My muse has returned! Yay!
The light scraping sound woke Lael up from his light sleep. It took him several seconds to remember he was no longer alone in the cave; for the first time since he found it there was another in it with him.
For the first time he had company.
And she did not fear him.
"Lael?" he suddenly heard her voice in the darkness and a globe of light formed over his palm.
He could see her pupils dilating and her mouth opening slightly as the globe illuminated them both. The light danced on her features and for a moment he wondered what caused such a reaction. And then he noticed the blueness of his skin.
His right hand was still stretched out in front of him, his round magical lantern floating over it and revealing his true appearance to her.
The blue skin and strange markings. His eyes the color of freshly spilled blood that should have had her flinch and look at him in disdain.
But Jane just smiled and mouthed, "Wow."
And he smiled back for she did not call him a monster.
This odd woman that knew him for only few hours accepted him when those he grew up with wished for his death.
"You should be sleeping." he whispered.
Jane just shook her head, tendrils of brown hair falling out of the ponytail. She ignored the soft tresses and instead focused on finding her shoes that she took off several hours ago when they decided it was time to rest. She just couldn't stand sleeping in hiking boots.
While she tied them back up Lael was quietly observing her, a look of worry entering his red eyes. She was getting ready to leave him. And he wasn't sure what to think about it.
"I always loved the stars, ever since I was a child." Jane's voice interrupted the silence and made Lael focus on her face instead on her hands that were still tying the laces. Even with only one globe giving them light he could see the twinkle in his eyes when she looked directly at him and smiled, "Have you ever just looked at them."
"What?" he was confused.
"The stars." Jane repeated, "Have you ever just stopped what ever you were doing and just looked at the night sky. The feeling is incredible. I always feel so..."
"Fascinated?" he asked with a small smile.
"Small." she finally found the right word and he frowned, "Earth is only one planet in the vast universe. And then there is the possibility of other universes existing parallel to ours, other realms. You have to stop and realize exactly how small and insignificant a single person truly is."
"I do not believe you are insignificant." the honesty in his voice surprised Jane and made her blush. As strange as it sounded it was the most beautiful thing anyone ever said to her.
She eventually stood up and looked down on the strange blue man that continued to sit on the hard ground. He had two blankets and insisted she take both of them; one was underneath her shielding her from the hard stone ground, and the other one she used to cover herself.
His red eyes watched her every movement and Jane smiled slightly to calm him down and encourage him, "I wish to see the stars over the fjord. Will you join me?"
He watched in curiosity as she offered a hand to help him get up. He doubted she could, he found out a long time ago he was much stronger then he believed himself to me. But still he took her hand and stood up.
Several more globes of light appeared around them, illuminating their surroundings and helping them found the way in the large cave. Jane smiled once more at the blue skinned man walking next to her. It touched her that he seemed comfortable enough around her to keep his skin the lovely shade of purest sapphire.
In truth he simply forgot about it. For in her company he didn't feel like a monster. It was strange, he knew her only for few hours. And still she made him feel more comfortable in his true skin than some did when he hid his true face.
Still, with every step he took the blueness was slowly vanishing and pale skin was taking its place. He always felt too exposed out in the open, he did not wish anyone seeing him as he truly is.
They walked side by side until they reached the entrance to the cave, the entrance both found by accident.
And once they left the protection the old cave offered the found themselves standing on the narrow ledge with only few inches between them and the long drop to the water below. The danger was worth it though, at least in Jane's opinion. For above them the stars twinkled in delight.
"I never paid attention to them." Lael confessed eventually, interrupting the silence.
"Not many do." Jane responded with a shrug, "To some stars are just specks of light in the night sky. To me they are so much more."
"You wish to see them up close." it wasn't a question and Jane turned to look at him. The magical light he created for them in the cave was not floating around them but she didn't need it to see him. The full moon made him visible to her weak human eyes. She could see a small frown on his face.
"Lael?"
He turned to look at her, to focus his clear green eyes on her lovely face. They remained quiet for few minutes, just looking at each other. Jane had a feeling he was looking in her eyes for an answer to some unsaid question, and she wondered if he would found what he was searching for.
"If I am who you said I might be, the prince from the tale... it sounds crazy and improbable... but I hope I am the child that was left behind. Not for myself, but for you."
"What?" Jane gaped at him.
"I can not explain it, it makes no sense to me to feel like this... I do not know you. But if I am the lost prince of a frozen kingdom hopefully it will mean I can visit the other realms too. Because I... wish to show them to you."
Because he looked away from her shocked face Lael did not notice Jane wiping away a single tear that escaped.
He was right, it was strange. They knew close to nothing about each other. And yet she felt closer to him than to some she knew for years. She felt more attached to this man who was not human than to Donald, and she was in a relationship with him for over two years before it ended.
And that unnerved her a bit.
And also excited her.
The darkness of the cave seemed heavy at times, making Jane feel like it was smothering her. Several times during the night she found herself awake and staring at the unseen ceiling, the only sound in her pitch black surroundings a soft breathing of the man that slept few feet away from her.
