Re: Leaving the Nest (Aust/Chibi)
Eryne had donned an apron and gotten started with the cooking by the time Mishen returned, and would look over her shoulder to him, smiling faintly. "Whatever happens, I know you did the best you could, Mishen...", she smiled up a little, as if to try brightening her masters mood a little. "I'm making us some rice and fish, with some vegetables on the side, and... and if Seli haven't left when I'm finished, I'll go and have her join us, okay?", she hummed quietly as she went back to her cooking, and soon began to humm a gentle tune; her mood was fairly good, all things considered. Cooking food was one of her favorite activities, and it had always helped her keep calm; it was one of the few times she felt at ease, that she had everything under control.
By the time Seli was done cooking, had set up the tableware, and served the food, she would put her apron aside and head out of the kitchen, to see to Seli as she had told Mishen she would do. She would knock softly on the door, wait until she got an answer or after a minute had passed, and then inform Seli that dinner was ready. Once Seli and Mishen were seated, Eryne would serve them a portion of food each unless they intervened and did it themselves, and first after that would have a seat herself and get a portion of her own. A modestly small one, as if to make sure there were enough for Mishen and Seli over getting enough herself, but would eat in silence unless spoken to.
After dinner, when Seli offered to clean the dishes, Eryne would briefly look to Mishen, but quickly looked away, then back to Seli, and smiled, saying that she'd help get Seli started, and then leave her to take care of things on her own. After having done as such, she would leave the kitchen with Mishen. As she did as much, she would for the first time in a long while show some initiative in Mishen's eyes, as she turned to look back to Seli. "Me and Mishen will be out in the back, call us if you need any help, alright?", with those words said, Eryne would a little stubbornly tug Mishen along, and head out on the porch on the back of his house. Once there, she would tug on Mishen a little, while motioning to a wooden bench there; it wasn't the first time she had acted like this, to silently tug him along back there during the evenings when the sun began to set, to simply enjoy his company. At the beginning, she had never done it, but as the two had gotten to know eachother, and she had begun to warm up to him, it had gotten more and more common.
--- A while later ---
With her preparations done, the accomodating shoulderbag filled to the brim with bread and fruit, and her makeshift cloak obtained, Seli stepped outside at the front of Mishen's home. The evening sun colored the sky in varying colors of orange and red, with naught but a handful of small clouds up there. The streets had but a bare handful of people moving about, most of them likely heading homewards for a meal and enjoying the last few hours of light before bedtime. But Seli had no such plans, she only cared about her newfound freedom. No one took any notice to the young harpy carrying a filled shoulderbag and a makeshift cloth-cloak, as she spread her wings and slowly took off from the ground.
Seli's flight would be uninterrupted, and as she flew towards the centre of the city, towards the marketplace, she thought of her mother. Her mother lived with a young noble at the other side of town, and that trip would endanger her freedom very much. Mishen's home were located not too far from the edge of the city. To the south of the city, large rolling plains and farmland could be seen from up in the air by Seli, with forest further south from there. It was also the same direction as Mishen's home. To the west lied some farmland, and then a small port town and the seas. To the north lied the home where her mother were kept, and some farmland followed by mountains further north. To the east lied large flat plains, where festivities such as knightly tournaments or circuses, or enormous markets, were usually held, and further east was a forest.
What lied beyond the sea, mountain and forest, Seli had never learned, but it was away from the city where she had grown up as a slave. Away from this place and its people that had kept her and her family caged. She was a free woman now, and it was up to her where to go, where to find herself a new life and a new home, should she decide to head off and leave everything behind.
