Agathe got down onto her hands and knees to get through the hole
and into the spacious cavern that Titian called home. "I honestly
can't give an opinion about his tail, though I believe you on its
cuteness, and yes, it would be." Titian yapped and wagged his tail
slowly waiting for their opinion on his home. There was a portion
of the room that was raised into something of a bed that would be
out of the path of rain, and the ceiling had roots of the old tree
coming through it, in which small gemstones were held, and they
somehow were the source of light in the room. The most likely
reason behind them was magic.
Sasha had lowered herself down onto her belly to slither into the
room. She gasped when she entered, looking around in awe. "Oh
wow...Titian, this is gorgeous! He has these gems in the root of a
tree, I think, that light up. It is homey in here," she said,
giving Agathe a better description and trying to be Agathe's eyes
in this case.
"I knew something felt different in here... That's interesting.
Titian, she says that your home is gorgeous, and from what I can
feel and what she's said, I have to agree with her. Also quite well
built." Agathe added, and Titian made something of a chuckling
sound and turned his head a little, this all made Agathe chuckle.
"No need to be so humble. It's quite well done."
Sasha smiled, coiling her tail close to keep it from getting in the
way. "It truly is. What are the stones and where were they found?
They are gorgeous."
Agathe repeated the question and Titian lifted his head to look at
them a while before replying with a series of yaps, barks, and a
couple yips. "Interesting. He said the stones grew with the vines,
but other than that he doesn't know very much... He also said that
they seem to talk once in a while..."
"Truly? That is fascinating...I wonder if it is just apart of the
island...it could be the gods...I find the stores magically
refilling every now and then if I am negligent...either the curse
ensuring my survival or the gods reminding me, I figure...this?
This is beautiful," Sasha sighed, basking in the purity of it.
Agathe smiled. "Though it could also be spirits... I'm not sure of
who or what, but I think I can almost hear them speaking..." The
roots moved a little as though they were being brushed by a breeze.
"Spirits...animal? Human? It is cool anyway. I like them," Sasha
said softly, consciously tearing her faze away. "Thank you for
letting us stay with you, Titian."
Titian's tail patted the ground as he wagged it a little, and he
barked a reply after Agathe had translated. "He said that we are
most welcome and can come visit him anytime." A fluttering sound
made Agathe turn her head towards the entrance where Shaye came in
backwards, dragging a large rabbit with one of his talons.
Shaye cawed and Titian trotted over and helped the hawk carry it
into the center of the room. Shaye exchanged a couple words with
Titian and this exchange made Agathe burst into laughter. "That is
too much! Oh Shaye, it's just that we're not animals like you two
are... We have to, as you said, burn the meat before we eat
it, otherwise we get sick!" Shaye had explained to Titian that they
have to set the food on fire and burn it before they eat it, but he
hadn't given a good reason as to why they do that.
Sasha giggled, nodding. Agathe's laughter was contagious and the
small explanation she had hinted at more of a funny conversation.
"I can start a fire. Outside would probably be better. So this cave
doesn't fill with smoke."
"That's a good idea. Titian, would you and Shaye get the rabbit
outside? Sasha will make the fire out there. I'll get some sticks
to help." Agathe let the bird and fox go out first, and then she
crawled out and headed over to the trees to find sticks on the
ground.
Sasha followed, making her way after Agathe with ease. Once
outside, she moved in to make a fire pit. One far enough away from
Titian's cave so that the ashes and smoke wouldn't get into the
cave in the following days.
Agathe moved around and reached down to pick up a stick when she
felt one with her feet. Titian was sitting across from Sasha
watching her make the fire pit. Shaye was sitting up in a tree
watching from there.
Sasha started with a nice base of rocks in a ring before setting up
some of the sticks she and Agathe had gathered earlier. Once she
had the kindlibg together, she snagged some flint from her pack and
struck them together, creating a spark until she had a fire going.
One of her snakes reached for the fire as she blew air at it to get
it started. Gently grabbing it, she shook her head. "I know it's
warm but it will burn us. No fires. You know this. Come on now,"
she scolded lightly before turning to the rabbit. "How should we do
this? On a spit? Gutted and then cook the rest?"
Agathe brought over some more sticks and set them down next to
Sasha, but not on her and not in the fire. "However you think is
best. I don't know how much of a help I'll be for that part
though..." She would ask later if she could touch Sasha's hair
again. She liked the feel of the snakes and the thought that they
were a part of her, but separate entities was fascinating to her.