JAYROE & SIDAE 1
JAYROE & SIDAE
Part 1
LOCATION: Village of Drusilla
TIME: Medieval Fantasy of sorts.
Male Human Reader x Female Drider (both cis).
I’ve been procrastinating on some of the things I’ve planned to write and decided to make this one instead. It’s a drider one! There really aren’t enough drider stories to satisfy my little spider heart, so let’s just make one.
There were many challenges that came with living on a dairy farm, most often than not the biggest concern was to make sure hands were warm before touching a cow to get milk in the mornings, but lately it had been the calves’ curiosity of the Violet Oaks that resided behind the farm. Walking silently through the forest, his hazel eyes skimmed the area around him and searched for clues as to which direction the calve had gone. Due to his younger brother Fralick lacking a good sense of direction and easily getting lost, Jayroe was always quick to go search for whatever cows got lost in the forest. Thankfully not many wandered too far into the forest and often ended up trying the purple grass there, however, as of late there seemed to be a few cows missing from the numbers, and what he last heard the Yates were missing sheep too. Jayroe had taken it upon himself to return the few sheep he’d find in the forest to the Yates, but today the mists were especially thick and heavy, and he could hardly see the faint light of the lantern in his hand let alone any hoof prints.
He needed to be even more careful than normal since Lord Colquett announced that there were to be out bear traps put in the forest to help with both the animal control and the Drider problem he claimed there to be. After that news was announced in the square, Jayroe had taken to exploring the forest with a walking stick to not only sift through the mists, but also scour the ground for any sort of behemoth beartraps that would crush his ankle. There had only been two accounts where he’d had to extract a beartrap from the broken legs of his animals and he prayed to whatever gods that the little one that had wandered off this time hadn’t gotten stuck in one. He always made sure to carry the right tools necessary to pry the contraption open, but it still was a messy process altogether.
The mists shifted slightly with another wave of his walking stick, and he saw some sort of strange prints in the ground. They were about the size of a hoof print, but they weren’t cow hooves. No, they were round but dug a deep indention in the dirt there. He tilted his head from side to side when a creeping feeling prickled at the back of his neck. He dared a glance over his shoulder but could see nothing through the mists. His hand reached for the knife he used to clean out the cow’s shoes on his belt, it wasn’t much in the way of weapons, but it was at least something he could use to defend himself with if the need arose.
There was suddenly the creaking of metal, the snapping of a trap, and a pained cry echoed out in the forest. It wasn’t a calf; it was a child. What was a child doing out in the Violet Oaks? He’d caught a kid or two having entered the forest on a dare, or even one that had gotten lost while playing hide and seek, however, none of the children were allowed into the forest while the traps were out. Jayroe’s heart raced and he bolted in the direction of the sound not even bothering to properly test the ground to make sure it wasn’t littered with more traps. The crying got louder, guttural, and more desperate as he could hear the child struggling to free itself and Jayroe’s legs couldn’t move fast enough.
“Hold on, little one!” He called out to the child, hoping it would hear him. “I’m coming, don’t move!”
The crying became frantic, and he heard the creaking of metal as the child became even more desperate to free themselves. The more they tried to free themselves the worse their cries became. Jayroe prayed he had his emergency kit on him, normally he didn’t carry it on him because he could easily throw a cow over his shoulder and tend to the beast at home, however, a child would be much more difficult to handle without it. When he finally made his way into a clearing, the sight before him was not one he’d ever anticipated. He stopped in his tracks and gawked at the sight before him, hesitating on what to do.
There was indeed a child caught in a bear trap, however, it was not a human child. It was a drider. Despite being a drider, she was a petite thing that looked like she hadn’t eaten in ages with shaggy honey blond hair and two pairs of vibrant light green eyes that currently had tears streaming down her face. Her hide was covered in the same shaggy honey color with traces of brown and gray that trailed down her legs. One of the middle legs on the left was caught in the bear trap and with black blood oozing from the wound. A pitiful and mournful cry escaped the poor girl as she frantically tried and failed to free her caught legs. His heart broke at the sight, and he instantly went over to her, slow and cautious but taking wide steps to make it to her.
“Hey, hey, hey,” he spoke in a soft voice, and she gasped at the sight of him as more tears poured down her cheeks. “You need to stop struggling.”
She gasped at the sight of him, her actions becoming more frantic as she shook her head in fear. She hissed in a painful cry and continued to try to pull the trap from her leg. “D-Don’t hurt me!”
“I don’t plan to.” He set the lantern down on the ground and held his hands up in show he meant her no harm. “I just wanna get you out of that.”
