“Where's Breeze?” Crile climbs up, carrying the bundle of blankets.

“If you mean Zarri, she, is running late. She said she'll be here when she can.”

“Always with the attitude.” He sits down exhaling funny. I only give it to you cause it's you. Thief. I pout silently.

“Hey, are your parents’ hunters too? You know, like they say that Cornutese are?”

“Search me. I haven’t seen them hunt once. They stopped after we moved here, as far as I know.”

“Too bad. I would have liked to ask for some tips and tricks.”

“Isn’t Ira teaching you everything?”

“He is. But he also has plenty of work to do besides babysitting. I figured some hunting advice would come in handy soon enough.”

“Why? Are you going someplace?” I ask hopeful.

“Nope. But I figured Breeze will wanna go someplace new and well, a warm meal is always nice.” Crile lays down on the roof.

“Ha! Shows how much you know about her! Zarri prefers fish.” Take that!

“Who said I'd hunt for her? I was taking about me. Besides.” He pauses. I hate it when he does that. I wait a moment longer and exhale.

“Besiiiides?” I wave my hands around in circles, urging the cretin.

“I was hoping I could win you over with my special hunting skills too.” Crile grins at me all goofy looking. Oh brother! I turn away from him.

“Very funny.” I mutter.

“I’m serious.” He sits up again. “I like you, Starlight. I wanna be friends with you.”

“Why?” The whisper eludes me.

“Why what?”

“Why do you like me?” I mumble.

“Because you're fun to be around with and you are important to Breeze too.”

“So if it weren't for Zarri, you wouldn’t be friends with me, is that it?” I glare at him.

“No. Well. I would have probably taken longer to meet you, but I would have chatted you up if I had ran into you somewhere.” Chatted me up? Is he mocking me? I try to read him. Damn it! He seems sincere... Hate him for it!

“Say, why do Cornutese clothing always seem like they were patched up from bits and pieces?”

“Cause they are.” I snap back.

“Huh?”

I sigh. “It's a long-standing tradition. The good furs and leathers would be sold for profit and whatever scraps and pieces would be left, our people would use to make clothes for themselves. The different colors of the patches blend better into the scenery, providing more cover for the hunters when hunting too. Eventually it became a trade mark for the Cornutese. Nowadays they make clothes purposely all patchy, by mixing in different materials too, like from the Balli or the Noxians. Some of those outfits go for really high prices.”

“How high?”

“Hmm... Last I knew, about five to ten gold coins. Least here. In Existara I believe it can be double that if not more.”

A long thin whistle. “Wow. You sure know your stuff.”

“My parents work at the local tailors. They work behind the scenes, but their skills with leatherworks have been highly appreciated. Whatever scraps of any fabrics are left the owner gives to them. My parents have been making their own clothes to this day.”

“Then how come you don’t wear them?”

“They let me choose my clothes. Since we live here and not there, I choose to wear Noxian clothes.”

“I don’t blame you. No offence, but those rags don’t look too comfy, you know. I’m surprised they go for so much.”

“Venatus sells those "rags" for 50 golds.”

“You're kidding!” Crile's jaw drops.

I shake my head. “It's were the original craftsmanship is, after all. Besides.” Now I taunt him.

“Besides what?” Damn it! He's too quick and not annoyed in the slightest! Grrr.

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“It's my job to know these things. I am Cornutese, after all.”

“Oh, yeah, I know that, I simply enjoyed your answer. That was very informative! Thanks, Star! Hey, teach me something more next time!” He grins silly again.

“I...”

“Hey! What I miss!”

“Zarri!” I jump up and meet her.

“Well it's about time!” Oh be quiet you!

“What’s all this?” I ask her, taking the bag.

“I swiped some goodies from the kitchen.”

“Worth the wait already!” Crile rubs his hands together. Ugh.

“Oh ha, ha.” Zarri sits down and we dig in.

“My! There's all kinds of deserts here!”

“And more!” Crile grabs a roasted leg of something and rips into it. Ugh. Such an animal... “Oh yea', haw cawm yah dahnt lyk myaht?” He mumbles with a mouth full.

“Chew first.” I tell him. He swallows and almost chokes. Zarri hands him some juice. He gulps the mug down, spilling half of it on himself.