He was not plagued by nightmares, at least for tonight.
She was not aware there were nights when he too lied wide awake, his mind running too fast, the dreams of the past torturing him. The voice in his mind that sounded suspiciously like a woman he once cared for calling him a monster.
She was not aware that it was her presence that brought him a restful night.
Jane sighed, she didn't know the time, her phone was thousands of miles away and she never bothered to get a wristwatch. But it couldn't be much longer until dawn.
Turning her head in the direction from where the sound of soft breathing was coming from Jane couldn't help but smile slightly, despite the weariness of her body. Lael was such a fascinating person, he had a strange sense of humor and was curious about everything. He wanted to learn everything.
She understood that desire. And she admired him.
For he lived in a cave for a long time, he did not reveal to her exactly how long, endured loneliness and struggled through the changes in the world around him.
"You should sleep." a quiet voice spoke.
Jane sighed, "I can't really sleep."
She heard rustling of clothes, of the simple pants and linen shirt Lael wore, despite the chill of the air. And seconds later a gentle touch almost made her jump out of her own skin.
Until she realized what it was that brushed next to her hand.
Until she felt his fingers gently moving, caressing her own.
And Jane let Lael hold her hand in the gentlest of grasps. And closed her eyes. And fell asleep with a smile on her face.
Unaware it was more to it then just strange curiosity that attracted her to him, and him to her.
It was Lael's very nature that created incarnate bonds between them.
"What are you doing?" a serious voice made Jane look up from the scarf in her lap and she saw Lael standing few feet away, watching her curiously and trying to figure out what she was up to.
"Is that breakfast?" she asked back instead, nodding at the fruit in his hands.
She usually had Pop Tarts and coffee for breakfast, but apples would work too in the lack of other food. She just wished the wonderful brown liquid was an option today too. Cause she had a feeling she would need it.
But strangely enough Jane didn't feel tired in the least, despite spending an hour or so outside watching the stars and than later staring at the unseen ceiling of the cave before Lael moved closer to her and they both fell into a restful sleep.
"I'm afraid that is all I can offer you." he responded while trying to squish the feeling his offer was inadequate. Not enough.
It felt like he supposed to bring her more food, fur to keep her warm, water to keep her clean. He never felt this way before, not even with the only woman he cared for in the past. But somehow this stranger woke up in him the most primal feelings.
"It's more then enough. Thank you." Jane said with a bright smile and Lael smiled back instantly.
"So..." he questioned again, "What are you doing?"
The astrophysicist looked back down on her lap where the dark green scarf was. She bought it in a duty free once she landed in Norway just in case. Actually, it was cause her mother insisted that she would be cold so far North. As usual she was right, after years in the hot desert Jane needed all the help she could get to stay warm.
Strangely enough the cave she was in at the moment was warm despite there was no fire burning and the magical globes of light radiated no warmth.
"You said there is a maze behind the cave. So I'm ensuring we don't get lost in it."
Lael frowned, "How?"
"I plan to tie one end of the thread at the entrance of the maze. That way we can follow the string back out. It's a trick from old Greek myth."
"It is a good plan. You are very wise." he commented before taking a bite of the ripe red apple in his hand. Jane blushed slightly at the compliment before biting into the sweet fruit too.
She had to admit she was curious if they would find anything in the maze or if she's seeing things that aren't there and there is nothing hidden there. But the book was right about the blue child, so there is a chance it's right about other things too, right?
A sigh escaped Jane, a sigh that caught Lael's attention, before she started to pick at the green thread in the corner of the scarf again with her left hand, while she held the apple in her right. She didn't have scissors or a knife so she had to pull at it and hope it comes loose. It wouldn't be the first time that happened to her, she had previous experience with ruining perfectly good scarfs and sweaters.
As she took another bite of the apple the juice escaped the fruit and ran down her fingers. Instinctively she licked them clean, not noticing the look her companion was giving her, his green eyes wide as he observed the innocent move.
"I have this friend back home, she was my intern during the summer, who would call me crazy if she saw where I was and what I was doing. Well, first she would check you out and possibly hit on you." Lael blinked in confusion but not saying anything, letting Jane talk without interruptions, "Darcy is probably the only friend I have. It's depressing really when you think about it."
"I do not have any friends." Lael said calmly and the apple almost fell out of Jane's hand.
She felt so bad right now. So stupid for feeling bad for herself when Lael spent centuries alone. But after a moment a small smile spread on her face.
"I can be your friend if you want." she offered tentatively.
The silence that spread throughout the cave was comfortable as the two shared a small smile, before Jane looked away to continue trying to free the end of the yarn and Lael moved his hand to retrieve a bottle of water from nowhere. He hoped he would someday learn the theory behind this magic.
But for now he was happy with simply being able to use the trick, cause it allowed him to offer Jane the bottle with a shy smile before he muttered, "I would like that."