Ciara quietly listened as the boy began to apologize for not telling her about his vampirism. Before the fae woman was able to respond, the boy tumbled forwards and the startled Lyre began to run off. Then the boy ran off. Ciara followed after him, carefully running to keep up. It was difficult to keep up with the boy due to his small nature but she finally managed to find him. The boy was staring up at a cat in the tree and begging it to return. Instead of getting angry, Ciara saw this as a unique opportunity. She reached into her satchel, putting away the flute and pulled out a dried tuna. Ciara knelt down next to the boy and placed the dried tuna in his hand.

"Animals work differently from plants." The fae woman explained in a smooth but sweet tone of voice, "Don't look the cat in the eyes. Look at his chest or somewhere else. Eye to eye contact is a challenge so avoid it when you are trying to use persuasion. Now hold the tuna up towards the tree, as high as you can so it can catch the scent."

She raised her own hand to show the way to do it. If the boy was going to travel with her, he would need to understand how to work with animals. This was only the basics as conversation with animals could take a long time to learn, especially when one didn't have a natural ability towards it. But she was willing to teach him the ways if he was willing to listen.

"It is Lyre's decision. We must not use words for a few moments, as our actions will say far more." Ciara explained before falling silent.

The black fluffy cat caught the scent of the dried fish and its stomach growled. But it wasn't until they both fell silent that the cat would decide to return. The cat returned, slowly climbing down the tree and dropped to the ground. The cat crept up towards Fenriz and swiftly snatched the tuna. Ciara smiled, pleased that the cat had decided to return and looked up towards Fenriz.

"Very good. You are doing quite well. Now here is the most important part." Ciara explained, "Fenriz, will you hold out your hand and promise to the cat that you will do your best to feed, care for, respect, and help Lyre as much as possible?"

This was the next step. Befriending animals was as much an arrangement as it was a feeling. At the beginning, it was wise to provide for the animal as much as the animal provided for you. It was a beneficial relationship that would set the foundations for a true bond. Or at least that was how Ciara viewed it but then again she was a very strange and different individual. Her view of the world would be called a distorted view by some. If the boy made his promise, then the cat would rub up against Fenriz's leg and begin purring. If the boy did not, then the cat would just sit there. Ciara pushed herself to her feet and looked towards the star-filled sky.

"Fenriz, the fact that you are a vampire is not a concern in my mind. And you do not owe me any information that you don’t wish to tell me.” Ciara said bluntly yet with a smile, “We must continue on our journey. The night waits for no one.” 

When the fae knelt next to him, the boy avoided eye contact as he was certain he was going to be scolded for his actions. She instead placed a dried fish in his hands, the unpleasant smell of which caused his nose to wrinkle.  At Ciara's instructions, Fen raised the fish in the air, standing on the very tip of his toes all the while making sure not to meet Lyre's eyes with his own. For as much has he found the scent unappealing, it seemed Lyre felt the opposite, eyeballing the prize in his hands. He opened his mouth to call to the cat once more, but Ciara explained that they needed to remain quiet. In their silence the cat removed itself from the tree before stealing the fish out of Fen's hand, an action which he couldn't help but giggle at.

"I promise I'll take really good care of you, Lyre" Fenriz said with a smile, holding his hand out as instructed "I promise I'll be your best friend!"

Seemingly appeased by his promise, or perhaps just by the meal he had provided, Lyre approached the boy with a purr. Pleased with the turn of events, he lifted the cat up, proudly showing it off to his new friend

"Look Miss Ciara, it worked! Lyre came back!" he said, beaming.

The boy released an audible sigh, relieved about her indifference about his race. Moreover, it was nice to know that he wouldn't have to recount the events of that night. Once more walking toward their destination, wherever that may be, She mentioned that the night waits for no one, a lesson he knew all too well. Looking toward the sky, an uneasy feeling filled is stomach as he  pondered how much longer it might be before the sun would make its presence known. Not to mention the hunters that were likely still after them. Even if his vampirism wasn't directly a concern for her, it was likely going to indirectly affect her for the duration of their time together.

