Anxiously, she bit her lip as looked around the room, half expecting them to refuse for one reason or another. Instead, she was met with smiling eyes with each face she glanced at. Elkhean was the first to break, his loud, booming laugh cutting through the silence. He was soon joined by the laughter of the other dwarves. Kaida was the last to laugh, feeling at home and comfortable with the group of dwarves she’d quickly grown to love and view as family.
“Ms. Kaida, if you want to keep us, then keep us you shall,” replied a dwarf named Bronn as he clapped a hand on her shoulder. The gesture was almost hefty enough to knock her over, but his firm grasp held her steady.
A melody composed of the sounds of agreement came from the other five dwarves, filling Kaida’s heart with warmth and love. But none of their ‘yeses’ meant as much to her as Elkhean’s did. They’d spent a lot more time together than she had with the other dwarves. After weeks, she had finally been able to pick up on some of his quirks and cues. It was a feat she hadn’t been certain would happen when she’d first met him, even though she knew in her heart she could wear anyone down–even him. She smiled at him, not expecting her heart to begin to patter quickly when he returned the gesture before turning back to the dwarves.
“Let's get back to work! We’re on a deadline here!” he yelled as he winked at Kaida while picking his oddly normal sized hammer up to begin working on reconstructing his section of the wall.
By the end of the day, they’d managed to completely tear down the long wall and had it mostly back up with fresh, rot-free wood. As Kaida stood back and looked at it, she was flooded with emotions and wished Eilaen had been able to come with her to see what she saw. In the very center of the wall, the crew had hung a hand carved sign that said, “Kaida’s Place”, painted in the prettiest ice blue she’d ever seen, the details standing out beautifully against it by being painted the same dark chocolate shade that matched her accent wall in the lobby.
Elkhean snuck up behind her, something he had begun doing once he realized even her elvish hearing couldn’t always pick up the sound of his steps and put his hand on her shoulder. “Ya like it?” he asked. His question was laced with something that didn’t match the confidence he typically exuded. If Kaida didn’t know better, she would have thought that he had asked for her approval and was nervous for her answer.
“I really do. It’s beautiful. Who painted it?” she asked as she turned to look at him, though something inside of her told her that she already knew the answer just based on his overall expression of pride and anxiety.
“I did, Kaida. Seemed like somethin’ needed to go on that wall an’ I couldn’t think o’ a better thin’ than a sign with your name on it. As I was workin’ on it, I remembered all the times I heard you mentioning how the brown and blue would look good. I believe your exact words were that they would be ‘lookin’ lovely together’, if memory serves me right. It all just came together after that. I was even thinkin’ we could make a big sign to hang outside the buildin’ for ya to match, if ya want us to,” he replied, staring deeply into her eyes.
She could have almost sworn she saw an emotion held in them that she hadn’t seen before. Before she could figure out what she had seen, their moment was over. With another small smile, he turned around and rejoined the crew as they finished boarding up the wall. Words escaped Kaida for the rest of the afternoon and she made herself busy in the lobby with arranging the table and chairs, as well as the shelves and glass cabinets that had been delivered earlier that day. She tried to busy her mind with things other than the dwarf leader in the next room, but he never strayed far from her thoughts. As she worked, she slipped into daydream after daydream–each of them revolving around him and her in the future, together. Always together.
By the time she decided she was done for the evening, she was able to stand near the door and see the dining area she had envisioned for so long as it formed before her eyes. Now that she had the tables and chairs, she had the dimensions she needed to order the tablecloths. The countertop and hot chocolate table that she was going to put along the cocoa wall would be custom built the next week whenever Elkhean and the crew received the cabinetry supplies–it was going to match her counters and island in the kitchen–and her register would arrive any day now. She still needed to order the curtains, dishes, hot cocoa machine, and faerie lights to line the windows. She pulled a scrap of paper from her dress pocket and jotted those things down, knowing she wouldn’t remember otherwise.
It was dark when she finally locked up for the night. Unusual for her, she was the last one to leave and she couldn’t shake how strange it felt. The crew had plans under the mountain, so they’d left earlier than usual, their absence leaving the bakery eerily silent. The sharp wintery air made her lungs ache with the first deep breath she took. Though it hurt, the bite it brought with it helped to clear her head as she walked across the street to collect Sorrel. She’d been kept nice and warm in the stable Mayor Luddie had hired the dwarven crew for recently to be built to house the townsfolk’s horses when they were in town on business. It was one of the first improvements Mayor Luddie had made for Smallburrow residents since Kaida and Eilaen had moved to town, and it was largely due to the expansion of business that had started coming in from the smaller communities close by. The warmth that filled the stable sent a shiver down her spine, the kiss of heat defrosting her nose just enough to feel it. She felt the raw nerves under her skin as she wiggled her nose around, quickly mounting Sorrel so that she could get home for the night.