“Ugh, what a waste.” I throw a napkin at him. He pats himself down.

“You had a question?” Zarri mocks him.

“How come you don’t like meat? Star said you prefer fish?”

“Yes.”

“But you’re a Beast!” Pest! I glare at Crile.

Zarri shrugs her shoulders. “Blain, my Druid Teacher, says that it's up to each Beast to decide what they chose to eat. Being a Beast Druid makes you look at food different... I’m a Cat and Blain is a Deer. In Nature I'd kill him to feed myself... It... Doesn’t feel right when I look at it that way...”

    “It... Doesn’t feel right when I look at it that way...” I answer.

“So then what? You never eat meat? Is that it?” Crile persists.

“No. I eat it to keep my strength up when I exhaust myself during training or shifting.”

“Or both.” Starlight adds.

“Or both.” I agree.

“I hate fish. Those bones kill me.” Crile announces.

“That's why I eat them whole. Like Emerald.” I grin with my jaws. Well, teeth, but close enough. Crile bursts into a laugh.

“Will she not be joining us?” Star asks to change the subject.

“Nope. She told us to enjoy ourselves.”

“Hey, speakin’ of Blain, how'd he lose his leg?”

“Oh for the love of! Must you know everything!” Star tells Crile off.

“Wha? I’m curious to know if she knows.”

“I know.” I nod.

“Well?” Crile urges me mid bite.

“He said he lost it in the mountains when he was on a mission to deliver supplies. Normally a Deer wouldn’t be jumping around the kind of a terrain that he went for, but that's the advantage of being a Druid, you can do more with your animal spirit than an animal would normally do in the wild.”

“Cool.”

I nod to Crile in agreement. “He said he had a call to make and he chose to gamble. He lost. The leg was his price. A three legged-delivery-deer isn’t of much use to the Military.”

“That's terrible...” Star whispers.

“That's life. Blain said that if it weren’t for the rain he could have made it. He had done it before. But he was in a hurry that time and the storm was too strong for him to fly...”

“He chose what seemed a lesser bad option...” Crile says quietly. I nod again. “Too bad. He seems nice.”

“He is. He's a great Teacher.” I smile.

“So is Ira.”

“Showoff.” I throw his dirty napkin at him. I'd kill for private lessons with Ira... He barely ever has the time for me anymore...

“I'll teach ya!”

“Say what?”

“Sure! Ira teaches me, so I'll teach you, how’s that sound?” Crile stares at me. Huh.

“Not a bad trade.”

“Great! Think I can stand in on one of your lessons one of these days?”

“What! If he goes, I want to be there too!” Star throws an instant fit. I smile.

“Sure. I don’t see why not. You're both welcome anytime.”

“Score!” Crile throws his hands into the air. We talk and eat some more, waiting for the early Autumn spectacle to begin. As warm as it is during the day, even for the Fall, the nights do get chilly enough. We cover up with blankets and gaze upon the starry sky. The Moons shine quietly in the dark of night.

“How come we don’t celebrate the Aligning of the Moons?” Crile asks.

“Beats me.” Star answers.

“Primerians used to make a big deal out of it, but since it happens once a year, it really doesn’t matter anymore. It's beautiful enough to be admired by anyone who wants to spend the night gazing at the sky.” I answer.

“Showoff.” Crile mumbles.

“Can’t help it.” I shrug my shoulders. “I’m forced to educate myself.”

“Dummy.” Star mumbles. I giggle a little...

“Hey, you guys?”

“Mh?”

“Promise me one thing.”

“Sure!” Star says.

“I'll think about it.” Crile mocks me. I ignore him.

“If what the legend says is true and each Moon is a different World and a different Life that await us after Death, then let's all be friends in the next life again too! And the next! And the next!” I jump up and stretch out my arms into the sky, dropping the blanket.

“Sure! I promise!” Star gets up and hugs me with her blanket.

“Eh, I got nothing to lose. Sure. It's a date.” Crile grins like an idiot that he is. I roll my eyes at him.

“Dummy.” Star throws him a glare of her own. That makes me giggle.

“Then it's a promise!” I smile again and we all laugh.