She hissed again, a reflex to intimidate him, and even growled at him. “Get away from me!”
“All I wanna do it help, I swear.” He said cautiously as he drew nearer.
“I don’t trust humans!” She whined out in pain and struggled again and caused the beartrap to bite harder into her leg.
“I know you’re scared, and you don’t know me, but I’m Jayroe. I’m not here to hurt you.” He spoke as calmly as he could all the while frantically trying not to think of all the dangerous possibilities this drider could do to him. “You gotta stop moving, sweetie, it’s only going to get tighter the more you struggle.”
Her chest fluttered as she cried and sputtered, and she shook her head again. “N-no!”
“That hurts, right?” He pointed out the obvious as he took another step forward as she looked down at her leg.
“Y-Yeah.” She nodded weakly, her lower lip quivering as the tears just couldn’t stop.
“You want it off, right?” He asked as he was just arms reach away from her now.
“Y-Yeah.” She nodded and winced as she tried to move her foot, the other legs around her tense and the hairs on her body standing on end.
“Okay, I’m going to get it off, okay?” He didn’t take his eyes away from her as his hands slowly touched the earth near the trap. Beartraps are designed so they are almost impossible to directly pry the jaws open like the poor little drider girl before him had been doing. Careful to avoid the end of her appendage caught in the trap, Jayroe pulled out a four by six wooden wedge that was roughly the length of his arm and just a few inches thicker than her trapped leg, from his pack and carefully tacked it into place in the bend where the two parts met. Carefully tapping it in with the hammer, it helped to provide a little wiggle room for the girl’s appendage.
“Don’t move yet sweetie.” He warned as he carefully worked his boot under the trap and on the left side just over the spring. “This part is tricky, and I don’t you anymore hurt.”
She whimpered as her hands dug into the earth but nodded all the same as she watched his movement. Jayroe wasn’t heavy enough to completely pry the thing open, but all he needed to do was get a little more room there for her to get her leg out. Careful and slow to stand and put all his weight onto the spring as possible, he pressed down on the wedge, and it creaked as it opened more.
“Don’t move yet.” He nervously licked his lip as he felt his sweat dripping down his brow. “Wait till I tell you, okay?”
She gulped and made a noise but didn’t move yet. He let out a slow breath as his hand reached down to the keylock that would reset the trap. He wasn’t strong enough to pull it free all on his own, but he could manage enough to get her foot out. He panted and adjusted his stance and looked at her once to see her just as nervous as he. “On the count of three, okay?”
She whimpered but nodded.
“One.”
She gasped and her entire body trembled.
“Two.” His muscles tensed as he mentally prepared himself for what would happen next. “Three!”
As fast as he could he pulled on the lock as he simultaneously stepped on the spring and jammed the four by six as deep into the trap as he could. The trap creaked and fought against him, but with the plank of wood twisting in just the right angle, her leg was free. The moment it was, she drew it closer to her body and shuffled away from the trap while Jayroe fell backwards. The angry little trap the plank of wood ruthlessly as it fell on its side. He heaved a sigh of relief as he sat up and looked at the drider girl. She was very young, though she as she sat huddled together, she came up to his waste. Jayroe wiped his brow as he picked up his lantern and carefully approached her. “How you doin’ sweetie?”
“It hurts.” She whimpered and aggressively rubbed the tears from her face.
“I know, sweetie,” he tried to offer her a smile, though he wasn’t sure if it would do her any good. “Let me have a look at it.”
He set the lantern back down on the ground and carefully examined her leg. Her hair was all matted and covered in the black blood so he couldn’t properly get a good visual on the wound. As careful and gentle as he could, he smoothed back the hair on her leg as the others around him twitched at his motion. The wound didn’t appear to be too deep, but he couldn’t quite tell, and would rather have it wrapped up than take a terrible chance of fate. Without hesitation he dug around in his back for his emergency supplies and quickly applied some poultice to the wound. She winced and twisted her head away from him, but she did her best not to flinch too much for him.
“You’re doin’ good, sweetie,” he cooed softly as he worked, hoping it encouraged her despite the pain.
She whimpered as her long fingers dug into the earth. “Kai.”
“You’re doin’ great, Kai.” He continued to apply the poultice until it was wrapped all the way around the wound, a vibrant green to match her eyes. “I’m almost done.”
“W-Why are you helping me?” She sniffled as she sat up and watched him work.
“Because you’re hurt.” He said simply and calmly. “I don’t like seeing others hurt.”
“B-but I’m a drider. . .” her brow furrowed and tilted her head to the side. “Humans hate driders, my big brother says so.”
