Lily woke up in the grass near the fire, but it was daylight now. If she hadn't experienced these periods of time that she couldn't account for, she would have been scared. She knew what had happened though - Lilith. Lily was not sure what Lilith had done while she was in control of her body, but she knew she ached. She winced as she sat up and looked around. Dave was nowhere in sight. Lily started to panic, she wasn't familiar with these woods and had no way of knowing how to get back to his castle. "DAVE?" She screamed as loud as she could. "Are you there? Please come out!" Lily tried to gather her thoughts, she decided that it wasn't a good idea to wander off. It was possible he had just gone off to get more wood, or hunt for some food. If she wasn't here when he returned he would get worried. As she looked around further, she noticed the food on the ground. What did you do and where did Dave go? Come on, I know you can hear me! Lily's head was silent for once. Apparently, Lilith had no interest in bragging about what had occurred the night before. She gathered the scattered food and disposed of it in the fire, which was now just a low flame. She hoped Dave would be back from wherever he had gone soon, and in anticipation of that, she decided to start on making a morning meal. Besides being sore, she was starving. As she cooked, the sound of rustling in the bushes caught her attention. "Dave? Is that you?" When she didn't get an immediate answer she started to worry about wild animals or worse a thief looking to steal anything he or she could. Moments seemed like eternities; then from the bushes, Dave emerged. He looked awful, like he had been wandering all night. "Dave, are you all right? When I woke up and you were not here I was concerned." She walked to him and wiped at some dirt on his cheek.
"I am sorry that I worried you, Lily. I just needed to think for a while, to clear my head." Dave kissed her gently. "The food smells wonderful, and I am very hungry." He smiled, but that soon faded as he watched her walking stiffly away to fix the plates of breakfast. "Lily, you are hurt?" He frowned, mostly because he was well aware of what must have caused the injury. "Please, sit here and rest, I will get the food for us." He helped her to a log and made her as comfortable as he could. Bringing her a plate of food, he sat beside her.
"I am just a bit sore this morning, but I will be okay. Do not worry about me. Is it much further to castle? I think we could both use washing." Her eyes looked him over and she chuckled softly. "Well perhaps you more than I. Are you sure you just went to think? It looks like you were rolling around out there in the woods." She grinned before taking a bite of the food she had prepared.
"Are you teasing me?" His low chuckle echoed in the woods as her joking relaxed his concern. "I was not 'rolling around in the woods'. Just walking, but to answer your inquiry, we are half a day's walk from the castle. We will be there before nightfall." He felt better now that she was smiling. Dave hated to think that his roughness with Lilith had hurt Lily, and he intended to keep that in mind for the future. He would make sure that a bath of steamy, scented water was prepared for her the second they returned to the castle. He hoped it would ease some of the aches she was having. "A bath you shall have, my lady! Anything else that you desire as well."
"Is that so? Anything I desire? That is quite a statement, are you certain you can fulfill it?" The mood had now become the light and jovial that Lily had hoped to create. She sensed that Dave was concerned for her, and she instead wished for him to be happy. Lily arched her brow and chuckled as his face displayed an easy smile. "Would you like another plate of food? She reached for his plate and managed to stand up, feeling a little less stiff now. As she dished out more of the eggs she had prepared for the meal, she was surprised with strong arms wrapped around her in a gentle embrace. She some how managed not to spill the plate's contents on the ground, instead inching her way downward until she could set them down. Lily eased back up and turned so she could face him. She greeted him with a smile. "I almost dropped your food, could you not wait to embrace me?"
Dave smiled back, being careful not to hold her too tightly. "No, I could not wait any longer to hold you. You are not like any woman I have ever met, Lily. You see a side of me that I cannot even see. You do not need to be Lilith for me to have feelings for you. I am a different when I am with you, better, kinder. I am changed with you, and I am thankful to you for that!" He ran his fingers through her hair, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Now, let us finish the rest of the food and get started on our journey home." Grabbing the plates and handing Lily hers. They both made short work of the eggs. Dave helped her pack their purchases back up and they were again on their way.
It was around midday when they approached the clearing at the castle gates. The place that had always seemed so dreary, some how now seemed brighter. He was happy to be home, their home. Just as he had promised himself, he drew a bath and scented the water with the rose oil he had secretly added to the shopping list without her knowledge. He walked through the castle in search of Lily, finding her hard at work, placing items from their trip in their proper places. "I have a bath waiting for you, I think you will enjoy it greatly." Dave smiled.
"Thank you, and I am almost done here. I will be there in just a minute or two. Let me just finish . . ." Before she could finish her sentence, Dave had picked her up off the floor and was carrying her upstairs. She giggled, "Dave, put me down, I am almost done." They reached the top of the stairwell, as soon as he opened the door, they were wrapped in a cloud of steam. The smell of roses filled her nose as he closed the door behind them. There was so much steam. She could hardly see the wall on the opposite side of the room. "I love the smell of roses, but it must have cost you a fortune to buy the oil. Honestly Dave, it is way too much!" Lily's protest was silenced with a soft kiss.