"Thank you for taking care of those vampire hunters, by the way. But are you sure you it's okay to keep traveling with me? Those guys are probably gonna come back. They're gonna be pretty mad too because I took some of their… blood" Even though she already knew, it felt weird to say it aloud. He hated feeding, hated the idea of taking blood from another person, but most of all, he hated the fact that a part of him enjoyed every minute of it, at least in the moment. "We have to drink blood from other people sometimes, or else very bad things can happen. After that thing you did to those guys I guess… I just saw my chance. I hope that wasn't too mean…"

Whether or not she knew anything about his kind previously, Fenriz was intent on letting her know everything about vampires. Or at least, everything he knew about them. It only seemed fair, considering his company had already once proven a potential threat to her own health. Of course, when the hunters first showed up they were only after him, but after what she put them through they certainly wouldn't show the same qualms about attacking Ciara should they catch up to them again.

"We also can't be out in the sun. I've never seen what it does to us, but my parents said I should never ever go outside during the day" feeling his arms getting tired, he transferred Lyre to his shoulder, a perch the cat took with no complaints  "So if we don't make it to where we're going before that happens I'll have to find a place to hide for the day. But you don't have to wait for me if that happens… I don't want to slow you down. You've already helped me out so much already"

Between needing her help to get out of the ruins, and her dealing with the vampire hunters, Fenriz grimaced. He couldn't help but feel somewhat like a burden. Even still, the idea of being abandoned as soon as the sun came out wasn't exactly an appealing thought. Noticing he was falling behind the more he dwelt on it, however, he sprinted to regain distance, this time making his way in front of her, allowing him to look the fae in the face

"How did you do that to those guys, anyway? Do your songs have some sort of magic? I can use some magic too, you know. That's how I found you and Lyre!" he smiled proudly at his companion "I think it's because I'm a vampire. I can't do it a lot, or else I have to drink… more blood. Can the fae use magic too? Is that how you changed your eye color earlier?"

His question seemed to jog his own memories of the verbal contract that he had signed earlier. Tilting his head to the side, he grinned at the woman, he finishing his onslaught with one final question. "What could I help you with anyway, Miss Ciara? You're pretty amazing! I can't imagine anything I could do that you can't do already"

A bond had been created between Lyre and Fenriz, a small bond but it was there and could grow to something powerful. Ciara had seen this and knew that if Fenriz chose to, he would have a great friend in the hearts of animals. The boy began to talk about the vampire hunters and doubtful worried questions began to pour from his mouth and Ciara listened to every single one of them, even the questions that remained unsaid. She looked at Fenriz and began to wonder what his future would hold. Perhaps packages of joy will find its way to his heart or sorrows will fly into his mind?

"You assume that you have no use?" Ciara gently asked with a small smile, "Try not to compare mushrooms to tree saplings, my dear. It would do the tree saplings injustice. I do have magic, as all fae do. My kind naturally can use magic but the ones we often already understand is nature magic. We also have different forms and use glamour more than any other creature. And my eye color change was an indication of the promise we made. For promises are magical, as are names. As for my songs, they are the forms in which my magic flows best. I also use cards and baubles to predict the future." 
The woman began to pluck the flowers along the path as they walked. She plucked only the golden sundrop flowers and the purple mallow blooms. As she picked the flowers, she began to weave them into a flower crown. The flower crown was regular and didn't have anything magical about it. Her quick hands wove ivy through the crown to make it sturdier. Once she was done, she turned to the boy and placed the flower crown on his head. 

"There. Now you cannot degrade somebody who has such a lovely crown." Ciara said. 

Her words were almost riddles but the metaphors she used had a purpose. She wanted to get the boy to think about the world in a deeper way than just looking at it through the normal way. Her descriptive metaphors were meant to get people to look at everything closer. Was the sun shining brightly? What did a tiny pebble look like? Where is the beauty and power in tiny items? Once they began on that path, they would be able to see the world's complicated mess.  Then there was the flower crown she had given him. It was meant to cheer him up but there was also a deeper purpose. She had used sundrop flowers and mallow blooms which were both symbolic representations of protection.

By weaving them together, she hoped that it would give him a tiny bit of protection against the foes he would face. It would seem that she was being kind….yet there was more to it. He had made a promise with her. A promise that was vague and could be interpreted many ways. One day he would be strong and grown, a formidable vampire. But she would have to ensure his survival until then. For now, he wasn't as strong as he could be. Ciara wouldn't be able to control him but she wanted to help him get to that point. Once he was strong enough….then she would ask for that help. 

"Don't worry about your promise for tonight." Ciara said gently, "I will ask for help one day but for now, lets focus on getting to our destination." 