Thankfully, even though it was freezing and there was a light dusting of snow falling, her ride back was completely uneventful. Upon arriving at the farm, she was delighted to find Eilaen standing outside, waiting on her. “What’re you doing outside, Ellie? It’s a lot more than just a wee bit nipply out here and you are barely dressed well enough to be out.”
“I came outside to make sure that the animals’ stoves were still going, and they had enough wood inside of them to be sufficient so they would last all night. Then, I was planning on touching up the garden once more for the day before it began to snow, but I was minutes late doing so. The snow began just as I was walking up to the tomatoes. Thankfully, I was able to get everything warmed up and thriving again so it should all be okay until morning when Jareth comes to handle his round of magicking the plants. Even though my power has grown a lot over the last few weeks, it still wears me out. Anyways, I was just about to head in when I heard you and Sorrel coming up the road. You know, you’d be a terrible thief. You couldn’t ever sneak up on anyone. Your humming always gives you away.” Eilaen stopped to laugh. “Here, let me have her and I’ll put her up for the night. You go on ahead and eat. Dinner is on the stove and should still be warm enough to eat. Nothing fancy. I just made a simple shepherd’s pie tonight,” Eilaen responded, taking reins from Kaida so she could lead the donkey away to get her rubbed down and settled in beside the food and heater for the night.
Once inside, Kaida took her time getting out of her cloak and boots, relishing the peaceful quiet that always settled over her home at night. As much as she genuinely loved having the dwarves around and despite how strange the silence was without them this afternoon, they truly were a rowdy bunch. The commotion of their “demo and remo”, as she called it, definitely did nothing to help with the noise either. After eating and warming up, Kaida relaxed in her chair with a cup of lavender tea and discussed the day’s events with Eilaen. The aroma of the lavender mingling with the woodsy scent of the fireplace had a calming effect and was almost sedating after the long day that she’d had.
“Oh, Ellie! Are you busy tomorrow?” Kaida asked suddenly after draining her cup.
“Actually, I’m not. I was thinking that I could come to the bakery with you and see everything! Jareth and I have been so busy lately making sure everyone has what they need and it’s prevented me from being able to stop by like I hoped I’d be able to. I haven’t been able to come in, which I know you already know. It makes me feel awful. Here I am, supposed to be your business partner, and there’s been no ‘me’ to be partner with,” Eilaen said, her expression turning sorrowful.
“It’s okay. I promise! I understand. Your dream is taking your time, and that’s okay. I know you love me, and that you love the bakery. There will be plenty of time, especially as the weather warms up in a few months and you don’t have to tend to the garden as much,” Kaida reminded her softly. “I can’t wait for you to see the progress Elkhean and the crew have made! It’s amazing. I never knew a group of dwarves could move so fast!”
Eilaen laughed as Kaida described how the dwarves always devoured her cookies or muffins quicker than Jareth ever had. They talked and laughed, sometimes to the point of bringing tears to their eyes and stayed up chatting well into the night. By the time they were stumbling up the stairs, the clock was chiming that it was two am, and Kaida knew she’d be tired in the morning. This time she’d spent with Eilaen tonight was just the balm her soul needed since she’d opened up the doorway to the hurtful memories she always kept locked up tightly. She fell asleep with a smile on her face, extra thankful that night for her best friend sleeping down the hall.
Ten
The next morning, Kaida was woken by the scrumptious scent of bacon, eggs, and fried taters on the stove. She stretched, yawning as she sat up in bed. Before leaving her room, Kaida got dressed, her body begging for an extra layer due to the light nip in the air that she assumed was caused by Eilaen coming in and out. She ran her fingers through her hair to tame it as best as she could, her green tresses still wild from sleep. A grunt came from her as her fingers got stuck in a faerie knot. Rolling her eyes, she descended the stairs as she thought to herself, those aren’t even accurately named. Faeries don’t form knots like these.
She hopped off the last step with a yawn and turned toward the den. There was a noise coming from the kitchen, which she assumed was from Eilaen clanging the dishes around since the smells of breakfast were so thick. She stopped at the archway that separated the kitchen from the dining room, amazed at the sight before her. Not only was Eilaen cooking breakfast, but Ms. Kestrel was mixing up cake batter. In the distance, she could hear the desperate and frustrated sounds of Jareth trying to wrangle Tillard back into the pen.
“Did you set up a breakfast party without telling me, Eilaen Adah-Mae?” Kaida asked, laughing at the way Ms. Kestrel and Eilaen had both startled. Somehow, Ms. Kestrel managed to keep the batter from spilling, even when her hands flew off the whisk and bowl and went straight into the air. Eilaen, however, dropped the pot she’d just finished drying. It landed on the floor with a loud crash!
