Rebuild

They returned to town and no sooner had Sirona gotten into bed, she was asleep again. When she woke up, she felt a bit steadier. Arawn and Druid’s words rattled around in her head.
She couldn’t find fault with either of their words. She got out of bed and found Arawn missing from the room. She ate a bit of the ration Druid had given her before walking out into the town. People were awake, carrying lumber and rope.
“Good morning,” she said, approaching the woman from the night before. “Is there anything I could help with?”
She beamed, “There’s plenty!”
Sirona laughed and followed behind her towards where a group was picking through the remains of the burned-out house that had collapsed. They hauled the burned planks onto a cart to be carted away and set aside the stove and whatever else could be salvaged.
“We never got your name,” someone said.
“It’s Sirona.”
They nodded and a spark of light filled their eyes. She felt it in her chest like a warm little feeling that she couldn’t explain. Was that what Arawn mean when he talked about instilling belief in people. Throughout the day, she got more of those feelings, like drops of warm honey inside of her. They made her smile as she worked alongside them to help rebuild the town.
“By Arawn’s will, we’ll have a proper storehouse again before long,” one of them said, grinning up at the structure before grinning at her, “Thanks, Sirona.”
When she returned to the house, she and Arawn were staying in, it was still empty and her heart was light. Arawn appeared with little more than a whisper of air across the room from her and she stared at him. He’d changed clothes again. His jacket was a rich red. He looked like a wealthy merchant at the least.
He turned to look at her and grinned, “Surprised?”
“Where’d you go?” Sirona asked.
“I had some things to check on,” he swept in close to her and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Did you miss me?”
“Well,” Sirona started. “Not exactly.”
He laughed, “I will have to work harder then. What have you been up to today?”
She beamed, sitting at the table as she told him about all the things she’d helped with.
Arawn listened, finding it adorable that she seemed so invested in the rebuilding of this town.
“But I felt something. Kind of warm and comforting like warm honey or something.”
Arawn hummed, “I’m impressed that you’re feeling it so quickly. Do you think you’d be up to another flight lesson?”
She grimaced, “Can’t it be something else?”
He laughed, “Eat. I promise we won’t go high.”
She pouted but nodded, eating a bit of dried meat and fruit as he watched her. She frowned.
“Have you eaten?” Sirona asked, “I have enough to share.”
His lips twitched and he shook his head, “I’m fine.”
She eyed him suspiciously, “… you didn’t eat at dinner either.”
Arawn’s lips twitched and his eyes twinkled.
“It’s not very nice to look down on what they were able to share…”
Arawn scoffed, “You think me rude?”
Sirona squinted at him, “Why else wouldn’t you eat?”
Arawn shook her head, “I have no need to eat food, Sirona.”
“What does that mean?”
“And if I felt the need to indulge my sense of taste, there are far more delicious things than potatoes to devour.”
She frowned, “But… potatoes are the best vegetable.”
Arawn threw his head back and laughed. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment and she felt a little like a child.
“While I do agree that potatoes can be quite good, there are still better things to have.”
Sirona chewed thoughtfully, “How is it that you’re alive if you don’t eat?”
“I eat other things,” Arawn said, wiggling his eyebrows, “Would you like to be my meal tonight?”
Her eyes widened; she almost dropped the raisins she was about to eat as she stared at him.
“W-What? You’re a cannibal?”
Arawn snickered, “Oh, Sirona. No. I do not eat people.”
“Then…”
Arawn licked his lips, giving her a pointed look as he dragged his gaze over her body. It felt like he’d trailed his hand over her bare skin and she shivered. He was talking about kissing, touching—sex.
“Oh.”
“Precisely,” Arawn chuckled, “Though my offer stands.”
Sirona ducked her head, “What sort of lesson?”
Arawn chuckled, “Eat and I’ll show you.”
Sirona ate quietly, trying to push the burning heat of his gaze out of her mind. When she was done, he led her out of the house back into the clearing near the house.
“I realize that I started you off a little too high the last time.”
He floated a few feet above the ground and crouched to offer her his hand, “We’ll go no higher than this.”
Sirona eyed the height and took a deep breath. She took his hand and tried to focus on making herself light enough to float. Slowly, she felt her feet leaving the ground, but she wasn’t high enough to stand with Arawn. She jerked up and shot past him, but he kept a hold of his hand.
“Lower, Sirona,” he said gently. “Don’t think so hard. You’re doing fine.”
She nodded and willed her feet to lower until she was eye to eye with him, then a little lower so she looked up at him as if they were both standing on the same ground.
“Good.” He took her hand and wrapped an arm around her waist, “Now, we dance.”
He stepped left and Sirona faltered in following him but found that she didn’t drop. He went right and she followed him easily. It was odd to feel nothing beneath her feet, but she soon forgot about it.
The common Conna waltz was one that her father taught her. Her heart felt light as Arawn waltzed them around in the air as the sun began to set.
“You are quite the dancer,” Sirona said, “Who taught you?”
He chuckled, “I have learned several dances simply by watching.”
Sirona could almost believe that, but there was something in the way he held her as he led her through the dance, that he had a lot of practice as well.
Arawn smiled down at her. Finding his heart was lighter than it had been in a long time. Sirona seemed to be having that effect on him. The thought sent a trickle of cold sweat rolling down his back and he drew back from that thought. It would do no good to trick himself.
He knew better.
This feeling was just a bittersweet relief, reminiscent of when he and Anu were on somewhat good terms and weren’t on the edge of mutual annihilation. It was a relief not to have to be around Fedelm who worshipped and loved him. Her expectations and her infatuation were burdensome as he knew how much she needed him.
Sirona was different. There was nothing in Sirona that felt malicious or controlling. She didn’t want to confine and destroy him. She didn’t need him exactly. With time, she would have figured it all out the way he had.
Sirona may have some affection for him, but there was no pressure about what he could do for her. It was almost pure in its sweetness and fresh in how foreign it was to know that she could waltz in the air with him and walk into the next century at his side if she wanted.
“Since you’re teaching me,” Sirona said, bringing him out of his thoughts as he turned her. “Who taught you?”
“No one.”
She frowned and they came to a stop with her pressed up against him and looking up at him.
“I was alone and had to figure it out myself.” His lips twitched, “I floundered quite a lot.”
Sirona couldn’t even laugh at the small joke as she stared into his eyes. There had been something bothering her about the way his power felt and the way he felt to her. The hollow tone he’d spoken with explained it.
There was a large emptiness in him, like a cavern she could scream into and hear nothing but an echo from.
Isolation, she thought. Loneliness.
She knew those feelings pretty well. While she was surrounded by people back in Gunning, she had no real peers or friends. It had been for her safety and because of the social climate around Gunning.
“You don’t have to be alone anymore.”
His eyes widened and he seemed frozen. For the first time, she saw past his charming smile and easy demeanor. He drew back sharply as if shocked and his smile popped back into place, but it was too late. She’d seen beyond it.
“Well… I think we should head back before you can barely stand.”
He took her hands and lowered them to the ground. He gestured ahead of him and offered his arm.
“Shall we?”
She nodded and linked arms with him, letting him lead her back to the town in absolute quiet.