“Not all humans.” He shook his head and laughed lightly and tried not to gulp. It was good to know that this little one wasn’t entirely on her own, though it was a terrifying thought to think of an angry older brother suddenly seeing this. “I certainly don’t.”
“But you don’t know me.”
“And you don’t know me.” He smiled widely at her as he finished rubbing in the poultice. “I’m not like most humans, Kai. I like everyone so long as you aren’t mean.”
All four of her green eyes widened at this and he bit back a laugh.
“Are you mean, Kai?” He asked playfully and she immediately shook her head no at him.
“N-no, I’m not mean, I’m not mean at all!” She spoke quickly. “I’m the nicest drider next to my mommy!”
“Oh yeah?” He chuckled. “Well, that’s good to know.”
She looked down at her leg and wiggled it a bit in his hold. “It doesn’t hurt much now.”
“Good.” He smiled in relief at this. “I’m glad, I don’t like to see you hurt. Do you think you can stand?”
Her tongue poked out as she pushed herself off her side and stood on the other seven legs. Jayroe held his hands out in case he needed to catch her as she delicately applied a little pressure to her wounded leg and winced. If she were to fall, Jayroe was certain that he’d only lighten her fall and wouldn’t be able to properly catch her, but luckily, she was able to stand on her own.
“Easy now.” He said as she put her foot down. “You’ll need to rest for a few days before you can really walk on it.”
“B-but I can’t rest!” She gasped and shook her head. “I have to help my brother hunt!”
“Don’t tell me you’ve been the one hunting my cows.” His smile faltered at that news, but he tried not to let it show on his face. She quickly sucked in her lips, her face burning a deep shade of pink as she twisted her face away from him. Though he hated to admit it, it was a winning point for Lord Colquett to use the beartraps to prevent the driders from taking the animals.
“We don’t go to the village.” Kai spoke softly as she peeked over at him. “We only take them when they’ve gotten too deep in the forest. . .”
“Surely there are other things you can hunt.” He tried not to allow his face to show how crestfallen he felt. “Rabbits, birds, something else besides the cows and sheep that get lost here?”
“We would, but they’re not enough.” Her slim shoulders slumped as she looked at him. “Mommy’s got to have a lot to eat since she’s been carrying the babies –”
Babies? There was a promise of more of them scuttling about in the forest? As much as he wanted to remain positive about this situation, this would complicate matters in the village. Before Kai could finish explaining her reasons for stealing the cows, something sticky and tacky clung to his shoulder and dragged him away from her and into a direction where a ferocious hissing was. Jayroe was yanked across the clearing by a strong web until he was thrown onto his back and pounced on by a not so friendly drider. Hissing and snarling the male drider above him had similar features to Kai, only he had a deep scar that covered the left side of his face.
“What have you done to my sister!” He snarled out, his teeth just centimeters from Jayroe’s face. “I smell blood!”
“Lycas, no!” Kai cried out as she tried to move forward, but she couldn’t move quick enough. “He didn’t do anything!”
Lycas stopped hissing and snarling long enough to look over at his sister, his hold on Jayroe firm and unrelenting as he kept him pinned to the ground. Jayroe could only stare at the angry drider above him and prayed he would go to his sister rather than try to kill him, but at the tightening grip on his neck, it didn’t feel likely. Lycas bit at the air and glared back down at Jayroe. “You hurt Kai!”
“I stepped in a trap.” Kai admitted shyly and Lycas became silent as his eyes narrowed in on her wounded leg. “He helped free me.”
“Helped you?” He raised a brow in disbelief and looked back to Jayroe. Jayroe instantly nodded his head in agreement and pointed over to the discarded trap that still had the plank of wood. “Why would a human help you?”
“H-He’s really nice, Lycas.” Kai dared to step closer, wincing as she stepped on her bad foot. “He got the trap off of me, and even put some stuff to help the pain go away.”
Lycas growled lowly as he looked back to Jayroe. “Are you alone?”
“Yup.” Jayroe nodded his head quickly and tried to keep his voice calm. “I came here looking for a lost calf when I found her.”
“How do I know there aren’t others in the forest?” Lycas’s voice sounded splintered as the hair on his body stood on end.
Jayroe tried to think of something quick, something believable, but he could only tell the truth. “I it’s too early in the morning for anyone else in the village to be awake right now, and I came here looking for the calf, I swear.”
“There have been many humans wandering the forest lately putting down more of those evil traps out.” Lycas didn’t seem particularly pleased with his answer and tilted his head to the side. “You knew how to get out of that trap pretty fast, how do I know you’re not one of them?”
