a light in the darkness

 The rain began to pour. Milo only slightly sighed. Just what he needed as he looked at the night sky. They would have to take shelter in the cave.

"What I'd do for a steamed bun about now," he said under his breath as he took her hand and headed into the darkness. Not even a candle to guide him.

"What?" ChaCha sounded a bit childish or was she frightened?

"Nothing," he said quietly but his stomach spoke louder. 

"Do you think you can survive this?" Milo wanted to know, holding her close as if he might have to shield her from the cave dwellers. Although small, no one knew what they were really capable of. He'd heard stories since childhood of those embarking journeys to find treasures there only to come out ill or maybe crazy. But if they weren't out treasure hunting, perhaps they would be all right to take refuge here for the night.

ChaCha nodded as her ear was close to his chest.

"Have you always lived at the palace?" He wasn't certain of her importance.

"I think so."

In the dimness of the moonlight, a beam of light crept in. He noticed a vacancy between the boulders. Someone had made a home here not long ago. The remains of wood piled in place ready for a fire. This would have to do, but he doubted he had the energy to start it.

Yet the chill of the cave struck a thought, that if he imagined it..it was so. He put his hands out. His palms over the wood. He winced hard thinking it would possibly happen, but ChaCha struck a firestick. He looked over at her.

"You could have done that a while ago."

She only smirked and stared the fire. She'd gotten away with her runaway bag of goods. He watched her put the stick away.

"What else do you have in there?"

"I could make bread." 

She got out the jar of flour, but a little in the palm of her hand, and added drops of water. It wasn't long until it formed a dough. She rolled up a small ball for him and one for herself and put them on a small stick that hadn't burned from the fire and started to cook.

"I don't think you're a princess at all," he smiled. "I prefer wild girls, after all." He got situated to sit against a boulder with his arms crossed.

He watched her squatting near the fire turning the round bread to brown.

"Next time, it'll be your turn. You better make it good." ChaCha order almost in a pout.

Milo couldn't help but smile. Oh, he could see her brother in her even if it were a distant memory. Too bad, he wasn't here.