The group left at Dawn just as Alastor had planned but today sparked a change. Something was different about Charlie and Alastor. Whatever tension had existed between them before was now gone. Now they were talking back and forth as if they had been friends for years.

"So you can cook?" Charlie asked as they were conversing about their hobbies.

"Yes indeedy." He answered with pride. "I can make frog legs, gumbo, fried catfish, crawfish, boiled greens, sauteed mushrooms, barbecue rabbit and squirrel, any method of cooking venison-"

"Can you make desserts? When I was a girl I loved apple dumplings with cream."

"I'm sorry my dear but desserts are not my specialty. I never cared for sweet things."

"Really? Not even as a child?"

"Nope. Not at all. Sugar just never really appealed to my taste buds."

"But didn't you have a special treat that you loved eat when you were little?"

"I did love a warm, buttery, slice of cornbread. Especially with jambalaya."

"Oh that does sound delicious. I've never eaten anything like jambalaya or cornbread."

"You haven't?"

"No. Vaggie only brought me food that didn't require very much cooking like fruit, plain bread, raw vegetables, a few eggs, and an occasional slab of beef."

"Oh you poor thing. You don't know what you're missing."

Charlie giggled a little.

"So apart from cooking, what other interests do you have?"

"I've always enjoyed hearing the splendid sound that is music. Preferably tunes that are upbeat and quick."

"I love music too."

"I know. I heard you singing in your tent last night."

Charlie suddenly stopped dead in her tracks and covered her now red cheeks in bashfulness.

"Oh my God! I was so panicky about you possibly coming into my tent last night that I forgot you might have heard me! Oh this is so embarrassing!"

"What do you mean?"

"My singing voice is terrible! It's so high pitched and squeaky, that whenever I sing glass breaks and birds explode!"

"She's not exaggerating." Vaggie said. "At least not about the exploding birds. How do you think she got those eggs for breakfast yesterday?"

"You mean you actually killed a bird with your singing?" Angel asked.

"I didn't mean to." Charlie said pulling her long hair over her face. "I know that I'm a horrible singer but I still sing! What's the matter with me?"

"Oh I beg to differ my dear." Alastor said. "You didn't sound the least bit horrible to me."

"Please don't lie to me." She said. "It'll hurt my feelings even more."

"But I'm not lying. As a matter of fact, the reason why I was sneaking around your tent last night was because I wanted to know who owned such a lovely voice."

"Lovely?" She squeaked with her eyes coming out from her hair. "You really think my singing is lovely?"

"Dare I say, the most beautiful melody that my ears had ever had the pleasure of hearing."

Charlie then smiled and her blush remained but it was for a different reason.

"Thank you." She said.

"That song you sang, I've never heard it before and it's not the type of music I'm used to hearing but I can recognize the appeal. Where does it come from?"

"It was made up by a maiden called Saoirse. She was born from an affair between Oberon and an Irish woman. When her husband learned of this, he killed his unfaithful wife but chose to raise Saoirse as his own. He loved her and she loved him but he resented her fae blood and lived in constant fear that someday she would betray him just as her mother did. When Saoirse became a woman she fell in love with a young hunter whom she had known in childhood, he returned her love, but she had promised to remain chaste until they were wed. Saoirse created that song to express her deep love for the hunter and how grateful she was that he had never been frightened or repulsed by her fae side."

"Lucky girl." Angel said. "Wish I could find someone like that."

"Unfortunately her stepfather's paranoia drove him to madness and he believed that Saoirse and the hunter had already consummated. In his insane anger, he fatally stabbed them both. Oberon felt partially responsible for his daughter's tragedy so just before she and her intended died, he transformed them into mystical white deer to symbolize their purity and devotion."

"I've heard of white deer." Alastor said. "They're said to be magically intact with nature and the heart."

"Saoirse and the hunter were the very first of their kind. They lived in Oberon's kingdom of the fae where they would never have to live in fear of being hunted. They mated, had many fawns, and lived long lives of peace and happiness."

"But what happened to the psycho stepdaddy?" Angel asked.

"Just as Oberon had transformed Saorise and her lover into the creatures their hearts represented, he turned her stepfather into an ugly, vile, and wretched buzzard and he lived long too. He lived a long life of guilt and regret for what he had done to the innocent couple."