“Y-You don’t, but I’ve been stuck in one before and I know it hurts like hell.” Jayroe gulped. “You can look at my right leg and see that I still have the scars from the time it nearly broke my leg if you don’t believe me.”
Lycas glanced at the leg but made no motion to see if Jayroe was telling the truth or not.
“We don’t even own any of those on our farm.” He spoke truthfully, but his racing heart was not helping this situation. “My dad was terrified of one of my siblings having the same accident as me and had them melted down into the shovels on the farm. I only came out here to get the baby cow.”
Lycas had the same vibrant green eyes as Kai, but his were far from friendly as he continued to glare down at Jayroe. “There was no cow.”
“What?” He gasped, but there was no way for Jayroe to move. “But I’m missing three!”
“Lycas, please,” Kai managed to wobble over, “just let him go.”
“Why should I?” Lycas growled as he looked at his sister. “He’s a human, and nothing good comes from them!”
“Lycas.” Kai reached her hand out and touched his arm and he froze. “We’re not in the castle anymore, J-Jayroe isn’t like the other humans.”
“What, just because he helped you?” He jerked his arm free from his sister and his hold on Jayroe lessened.
“Yes!” Kai grabbed his arm again. “He could have left me there!”
“And he could also go and get other humans to go and hunt us down!” Lycas raised his voice, the hairs on his body reverberating down his body. “We can’t trust him!”
“I won’t!” Jayroe gasped out and held his hands out, palms up in surrender. Lycas’s intense gaze returned to him, and he almost regretted saying anything at all. “I won’t tell anyone. I swear.”
“Your word means nothing to me, human.” Lycas’s grip tightened again, and Jayroe froze. “Humans are quick to lie in order to save their own skin.”
“Then let’s make a deal,” Jayroe spoke quickly.
“You have nothing you can offer me of value human.” Lycas shook his head, his fingers twitching and ready to squeeze the life out of him.
“I do!” He wheezed and tried not to touch the threatening drider. “I have something of great value to you.”
“And what would that be?” Lycas scoffed in disbelief.
“Lycas!”
“Food!” Jayroe said quickly, his hands sinking to the ground at his sides. “I can get you food.”
Lycas suddenly turned his glare on his sister and let his hand go slack. “What did you tell him?”
“Nothing,” Kai shook her head, her hands hiding behind her back as she took a step away from him.
“Kai.” Lycas moved his hand, so it was no longer on Jayroe’s throat and replaced it with his foot as he stood to his full height to look down at his sister. “Why would he say food if you hadn’t said anything?”
Big fat tears began to form in the young drider’s eyes and Jayroe’s heart went out to her. Kai shook her head and shuffled to the side. “I didn’t –”
“You guys are the ones that’s been taking the animals, right?” Jayroe spoke up quickly to bring the unwanted attention back to himself. “The cows, the sheep, all the ones that’s missing –”
“We did not steal them, human.” Lycas hissed as he turned his attention back to Jayroe. “They wander into our territory, they become free game.”
“Yeah, well, they’re not so free if your little sister is getting caught in a bear trap, is it?” Jayroe frowned up at the male drider and received a growl in return. “Look, I don’t know why you guys keep taking the animals, but if you think getting rid of me is going to make the traps suddenly disappear, then you’re wrong.”
The growling stopped and Lycas merely glared down at Jayroe. The drider hadn’t killed him yet, so Jayroe took it as a good sign.
“Look, I get it that you guys need the food, but if you keep taking the animals, the other humans in the village are going to be the ones that are going to come out here.” Jayroe reasoned carefully with the male drider. “Not all of the humans would be willing to come to some sort of agreement, and if you promise not to kill me, then I’ll do what I can to help you.”
It was clear as day that Lycas did not like Jayroe nor his idea of a deal nor his reasoning, but it was true that things would only get worse if they continued. With great reluctance and much growling, Lycas fully released Jayroe and took a step back. Fresh air came to his lungs, but Jayroe moved slowly and surely to make sure he didn’t make any sudden movements to startle the male drider. When he got to his feet again, though, he noticed that Lycas was just barely bigger than his sister and had more scars that littered down his body.
Kai scooted closer to her brother and awkwardly stood between him and Jayroe, and though it did give him a small relief for that, he was worried about her injury.
“All right, so,” Jayroe cleared his throat and dusted himself off as he looked at Lycas. “What kind of food do you need?”
“Meat and fruits.” Kai answered with a faint smile.
“Kai!” Lycas cut her a sharp look, but she didn’t look at her brother. Lycas in turn rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.
“Lycas, mommy needs help,” Kai frowned and stomped a good leg as she looked at him. “We can’t do it on our own!” Lycas opened his mouth to argue, but Kai quickly turned back to Jayroe. “Mommy needs more fruits for nutrients and meats for strength.”