“Well, Missy. You know it isn’t customary to tell the birthday girl about a surprise before the surprise actually happens,” Ms. Kestrel replied after she’d had a moment to catch her breath. Expertly, she transferred the mixed batter from the large bowl into the pan and slid it into the now-opened oven.
It wasn’t until that moment that it dawned on Kaida that she’d forgotten all about her birthday between running orders to customers, as well as everything she’d been doing in the bakery. “You guys are the absolute sweetest!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around both her best friend and the elderly gnome in front of her.
Just then, the front door opened and shut with a slam. The three of them whipped around to find Jareth stomping into the kitchen, a scowl covering his face.
“Eilaen, why is Tillard still around? What purpose does he serve? I just don’t understand how such a pig can be allowed to stay here when all he does is ruin things and get into everything he shouldn’t,” Jareth ranted, not noticing Kaida standing in front of him.
“Because of her,” Eilaen retorted with a smile as she jabbed her finger in Kaida’s direction.
Jareth looked where she’d pointed and his face changed from a scowl into a smile. “Happy birthday, Kaida!” he shouted, wrapping his arms around her as he scooped her up for a hug.
Once he put her back down, she laughed. “Thank you, Jareth! Oh, and just so you know, Tillard is still here because I have read several books on how pigs in areas like ours have a natural tendency to dig up truffles. I’m determined to witness Tillard do this. He may not be worth much, but if he can dig up even one of those bad boys, then he’ll be worth something. That’s why. Trust me. If any pig can do it, it’s that big ole meathead.” She put her hands on her hips and stuck her tongue out at the Fae standing in front of her.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but knowing you, you won’t stop until you get what you’re looking for. I guess I can understand why he’s still here. But can you at least find a way to keep him where he belongs?” Jareth asked as he rolled his eyes. “Because potential truffle finder or not, we need to find a way to lock him up to keep him out of the vegetables. He’s wearing me thin with how much I have to patch things up after he’s torn through the plots.”
Kaida gave him a sympathetic nod before moving on. “So, what’s on our agenda today then, pals?” she asked after the four of them had made their plates and sat down at the dining room table.
“Ms. Kestrel is going to go with me to deliver produce orders to everyone in town so that Eilaen has all day with you. Then, we were thinking about eating dinner here tonight. Maybe you can invite a certain dwarf you talk about so much?” Jareth answered, giving her a look.
“What’s the look for Jareth?” Kaida asked, feeling her cheeks as the heat crept up on them.
“You know exactly why he’s looking at you like that, Kai,” Eilaen said, laughing.
“Oh, you guys are nutty ninnies. There’s nothing going on there. We’re just... Friends. Just friends. Nothing more,” Kaida explained, her statement growing more defensive.
“Okay. Okay, you two. Leave her alone. We treat our birthday girls like the birthday queens they truly are around here,” Ms. Kestrel said in her grandmotherly way, winking in Kaida’s direction as she passed the syrup to her for the pancakes that were sitting on the table.
“Yeah. I’m the birthday queen, you nuts.” Kaida laughed as she stuck her tongue out at them before crunching on the slice of bacon in her hand.
After they had all finished eating, Jareth and Eilaen cleaned up before the girls drifted outside to the stables. Once they’d saddled up Mable and Sorrel, they began their journey into town. Though the wind wasn’t blowing, Kaida was sure that she could feel ice dripping down her nose instead of rivers of snot, a curse she’d encountered every winter since she could walk.
When they had almost reached the inn, they checked Mable and Sorrel into the stables across the street. Once they were sure everything was in order at the check in, they counted to three before opening the door and quickly ran across the road to the bakery. Unsurprisingly, the door was unlocked and they were able to walk in without worrying about keys in frozen fingers. Kaida was astounded, however, to see the dwarves had gotten the fireplace in the dining area patched up, cleaned out, and lit. No more need to bring in heat enchanted stones to warm the place up anymore. The warmth felt like heaven across her still partially frozen face, filling her with a giddiness that had her jumping up and down while clapping her hands and squealing in delight. Eilaen stopped in front of the fireplace, her hands stretched out in front of her, and looked around. Kaida could see the amazement and surprise as it washed over her face.
She looked around for a few moments before finally finding Kaida’s face again. “Kai, I knew you’d said they were fast, but I never could have imagined! This is incredible! Let's go into the kitchen! I want to see what they’ve done with it all.” She grabbed Kaida’s hand, Kaida groaning about the loss of heat from moving away from the fire before she was ready. Together, they quickly made their way across the room and into the kitchen.
