fire from Jake.  Cat couldn’t tell for sure about Jake, but he looked suspiciously…pleased?  Cat studied them both a moment noting their surreptitious glances at each other.

Marnie spooned out some stew and brought it to Cat.  She could see how Marnie’s sinewy grace and ethereal beauty would appeal to Jake.  She had begun to understand how their careful ducking, weaving contretemps had captured them both.

Their lives together would be a constant dodge and weave guaranteed to drive them both mad--passionately mad.  But in the end, neither would be able to live happily apart for long.  Jake certainly hadn’t.

Cat smiled at Marnie’s approach startling a confused frown from her.  She guessed that her behavior up until now didn’t give her any choice but to be suspicious of her smiles.

She laughed.  “Believe it or not, I don’t bite.”

“Not ever?  That’s disappointing.”  Sam approached the fire and sat on the log uncomfortably close to Cat.  He grinned at her and asked, “Not even if I ask nicely?”

Low and sultry, Sam’s voice sent shivers down her spine.  Cat blushed and looked down at the food Marnie handed her.

“Thank you,” she mumbled keeping her gaze on the bowl in her lap.

Both Marnie and Jake raised eyebrows at her show of gratitude and manners.

“I guess your bath washed out your ill humor,“ Jake noted.

“Yes, it was nice.”  Cat had yet to look up.

Sam thanked Marnie for his own bowl of stew and returned to his seat, scooting even closer to Cat.  “I myself found it totally invigorating.”  He looked at Cat.  “I’m anxious to repeat the experience.”

Cat glanced sharply up at him then back down at her food.  She picked up her spoon and shoveled in unladylike mouthfuls preventing any speech at all.  She glanced quickly at Jake and Marnie, but she needn’t have worried about their reactions.  They were too busy ignoring each other.

Marnie sat and pulled out her knives after having served Cat and Sam.  She stared into the fire and rolled the blades between her fingers.  The flames winked off the metal hypnotically.  Snap, slide, roll.

Sighing dramatically, Jake rose and stomped toward the bowls and stew since Marnie had made a point of serving everyone but him.  Seemingly, without moving, Marnie let fly the knife in her left hand to bury itself deeply in one of the supply boxes piled next to Jake’s head, its hilt still quivering.  Jake looked at Marnie an eyebrow raised in question.  Cat gasped and gaped at Marnie, leaving Sam the only person not to react.

Marnie raised her eyes slowly from the fire, her face devoid of emotion.  “Spider.  Big one.”  She returned her gaze to the flames, the blade in her right hand rolling smoothly between her fingers.  Snap, slide, roll.

Calmly Jake answered, “I see.”  He looked at the blade and pulled it from the wood.  A tarantula about two inches in body length dropped to the ground.  “Harmless,” he noticed.

“But good eating.  Is that the meat in the stew, Marnie?”  Sam looked at Marnie and Cat gagged, feeling the gorge rising in her throat.

“Nope.  Javelina.”  Marnie never lost a beat.  Everyone ignored Cat for which she was grateful.

“You know, though, the poisonous ones are larger and better eating.  Of course, you have to prepare them carefully.”  Sam looked at Cat.  “You know, to get out all the poison.”  Cat watched him, her eyes large as she tried desperately not to hurl.

Jake shook his head in disgust and bent over to fill his bowl.  A whizzing sound accompanied Marnie’s knife, which again buried itself deeply into the box right next to Jake’s head.

Marnie looked up again and observed, “Bigger spider.”

The other three watched as Jake pulled out the knife releasing a spider twice as big as the first.  He wiped off the blade and stuck both of them into his belt, picked up his bowl and returned to his place by the fire to eat his stew.

“Hey,” Sam called, “That’s the good eating kind.  Want to save it, Marnie?”

Marnie shook her head.

Cat turned away trying to keep her dinner down as dry heaves claimed her.

 Sam looked concerned.  “You okay, Kitten?”

“I want my knives back, Jake,” Marnie uttered tersely.

Cat spit an answer to Sam, “My name is Cat or Carolyn or Her Highness Princess Carolyn Alice Therese, but not Kitten!”

“Thomas, my knives.”  Marnie stood.

“Her Highness?”  Sam laughed.

Jake watched Marnie move toward him, then captured and locked gazes with her.  “What will you give me for them?”

Cat set her bowl down and turned toward her tent stalking indignantly away.

Marnie’s eyes narrowed as she squeezed out between clenched teeth, “I promise to never again risk losing my knives to save your worthless hide.”

Sam put down his food and followed Cat.  “Princess, I’m sorry.  I’ll call you whatever you like.”

Jake set down his half-filled bowl and rose slowly to meet her.  Looking down into Marnie’s face, ten years fell away.  He remembered touching her, tasting her, bringing her to ecstasy as he lost himself in her body.  His nostrils flared and Jake had to touch her.  “Kiss me.”

Marnie frowned.  “Kiss you?”

“Kiss me.”  He lifted her hair in his hand and watched as it cascaded through his fingers.  “Your hair looks good.  You should leave it down more often.”

“What?”

He turned his attention back to her face and stepped closer bringing his lower body in contact with hers.  “Kiss me, Marnie.”

“Kiss you?  What’s wrong with you?”

Jake felt her quiver under his hands, her body held tightly up against his, fitting as if she belonged there.  As if no time had passed since they’d last touched.

He wrapped his hand around the back of her head; his fingers still tunneled through her hair, and slid his other arm around her waist, pulling her even closer.