“Okay, meats and fruits.” He nodded his head, it was simple enough, but he knew the quantity he’d need would not be easy to acquire. His mind instantly went to the butcher and the scraps that he left for the dogs, but it was all bones and fat and that wouldn’t be nearly enough to feed a pregnant drider nor the two before him. “Anything else?”
“Mommy needs to have this much.” Kai held her arms out to a width of three feet.
“She needs more than that, Kai.” Lycas grunted and narrowed his eyes back at Jayroe. “A full-grown cow is enough to fill our mother up for a few days, if that helps put it into your perspective.”
“How many days?” Jayroe gave a curt nod.
“Three at most,” Lycas shrugged. “We give her plenty of snack throughout the day to the point she doesn’t have to have a big meal every day.”
“Right.” Jayroe nodded his head, understanding the mission, but he had no idea where to start. A cow weighed a ton, and most of the calves averaged out to be ninety pounds give or take; their mother must be large, especially if she’s carrying more of them. “Where should I come to deliver the food, then?”
“Here.” Lycas grunted as his back legs worked the silk free from the spinnerets and made a large rope. That sticky tacky rope latched itself to the bear trap still angrily biting into the bit of woods between its jaws before Lycas threw it into the air and over a tree branch. The webbing spiraled and tangled and stuck until the beartrap dangled from the high branches like an ominous windchime.
“You will wait here until I come for you. Do not come looking for us.” Lycas growled with his hands balled into fists as he stood before Jayroe.
“I won’t.” Jayroe held his hands up in surrender. “I swear I won’t.”
“And you better not tell anyone else about us.” His voice shook with anger, “I will get rid of any and all that I find.”
“I swear that I won’t tell anyone.” Jayroe snapped back quickly, “However, I highly suggest that you don’t try to make any sorts of attacks. When people go missing in the village, they tend not to think about their actions.”
“It doesn’t matter to me what sort of stupid decisions you humans make.”
“It will if they get the stupid idea to burn the forest down to the ground.” Jayroe clipped back, his voice calm and his face composed. There had been debates on more than one occasion where Lord Colquett wanted to burn the forest down to the ground to expand and help open trade routes. He’d only been successful in burning a single tree before a bear nearly mauled him. Though it was highly unlikely for it to happen with all the strange and wild creatures that lived in the forest, Lord Colquett had a horrible habit of being the loudest one in the room and doing whatever means necessary to get what he wanted.
“The forest won’t go down that easy.” Lycas scoffed. “Not with the deeply rooted magic that lives here. That threat doesn’t mean anything.”
“It isn’t a threat, merely a warning.” Jayroe sighed. “Humans tend to do stupid things when they’re afraid, and it often times ends up hurting everyone one way or another.”
“Keep your warnings and concerns to yourself.” Lycas huffed as he turned to Kai. “We’re done here, it’s time to return to the nest.”
Kai was able to offer a small smile and a little wave to Jayroe before she was herded back to into the mists leaving Jayroe with the little nerves of steel, he had left to seep out of him and cause his knees to wobble. He fell onto his hands and knees, his heart pounding in his ears before he let out a sigh of relief and rolled onto his back. He’d met not one but two driders in a single visit and just barely walked away with his life. Though he managed to survive an encounter with driders, now he needed to somehow provide enough food for them too.
A foolish part of him was tempted to leave and never step foot in the forest again, however, he already agreed to do this, and he would see it through the end. Now he just had to figure out how to exactly do that. The Violet Oaks were the home of many feral creatures, driders and bears alike, surely there was plenty here that could be hunted and used as food. He’d have to go back home for his crossbow, his knife would hardly do anything for hunting, but he also could spend all day here in the forest either. Getting up to his feet again and snatching up his lantern, he did remember that there was a pond not too far from the farm. Though he wanted to get this done as quickly as he could, his fishing pole was at the barn and no matter how he thought about it, he’d have to go home for supplies one way or another. Perhaps if he was lucky driders could stomach fish.
It wasn’t until he arrived back home that Fralick deemed it a worthy hour to inform him that the calf never was lost and that he’d miscounted this morning. Jayroe could have strangled him for that, but he was too distracted in trying to come up with a plan of how to care for a family of driders. Fralick already got a scolding from their father and their father was generous enough to allow him to take the morning off so he could eat and make his deliveries in town. It was while he was delivering the milk and cheeses and such to the village that the idea came to him.
