A Quaint World

The crisp morning air and the scent of dew greeted them as sunlight peeked over the horizon, casting the land in a golden hue.

Val breathed in deeply, taking in all of the scents around her. She and Cael were at the back of the cottage now, looking out over the various things that made up the farm.

Well, she said farm, but from what she understood, it was rather small compared to the real ones that had once existed before the world had gone silent. Still though, it had always provided her family enough food to live comfortably.

There were some vegetable fields that spanned nearly two acres with carrots, potatoes, onions, and more. Next to it was a small coop where she kept her chickens. They were a bit loud and noisy in the mornings, but Val liked them; she would often squat and watch them run around whenever she fed them.

Further along was the barn, where she kept the livestock. There weren't many, just a handful of cows and sheep. Finally, there was the greenhouse. It was an interesting structure made of glass and stone and filled with various plants that thrived in stable temperate environment year-round.

Val had learned to tend to all of this from her parents, and now that she was alone, it was her responsibility. It was hard work, and she didn't quite think she took care of it as well as her father had, but she managed.

"Farm," Val said to Cael, spreading her arms wide to gesture at everything.

"Farm," Cael echoed, his gaze wandering over the scenery.

Val was pleased that he seemed to understand her. He was a surprisingly fast learner, and she enjoyed watching his expressions change as he discovered new things. She smiled and pointed at the chicken coop.

"Chickens." She mimed wings flapping with her arms and then rounded her hands as if forming a sphere. "They make eggs. Eggs are good."

"Eggs…" There was a hint of familiarity in Cael's eyes despite it being a new word for him. He likely recognized what she was talking about. "Eggs are good. Made mayonnaise."

That's right, Cael had likely possessed at least some experience with eggs given what he had made for them the previous day. She wondered just how many other things their two worlds might've shared in common. She'd have to ask him later, just one of the many things on a rapidly growing list.

For now though, Val simply led him into the coop as she quickly took care of the chickens, feeding them and collecting the few eggs they had left in their nests. The chickens themselves almost swarmed her in excitement as she entered. They had always liked her.

She smiled and petted one of their feathery heads. "Cael, look. Chickens like Val." She giggled and looked over at him. He was awkwardly standing by the entrance while some of the other chickens curiously crowded him, looking up at him inquisitively.

She giggled at the sight. "Cael, come. Pet."

He looked at her, confused, then slowly approached. She showed him what she meant by demonstrating the action, and he mimicked it, carefully reaching out to pat one of the birds on its head. The chicken clucked happily, and Cael's lips quirked up into a small smile. "Chickens… good."

Val nodded. "Good, good!"

He seemed to be enjoying himself as several of the more adventurous chickens hopped onto his feet, and she couldn't help but laugh as he clumsily tried accommodating all of them.

Well, at least until the rooster got jealous and pecked at his hand.

Cael hissed in pain, and Val quickly pulled the angry bird away from him. She glared at it, making sure that it knew it had crossed a line, before ushering Cael out and closing the door behind them.

"Sorry," Valeria said, offering a small, apologetic smile. "Rooster is protective. Rooster… attacked Val's father too. Like this." She made a pecking action with her hand.

"Roosters are scary," Cael muttered, wincing as he shook his hand.

Val laughed softly and nodded in agreement. They were indeed a bit frightening. But they were also one of the animals that had kept Val from feeling completely alone for the past six years. She couldn't bring herself to dislike them, even if they could act like bullies sometimes.

She observed as Cael continued to nurse his wound.

Now that her father had been mentioned, Valeria couldn't help but compare the two. Cael wasn’t nearly as tall, his skin was a darker shade, and he was a little lankier than her father had been, even in his illness. Yet, there were some similarities such as his sharp features and a certain… presence. It was difficult to describe, although she supposed it could be likened to being wrapped up in a warm blanket.

"…How is Cael's family? Mother? Father?" She still felt bad about separating him from them, but she was rather curious what they were like.

"Family?" he repeated after a brief silence. "Father and mother?"

She nodded, waiting for him to continue. However, instead of responding, Cael's face darkened. A long moment passed before he finally spoke again.

"No. No family."

"No family?" Valeria's eyes widened as she felt a pang in her chest. Had she misunderstood his situation? Without thinking, she reached out and gently took his uninjured hand, giving it a light squeeze.

"Val is sorry," she murmured.

Perhaps that was why he looked sad before—not because he was merely separated from his family, but because he didn’t have one anymore. If that was the case, he was similar to Val in some ways, although that was a connection she didn't want either of them to share.

"No. Not sad. Cael is good, happy," Cael responded, his voice strangely hollow. Then, he made an expression that resembled a smile but had none of the warmth or brightness of one.

She frowned. She didn't believe him for a second; it was too obvious he was lying again.

"Cael." She looked up into his grey eyes and showed him a sad, but genuine smile. "It's okay."

His face crumpled, and he let out a soft sigh. They stood there in silence until, finally, she released his hand with a gentle pat.

"Come, Cael. Val show the rest of the farm." She gestured towards the barn, hoping it would help steer the mood toward something happier.

He nodded numbly and followed, his mind clearly somewhere else. The cows and sheep paid no attention to them as they entered, continuing to eat their hay.

She walked over to a cow and stroked her neck, letting the animal nudge her shoulder affectionately. She turned to look back at Cael and beckoned him closer.

"Cow," she explained, running her fingertips along the cow's flank. "Cow makes milk."

"Cow. Milk," Cael repeated, stepping beside her and giving the cow a cursory glance. It didn't seem like they were new to him. Instead, he still seemed to be focusing on something else entirely.

Val frowned. He was still thinking about his family, wasn't he?

There was nothing wrong with that, but she didn't like seeing him like this. She wanted him to smile, especially since she had been the one responsible for putting him in his mood to begin with.

Suddenly, she had an idea.

"Val teach Cael. Make milk." She pointed at the cow and one of the overturned buckets stored away on a shelf. "Cael understand?"

He furrowed his brows. Perhaps he didn't.

She gestured to him, miming the action of milking by stroking one of her hands up and down midair. This time, he seemed to get it—or at least, that's what she assumed given how red his cheeks became.

"Ah, no. Cael is… good."

Val frowned. Was he embarrassed? Or perhaps he was scared of the cows? They were big animals, and they could hurt someone if they wanted to. Maybe he thought the same of them as with the rooster.

Well, it wasn't the same thing at all, and Val took it upon herself to teach him that.

"It is safe," she assured him, reaching up to pat him on the shoulder. "Cows no hurt Cael. See?" She strode over to one of them and gently placed her hand on its back, running her fingers through its soft fur as it mooed happily at the attention.

Cael carefully approached the cow, but he didn't reach out to touch it. Instead, he just… watched it.

Val sighed before gently grabbing his hand and guiding it toward the animal's hide.

"Touch," she coaxed. "Soft."

He hesitated for a second, but he relaxed a little and slowly let his fingers run down its back when the cow didn't react negatively.

Val smiled to herself, satisfied that her plan had succeeded. This was better.