"Serves him right." Vaggie said. "And if you ask me Oberon should have taken care of his own child instead of leaving her to be raised by someone else."

"Fae are complicated creatures." Charlie said. "And this was many years ago, there maybe some details that we don't know about. For all we know, Oberon may not have known that he had a daughter until it was too late."

"Wait a moment." Alastor said. "Oberon...As in Oberon King of the Fairies?"

"Technically it's King of the Fae but yes."

"If I'm not mistaken, wasn't he married?"

"Yes, to Queen Titania. They were madly in love but they weren't very faithful to each other. Every time they got into a fight, they would take a lover out of spite or relief which led to both of them spawning hundreds of illegitimate children."

"That's messed up." Angel said.

"Like I said, fae are complicated creatures."

"No kidding."

"But they have such exciting stories. That's how I know so much about them, because I read storybooks."

"What other creatures are you well versed in?" Alastor asked.

"Just fae and white deer but I'd like to know more about other creatures."

"Well lucky for you I happen to know countless stories of various mythical creatures."

"Is that a fact?" She smirked.

"You're not the only one who spends their days reading. I've probably read many more books than you."

"Alright then. Tell me about them."

"As you command. I think I'll start with Br'er Rabbit. Trickster stories were always my personal favorite."

For the rest of the morning, Alastor entertained Charlie with one story after another and each story he told, he made certain to express great detail and emotion. The princess was transfixed by his tales, listening to each one intently. She never thought anyone could be such a fascinating storyteller.

"Do anything you want with me, Br'er Rabbit pleaded." Alastor narrated. "Roast me, hang me, skin me, drown me but please, Br'er Fox, don't fling me in that briar patch."

Charlie held back her laughter as she listened to Alastor play out the begging.

"We'll just as Br'er Rabbit predicted, Br'er Fox gullibly believed that flinging him into a briar patch would inflict the maximum pain on that rabbit. So he threw him into briar patch. However as rabbits are at home in thickets like the briar patches, Br'er Rabbit just hopped right out there, completely unharmed and laughing; 'I was bred and born in the briar patch, Brer Fox.' 'Born and bred in the briar patch.' And Brer Rabbit skipped away as merry as a cricket while Brer Fox ground his teeth in rage and went home."

Charlie couldn't hold back her laughter anymore when she pictured the story taking place in her mind. Alastor's smile grew at this, her laughter was such a sweet little sound.

"That's so funny. No wonder you like those kinds of stories." She said.

"You know I actually used the same trick he used. Reverse psychology." Alastor said.

"Did you?"

"Yep. I was about twelve years old when I got my antlers caught in some tree branches. The hunter who was after me decided to put me through a little torture before killing me. So I started blubbering 'Shoot me, stab me, burn me, hell even break every bone in body but please, please don't saw off my antlers. It is the most painful experience any Wendigo can feel.' "

"Is it?"

"Of course not. I've had my antlers broken off and hacked off a million times and I don't feel a thing. But he didn't know that, and when he put down his gun and sawed off my antlers, I was free from the branches and free to kick his gun into the creek before running off. Ha! Ha! What a smuck."

"Tell me another one please."

"Can we take a break first?" Angel asked. "I'm starving. I need food."

"I'm feeling a little peckish myself." Vaggie said.

"They're right Al." Charlie said. "We didn't have breakfast this morning and if we're going to be traveling all day, we need to eat."

"Worry not my dear, I shall find us something to fill our empty bellies with."

"It says here that there's a satyr pub just over the next hill." Angel said reading the map . "Why don't we stop in there for a bite?"

"Not bad idea but I'm not sure that satyrs will react positively to the likes of me." Alastor said.

"Don't worry Smiles, I know satyrs. As long as you pay them, they could careless if you were a pixie or the Lochness Monster."

"Great, so does anyone have any money?" Vaggie asked.

Alastor and Angel both checked their pockets. They were completely empty of all forms of value.

"I have a few gold coins my father gave me." Charlie said. "I've been saving them for emergencies."

"Then we'll be eating at a satyr pub for lunch." Angel declared. "Which is awesome because satyrs make the best alcohol."

With that decision made, the group went into the direction leading to the pub in order to get a satisfactory meal