Jayroe worked on a dairy farm, there was plenty of food to go around – so long as the driders could stomach it that is. There were always a few gallons of milk that either went to waste or was made into soaps since it couldn’t be stored for more than a day, and what could put meat on your bones more than milk and cheese? Jayroe had a skip in his step as he made the morning deliveries, making exchanges and such as he no longer fretted the outcome of providing for the driders. He’d take the leftover milk and goods to the driders, and he’d even throw in a few things from the market too! How had he been so panicked about this earlier?
That high he’d been on gradually descended back into the pit of panic when he returned to the forest though. Jayroe had to leave his horse close to the entrance, the poor thing refused to venture too far in the purple mists, and he had to tie the horse off to a tree and haul the wagon into the forest. By the time he’d reached the clearing where he was supposed to meet Lycas, he was sweating and fretting and exhausted. The hissing tipped him off to Lycas’s location in the trees, and he was too tired to be terrified.
“C-Cut that out!” Jayroe panted with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. “I’m here with food, as promised.”
The hissing thankfully came to a stop and Lycas slowly descended the tree he’d been hiding in. “You’re late.”
“You did not give me specific time to be back by.” Jayroe clipped as he leaned back against the wagon. “Besides, this thing’s heavy.”
Lycas looked over Jayroe’s shoulder, his brow furrowed and a deep frown on his face. “Where is the food?”
“Here.” Jayroe threw his thumb over his shoulder. In the wagon stood three full milk tanks, two cheese wheels, a couple baskets of left-over vegetables, and even a few loaves of bread; all things he couldn’t bring back to the farm.
“I see no meat.” Lycas carefully inspected the items in the wagon and looked far from impressed.
“The butcher was bein’ a royal ass today and I did not have the energy to put up with him and properly barter with him.” Jayroe wiped his brow. “Don’t be ungrateful, this was hard to get here unnoticed and it was especially hard tryin’ to pick through today’s selections in the hopes you might like something.”
“You should have known better.” Lycas grunted as he looked down at Jayroe. “You’re the one that readily agreed to help us.”
“Aye, that I did.” Jayroe huffed, his impatience getting the better of him. “And I intend to do so, but I won’t be takin’ that disrespectful tone either.”
“Listen here human –” Lycas’s hair bristled down his body, but there was the rustling of leaves and the sound of his name echoing on the wind that prevented him from moving forward.
“Lycas?” A voice sweeter than honey called from the forest, vibrant green eyes peeking through the purple mists. “Lycas, are you still out here.”
Lycas’s whole body trembled, his hands opened and closed nervously, and he seemed to be more panicked than Jayroe. By the looks on the kid’s face Jayroe wasn’t sure if he needed to hide or stay. He didn’t even have the chance to question what was happening when a drider woman with honey blonde hair with rivers of coffee trailing down her body suddenly entered the clearing.
It was clear as day that this drider was Lycas and Kai’s mother, the eyes and hair alone was a giveaway, however, she stood at least three feet taller than Lycas and that put her at nearly ten feet tall with those long legs of hers. Jayroe hadn’t liked many girls in the village, they were nice and had pleasant faces, but most of them too short when they stood next to Jayroe save for the eldest Yates’s girls, but they were already married off and on the verge of starting families soon. In this moment with his heart pounding in his ears, either out of fear with the situation or the immaculate beauty that stood before him, Jayroe knew that he liked his women tall. The drider beauty that came peering out looking for her son completely captivated Jayroe, in more ways than one.
“Lycas?” Her voice was like a song as she looked at her son. “Who’s this?”
“A human, momma.” He dipped his head down in respect and shuffled to the side like a child who got caught doing something they weren’t supposed to.
“I can see that this is a human, Lycas.” She smiled gently, her face looking very tired. “I asked who he was.”
“I’m Jayroe ma’am.” Jayroe dared a step forward and drew those dazzling green eyes on him. “I’m here to make a delivery to your son here.”
“A delivery?” Her brow pinched and she glanced over at Lycas. Lycas’s eyes were wide in surprise and his hair stood on end. “What delivery?”
“I, um. . .” Jayroe licked his lips nervously and tried to calm his heart. “Food, fresh milk and cheese, and few things from my family’s garden.”
“Well, that’s. . .” her eyes widened at the news and tilted her head to the side, “kind of you. Have you known my son for very long?”
“No ma’am.” Jayroe shook his head as he spoke the truth. “I came out looking for something I’d lost in the forest this morning and came across your daughter and your son.”
“Are you the one that helped Kai?” She crooned as she tilted her head in the other direction. “She was telling me about their hunting endeavors this morning.”
