ORIGIN

On the edge of the meadow, by the forest, just a short walk down from the stream, a small area had been transformed by crafty hands. A conical home, crafted from tanned hides, held together and up by long poles of wood, took the centerplace among a small, well-loved garden of flowers and small shrubs. Basic wood had been carved and made into a pair of chairs and a couple of barrels and boxes set outside. From the top of the tent, where the wooden poles intertwined, a faint trail of smoke could be seen - a small campfire from within the tent that heated and lit the home inside.

It was basic, currently mostly undecorated, save for some crystal beads that had been tied and attached to the exterior, but it was home for Eleanora, who was currently outside tending to the garden. Some weeds had begun to encroach in and threaten her tea plant, which she carefully sheared away with a small obsidian knife. She hummed gently to herself as she worked, reflecting on the last few cycles.

It had been a time of peace and reunion. Hundreds of years apart and left her and Lilith starving for one another's company and for the last few months they had spent satiating themselves. Not a single moment could they tear themselves apart from each other, every touch was electric and desperately needed. And despite it all, their home had been silent, all communication passed through emotion and soundless words through their shared bond that could never be broken.

Their 'honeymoon', as Eleanora liked to call it, was at last cooling down. She could spend time on her own without feeling like that gaping hole in her heart had opened once again. And it was probably for the best - Lilith had to stabilize and, while she was more then happy to accompany her wherever she went, it was easier for one corrupted witch to sneak into Draco then two, especially when Ellie tended to stick out in shadows like a sore thumb.

So she was alone, for now. Lilith had left a few hours before, feeling the throes of Chaos start to worsen. And so Eleanora tended her garden alone, at peace.

She was startled out of her gardening by the soft sound of hooves on the grass. She turned around, initially frightened, but then calming quickly. Nothing dangerous. Unfortunately, she was a little defenseless without Lilith here. She had her knife and some basic magic, but she had never been a fighter. But the friendly disposition of the stranger gave her some peace of mind.

"Oh!" she breathed. "Sorry, you startled me. My mind was far away." She stood up, quickly brushing the dirt and grass off of her pants. "Thank you, that's very kind to say! I'm afraid its a little basic now, we've only just finished the final touches." It was more difficult building homes when there were only two people and no large tools made for felling and cutting wood. Homes were out of the question, for now.

"It's good to meet you, Kafziel, my name is Eleanora, but you can call me Ellie." In the face of another humanoid, she held out her hand to shake, although she realized a moment later that it wasn't a common custom here, what with most of the population being animals. Still, it was an open offer, if he understood.

"Ah, no, I'm not an elf," she responded and then immediately realized that she probably should have gone along with it. Witches weren't supposed to be here. If this was an agent of Chaos she could find herself in trouble, so instead she chose not to elaborate. "Ah, um, what brings you to Pegasus? Do you live around here? Visiting the palace?"

Eleanora smiled and laughed lightly. "Thank you! I suppose it is a rather unusual sight. There aren't a lot of hands to go around. And, oh, you shake it. It's a greeting." It still felt odd having to explain a handshake, when it came like second nature to her, but it was an everyday fight to tell herself that things were different, nothing is the same.

She startled, realizing her minor slip of the tongue, but at least he seemed genuine in his interest and not trying to wheedle information from her. "Oh, my wife lives with me. My partner. She's away right now." She could relate to the loneliness though. It wasn't that long ago that she had been like half a person, the connection between them like frayed, open threads. She still cherished every moment of feeling that other side, to know she was never alone. Never again.

The more Kafziel spoke, the more relaxed she seemed. An agent of chaos perhaps would not offer so much information freely, or would not be foolish enough to dump their cover out all at once. So, when that question was asked - "Do you know what you are?" - cleared her throat. "I do know, yes, but before I answer, would you like some tea? We can sit down and talk, if you'd like." She smiled warmly. "It's been a while since I've had some company to host for!"

As soon as he accepted the offer for tea, she turned and curled open the flap of the tent, using a small hook to keep it open. "Come in, then! You're lucky, I had just put some water on the fire." She ducked inside and immediately made herself busy.

The interior was warmly lit by the small campfire set right in the middle. It was surprisingly spacious, with quite a bit of open room on one side where the grass had been covered with pelts and small handmade cushions. The opposite side of the home was mostly dominated by what could be recognized as a bed - softer pelts cushioned a few inches off the ground by dried grasses, feathers, and other materials. Most of the empty space along the wall was taken up by tools and other objects. Most noticeably, Eleanora was shifting around through a pile of small wooden boxes with small dashes of color as a form of labeling, pulling out two.

She turned and knelt next to the fire, where there was a roughly-hewn iron kettle already sitting there, letting off a bit of steam, and opened the top, beginning to slide the tops of the boxes. From one she pulled out a handful of red berries, which she poured into a small mortar and pestle and gently crushed before tossing them in the kettle. The second box had dried yellow strips that she tore into smaller pieces and tossed in after.

"This is a pretty easy tea to make. Rose hips and lemon, or I guess as close as I could find. The rose hips are from the forest nearby. The lemon I found growing in Leo. It can be quite a trip to get there, so I usually stock up if I'm going to collect." She talked as she worked, setting the lid on the kettle and sitting back on the cushioned floor. "It will take just a few minutes to steep. If you like it a bit sweeter, I have some honey too."

Eleanora laughed as she pulled out a couple of cups - both made of different material, one that looked a bit like obsidian the other a fairly basic stone. "Well thank you, I guess its what happens when you have nothing else to do, you start getting crafty." The kettle was now lightly steaming so she quickly took it from the fire and poured some in each of the mugs. Some honey went in, from a wrapped honeycomb she had nearby and drizzled in with a worn wooden stick.

With the tea prepared, she handed it over. "Careful, it is hot."

She settled herself cross-legged on the cushioned floor with her tea in her own hands and gestured for Kafziel to sit as well. "My son taught me the inns and outs of teamaking - that was his favorite hobby - but all the other things I've picked up over a long life of experience." She took a sip of her tea. "A long life and a lot of others that have taught me things."