chapter 3

For the next few days, Nathan tried to put two things out of his mind. He was supposed to be working, he only had a few weeks left in Europe so he needed to forget about Craos. If he visited her again, he was sure to eat more of her food and just sleep the rest of his time away. The food was the other problem. He'd been hungry ever since he'd seen her. It was like the other food he had access to just didn't fill him up. He ate until he physically couldn't fit another morsel into his mouth and it still wasn't enough.

He ignored it. He'd always loved food. Maybe it was just because he hadn't had a meal that large in a long time. After a few days, it seemed to fade a little and his concentration returned. He kept working, almost forgetting about the beautiful forest dweller until he heard her voice through the trees.

He couldn't help but follow it, entranced by the smell of baking as he continued towards her home. He found her standing next to the archway and followed her through it without so much as a word. She had him sit at her table before she started to lay food out in front of him. There were dishes that Nathan didn't even recognised but he didn't care. He started eating before she had even finished placing the dishes down.

"I think I missed you," Craos said. She sounded bemused at her own emotions. "It looks like you missed my food."

Nathan nodded and moaned in agreement. Her cooking was delicious. It was perfect. It was everything he'd been dreaming about since he'd first had it. This time, he didn't protest when she asked if he wanted more. He cleared the table twice before starting to think about quitting. His belly hurt and it wasn't surprising. He was sure that in his fervour he had eaten enough for two, if not three meals.

Sure, he'd always been a big eater when he got the chance but the dull ache in his stomach told him he'd already pushed it too far.

"You're not done, are you?" Craos asked, sounding a little disappointed.

"I think for now, I have to be," Nathan said groggily. He felt sleepy from all of the food inside him.

"How about you rest a little," Craos suggested.

To the left of the table was a small pile of cushions that Nathan had never noticed. He heaved himself to his feet and went to lay down. It was surprisingly comfortable. Before he knew it, he was drifting asleep to pleasant dreams.

When Nathan awoke, it was twilight. He'd expected night in the forest to be dark and cold but there was light falling through the trees from the full moon and a warm breeze rustled through the leaves.

"Hello? Craos?" he called.

There was a moment of silence but then she appeared before.

"Sorry for leaving you there," she said. "You just looked so peaceful. Would you like me to walk you back to your village?"

Nathan sat up and shook his head groggily. How long had been asleep? It must have been a long time because he was no longer full. In fact, he was kind of hungry.

"I'll be okay, you don't need to walk me back," he said.

"I'm not letting you walk through the forest alone at night," she said. "I know these woods. You don't."

Nathan sighed. She was right. He was still sleepy. He was sure to get lost.

"Okay, yeah..." he said. "You're probably right."

Craos smiled and helped him up. She walked him through the trees in a comfortable silence and Nathan tried not to think about how hungry he was. His appetite was getting completely out of control. Just before they got to the familiar path back to the village she stopped.

"You're fine from here, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yeah, of course," he said.

It was two minutes from the path. Craos smiled and handed him a small package wrapped in cloth.

"Just in case you need a snack before bed," she said with a grin. "I could hear you stomach growling from my house."

Nathan took it and thanked her. He knew he didn't need any more food but he couldn't help himself. Her food was divine. They said goodnight and he walked slowly back to the village. He devoured the food in the package before even making it out of the trees.

Over the next five days, Nathan found himself back at Craos' every night. It always ended the same: with him impossibly full and tired. She walked him back every time, never allowing him to put himself in danger for the sake of convenience. The more time they spent together, the more they actually got to know each other.

Craos spoke of her family, her passions and her friends but she never gave too much away. Nathan didn't mind. He loved hearing tales from different cultures, even the mundane. On the sixth day, Nathan knew he had to do something. He had barely got any research done and damn, if that food hadn't been taking an effect. His clothes were starting to get a little too snug for his liking. He knew people gained weight on holiday but that was supposed to be in resorts, not little villages in Europe. He sighed when he checked himself in the mirror. There was definitely a softness there that he wasn't used to seeing.

Still, that night, he found his way back to the archway.

He tried to eat more modestly but the food was good and Craos wasn't having it. She obviously liked the company and having someone to eat her cooking. It only dawned on Nathan then how odd it was for such a beautiful, young girl to be living alone. He didn't ask about it. He wasn't sure she'd want to talk about it.

She talked about animals she'd seen in the forest and he ate. After while, he knew he should stop. His clothes were starting to get so tight that he couldn't keep eating but part of him didn't care. He loved the food and he loved the smile she got when he cleared his plate even more.

Two weeks went by and Nathan realised he had to think about leaving. He'd told Craos and she'd seemed indifferent but he was going to be sad to leave. His waistline wasn't though. He checked himself in the mirror that morning and was shocked to see that he was developing a roll of pudge around his middle. His pants were even becoming uncomfortable to button and he was sure that if he ate as much as he wanted to that evening, they were sure to burst.

That night, when he saw her, he mentioned it.

Craos blushed. It threw him off a little because, if Nathan really thought about it, it was the first time he'd really seen her show any kind of weakness.

"I'm sorry," she said. "That's probably my fault."

"Probably?" he asked with a laugh. "It definitely is. Your food is too good."

She shook her head and giggled. He had the feeling she wasn't telling him something.

That night when he got back to his room, barely able to walk and with clothes so tight they were bordering on painful, he decided to do a little research. Thank god he was able to get internet almost anywhere.

She had said something that made him think. Something about her heritage and cooking. He didn't know what he was thinking but still...

He opened up a search engine. At first he just got results for the local cuisine but when he typed in her name, he saw something else.

Craos
Etymology
From Old Irish cráes ("maw, mouth, gullet; gluttony, excessive eating").

He saw a woodcarving of a young girl. It was from the 14th century but even with the detail he had, he saw the resemblance. The hairs stood up on the back of his neck. Fairies weren't real.

He knew the myths surrounding the fae and food. There were some that said that once you ate fae food, you would be trapped in their world for eternity. That was stupid though, wasn't it? He hadn't been to any world.

Then he realised. The arch way.

Was that why the other food just didn't satisfy him in the same way? Had she tricked him?

The next morning, he had made his mind up. He wasn't going to eat with her again but he was going to get some things straight. He knew it was stupid but he needed to know.

After a modest breakfast of five sausages, four eggs, some bacon and almost a whole loaf of bread, Nathan got dressed in a shirt that was straining so much that it was barely suitable but it was the best he could do.

He walked off into the trees, determined not to get himself into any more trouble than he already had. There was part of him that was angry but a much larger part that was sad. He knew he'd been falling for the girl and the thought of her tricking him like that broke something inside of him.

He found the arch way with barely any trouble. As soon as he crossed through it, he felt the pressure change. There was definitely something going on.

Craos was sitting at the table with a sad kind of smile on her face.

"Hello," she said quietly.

"We need to talk," he said, trying to be firm.