“Yes ma’am.” He wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or not that Kai had mentioned him to their mother, though he couldn’t fault her for speaking up. She was a kid Afterall, and they have habits of talking about adventures and such. “She was caught in a trap.”
Her smile faltered and she glanced over at Lycas who visibly slouched and shuffled to the side holding his arm in shame. “I see.” Those green eyes flicked back to Jayroe, and he was nearly ready to give her his heart. “I surely hope you’re not the one that’s been littering the forest with those dreadful things.”
“No ma’am.” He frowned and shook his head and he really wished he had something to do with his hands instead of avoiding fidgeting with his gloves. “Both my father and I are against them; I’ve been caught in one before and nearly lost my foot.”
“That would explain how you were able to get her out of the trap.” She hummed and looked him over head to toe. “You also put a salve on her?”
“A poultice, actually.” He felt a small sense of pride rise within him. “I just wanted to close the wound to keep it from getting infected.”
“How kind of you.” She smiled sweetly at him, and Jayroe wasn’t sure if his heart could take another hit like that. “Thank you, for saving my daughter, and for helping my son hunt.”
“It’s not a problem ma’am.” His mouth was running without thought and he knew if he didn’t reel it in some, he’d giving himself more work than he could handle; but it was already probably too late for that. “Not a problem at all.”
“You’re sweet.” Her smile made her eyes crinkle and the small laugh she gave at the end made his heart flutter like he was a teenager again. Could her four eyes see him turning into putty for her already?
Lycas huffed and crossed his arms and caused those pretty eyes to look away from Jayroe. “He’s only doing what I asked of him, momma.”
“I know, my son.” She reached out and patted the top of his head. “You did a good thing reaching out to him, I’m proud of you, Lycas.”
The hairs along Lycas’s body finally settled upon hearing that, though he still cut a quick glare to Jayroe. The mother drider smiled kindly down at Lycas as she pressed her forehead to her son’s in a nod of trust before taking a step back. “Now, Lycas, please be a dear and take the wonderful things Mr. Jayroe here has brought us to the burrow.”
The hair on his body spiked up again as he looked from his mother to the wagon to Jayroe and his whole body shook. “Momma, you don’t need to be alone with this human!”
“Lycas.” Her voice turned stern as her smile slowly began to tip down into a frown. “I am a grown drider and I can have a conversation with a human for a few minutes while you take the food back to the burrow. Mr. Jayroe doesn’t appear to have any ill will towards us, do you, Mr. Jayroe?”
“None, ma’am.” He quickly shook his head. “A-And Jayroe is fine, I’m not married and have no claim to being a sir or a mister, ma’am.”
She hummed thoughtfully at this and gave him another sweet smile to knock another arrow in his chest before turning back to her son. “You heard him, Lycas. Be good for me.”
Despite the warm fuzzies from the feathers of arrows that the drider mother gave Jayroe, the pointed tip of those arrows came from glare Lycas aimed at him. There was a low growl and a stomp, but the hair on his body eventually calmed down and Lycas stalked over to the wagon to pull the cart off into the forest. The drider woman waited until her son was out of sight before bending down to get to Jayroe’s level. She smiled again and looked at him thoughtfully. “Do tell me, Jayroe, did that boy try to kill you?”
“No ma’am –”
“Sidae.” She said abruptly with a shy look in her eyes. “If I’m to call you by your name, you are to call me by my own. Like you I’m neither married nor titled with such formalities.”
“Sidae.” It was liquid gold on his tongue and warmed him from the inside out. “He didn’t try to kill me so much as try to protect his sister earlier today. I don’t hold it against him, I’d have done the same thing.”
“It’s good to see that a human like you has such a kind heart, Jayroe.” She sighed softly, her smile becoming wearier as she glanced over her shoulder. “He’s been through so much. . . When Kai told me what happened, I was terribly worried. . .” She bit her lip, and it was clear as day to Jayroe that there was more than one trouble that seemed to be heaped upon this family. “He’s a good boy, but I am loath to admit that he’s suffered greatly at the hands of other humans and won’t take very kindly to you.”
“I can understand that.” Jayroe grimaced at the news and could only assume how the poor kid got all those scars. “He hasn’t done anything to me, Sidae, so there’s nothing to worry about there.”
“I only wish that were true.” she sighed with a weary smile. “As much as I hate to say it, you humans are the least of my concern, for I fear that I do have much bigger things to worry about.”
His heart pricked at hearing this, and he couldn’t fight the urge of doing something to help. “Might I inquire what sort of trouble, Sidae?”
She bit her lip and glanced over her shoulder and shook her head. “It’s best if you don’t. . .”