"Mushrooms…?" he mumbled to himself. Silently the boy watched as she picked flowers, partially curious as to what it was she was doing, but mostly confused as to what she had told him. Was he supposed to be the mushroom in this scenario? Or maybe the sapling? Much like last time the more he thought about it, he felt like he was on the right path to an answer, but never quite managed to connect the dots. Either way, her words did make him feel a bit better, even if it wasn't necessarily in the way that she had intended.

"Miss Ciara you're silly. I'm not a plant! Though I did meet someone who's sister was a plant person. I think she was called a Rosenite" As he reminisced about his past companion, the fae woman was crafting the flowers into a crown, the finished product of which she placed atop his snowy white hair. A bright smile stretched across his lips.

"You're right. Nobody could possibly say anything bad about someone wearing this. Thank you Miss Ciara!" the boy turned to his feline friend resting on his shoulders "Look Lyre I'm a king now! King of the forest! That means you guys have to listen to me now"

The cat reacted with a wide yawn, leaving the newly crowed king's authority in question. Either way he rewarded his subject with a pat on the head before turning back to Ciara. Any symbolic meaning the make of the crown was supposed to have was lost on the boy, but he appreciated the gift all the same. In addition to his "royalty", the crown granted him a sense of… comfort, though he couldn't quite explain why.

She had told him not to concern himself with the promise they had made, although he couldn't help but wonder what he could possibly assist her with. But, she seemed to have faith in his utility, a fact that helped  but some of his concerns to rest. 

"Are promises really all that magical? I've made a lot of promises before but nothing really happened" he questioned. Though the crown had provided a momentary distraction, he had several questions based on her magic that were still burning in his mind, begging for answers."For that matter nothing really seems magical about my name either…"

"Fen-Riz. Fen-Riz" he repeated his name several times with varying inflections, as if attempting to invoke some sort of spell. Upon achieving no results, he changed tactics "Ci-ar-a. Ci-ar-a"

Although it was the expected result, he still frowned when neither name produced any magical effect, though he was over it before long, remembering that he had more questions that needed answering.

"Can all the fae predict the future too? Oooh, can you tell me what my future is going to be?" He asked, eyes growing wide as he imagined the possibilities "I bet you already know, don't you? My parents always used to tell me I was going to be important when i grew up, but I always wondered what they meant. Maybe I really am a king! I'll have a giant castle to live in and everything!"

His childish musings didn't last long. A stray breeze carried a scent across his nose, a scent that caused his body to tense but sent the vampiric voice in his head into a frenzy. It was the unmistakable smell of blood, a scent he was all too familiar with. Strangely however the scent did not seem to be coming from the direction in were headed. So where was it originating from? Once more he tapped into his aura sight, brilliantly glowing eyes scanning their surroundings for anything out of the norm. Plain as day were Lyre and Ciara's aura, but turning back the way he came showed five more bodies trailing the three of them. Though they were still a considerable distance away, they were still close enough for him to catch the scent of the puncture wound he had left on one of them.

"Hey Miss Ciara" he said to her in a low voice "I think those guys are following us again. W-we should hurry…"

"In a fey's hand, your name becomes a word of power. For anybody else it is just a name. That is why the fey never reveal their true names and simply use a substitution. As for the future, it is never as certain as one might expect. Try not to think of it as a determined path, rather it is a thousand streams all interconnected. While your future may be sailing down one stream, all it takes is a pebble or one small turn of the wind to be headed down another. But there are still likely streams that you will sail while there are other streams that are unlikely." Ciara clearly enjoyed answering the boy's questions.

It wasn't often that she got to talk about the future, magic, or any of that fun stuff. Most just asked her about her past or boring questions. Those weren't fun ones and didn't involve a fun answer. Magic was fun. The future was exciting. The past was not. That was why it was in the past. Ciara, as well, could smell the blood of the men in the distance. She knew that they would need to pick up the pace. An idea formed in her mind. Ciara gave out a small low whistle that sounded similar to a bird's call. As soon as the noise pierced the air, her deer friend sprang from the bushes. Once again, she attempted to pick up Fenriz and put him on the back of the deer. If that worked, she would turn to the forest around them and raise her hand towards it.

Suddenly the brambles, vines, and small flowers began to grow and create an interconnected web of plants. It would be difficult for the hunters to pass through it as easily. The plants were naturally strong and it would take a few good chops of the sword to let them pass. Turning back to Fenriz and the deer, she decided to perform one more magical deed. Her magic was slowly draining and she knew they wouldn't be able to keep this up forever. But she wouldn't be able to keep up with a fleeing deer. Her body began to morph and shift with a slight glow until she was no longer a human. Instead she was a beautiful white owl.

