Dryad Merriment cake-baking

Rowan stuck his finger into the bowl of vanilla icing and scooped a dollop out.

“Hey, That’s for the cakes!” Eryn quickly made to pull the bowl away from the attacker

With a cheeky grin, he licked his finger clean. “Mmm, that’s good. Might be your best yet,” 

“Nothing I make is anything less than utterly delicious.” Eryn said as she placed the bowl back down so that she was between Rowan and it. She would blame him if there were any half-iced cupcakes at the end of this. “These are for the Dryad festival, so you’ll be able to eat as many as you want tomorrow.”

“That explains why the icing is a ghastly green colour,”

“It’s not ghastly, it's…it’s…fresh! Like spring! They’ll look better once I've covered them in sugar flowers.” Eryn gestured to the tray of delicate pastel-coloured flowers made out of sugar. She had assembled them all herself, and she was very proud of them.

“I'm going to have to trust you on that one,” Rowan said as he jumped down from where he was sitting on the countertop and peered through the window. “I can see Tej coming this way and I'm supposed to be helping him decorate the nikyak harnesses with flowers for this damned festival,” He made another dive at the icing bowl on his way towards the back door but this time Eryn was prepared and whisked it out of his reach. “I’ll be going now, see ya later!”

“Why did you even bother coming in here then?” Eryn called after him. Rowan poked his head back around the door.

“To spend time with you, my most beautiful lady, if only for a fleeting moment,” He mimed blowing her a kiss.

Eryn broke his gaze, embarrassed. He could make her feel so fuzzy inside so easily. When she looked back up, he was already gone. She knew Rowan had a habit of flirting with everyone and everything he met, but the effect of his charm was still not lost on her. He’d only moved to Orilon about three months ago yet she felt so easy in his presence, as if they’d known each other all their lives. Although, she had realised she didn’t actually know that much about him at all. He was one of those people who were very good at talking without actually saying much. Maybe he would open up with her one day. Or maybe he’d just eat all of her cakes and sweets and then she’d go out of business.

The day of the Dryad Merriment festival was bright and happy. Fluffy white clouds drifted in the stunning blue skies and the air smelt like spring flowers and morning dew. The faelidhs had really pulled out all the stops this year. As Eryn bounded down her spiral staircase, she thought that her plants looked more green than they did yesterday. She boxed up all the cupcakes, careful not to drop any icing side down. That would be a disaster.

Once they were all carefully packed up, she loaded them into the bags on her faithful nikyak’s saddle and they were off to the festival.