“Is there anything I can do to help at least?” He nodded in understanding, though he desperately wanted to know what was going on.
“You’ve done more than enough, Jayroe.” She reached out and touched his shoulder and his heart practically leapt out of his chest. “I really can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for me and my family today, but I really must insist you try not to get too involved. It wouldn’t be good for you, and it would put you and your family in danger.”
“I understand, Sidae.” His smile hurt and his heart squeezed at her words and did his best not to find some sort of reason to argue. “Though, I hope bringing food here for you won’t cause you too much trouble. I’m sure that Lycas is very capable at hunting and providing, but with little Kai being hurt, I’m sure he’d like a little extra help.”
Her eyes widened as her hand fell away and she was silent for many minutes before she finally smiled at him. “If he will allow it, then I see no problem with it.”
The creaking of the wooden wheel drew their attention to the mists as Lycas reemerged with a scowl etched into his face and pulling the wagon like a wheelbarrow. Jayroe wasn’t sure how good drider hearing was, however, by the hairs standing on the back of his body, he could only assume that it was pretty good.
“Quick as ever.” Sidae smiled sweetly at her son as he wheeled the whole wagon back over to Jayroe.
“You need to go back to the nest, momma.” Lycas frowned despite his mother’s head pats. “It’s not good for you to be up and about.”
“Since when?” She laughed lightheartedly, but Jayroe could hear just how tired she was. Lycas didn’t comment on his mother’s words and turned his pointed scowl back to Jayroe.
“Would you like me to take the wagon back to your horse, Jayroe?” The question was stiffer than a board and pricklier than a thorn, and it nearly took Jayroe by surprise, however, he could tell that Lycas wanted to discuss something with him.
“Yes, please, if it’s not a problem.” He glanced over at Sidae who seemed to be all too pleased at Lycas attempting to get along with Jayroe.
“Don’t be long, Lycas.” She patted his head again as she turned to leave. “It gets darker in the forest.”
Lycas nodded and turned to watch his mother leave. “Yes, momma.”
“I hope you make it home safely, Jayroe.” She gave Jayroe a final look before walking off into the mist. With her back finally exposed to him, Jayroe could see he giant ball of silk resting on her backside. It was no wonder the poor woman looked so tired; it was a massive egg on her back! It only raised questions in Jayroe’s mind, though he knew he had the wrong drider in front of him to have any of his questions answered.
Lycas kept his eyes on his mother until she finally disappeared in the mist before hissing under his breath as he glared down at Jayroe and sizing him up. “What are you plotting, human?”
“Nothing!” Jayroe held his hands up in surrender and took a few cautious steps back. “All I wanna do is help.”
“What do you want?” He snarled with a click of his teeth. “You humans never do anything freely.”
“Hate to break it to ya kid, but I ain’t like a lotta people.” He huffed with his own scowl. “I don’t know your story and I’m not gonna ask, but it’s plain as day you need help, whether you like it or not. Between your mother and your sister, you got a lot on your plate.”
“It’s none of your business.” He growled lowly, his eyes narrowing in another glare.
“No,” Jayroe agreed. “But I am willing to help. I did promise to bring you food, after all.”
“You think what you brought today is enough?” He scoffed as he showed the empty wagon. “That’ll barely last the night.”
“Then I’ll bring more tomorrow.” Jayroe said quickly, trying to figure out a way to reason with the kid. “I’ll bring what I can every day to you until you can come up with something better. So long as you bring back the empty baskets and things, I’ll make sure you have enough food for as long as I can.”
Lycas snorted and crossed his arms as he looked Jayroe up and down. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because you need help.”
“I’m a drider.” He shook his head in disbelief.
“I’m a human.” Jayroe shrugged. “My brother’s dating a Fae, I think? But he doesn’t really know what he is either. Regardless, what does it matter what you are?”
“Humans don’t help driders.” Lycas said in finality. “They use us then get rid of us.”
“Well, I don’t have anything to use you for, except for pushing the wagon over to the horse, and even then, I’ll do it myself.” Jayroe huffed and walked past him to grab the wagon to prove his point. Pieces were forming together in his mind, but Jayroe wouldn’t dare ask Lycas any questions just yet. “I’ll be back tomorrow.” He wheezed as he pulled and tugged and silently wished Lycas would at least give it a nudge in the right direction. Lycas easily stepped aside so as not to be remotely touched by Jayroe and watched as Jayroe picked up an am and began tugging the wagon. His whole body screamed at him the moment he started doing so, but he would do it regardless. Jayroe would prove that he was trustworthy, and as mad as the idea was, he was determined to help the drider family.
TO BE CONTINUED. . .
Here in Part Two
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