She gave out a hoot to her deer friend and the deer began to dart off away from the hunters and away from the danger with Ciara closely flying behind them. Her large eyes scanned the grassy ground for a sign of any threats or other issues. The deer was fast and nimble, its strong legs were able to almost glide across the field and eventually they were a long way from the old Adeluna Ruins. They were nearing another cave, though this was far smaller than the vast caverns they had found before. The deer stopped inside the cave and the white owl landed next to the two.

The owl morphed back into Ciara. The moon began to lower down in the sky and Ciara went further back into the cave. Pulling out a blanket, she and the deer found a comfortable corner of the cave. She placed the thick blanket on the cave floor then let out a small yawn. Her eyes were heavy and she knew that she had used too much magic that night. When she woke up again, she knew that a headache was in her future. The deer waited for Fenriz to get off its back and once he did, the deer would walk over to the blanket and laid on it. Ciara curled up next to the deer for warmth then looked over to Fenriz and beckoned him. 

"Come, you'll be cold if you sleep on your own. The blanket will protect you from the cold floor and sleeping in a group will keep us all warm." Ciara offered to Fenriz. 

Fenriz was relieved to find that it wasn't due to his own failings that he couldn't perform magic with their names, though this was compounded with a frustration that he was entirely incapable of doing so. While he had never been a fan of being a vampire, hearing what other races were capable of made him that much more resentful of his own race. But mixed in with all of these feelings was an underlying element of concern, as he was unsure of what the fey were capable of once they possessed someone’s name, and she definitely had his. But it was far too late to take that information back, so for the time being he had little choice but to put his trust in her, especially as the hunters began to gain distance on them.

Nerves already considerably frayed given the circumstances, the deer suddenly bursting from the bushes startled the poor boy to the that he fell over to the ground with a shout. Fortunately he managed to keep hold of Lyre this time, though the cat did make an attempt to flee once more. With little time to process much, he found himself once again being lifted into the air before being placed on the deer's back. Seemingly through will alone Ciara had manipulated the surrounding plants to provide a barricade between them and their pursuers, a process he would certainly have a lot of questions about in less dire circumstances. Besides, she was about to show off a much more interesting trick.

In a fashion not dissimilar to how he molded the shadows into shapes, his companion began to shift until in the fey's place was a snowy white owl. For a brief moment, his thoughts shifted to Azula, the owl familiar that his angelic friend carried with her. Still staring in awe, he reached out a hand intent to touch the owl, just to confirm that what he was witnessing wasn't some sort of trick of the eyes. Before his small palm could make contact however, the owl he could only presume was still Ciara, released a hoot, which triggered the deer to dart off in a direction. Managing to catch himself before being thrust asunder, he gripped Lyre with one and and used the other to keep a hold on the deer. Squeezing his eyes shut, he put his faith in the deer to carry him out of danger, and faith in Ciara to follow behind.

After what felt like hours to Fenriz, the deer came to a halt. Feeling comfortable with opening his eyes again, he was pretty quickly able to identify that they were in a cave, although he was much more capable of seeing through the darkness that permeated this cavern than the ruins in which they found themselves previously. Once more lowering himself from the back of his animal friend, a quick glance to the outside told him that morning was nearly upon them. Turning back to his blue haired friend, who had shifted back into her more humanoid form, he offered her a smile, thankful that she remembered his inability to be out during the daylight hours. He was curious as to her plan, as he did offer her the option to leave him behind once daylight broke, though he didn't have to wonder for long. She produced a blanket that she spread on the floor, joining the deer who laid out on top of it before offering him a place as well. With a wide yawn, he and Lyre joined them, with Fenriz taking a seat next to Ciara, back propped up by the deer and Lyre curled up comfortably in his lap.

"You're really nice, Miss Ciara. I owe you a lot of your help today" he smiled up at her, eyes half open as he slowly lost his bout with fatigue. "By the way, how did you…"

With the adrenaline of being chased having finally worn off, the boy started to drift away mid sentence, the weariness of all the walking he had done catching up to him. Try as he might to stave off sleep long enough to ask his question, it wasn't meant to be, head slumping to the side before sleep finally overtook him.